"Qingxu Dan?!"
Lin Feng stared at the two pale green pills in his palm, unable to suppress his astonishment. He hadn't expected the very first storage ring—Mu Qingfeng's—to yield two Qingxu Pills.
Mu Qingfeng, a core disciple of the Breeze Valley Sect, was already at the third layer of the Golden Core realm. Why would he still carry Qingxu Pills? Perhaps leftovers from his own Core Formation? Core disciples of Tier-5 sects truly are exceptional.
Beyond the pills, Mu Qingfeng's ring contained a substantial pile of spirit stones and numerous magical treasures. Aside from the low-grade spiritual artifact flying sword and the low-grade spiritual artifact-grade Radiant Light Shield Lin Feng had claimed earlier, the rest were merely artifact-grade. There were also plenty of Grade 2 and 3 elixirs, though none particularly impressed Lin Feng. He swiftly sorted and stored them away.
The unexpected acquisition of the Qingxu Pills reignited Lin Feng's hope. He glanced at the pills, then at the barrier-sealed exit, his gaze flickering with a nascent plan.
After a moment's thought, he pocketed the Qingxu Pills and continued inventorying the remaining rings. These elite disciples from major sects were wealthy—spirit stones, elixirs, and treasures were plentiful—but nothing else matched the excitement of the Qingxu Pills.
Finished, Lin Feng looked toward Chang Gong Xiaojing, who sat cross-legged cultivating near another pillar. He decided it was time to begin his own cultivation.
"Chirp…" Just as he retrieved a Spirit Gathering Pill, Little Qiu poked its head out from his robes, chirping inquisitively.
"Little Qiu," Lin Feng said, lifting the creature out, "We're stuck here for now. I need to cultivate. Go play elsewhere." He pulled out two high-grade spirit stones—salvaged from the herb garden earlier—and offered them.
Little Qiu's eyes lit up. It snatched one stone with its paws, deftly coiled its tail around the other, and obediently hopped away.
With Little Qiu settled, Lin Feng swallowed the Spirit Gathering Pill and closed his eyes, immersing himself in cultivation…
…
The following days passed in dedicated cultivation for both Lin Feng and Chang Gong Xiaojing. The ambient spiritual energy here rivaled a Tier-5 Spirit Gathering Array, fueling unprecedented growth in their cultivation bases. Yet, their moods remained heavy. The barrier showed no sign of vanishing.
Three days passed… five days… ten days…
By the tenth day, Lin Feng's patience frayed. He resumed assaulting the barrier, exhausting his true energy in futile bursts. Chang Gong Xiaojing joined him. Even Little Qiu hurled spirit stones at the obstruction. Still, the barrier remained utterly immovable.
As the deadline to exit the valley drew near, Lin Feng made a decision: he would enter secluded retreat to attempt Core Formation!
He accepted the brutal truth: his current power was insufficient. Only by breaking through to the Golden Core realm might he stand a chance.
This was a desperate gamble. If they waited beyond the exit window, even if the barrier did vanish, they—mere Foundation Establishment cultivators—would be unable to survive the resurgent, thickened Black Mist Miasma blanketing the valley. Only a Golden Core cultivator could hope to traverse it.
Lin Feng was already at the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment. The environment here was ideal. He possessed ample top-tier resources… and crucially, two Qingxu Pills. A swift breakthrough wasn't impossible.
Burdened by both hope and immense pressure, Lin Feng entered the innermost chamber—where spiritual energy was densest—and began his secluded retreat. Chang Gong Xiaojing and Little Qiu remained in the main hall.
...
…
Meanwhile, in the outer regions of the Black Mist Valley…
Three Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Absolute Sword Sect hurried towards the exit. The valley's closing time was imminent.
Their expressions were sour, reflecting a disappointing haul. They hadn't dared venture deep this past month, having failed to rendezvous with their two Golden Core senior brothers.
"Halt! Who's there?!" The leader, a sallow-faced cultivator at Foundation Establishment Great Perfection, stopped abruptly as a figure emerged from the dense foliage ahead. They tensed, weapons ready.
The newcomer was plainly dressed, unremarkable in appearance. He showed no hostility, merely scanning the trio impassively before speaking: "You are from the Absolute Sword Sect?"
"We are," the sallow-faced leader confirmed warily. "State your business, fellow cultivator."
"I bring news, not trouble," the man replied flatly, a hint of grim amusement in his tone.
"News? What news?"
"I'm here to inform you," the man said, his voice tinged with schadenfreude, "that your sect's Zeng Chengwu and Loong Tian'ao… along with two others… are dead."
"WHAT?!" The trio paled. The leader stammered, "Dead?! Who… who are you?!"
"Who I am is irrelevant. Remember the message." The man's gaze sharpened. "Zeng Chengwu and Loong Tian'ao were killed by Lin Feng of the Lingyue Sect. As for proof… here!"
He flicked his wrist, tossing a small white object. The sallow-faced cultivator caught it—an image-recording crystal.
When he looked up, the stranger had already melted back into the forest, vanished without a trace…
...
Outside the Black Mist Valley…
A group of Golden Core cultivators combined their strength, forcibly dispersing the miasma at the valley entrance to open a temporary passage.
Cultivators who had gathered near the exit surged out immediately. More trickled out steadily over time. Yet, as the crowd grew, the expressions of several sect elders darkened.
Among them were the leading elders of the Breeze Valley Sect, the Absolute Sword Sect, the Luoming Sect, the Golden Feather Sect… and Wen Mochen of the Lingyue Sect.
Three days later, the Black Mist Miasma within the valley surged violently. The channel maintained by the Golden Core experts collapsed, swallowed once more by the impenetrable gloom.
Wen Mochen stared at the sealed valley, his face like thunder. He whirled on Zhou Mingluo, Zhu Jie, and the other Lingyue Sect disciples who had emerged. "I tasked you with protecting Lin Feng!" he snapped, his voice trembling with rage. "What did you do?! Why are you all here… but he is not?!"
Zhou Mingluo offered a helpless look. "Elder Wen, please calm your anger. It wasn't that we failed to protect Junior Brother Lin… He never came to the rendezvous point. We had no idea where he went… there was truly nothing we could do…"
Wen Mochen trembled, consumed by regret and grief. He never imagined Lin Feng would fall inside the Black Mist Valley. This trial was supposed to be relatively low risk! If he had known… he would never have allowed Lin Feng to enter. Such a promising seedling… lost before he could truly blossom…
"..."
Among the Lingyue disciples, Di Xuan kept his head slightly lowered. Disbelief warred with a furtive thrill within him. Lin Feng… actually failed to return?
He stole a glance towards the Absolute Sword Sect's contingent, only to find they had already departed. A flicker of regret crossed Di Xuan's eyes. If I had known… perhaps that extra step was unnecessary…
...
…
The Black Mist Valley trial concluded. Sects departed one after another. The valley plunged back into eerie stillness, shrouded by vast swathes of churning black mist, hiding all within.
Yet, ten days after the trial's official end… an anomaly stirred deep within the valley.
From afar, one could see the black mist in that direction suddenly begin to churn violently. A low, rolling thunder echoed across the landscape.
Within the valley, near the inky waters of the Deepblack Lake, the high-altitude mist formed a colossal vortex. Lightning flickered within its churning depths. Then, in an instant—
A PURPLE LIGHTNING BOLT, LIKE A RENT IN THE HEAVENS THEMSELVES, EXPLODED DOWNWARDS!!!
Any experienced cultivator witnessing this spectacle would instantly recognize it:
This was unmistakably… a Core Formation Heavenly Tribulation!!