A hundredfold return! My unfilial disciples are all reincarnations of the Empress.

Yan Changfeng was clearly surprised by the question, and paused for a moment before saying, "The words 'Xuan Shuang' are engraved below the hilt. This is a famous sword passed down from the ancient times of my sect."

"There is more than one sword in the world named Xuan Shuang."

Yan Changfeng's expression darkened, and the young disciple behind him had already gripped the hilt of his sword.

"So, Peak Master Lin doesn't intend to return it?"

"What I mean is," Lin Feng said calmly, "you can have the sword, but you have to trade it for something."

Yan Changfeng remained silent for a few moments, seemingly weighing his options.

What do you want?

"I've heard there's an ancient spiritual spring behind the Crimson Cloud Sect. I want five jars of that spring water, plus three thousand-year-old spiritual herbs."

Upon hearing this, the young disciple behind Yan Changfeng's expression immediately changed: "You're asking for an exorbitant amount!"

Yan Changfeng raised his hand to stop him: "These conditions are indeed somewhat inappropriate."

"If Elder Yan thinks it's inappropriate, then I'll keep this sword for now." Lin Feng placed the Xuan Shuang Sword on the table.

Yan Changfeng took a deep breath: "Four jars of spiritual spring water and one thousand-year-old spiritual herb—that's the bottom line."

Lin Feng sighed: "Deal."

Your clan is really quite poor.

The next day, as expected, the Crimson Cloud Sect sent people to deliver four jars of spiritual spring water and a thousand-year-old spiritual herb.

Lin Feng gave the spiritual spring water to Chu Lingyan.

She bathed in the spiritual spring and practiced her internal energy for three days, awakening the Yi Wood Longevity Body.

On the day we left the country, several plants in the yard that had been mostly withered sprouted new buds.

"Ding. Chu Lingyan's Yi Wood Longevity Body has been successfully activated. The host has triggered a critical hit reward."

"This critical hit multiplier is... 22x."

Rewards: 800 high-grade spirit stones, 1 random top-grade defensive magic weapon, and +5% cultivation efficiency.

"Random item drawing in progress..."

"Congratulations, host, on obtaining the Mystic Jade Armor."

Lin Feng sat on the veranda, looking through the information about the Xuan Guang Ning Yu Armor.

[Mysterious Jade Armor (Lower Heavenly Grade): Can withstand a full-force attack from a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.]

The next morning, an outer disciple came to report.

"Peak Master Lin, a wandering cultivator has arrived in Qingxi Town. He says he wants to become your disciple and has been waiting at the foot of the mountain for quite some time."

Lin Feng was drinking tea when he heard this, so he put down his cup and asked, "What is your cultivation level?"

"He's at the eighth level of Qi Refining, and looks to be in his thirties. He said his name was... Ma San."

Lin Feng thought for a moment, but he had never heard of this person.

"Bring it up for us to see."

The outer disciple accepted the order and left.

Half an hour later, a lean middle-aged man was led into Xiaozhu Peak.

Ma San wore a faded gray cloth shirt, with a sharp short knife at his waist, and his face was weathered.

He knelt down with a thud.

"Peak Master Lin! I am a rogue cultivator from the North, and I have been searching for a proper sect. I heard that you do not consider background when accepting disciples here, so I came!"

Lin Feng leaned back in his chair and sized him up.

This man exuded a worldly air about him, but his gaze was upright, without the glint often seen in those wicked and unorthodox individuals.

"Eighth level of Qi Refining, that's quite good among independent cultivators. Where did you cultivate before?"

"I just figured it out at home. There's no special technique involved; it's just something I learned by fighting wild animals."

Lin Feng became interested: "Fighting wild beasts?"

"I used to be a hunter." Ma San scratched the back of his head. "Then I encountered a monster and almost lost my life. After that, I started thinking about cultivation."

I used spirit stones to exchange for a few basic cultivation techniques, and that's how I slowly improved.

Lin Feng didn't speak, but simply used his divine sense to scan the area.

The spiritual energy in this person's dantian is extremely mixed, clearly indicating that he has not undergone proper cultivation.

It seems he wasn't lying.

"Get up. I don't accept outsiders here. Go down the mountain to Qingxi Town and find the Qinglan Family. Just tell them that Xiaozhu Peak sent you."

Ma San looked bewildered: "The Qinglan Family? What would I be doing there?"

"When you get there, someone will take care of things for you," Lin Feng waved his hand.

Although Ma San didn't quite understand, he still stood up, thanked her, and turned to go down the mountain.

Lin Feng turned and went to Chu Lingyan's courtyard.

The plants in the yard are growing even more lushly.

"Master!" Seeing him arrive, Chu Lingyan stood up. "I feel that the wood elemental energy in my body is several times more active than before."

"After the Wood-type Longevity Body is activated, your sensitivity to wood-type spiritual energy will become stronger and stronger. In the future, you will be able to stimulate the growth of not only plants, but also spiritual herbs."

"real?"

"Of course it's true."

The two chatted for a few more minutes.

Lin Feng turned and left the courtyard, only to run into Chi Yao carrying a sword as she emerged from the bamboo forest.

Chi Yao was covered in sweat, her hair sticking to her forehead, but she was in excellent spirits.

"Master, I have just mastered that fire-based cultivation technique from the other day!"

"Try it once and see."

Without saying a word, Chi Yao drew his sword and began to practice.

The sword wind, wrapped in crimson flames, cleaved through the bamboo forest, creating a scorching wave of air.

The sword energy was extremely condensed, and each strike carried a sharp sound of air being cut.

After reading it, Lin Feng nodded: "The power of those two finishing sword strikes was withdrawn too quickly; leave some more force in."

"This disciple has remembered."

That night, Lin Feng sat alone in his cave and took out the Xuan Shuang Sword to study it again.

He spent over an hour during the day flipping through books to find a similar pattern on the dark purple lines on the sword, finally finding it in an ancient book.

Those are sealing runes carved on weapons by ancient cultivators. Their purpose is to suppress some of the weapon's power and prevent the user from being devoured by the sword spirit.

In other words, the sword's true power may be much greater than he perceived.

He carefully put away the Xuan Shuang Sword and then began to cultivate with his eyes closed.

The next day, Liu Yushu came out of the cave and found Lin Feng.

"Master, I have an idea."

"explain."

"I want to visit the old residence of the Su family."

Lin Feng paused in wiping his sword: "Why do you suddenly want to go back?"

Liu Yushu lowered her head: "I've been thinking about this a lot these past few days. I was too young when the Su family was wiped out, and I don't remember many of the details. If I could go back and take a look, perhaps I could find some clues."

Lin Feng remained silent for a while.

Liu Yushu looked up at him, "Master will accompany me, right?"

Lin Feng nodded: "Of course."

Three days later, the master and apprentice packed their belongings and set off.

The Su family lived in the central part of the Chu Kingdom, thousands of miles away from Qingyun Palace.

The two flew on their swords, rested for two nights, and finally arrived at their destination at noon on the third day.

The Su family's former residence was more desolate than Lin Feng had imagined; they walked through the entire house.

Finally, we arrived at the Su Family Ancestral Hall.

There is a darker patch of floorboards under the offering table in the ancestral hall, as if it has been repeatedly trampled on.

Liu Yushu squatted down and knocked on it curiously, receiving a hollow echo from below.

Lin Feng also went over to take a look.

He used his sword to pry open the edge of the floor, revealing a stone slab that could only be passed through by one person.

It was pitch black inside, and you couldn't see the bottom.

Lin Feng took out a luminous pearl from his storage bag, and then the two of them walked down together.

Below was a small cellar with four walls made of bluestone and several wooden boxes piled in the corner.

Liu Yushu walked over and opened them one by one.

She picked up a bamboo slip from one of the boxes and unfolded it, her breathing noticeably becoming heavier.

"It's the Su family's genealogy and account books."

Liu Yushu's voice was a little tense, "There are still a few letters."

She rolled up the bamboo slips and put them into her storage bag.

Standing outside the Su family's gate, she took one last look back at the abandoned mansion.

"Let's go, Master."

The two ascended into the air on their swords, flying towards Qingyun Palace.

a few days later.

"Master, I've been observing for several days and have discovered something."

Lin Feng leaned closer to look. The writing on the bamboo slips had faded somewhat, but it was still legible.

"This disciple has discovered that among the ancestors of the Su family, there was someone connected to the Taiyin Body."

"The body of Taiyin?"

"Yes. The family genealogy says, 'The younger brother of the sixth generation head of the Su family, who, possessing the Taiyin Body, embarked on the path of cultivation, and then disappeared without a trace.'"

She flipped through the bamboo slips, pointing to a line of text: "It also says here, 'This is a manuscript left by that ancestor. I think I saw it when I was a child.'"

Where is it?

"It's in the Su family's library. I discovered it by accident, but I was too young to understand it at the time."

Liu Yushu looked up at Lin Feng: "Master, I would like to visit the Su family again."

"Looking for that manuscript?"

"Yes. If that manuscript contains the cultivation method for the Taiyin Body, it will be of great help to my cultivation."

Lin Feng nodded: "When do you plan to go?"

"tomorrow."

Three days later, Liu Yushu returned carrying a jade box.

In the dead of night, a strong fluctuation of spiritual energy emanated from her cave.

Lin Feng stood outside her cave for a while, and the spiritual energy inside surged for a while before gradually calming down.

The next day, she ran over carrying a pot of spiritual herbs, the leaves of which were even bigger than the day before.

"Master, look! The spiritual herb I've been nurturing is growing three times faster!"

Lin Feng looked down at the potted plant; its leaves were thick and glossy, and it was indeed growing remarkably well.

"The advantages of the Yi Wood Longevity Body. From now on, the spiritual herbs on the peak will be under your care."

Chu Lingyan nodded repeatedly: "No problem!"

A few days later, an outer disciple delivered a letter. Lin Feng opened it and recognized the handwriting—it was Su Wanqing's.

The letter said that she had discovered the entrance to a ruin on the back mountain of Shuiyue Peak, and that there seemed to be a hidden opportunity inside. She wanted to invite Lin Feng to go and take a look.

After reading the letter, Lin Feng went to Shuiyue Peak.

Su Wanqing was waiting for him on the peak. When she saw him arrive, she led him directly to the back of the mountain.

Su Wanqing parted a vine, revealing the rock wall behind it. "The entrance is here. I tried to get in alone, but it's impossible. The restriction at the entrance requires two people to break it at the same time."

Lin Feng walked closer and took a look. Sure enough, there was a faint rune on the rock wall. The structure was complex and resembled some kind of double lock.

"Then I'll give it a try."

The two men each placed a palm on either side of the rune, simultaneously channeling their spiritual power into it.

The rune lit up, and the rock wall caved inward, revealing a narrow passage.

The passage wasn't long; it ended after about twenty steps.

At the end was a small stone chamber with a row of shelves embedded in the stone wall, each shelf holding a jade bottle.

"A pill?" Su Wanqing walked over, picked up a jade bottle, uncorked it, and smelled it. She raised an eyebrow slightly. "It's a Soul Nourishing Pill, and it's of a high grade."

The two counted the jade bottles; there were twelve bottles in total, with five pills in each bottle. Su Wanqing naturally divided one half and handed it to Lin Feng.

"Peak Master Lin has been a great help this time; half of it is yours."

Lin Feng didn't refuse, and accepted it carefully: "Peak Master Su, you're too kind."

The two returned the way they came and sealed the passage again.

Back at Xiaozhu Peak, Lin Feng distributed Soul Nourishing Pills to his disciples: "These are good for stabilizing your divine sense. Use them when you break through your bottlenecks."

Chi Yao jumped up and down with delight: "This disciple is about to undergo tribulation in a couple of days, so this is the perfect time to use it."

Chu Lingyan put the pill away, saying, "When I'm helping the spiritual herbs on the peak grow, I always feel that my spiritual energy is being depleted. This pill is just what I need."

That evening, Chi Yao took the Soul Nourishing Pill, and the next morning she said that her spiritual sense had become much more solid, and even the flow of spiritual energy when she circulated her cultivation technique was smoother.

Two days later, the time for Chi Yao to break through arrived.

That afternoon, a dark cloud of calamity suddenly gathered above Xiaozhu Peak, with arcs of electricity flashing as the clouds rolled.

Chi Yao stood in the clearing in the middle of the bamboo forest, holding a long sword, looking up at the sky.

When the first bolt of lightning struck, Chi Yao swept her longsword horizontally, forcefully splitting half of the lightning arc. The remaining half struck her protective spiritual energy, causing her to take two steps back.

The second and third courses were each heavier than the last.

When she reached the sixth level, Chi Yao knelt on one knee, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of her mouth, but she quickly stood up again.

A quarter of an hour later, the clouds of calamity dispersed.

Chi Yao knelt on one knee, her spiritual energy surging, and her Foundation Establishment aura spreading outwards.

She looked up, wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, and grinned: "Breakthrough successful."

Liu Yushu ran over to help her up, and Chu Lingyan handed her a healing pill.

After Chi Yao broke through to the Foundation Establishment stage, the atmosphere on Xiaozhu Peak was noticeably different.

She would start practicing her sword in the bamboo forest before dawn every day, which made the others on the peak restless.

Liu Yushu went into seclusion to comprehend the Water Element inheritance, while Chu Lingyan and Wang Xiao sparred to refine their body techniques.

A few days later, a message reached Xiaozhu Peak—the Great Chu Immortal Alliance sent a message saying that a grand exchange event would be held in the capital of Chu Kingdom in three months, and all peaks should prepare.

When the invitation was handed to Lin Feng, Master Xuanqing had already summoned the peak masters of all the peaks in the main hall.

"This grand exchange event has attracted many experts from various sects, and even representatives of independent cultivators from the Western Regions. It's not as simple as a disciples' competition." Master Xuanqing surveyed the room. "Each peak will send a few people to accompany me."

That evening, Lin Feng told his three apprentices the news.

"This grand exchange event will last for seven days in the capital. Representatives from various sects will exchange skills and techniques, and some will also conduct private transactions and exchange cultivation methods."

Chi Yao was the first to speak: "This disciple wishes to go."

Liu Yushu hesitated for a moment: "This disciple is currently in a critical period of comprehending the Water Element inheritance..."

"No rush," Lin Feng said. "There's still time on the way to the capital. You can study the silk scroll along the way; it'll be the same."

Chu Lingyan was a little nervous: "I'm only at the early Foundation Establishment stage... will I hold everyone back?"

"What are you afraid of?" Chi Yao patted her shoulder. "Your senior sister and I are here."

On the morning of his departure, Lin Feng changed into the Purple Gold Zhen Gang Robe and wore the Frost Sword at his waist.

The three disciples were also dressed neatly. Liu Yushu was dressed in white, and Chu Lingyan was wearing a light green dress. They were quite eye-catching walking on the mountain road of Qingyun Palace.

Wang Xiao stood at the mountain gate waving goodbye, shouting "Boss, come back soon!" as if he were a family member seeing off an expeditionary force.