Lin Feng, utterly absorbed in his study of formations, was pulled back to reality by a faint chime. It came from the cave dwelling's entrance—a setup functioning like a 'doorbell,' signaling someone outside seeking entrance.
Lin Feng was momentarily stunned, then quickly surmised who the visitor likely was. He stowed the jade slip in his hand and checked the time, realizing with surprise that it was nearly noon the next day. He had unwittingly spent the entire night engrossed in Hundred Solutions to Formations.
Arriving at the cave entrance, he saw a young man dressed in white standing outside. As expected, it was Wang Chen, Lin Feng's only acquaintance here. The visitor couldn't see inside the dwelling, so he stood casually, waiting.
Lin Feng deactivated the entrance restriction barrier and smiled at Wang Chen. "Brother Wang, long time no see. Please, come in."
"Lin Feng!!" Wang Chen's face lit up upon seeing him, and he strode forward eagerly. "Finally! I was starting to think you'd forgotten about your friend here!!"
He gave Lin Feng a friendly, light punch on the shoulder and chuckled. "After we parted last time, you went straight into seclusion! And for a full half a year!! You are far too dedicated to cultivation. Let me... Huh?! You… you're already at the Fourth Level of the Golden Core?! That's… that's incredible!"
"Haha, I acquired some valuable resources just before coming to Zhenhai City," Lin Feng offered casually. "Once settled, I couldn't wait to start refining them." He looked Wang Chen over. "And Brother Wang's cultivation has also advanced significantly, hasn't it? Congratulations."
Half a year ago, Wang Chen had been at the Seventh Level of the Golden Core. Now, he had reached the Eighth Level. Advancing a whole tier in such a short time, coupled with the fact that Wang Chen didn't appear much older than Lin Feng, suggested his spiritual root aptitude was likely quite high.
Leading Wang Chen into the main living area and gesturing for him to sit, Lin Feng asked directly, "Brother Wang, seeking me out… is there something specific you need?"
Wang Chen feigned offense. "What? Can't I visit a friend without needing something? Don't consider me a friend?"
Lin Feng waved a hand dismissively. "Of course not. That wasn't my meaning."
Wang Chen grinned. "Good! Though… in this case, I do actually have something rather important I'd like to ask of you…"
Lin Feng waited silently.
Wang Chen dropped the pretense. "I'd like to invite you, Brother Lin, to accompany me to a specific location. We seek a particular spiritual herb."
"Oh?" Lin Feng was slightly puzzled as to why he was being invited, but curiosity got the better of him. "What location? What herb?"
"Maze Island," Wang Chen stated firmly. "The Void Cloud Flower!!"
"What?! The Void Cloud Flower?!" Lin Feng's brows shot up in genuine shock. The Void Cloud Flower was an extremely rare Grade Four spiritual herb—the primary ingredient for refining the Nascent Soul Condensation Pill! And that pill, as its name implied, was an absolutely essential elixir for any Golden Core cultivator seeking to ascend to the Nascent Soul realm!!
The scarcity of the Nascent Soul Condensation Pill was legendary. Many Golden Core cultivators spent their entire lives without ever obtaining a single pellet. Even for the wealthy, acquiring one was incredibly difficult—often priceless and unavailable even on the open market. Not only the finished pill, but even the herbs required to refine it were highly sought after, especially the primary ingredient, the Void Cloud Flower. Its value even exceeded that of a single finished Nascent Soul Condensation Pill itself, as one flower could yield multiple pellets upon successful refinement.
Although only at the Fourth Level of the Golden Core, Lin Feng had immense confidence in his future. Preparing early for his eventual ascent to the Nascent Soul realm certainly couldn't hurt. If there was a genuine chance to obtain a Void Cloud Flower, he absolutely didn't want to miss it. Yet, a significant doubt lingered: his friendship with Wang Chen didn't seem deep enough to warrant sharing such a lucrative opportunity. Surely Wang Chen must have other, closer companions he could ask?
Wang Chen seemed to sense Lin Feng's hesitation, or perhaps he had anticipated it. To dispel suspicion, he immediately explained, "I understand your confusion, Brother Lin. To be perfectly honest, the reason I'm inviting you... is specifically because of your spirit beast companion."
"My spirit beast?" Lin Feng was momentarily taken aback. "You mean Xiaoqiu?"
Wang Chen nodded. "Exactly. Unless I'm mistaken, that spirit beast of yours… is it the legendary treasure-finding beast, the 'Spirit Hill Mouse'?"
Lin Feng's eyes sparked with surprise and interest. "Spirit Hill Mouse? Are you saying Xiaoqiu's species is called the Spirit Hill Mouse?"
Wang Chen looked genuinely startled. "What? You mean… you didn't even know that?!"
Lin Feng felt a surge of pleasure. "I knew Xiaoqiu possessed treasure-finding abilities, but I had no idea what specific breed it belonged to. Do you truly believe it is this 'Spirit Hill Mouse' you speak of?"
Relief and excitement spread across Wang Chen's face. "Brother Lin, you confirm that your spirit beast does have the ability to locate spiritual treasures?" "Then it almost certainly is the Spirit Hill Mouse! I suspected it when I saw it last time. Afterward, I consulted numerous ancient texts. The legendary descriptions of the Spirit Hill Mouse match your 'Xiaoqiu' remarkably well. It's highly likely!"
Finally obtaining concrete information about Xiaoqiu's 'identity' filled Lin Feng with considerable happiness. Simultaneously, a realization dawned: So that's why Wang Chen was so unusually friendly from the start—he recognized Xiaoqiu's potential value. This didn't necessarily indicate ill intent; any cultivator encountering someone with a treasure-finding beast would naturally seek connection.
Likely wanting to preempt any lingering doubts, Wang Chen added earnestly, "Brother Lin, I admit that Xiaoqiu's nature was a factor in my initial approach. But I assure you, I harbor no malice. Please don't misunderstand."
Lin Feng gave a brief nod of acknowledgment. "Brother Wang, could you please share everything you know about the 'Spirit Hill Mouse'? I'd like to verify if Xiaoqiu truly matches this beast."
Wang Chen readily complied. "My knowledge isn't exhaustive. The ancient texts describe the Spirit Hill Mouse's physical appearance almost perfectly matching your 'Xiaoqiu'. Furthermore, according to the records, among the various treasure-finding beasts, the Spirit Hill Mouse ranks near the top. Some specialize in finding spiritual herbs, others excel at locating spiritual mineral veins, and there are even those adept at tracking down cultivator dwellings or even exotic flames. The Spirit Hill Mouse, however, possesses exceptional talent for locating spiritual herbs."
Lin Feng listened intently. When Wang Chen finished, he pressed further, "Brother Wang, do you know anything about the Spirit Hill Mouse's habits? For instance... what does it typically eat?"
"Eat?" Wang Chen blinked, then shook his head. "Ah… that wasn't detailed in the texts I saw. Presumably, its diet isn't particularly remarkable?"
Not remarkable? Lin Feng frowned inwardly. He strongly disagreed. Eating spirit stones wasn't remarkable? But if the texts didn't mention it… did that mean the 'Spirit Hill Mouse' didn't eat spirit stones? Could Xiaoqiu not be a Spirit Hill Mouse after all?
Seeing Lin Feng's lingering doubt, Wang Chen decisively produced a jade slip and handed it over. "Actually, I transcribed the relevant passages about the Spirit Hill Mouse. Take a look for yourself, Brother Lin."
"Oh? That's much appreciated!" Lin Feng's eyes brightened. He took the slip and examined its contents thoroughly. Indeed, the description matched what Wang Chen had just relayed. Assuming the transcription was accurate, Xiaoqiu truly seemed to fit the profile of the 'Spirit Hill Mouse'.
As Lin Feng perused the jade slip, Wang Chen glanced around the room curiously. "So, Brother Lin, your Spirit Hill Mouse is named 'Xiaoqiu', right? By the way... where is it? I don't see it."
Wang Chen's question jolted Lin Feng. He realized he hadn't noticed Xiaoqiu since Wang Chen arrived. Engrossed in their conversation, he hadn't paid attention. He instinctively scanned the room with his eyes but saw no sign of the small creature. Extending his divine sense outward, he finally located Xiaoqiu—curled up asleep on the pillow beside his bed in the inner chamber.
However, Lin Feng immediately sensed something amiss. Under normal circumstances, even the faintest brush of his divine sense would instantly rouse Xiaoqiu from the deepest sleep. Yet this time, Xiaoqiu showed absolutely no reaction!
This abnormality caused a ripple of concern in Lin Feng's heart. Probing more carefully with his divine sense, he detected Xiaoqiu's breathing and heartbeat were both exceptionally slow. This wasn't ordinary sleep. He recognized this state—it had happened before…
Unable to suppress his worry, Lin Feng stood up abruptly and headed towards his bedroom. Wang Chen, momentarily confused, followed him.
Entering the bedroom and approaching the bed, Lin Feng crouched down for a closer look. Xiaoqiu was indeed in a deep, hibernation-like slumber, exactly like the time it had consumed a piece of spirit crystal. Remembering this, a thought struck Lin Feng: Could this be because it ate the Lotus Pod of the Seven-Colored Immortal Lotus? Recalling their journey back, Xiaoqiu had seemed unusually 'listless' during the trip. It had likely been fighting the urge to sleep then, holding out until they safely returned 'home' last night before finally succumbing.
Understanding washed over Lin Feng, easing his tension and quickly replacing it with pleasant surprise—Does this mean Xiaoqiu is about to advance again?!
"Brother Lin," Wang Chen spoke from behind him, also observing Xiaoqiu's unusual state, "Xiaoqiu… what's wrong with it?"
Lin Feng explained, "I'm not entirely certain. It consumed a unique spiritual herb earlier and entered this dormant state. However, there's no danger. It should awaken in some time."
"Dormant?" Wang Chen frowned slightly, disappointment flickering across his face. "How long before it wakes?"
"I can't be sure," Lin Feng admitted. "Last time, it slept for a full two months. Whether it will be the same this time is unknown."
"Two months?" Wang Chen's expression relaxed marginally. He murmured, almost to himself, "That should be soon enough…"
Lin Feng looked at him curiously. "Soon enough for what?"
Wang Chen met his gaze. "Exactly what I mentioned earlier—the matter of the Void Cloud Flower. The situation is like this: Four months ago, while I was training on Maze Island…"