Dou Ling, Two Stars

"Thud, thud, thud..."

Following a tremendous ripple, the Five Medicine Cauldrons shook violently. It continued for quite a while before gradually calming down.

"Phew..."

Lin Feng slowly exhaled a breath of stale air and beckoned toward the Medicine Cauldrons. A Third-grade pill covered in pill patterns immediately floated out from within one of them.

He carefully examined it in his hand and thought, Not bad. This Great Dou Master Pill is actually of higher quality than the two I took myself.

Then he sighed. "Unfortunately, Third-tier magic cores are truly rare in a small place like Green Mountain Town. Even though the Magical Beast Mountain Range is filled with magical beasts of even higher ranks, the strongest people here are only Dou Masters, and I can't sacrifice my cultivation time for others."

Thus, this Great Dou Master Pill was the only one Lin Feng had left at Maple Leaf Tower. Of course, even with just one, it was unknown who would be able to exchange for it.

After all, Yao Le, Snake Nest, and the others were at most Dou Master Four Stars. They had only advanced through exchanging for Master Pills, so there was no need to leave behind more high-grade pills.

After putting away the Five Medicine Cauldrons, Lin Feng turned slightly, just about to say something to everyone.

"Hmm..."

Suddenly, a strange sensation arose in Lin Feng's heart. Immediately afterward, the Dou Qi throughout his body began to fluctuate violently.

"Could it be!?"

A trace of astonishment flashed through Lin Feng's eyes before transforming into immense delight. Before the others could say anything, he vanished from where he stood in a flash.

Inside the dark secret chamber, Lin Feng sat cross-legged atop a meditation cushion, his hands forming seals above his Dantian.

He crazily circulated the Five Elements Art, absorbing the natural energy around him.

Once the mixed energy from the outside world entered Lin Feng's body, it followed the circulation path of the Five Elements Art. It was refined over and over before ultimately entering the Dou Crystal within his Dantian, accumulating strength for the final breakthrough.

As time passed, the natural energy within the secret chamber had been completely absorbed, and it even began to affect the outside world.

"Boom..."

Suddenly, an enormous Energy vortex formed above the secret chamber outside.

A powerful pressure spread out from it, forcing the people nearby to stagger several steps backward.

"Th-this seems to be Lord Lin Feng's Secluded Cultivation Place." An experienced mercenary in the crowd seemed to recall something. His pupils shrank as he shouted loudly.

"Fall back! Everyone from Maple Leaf Tower, surround this place! No one is allowed to approach. Also, quickly notify the department heads and Lord Qing Lin."

A young mercenary beside him seemed frightened. "Y-yes," he replied blankly before quickly rushing toward the department heads' Office premises.

As the Energy vortex gradually expanded, everyone in Green Mountain Town sensed the immense energy and slowly gathered in this direction.

However, upon seeing the members of Maple Leaf Tower surround the area, they stopped obediently despite their burning curiosity, not daring to move any closer.

"Sister Xiao Yi Xian, Brother Lin Feng will definitely be all right, won't he?" Qing Lin tightly clutched Xiao Yi Xian's hand, her gaze fixed on the Energy vortex, her expression tense. Yet an unusual gleam occasionally flashed in her eyes, as though something were about to take shape.

"He'll be fine, he'll be fine. Brother Lin Feng will definitely be fine..." Xiao Yi Xian held Qing Lin's hand, her expression dazed as she answered over and over.

Inside the secret chamber, Lin Feng brushed his Storage Ring with one hand, and a Great Dou Master Pill appeared in his palm.

He swiftly stuffed it into his mouth. Then, with a change in his hand seals, all the Dou Qi energy in his body gathered toward the Dou Crystal, as though the final breakthrough was about to begin.

Following Lin Feng's decision, the energy vortex outside also began to rapidly contract and flow into the secret chamber.

When the final strand of energy entered Lin Feng's body, the swollen Dou Crystal suddenly erupted with a powerful suction force, absorbing both the Dou Qi energy and the medicinal power of the Great Dou Master Pill.

All at once, the Dou Crystal began to emit intense rays of light, growing increasingly dazzling as time passed.

When the final strand of energy entered the Dou Crystal, it abruptly went still for an instant. Then, it erupted with a massive ripple.

"Buzz..."

A powerful aura spread swiftly outward from Lin Feng as its center, breaking through to the outside world in the blink of an eye.

"Get down..." Seeing this, Yao Le and the others' pupils shrank, veins bulging on their foreheads as they shouted at the people around them.

Yet just as the ripple was about to reach them, it rapidly contracted again and ultimately dissipated without a trace.

"Phew..." After slowly exhaling a breath of stale air, Lin Feng softly said,

"So this is Dou Ling!"

He clenched his fist, feeling the power within it. The corner of Lin Feng's lips curled up before his smile rapidly spread into laughter that echoed throughout the secret chamber.

He sent his consciousness into his body, traveling along his vast meridians before finally stopping at his Dantian.

The once-round Dou Crystal was now covered in spikes, resembling a sea urchin bristling with long thorns...

"One, two... seven, eight, eight." Lin Feng counted carefully and found that the sea urchin was covered with eight spikes.

"Eight!?" Lin Feng paused, his voice filled with disbelief. "I-I succeeded... Hahahaha!"

It turned out that at the moment he was about to break through to Dou Ling, Lin Feng had felt the strength of his own foundation and suddenly had an idea.

If he added another powerful boost, could he, like Xiao Yan in the Original Work when he broke through to Dou Ling, advance two stars in one go!?

Thus, Lin Feng boldly gave it a try. At the critical moment, he took out the top-quality Third-grade pill he had refined—the Great Dou Master Pill—and swallowed it in one gulp.

In the end, as he looked at the slowly rotating sea urchin-like crystal within his body, Lin Feng's laughter, which had only just subsided, echoed through the secret chamber once more.

"Dou Ling... Two Stars!"

As Lin Feng slowly pushed open the door to the secret chamber, a burst of dazzling sunlight stabbed into his eyes, making him squint slightly.

"Brother Lin Feng, are... are you all right!?" Suddenly, a green figure crashed into Lin Feng's arms.

Fortunately, with his powerful physique, he did not take even half a step back.

After catching Qing Lin, he reached out and rubbed her little head. "I made you worry."

Qing Lin buried her head in Lin Feng's chest and hugged him tightly without saying a word.

Seeing this, Lin Feng looked at her tenderly and did not loosen his arms around her. He then saw the equally anxious Xiao Yi Xian standing nearby, watching him. Perhaps out of shyness, she had not dared to show too much intimacy.

He reached out and drew her into his embrace. "Brother Lin Feng..." Xiao Yi Xian moved slightly. Once she felt Lin Feng holding her tightly, she stopped moving and wrapped her arms around him as well.

Seeing the three tightly embracing one another, the old fox Yao Le's expression shifted, and he gestured to the mercenaries around him.

Understanding his meaning, everyone silently retreated outside.

Seeing this, Lin Feng gave Yao Le an approving glance. After signaling to him with his eyes, he paid him no further attention and peacefully enjoyed this quiet moment.