Preparing to Leave

The gathering grounds of fifth- and sixth-level magical beasts in the Magical Beast Mountain Range!

Lin Feng was concentrating on carving a statue of his younger sister, Lin Ruo.

"Boss, when are you going to the core region of the Magical Beast Mountain Range?" Beibei complained over Soul Transmission. "The strongest things we've run into around here are only sixth-level magical beasts. There's no challenge in that. I want to challenge a seventh-level magical beast, boss! I want to challenge one!"

Lin Feng glanced at the Shadow Mouse. "All right, don't get too cocky. You say sixth-level magical beasts aren't a challenge, but what could you do against that Azure Wind Eagle leader last time?"

"It wasn't my fault." Beibei rubbed his nose with a tiny paw and snorted. "You saw it, boss. That Azure Wind Eagle leader just stayed in the air and wouldn't come down. It kept firing Wind Blades like it didn't need any magic power. Was I supposed to just let it attack me?"

Lin Feng smiled.

After several battles, Lin Feng had gained a good understanding of the strength of the Shadow Mouse Beibei. In terms of speed alone, Beibei had reached a terrifying level. But his small size limited his attacks to his claws and teeth. He was more than capable of dealing with sixth-level magical beasts, but seventh-level ones would likely be a challenge.

Doehring Cowart suddenly floated over beside him. As he watched Lin Feng, he too felt gratified.

"Lin Feng," Doehring Cowart suddenly said.

Lin Feng turned to him with a smile and spoke to him through Soul Transmission. "Grandpa Doehring, what is it?"

Doehring Cowart smiled. "Based on your recent works, I can tell you officially that your stone-carving skills have reached the threshold of mastery."

Lin Feng's eyes lit up. After six years of practicing Flat Blade carving, he had finally earned Grandpa Doehring's approval. Over those six years, he had spent at least half his time on Flat Blade carving. At last, his efforts had paid off.

"Now you know I wasn't lying to you back then. Flat Blade carving is absolutely a shortcut to training a mage's spiritual power," Doehring Cowart said proudly.

Doehring Cowart had every reason to be proud of creating the Flat Blade School of stone carving. It had not only established a whole new school of stone carving; its greatest benefit was that it enhanced a mage's spiritual power. If word of that got out, the major powers would probably do whatever it took to recruit Lin Feng.

At Doehring Cowart's words, the corners of Lin Feng's mouth lifted. With the Flat Blade School, his progress in magic simply couldn't be measured by ordinary standards.

Ever since Lin Feng had mastered Flat Blade carving two years ago, his spiritual power had grown rapidly whenever he carved—more than ten times faster than through a mage's regular meditation.

"Grandpa Doehring, thank you. Without you, I couldn't have reached the peak of the eighth level as a mage so quickly." Lin Feng spoke with genuine sincerity. If Doehring Cowart hadn't guided him in his training and taught him Flat Blade carving, his magical abilities would be only a little better than Dilia's. At most, he'd have reached the peak of the sixth level.

Doehring Cowart laughed and scolded him. "Lin Feng, what are you thanking me for? If you hadn't accidentally bonded with the Coiling Dragon Ring, who knows how long I would've had to wait before I could see the light of day again?"

"It's a shame I haven't found any Blue Heart Grass. Without it, I can't drink the living dragon's blood, awaken the Dragonblood Warrior bloodline in my body, or train in the Dragonblood Secret Manual. That's why my warrior level lags so far behind my magic level. I've only just reached the seventh level." Lin Feng sounded regretful.

In the original story, Lin Feng had found Blue Heart Grass in the Misty Valley. But his group had searched all around the outskirts of the sixth- and even seventh-level magical beasts' gathering grounds, yet still hadn't found the Misty Valley. Lin Feng remained convinced it was out there. He'd simply been unlucky, and the time hadn't been right; he just hadn't found it yet.

"You should be grateful. Reaching the seventh level as a warrior through sheer physical strength, without training in battle-qi, is already extremely fortunate. Besides, with your current abilities, even if you found Blue Heart Grass, you wouldn't be able to kill a dragon." Doehring Cowart doused Lin Feng's hopes without hesitation.

"Sigh, this method demands such a high level of dragon blood. Ninth-level dragon blood only gives you a chance of success, while Saint Realm dragon blood guarantees it. If only Velociraptor blood would work." Lin Feng let his imagination run wild.

Velociraptors were only seventh-level magical beasts. Killing one would be no challenge at all for Lin Feng, who was at the peak of the eighth level.

Lin Feng's thoughts stirred, and he suddenly asked, "Grandpa Doehring, how much progress have you made in comprehending the Mysteries of the Laws?"

"The Mysteries of the Laws are obscure and profound. I have no physical body now, only a soul. It's not impossible to comprehend them, but it's much harder than it is for a Saint Realm expert with a physical body."

Doehring Cowart changed the subject and continued, "Fortunately, I had already reached the peak of the Saint Realm before I died, and my comprehension of the Mysteries of the Laws had reached a bottleneck. I've made some progress during these years of seclusion, but I still haven't broken through and fully mastered them. Even so, I'm confident I can master them within a hundred years and become a god."

Though Doehring Cowart was only a soul, Lin Feng could sense the resolve and confidence in his words. It was as if the earth-element Saint Magus of the Puang Empire from five thousand years ago had returned.

But Lin Feng wasn't convinced by Doehring Cowart's confidence. Having read the original Coiling Dragon story, he knew there were countless people stuck at the peak of the Saint Realm throughout Yulan—and across innumerable material planes, the Seven Divine Planes, and the Four Overgod Planes. Yet how many truly broke through the bottleneck and became Lowgods? Everyone who reached the peak of the Saint Realm was an extraordinary talent, but how many managed to break through? Far too few.

Flowers bloomed and fell, and another half a year slipped by.

One day, Dilia suddenly came over to Lin Feng, looking hesitant. "Lin Feng, are we going to keep going deeper into the Magical Beast Mountain Range?"

Seeing the look on her face, Lin Feng asked, "What's wrong, Dilia? Are you homesick?"

Dilia nodded firmly.

Seeing her resolute expression, Lin Feng reached out and gently brushed her beautiful golden hair. "Dilia, you've been through a lot."

Dilia had come with Lin Feng to train in the Magical Beast Mountain Range when she was nine. Back then, she'd been a naive little girl who knew nothing. Now she was fourteen, blossoming into a lovely young woman. At five foot three, she looked not much younger than girls of seventeen or eighteen.

Nine to fourteen—more than five years had passed. Not only had she grown more beautiful, but she had also matured completely. Dilia had endured five years of fighting day after day, but now she was tired and weary. She missed home.

"I'm not suffering. I'm not. As long as I can be with you, I'll be happy anywhere. I just miss my parents and my brother." Dilia never hid her feelings from Lin Feng, nor did she need to.

After spending so much time together, they could tell what the other was thinking with just a glance.

"That's right. Just like that, five and a half years have gone by. Flowers have bloomed and fallen; spring has passed into winter. We've spent five winters in the Magical Beast Mountain Range." Lin Feng sighed. "Year after year, the flowers look the same; year after year, the people change."

Doehring Cowart, dressed in a moon-white robe, flew out of the Coiling Dragon Ring and addressed Lin Feng, who was lost in thought. "There's no need to sigh. You've both gained a great deal over the past five and a half years. Fighting magical beasts every day and being tested on the edge of life and death has greatly improved your levels. More importantly, it's honed your combat instincts and skills. I doubt you'll have any rivals among those of the same level once you leave. Even against opponents a level higher, your wealth of battle experience might let you win."

Doehring Cowart's words snapped Lin Feng out of his reverie. He stood up and declared loudly, "All right! Our training in the Magical Beast Mountain Range ends here. Starting tomorrow, we're going home!"