"Chirp..."
Xiao Qiu, having finished consuming a mid-grade spirit stone, let out a contented chirp before sprawling out flat on its back. Beneath it lay a veritable 'bed' made of a large pile of spirit stones.
Over this period, Xiao Qiu had lived a life of unparalleled leisure: eat, sleep, sleep, eat. The massive stash of spirit stones Lin Feng had left for it was already more than half gone.
Leisurely as it was, however, boredom had inevitably set in. Xiao Qiu hadn't seen the sun for a solid hundred days.
Four full months had passed since Lin Feng entered closed-door cultivation. He hadn't emerged once from the quiet room. Xiao Qiu had waited all this time in the adjoining chamber.
"Chirp?!" Suddenly, Xiao Qiu's ears twitched. It sat bolt upright, alert. A look of pure delight flashed in its eyes as it seemed to sense something. With a whoosh, it leaped off its 'spirit stone bed' and dashed towards the room where Lin Feng was. Just as it reached the doorway, a wave of scorching heat blasted out. Xiao Qiu hastily dug its claws into the doorframe to avoid being blown away, squinting against the surge. Inside the room, it saw a scene filled with crimson light. A massive vortex of spiritual energy churned on the ceiling. Lin Feng sat cross-legged directly below its center, emanating an intense aura of true essence.
The enormous spiritual vortex slowly contracted. The visible strands of heaven and earth spiritual energy gently flowed into Lin Feng's body. Finally, everything returned to normal. Only then did Lin Feng, who had been as still as a meditating monk, flex his shoulders slightly and slowly open his eyes…
…
Awakening from his cultivation, a look of joy spread across Lin Feng's face. He instinctively clenched his fists and turned his spiritual sense inward, feeling the unprecedented power of the true essence swirling within him. He gave a satisfied nod.
After four months of secluded cultivation, his cultivation base had advanced from the previous Golden Core first layer... all the way to Golden Core fourth layer!
This wasn't particularly miraculous. Any cultivator given three Golden Ephemera Pills could likely advance from the first to the fourth layer of Golden Core. However, Lin Feng hadn't consumed just the three Golden Ephemera Pills during this session. As he had anticipated, like the Snow Sprout Pills before them, the Golden Ephemera Pills didn't produce their perfect effect on him. If he had relied solely on the three pills, he would probably have only reached Golden Core third layer. He had made up the difference by supplementing with other auxiliary pills and a vast quantity of spirit stones.
Although he had 'wasted' more resources than others might have, Lin Feng didn't mind. For him, successfully increasing his strength was what mattered. Reaching the fourth layer of Golden Core meant he had successfully achieved his intended goal. The fourth versus the third layer represented a minor watershed, essentially the difference between the early and middle stages of Golden Core. The thickness and potency of Lin Feng's true essence now were worlds apart from what they had been before his seclusion, incomparable. With his current strength, venturing into the Starry Sea should give him significantly greater confidence.
"Almost ready. It's time to set sail," Lin Feng murmured to himself as he finished assessing his internal state. "Find the spirit herbs father left as soon as possible, then switch to cultivating the Colorful Firmament Art. Only then can I cultivate properly..."
The technique he currently practiced was merely a Human-grade one acquired back in Qingyun City. He could already feel its limitations at the Golden Core stage. He was intensely curious about what cultivating the Colorful Firmament Art his father had left him would be like and was eager to begin.
His plan had always been to set sail immediately after finishing his seclusion. Having organized his thoughts, Lin Feng wasted no time. He stood up and headed for the door.
"Chirp!!"
The moment he rose, a yellow blur 'flew' towards him. In the blink of an eye, it landed on his head, claws scrabbling enthusiastically, thoroughly mussing his hair.
"Haha, I know you've been bored," Lin Feng chuckled, lifting Xiao Qiu off his head and placing it on his shoulder. He glanced at a timer nearby and realized four months had indeed passed – right on schedule with his expectations.
After a quick tidy-up, Lin Feng left the cave dwelling with Xiao Qiu.
…
Not long after Lin Feng's departure, two figures emerged from Cave Dwelling 169. They were none other than the brothers Chen Hu and Chen Bao.
Chen Hu had initially counseled patience, believing they just needed to wait for the right moment to act against Lin Feng. He hadn't anticipated that 'moment' would necessitate a four-month vigil. While calm at first, he had grown increasingly agitated as time crawled by. Finally seeing Lin Feng reappear today filled him with immense relief and renewed anticipation.
The dwellings had barriers designed to block spiritual sense probing, so Chen Hu had no insight into the specifics of Lin Feng's seclusion. Even the disturbance caused by Lin Feng's breakthrough in heaven and earth spiritual energy wasn't clearly perceptible from the outside. To avoid alerting Lin Feng, he hadn't dared to probe carefully when Lin Feng exited, so he remained unaware of the crucial change in Lin Feng's cultivation level.
"Go! Follow him!!" Chen Hu hissed, watching Lin Feng's back as he nearly disappeared into the distance. "Even if that punk doesn't leave the city today, we find a chance to strike!"
The tediousness of four months of waiting had eroded Chen Hu's patience. He signaled to Chen Bao, and the pair began to cautiously tail Lin Feng.
…
After exiting the northern district of the city, Lin Feng headed directly south. He soon passed through the South Gate, leaving Zhenhai City behind. This development thrilled Chen Hu and Chen Bao, who were stealthily trailing him.
Beyond the city walls stretched an endless expanse of ocean. The horizon blurred where sea met sky, seemingly infinite. Countless black dots speckled the distant waters – islands, large and small, lying at unknowable distances.
There were generally two ways to enter the Starry Sea: join a large expedition fleet sailing on ships, or venture out alone using a flying artifact.
Lin Feng's purpose was explicit and critical; traveling with others was unsuitable. Now at the Golden Core fourth layer, he had no trouble using sword flight. Confirming his direction, he unhesitatingly summoned the Crimson Soul flying sword, stepping onto it and piercing through the skies.
Not long after Lin Feng's sword light vanished into the distance, two more streaks of sword light rose from the spot where he had launched. They shot off in the same direction, quickly disappearing into the vast sky.
"Such incredible speed... How is that possible? Could his flying sword be an Upper-grade Spirit Artifact?!"
Chen Hu stared at Lin Feng's barely discernible silhouette far ahead, his eyes wide with shock. The fact that Lin Feng had ventured alone into the Starry Sea was already unexpected enough, though undeniably advantageous for them. But the sheer speed of his sword flight, nearly outstripping their own pursuit, was even more astonishing. He immediately concluded Lin Feng must possess an incredibly high-grade sword.
"Moreover, such smooth and effortless sword flight... it definitely isn't the skill of someone at just Golden Core first layer! Did he conceal his true strength back then?"
A flurry of questions raced through Chen Hu's mind, leaving him utterly perplexed. Ultimately, he shoved them aside, a cold sneer twisting his lips. "Seems this kid has his own secrets too. But thinking he can charge into the Starry Sea alone? That's just asking for death! No need to hide anymore. Full speed – catch up to him!!"
Seeing they were now a safe distance from Zhenhai City and worried they might lose their quarry, Chen Hu decided stealth was unnecessary. He poured his true essence into his flying sword. Its light flared brilliantly, instantly doubling its speed as it shot towards Lin Feng like an arrow. Chen Bao matched his actions beside him.
Chen Hu and Chen Bao pushed their swords to their absolute limits, determined not to give Lin Feng any chance to escape. However, their plan took an unexpected turn. As they closed the gap, inevitably revealing their presence, the figure ahead didn't accelerate in panic. Instead, Lin Feng... slowed down. And then, he came to a complete stop, hovering motionless in the air...
…
Lin Feng stood poised on his flying sword, suspended in the vastness. He watched intently as the two streaks of sword light barreled towards him, finally halting a mere ten meters away.
Recognition dawned as he saw the faces of the arrivals. His eyebrows shot up in surprise.
"It's... you?"