The White Jade Bodhi Fruit was one of the rarest and most precious herbs among Level 4 spiritual medicines, bordering on being classified as Level 5. It was the primary ingredient for refining the rare Level 4 pill, 'White Jade Bone Regeneration Pill', renowned as an excellent remedy for severe physical trauma.
Not even the numerous Nascent Soul cultivators Lin Feng had subdued possessed such a pill.
Seeing this half bunch of White Jade Bodhi Fruit finally explained to Lin Feng how the grievous wound on his chest had healed. Even without being refined into a pill, the White Jade Bodhi Fruit possessed considerable medicinal efficacy. And the amount contained in half a bunch was essentially equivalent to one or two fully refined pills.
Thank goodness Xiaoqiu found such a rare healing herb… Otherwise, I genuinely don't know if I would have made it back then… Even now, Lin Feng couldn't help but feel a wave of profound relief mixed with lingering dread.
"Keww!!"
Just as Lin Feng was examining the White Jade Bodhi Fruit, Xiaoqiu suddenly let out a sharp cry of warning from his shoulder. Simultaneously, a thin streak of inky-green light shot out without warning from a dense patch of vines on the cliff face about ten meters to his right, aiming directly at Lin Feng's temple!
The instant Xiaoqiu cried out, Lin Feng's gaze snapped into focus. Showing no trace of panic, as if he had anticipated it, his true essence surged within him. His right hand swept horizontally, conjuring a hemispherical curtain of flames beside him. A soft 'hiss' sounded as the incoming green streak was intercepted. This was immediately followed by a sizzling 'zzzt' sound, accompanied by a billow of noxious, dark green smoke that filled the air with a pungent, acrid stench.
Lin Feng's brow furrowed slightly. Holding his breath, a faint cyan glow enveloped him. A miniature whirlwind erupted from his core, sweeping the toxic smoke away.
Having effortlessly neutralized the sneak attack, Lin Feng fixed his gaze on the cliff wall. There, a thick, dark green python, easily as thick as a man's thigh, had emerged halfway from the rock face. It seemed poised to attack, but upon seeing Lin Feng effortlessly block its venomous strike, it halted. Its serpentine eyes flickered with an uncannily human-like expression of shock and uncertainty.
"Level 4, Rank 5…" Lin Feng assessed the python. While it resembled an ordinary constrictor, it was unmistakably a powerful mid-Level 4 demon beast. This was undoubtedly the creature guarding the White Jade Bodhi Fruit. The moment Lin Feng saw the half bunch remaining, he had suspected a guardian beast was present; otherwise, Xiaoqiu wouldn't have taken only half. He guessed Xiaoqiu must have found the herb while the beast was temporarily absent, grabbing what it could in its frantic escape. Had the beast been present then, Xiaoqiu likely wouldn't have survived.
"Hsssss!!!"
Just as Lin Feng was contemplating how to deal with the serpent, it suddenly let out an ear-piercing hiss. Lin Feng braced for an attack, but then was utterly taken aback. The python shot a final glance of obvious reluctance towards the White Jade Bodhi Fruit, then swiftly retracted its body back into the fissures of the cliff face. Its aura rapidly receded deep into the mountain, vanishing completely from Lin Feng's spiritual sense within moments—it had genuinely fled, not hidden itself to strike later.
"..." Lin Feng stood frozen for a long moment before murmuring in surprise, "Interesting… It retreated just like that? Did it recognize it was outmatched? Such a rational demon beast is truly rare…"
He had used his Abnormal Flame to block the initial attack, as all his defensive spirit artifacts had been destroyed during the tribulation. The beast must have sensed the mortal threat posed by the flame and chosen discretion over valor.
Sparing himself a fight, Lin Feng was content. He plucked the remaining half bunch of White Jade Bodhi Fruit, carefully stored it away, and then soared away on his flying sword.
...
Lin Feng spent another day exploring the island, gathering various spiritual materials, before finally departing.
However, he soon encountered another troublesome problem—he was hopelessly lost.
While still on the island, realizing it didn't match any known location in his memory, a sense of foreboding had begun to gnaw at him. Now, after flying over the open ocean for the better part of a day, he confirmed his fear: he was traversing an utterly unfamiliar stretch of sea. None of the sea charts committed to his memory corresponded with the surrounding waters.
The Star Sea was boundlessly vast. Having spent only a year in Zhenhai City, Lin Feng was intimately familiar only with the seascape within its immediate sphere of influence. He strongly suspected he was now far beyond Zhenhai City's territorial waters.
"To think we ended up so far away… Xiaoqiu, just how long did you swim with me through the sea?" Lin Feng scanned the monotonous horizon for any recognizable landmarks as he turned and asked his shoulder companion, his voice laced with resignation.
"Keww??" Xiaoqiu tilted its head, offering a tiny shrug. It couldn't provide an answer. In the frantic escape, direction was the least of its concerns. Moreover, they had been caught in an extremely powerful underwater current; once swept into its vortex, consciousness was lost entirely.
"Looks like we need to find someone to ask…" Lin Feng scanned the empty expanse in all directions. Not a soul was in sight. He had no choice but to press onward while keeping an eye out.
Being lost at sea was a perilous predicament. Traveling blindly risked plunging deeper into the unknown. However, judging by the levels of demon beasts he sensed inhabiting the waters below—mostly Level 2 and 3, with occasional Level 4—Lin Feng deduced this area couldn't be excessively remote from land. It likely resembled the general region where Wu Song Island was located.
What drove Lin Feng to near frustration was that he spent a full three days searching the open waters without encountering a single other cultivator. He passed several islands during this time, but found no trace of human habitation or activity—no shelters, no cultivation remnants, nothing. The only positive was collecting more spiritual materials along the way.
"BOOM!!"
On the morning of the fourth day, a distant thunderous explosion filled Lin Feng with elation. His spirits instantly lifted, and he immediately veered his sword beam towards the source of the sound. Soon, a small island came into view. As he drew closer, he detected two distinct, moderately powerful surges of true essence energy emanating from it.
It appeared to be a classic scene of cultivator conflict. A middle-aged man and a middle-aged woman, both at the late Core Formation stage, were locked in combat. By the time Lin Feng arrived, the fight was concluding. The male cultivator, clearly outmatched, was attempting to flee, with the female cultivator in fierce pursuit.
Alarmingly, the fleeing man was heading straight towards Lin Feng's position—likely having sensed his arrival and hoping for aid, or perhaps intending to divert the threat onto the newcomer. Unfortunately for him, before he could reach Lin Feng, the woman's pursuing spirit artifact caught up. A blood-curdling scream rent the air as he was decapitated.
Witnessing such a lethal encounter, Lin Feng paused, hovering uncertainly. While he debated whether approaching to ask for directions was wise, the female cultivator efficiently disposed of the corpse, collected the dead man's possessions, and then turned a wary, appraising gaze towards Lin Feng.
Lin Feng was currently disguised using the 'Thousand Faces Illusion' technique, his aura carefully suppressed. He wielded a spare flying sword, and a plain outer robe covered the prized spirit artifact robe he'd won in the competition. Even someone who knew him might struggle to recognize him, let alone a complete stranger. The woman scrutinized him with sharp eyes for several moments. Seemingly concluding he posed no immediate threat, she began to retreat cautiously, preparing to leave.
Seeing her about to depart, Lin Feng felt a surge of urgency. He quickly called out, "Senior, please wait!"
The middle-aged woman froze mid-motion. She whirled around, fixing Lin Feng with an icy stare. Her tone was sharp and suspicious. "What?"
"Please don't misunderstand," Lin Feng said, keeping his voice calm and non-confrontational. "I bear no ill will. I am simply lost and disoriented. Could you tell me where we are? Which direction leads back to land?"
A flicker of doubt passed through the woman's eyes. She seemed to weigh his words for a moment. Then, without a word, she flicked her wrist, sending a small jade slip hurtling towards him. Lin Feng caught it deftly as her cold voice rang out:
"This is a sea chart. Figure it out yourself!"
Without waiting for thanks or further questions, she immediately summoned her flying sword and shot away into the distance, leaving Lin Feng alone with the jade slip clutched in his hand.