Mortal: I have a Spirit Gathering Cauldron

Besides his progress in cultivation, something else happened during these four years that left Lin Feng both amused and exasperated.

Even now, thinking about it makes him smirk.

That was not long after he went into seclusion, about two or three months ago.

That day, he was sitting cross-legged in the cultivation room, practicing breathing exercises. Golden true essence slowly rotated in his dantian, and the spiritual energy from the Spirit Eye Spring flowed into his body in wisps. Everything was normal, and the days were peaceful.

Suddenly, a sound transmission talisman passed through the array barrier of the cave and floated in, landing at the entrance of the cultivation room.

The sound transmission talisman was pale pink, shimmering with spiritual light, and trailed a thin streak of light at its tail. Lin Feng slowly stopped circulating his spiritual energy, opened his eyes, and reached out to capture the talisman in his hand.

As spiritual energy was infused, a sweet voice rang out from the talisman, carrying a hint of joy and shyness: "Senior Brother Lin, your junior sister has come to express her gratitude for saving my life. Please come out and meet me."

Lin Feng was stunned for a moment.

Chen Qiaoqian?

He almost forgot about that.

When he rescued Chen Qiaoqian in the Blood Forbidden Land, he did make a condition: that after she reached the Foundation Establishment stage, she would use her connections with the Chen family to help collect blueprints for top-tier magic weapons or treasures.

But after that, he was busy with things like Lin Xingjian, the Great Evolution Technique, and Qi Yunxiao, and later he was in a hurry to go into seclusion, so he put this matter behind him.

Unexpectedly, Chen Qiaoqian came to find him herself.

After a moment's thought, Lin Feng stood up, straightened his clothes, and walked out of the cultivation room. He activated the formation of the cave and flew outside.

The sunlight was a bit too bright.

Lin Feng squinted and saw two people standing outside the cave.

Chen Qiaoqian wore a dark green Taoist robe, its soft fabric clinging to her curves and accentuating her full figure. Her long hair was tied up with a jade hairpin, with a few strands falling beside her ears and swaying gently in the wind.

That previously cold and aloof face was now filled with a gentle smile, her eyebrows curving upwards, making her incredibly adorable. She was completely different from the female cultivator who had been beaten and left in a sorry state in the Crimson Forbidden Land.

Standing next to her was a tall, handsome young man with a square face and a touch of heroism between his brows. He was Chen Qiaotian, Chen Qiaoqian's older brother, who had also successfully established his foundation. He was the one she had met at the exit of the Crimson Forbidden Land.

Lin Feng clasped his hands in greeting and said politely, "Junior Sister Chen, Senior Brother Chen, you two have come from afar, I am sorry for not welcoming you properly."

Chen Qiaoqian's eyes curved into crescents, her voice filled with undisguised joy: "Senior Brother Lin, I've come today specifically to thank you for saving my life."

Lin Feng waved his hand, "No need for formalities, after all, I have conditions." He paused, then asked with a hint of doubt, "How did you know the location of my cave?"

Chen Qiaoqian blinked and said playfully, "Senior Brother Lin, the locations of the Foundation Establishment disciples' cave dwellings are registered in the sect. My uncle happens to be in charge of this, so I just looked it up and found out."

After saying that, she winked playfully at Lin Feng, like a kitten that had stolen a fish.

Lin Feng thought to himself, "As expected of a member of a powerful family," but remained outwardly calm and asked, "Junior Sister, have you already collected any artifact diagrams since you came?"

Chen Qiaoqian's cheeks flushed slightly, a glint of wonder and longing flashing in her eyes. She lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes, her voice barely audible, "Does that mean... without the artifact diagram, I can't come to see my senior brother?"

Lin Feng was startled.

Depend on.

This woman wants me to take over her business!

He's not stupid. Judging from Chen Qiaoqian's appearance, she's clearly not here to deliver the weapon diagram, but rather to deliver someone else. He rescued her as a damsel in distress in the Bloodstained Forbidden Land; Chen Qiaoqian probably had some inappropriate thoughts.

Lin Feng had no intention of getting involved with Han Laomo's mess. Chen Qiaoqian was naturally love-struck, and her future achievements were limited; he didn't want to get too entangled in the cause and effect.

"Junior sister, please don't joke around," Lin Feng quickly replied, his tone a few degrees colder than before. "I'm focused on secluded cultivation, only interested in cultivation level and weapon crafting. If there's nothing else, I'll be returning to continue my seclusion."

Chen Qiaoqian's smile froze for a moment.

Chen Qiaotian snorted coldly and said, "Hmph, little sister, don't flatter yourself with this kind of person. Quickly take out the artifact diagram and settle this matter."

Chen Qiaoqian ignored her brother, her gaze remaining fixed on Lin Feng's face. Her eyes drooped slightly, a hint of disappointment flashing in them, yet she was unwilling to give up so easily.

"Senior brother," her voice was much softer than before, carrying a hint of probing and a hint of expectation, "Junior sister has one more question. That day... was it you who was there?"

Lin Feng's heart skipped a beat.

He knew what Chen Qiaoqian was asking.

They clearly mistook him for Han Laomo, thinking that it was Lin Feng who killed Senior Brother Lu in the Taiyue Mountains and saved them.

Lin Feng just wanted to explain things quickly and then get rid of her.

"No, no, don't talk nonsense." He quickly waved his hand, his tone firm, "I, your senior brother, have never left the mountain gate before I reached the Foundation Establishment stage. Junior sister, you've mistaken me for someone else."

Chen Qiaoqian gave him a deep look.

That glance held suspicion, disappointment, and something else she couldn't quite put her finger on. She stared at Lin Feng's face for a few moments, as if confirming something, or perhaps trying to remember something.

Then she looked away, took out a jade slip from her storage bag, and handed it over.

"Senior brother, here are the diagrams for the artifacts you requested." Her voice had returned to calm, but lacked the initial excitement she had shown upon arrival. "I've tried my best to collect some; please take a look and see if they're suitable for you."

Lin Feng accepted the jade slip, but did not examine it on the spot. He put it into his storage bag, clasped his hands in thanks, and said, "Thank you, Junior Sister."

Chen Qiaoqian nodded and said nothing more.

She turned around, summoned a cyan flying sword, and leaped into the air. Chen Qiaotian followed behind, his flying sword transforming into a streak of white light. The two flew one after the other towards Huangfeng Valley.

After flying more than ten feet, Chen Qiaoqian suddenly looked back.

At this moment, Lin Feng had already closed the formation of the cave and returned to his cultivation room.

Chen Qiaoqian withdrew her gaze, her flying sword accelerated, and soon disappeared into the horizon.

Lin Feng sat next to the Spirit Eye Spring and couldn't help but curl the corner of his mouth.

"Does Chen Qiaoqian have a penchant for repaying kindness with her body after being rescued?" he muttered. "She was like that with Han Li in the original story, and she's doing the same to me now. It's really hard to keep up with her."

He shook his head, putting Chen Qiaoqian out of his mind; women would only hinder his cultivation speed.

"I don't want to think about it anymore, let's look at the diagram."

Lin Feng took out the jade slip given to him by Chen Qiaoqian, placed it on his forehead, and probed it with his divine sense.

The contents of the jade slip caught his eye.

There are many kinds of magical artifacts, ranging from low-grade to top-grade, totaling more than a dozen. There are five different diagrams for top-grade magical artifacts alone: ​​Azure Rainbow Sword, Crimson Gold Shield, Condensing Void Mirror, Mystic Ice Thorn, and Blazing Fire Banner.

"This girl has certainly put a lot of thought into it," Lin Feng murmured.

These diagrams were clearly not just randomly selected; each one was accompanied by a detailed refining method and a list of materials. Some diagrams also had handwritten annotations by Chen Qiaoqian, her handwriting delicate and beautiful, indicating that she had studied them carefully.

"The daughter of the patriarch of a great dual-spiritual-root cultivation clan, instead of focusing on cultivation, has become a hopeless romantic," Lin Feng sighed. "If she had cultivated properly, she would have had a good chance of forming her core."

He paused, then shook his head.

"Sigh, I'm getting carried away again. Sure enough, women only slow down my cultivation."

Afterwards, Lin Feng focused his mind and concentrated on cultivation, immersing himself in the daily practice of breathing exercises.