His original purpose for coming to Lanling Ruins, along with the additional objectives added along the way, had all been achieved. Lin Feng naturally had no reason to linger any longer. After emerging from the Gold-Devouring Ant Mountain, he departed Lanling Ruins directly and continued according to his prior plan, heading towards Xuan Array City.
Xuan Array City was a fourth-tier cultivation city, belonging to the fourth-tier sect, the 'Mystic Array Sect'. Just from the name, it was clear that the Mystic Array Sect was a formation-focused sect, and moreover, the only formation-focused sect within the Xia Kingdom.
The reason Lin Feng chose to go to Xuan Array City was because it was one of the few cultivation cities in the Xia Kingdom possessing teleportation arrays. On Lin Feng's planned route, besides Xuan Array City, only the fifth-tier cultivation city 'Breeze City', within the territory of the Breeze Valley Sect, had a teleportation array. Considering the enmity between him and the Breeze Valley Sect, Lin Feng naturally opted for Xuan Array City.
Lin Feng had already planned it out: from Xuan Array City, he would use the teleportation array directly to reach a cultivation city in the Yue Kingdom. Then, from that city, he would continue using teleportation arrays to reach the next cultivation city. He intended to proceed this way, reaching the Starry Sea at the fastest possible speed. Although this would require a significant amount of spirit stones, his reserves were ample, so it shouldn't be a problem. This method would help him avoid many troubles.
As for the three Golden Ephemera Pills, Lin Feng didn't plan to use them immediately. He was still considering whether to wait until after changing his cultivation method to employ them. He now knew his spiritual roots were currently sealed; using such potent pills under these circumstances would likely yield half the result for double the effort, just like when he had used the Snow Sprout Pill before. However, once he unsealed his spiritual roots and switched to cultivating the "Starry Radiance Art", this issue should no longer exist. On the other hand, Lin Feng also lacked confidence in his current Golden Core Layer 1 cultivation base. He felt that if he could raise it a bit higher before venturing into the Starry Sea to search for the small island where his father had left the spirit medicine, he would have a greater chance of handling any dangers encountered there. Otherwise, if he lost his life due to insufficient strength, the Golden Ephemera Pills he saved would naturally become meaningless.
However, he shouldn't encounter any significant danger during the consecutive teleportations to the Starry Sea. So, he still had time to decide. Lin Feng wasn't in a hurry. He knew that once he reached the Starry Sea, he would definitely need to prepare before rashly venturing into the sea. He could make the final decision then.
...
Three days later, Xuan Array City.
After leaving Lanling Ruins, Lin Feng encountered no further trouble on the journey and arrived here smoothly. By this time, he had already altered his appearance using the disguise mask and concealed his aura with the "Hidden Primordial Art", disguising himself as an utterly ordinary, insignificant rogue cultivator.
Xuan Array City bore some resemblance to Lingyue City. Although it wasn't a 'pill wholesale center' like Lingyue City, it possessed teleportation arrays, making it a transportation hub. Naturally, it was far more bustling and prosperous than an ordinary fourth-tier cultivation city.
After entering Xuan Array City, Lin Feng cautiously wandered around for a while, confirming he wasn't being watched or followed. Then, he headed straight to the location of the teleportation arrays.
There were a total of four teleportation arrays within Xuan Array City, each connecting to a different cultivation city: Breeze City and Feixue City within the Xia Kingdom, and Muru City and Sulan City within the Yue Kingdom. Geographically speaking, to reach the Starry Sea, either Muru City or Sulan City would work. However, considering that Sulan City was precisely within the territory of the Cloud Desolation Sect, Lin Feng chose Muru City for safety's sake.
The teleportation array facility resembled an Earth-style stadium building. Inside was a lobby akin to a ticket hall, with several counters – essentially places to purchase 'teleportation tickets'.
Without needing to ask anyone, Lin Feng found the 'ticket counter' for Muru City and purchased a teleportation token for fifty mid-grade spirit stones. The teleportation schedule operated on a combination of fixed timing and rolling departures. Once twenty people were gathered, a teleportation would commence. If the number didn't reach twenty, a teleportation would still occur every hour. Of course, for those in a hurry desiring 'special treatment', paying a higher fee would allow for immediate teleportation, even for a single person.
Although informed that only fifteen people, including himself, were currently waiting, he was fortunate that the next scheduled teleportation was only ten minutes away. So, Lin Feng rested briefly in the 'waiting area' before being guided by the amplified announcements from a magical artifact in the hall into an adjacent passageway.
As he rose from his seat in the waiting area, Lin Feng noticed over a dozen others also standing and heading towards the same passage. These were naturally the other cultivators bound for Muru City. Lin Feng casually scanned them and was surprised to find not a single one below the mid-Golden Core stage. His mere Golden Core Layer 1 made him the 'weakest' one present. After a moment's thought, he understood. After all, teleportation arrays, the most convenient and rapid means of travel, weren't affordable for everyone.
To draw an analogy, teleportation arrays were equivalent to airplanes on Earth. The cultivation world also had equivalents to trains or cars – large flying ships. While their speed wasn't exactly slow, it naturally couldn't compare to teleportation arrays. Furthermore, their safety wasn't absolute; incidents involving highway robbers intercepting them weren't uncommon.
"Hmm?" Just as Lin Feng's thoughts began to drift slightly, his gaze suddenly sharpened. He instinctively looked up towards his left, locking eyes with a pair that gave him an immediate sense of coldness.
It was a handsome young man with long, flowing hair, dressed in black cultivator robes. He exuded an aura that warned others to keep their distance. At this moment, he was observing Lin Feng with a somewhat doubtful and contemplative gaze, a thoughtful expression on his face. When Lin Feng looked back, the young man's eyes flickered slightly, and he averted his gaze.
Lin Feng didn't recognize this person at all. Yet, for some reason, he felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity. And besides that faint familiarity, there was also a distinct sense of danger. In short, his first impression was that this person was more likely an enemy than a friend.
"Could he have recognized my identity?!" Lin Feng was inwardly startled. However, as they proceeded down the passage to the teleportation array at the end, the other party made no further unusual moves. Lin Feng began to think he was probably just being overly cautious; perhaps the other party was simply curious about him, the weakest cultivator present.
What Lin Feng didn't know was that this person actually shared a significant connection with him—or rather, a significant grudge!
This man was named Yu Youtian, a disciple of the Yin Corpse Sect. The two had even 'brushed shoulders' back in the Giant Python Mountains, nearly encountering each other then.
Back in the Giant Python Mountains, when faced with two choices, Yu Youtian hadn't chosen to pursue Lin Feng. By the time he realized Lin Feng was the one who had killed his junior brother, Liang Han, Lin Feng was long gone. For a considerable time afterward, Yu Youtian had searched for Lin Feng, naturally ending in failure. It was only recently, when Lin Feng's name began circulating within the Xia Kingdom's cultivation world due to his feud with the Absolute Sword Sect, that Yu Youtian found a fresh 'lead'. Unfortunately, since leaving Lingyue City, Lin Feng had vanished without a trace once more. Yu Youtian had intended to continue his search but received a summons from 'above', forcing him to leave the Xia Kingdom.
Yu Youtian could never have anticipated that the person he had pursued relentlessly for nearly a year was standing right before him. While he knew Lin Feng's appearance from the Absolute Sword Sect's wanted notice, he wasn't familiar with Lin Feng's aura. His attention towards Lin Feng moments ago had merely been due to curiosity about the cultivator with the lowest cultivation base among the group; he hadn't rashly probed Lin Feng with his spiritual sense. As for the lingering grudge soul mark that had once troubled Lin Feng, it had long been refined away by his strange flame. Thus, Yu Youtian failed to recognize Lin Feng.
Through this coincidence, two individuals destined for a life-or-death struggle stood unknowingly within the same teleportation array. Then, as the array activated, they departed the Xia Kingdom together…
...
This was Lin Feng's first time using a long-distance teleportation array, vastly different from the one he'd experienced outside the Black Mist Medicine Valley. The moment the array activated, he distinctly felt a wave of dizziness wash over his mind. An intense feeling of discomfort surged through him, strangely reminiscent of motion sickness back on Earth—though this sensation was easily ten times worse. Fortunately, it lasted less than two breaths before subsiding. When his vision cleared, Lin Feng found himself within an unfamiliar hall.
He knew that the longer the teleportation distance, the greater the spatial pressure exerted on the traveler, especially noticeable for those with lower cultivation bases. However, he hadn't realized this 'discomfort' would be so severe. Regaining his senses, he discovered his true essence had depleted by thirty to forty percent; it felt as though he had just fought an arduous battle.
"Heh, little brother, this must be your first time experiencing a long-distance teleportation array?" Just as Lin Feng was inwardly stunned, a relatively friendly voice sounded beside him. He looked up to see a middle-aged cultivator who had also just arrived via the array, smiling at him.
Lin Feng cupped his hands politely towards the man, a touch of embarrassment in his voice. "I've made a fool of myself in front of you, Senior..."
"Hehe, no need for that. There's truly nothing laughable about it," the middle-aged cultivator chuckled. "The spatial shift during teleportation places a heavy burden on the physical body. It's normal to struggle initially. Once you've experienced it more times, or when your cultivation base is higher, it won't be so uncomfortable."
Lin Feng said with sudden understanding, "I see. This junior is ignorant; thank you for your guidance, Senior."
...
He hadn't anticipated such a troublesome issue with using teleportation arrays. It seemed he likely couldn't reach his destination in the short time he had originally imagined. However, this wasn't a major problem. After leaving the teleportation facility, Lin Feng entered the streets of Muru City. He decided to spend some time resting, planning to have lunch before continuing to the next stop.
As for Yu Youtian, he didn't linger at all and proceeded directly to another teleportation array. It was unclear where his ultimate destination was. Thus, the two once again coincidentally passed each other by.
Lin Feng wandered around Muru City for a while, purchasing a detailed map of the Yue Kingdom. He planned out several subsequent teleportation points within Yue territory. He enjoyed a hearty meal of spirit cuisine, then once again stepped onto a teleportation array bound for his next destination.
And so, Lin Feng left his familiar 'homeland' behind, truly embarking on a cultivation journey destined to be both heart-stoppingly perilous and extraordinarily magnificent...