Commission

"Of course. I wouldn't do something I wasn't confident about."

Lin Feng set down his teacup and nodded.

"And I'm quite satisfied with this reward. I have no intention of giving it up."

Lin Feng smiled and explained his reasons.

"I merely promised to make you my Sage. Even if I paid you in advance with some of my power, those rewards are still far from enough to make you face a forbidden manifestation comparable to a god."

Nahida looked at the young man across from her, unable to understand his motivation.

"Who knows? Maybe I really do care about that."

Lin Feng smiled and reached out to pat the Lesser Lord Kusanali's head. Having grown somewhat accustomed to it over the past three months, Nahida did not dodge away.

Besides his personal fondness for the Lesser Lord Kusanali, Lin Feng believed that the reward for this commission was entirely worth confronting the source of the Withering head-on—the Withering Manifestation slumbering in Vanarana's past.

First was an advance payment of Nahida's power. The portion this time was substantial. Without affecting the operation of the Akasha, Nahida had given him as much of her power over dreams and vegetation as she could. To Lin Feng, that meant enough massive experience to shoot him straight to level 70, as well as dream ability adaptability, something crucial to accomplishing his ultimate goal.

Second was the Vijnana Fruit provided by the Aranara before confronting the Withering Manifestation. It was a fruit formed from manifested memories and possessed miraculous power. It could also grant Lin Feng Dendro Elemental Affinity and dream ability adaptability.

Lastly came Nahida's First Sage. The title was currently useless, but after Nahida escaped her confinement, aside from the conveniences brought by the position itself, it could also become leverage to call Nahida's—or even all of Sumeru's—strength over for support when necessary.

Besides, First Sage sounded pretty great. Maybe I could call Nahida over anytime and pat her head.

"I never expected there to be someone I simply couldn't understand at all."

With a helpless sigh, Nahida removed Lin Feng's hand from her head, still unable to understand his motives.

After all, the Withering Manifestation was an aggregate of the concept of "death" in this world, born from Forbidden Knowledge. Its strength was already close to that of some weaker Adepti. In Nahida's eyes, fighting a god for only a small portion of power and a title that served no purpose for the moment simply was not worth it.

"Then, as agreed, I'll give you a portion of my power. Although you seem capable of absorbing energy from outside sources, this amount is rather large. If you feel any adverse effects, be sure to tell me immediately."

Nahida looked at Lin Feng. Once she confirmed that he was ready, the young god gently took his left hand and pressed it against her forehead.

Countless motes of light began to gather around Nahida, forming an emerald river surging with power. The verdant leaf ornament hanging beside her white hair also began to glow. For the first time since becoming a god, Nahida Gathered her own power.

Lin Feng felt great—better than great. His body was like a dried-up riverbed, desperately thirsting for a god's power. The instant Nahida's energy, filled with the breath of life and dreamlike wonder, entered his body, it was devoured by countless ravenous cells. It was not just the system; his body itself craved this power beyond measure.

Lin Feng's slumbering body radiated an increasingly powerful aura. Some of the leaking power even caused the bedboards and walls, used as building materials, to sprout roots and buds.

Lin Feng mobilized the system within him with all his strength, digesting and absorbing this incomparably precious power from a god.

After a long while, Nahida saw that Lin Feng showed not the slightest sign of discomfort and stopped the transfer. Seeing that he had made near-perfect use of her power, even Nahida found this unbelievable trait Hard to Understand.

But having expended too much power, she could no longer continue her research. After failing to push away Lin Feng, who was supporting her, Nahida decisively dispelled the dream.

Individual Information: @￥%&--Lin Feng

Level: 45→71 (requirements not met) (Blessed by a god, you can manipulate Elemental Power almost perfectly. You have nearly reached the pinnacle of the human species.)

Element: Dendro

Traits: #%*&, Elemental Control: Dendro (requirements not met, not fully unlocked), Dream's Blessing 7 (requirements not met), Elemental Resistance 7 (requirements not met), Elemental Affinity 7 (requirements not met), Robust Physique 5 (upgradeable), Agility 5 (upgradeable)

After waking, Lin Feng looked at his panel and felt the unprecedented power within him. He finally truly understood what "the pinnacle of humanity" meant.

Even if he faced the Ruin Drake that had nearly killed him again, Lin Feng was now confident that he could defeat it using his own strength.

Other than the Adepti at level 100, those above level 90 were almost all divine familiars or pure elemental lifeforms like Liyue's Adepti. Lin Feng had only broken through to level 71 after fully absorbing a portion of a god's power. This was already close to the pinnacle of life in this world. Above level 70, aside from a very few exceptions, everyone was connected in one way or another to gods or Abyssal Power.

Looking at the partially unlocked Elemental Control: Dendro and Dream Blessing, which had risen directly to level 7, Lin Feng felt stronger than ever—at the very least, he could take on ten Tighnaris.

Putting aside his thoroughly disrespectful thoughts about a certain big-eared fox, Lin Feng quickly got out of bed and prepared to spend his final day wandering around Gandharva Ville, a place that had left him with so many wonderful memories.

After taking Xiao Bai out for a hearty breakfast, Lin Feng began strolling along the paths of Gandharva Ville. As he looked around at the streetlamps made from glowing plants and the somewhat weathered wooden walkways connecting the suspended houses, he seriously observed this place he had already grown familiar with for the first time.

Before he realized it, Lin Feng had reached the edge of the rainforest where he often patrolled. Feeling the Dendro Element dispersed through the air, Lin Feng felt as though he had gained countless eyes. Across a considerable range, nothing in the rainforest could remain hidden from him.

Knowing that this was the effect of Elemental Mastery: Dendro, Lin Feng decided to do one final thing for the colleagues he had worked alongside—completely eliminate the threats in the surrounding rainforest.

Lin Feng slowly closed his eyes and focused on the information relayed to him by the elements;

—Three thousand meters to the northeast, an adult Dendro Slime was underground;

—Five thousand meters to the southeast, three Hilichurls were hiding inside a tree hollow;

—Five thousand meters directly west, a human had collapsed unconscious;

Lin Feng took in this information while testing the limits of this ability. His final conclusion was that, depending on the concentration of nearby Dendro Element, the incomplete Elemental Mastery: Dendro could gather information within a radius of roughly three to fifteen kilometers. The farther away something was, the blurrier the information became.

After testing the range, Lin Feng followed his instincts. With a thought, countless Wooden Spikes burst from trees and the ground, remotely killing the monsters he had detected.

The Vines around the unconscious traveler stretched into the form of signposts, automatically giving the nearest Forest Ranger directions toward them.

In just a few minutes, Lin Feng effortlessly handled work that would have required several Forest Rangers working together. Astonished by this incomplete Elemental Control, Lin Feng gained an even deeper understanding of—and reverence for—the power of gods.