Unaware he'd earned the ire of a headstrong young mistress, Lin Feng harbored no intention of "acting cool." He simply had no desire for prolonged interaction.
Claiming he'd "stolen" the Azure Sky Grass wasn't entirely accurate, yet acknowledging the group's prior claim would invite complications. Hence, his swift departure.
After ten minutes of rapid travel, Lin Feng slowed at the base of Stone Thorn Peak, resuming his meticulous search for herbs.
By dusk, fortune smiled: he found two Silverfrost Grasses, completing the ingredients for the repaired Foundation Establishment Pill.
With materials secured, Lin Feng lost interest in herb gathering or beast hunting. He left beast-dense areas behind, settling on an unremarkable barren hill.
Sparse vegetation and an absence of beasts hinted at poor soil quality. Halfway up the slope, Lin Feng carved a several-meter-deep cave into the rock face with his flying sword and slipped inside.
Sealing the narrow entrance with vines conjured by a Wood Vine Talisman, he spread a rug on the ground. Leaning against the wall, he eagerly retrieved a vial of Foundation Establishment Pills and several spirit herbs.
Placing the herbs in his right palm, he tipped out one pill and whispered, "Repair."
"Fwoosh…"
Flames engulfed his hand and its contents. Lin Feng held his breath, eyes locked on the fire.
Moments later…
Repair successful.
Equipment damage: 0.
Repair unnecessary.
The flames vanished. The herbs remained, slightly diminished. Above them sat a jade-green pill, shimmering faintly, its rich fragrance filling the air.
"A peak-grade Foundation Establishment Pill! Without a doubt!"
Its luster and aroma far surpassed the mid-grade version. Lin Feng's theory was correct: perfect repair elevated its quality.
He swiftly repaired the remaining three pills. Soon, four peak-grade pills rested in his palm, having consumed only half the herbs.
Storing the leftovers, Lin Feng gazed at the pills, resolve hardening. "Time to attempt Foundation Establishment!"
...
He placed a Spirit Gathering Array Disk before him, activating it with spirit stones. More stones scattered around him formed a glittering circle. Foundation Establishment demanded immense spiritual energy; the array and stones would ensure no shortage.
"Haaah…"
Preparations complete, Lin Feng took a deep, steadying breath. Poising a pill, he swallowed it.
Coolness spread from his throat, flooding his limbs and permeating every cell. Instantly, the spiritual energy within him surged like a breached dam, threatening to run wild!
Alarmed, Lin Feng swiftly channeled the Profound Fire Art, forcing the torrent to cycle through his meridians.
"Humm…"
Crimson light points materialized, filling the cave. Space itself seemed to vibrate. Lin Feng's body became a vortex, voraciously devouring the red light. A swirling maelstrom formed around him, drawing ever more spiritual energy from the void.
The pill's potency acted like oil on flame, supercharging his energy. As external energy flooded in, the sheer volume within him reached saturation, initiating a profound qualitative transformation…
Energy streamed through countless meridians—small tributaries converging into mighty rivers—all surging toward his dantian, the energy center below his navel.
Lin Feng sensed it: a small vortex spinning within his dantian, rapidly expanding.
This was true Foundation Establishment. Energy gathered and condensed into a stable vortex, converting spiritual energy into true essence. Success meant breakthrough.
Yet the process was perilous. A lapse in control could shatter the nascent vortex. Failure ranged from wasted effort to crippled dantian and lost cultivation—permanent exile from the path.
More energy flooded the dantian. The vortex grew larger, fiercer… and increasingly unstable. Sweat beaded on Lin Feng's brow; pain etched his features.
Forming the vortex meant expanding the dantian—akin to tearing and stretching flesh from within. The agony was excruciating; many cultivators failed here, overcome by pain.
"Ngghh…!"
Lin Feng finally groaned. The exhale broke his focus. The vortex shuddered violently, teetering on collapse.
Not enough!
Despair flickered. Only half his energy had converted, yet the pill's power was waning.
Instinct took over. He swallowed a second pill and scattered another wave of spirit stones.
Cool energy washed through him, dulling the pain. The raging energy calmed; the vortex's violent trembling eased.
The cave floor glittered with activated spirit stones, their light sucked into the crimson vortex around Lin Feng. The cave's temperature had climbed sharply. The crimson glow thickened until he seemed bathed in roaring flames. Gradually, this fiery aura seeped beyond the cave, cloaking the entire hillside in a faint, pulsing radiance…
...
Beneath the moonlit canopy, the forest was an inky, perilous maze.
"Swoosh!"
A faint yellow streak tore through the gloom, leaping from one treetop to another.
A fist-sized shadow moved with preternatural speed and agility—faster than an ape, a near-invisible blur darting through the woods.
It ran tirelessly, desperately, as if stopping meant death…
Another mighty leap carried it thirty meters. Landing atop a thickly foliated tree, it burrowed into the leaves and finally stilled, utterly spent.
"Kyuu…"
A weak whimper escaped as it collapsed amidst the foliage. Its strength was gone; it could run no more.
Coldness seeped into its tiny body. Consciousness blurred. Despair rose—Was this the end?
"Kyuu?"
Its head lifted slightly. Through a gap in the leaves, it spotted an anomalous crimson glow staining the night ahead.
A warm breeze drifted from that direction, chasing away some chill. A spark of instinct ignited. Forcing itself up, it shot from the canopy, darting towards the light.
Moments later, it halted at the base of a small hill. After a few seconds of apparent assessment, it identified a target. Like a thin yellow thread, it shot up the slope and vanished into a vine-choked cave entrance…