This unexpected power—Barrier Breaker—an additional destructive effect against seals, formations, and barriers—left Lin Feng utterly dumbfounded.
His gaze instinctively lifted to the shimmering barrier sealing the exit. A strange feeling washed over him. Isn't this... like a pillow falling from the sky just when you crave sleep? The timing felt almost unnervingly perfect.
"Or perhaps... it's not a coincidence?!" Lin Feng's eyebrows shot up as a startling suspicion ignited within him. "Did it manifest because I desperately needed it? Could the 'reward enhancement'... actually tailor the bonus power based on my desires?!"
This new theory sent fresh waves of excitement crashing through him. The more he pondered, the more plausible it seemed. Before this, he had fervently wished for a means to break through the barrier. Even while repairing the Crimson Soul Sword moments ago, the thought had flickered in his mind—though dismissed as a mere passing fancy. Now, it had materialized against all odds. The Barrier Breaker effect might genuinely be the universe answering his silent plea.
The soul-damaging power acquired last time felt random; he hadn't consciously desired it. But Barrier Breaker's emergence was too opportune to ignore. If my guess is right... this discovery is monumental! Frustration quickly followed. But there's no way to test it now. The truth will only come with the next Repair Technique upgrade...
The thought instantly deflated him. The next upgrade... When will that be? Repair Technique had leaped from Apprentice to Novice in just over two months. But progressing from Novice to Master had taken a grueling year. Scaling that up... Grandmaster level felt agonizingly distant.
A spark of hope flared: Might the 'upgrade rewards' multiply with each tier? One at Novice, two at Master? Driven by anticipation, he retrieved the White Tiger Soul Raging Talisman.
"Crack."
He forced a minor "self-destruct" on the talisman, then meticulously repaired it.
Nothing changed. The precious upgrade reward didn't trigger again. Worse, he'd squandered his remaining repair materials.
...Greed got the better of me. Lin Feng chuckled wryly at his own folly. Shaking off the disappointment, he refocused. Another critical test remained. With a swift motion, he drew the dark-red dagger from his ring.
Focusing his intent, he activated the Master-level Repair Technique. Information flooded his mind:
Equipment Integrity: 20%
Repair Status: Unable to Repair.
Lin Feng froze. His eyes widened, disbelief etching itself onto his face.
"Unable... to repair?!" He stared at the dagger, voice thick with shock. "Impossible... Could this be... beyond a spirit artifact?!"
Master-level Repair Technique should diagnose any spirit artifact's repair needs. Yet the dagger remained an enigma. Could it be... Dao Artifact?!
The possibility sent a jolt through him, equal parts exhilaration and disbelief. He turned the dagger over in his hands, scrutinizing its worn surface.
"A Dao Artifact? It doesn't feel like one..." he murmured skeptically. "Its aura feels weaker than the Crimson Soul Sword, even now. Even damaged, a true Dao Artifact shouldn't be this subdued... Should it?"
Dao Artifacts were legendary treasures, wielded only by the paramount figures of the cultivation world. Even Nascent Soul or Spirit Transformation experts rarely possessed one. The mere chance of holding one ignited fierce excitement. Yet, logic warred with hope. Yes, the dagger had effortlessly slain foes and shattered a low-grade spirit artifact sword back in Luo Ming Sect's hands. But for a Dao Artifact... that feat felt almost... pedestrian.
Dao Artifact or not, this blade is extraordinary. Lin Feng resolved. Once we escape, I'll attempt to refine it. Success will unveil its true nature.
Storing the dagger, Lin Feng rose. He exchanged a brief, confident nod with Changgong Xiaojing, who watched him intently from a distance. Then, his focus snapped back to the shimmering barrier sealing the exit. His expression hardened. With a fluid gesture, the Crimson Soul Sword erupted from its sheath.
"ZHEEEENG——!!!"
An unprecedented surge of sword pressure radiated from the blade, its resonant cry echoing through the vast hall. Almost instantly, it struck the barrier.
Ping!
Lin Feng's heart leaped. Where the sword met the barrier, a hair-thin fissure spiderwebbed across the previously impervious surface!
The difference was staggering. While the sword's raw power had surged, the true game-changer was Barrier Breaker. Its specialized effect massively amplified the damage dealt to the formation itself.
Fueled by this success, Lin Feng's spirit soared. His right hand formed a sword finger, slashing through the air. The Crimson Soul Sword became an extension of his will – a crimson-silver blur darting, weaving, and striking the barrier with relentless precision.
Thwump! Thwump! THWUMP!
Transparent ripples cascaded outwards from each impact point. Where the sword focused its assault, the barrier visibly dented inward, the deformation growing larger with every strike...
SCHRIIIIEK!!!
Finally, the Crimson Soul Sword descended in a decisive vertical slash. A jagged, meter-long tear ripped open in the barrier's center!
The moment the fissure appeared, the entire formation convulsed violently. Thick, roiling black miasma immediately surged through the breach like a toxic flood.
"Xiaojing! NOW!" Lin Feng roared, his voice cutting through the chaos.
Xiaojing, poised and ready, reacted instantly. With Xiaoqiu clutched securely, she shot forward like an arrow. She reached Lin Feng's side almost before his command fully faded.
Lin Feng's true energy erupted, forming a shimmering defensive dome nearly seven feet wide, enveloping them both. Instinctively, his left hand shot out, clasping Xiaojing's right hand firmly.
"Forward!"
Pulling Xiaojing with him, Lin Feng lunged towards the breach. His right hand swept forward, commanding the Crimson Soul Sword.
SWOOSH!
The blazing sword cleaved through the incoming tide of poisonous fog, carving a temporary path. Protected within the energy dome, Lin Feng and Xiaojing moved like the wind, darting through the jagged opening in the barrier.
Outside, the suffocating embrace of the black miasma closed in instantly, hammering against the protective dome with tangible force. Lin Feng ignored it, pulling Xiaojing as he sprinted blindly forward. He extended his spiritual sense, dismayed to find its range compressed—barely fifty meters in the dense, spiritually oppressive fog.
One final backward glance revealed the rift in the barrier already sealing itself shut behind them. Such resilience... All that effort, just for a fleeting gap. The thought was fleeting. Escape was all that mattered now.
All his focus shifted to navigating the treacherous fog. After charging roughly four hundred meters, the oppressive weight abruptly lessened. The dense blackness thinned, then dissolved. They burst free into the desolate, gloom-shrouded valley beyond.
They halted, breathing heavily. Lin Feng scanned their surroundings. This was the very spot where he'd witnessed Mu Qingfeng's standoff. The light was dimmer now, the air perpetually hazy with diluted miasma. Turning, he saw only a dense, swirling mass of black fog where the temple lay hidden.
...
Swallowing a Qi Restoration Pill, Lin Feng addressed Xiaojing, his tone urgent. "Xiaojing, we can't linger. We need to get out of this valley."
"Mm." Xiaojing nodded, falling into step beside him. Her gaze flickered down subtly to where his hand still held hers. A faint blush warmed her cheeks, but she made no move to pull away.
Side by side, they quickened their pace towards the distant valley exit, their figures soon swallowed by the vast, shifting shroud of poisonous mist.