Chapter 7: Breakthrough, Middle-stage Spiritual Awakening
"Burning World Red Lotus!"
"What kind of treasure could this be? To achieve the Inquiring Journey Realm even in its withered and dying state, merely based on this level, it is sufficient to overshadow everything in the Mysterious Truth Continent!"
"I never anticipated that I would obtain such a treasure after all that has transpired; the heavens truly have not abandoned me!"
Lin Feng's heart swelled with excitement, causing his body to quiver slightly.
He examined and sensed his body carefully once more, discovering that his strength had returned to the Early-stage Elemental Movement Realm.
Furthermore, he possessed an extraordinary affinity for Fire Attribute Spiritual Qi!
In addition to that,
He also had a rather peculiar connection with the surrounding plants.
With a single glance,
He could vaguely discern any plant's age, medicinal properties, and other information!
"My innate talent has increased significantly!"
"And I possess a unique innate talent akin to the legendary Medicinal Spirit Body!"
"Now I'm undoubtedly the unparalleled genius in the Starry Abyss Sect, the kind that emerges only once in a millennium!"
A surge of astonishment welled up in Lin Feng's heart, but soon his eyes clouded with melancholy.
The Starry Abyss Sect had been so callous!
After making a mistake in his cultivation and having his dantian shattered, he was mercilessly expelled!
He had been raised within the Starry Abyss Sect!
His affection for the sect had once been profound.
Yet now, his loathing for it ran just as deep.
"Such a cold and heartless place... No! Wait! It doesn't matter!"
"Now that my dantian is healed, and my potential far surpasses what it was before, Starry Abyss Sect, I swear you'll rue the day!"
With renewed determination, Lin Feng clenched his fist. Riding the swift currents of the mountain river, he battled his way downstream.
....
On the rugged mountain path.
"Huh, where is he?"
"It's only been a short while, not even a quarter of an hour; considering Lin Feng's condition, he couldn't have ventured too far!"
Jiang Chen extended his divine sense as he traversed the mountain path, but struggled to locate Lin Feng, and promptly realized that something was amiss.
"Could it be..."
"In the brief moment it took for me to access the System Mall and organize the rewards, did he stumble upon a great opportunity, somehow leave the Starry Abyss Sect, and set out on the path to greatness?"
The corners of Jiang Chen's mouth twitched slightly, and his heart felt as if it had been caught off guard.
Without delay,
He reluctantly expanded his divine sense, persistently searching the areas where Lin Feng was most likely to be found.
However,
He still couldn't locate him!
"I've squandered only a bit of time, and yet he's slipped away; this protagonist status is truly extraordinary!"
"Could it be that a formidable figure passed by and whisked him away?"
Jiang Chen stood atop a centuries-old colossal tree, his face tinged with gloom.
Various conjectures sprouted in his mind, the most plausible being that a powerful individual had chanced upon Lin Feng and spirited him away.
Otherwise, could Lin Feng have ascended to the heavens or burrowed into the earth on his own?
"Who could it be?"
"If the most formidable members within the sect wanted to protect him, they would have done so already. It must be a powerhouse from outside the sect."
"The Thousand Star Mountain Range is entirely under the Starry Abyss Sect's jurisdiction; the one who spirited Lin Feng away could only be a cultivator visiting the Starry Abyss Sect as a guest."
As this thought crossed Jiang Chen's mind, he promptly grasped a jade token at his waist, infused it with his Yuan Power in the form of characters, and dispatched it to Elder Ge.
Elder Ge was a seasoned true disciple and the most trustworthy guard in Jiang Chen's service, a formidable figure of the Spiritual Awakening Realm. Offered up by the Jiang Clan, he was Jiang Chen's most trusted escort.
"Young Master!"
"Rest assured, I will attend to this matter immediately!"
Upon receiving Elder Ge's response, he promptly commenced an investigation into the cultivators who had recently visited the Starry Abyss Sect as guests.
Shortly thereafter,
Jiang Chen glanced at the end of the mountain path and narrowed his eyes, "System, open the shopping mall!"
With a current Villain Value balance of 400 points, he might be able to acquire something useful.
Upon opening the shopping mall,
Jiang Chen's gaze began to scour the Artifacts and Other sections.
Before long,
"Found it, a tracking-type treasure!"
His eyes gleaming with delight, he fixated on a treasure named 'Aura Finder Smoke' in the Other section and immediately opted to exchange it.
[Ding! Deducting 300 Villain Value points, you have obtained Aura Finder Smoke*1!]
Following the system prompt,
A black, incense-like object materialized in Jiang Chen's hand.
This arm-length incense was hollow, resembling a wooden stick, and was none other than the Aura Finder Smoke.
As long as an item bearing the target's scent was inserted into the center of the Aura Finder Smoke and lit, the resulting smoke would guide the way to the target.
"Speaking of items carrying Lin Feng's scent, blood would be the best choice!"
The corner of Jiang Chen's mouth curved upward in a pleased smile as he swiftly made his way towards the mountain gate.
Upon arriving, he discovered that the area below the mountain gate was spotless.
The site where Lin Feng had earlier vomited blood had been meticulously cleaned.
"Damn it, this is infuriating!"
Rolling his eyes, Jiang Chen found himself at a loss for words.
Nevertheless, he understood that the mountain gate was the sect's facade, the place where the cleaning disciples were most diligent, so it made sense for the blood to have been cleared away.
Of course, Lin Feng's protagonist status might also have played a role in this.
"So be it."
"If we can't find the blood, we'll use other items."
With a steely gaze, Jiang Chen once again retrieved his transmission jade token and contacted Elder Ge, instructing him to dispatch someone to search for Lin Feng's personal belongings.
Although Elder Ge wondered why Jiang Chen had requested these tasks, as a loyal old servant, he refrained from asking too many questions and promptly set out on his errand.
Having delegated the matter to Elder Ge,
Jiang Chen propelled himself into the air and flew towards his residence.
At this point, Lin Feng had mysteriously vanished and likely obtained the great opportunity meant for him.
Moreover, since Lin Feng's personal belongings had not yet been discovered, there was no use in fretting over the matter.
Hence,
Jiang Chen resolved to enhance his strength first and wait until he acquired Lin Feng's personal item.
Returning to the attic,
Entering the quiet chamber,
"Spiritual Awakening Realm Middle-stage, here I come!!!"
Jiang Chen popped a mouthful of Ten-Turn Harmonious Spirit Pills into his mouth.
Immediately, a majestic Spiritual Qi surged into every part of his body, his dantian, and his meridians, giving the impression that his entire body had swelled slightly.
"Starry Abyss Heavenly Scripture!"
Jiang Chen focused his mind and steadied his breath as he executed his cultivation technique to begin assimilating the medicinal power.
Time elapsed.
In the blink of an eye, the sky darkened and dawn broke once more...
...
Autumn Glory City.
This splendid city, nestled in the mountains, was home to a large population.
Martial arts cultivation was widespread here, with everyone practicing the discipline.
Of course, most were at the Physical Body Realm, while fewer reached the Elemental Movement Realm, and those at the Soul Refining Realm were considered skilled experts.
As for the Spiritual Awakening Realm, practitioners at this level were already considered first-class experts in Autumn Glory City, with only the heads of the Jiang and Zhou families having attained this rank.
The city bustled with life and prosperity.
Wide streets teemed with people coming and going, and the city overflowed with activity.
In a relatively secluded inn called Vast Spirit Residence, a man dressed in black robes and wearing a veiled conical bamboo hat entered the establishment.
It was none other than Lin Feng!
"What kind of room does the guest require?"
A delightful female voice, as clear as an oriole, resounded.
Lin Feng's expression shifted as he traced the voice and found a smiling, stunning young girl dressed in a pale yellow gown.
Even though he had encountered numerous beautiful female disciples within the Starry Abyss Sect, his heart still stirred.
This young girl was not only attractive, but she also exuded an exceptionally clean and refreshing aura!
Furthermore, she was a cultivator who had entered the Early-stage Elemental Movement Realm.