Back to the Magical Beast Mountain Range

"Yale, George, Reynolds." Lin Feng's voice suddenly rang out, making Yale, George, and Reynolds pause in surprise. Reynolds cried out excitedly, "Lin Feng, you finally spoke! It's been fifteen days—fifteen whole days! You haven't eaten or drunk anything!"

Lin Feng had sat in front of the enormous boulder for five days, then spent ten days and nights carving. It really had been fifteen days.

If ordinary people went fifteen days without food or water, they would have died long ago. Even a typical fourth- or fifth-rank mage would probably have been weak and barely able to move after fifteen days without eating or drinking. But Lin Feng felt only slightly hungry, with no other discomfort. And since his spiritual force had grown tremendously, he didn't feel the least bit tired.

While he was in that special state, completely in tune with nature, elements of every kind had continually flowed into him, replenishing the energy he expended and steadily improving his physique.

"Fifteen days? Well, I am a little hungry," Lin Feng said with a smile.

"Hungry?"

George hurried to a nearby tent and brought back two large boxes wrapped in fur. The fur was for insulation. Once he unwrapped it, the metal boxes inside were revealed. He opened them, showing the delicious dishes within.

"Wait a second. How can we eat without drinking?" Yale said with a hearty laugh.

Lin Feng watched as his three good brothers busied themselves: one setting out the dishes, another getting the rice ready, and the third pouring wine. Seeing them rush about, Lin Feng suddenly felt warm inside.

How could he not be moved by the fact that they had stayed by his side for fifteen days?

He simply kept it all buried deep in his heart.

Big brother, second brother, fourth brother—we'll be brothers for life, Lin Feng vowed silently.

"Third brother, come on, eat," George said warmly.

"All right."

Lin Feng and his three good brothers ate and drank together on the vast grassland behind the mountain, laughing and talking the whole time. Beibei happily stuffed himself alongside them.

February in the Fenlai Kingdom still held a lingering chill, but the biting spring cold could not dampen the bond between the four brothers. When their hearts were warm, everything felt warm.

After they finished eating!

"Big brother Yale, hold on to this stone sculpture for me." Lin Feng rose to his feet and looked around at the vast, desolate landscape. "I'm going back to the Magical Beast Mountain Range to train. This time, I'll break through to the Saint Realm before I return."

Yale, George, and Reynolds all froze.

"Third brother, you're going to the Magical Beast Mountain Range? And you're planning to stay until you break through to the Saint Realm?" Yale grew anxious, and George and Reynolds were just as worried.

The Saint Realm was the dream of every cultivator. Although Yale, Reynolds, and George were students at Ernst Academy, the number-one magic academy, they had never imagined that they might one day reach that longed-for realm.

Lin Feng smiled. "Don't worry. Carving 'Love' has already raised my spiritual force to the peak of the ninth rank. Give me a little time to refine my magic power, and I'll truly be a ninth-rank magus. I'm only one step away from the Saint Realm."

Yale, George, and Reynolds stared at him for a long moment before all three said in unison, "A freak!"

Ignoring their stunned expressions, Lin Feng turned toward the stone sculpture, "Love." His heart was peaceful now, and the turmoil and frustration he had felt earlier had completely vanished.

"Big brother, this sculpture of 'Love' is my engagement gift for Delia. Keep it safe. If anything happens to it, I don't think your future sister-in-law will let you off easy." Lin Feng smiled faintly and put the Flat Blade into his Space Ring. "I won't be going back to the academy. I'm leaving now."

"Big brother, second brother, fourth brother."

Lin Feng looked at his three good brothers and smiled. "Thank you, truly. I'm lucky to have brothers like you."

With that, Lin Feng set off east with Beibei.

Yale, Reynolds, and George watched Lin Feng's figure grow smaller and smaller, until at last it vanished into the vast landscape.

This tremendous leap in spiritual force had not only increased Lin Feng's power, but also changed his outlook and way of thinking. He had originally planned to earn enough money to buy back his family's ancestral sword. Now, however, he understood that power came first. Once he had enough power, the Warblade Slaughter would naturally return to him, and he could begin his revenge in earnest. That was why he had suddenly decided to return to the Magical Beast Mountain Range. He wanted to break through to the Saint Realm during this period of training. Only after entering the Saint Realm would he truly have a voice in Yulan.

In the Magical Beast Mountain Range.

Towering trees, thick brambles, wildflowers and weeds growing in disarray, withered leaves—the range remained as primitive as ever. Lin Feng sat cross-legged in a patch of grass, absorbing the Earth and Wind elements around him to refine his magic power.

Although Lin Feng's spiritual force had reached the level of a peak ninth-rank mage, his magic power was still only at the early ninth-rank level.

Lin Feng had been in the Magical Beast Mountain Range for a full month.

During that month, he had occasionally killed a few magical beasts. The rest of the time, he had either studied the seven elements of magic or meditated to cultivate his magic power.

Now that his spiritual force had reached the peak of the ninth rank, he was qualified to comprehend the Laws of the World and the Mysteries of the elements.

"Ah, these laws and mysteries are so difficult to comprehend. It's been a whole month, and I haven't even found the entrance." Lin Feng opened his eyes while meditating and sighed to himself.

In the original story, Lin Feng first comprehended Earth's Pulsation, but it was Wind that he first used to become a god.

Lin Feng stretched out his hand and grasped at the empty air. Pale green Wind elements gathered between his fingers, forming a small whirlwind that curled around them.

"The Profound Truth of Velocity has two aspects: 'fast' and 'slow.' But what exactly are 'fast' and 'slow'?"

A streak of light suddenly flew out of the Coiling Dragon Ring. The figure wore a moon-white robe. Who else could it be but Doehring Cowart?

"Lin Feng, although the peak of the ninth rank and the Saint Realm are only one step apart, that step is like a heavenly chasm. Throughout the ages, only a handful of people in Yulan have crossed it."

"A peak ninth-rank powerhouse must comprehend the Laws of the World and cross their threshold to enter the Saint Realm. But comprehending the Laws of the World has little to do with elemental affinity or spiritual force. It depends on a person's own understanding."

"Understanding?" Lin Feng gave a wry smile. The word was so vague and elusive, so hard to grasp.

"Of course, understanding the Laws of the World requires more than insight. You also have to put it into practice," Doehring Cowart explained.

"Practice? What do you mean?" Lin Feng's eyes lit up as he asked.

"Put yourself in situations where you can experience them firsthand. Don't just shut yourself away to meditate and try to figure everything out on your own."

"Experience? Do you mean that if I want to comprehend the Laws of Earth, I should go somewhere with a strong concentration of Earth elements, and if I want to comprehend the Laws of Wind, I should go somewhere with a strong concentration of Wind elements?" Lin Feng offered his interpretation.

"Heh, you have good insight. But that's not quite right, either. If you cultivate only for the sake of cultivating, deliberately forcing it, you often won't get the results you hope for. The best way to cultivate is to understand life and experience its small moments. Life is a cultivator's best teacher. Someone who doesn't understand life will never achieve anything remarkable."

Lin Feng listened, and suddenly understood. He had been getting caught up in the wrong idea. He was always thinking about how to comprehend the Laws of the World. With that thought constantly in his mind, he couldn't truly experience nature—and so he was even less likely to comprehend the Laws of the World.

Lin Feng stood and bowed to Doehring Cowart, speaking sincerely. "Thank you, Grandpa Doehring."

Seeing Lin Feng's expression, Doehring Cowart knew his words had helped. He smiled with relief. "Comprehending the Laws of the World is something only you can do. I can't help you with it, so from now on, you'll have to rely on yourself. With your current strength, as long as you don't go into the heart of the Magical Beast Mountain Range and provoke a Saint-level beast, your life won't be in danger. That puts my mind at ease."

"All right, that's all I have to say. I'm going into seclusion, too. This time, I'll enter deep seclusion and try to break through my bottleneck and become a god." With that, Doehring Cowart turned into a streak of light and flew back into the Coiling Dragon Ring.

When Doehring Cowart disappeared, Lin Feng felt a sting in the corners of his eyes. He understood why Doehring Cowart had said all that. He didn't want Lin Feng to rely on him. Only by relying on himself could Lin Feng become strong; if he depended on others, he would never achieve much.

Grandpa Doehring, don't worry. I won't let you down, Lin Feng vowed silently.

With his resolve renewed, Lin Feng didn't linger. He set off deeper into the Magical Beast Mountain Range with Beibei.