The dead of night found Lin Feng seated cross-legged on his meditation platform, a Spatial Ring held in his right hand as he meticulously examined its contents.
Earlier that day within the grand hall of the Lingyue Sect, Lin Feng had received the 'tempting' promise from Sect Leader Lu Danxin – upon his successful return from the Blackmist Herb Valley trial, he would formally become the Sect Leader's personal disciple!!
News of this promise had spread like wildfire, stirring the entire Lingyue Sect into a state of near frenzy. It was widely known that Lu Danxin hadn't accepted a personal disciple in nearly two decades. Previously, he had only two: First Disciple Xu Huaishan and Second Disciple Zhu Jie. While being a personal disciple to an Elder was prestigious, becoming a Sect Leader's personal disciple was on an entirely different level. The most crucial distinction… Sect Leader's personal disciples were candidates for the next Sect Leader!
In other words, if Lin Feng became the Sect Leader's third personal disciple, he would have the opportunity to become Lingyue Sect's next leader!!
This was truly a meteoric rise from obscurity to supreme prominence!
Thus, within mere hours, Lin Feng had become the topic of conversation throughout the entire sect, known to everyone within its walls. If the Elders hadn't expressly forbidden disciples from disturbing Lin Feng as he prepared for the upcoming trial, countless individuals would have undoubtedly flocked to his door, seeking to curry favour with the newfound celebrity.
Contrary to the envy and excitement others projected onto him, Lin Feng himself was not overcome with elation or barely contained joy. Instead, he felt a distinct sense of vexation. His thoughts diverged completely from the masses – he had absolutely no interest in becoming the Sect Leader's personal disciple.
Fortunately, Lu Danxin had postponed the formal disciple acceptance until after the Blackmist Herb Valley trial. Lin Feng understood this likely served as a final test of his worthiness within those perilous grounds. This delay, however, granted Lin Feng precious time. He had tentatively decided: once the Blackmist Herb Valley trial concluded, before the Sect Leader could formally take him on as a disciple, he would find an opportunity to leave the sect.
He had resided within Lingyue Sect for over half a year. The sect had shown him kindness, and more importantly, it was through their resources that he had secured this chance to enter Blackmist Herb Valley. Departing immediately after felt akin to burning bridges after crossing them – undeniably ungrateful. Therefore, Lin Feng resolved to dedicate a significant portion of any gains he made within the valley to the sect upon his return, serving as a tangible expression of his gratitude.
Having made this resolution, Lin Feng set the matter aside for the moment. His focus shifted to the Spatial Ring bestowed upon him personally by the Sect Leader as he left the great hall earlier that day.
Contained within this ring were all the supplies deemed necessary for the Blackmist Herb Valley trial. Every participating disciple received one, but Lin Feng's was personally given by the Sect Leader, marking it as undoubtedly exceptional.
The most abundant items Lin Feng found within the Spatial Ring were pills – primarily restorative and healing pills, including even a few Grade 3 ones. However, these elicited little excitement from him. Pills were the one resource he currently had in ample supply.
Beyond the pills, numerous other valuable items were present. The most impressive was a palm-sized, hexagonal disc – a Light-Shield Defense Magical Artifact, and its grade… Low-Grade Spirit Artifact!!
This discovery thrilled Lin Feng immensely. He hadn't anticipated Lingyue Sect making such a lavish provision, bestowing even a Spirit Artifact-grade Light-Shield artifact upon him. His own Low-Grade Spirit Artifact Light-Shield Bracelet was damaged beyond practical use, and lacking the specific repair materials, it was useless. He had been relying solely on a Peak-Grade Artifact Light-Shield artifact. Securing this Spirit Artifact-grade defense item undoubtedly boosted his personal safety significantly by a major degree.
Lin Feng was unaware that this Spirit Artifact was a mark of the Sect Leader's 'special consideration'. Among the other trial participants, only the two Early Golden Core stage disciples received Spirit Artifact-grade Light-Shields; those at the Foundation Building stage received only Artifact-grade ones.
Besides the Light-Shield artifact, there was also a stack of magical talismans. Among them were even two Peak-Grade Grade 3 Talismans – one defensive and one offensive – providing excellent emergency life-saving measures.
Furthermore, Lin Feng discovered a mask. It was an Artifact-grade Disguise Mask, incredibly thin and light. Once worn, it adhered seamlessly to the face, barely noticeable. Its function was to alter facial features to a certain degree. This would be advantageous within Blackmist Herb Valley; should conflicts arise with disciples from other sects—even resulting in fatalities—it would help conceal his identity.
This was a relatively low-level disguise artifact. It could only alter appearance, not body shape or aura fluctuations. Cultivators at the Golden Core stage or above, familiar with the wearer's aura, could easily see through it. However, the vast majority of participants in the Blackmist Valley trial were Foundation Building stage disciples from various sects; Golden Core cultivators were few. Thus, this disguise mask remained highly valuable. Lingyue Sect was not unique in this; other sects also equipped their participating disciples with similar gear.
Finally, there was a jade slip. Etched within it was comprehensive information regarding the Blackmist Valley trial. This included a detailed map covering most of the valley's interior, extending even to the distribution areas of various demonic beasts and spirit herbs. This invaluable intelligence had been painstakingly gathered over centuries by generations of Lingyue Sect disciples who had entered the trial. Additionally, the slip contained numerous crucial points of caution and other essential advice for navigating the trial.
Lin Feng spent over an hour meticulously absorbing the information stored within the jade slip. Finishing it, he couldn't help but exhale a long, deep breath, a flicker of awe visible in his eyes.
"So, Blackmist Herb Valley is that vast... And as expected, this so-called 'trial' is far from straightforward..."
The trial within Blackmist Valley wasn't merely about scavenging for rare resources. Once inside, every participant faced not only the valley's treacherous environment and powerful demonic beasts but also the deadly threat posed by other cultivators!
Within the confines of Blackmist Herb Valley, combat and killing between disciples of different sects was unrestricted!!
Historically, the majority of deaths during each trial occurred at the hands of rival sect disciples. Furthermore, even if a sect later discovered who had killed one of their own, retaliation was rarely pursued. This had essentially become an unspoken convention.
Learning this heightened Lin Feng's caution significantly. Still, he reasoned the danger should be manageable. The vast majority entering the valley would be Foundation Building cultivators. While there might be a handful of Golden Core stage participants, they were unlikely to surpass the Early Golden Core stage. Given his possession of the Flying Sword and the White Tiger Fierce Soul Talisman, he felt reasonably confident in his ability to handle such threats.
Only after organizing all the items did Lin Feng finally take out spirit stones and settle into cultivation.
...
The following days passed with relative simplicity for Lin Feng. Exercising extreme caution, he refrained from using the Grade 3 Spirit Gathering Array for cultivation and consciously avoided employing the Repair Technique. He feared that a sudden, casual sweep of divine sense from a curious Elder might expose these critical secrets.
Additionally, thanks to the explicit instructions from the sect's higher-ups, no one disturbed him. This allowed Lin Feng ample time to fully adjust his state and mentally brace himself for the imminent trial.
Ten days flashed by in an instant. On the appointed day, all disciples participating in the trial assembled within the Lingyue Sect grand hall. Under the direct leadership of Grand Elder Wen Mochen himself, they set out towards Blackmist Herb Valley.
Strictly speaking, the pre-agreed trial commencement date was still ten days away. However, major sects typically departed several days early. The opening of the Blackmist Herb Valley seal wasn't guaranteed to occur precisely on the predicted day; it could fluctuate by several days before or after. If the seal opened early, sects arriving first certainly wouldn't wait politely for others; delay meant falling behind. Hence, Lingyue Sect commenced their journey a full ten days ahead of the nominal start date.
Their transport remained the Lingyue Sect's Cloud-Soaring Ship. While swift, the journey required a full day and night of non-stop flight before their destination finally appeared on the horizon.
Two towering peaks, piercing the clouds, dominated the view. Between them sprawled an immense expanse of eerie, sky-obscuring black mist. Merely gazing upon it was enough to send chills down one's spine.
As the ship drew near the perimeter of the shrouded valley, Wen Mochen, standing at the prow and intently observing the scene ahead, suddenly stiffened. A look of profound astonishment and disbelief washed over his features.
"How can this be... Blackmist Herb Valley... it's already opened!!"