"Formation Plate?"
Lu Su was about to examine the artifact further when Lin Feng's words stopped him cold. Stunned, he exclaimed, "You already figured out what it actually is? So it's not an offensive or defensive artifact, but a Formation Plate?!"
Lin Feng nodded. "I'm fairly certain. I've repaired a Tier Three Spirit Gathering Formation Plate before, and fixing this artifact gave me a similar feeling. This might also be a Tier Three Formation Plate, though I don't know what specific formation it's for."
"Wait! Wait!!" Lu Su's eyes suddenly widened in shock. "You said it's a Formation Plate… and you repaired it?! And you've repaired a Tier Three Spirit Gathering Formation Plate?! You… you… could you possibly also be a Formation Master?!"
He hadn't grasped the implication at first, but the sudden realization hit him hard. While Formation Plates were a type of artifact, they were fundamentally different from ordinary ones. Crafting or repairing them required deep knowledge of formations! Yet, Lin Feng had not only claimed to have repaired this Formation Plate but also mentioned repairing a Tier Three Spirit Gathering Formation Plate. Lu Su's mind struggled to process this, almost doubting his own ears.
"Uh…" Lin Feng's expression froze as he realized his slip. He cursed himself internally for speaking carelessly. But the words were out; he couldn't take them back. He had no choice but to bluff his way through. "Actually… I wouldn't call myself a true Formation Master. I've just dabbled a bit in the subject. But I only know how to repair Formation Plates… I can't actually set up formations…"
"That's already remarkable!!" Lu Su stared at him for a long moment before sighing in admiration. "Young Friend Lin, your talent is truly extraordinary. It makes an old artificer like me feel utterly inadequate…"
Lin Feng offered an awkward smile. "Senior Lu, you flatter me too much…"
...
Wary of saying too much and risking further mistakes, Lin Feng fell silent afterward. Lu Su and Duan Chenglian turned their attention back to the fully repaired artifact. After careful study, they too concluded it was most likely a Formation Plate. However, despite their combined experience, they remained unable to decipher its specific function.
Frustrated by their lack of progress, they reluctantly set the artifact aside for the time being.
The conversation flowed easily for the next while. Lin Feng seized the opportunity to ask the two seniors many questions about the cultivation world, particularly focusing on the Xia Kingdom's cultivation circles and the current situation in the surrounding regions.
He also subtly steered the conversation towards the recent Great Python Mountain 'exotic treasure' incident. From Duan Chenglian, he learned some of the most widely circulated 'major events': nearly two hundred cultivators had perished on the mountain that night; the head of the Loong family (one of Starry City's three great clans) and the former head, among others, were officially listed as missing; Wei Wuyi of the Absolute Sword Sect had returned with a severed arm and severe injuries; Tian Guangshu from the Green Breeze Valley and two of his disciples had seemingly vanished into thin air…
And everyone knew that 'missing' almost certainly meant 'dead'.
When Lin Feng heard that Tian Guangshu of the Green Breeze Valley was also dead, a jolt of shock ran through him. Did the Swordsman kill Tian Guangshu? he wondered. While he couldn't be sure, Tian Guangshu's death likely meant the Swordsman had escaped unscathed.
Both the Green Breeze Valley and the Absolute Sword Sect had issued warrants, Duan Chenglian added. The Green Breeze Valley's warrant was frustratingly vague, offering no information about the target at all, just promising a heavy reward for any information related to Tian Guangshu's fate – with seemingly no results so far. The Absolute Sword Sect's warrant was slightly better, targeting two young male cultivators, but still lacked specific identities. It, too, had yielded nothing.
Lin Feng knew he was one of the targets for both sects. However, he wasn't overly concerned about being found. Safely hidden within the Lingyue Sect, he doubted either sect could locate him.
The atmosphere remained pleasant, but as Lin Feng watched the sun sink lower outside the window, a thread of anxiety began to tighten within him. Fortunately, Cheng Lin, who had been sent out on the errand, did not disappoint. He returned reasonably promptly, carrying the medicinal herbs.
Upon his return, Cheng Lin handed Lin Feng a herb pouch and a smaller spirit stone pouch. "Fellow Daoist Lin, the herbs you requested are mostly all here. Quantities for the majority are as specified, though a few of the rarer ones are slightly less than you asked for."
"Thank you, Manager Cheng!" Lin Feng accepted the two pouches with visible delight. He didn't immediately check the remaining spirit stones in the smaller pouch. Instead, he quickly scanned the contents of the herb pouch. It was packed full with a vast array of medicinal plants, too numerous to count at a glance.
Seeing Lin Feng's apparent satisfaction, Cheng Lin smiled. "You're too kind, Fellow Daoist Lin. It was a simple task… However, among all the herbs you requested, we couldn't acquire the Snow Sprout Flower. This herb is exceptionally rare. It's essentially monopolized by the Lingyue Sect and is rarely available outside their channels."
"Snow Sprout Flower?" Duan Chenglian, who had been listening, interjected with surprise. "Isn't that the primary ingredient for refining Snow Sprout Pills? What? Young Friend Lin, are you planning to refine Snow Sprout Pills? You actually know how to refine them?!"
Learning the Snow Sprout Flower was unavailable was a disappointment, but Lin Feng shook his head firmly at Duan Chenglian's question. "I certainly don't know how to refine Snow Sprout Pills. Acquiring the Snow Sprout Flower was a task assigned to me by my Master."
Duan Chenglian nodded understandingly. "As far as I know, within the Xia Kingdom's cultivation world, only our local Lingyue Sect and the Feixue Sect in the west produce Snow Sprout Pills. The outside world only knows a few of the ingredients; the actual pill formula has never been divulged. The Feixue Sect is slightly more open; they occasionally sell small quantities in their Feixue City. However, the Lingyue Sect's Snow Sprout Pills are exclusively supplied to their own disciples. Outsiders simply cannot obtain them. So, even if someone happens to get their hands on Snow Sprout Flowers, they usually sell them directly back to the Lingyue Sect. It's extremely difficult for anyone else to acquire them."
"I see…" Lin Feng nodded, understanding dawning. A small hope he'd harbored – that he might find Snow Sprout Pills outside the sect – vanished. His path forward was clear: he would have to find a way to get them within the Lingyue Sect.
...
With a large batch of herbs now in his possession, Lin Feng felt it was time to leave. He bid farewell to Lu Su and the others. The three men saw him out, and he departed from the Treasure Pavilion.
As he walked briskly towards the city gates, Lin Feng finally took a look inside the spirit stone pouch. Only a little over a hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones remained. This shopping trip had indeed been a major expenditure. However, the sheer quantity of herbs he'd acquired should last him a considerable amount of time.
Procuring such a vast amount of herbs by himself would have been incredibly troublesome and potentially attracted unwanted attention. Lin Feng felt a surge of appreciation for the advantages his status as the Treasure Pavilion's honorary artificer afforded him. Leveraging the Pavilion's resources had been efficient and virtually risk-free. For the first time, he truly savored the privilege of 'having connections makes things easier'.
Exiting the city without delay, Lin Feng quickened his pace, heading back towards the Lingyue Sect.
The journey from Lingyue City to the Lingyue Sect via their Cloudsoar Ship had taken only about an hour. Traveling on foot, however, was exponentially more arduous. To maintain his top speed consistently, Lin Feng didn't hesitate to consume precious top-grade Spirit Replenishment Pills to replenish his aura energy. Other cultivators would likely lament such 'wastefulness', but Lin Feng, with his ample supply of pills, didn't give it a second thought.
Setting out from Lingyue City at dusk, Lin Feng pushed himself relentlessly through the night. It was deep into the darkness when he finally reached the edge of the dense forest bordering the Lingyue Sect's rear mountains. Without pause, he plunged into the pitch-black expanse of trees and undergrowth, retracing the path he had taken on his way out.
His previous journey had involved 'clearing' a significant number of beasts, so the return trip was noticeably less eventful. His pace was consequently much faster than before. Before long, he had traversed the forest's outer fringes and entered the most dangerous stretch midway through.
Here, Lin Feng's caution heightened, and his speed naturally decreased.
His vigilance proved necessary. As he passed by a hillside, a late-stage Tier Two demon beast launched a sudden ambush. Without Xiaoqiu's 'exploration radar' to warn him, Lin Feng was initially caught off guard and scrambled to defend himself. Thankfully, his defensive artifact, Radiant Light, proved robust enough to block the beast's attack. He swiftly dispatched it with his flying sword.
Stowing the demon beast's carcass, Lin Feng pressed on. As the first hints of dawn began to lighten the eastern sky, he crested a particularly high ridge. There, in the distance, the familiar silhouette of the mountain peak housing the Lingyue Sect finally came into view.
"Good," Lin Feng murmured to himself, a wave of relief washing over him. "At this rate, I should reach my destination by noon. That will give me time to feed those spirit beasts before heading back to the sect…"
He took a brief moment to catch his breath and adjust his pack, preparing to continue the final leg of his journey.
"SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!"
A piercing, distant shriek abruptly tore through the pre-dawn stillness.
Lin Feng's expression instantly hardened. He froze mid-step, his head snapping towards the source of the sound.
The sky in that direction was still shrouded in deep darkness; nothing was visible. Without the ability to project his spiritual sense, Lin Feng couldn't perceive anything more. Yet, he was certain he hadn't misheard. The cry had definitely come from over there, though the distance had muffled its clarity.
The sound… it felt strangely familiar. It was… the cry of a Purple-Crowned Thunder Crane!!