Bai Honglin could still accept Lin Feng's claim that he could restore spirit artifacts, despite his shock. But the notion that Lin Feng could repair even a Dao Artifact? That was utterly beyond the realm of acceptance. No matter how much he believed Lin Feng to be a once-in-an-era prodigy, he simply couldn't bring himself to believe it.
"No, I don't currently possess the 'true' ability to restore a Dao Artifact," Lin Feng clarified. "However, if the correct repair materials are available, I might be able to attempt it—of course, this is merely a hypothesis. For restoring the Profound Ice Immortal Casket... it would be best to wait until my skills... my restoration arts advance another level before attempting it."
Hearing the uncertainty in Lin Feng's voice, Bai Honglin actually breathed a sigh of relief. Frankly, he had feared Lin Feng would declare with the same unwavering confidence as before, 'Yes, I can restore Dao Artifacts.' That would have made Bai Honglin doubt whether he was dreaming.
From Lin Feng's tone, Bai Honglin also discerned his deep concern for the Profound Ice Immortal Casket—or rather, for the person sealed within it. Lin Feng was already planning how to repair the damaged casket. Understanding this sentiment, Bai Honglin contemplated for a moment before speaking. "The Profound Ice Immortal Casket has been passed down since the founding of our Profound Ice Palace. However, it was not forged by our founding ancestor; it was acquired from elsewhere. Therefore, we do not possess the original material list or the artifact formation schematics. Nevertheless, for thousands of years, our sect has never ceased researching the casket. We have invited numerous master artificers to assist, and over time, we have reached many conclusions. We have identified roughly ninety percent of the required repair materials, and have collected most of them. Only a few exceptionally rare spiritual materials are still missing, including one of the three primary materials: 'Extreme Cold Marrow Ice'."
"..."
Lin Feng remained silent for a long time, his mind racing. His questions weren't born merely out of 'concern'; he genuinely wanted to attempt repairing the Profound Ice Immortal Casket. He contemplated using the same method he had employed to restore spirit artifacts when his Restoration Technique was only at the 'Beginner' level—forced restoration!
However, he wasn't certain if he could perform forced restoration on a Dao Artifact. He had never attempted it before. Yet, it remained a potential backup plan, not something to dismiss outright. On the other hand, this concerned his mother's safety. The potential negative consequences of failure on the casket were unknown. Therefore, Lin Feng hesitated to make a rash decision. A better plan formed in his mind: wait until his Restoration Technique advanced another level before attempting the repair. Then, it should be achievable without risk.
The problem was his Restoration Technique had been stagnant at the 'Master' level for two years. He had restored countless artifacts during this time, yet it still hadn't progressed. He had no idea how much longer it would take, or how much more 'experience' was needed.
Bai Honglin waited a moment, observing Lin Feng's evident internal struggle. He offered reassurance. "Nephew Lin, you mustn't pressure yourself too much. Repairing the Profound Ice Immortal Casket can be done gradually. As long as no accidents occur, your mother will be safe for at least eighty years. As long as we can repair the casket within that timeframe, we can buy her more time."
"Mn..." Lin Feng pulled himself from his thoughts and gave a slight nod. Suddenly, another detail in Bai Honglin's words registered. He snapped his head up, his eyes wide with shock and confusion. "Senior Bai... what did you just say? 'Safe for eighty years'? What do you mean by that?"
"What? You didn't know..." Bai Honglin was momentarily stunned. He realized he hadn't informed Lin Feng of this crucial detail earlier. After a brief pause, he sighed softly. "It was my oversight... The truth is, our Profound Ice Immortal Casket isn't as potent as the legends circulating outside suggest. It cannot maintain the person sealed within in a 'perpetual' state. The sealed individual does not cease aging; the process is merely slowed down by thousands, even tens of thousands of times. Given your mother's condition, if the casket were undamaged, it could preserve her safely for a millennium. But with the damage... its efficacy has drastically diminished. When my late master placed your mother within the casket, he calculated... he deduced that it could preserve her soul for only one hundred years at most... That is the reason for the 'century' agreement I made with your father..."
"..."
Lin Feng listened in stunned silence. This time, however, he showed no outward sign of agitation. Instead, an unnerving calm settled over him. Eventually, he lifted his head with an almost wooden expression. "Senior Bai, I feel rather tired. Could you please have someone show me to my quarters? You can bring the artifacts requiring repair to me tomorrow."
A flicker of concern passed through Bai Honglin's eyes. He opened his mouth as if to say something more, then closed it and simply nodded. "Mn, go and rest properly. Leave the other arrangements to me."
...
Within a quiet courtyard nestled in the northeastern section of the Profound Ice Palace, in a room devoid of candles or luminous crystals, a figure sat motionless on the bed, illuminated only by the faint moonlight filtering through the window. The figure resembled a statue.
This was, naturally, Lin Feng. He seemed lost in thought, his eyes unfocused as he stared at his right hand, deep in contemplation. He had maintained this state for quite some time, worrying Xiao Qiu, who lay curled up anxiously at the foot of the bed, occasionally stealing glances at him, almost afraid to breathe.
After a full half-hour of stillness, Lin Feng finally stirred. He straightened his posture, closed his eyes briefly, took a deep, deliberate breath—a long-ingrained habit—and exhaled slowly.
When his eyes reopened, they were clear and focused. He mentally reviewed every event that had transpired since arriving at the Profound Ice Palace, meticulously sorting through the whirlwind of the past few hours. He cast aside futile anxiety and restlessness, shelved distant concerns for later, and pinpointed the most urgent tasks at hand.
What needed to be done was simple: restore artifacts.
The goal wasn't just to bolster the Profound Ice Palace's strength against the Purple Flames Sect. More crucially, it was to make one last, desperate effort towards repairing the Profound Ice Immortal Casket.
He didn't want to risk forced restoration unless absolutely necessary. Yet, leaving the casket damaged by thirty percent was unbearable, especially now that he understood the direct threat it posed to his mother's survival. It felt like a heavy stone was crushing his heart.
If he could just advance his Restoration Technique one more level, he should be able to repair the casket safely. His hope for this advancement now rested on the artifacts the Profound Ice Palace would soon deliver for repair, and on the large stockpile of damaged treasures he himself carried within his storage ring...
"Then... let's begin now!! No matter what... I must advance my Restoration Technique!!"
Lin Feng muttered this firm self-encouragement. His right hand swept over the storage ring on his left. A flying sword, its blade marred by cracks, materialized in his grasp. With a focused thought, he assessed the materials required for its repair. His divine sense swept through the storage ring, swiftly locating and extracting the necessary components.
Holding the damaged artifact and the materials, a determined glint flashed in Lin Feng's eyes. He whispered, "Restore."
"Whoosh!!" Magma Fire coalesced out of thin air, engulfing the artifact and materials in a swirling inferno that churned slowly before him. The previously dim room was instantly bathed in its fiery glow.
Throughout that night, the light from the flames in Lin Feng's room never ceased...
...
The next morning, at dawn.
Bai Honglin personally arrived at the quiet courtyard where Lin Feng was staying. He carried a storage ring containing a prepared batch of damaged artifacts and restoration materials.
As he approached, he first noticed a female disciple standing nervously outside the courtyard gate, holding a food box. Seeing him, she started slightly and hurriedly bowed. "Sect Master..."
"Mn." Bai Honglin nodded. His gaze fell on the food box. "Is this breakfast for Lin Feng? Why hasn't it been taken in?"
The disciple replied with a hint of fluster, "Sect Master... I did try to deliver it, but Young Master Lin... he said he didn't need it... so I..."
Bai Honglin frowned slightly, then waved his hand. "If Young Master Lin says he doesn't need it, then so be it. You may leave."
"Yes..." Relieved at not being reprimanded, the disciple bowed quickly and departed.
Bai Honglin turned and stepped through the courtyard gate. As soon as he entered, a wave of intense heat washed over him. The atmosphere inside felt like a different world compared to the outside. Sensing this extraordinary, scorching energy, his eyes flashed with surprise and suspicion. "Strange flames?!"
He immediately feared something had happened to Lin Feng. He was about to release his divine sense to investigate when the powerful fiery spiritual energy emanating from the room suddenly receded. It seemed the occupant inside had sensed his arrival and withdrawn the flames. Bai Honglin paused for a beat, deciding against probing further with his divine sense. He walked towards the room's door.
Just as he reached the doorway, the door opened from within. Lin Feng stood there, looking slightly surprised. "Senior Bai... why have you come personally?"
Bai Honglin didn't answer the question. Instead, his expression changed to one of shock as he took in Lin Feng's appearance. "Lin Feng... what happened to you?!"
His shock was understandable. Lin Feng looked alarmingly haggard. In just one night, his face had become gaunt and pale, dark circles shadowed his eyes, and a network of blood vessels stood out starkly against the whites. He looked like an ordinary person who had pulled several consecutive all-nighters.
"I'm fine..." Lin Feng shook his head, seemingly oblivious to—or unconcerned with—his own alarming state. He ushered Bai Honglin inside. Once they were seated at the table, Lin Feng asked directly, "Senior Bai, are the items prepared?"
"Mn," Bai Honglin nodded, placing a storage ring on the table. "I had people work through the night to gather a batch. These are all spirit artifacts where the required repair materials are known—twenty-five in total. The necessary materials are also included." He couldn't help but add, concern lacing his voice, "Lin Feng, are you truly alright? Are the aftereffects of yesterday's battle still lingering?"
"Not at all, Senior Bai. Please rest assured, I am fine," Lin Feng insisted, picking up the storage ring. He scanned it briefly with his divine sense. "Good. I will begin restoring this batch now. They should be ready by tomorrow. You can send someone to collect them then, and bring the next batch at the same time."
"Mn..." Bai Honglin nodded reflexively. Then, the implication hit him. His eyes widened in disbelief. "What?! Did you say you can repair all these... in a single day?!"
Lin Feng confirmed calmly. "It should be feasible."
"..." Bai Honglin was momentarily speechless. Doubt warred with astonishment. If Lin Feng said he could do it, he likely could... but restoring twenty-five spirit artifacts in one day?! This was simply... unheard of!
"Senior Bai, if there's nothing else, I will begin restoring these artifacts immediately," Lin Feng said, standing up with the storage ring, effectively signaling the end of the conversation. "After all, we don't know when the Purple Flames Sect might launch their attack. It's best to restore as many as possible before then."
"Ah... right..." Bai Honglin nodded again, somewhat dazed, and took his leave. Only after walking some distance did he fully regain his composure. He realized that in less than a day since meeting Lin Feng, he had experienced more profound shocks than in the past several decades combined. Fortunately, all these shocks were of the positive, awe-inspiring kind.
"Truly worthy of being Brother Lin's son..." Bai Honglin murmured to himself with a mix of admiration and incredulity. "Both defy comparison with ordinary cultivators like us! This... this might be a monumental opportunity for our Profound Ice Palace..."
...
Back in the room, after seeing Bai Honglin out, Lin Feng returned to sit cross-legged on the bed. He casually swallowed a Recovery Pill. Then, with a flip of his right hand, he extracted an artifact from the storage ring Bai Honglin had delivered. After a quick glance, his divine sense delved back into the ring, locating and extracting several pieces of spiritual material.
"Restore."
At Lin Feng's mental command, Magma Fire surged forth once more. Moments later, the flames dissipated, revealing a flawlessly restored artifact in his palm.
Lin Feng didn't spare the repaired treasure a second glance. He stored it away immediately. His hand moved again, drawing out the next damaged artifact...
"Restore."
"Restore."
"RESTORE!!"