After the fateful night Lin Feng taught Xue Ziqi a harsh lesson, Xue Ziqi vanished from his sight. There were no signs of retaliation. Soon after, when it was time to deliver the next batch of discarded pills, it was another Southern Courtyard disciple who brought them, and the quantity had returned to normal. It seemed Xue Ziqi was genuinely terrified of Lin Feng.
During a casual meal in the dining hall with Fei Biao some time later, Lin Feng learned the aftermath. Xue Ziqi and his two companions had become infamous within the Southern Courtyard. Rumors of their late-night 'naked sprint' had spread like wildfire, turning them into the butt of everyone's jokes. Thankfully, the story hadn't reached the ears of the senior elders; otherwise, their punishment would likely have been far more severe.
Shame apparently kept Xue Ziqi confined. He rarely ventured out anymore, reportedly immersing himself in secluded cultivation.
As for the Southern Courtyard's senior disciple, Di Xuan, he had departed alongside Zhou Xiantai. Even Elder Zhou's spirit beast, the Bluewood Datura Python, was taken along. Word was they wouldn't return for one or two months. The Purple-Crowned Thunder Crane had also been taken by the Vice-Sect Leader, accompanied by the Northern Courtyard's Elder Lu and the Armored Crocodile. Their return date remained unknown.
With three fewer spirit beasts to care for and no more trouble brewing, Lin Feng's life became significantly more relaxed and pleasant. The only minor annoyance was the frequent visits from the Western Courtyard's senior disciple, Jie Feiyuan. While having a stunning beauty drop by might seem like a perk, Lin Feng, aware of her ulterior motives, couldn't muster any joy. He remained constantly vigilant during her visits, anxious she might uncover his secret.
This situation improved after about a month. Jie Feiyuan grew increasingly frustrated with Lin Feng's apparent obliviousness to flirtation. He proved far less gullible than his unassuming appearance suggested. Apart from acquiring a single Vine Snakeweed from him at minimal cost during their first encounter, she hadn't managed to gain any further tangible benefits. Over time, her interest waned. She stopped visiting regularly and instead focused on her own cultivation.
A little over a month later, Di Xuan returned. However, he didn't resume his harassment of Lin Feng. His journey had yielded some fortuitous encounters, propelling his cultivation to the Great Perfection of the Foundation Building stage. Following Zhou Xiantai's instructions, he entered seclusion to consolidate his gains.
Not long after that, the Vice-Sect Leader, Ye Lingxuan, returned with the Purple-Crowned Thunder Crane and the others (both human and beast). Their expedition to Lanling Ruins seemed fraught with difficulties. They hadn't found the rare treasures they sought, and Vice-Sect Leader Ye had returned injured. He immediately entered seclusion to heal.
The Purple-Crowned Thunder Crane was also severely injured. Before entering seclusion, Vice-Sect Leader Ye issued orders for Lin Feng to meticulously nurse the crane back to health. He provided a quantity of low-grade third-tier pills for Lin Feng to administer daily as nourishment. Ye Lingxuan knew precisely what effect these pills should have. If Lin Feng dared to withhold them for himself, the crane wouldn't recover within the expected timeframe, exposing the theft immediately. Therefore, he had no fear of Lin Feng embezzling the medicine.
Another month passed. Vice-Sect Leader Ye emerged from seclusion to find the Thunder Crane not only fully recovered but in even better condition than anticipated. Pleased, he unexpectedly rewarded Lin Feng with another Snow Bud Pill. This was a welcome bonus for Lin Feng.
What Vice-Sect Leader Ye Lingxuan didn't know was that Lin Feng had indeed 'embezzled' the nourishing pills meant for the crane. The crane's recovery was entirely due to the copious amounts of top-grade second-tier pills Lin Feng had secretly fed it instead.
During this period, Lin Feng's own cultivation progressed at a remarkable pace, fueled by abundant resources: the third-tier Spirit Gathering Array, mid-grade spirit stones, and more. He was prudent with his pill consumption, however. He even saved the third Snow Bud Pill Ye Lingxuan had given him. For cultivation, he relied solely on the top-grade Spirit Nurturing Pills, which offered potent effects with minimal pill toxin accumulation. Combined with the miraculous effects of the spirit spring water, advancing through the minor stages within the Foundation Building realm encountered virtually no bottlenecks. His cultivation soared from the fourth layer to the fifth, and then the sixth layer, matching the speed of so-called 'genius' disciples.
Lin Feng found inspiration for explaining his rapid progress when Vice-Sect Leader Ye bestowed the third Snow Bud Pill. After careful consideration, he selected the Dark Profound Demon Wolf, the spirit beast closest to advancing to its next tier, for 'special treatment'. He began feeding it generous daily doses of top-grade pills to accelerate its cultivation growth.
Such massive pill consumption would cripple a human cultivator, but spirit beasts possessed far greater resilience. Lin Feng also avoided reckless overfeeding. His strategy proved sound; the wolf didn't disappoint. Within a month, it advanced ahead of schedule to the seventh rank of the third tier.
As Lin Feng had anticipated, the wolf's advancement delighted its 'master', Elder Guo of the Eastern Courtyard. Finding Lin Feng already present when the wolf advanced put Elder Guo in an excellent mood. Much like Vice-Sect Leader Ye before him, he felt inclined to reward Lin Feng. When Lin Feng cautiously requested Snow Bud Pills, Elder Guo was momentarily surprised but didn't question it, casually handing over two Snow Bud Pills.
Receiving rewards from sect elders when a spirit beast advanced was one of the few decent perks of being a Beast Garden caretaker. However, it wasn't a common benefit. Spirit beast advancements were notoriously difficult, sometimes taking years or even decades. Some caretakers eagerly yearned for such an opportunity without ever getting it. Lin Feng's luck was exceptional: he encountered both the Purple-Crowned Thunder Crane and the Dark Profound Demon Wolf when they were on the cusp of advancement and used copious top-grade pills to push them over the edge.
With the two Snow Bud Pills from Elder Guo in hand, Lin Feng no longer feared his abnormally swift cultivation progress raising suspicion. He could always attribute it to the pills' effects.
Furthermore, his dedicated study of pill refining, fueled by consuming vast quantities of herbs for practice, yielded significant results. He quickly mastered the refinement of first-tier pills and became capable of barely producing second-tier pills, with his skills improving rapidly.
With his cultivation skyrocketing and a steady stream of pills filling his pockets, Lin Feng's life was exceedingly comfortable. He even began to savor this period of relative ease.
......
...
Time flows differently in the world of cultivation. Powerful experts often vanish into decades or even centuries of seclusion. While Lin Feng's experience wasn't quite that extreme, six months slipped by almost unnoticed within the confines of the Lingyue Sect. His cultivation had steadily climbed to the seventh layer of Foundation Building.
Today marked exactly the two hundredth day since Lin Feng joined the Lingyue Sect. It also finally granted him the opportunity to descend the mountain openly. However, this privilege came bundled with an assignment: escort Xia Xin home for a family visit.
Lin Feng harbored no resentment towards this 'task'. He would have done it willingly even without Zhou Xiantai's order.
In just half a year, Xia Xin's cultivation had reached the seventh layer of Qi Refining, and her progress showed signs of accelerating further. Lin Feng couldn't help but marvel at the formidable power of her supreme spiritual root constitution.
Their return to the small mountain village naturally caused quite a stir. The village erupted in celebration, the festivities surpassing even those of major holidays.
After three peaceful days in the village, Lin Feng and Xia Xin departed once more. On the journey back to the sect, Lin Feng made a detour, taking Xia Xin to Lingyue City.
Inside the Myriad Treasures Pavilion of Lingyue City, a young female attendant led Xia Xin away to enjoy some delicious pastries. Lin Feng, meanwhile, followed Duan Chenglian into a private meeting room.
Over the past few months, Lin Feng had secretly descended the mountain three times (including his first visit). Each time, he commissioned the Myriad Treasures Pavilion to procure large quantities of herbs for him. He also consigned a portion of the top-grade pills he'd repaired for them to sell. Not only did the proceeds cover the cost of the herbs, but he also managed to accumulate a substantial reserve of spirit stones.
The connection with the Myriad Treasures Pavilion had undoubtedly saved Lin Feng immense trouble. He sometimes even felt a twinge of guilt over the favor. Consequently, during each visit, he made a point to spend some time repairing a few of the Pavilion's difficult-to-restore magical artifacts as a gesture of goodwill.
While waiting for Cheng Lin to return with the purchased herbs, Lin Feng engaged in casual conversation with Duan Chenglian. Suddenly, Duan Chenglian asked, "By the way, Lin Feng, do you recall that unidentified formation disk you repaired for us the very first time you visited?"
"Hmm?" Lin Feng was slightly taken aback, then nodded. "Of course I remember. Why do you ask about it now, Senior Duan?"