As the saying goes, when some rejoice, others grieve.
The news of Lingyun Sect's destruction at
"My Lord, what do we do?
In the most magnificent hall of the Qilin Prince's Mansion, Lin Moli sat in the seat of honor. Every expert of note and strength within the mansion had gathered here.
Yet at this moment, none of them wore their usual air of lofty superiority. Every face was twisted with dread, every soul gripped by unease.
They had all been terrified by what happened to Lingyun Sect—terrified by Chu Feng's actions. Every one of them feared that the next Lingyun Sect would be their own Qilin Prince's Mansion, that the next wave of slaughter would claim their lives.
"What is there to panic about? Don't forget—we are the Qilin Prince's Mansion. Behind us stands the
Lin Moli shot to his feet and brought his powerful palm crashing down, shattering the chair beneath him to splinters. His furious roar sent a tremor through the entire hall.
And indeed, the moment he bellowed, everyone fell silent, the panic on their faces dimming somewhat. After that, Lin Moli spoke at length, reassuring them further.
He told them he had already reported the matter to the Jiang Dynasty, and that the dynasty would help the Qilin Prince's Mansion apprehend Chu Feng. He said Chu Feng was already fighting for his life and had no chance of making a comeback—he would be killed sooner or later, and so on.
These words successfully soothed the wavering experts of the mansion. But none of them saw that the instant Lin Moli turned away, his face was a mask of terror and extreme anxiety.
While word of Chu Feng's deeds spread like wildfire and the world outside was turned upside down, beneath the Azure Dragon Mountain Range there existed a pocket of serenity.
Li Changqing and the elite disciples of the Azure Dragon Sect,
"Chu Feng, you brat, you're too incredible! You actually brought back so many treasures. But these things are far too precious—this old man is truly embarrassed to accept them." Li Changqing stared at the array of rare and wondrous items before him, grinning with delight, his weathered face crumpling into a mass of wrinkles like a steamed bun.
For spread before him was a wealth of good things: a large quantity of Yuan Medicine, along with special weapons and protective gear—all items Chu Feng had seized from Lingyun Sect's resource treasury. He was now handing every last piece to Li Changqing, free of charge.
"Sect Master, because of me, Chu Feng, the Azure Dragon Sect was reduced to rubble—centuries of foundation destroyed in a day. My heart is wracked with guilt. If you accept these, I'll feel a little better about it." Chu Feng's face was heavy with apology.
"Oh, you foolish boy. What they destroyed was nothing but an empty shell. Our Azure Dragon Sect's true foundation has all been moved here. These are what truly matter for our sect's future." Li Changqing gestured toward a nearby area, where simply constructed shelves stood. But upon those shelves, neatly arranged, were all manner of martial techniques and Mystic Arts, along with the Azure Dragon Sect's records and registers. These were the true capital a sect needed to establish itself.
"But…" Chu Feng still felt uneasy.
"No 'buts.' These worldly things are the foundation of our Azure Dragon Sect's rise. They are what give us the capital to rebuild."
Li Changqing glanced once more toward the Essence Pool. Ever since arriving here, every junior disciple and elder of the Azure Dragon Sect had been cultivating there, reaping tremendous benefits.
Then Li Changqing patted Chu Feng on the shoulder. "But you—you are the hope that will lead them and grow our Azure Dragon Sect into something greater!"
"Mm. Rest easy, Sect Master. I, Chu Feng, will one day build an even more magnificent Azure Dragon Sect upon this mountain range. When that day comes, our sect will not merely be the overlord of Qingzhou—it will hold a place of honor on the Nine Provinces Continent." Hearing Li Changqing's words, Chu Feng felt the knot in his heart loosen, and he vowed with absolute conviction.
The reason Chu Feng had not simply left after destroying Lingyun Sect, but had instead returned here…
First, he wanted everyone who cared about him to know that he was safe, and that Lingyun Sect had suffered a devastating blow and paid the price it deserved.
Second, after being hunted by both Yan Yangtian and Lin Moli, Chu Feng had come to a sobering realization of just how weak he still was in the face of Heaven Martial Realm experts.
He wanted to master the Dragon Soars Nine Heavens technique that the Dragon Daoist had taught him. This martial art was extraordinarily profound. If Chu Feng could fully master it, he might not match the terrifying speed of that demon's wings from that day—but against a Heaven Martial Realm powerhouse, he would at least have room to flee.
After all, Chu Feng was heading to a completely unfamiliar land. He couldn't afford to count on any kind soul rushing to his rescue when danger struck. He would have to rely on himself. He had to make absolutely sure he possessed the means to survive before he set out.
Chu Feng spent an entire day refining all the Mystic Medicine he had taken from Lingyun Sect. This stirred his long-dormant Dantian to life once more, bringing about yet another transformation. But in the end, he still failed to break through to the Xuan Wu Realm.
Still, he was not discouraged. It was roughly what he had expected. Though he hadn't broken through, he could feel that the gap was now negligibly small. With a few more high-grade Mystic Medicines, the breakthrough should be his.
Right now, Chu Feng was in a section even deeper than the Essence Pool—a quieter place, ideal for cultivation. His eyes were closed as he focused his mind, channeling the Yuan Force within his body.
Hummm—
A layer of faintly visible azure gas swirled around Chu Feng. It seeped from his body, interweaving and merging, growing thicker by the moment. Gradually, it coalesced into a cloud of azure mist that surged beneath his feet, lifting him slowly from the ground until he floated in midair, rising higher and higher.
But the most wondrous part was this: as the azure mist carried Chu Feng upward, it shifted and reshaped itself, forming a shape somewhere between serpent and dragon. One could even sense a faint pulse of life within it.
Whoosh!—But in the next instant, the mist dissolved into nothing, and Chu Feng plummeted back to the ground.
"Damn it—this Dragon Soars Nine Heavens is way too difficult." Chu Feng's expression was grim. The technique's complexity far exceeded his expectations. Even someone of his caliber couldn't pick it up quickly. Right now, he couldn't even complete the simplest first step.
Clap. Clap. Just then, a string of crisp applause rang out from behind him.