Lin Feng woke to sunlight streaming through his window and the sharp, insistent chiming of the system.
[ALERT: Cultivation detected in Clearwater Town][Spiritual signature analysis: Foundation Establishment 3rd Layer][Threat assessment: Moderate][Distance: 0.3 miles and approaching]
Lin Feng bolted upright, ignoring the protests from his injured body. Another cultivator? Here?
He quickly accessed the Spirit Gathering Pagoda, stepping into the pocket dimension where the Mist Veil Formation would help conceal his presence. Through the system's awareness, he could sense the approaching cultivator—not hostile, but definitely searching for something.
Or someone.
Lin Feng held his breath as the spiritual sense washed over the town. It was more refined than the Crimson Blade Sect's crude sweeps from days ago—this cultivator was looking for something specific.
The sense lingered on the bookshop for a moment that stretched into eternity, then moved on.
[Cultivator has passed by][Formation effectiveness: 89%][Note: Repeated scans may eventually penetrate concealment]
Lin Feng waited another hour before emerging from the pocket dimension. When he finally stepped back into the physical world, his injuries from yesterday's hunting had partially healed—enough that he could move without wincing at every step.
He checked his harvest from the Whispering Woods. Four beast cores gleamed dully in the morning light, along with the bundled hides and other materials. He needed to sell these quickly and leave Clearwater Town before more cultivators arrived.
Old Man Zhao returned that afternoon, his visit to his daughter apparently successful. He took one look at Lin Feng's bruised face and raised an eyebrow.
"Family emergency, was it?"
"Something like that," Lin Feng said. "Elder Zhao, I need to ask for some time away. A week, perhaps two. There's... something I need to take care of."
The old man studied him for a long moment. Despite being mortal, Zhao had always been perceptive. "You're different," he said finally. "Something changed in you. You stand taller. Your eyes are clearer." He shook his head. "Whatever it is, be careful. The world outside Clearwater Town is more dangerous than you know."
"I will be," Lin Feng promised, genuinely touched by the concern.
That evening, Lin Feng made his way to the home of Merchant Wu, one of the few people in Clearwater Town who occasionally dealt with cultivators passing through. Wu was a portly man who'd made his fortune trading mundane goods but had connections that extended into the cultivation world.
"Young Lin," Wu greeted him with a broad smile that didn't reach his eyes. "What brings you to my humble home?"
Lin Feng produced one of the beast cores. "I need to sell some materials. Spirit beast components."
Wu's eyes widened slightly. He took the core, examining it with the practiced eye of someone who knew quality when he saw it. "Where did you get this?"
"Does it matter?"
"I suppose not." Wu named a price—fifteen spirit stones for all four cores and the hides combined.
Lin Feng knew it was less than half what they were worth, but he also knew he had no other options in Clearwater Town. He negotiated up to twenty-three spirit stones and accepted.
"I also need passage to Azure Peak City," Lin Feng said. "Something discrete."
Wu's expression grew calculating. "Azure Peak City is a hundred miles north. It's a hub for cultivators—dangerous for someone like you. Why would you want to go there?"
"Personal business."
"Personal business that requires spirit beast materials and discretion." Wu drummed his fingers on his desk. "A merchant caravan leaves tomorrow morning, heading to Azure Peak City for the monthly trade fair. For ten spirit stones, I can secure you a spot. For fifteen, I can ensure no one asks questions about why a bookkeeper is traveling to a cultivation hub."
Lin Feng winced internally at the price but nodded. "Fifteen."
"Excellent. Be at the north gate at dawn."
The caravan consisted of five wagons loaded with mundane goods—silk, tea, ceramics—and guarded by a dozen hired mercenaries. Most were mortals, but Lin Feng could sense that two of the guards were cultivators at Qi Refining realm.
He kept his head down and his spiritual energy suppressed as they traveled. The journey took three days, following the main trade road north through increasingly populated territory.
Lin Feng used the time to cultivate in secret, cycling spiritual energy through his meridians whenever he could do so without drawing attention. The passive growth was slower than in the Spirit Gathering Pagoda, but every bit helped.
[Cultivation Progress: 67% to Qi Refining 3rd Layer]
On the second night, camped by the roadside, Lin Feng overheard two of the cultivator guards talking.
"—heard the Crimson Blade Sect is offering a bounty," one said, a rough-looking woman with a scar across her cheek. "Ten thousand spirit stones for information leading to Shen Wu's legacy."
Her companion, a thin man with nervous energy, whistled low. "That's enough to break through to Foundation Establishment. What are they looking for exactly?"
"No one knows. Just that the old Immortal Architect had some kind of treasure or technique that the major sects want. They're checking every town within five hundred miles."
Lin Feng's blood ran cold. Ten thousand spirit stones. That kind of bounty would turn every wandering cultivator in the region into a potential hunter.
He needed to reach Azure Peak City and disappear into its crowds before someone noticed him.
On the third day, Azure Peak City came into view.
It was breathtaking.
The city was built into the side of an enormous mountain, its buildings rising in tiers like a giant staircase. At the summit, Lin Feng could see the gleaming spires of what must be the city lord's palace, wreathed in clouds. Cultivation formations covered the city walls, glowing softly with protective energy.
Even from miles away, Lin Feng could feel the density of spiritual energy. This was a place where thousands of cultivators lived and trained. The ambient Qi was ten times stronger than in Clearwater Town.
The caravan joined a queue of merchants waiting to enter through the southern gate. Guards in official city watch uniforms—all cultivators, Lin Feng noted with growing anxiety—inspected each wagon.
When they reached Lin Feng's wagon, a guard with cold eyes scanned him with spiritual sense.
"Qi Refining Second Layer," the guard said. "Purpose in Azure Peak City?"
"Trade," Lin Feng said, keeping his voice steady. "Looking to purchase cultivation resources."
The guard studied him for a moment longer, then waved him through. "Entry tax is one spirit stone. Follow the rules, and you'll have no problems. Cause trouble, and you'll be expelled. Or worse."
Lin Feng paid the tax and entered the city.
Azure Peak City was overwhelming. The streets teemed with people—mortals and cultivators mixing in a chaotic flow. Shops lined every avenue, selling everything from mundane food to pills that claimed to boost cultivation by entire layers. Street performers demonstrated martial techniques for coins. Sect recruiters called out to young cultivators, promising wealth and power.
And everywhere, Lin Feng could feel the spiritual pressure of powerful cultivators. Foundation Establishment realm was common here. He even sensed a few presences that made his instincts scream—Core Formation realm, at least.
He was a small fish in an ocean of predators.
Following the system's guidance, Lin Feng navigated through the winding streets toward the lower merchant district. The Shadow Market, according to the quest information, was hidden in plain sight—accessible only to those who knew where to look.
After an hour of searching, he found it: an unremarkable tea house called "The Floating Leaf," tucked between a weapon smith and a talisman shop.
Lin Feng pushed open the door and stepped inside.
The interior was dim and quiet, a stark contrast to the chaos outside. An elderly woman with what appeared to be clouded eyes sat behind a counter, brewing tea that filled the air with the scent of jasmine and something else—something that made Lin Feng's newly awakened spiritual senses tingle.
She looked up as he entered, and Lin Feng realized with a start that her eyes weren't clouded at all. They were filled with swirling silver light, like mercury in constant motion.
"First time?" she asked, her voice surprisingly strong.
"Yes," Lin Feng admitted.
"The Shadow Market welcomes all who can afford entry. Ten spirit stones." She extended a withered hand. "Rules are simple: no fighting, no stealing, all deals are binding. Break the rules, and the Market Master will personally end you. Do you understand?"
Lin Feng placed ten spirit stones on the counter. "I understand."
The woman's strange eyes examined him for a long moment. A slight smile crossed her lips. "Interesting. Very interesting. You carry the scent of old death. Through the back door, down the stairs. Welcome to the shadows, young cultivator."
Lin Feng walked through the indicated door and found a staircase descending into the mountain itself. The stairs spiraled down far deeper than should have been possible, the air growing cooler and filled with stronger spiritual energy with each step.
After what felt like several hundred feet of descent, the staircase opened into a vast underground cavern that had been transformed into a marketplace.
It was magnificent and terrifying in equal measure.
The cavern stretched for what must have been half a mile in every direction, its ceiling lost in darkness high above. Shops and stalls carved directly into the living rock lined winding paths that spread out like a spider's web. Cultivation formations provided light—not harsh and bright, but soft and multifaceted, creating an atmosphere of permanent twilight.
And the people...
Cultivators of every description filled the market. Young sect disciples in pristine robes browsed pill shops with the casual arrogance of those who'd never known want. Scarred demonic cultivators haggled over bound spirit beasts with merchants who showed no fear. Rogue cultivators in patchwork armor examined weapons with the careful attention of those whose lives depended on their gear.
At regular intervals throughout the market, hooded figures stood perfectly still—the Market Master's enforcers. Even from a distance, the spiritual pressure they radiated made Lin Feng's skin prickle. These were powerful cultivators, possibly Nascent Soul realm or higher.
The Shadow Market had one absolute rule: peace. Here, sworn enemies could trade without fear. Here, demonic and righteous cultivators conducted business side by side. The Market Master's enforcement was absolute and brutal.
[Quest Update: Shadow Market accessed][Objective: Locate the Information Broker known as "Whisper"][Guidance: Follow the Path of Silent Words to the Alcove of Secrets]
Lin Feng followed the system's subtle guidance through the winding paths. He passed stalls selling everything imaginable: pills that claimed to extend life by a hundred years, cultivation techniques written on jade slips, spirit beasts in cages made of formation arrays, weapons that hummed with power, and stranger things—bottled dreams, crystallized emotions, fragments of broken Daos.
The prices made his remaining spirit stones feel like pocket change.
Finally, he reached a shadowed alcove at the market's edge. A small shop was tucked into the rock face, its sign a simple pair of lips carved in dark wood. No name. No description.
Lin Feng pushed open the door.
Inside, the shop was surprisingly elegant. Shelves lined the walls, holding sealed jade boxes and ancient texts. A desk of polished black wood dominated the center of the room, and behind it lounged a young woman who couldn't have been more than twenty.
She was beautiful in a dangerous way—sharp features, predatory grace, eyes that missed absolutely nothing. Her robes were midnight blue, embroidered with silver thread that formed patterns of eyes and ears that seemed to shift and watch.
"Well, well," she said, her voice like honey laced with poison. "A fresh-faced Qi Refining junior with secrets. How delightful. Please, come in. Close the door."
Lin Feng did so, feeling the weight of her spiritual sense washing over him. She was Foundation Establishment realm, he realized. At least eighth or ninth layer, possibly peak.
"You're Whisper?" he asked.
"I am she." Whisper leaned forward, chin resting on interlaced fingers. "And you are someone looking for information. The question is: what can you pay, and more importantly, what makes you think you can trust me?"
Lin Feng took a breath, then spoke the words he'd been preparing. "Shen Wu sent me."
The effect was immediate and dramatic. Whisper's casual demeanor vanished, replaced by intense focus. Her spiritual sense intensified, probing deeper, and Lin Feng felt something—like invisible fingers trying to peel back his secrets.
"Impossible," she said, but her eyes had already widened. "The Immortal Architect has been dead for three weeks. Unless..." She stood in one fluid motion, and suddenly Lin Feng felt like a mouse pinned under a cat's paw. "You're him. The successor."
It wasn't a question.
Before Lin Feng could respond, Whisper made a complex hand gesture. Formation arrays flared to life around the shop, sealing them in absolute privacy.
"Speak carefully, junior," she said, her voice now deadly serious. "Are you claiming to be Shen Wu's heir? The bearer of the Myriad Fortress System?"
Lin Feng weighed his options. Lying to someone this perceptive seemed foolish. And the quest had led him here specifically to find her.
"I am," he said simply.
Whisper stared at him for a long moment, then laughed—a sound without humor. "Of course you are. That paranoid old bastard. Even in death, he's causing chaos." She circled Lin Feng slowly, examining him like a merchant appraising goods. "Qi Refining Second Layer. Barely a cultivator. No backing, no resources, no combat experience to speak of. And you have enemies from every major sect in the region hunting you."
"I'm aware," Lin Feng said dryly.
"Are you?" Whisper stopped in front of him. "The Crimson Blade Sect. The Thousand Poison Valley. The Azure Sky Pavilion. Three major sects that spent decades trying to kill Shen Wu and finally succeeded. They know someone inherited his legacy. They have diviners, trackers, and enough resources to turn over every stone in this province."
She pulled a jade slip from her desk. "This activated the moment you walked into my shop. A contingency Shen Wu left, keyed to trigger when his successor made contact with me. Do you know what it says?"
Lin Feng shook his head.
Whisper pressed the slip to her forehead, and her expression shifted—surprise, then something that might have been respect. After a moment, she lowered it.
"The old monster left me instructions. And a debt to repay." She looked at Lin Feng with new eyes. "I owed Shen Wu three favors. He saved my life seventy years ago when I was just a foolish Foundation Establishment cultivator who'd gotten in over her head. This message calls in one of those favors."
She sat back down, gesturing for Lin Feng to take the chair opposite her. "So. Let's talk business. I'm going to help you survive, little heir. Not out of charity, but because I honor my debts. And because..." A predatory smile crossed her face. "I'm betting you'll be very profitable to know in the future."
Lin Feng sat, relief flooding through him. An ally. A real ally.
"What do you know about Shen Wu's assets?" Whisper asked.
"Not much. I received the system three days ago. I've been focused on surviving since then."
"Three days," Whisper murmured. "And you've already reached Qi Refining Second Layer. The Fortress Foundation Scripture is as effective as rumored." She pulled out a detailed map that shimmered with spiritual energy—a living map that showed real-time information. "Shen Wu was many things, but careless wasn't one of them. Before his death, he established seven hidden caches across this province. Each contains resources, techniques, and other assets."
She pointed to various locations on the map. "Cache one through six are in dangerous territory—ancient battlefields, spirit beast lairs, sect-controlled zones. Suicide for someone at your level."
Her finger moved to a seventh location, marked in gray. "But this one... Whispering Vale. It's only a day's travel from here, and while it's dangerous, it's dangerous in ways you can handle. The vale is infested with restless spirits—the dead from an ancient war. Most cultivators avoid it because spirits are annoying to fight and the rewards aren't worth the risk."
"But Shen Wu hid something there anyway."
"Exactly. Because spirits don't bother undead constructs, and they're weak to certain formation types. Shen Wu could walk through that vale like it was a garden." Whisper produced a talisman covered in complex seal script. "This is a protection talisman. One hour of immunity to possession and spiritual attacks. It should be enough time to reach the cache, grab what you need, and get out."
Lin Feng accepted the talisman. "What's in the cache?"
"Five thousand spirit stones. Forty-seven jade slips containing various techniques. And..." Whisper's smile turned sharp. "The Legions of the Fallen grimoire. Shen Wu's masterwork on advanced undead summoning. Every demonic cultivator in the region would kill for it."
Lin Feng's breath caught. Five thousand spirit stones alone would solve his immediate resource problems. But a demonic cultivation technique...
"Using it will mark me as a demonic cultivator," he said.
"Yes. The righteous sects already hate you because you inherited Shen Wu's legacy. Using demonic techniques won't make them hate you more—they can only kill you once." Whisper leaned back. "But here's the truth, junior: the system doesn't care about righteous or demonic paths. It cares about effectiveness. Shen Wu used everything—righteous techniques, demonic methods, formations from the Buddhist monasteries, even techniques he stole from the Celestial Court itself."
She met his eyes. "The question isn't whether you're willing to be labeled demonic. The question is whether you're willing to do whatever it takes to survive and grow stronger. Because half-measures will get you killed."
Lin Feng thought about Old Man Zhao's warning. About the comfortable, safe life he'd left behind. About the fact that powerful cultivators were hunting him right now.
"I'll do what I have to," he said.
"Good answer." Whisper produced a second item—a small gray stone that seemed to absorb light. "Concealment stone. Hides your spiritual energy signature for up to six hours. Between this and the protection talisman, you should be able to reach the cache and avoid the patrols."
"Patrols?"
"Whispering Vale borders three different territories. The Crimson Blade Sect to the north, the Thousand Poison Valley to the east, and the independent city-state of Ironhold to the west. All three send patrols through the area. All three would love to know about Shen Wu's cache." She handed him the stone. "So you'll need to be sneaky. And lucky."
Lin Feng took both items. "How much do I owe you?"
"For the talismans and information? Consider it payment of Shen Wu's favor. But I'm not running a charity." Whisper's expression turned businesslike. "When you retrieve the cache, I want twenty percent of the spirit stones and first pick of any jade slips that aren't essential to you. In exchange, I'll provide you with maps, current intelligence on sect movements, and a safe route to your next destination."
"Which is?"
"That depends on what you want to do. You could run—find some remote corner of the world and hide until you're strong enough to protect yourself. That's the smart option." She smiled. "Or you could do what Shen Wu would do: establish a power base. Claim territory. Build your fortress and start gathering forces."
Lin Feng remembered the Jade Fortress Model sitting in his spatial storage. The system's emphasis on conquest and expansion. The fundamental nature of the Fortress Foundation Scripture.
"The second option," he said.
"I thought you might say that." Whisper produced yet another map, this one showing a remote mountain range. "The Shattered Peaks. Borderland territory, technically unclaimed. The terrain is treacherous, the spiritual energy is chaotic from ancient war formations, and it's infested with mad spirit beasts. Most cultivators consider it worthless."
"But the system can stabilize chaotic energy," Lin Feng said, understanding dawning.
"Precisely. What's wasteland to others becomes prime real estate for a system bearer. Plus, the Shattered Peaks have ruins—old sect outposts, treasure vaults, resources just waiting for someone brave or desperate enough to claim them." She looked at him seriously. "It's also three weeks' travel from here. Remote enough that you can establish yourself before the major sects notice."
Lin Feng studied the map, his mind already working through possibilities. "How do I get there without being tracked?"
"Leave that to me. I run an information network that spans half the province. I can arrange transport, create false trails, even hire mercenaries to impersonate you heading in the opposite direction." Whisper named her price. "One thousand spirit stones from the cache and twenty percent of whatever resources you extract from the Peaks for the first year."
It was expensive. But it was also exactly what Lin Feng needed.
"Deal," he said.
Whisper's smile widened. "Excellent. Now, let's discuss the immediate problem: you need combat training. You've got the system and basic techniques, but I've seen your type before—bookish, inexperienced, more likely to trip over your own feet than execute a proper sword form."
Lin Feng couldn't exactly argue with that assessment.
"I know someone," Whisper continued. "He's expensive, paranoid, thoroughly unpleasant, and one of the best combat instructors in the region. Goes by 'Old Ghost.' Used to be a demonic cultivator before he retired and started taking on students for obscene amounts of money."
She wrote an address on a slip of paper. "Tell him I sent you. Bring five hundred spirit stones and be prepared to suffer. His training methods are... intense."
"How intense?"
"Most students quit after the first week. The ones who survive the full two weeks are competent enough to not die immediately in real combat." Whisper's eyes glinted. "Which is about all you can hope for at your level."
Lin Feng accepted the address. His path was becoming clearer: retrieve the Whispering Vale cache, undergo combat training with this Old Ghost, then journey to the Shattered Peaks to establish his first real territory.
It was ambitious. Probably crazy. But it was a plan.
"One more thing," Whisper said as Lin Feng stood to leave. "The Crimson Blade Sect isn't your only problem. Word has spread in certain circles that Shen Wu's legacy has appeared. Treasure hunters, bounty seekers, ambitious junior cultivators looking to make a name—they're all searching. Some will underestimate you because of your low cultivation. Those are the dangerous ones, because you might be tempted to fight them."
"And I shouldn't?"
"Not unless absolutely necessary. Every fight is a risk. Every use of the system's abilities in public is evidence. You're not strong enough yet to handle the attention." She fixed him with a stern look. "Survive first. Build strength in secret. Only reveal your power when you're ready to crush anyone who might threaten you."
It was good advice. Lin Feng bowed respectfully. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet. Shen Wu's path led to him dying hunted by half the cultivation world. His legacy might lead you to the same end." Whisper's expression softened slightly. "But if you do survive, if you manage to build what he started... well, I'll be very happy to have invested in you early."
Lin Feng left the shop and made his way back through the Shadow Market. His mind was full of plans, possibilities, and the ever-present awareness that dozens of people were actively hunting for him.
But for the first time since receiving the system, he didn't feel lost. He had allies, resources, and a path forward.
Now he just had to survive long enough to walk it.
[Quest Completed: Shadow Market][Rewards: 200 SP, Access to Information Network, Faction Contact: Whisper][New Quest Available: Retrieve Whispering Vale Cache]
[Current SP: 310][Current Cultivation: Qi Refining 2nd Layer (67%)]
Lin Feng found a modest inn in the lower merchant district and rented a room for the night. Once inside, he entered the Spirit Gathering Pagoda and began cultivating, pushing his spiritual energy through his meridians with renewed focus.
Tomorrow, he would venture to Whispering Vale. Tomorrow, he would claim the first piece of Shen Wu's scattered legacy.
But tonight, he cultivated, feeling his power grow bit by bit, layer by layer.
The path to immortality stretched ahead—long, dangerous, and uncertain.
Lin Feng smiled grimly and continued his cultivation.
He was just getting started.