Battle Through the Heavens: I Am Han Feng, Respect the Teacher and Value the Dao

Han Feng did not stand on ceremony. After accepting the ticket, he said with a smile, "Xian'er is my disciple. Please do not get it wrong next time, Miss Irene."

Irene covered her lips and smiled, a watery gleam flowing through her eyes. From any angle, she was a beauty—it was no wonder Lin Xian'er had stared at her in a daze yesterday.

Yet Han Feng seemed as blunt as a brick, never once expressing any amazement at Irene's beauty.

Even when Han Feng turned and returned to the inn, no ambiguous atmosphere arose between them.

This made Irene feel frustrated once again. She even wondered whether there was something wrong with how she had dressed that morning.

As a gold-medal auctioneer of the Mite'er Family, using their beauty to draw closer to high-quality clients was a common method among female auctioneers.

The family's training team even had dedicated courses teaching the women of the family how to move among numerous major clients without getting entangled.

Although Irene was still a virgin, her practiced, seductive charm would likely convince anyone that she was a woman of vast experience.

Though such an image lacked some purity, it often made clients lower their guard.

Han Feng returned to the inn and set breakfast on the table. Lin Xian'er had already woken up and was washing up.

Early that morning, Irene had brought him good news.

A way to obtain more than one Heavenly Origin Flower.

If that was the case, then having dealings with her would not be a loss.

At least until Han Feng officially mastered the Heavenly Origin Finger, this channel would remain useful.

Because of the Mittel Auction House's special regulations, Irene could not reveal detailed information about the relevant client, and Han Feng had no intention of breaking the rules.

In any case, he had other matters that took priority right now. The Heavenly Origin Flowers could wait.

"Master, are we leaving today?"

After washing up, Lin Xian'er came out to eat breakfast and spotted the flight ticket on the table.

"Yes, but takeoff is at ten. There's still time."

Han Feng rubbed the Irene badge in his hand, smiling as he watched Lin Xian'er eat.

During the time between morning and takeoff, Lin Xian'er did her morning lessons while Han Feng found time to refine some pills that would be useful in the desert.

The simplest was a moisturizing lotion refined from Ice Liquid Grass and Honey Fragrance Fat. It was a Rank 2 product, and it would surely sell like hotcakes in cities along the edge of the desert.

Han Feng brought Lin Xian'er to the Flying Magical Beast Field an hour early. A long line had formed there, but the special ticket in Han Feng's hand allowed them to use a special passage.

After bypassing the crowd and boarding the flying magical beast, Han Feng discovered that quite a few of the passengers were alchemists.

Thanks to imperial policy benefits, alchemists could travel for free and received special treatment.

They arrived at their seats, which were in a private compartment. The Mite'er Family's special treatment was no worse than that given to alchemists—if anything, it was even better.

Han Feng slapped his forehead. He had nearly forgotten that he was an alchemist too.

However, if he displayed his Rank 6 Alchemist badge, it would probably cause quite a stir. It was better to keep it hidden.

After all, this operation should not attract too much attention or let too many people know about it.

After waiting quietly for an hour, Han Feng had already begun the day's instruction for Lin Xian'er in the compartment.

An hour later, the flying magical beast took off on schedule, headed for Desert City.

It was Lin Xian'er's first time riding a flying magical beast. Startled, she threw herself into Han Feng's arms, her little head secretly peeking out the window, her eyes full of curiosity.

The Thick-winged Bird flapped its enormous wings. Air currents surged as it slowly rose.

"Master, we're flying! We're flying!"

Han Feng held his timid disciple close and gently patted her back to reassure her.

Once the flight stabilized, Han Feng held a medicinal herb textbook in one hand and lifted Lin Xian'er off himself with the other.

"Alright, let's continue."

Lin Xian'er had yet to recover from the fright, but upon seeing that it was time for class, she immediately sat down obediently and looked at Han Feng attentively.

Desert City ### During the three days of flight, Han Feng and Lin Xian'er cultivated regularly each day.

They soared above the clouds, watching the sunrise and the sunset.

Because of those beautiful sights, Lin Xian'er truly fell in love with the feeling of flying.

At that moment, she wore a light green gauze dress, her soft purple hair dancing in the wind. Facing the sea of clouds, she spread her arms wide.

After these days of study and cultivation, Lin Xian'er's bearing had become increasingly elegant.

Moreover, because she had once been a village girl, even after learning the relevant noble etiquette from Han Feng, her eyes still retained a natural innocence.

The two blended perfectly, forming Lin Xian'er's unique, otherworldly temperament.

It was something a woman like Mittel Irene, meticulously polished and cultivated by her family, could never possess.

Without ever joyfully embracing nature with all one's heart, one could never truly understand that pure delight.

"Desert City is up ahead."

Han Feng looked at the outline of a city appearing in the distance and walked to Lin Xian'er's side.

"And over there, that's the desert."

Lin Xian'er pointed ahead. Endless yellow sands stretched beneath a heat-hazed, distorted horizon.

Even from this distance, they could feel the scorching heat and dryness.

"Attention, passengers. The Flying Magical Beast will soon be landing. Please return to your seats as we enter deceleration mode."

The loudspeaker issued its announcement. During a Flying Magical Beast's descent, anyone lacking skill who remained on deck might be blown from the heights. It was extremely dangerous.

Han Feng and Lin Xian'er returned to their private cabin and sat down securely, waiting for the final descent.

The air howled past the window. Guided by the memories ingrained through long training, the Thick-winged Bird steadily altered its flight path and descended toward the docking platform.

With a heavy, muffled thud, the Thick-winged Bird landed firmly on its two claws. A gust of air spread outward as its enormous wings slowly folded in.

"Dear passengers, we have arrived in Mo City..."

The attendant began the announcement, and Han Feng and Lin Xian'er rose to leave.

As they stepped out of the private cabin, Mo City's brisk air blew against them. The desert in autumn was not as hot as they had imagined.

Most pedestrians on the streets wore veils and headscarves, likely to shield themselves from the windblown dust.

Han Feng took Lin Xian'er to a high-end inn, then ordered several dishes and had the staff send them upstairs.

It was their first day in this city on the desert frontier. Han Feng planned to rest and recover first, then begin seeking information about the Heavenly Flame tomorrow.

Although he had roughly confirmed that the Green Lotus Core Flame was somewhere near the Tagor Desert, this desert was far from small.

Fortunately, if a Heavenly Flame existed in a wild, ownerless state, it would not conceal its aura before developing intelligence. Even with the environment masking it, Han Feng could slowly locate it through the Sea Heart Flame's special sensory ability.

The Green Lotus Core Flame lived up to its name—it was born deep within the earth's core.

From this, one could infer that beneath the endless desert plains, the Heavenly Flame was also buried deep underground.

That undoubtedly made the search more difficult, but fortunately, Han Feng had time.

Finding and refining the Green Lotus Core Flame within a year was the goal Han Feng had set for himself.

"I heard Mo City is holding a Bonfire Party tonight. Want to go take a look?"

Han Feng looked over the latest Mo City Daily and found an interesting event.

"A Bonfire Party? What's that?"

Lin Xian'er asked in confusion.

"A group of people gathers around a bonfire to sing and dance, sharing food and joy."

Han Feng explained with a smile, a beautiful memory surfacing in his mind.

Beneath the boundless wilderness, beside a bonfire built of black stones, a young girl filled with exotic charm wore bells at her waist and red cords around her ankles. Her slender waist swayed in the firelight, rising and falling in a mesmerizing rhythm. Wanting to look away to hide his youthful embarrassment, he had inadvertently looked up and seen a sky filled with stars.

That was a night Han Feng had experienced in his youth, while passing through a desert settlement.

At the time, Han Feng had been determined to become an ascetic cultivator. He had rejected the girl's bold confession, his heart set firmly on becoming someone extraordinary.

Yet many years later, Han Feng had achieved fame and success and met countless saintesses and fairy-like beauties of breathtaking appearance, but he could never recapture that feeling of being so moved that he had to avert his gaze.

Perhaps, when people pursued their dreams, the things they decisively chose to abandon, believing them insignificant, would become lifelong regrets when they looked back.

Han Feng sighed inwardly. How could cultivation be without regrets?

It was the first time Lin Xian'er had seen her master wear such a wistful expression, with a faint smile of nostalgia for bygone years on his lips. She could not help asking, "Master, do you want to go?"

"Huh?"

Han Feng came back to himself and looked at his adorable disciple.

"Why do you ask?"

Lin Xian'er said innocently, "Because I think Master looked very happy when you smiled just now."

Han Feng stroked Lin Xian'er's head.

"Then let's go take a look. You should like it too."

At night, the sky over Mo City possessed a clear, muted darkness. The stars were densely scattered, creating the illusion that the world itself was spinning.

That was the Boundless Void. After becoming a Dou Saint, Han Feng had once explored it. Every star represented a world.

Some worlds were deathly silent, vast and desolate; some were filled with erupting magma; some were blanketed in frost; while others enjoyed warm springs and blooming flowers, brimming with life and countless heavenly treasures.

It seemed to have no end. Han Feng gazed at the starry sky, identifying the few stars he recognized.

He was far too distant from there now. At the speed of a Dou Emperor alone, he probably would not reach it even after flying for decades.

And even if he could fly there, he would be unable to withstand the countless dangers within the void.

Han Feng and Lin Xian'er arrived at the Bonfire Party grounds. The place was exceptionally spacious, with groups of people seated in a circle. At the center stood an enormous stone platform.

A bare-chested man walked to the side of the platform, let out a loud shout, and fiercely rubbed his palms together. Flames instantly ignited, bursting through the darkness in an astonishing blaze.

"Hey!"

"Hey!"

More and more people gathered around the fire, dancing a ritual-like dance.

Cities near the desert mostly had such customs, both to show their reverence for fire and to celebrate.

Of course, there was another reason that had to be mentioned: the Snake People feared fire.

The Snake People were cold by nature and possessed an instinctive fear of flames.

In the early days, humanity had been able to repel the Snake People precisely by relying on the might of fire.

Walls of fire built at night could effectively frighten off those Snake People Tribe members who wished to invade.

Han Feng watched the local performances, while Lin Xian'er clapped excitedly at his side, cheering for the people onstage.

The relaxed atmosphere belonged to Desert City tonight.

His first impression of the city was fairly good.

The place was somewhat remote, and the living conditions somewhat poor, but the people carried hope in their hearts. That was enough.

After spending a night at an inn, Han Feng began visiting the various places in Desert City the next day.

First, he found the Mittel Auction House in Desert City and, through Eileen's connections, entrusted them with finding a suitable residence.

It had to be spacious, bright, and in a quiet location.

They might be staying for a year. Lin Xian'er and he needed to cultivate and refine pills, so they could not keep living at an inn.

When the person in charge of the Desert City Mittel Auction House heard that Han Feng was connected to Eileen, his attitude immediately became respectful.

Within the Mite'er Family, different managers held different statuses. A major city like Black Rock City was clearly valued by the main family far more than remote Desert City.

"Mr. Han, rest assured. We will certainly meet your requirements."

The middle-aged supervisor in black robes said to Han Feng.

"Thank you. Also, help me gather all these medicinal ingredients. I'll cover all expenses."

Han Feng took out a list of medicinal ingredients. It contained all kinds of high- and low-grade herbs, some of which were even used to refine Rank 6 Pills.