Above the back mountain of Canaan Academy, a gigantic griffin soared, its back bearing a peculiar combination:
an old man with flowing white hair, a resolute-faced youth, and... well, a soul form.
On the griffin, Su Qian felt a strange unease. "I never imagined the newly promoted genius of the Inner Academy would be the disciple of the Medicine Venerable, while the renowned Medicine Venerable has been reduced to a mere soul, and the Medicine Emperor Han Feng is a master murderer. And now, this betrayed master is going back to deal with this rebellious disciple!"
Yao Chen, of course, was unaware of Su Qian's thoughts. Since their discussion that day, the two hadn't immediately gone to find the Inner Academy's Grand Elder, but instead waited for Xiao Yan to break through to the four-star Dou Ling realm.
"Senior Medicine Venerable, the place where Elder Lin Feng is in seclusion is just ahead!"
At this moment, Su Qian, standing to the side, looked at the distant, rushing waterfall and spoke with a hint of respect. After all, he was the renowned number one alchemist on the continent. Even now, fallen from grace, his physical body destroyed, he could only exist as a soul.
But who knew if he possessed the means to revive?
"Have we arrived yet?"
Xiao Yan slowly took two steps forward, muttering to himself, a hint of excitement in his expression. Whether it was scheming against Han Feng, avenging his master, or about to obtain the Sea Heart Flame to evolve into a different kind of fire, these were all beyond his current capabilities as a mere Dou Ling.
"Howl!"
The majestic griffin roared to the sky, its massive wings slowly flapping, preparing to descend towards the great waterfall.
"Buzz!"
However, when it was about a thousand meters from the ground, a barrier seemed to appear in front of it, and the griffin, which was about to land, was bounced back with a "pop."
"What happened?"
The weakest of the three people on the griffin's back was a Dou Ling, and even the weakest, Xiao Yan, possessed a flying Dou Technique, allowing him to soar through the sky. This sudden situation did not cause the three to panic.
"Hahaha, Elder Su Qian, Elder Yao, Junior Brother Xiao Yan, it's been a long time! How have you
been?" Just as Elder Su Qian was about to speak, a hearty laugh came from ahead. As Xiao Yan looked in the direction of the sound, Elder Su Qian and Yao Chen noticed a sudden fluctuation in the space on the griffin's back. Immediately afterward, Lin Feng's figure appeared in their sight.
Upon seeing this, Su Qian's pupils constricted slightly. "Elder Lin Feng, what is this?"
"Haha," Lin Feng smiled slightly at Elder Su Qian's question, "It's just that I've made some progress recently, and my understanding of space has improved further."
"Lin Feng, this isn't just a small improvement. Just this use of spatial teleportation alone is something even a typical high-level Dou Zong wouldn't be able to do!"
Yao Chen, standing to the side, directly explained the spatial techniques Lin Feng had used, leaving Elder Su Qian utterly astonished. Xiao Yan might not be able to see anything, after all, in his understanding, Lin Feng was a true genius far surpassing him, someone he couldn't compare to.
Su Qian, however, found it hard to believe. He knew that when Lin Feng first arrived at Canaan Academy, he was only at the initial Dou Wang realm. In just two or three years, he had actually surpassed him in realm. And his use of space was even more astounding.
As the strongest person in Canaan Academy on the surface, his own realm and knowledge were naturally not weak. He had received guidance from Elder Qianbai many times, and had read the notes left by the old dean many times, so he naturally knew. At the Dou Zong realm, unless one's energy far exceeds that of the opponent and one uses powerful fighting techniques, if the levels are equal, then it depends on the two sides' use of space. The
reason why Su Qian found it hard to believe was that, apart from Zi Yan, who was born with a high sensitivity to spatial power and could sense space at the Dou Wang or even Dou Ling realms, improving one's control over spatial power required time to accumulate and gradually become proficient.
If Lin Feng knew what Elder Su Qian was thinking, he would also feel lucky, all because he had received the essence blood bestowed by the Dragon Emperor. At first, Lin Feng did not realize it, while Cai Lin and Little Fairy Doctor did not want to talk about cultivation when they were with Lin Feng.
The Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan, as the darlings of space, the higher their bloodline talent, the stronger their control over space. Of course, even if one's initial bloodline wasn't pure, upon reaching the Dou Zun or even Dou Sheng level, their control over space far surpasses what ordinary people can imagine.
Zhu Kun, as a ruler of the Taixu Ancient Dragon clan, reached the pinnacle below Dou Di in terms of cultivation level. His control over space is arguably the best below Dou Di.
His essence blood naturally contains insights into space; this might have been intentionally left by the old Dragon Emperor to help Lin Feng and the others grow quickly. The more he pondered this, the more plausible this conjecture seemed.
After all, from the Dou Zong level onwards, cultivation on the Dou Qi Continent has revolved around the application of space.
A Dou Zong's initial use of space, and upon reaching the Dou Zun level, allows the creation of spatial wormholes. From the Central Continent to the Northwest Continent—such a vast distance—would likely take several years even for a Dou Zong expert to travel on foot. But once these spatial wormholes are established, with just a small amount of gold, even Dou Wang or Dou Zhi Qi experts can traverse them in a short time.
Upon reaching the Dou Sheng realm, one can even artificially create a small world. Of course, the difference between each star level in the Dou Sheng realm is vast, making the small worlds created incomparable.
Naturally, the Dou Sheng realm is too far beyond Lin Feng's reach; for now, he should aim for the Dou Zun realm.
"Thank you for your praise, Elder Yao," Lin Feng said politely before getting straight to the point. "May I ask what brings you here, Elder Yao?"
Lin Feng glanced at the group before him and immediately knew who was in charge. Elder Su Qian, a frequent visitor, was merely a tool, while Xiao Yan and Yao Chen, the master and disciple pair, were undoubtedly brought to him by the old fox Yao Chen.
After all, Xiao Yan had his childhood sweetheart by his side, and besides, facing a prodigy like Lin Feng for an extended period would inevitably damage his confidence.
"However," Lin Feng glanced at Xiao Yan discreetly, thinking to himself, "the Black Annihilation Army of the Ancient Clan must be arriving soon! Then I can see how upset this young lady of the Ancient Clan is; I remember she even threatened me back then!"
"Achoo."
Xiao Yan, behind him, suddenly sneezed, rubbing his nose in surprise, muttering, "Strange, why did I suddenly sneeze!"
"Senior Brother Lin Feng, let me explain this matter!"
Amidst the roar of the waterfall, Xiao Yan finished recounting his plan to Han Feng. At this moment, Yao Chen slowly stepped forward and announced the reward.
"Lin Feng, if you and Queen Medusa are willing to help this time, you can choose any item from my collection!"
Yao Chen waved his hand arrogantly, clearly prepared to be fleeced.
In fact, during his planning, he had already considered whether he could use Han Feng's coveting of the Inner Court's Fallen Heart Flame as an excuse to persuade Canaan Academy to capture Han Feng without paying any price.
Thinking about it again, he still felt it wasn't a good idea. If it were just Su Qian, it wouldn't be so bad; he would definitely be outmaneuvered by this old fox—no, by his cunning and resourcefulness. But with Lin Feng, this little fox, around, he could never get away with it for free. This guy seemed to know everything about him and always managed to grasp his weaknesses!
After figuring out the hurdle, Yao Chen went directly to Canaan Academy and, at a slight cost, persuaded Elder Su Qian to slightly loosen the seal on the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower, releasing a trace of the strange fire's aura.
As for how Han Feng knew, aside from the strange connection between the strange fires, there were spies from the Black Corner Region within the inner academy, but the academy simply turned a blind eye.
"The Spirit Ascension Method!"
Lin Feng paused for a moment, then slowly uttered four words.
"What!"
Yao Chen's arrogant expression froze, as if he had been completely taken aback. At this moment, Xiao Yan leaned closer to Yao Chen's ear and whispered,
"Teacher, what is this Spirit Ascension Method?"
"The Spirit Ascension Method is my masterpiece. It's suitable for pills of grade eight and above because it's specifically designed to enhance the spiritual energy of pills, a powerful secret technique that can break through the original grade of a pill!"
Yao Chen stood with his hands behind his back, looking up at the sky, unconsciously revealing the aura of the continent's number one alchemist, inspiring awe in all who beheld him.
"Eighth Rank!!!"
Xiao Yan and Su Qian, who had been listening silently the whole time, gasped in shock upon hearing
this. Even Lin Feng, who knew the plot, was now a true resident of the Dou Qi Continent, and had reached the seventh rank in alchemy, deeply understanding the power of an eighth-rank alchemist. The secret method to enhance the spiritual energy of eighth-rank pills was unimaginably precious.
"Lin Feng, you really dare to speak so boldly. Han Feng's value alone is not worth this Spirit Enhancement Method!"
Yao Chen spoke slowly after a moment of silence, and the scene immediately quieted down.
"Elder Yao, please don't be hasty, allow me to explain in detail!"
Although somewhat unwilling, Xiao Yan, who was ready to give up, raised his head upon hearing Lin Feng's words, a glimmer of expectation in his eyes.
"If I'm not mistaken, putting aside Yao Lao's feelings for Han Feng, his desire to capture him this time, besides avenging the betrayal, is more about seizing the Sea Heart Flame from Han Feng!"
Lin Feng slowly stepped forward, revealing his inner thoughts one by one.
"And since you already possess a Bone Spirit Cold Flame, the ultimate owner of this Sea Heart Flame will undoubtedly be Junior Brother Xiao Yan, who has cultivated the Burning Technique."
Lin Feng gently patted Xiao Yan's shoulder a few times, signaling him not to be nervous, as there was more to come.
"I once accidentally learned about Junior Brother Xiao Yan's growth trajectory and discovered that there was a period when he made rapid progress, and the time when he obtained the Strange Flame coincided with that. Could this really just be a coincidence?"
Lin Feng suddenly looked up, staring directly into Xiao Yan's eyes, startling him. Seemingly realizing that his actions were somewhat impolite, Lin Feng immediately smiled apologetically.
"Furthermore," Lin Feng walked to Yao Chen's side and said softly, "Senior Yao Chen, you're not being honest. I've studied the resurrection method you gave me several times, and you didn't seem to mention in it that three different flames were needed!"
"Ahem."
Knowing that the Burning Blade Technique could increase one's cultivation level by absorbing different flames, Yao Chen's expression didn't change much; after all, Xiao Yan's growth trajectory couldn't be concealed. However, when Lin Feng revealed the hidden condition of the resurrection method, this old fox with a thick skin couldn't hold back any longer and quickly pretended to cough.
"Lin Feng, kid, it's because you didn't ask at the time. It's normal for my memory to be bad at my age!"
After explaining himself, the old fox regained his shrewdness.
"However, the value of Han Feng and the Fallen Heart Flame is indeed not worth the Spirit Ascension Method. After all, with Elder Su Qian already on board, inviting you is merely for added security!"
"That seems to be true," Lin Feng rubbed his chin, pondered for a moment, and then waved his hand. "A puppet appeared in their sight." "An
ancient puppet, which I was fortunate enough to obtain in a ruin. Its strength is equivalent to an eight-star Dou Huang."
At this point, Lin Feng looked at Xiao Yan, whose eyes were burning with desire, and uttered a few words softly.
"And if fed with the pill lightning of a seventh-grade pill, it might even rise to the Dou Zong or even Dou Zun level in the future! Junior Brother Xiao Yan, consider this my investment in you. Please persuade your stubborn teacher for me!"
"Teacher, look!"
Upon hearing that this puppet could rival an eight-star Dou Huang, Xiao Yan couldn't contain himself any longer. He hadn't expected that this puppet could even level up and potentially rival a Dou Zong or even Dou Zun expert. Xiao Yan immediately looked at Yao Chen with longing eyes, his eyes filled with "I want it!"
"Fine!" Seeing that his foolish disciple had been bribed by enemy agents, Yao Chen had no choice but to wave his hand, sending out an ancient scroll, which Lin Feng caught.
However, he didn't immediately look at it, as such scrolls could generally only be viewed three to five times, and Lin Feng couldn't use it yet, so there was no rush. As for whether Yao Chen was deceiving him, Lin Feng hadn't considered that question.
Things are different now. Lin Feng has reached the four-star Dou Zong realm, and his alchemy skills have reached the seventh rank. He now has a certain degree of standing on equal footing with the Medicine Venerable, who is now only a soul.
Of course, this is because he hasn't been resurrected, and also because he's currently in the barren Northwest Continent, where his powerful network of connections is unusable. After all, he's been dead for so many years and knows nothing about the situation of his many friends in Central Continent. Moreover, people's hearts are fickle; who knows which "friend" won't suddenly kill him to inherit his legacy?
However, he also has some reservations about the puppet Lin Feng exchanged. Xiao Yan hasn't fully matured yet. He's fine against Dou Wang opponents, but if he encounters a Dou Huang, he'll still need Lin Feng's help, which will consume a huge amount of his soul power, and that feeling of weakness is unbearable!
(End of Chapter)