Hearing Ye Lingxuan's words, Lin Feng's heart immediately began to pound uncontrollably.
What reward do I desire?
Previously, preoccupied with the Thunder Crane's condition and worried he might face punishment if anything went wrong, he hadn't dwelled on this matter. Now, the sudden realization struck him: A stroke of incredible luck had fallen straight into his lap!
What reward should I ask for? This barely warranted any deliberation…
Suppressing his inner excitement and exhilaration with immense effort, Lin Feng bowed respectfully to Ye Lingxuan and said, "Reporting to Vice-Sect Master, this disciple possesses low elemental root aptitude. My cultivation progress has recently stagnated. I dare to request the Vice-Sect Master bestow upon me one Snow Sprout Pill. I humbly beseech your approval!"
"You want the Snow Sprout Pill?" Ye Lingxuan clearly blinked in surprise. He looked at Lin Feng, his brow furrowing slightly. While the Snow Sprout Pill was indeed miraculous, ambitious cultivators generally weren't eager to use it lightly. It was typically reserved only when one encountered a genuine cultivation bottleneck that was difficult to break through – like the critical juncture from the sixth to the seventh layer of Foundation Building, or from the ninth layer to Great Perfection. For someone like Lin Feng, only at the second level of Foundation Building, to request it was exceedingly rare. At least in the history of the Lingyue Sect, no disciple had ever used a Snow Sprout Pill at merely the second level.
"He appears to be just over twenty, at the second level of Foundation Building... his aptitude can only be considered average." Ye Lingxuan swiftly assessed Lin Feng, arriving at this conclusion. His interest in scrutinizing this particular disciple faded instantly.
Seeing Lin Feng's expression filled with nervousness and expectation as he awaited a response, Ye Lingxuan nodded calmly. "Very well. Since you have requested it, I shall reward you with two Snow Sprout Pills."
With a casual flick of his wrist, two small objects flew towards Lin Feng. Lin Feng hurriedly raised his hands to catch them. Nestled in his palms were two snow-white pills, identical to the descriptions of the Snow Sprout Pill found in sect records.
Lin Feng had thought getting one pill would be fortunate enough; he hadn't dared dream of receiving two. Secretly overjoyed, he bowed deeply once more. "This disciple thanks the Vice-Sect Master for your generous reward!"
"Mmm..." Ye Lingxuan acknowledged with a vague nod, seemingly disinclined to converse further. He glanced back towards the Purple-Crowned Thunder Crane and instructed Lin Feng, "Remain here tonight and keep watch. If Thunder Crane displays any abnormalities, report immediately. If all remains calm, you may return tomorrow."
Lin Feng nodded respectfully. "Yes, disciple obeys!"
…
Watching Ye Lingxuan depart on his flying sword, Lin Feng stood alone on the silent mountainside, joy bubbling within him uncontrollably.
He raised the two Snow Sprout Pills to eye level, examining each one carefully. He murmured to himself, "One at 20% damage, the other at 30% damage... meaning one is top-grade and the other is high-grade. And the repair materials... yes, I have them all..."
Holding the pills, Lin Feng felt like he was in a dream. He truly hadn't anticipated acquiring the Snow Sprout Pills so effortlessly, so suddenly.
Before this, he hadn't even possessed a clear idea of how to obtain them. He'd merely heard that the Lingyue Sect utilized a 'Contribution Point' system. Disciples could earn points by fulfilling their duties or making other contributions. These points could then be exchanged within the sect for various resources: cultivation manuals, techniques, spirit herbs, quality alchemical furnaces, and so on. He had planned to investigate this 'Contribution Point system' thoroughly in the near future, hoping it might offer the Snow Sprout Pill as an exchange option. Now, that investigation was rendered unnecessary.
"Searching high and low without finding it, yet gaining it effortlessly..." Lin Feng couldn't help but sigh inwardly at the twist of fate. He scanned his surroundings carefully, then walked over to a large tree nearby. Retrieving the pre-prepared repair materials for the Snow Sprout Pill from his storage ring, he employed his Repair Technique. Moments later, both pills shimmered faintly and were restored to pristine condition – a state he termed 'Perfect Quality'. While typical pill categorization deemed anything under 25% damage as 'top-grade', Lin Feng's repaired pills always reached 0% damage, surpassing even conventional top-grade pills.
"The Snow Sprout Pills are finally in hand... I pray fervently they work as I hope. Please don't let even this pill fail to break through my stagnation..." Lin Feng muttered cautiously, carefully stowing the two perfectly repaired pills away. He didn't rush to consume them immediately; the time wasn't right.
"Brother Crane, this time it's all thanks to your luck! Haha! Don't worry, I'll give you preferential treatment from now on – extra pills daily!" Lin Feng glanced up towards the mountaintop at the Purple-Crowned Thunder Crane, chuckled softly to himself, then settled into a cross-legged meditative posture.
…
The night passed swiftly. The Purple-Crowned Thunder Crane displayed no abnormalities. Lin Feng kept watch even through the morning. Seeing no sign it would awaken soon, he finally rose and departed. He made his rounds, visiting the other spirit beasts to deliver their daily pill allotments as usual. However, instead of returning to his quarters, he sought out a secluded spot at the edge of the Armored Pangolin's territory.
At the base of a small hill, he excavated a simple cave. Concerned about potential interruptions if he consumed the pill and cultivated in his regular dwelling, he deemed this isolated location safer. Being within the Armored Pangolin's domain generally deterred other demonic beasts. For added security, he even activated several Wood Vine Talismans, weaving thick vines to seal the cave entrance securely. Only the worry about oxygen depletion stopped him from completely sealing it off with Earth Wall Talismans.
Next, Lin Feng pulled out a third-grade Spirit Gathering Array formation disk and scattered a substantial quantity of mid-grade spirit stones around him – low-grade stones would have sufficed, but aiming for absolute certainty, Lin Feng ignored the extravagance.
With preparations complete, Lin Feng sat cross-legged in the center, activating the Spirit Gathering Array. He then retrieved a small porcelain vial containing Spiritual Spring water and carefully placed two drops onto his tongue. Finally, he placed one Snow Sprout Pill into his mouth and immediately plunged into deep cultivation.
Third-grade Spirit Gathering Array, hundreds of mid-grade spirit stones, Snow Sprout Pill, even Spiritual Spring water… Such immense resources deployed solely for the cultivation of a mere second-level Foundation Building cultivator… If other cultivators knew, Lin Feng could only imagine their disbelief.
…
VMMM…
The moment the third-grade Spirit Gathering Array activated, the air within the cave visibly shimmered and distorted. Countless strands of spiritual energy converged from the surrounding void. As Lin Feng circulated his cultivation technique, faint crimson glows began to manifest. The concentration of fire-attributed spiritual energy quickly surpassed that of other elements, growing denser and denser until it coalesced into a small, swirling vortex of spiritual power.
At the heart of this intensely concentrated energy, Lin Feng sat with an expression of profound calm, like a venerable monk deep in meditation, steadily absorbing the ambient spiritual power.
Initially, his demeanor remained serene. Gradually, however, for reasons unknown, his brow began to furrow. A trace of visible discomfort, perhaps even pain, etched itself onto his features. Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
An indeterminate amount of time later, Lin Feng suddenly raised his hand and placed the second Snow Sprout Pill into his mouth.
After consuming the second pill, his expression seemed to ease significantly, returning to a state of steady cultivation. Throughout this process, the rich spiritual energy surrounding him continued to flow steadily into his body. The mid-grade spirit stones scattered on the ground glowed like tiny white lanterns, releasing strands of pure spiritual essence that Lin Feng diligently absorbed.
A full day elapsed. Only by noon the following day did the situation finally shift again.
The swirl of spiritual power filling the cave abruptly shuddered violently. Its rotational speed suddenly doubled, then it contracted rapidly. Within the blink of an eye, the entire vortex poured into Lin Feng's body.
…
Lin Feng, having cultivated non-stop for a full day and night, slowly opened his eyes. He exhaled a long stream of turbid air, like a bolt of white silk, and an expression of profound joy spread across his face.
"Finally... finally advanced again!! The Snow Sprout Pill worked!!"
Habitually, he raised his right hand before his eyes, clenching it tightly. The surge of power within him felt significantly stronger than before. A heavy weight lifted from his heart – his cultivation base had ascended from the second level of Foundation Building to the third level, with the fourth level now feeling almost within reach.
Moreover, most crucially, he could feel the lingering 'post-overexertion backlash' within him had finally dissipated. Circulating his cultivation technique now, he could distinctly perceive the slow, steady increase in his cultivation base.
"However... using two Snow Sprout Pills only yielded one level of advancement... Has my cultivation aptitude truly deteriorated to such an extent?" Alongside his joy, a sigh escaped Lin Feng's thoughts. Conventionally, a single Snow Sprout Pill was said to advance a Foundation Building cultivator by one full level. Yet, its efficacy seemed drastically diminished in his case. Without that second pill, he doubted he would have even reached the third level, nor broken free from the shackles of the backlash.
He quickly dismissed the negative thought, embracing relief: The long-plaguing problem is resolved. That alone is cause for celebration. Poor aptitude doesn't matter. I have ample resources. I believe my cultivation speed won't lag behind others...