Mortal: I have a Spirit Gathering Cauldron

Day three in the forbidden area.

Lin Feng woke up from his meditation in the stone cave, moved the boulder blocking the entrance, and crawled out.

The sky outside was still a hazy gray, making it impossible to tell whether it was dawn or dusk.

After two days of getting used to the stench of the rotten ground, I could hardly smell it anymore, or rather, my nose had become numb to it.

He stood at the cave entrance, took a deep breath, and looked north.

That is the central area of ​​the forbidden zone.

He took a stroll around the area a couple of days ago and had a pretty good haul. Besides the five Jade Marrow Mushrooms and the three hundred-year-old spiritual herbs he found in Zhao Heng's storage bag, he also found four spiritual herbs that were fifty or sixty years old, as well as some scattered mineral materials.

"We've almost finished searching the outer area, time to head to the central area," Lin Feng muttered to himself.

The central area has a higher concentration of spiritual energy and more century-old medicinal herbs, but correspondingly, there are also more demonic beasts and dangers. According to the original description, the central area contains poisonous mists and even demonic beasts of the level of the Black Dragon.

However, he didn't want to get involved in Mo Jiao's affairs. Anyone who got involved in Han Li and Nangong Wan's mess was doomed.

Lin Feng urged the Qingfeng Banner, his figure moving swiftly through the forest.

To get from the outer perimeter to the central area, you have to cross a low hilly area. The vegetation here is denser than on the outer perimeter, with tall trees and thick shrubs, and you can occasionally see small animals darting by.

After walking for about an hour, Lin Feng suddenly stopped.

There are sounds of fighting ahead.

He immediately lowered his body, concealed his aura, and silently crept towards the direction from which the sound came.

After crossing a small hill, Lin Feng hid behind a rock and peered down.

In the valley, four figures were locked in combat.

No, to be precise, it was three people attacking one person.

The one being besieged was a female cultivator, dressed in the disciple robes of Yellow Maple Valley. She was tall and had a beautiful face. However, her appearance was not good at the moment; her robes were torn in several places, revealing her snow-white skin underneath, and there was a deep wound on her left arm, with blood staining half of her sleeve. Her spiritual energy fluctuations were chaotic, clearly indicating that she was about to collapse.

She was surrounded by three male cultivators, all dressed in black close-fitting clothes with a small knife embroidered on their cuffs; they were disciples of the Huadaowu sect.

Lin Feng narrowed his eyes, his gaze falling on the female cultivator's face.

Chen Qiaoqian.

It really is her.

Lin Feng's heart skipped a beat.

Shouldn't she be with her brother Chen Qiaotian? Why is she being besieged by the people of Huadaowu?

Chen Qiaoqian's current situation is even more dangerous than in the original story.

Lin Feng did not rush to make a move.

He hid behind a rock, carefully observing the situation on the field.

The three disciples of Huadaowu were all at the eleventh or twelfth level of Qi Refining. The leader was a bald, burly man at the twelfth level of Qi Refining, wielding a large ghost-headed saber, and his attacks were the most ferocious. The other two, one wielding a sword and the other a whip, worked in perfect coordination, firmly suppressing Chen Qiaoqian in the center of the valley.

Chen Qiaoqian's cultivation level was at the eleventh level of Qi Refining, but at this moment her spiritual power was almost exhausted, and she could not even stand steadily. She leaned against a boulder, and the flying sword in her hand barely blocked the attacks of the three people. With each block, she had to take a step back, and her face grew paler and paler.

"Little wench, stop struggling and surrender obediently, and we'll make sure you die a quick death." The bald, burly man licked his lips, his gaze brazenly sweeping over Chen Qiaoqian.

"Tsk tsk tsk, what a figure, what a face, what a waste." The skinny man wielding the sword chuckled. "Senior brother, how about we... kill them later?"

"All you ever think about is women," the bald, burly man cursed, but there was no hint of rejection in his tone.

The short man wielding the whip chimed in, "Since we're all going to die anyway, what's wrong with letting the brothers have some fun? Don't worry, senior brother, it won't take much time."

The three continued to hurl insults, but their attacks showed no sign of abating.

Chen Qiaoqian bit her lip, remaining silent, her eyes filled with anger and despair.

She knew she wouldn't last much longer.

Her spiritual energy was almost depleted, her left arm was still bleeding from the wound, and her right leg was stinging from the whip. If no one came to her rescue soon, today would be her death day.

"Help..." she cried out in her heart, but didn't say a word out loud.

Begging for mercy is useless; it will only excite these three beasts even more.

Lin Feng hid behind the rocks, his gaze sweeping over Chen Qiaoqian.

They certainly have a lot to offer.

She had a slender waist, long legs, and curves in all the right places. Although her robe was torn in several places, the exposed skin was fair and delicate, clearly the result of a well-bred young lady who had been raised with spiritual herbs since childhood.

"Should I save her or not?" Lin Feng pondered in his mind.

He and Chen Qiaoqian were not related, and there was no need for him to risk his life for a stranger. Those three Huadaowu disciples were not to be trifled with; he was confident he could win in a head-on confrontation, but if one of them escaped, or if one of them had a trump card to save their life, then he would be asking for trouble.

But then I thought about it again, Chen Qiaoqian's identity is different.

She is an inner disciple of Huangfeng Valley and the eldest daughter of the Chen family. The Chen family is one of the top cultivation families in Yue Kingdom, with a Core Formation Ancestor presiding over them. They have been operating in the cultivation world of Yue Kingdom for hundreds of years and have a profound foundation.

Such a family must have collected many good things.

Especially the blueprints for weapon crafting.

Lin Feng's biggest need right now is high-level weapon blueprints. His weapon-refining skills have reached a bottleneck. He can easily refine high-grade magic weapons, and with a bit of luck, he can even refine top-grade magic weapons, but he can't go any further. Magic treasures? He's never even seen a blueprint for one.

If he could obtain blueprints for some top-tier magical artifacts or even embryonic magical treasures through the Chen family's connections, his artifact crafting skills would be able to reach a new level.

"Saving her is an investment," Lin Feng realized. "Judging from the original story, Chen Qiaoqian should be a good person, someone who knows how to repay kindness."

He took a deep breath and began to prepare.

The Ice-Sealing Talisman still has three uses left, along with various top-tier magical artifacts; it's more than enough to wipe out these three disciples of the Blade-Transforming Valley.

The key is to prevent them from escaping, and also to prevent them from having a chance to call for help.

Lin Feng held the ice sword talisman in his palm, slowly channeling spiritual power into it. The talisman glowed with a faint blue light, ready to unleash its power.

In the middle of the game, Chen Qiaoqian finally couldn't hold on any longer.

The bald, burly man's massive, ghost-headed broadsword came crashing down. She raised her sword to parry, but the flying sword was knocked away. She groaned and collapsed to the ground, unable to stand up again.

"Hahaha!" the bald, burly man laughed. "Little wench, out of energy now, huh?"

He sheathed his large, ghost-headed sword, rubbed his hands together, and walked towards Chen Qiaoqian.

"Senior brother, you go first, we'll keep watch for you," the skinny guy chuckled.

"You're so sensible." The bald, burly man walked up to Chen Qiaoqian, squatted down, and reached out to pinch her chin.

Chen Qiaoqian turned her head away, her eyes filled with disgust and fear.

"Don't touch me!"

"Not touch? How can I make you happy if I don't touch you?" The bald, burly man leered as he reached out to pull at her clothes.

Right now.

Lin Feng suddenly sprang up from behind the rocks, activating the Qingfeng Banner to its fullest extent. His figure transformed into a wisp of green smoke and instantly rushed into the valley.

The ice sword talisman shot out from his palm, transforming into a small, blue, crystalline sword that shot straight toward the bald man's back.

"Who goes there—"

The bald, burly man reacted quickly, sensing the fluctuations of spiritual energy behind him. He turned around abruptly, holding his ghost-headed broadsword horizontally in front of him.

But the talisman was too fast.

The ice sword slammed into the ghost-headed broadsword, and a burst of blue light erupted. The bald, burly man's hand, which was gripping the sword, was instantly frozen. He screamed in agony as the broadsword was pierced through. The small sword, still possessing considerable force, struck his chest and pierced through him, leaving his chest covered in crystalline fluid. It was clear he was beyond saving.

"Senior brother!"

The skinny man and the short man were terrified. One summoned his flying sword, and the other brandished his long whip, attacking Lin Feng.

Lin Feng was prepared.

The Bewitching Bell rang softly in his sleeve, and waves of mesmerizing sound rippled outwards. The skinny man and the short man were momentarily stunned, and their attacks with flying swords and whips slowed down. Lin Feng, wielding the Wind-Breaking Spear, moved with lightning speed, heading straight for the skinny man's face.

The skinny man had no time to dodge, barely managing to recall his flying sword to block in front of him. The Wind-Breaking Spear struck the sword, sending sparks flying. The flying sword was knocked away, and the Wind-Breaking Spear pierced his skull, drawing out a cloud of blood.

The skinny man's eyes widened, and he fell straight down.

Two people died in the first two encounters.

The dwarf, startled awake, was terrified and turned to run away.

"Do you think you can escape?" Lin Feng sneered. At the same time, he touched his storage bag, and a delicate little tower flew into the air. The tower emitted a hazy yellow light that shone on the fleeing figure, and the dwarf's speed immediately slowed down, as if he had fallen into a muddy swamp.

Lin Feng immediately urged the Qingfeng Banner to give chase.

With the speed boost from the Dragon Step and the Breeze Flag, he caught up with the dwarf in just a few breaths.

The Wind-Breaking Spear thrust out, its tip surging with spiritual energy, piercing the dwarf's back.

The dwarf screamed, collapsed to the ground, twitched twice, and then lay still.

The battle ended in less than ten breaths.

Lin Feng retrieved the Zhenyue Pagoda and the Pofeng Spear, and began looting the spoils of war.

There were three storage bags, several magical artifacts, and some scattered spirit stones and pills. He didn't have time to examine them closely and simply stuffed them all into his own storage bag.

Chen Qiaoqian slumped down beside the boulder, staring in disbelief at everything.

She had prepared herself to die, even planning to detonate her dantian if she was insulted, taking someone down with her. But in the blink of an eye, all three Huadaowu disciples who had attacked her were dead, completely wiped out.

A young man dressed in a yellow-green robe stood before her. He had delicate features and a slender figure, and he held a silver spear in his hand, the tip of which was still dripping blood.

"You are..." Chen Qiaoqian's voice was hoarse.

"Yellow Maple Valley, Lin Feng." Lin Feng put away his Wind-Breaking Spear, squatted down, took out a bottle of healing pills from his storage bag, and handed it to her. "Outer sect disciple."

Chen Qiaoqian took the pill and paused for a moment.

Outer disciple?

Outer disciples possess such formidable combat power? Three disciples of the Blade Transformation Pavilion, two at the twelfth level of Qi Refining and one at the eleventh level of Qi Refining, were all wiped out by him in just a few breaths? What kind of monstrous talent is this?

"Thank you so much, Senior Brother Lin, for saving my life." Chen Qiaoqian realized what was happening and struggled to get up and bow.

Lin Feng pressed down on her shoulder: "Don't move, let's treat the wound first."

Chen Qiaoqian then noticed that her robe was torn in several places, revealing large areas of skin. Her face flushed, and she quickly covered herself with her hands.

Lin Feng turned his face away, saving her some face.

Chen Qiaoqian quickly swallowed a healing pill, then took out a spare robe from her storage bag and put it on before finally letting out a sigh of relief.

"Senior Brother Lin, I am deeply grateful." She raised her head and looked at Lin Feng earnestly. "If there is anything I need you to do in the future, I will do my utmost."

Lin Feng waved his hand and got straight to the point: "Junior Sister Chen, there are conditions to my saving you."

Chen Qiaoqian was taken aback.

condition?

She thought Lin Feng would say something polite like "it's only right for fellow disciples to help each other," but she didn't expect him to be so direct.

"Please speak, Senior Brother Lin," she said solemnly.

"After you reach Foundation Establishment, I need to use your connections with your Chen family to help me collect blueprints for refining magical artifacts." Lin Feng looked into her eyes. "Blueprints for top-tier magic weapons and even embryonic magic treasures are acceptable. Can you do that?"

Chen Qiaoqian was stunned again.

She had considered many possibilities. Spirit stones? Elixirs? Magical artifacts? Or even her offering herself in marriage? She had already thought of how to answer them.

But to my surprise, what they wanted were weapon crafting blueprints.

"Senior Brother Lin, are you a weapon refiner?" she asked instinctively.

Lin Feng nodded.

A hint of surprise flashed in Chen Qiaoqian's eyes.

Weapon refiners are a highly sought-after profession in the cultivation world, but high-level weapon refiners are rare. There are a few weapon refiners in the inner sect of Yellow Maple Valley, but their skill level is only so-so, and only a handful can refine top-tier magic weapons.

If Lin Feng can truly refine top-tier magic weapons, then his value will be immense.

"Senior Brother Lin, I agree to this condition." Chen Qiaoqian nodded solemnly. "I should repay your life-saving grace. As long as I successfully establish my foundation, I will smooth things over with the Chen family. When that time comes, Senior Brother Lin, just tell me what blueprints you need, and I will try my best to get them for you."

"Okay." Lin Feng nodded in satisfaction, then took out a bottle of pills and handed it to her. "Take this bottle of Rejuvenation Pills. Be careful on the road. It's not safe in the forbidden area, so don't get separated from your group again."

Chen Qiaoqian took the pill, her eyes slightly red.

Born into the Chen family, she had lived a life of luxury since childhood. Even after entering the Yellow Maple Valley, she was an inner disciple and never lacked resources. But she had never met anyone who saved her like this, asking for nothing in return—no spirit stones, no elixirs, no beauty—but only making a condition that wasn't difficult for her, and even giving her healing pills.

"Senior Brother Lin, aren't you coming with me?" Chen Qiaoqian asked. "It'll be safer if the two of us go together."

Lin Feng shook his head: "I'm used to traveling alone. Besides, I have other things to do, so it's inconvenient for me to bring people along."

Chen Qiaoqian was somewhat disappointed, but she didn't insist.

She stood up, moved her arm, and the bleeding from the wound had stopped thanks to the medicine, and her spiritual energy was slowly recovering.

"Senior Brother Lin, I've remembered." She looked into Lin Feng's eyes and said earnestly, "Once we leave the forbidden area, I will definitely keep my promise."

"Okay." Lin Feng nodded. "Let's go, don't delay any longer."

Chen Qiaoqian clasped her hands in a salute, then turned and walked towards the other end of the valley.

After taking a few steps, she suddenly turned around: "Senior Brother Lin, you should be careful too."

Lin Feng smiled and waved.

Chen Qiaoqian's figure disappeared into the woods.

Lin Feng stood there, watching her leave, his smile gradually fading.

"Doing good deeds anonymously, that's not my style," he murmured. "I hope the Chen family's connections will bring me some surprises."

He turned and took out his Wind-Breaking Spear, speaking calmly in another direction: "You've been watching for so long without showing yourself. Are you perhaps trying to be the one who stalks the cicada, unaware of its prey?"