Cultivation

After successfully obtaining his admission qualification to the Ernst Institute, Lin Feng and Hillman did not linger in Fenlai City for long. Hillman was eager to return and share the good news with his Lord Hogg, while Lin Feng wanted to get back quickly to strive for further progress in his cultivation during the half-year before school started.

On the return journey, Doehring Cowart flew out from the Coiling Dragon ring and asked Lin Feng, "Lin Feng, why did you suppress your other elemental affinities during the magic talent test, choosing to display only earth and wind? Also, your spirit energy test results shouldn't have been merely 'superior.' Based on my sensing, your current spirit energy would be considered 'super-superior' without any exaggeration."

Doehring Cowart was very puzzled. Most people, when testing their magic talent, would do anything to show off their best side, but this little freak Lin Feng was only willing to reveal the tip of the iceberg, which truly left Doehring Cowart unable to fathom his reasoning.

Lin Feng smiled calmly and said, "Grandpa Doehring, the tree that stands above the forest will be destroyed by the wind; the pile that rises above the bank will be eroded by the current; the person who stands above others will be criticized by the crowd."

Lin Feng did not explain further, as he believed his Grandpa Doehring would certainly understand.

Upon hearing this, Doehring Cowart was stunned for a moment. Although he had never heard this saying before, with his life experience, he naturally understood the meaning behind Lin Feng's words after a brief thought. He stroked his beard and laughed, "Little guy, you're actually lecturing me now, haha. You are indeed thoughtful. If you had displayed all your talents, it would inevitably have attracted many factions to recruit you. If they couldn't recruit you, they would certainly have tried every possible means to nip you in the bud."

When Lin Feng and Hillman returned to Wushan Town and the Baruch Clan estate, they told Hogg the news that Lin Feng had been admitted to the Ernst Institute. After the expected surprise from Hogg, Lin Feng also saw the Dragonblood Secret Manual as scheduled.

Seeing this Dragonblood Secret Manual, Lin Feng felt conflicted. He did not know if he should follow the path of the original Lin Feng and cultivate both magic and martial arts. Of course, he knew that battle qi and magic would eventually lead to the same destination; once one reached the Saint-level, there was no difference between a warrior and a magus. To reach the Saint-level, one had to comprehend the Laws of the World and the profound mysteries of the elements to improve their strength and eventually become a god. Therefore, whether cultivating battle qi or magic, both were merely means to reach the Saint-level and provide the prerequisite conditions for comprehending the Laws and mysteries.

Lin Feng was confident that if he focused on only one path, he would surely reach the Saint-level very quickly, at least much faster than the original Lin Feng. However, if he cultivated both, it would certainly slow down his pace of advancing to the Saint-level.

After pondering and weighing the options for a long time, Lin Feng decided to follow the original book, as the warrior's cultivation had played a significant role in the original Lin Feng's growth process.

With his goal set, Lin Feng threw himself into endless, grueling training. Cultural studies, warrior training, and magic—he didn't neglect any of them.

Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, several months went by. It was already February, and many trees on Wushan Mountain had begun to sprout new buds; a hint of spring had arrived quietly.

Under an ancient tree.

Lin Feng sat cross-legged, meditating to refine his magic power.

In his meditative state, Lin Feng could clearly feel a large number of light particles of various colors surrounding his body. Seven types of light particles were constantly entering his body from all directions, passing through his limbs and bones, and after being purified, they finally gathered in the "middle dantian" at the center of his chest.

One could see the middle dantian filled with seven-colored mist. This mist was the magic power of each element.

"Hoo." Exhaling slowly, Lin Feng recovered from his meditative state.

Doehring Cowart, dressed in a moon-white robe, sat on the ground with a smile, looking at the surrounding scenery. Seeing Lin Feng wake up, he couldn't help but say with a smile, "Lin Feng, you're leaving for the Ernst Institute tomorrow, yet you're still working so hard today."

Lin Feng curled his lips and smiled, "Grandpa Doehring, I am currently at the peak of a fourth-rank magus. I was seeing if I could reach the level of a fifth-rank magus before school starts, but I'm still just a hair's breadth away."

"Don't be so dissatisfied. You should know that reaching the fourth-rank magus level at the age of nine is already shocking; you have far surpassed your peers."

"Besides, this is only your achievement in magic. Hasn't your warrior cultivation also reached the level of a third-rank warrior?"

Doehring Cowart stroked his beard and sighed. In this past year, he had witnessed the miracle of Lin Feng. If anyone had told him before that someone could reach the level of a fourth-rank magus at nine years old, he would have scoffed. As a Saint-level Magus, he knew very well how difficult it was to advance in magic. Without great perseverance and talent, one could never achieve much in magic cultivation.

Although Lin Feng was proud of his achievements, he did not want to discuss this topic with Grandpa Doehring. Although Grandpa Doehring's previous words were full of praise for him, Lin Feng could sense the loneliness and desolation in his tone.

Rolling his eyes, Lin Feng prepared to give his Grandpa Doehring a little guidance.

"Grandpa Doehring, is the Saint-level the final realm for a cultivator?" Lin Feng asked, pretending to be a curious child, to the stroking-bearded and sentimental Doehring Cowart.

"Saint-level? Hehe, before I reached the Saint-level, I indeed thought the Saint-level was the final realm for a cultivator. But the moment I reached the Saint-level, I realized I was wrong. It turns out there is a higher existence above the Saint-level, and that is the realm of gods."

"But, it's a pity, I have no hope of reaching that realm."

Doehring Cowart shook his head. As a former Saint-level powerhouse, becoming a god had always been his greatest dream, but this dream had become unreachable due to his fall.

"Then how can one become a god?" Lin Feng asked again, pretending not to know.

Hearing this, Doehring Cowart looked at Lin Feng in surprise before explaining, "Before the Saint-level, warriors cultivate battle qi and mages cultivate magic to advance. But once you reach the peak of the ninth rank, the situation changes."

Lin Feng did not speak, acting only as an attentive listener on the side.

"To advance to the Saint-level from the peak of the ninth rank, one must comprehend the Laws of the World. Only by stepping into the threshold of the Laws of the World can one advance to the Saint-level."

"Then, Grandpa Doehring, you were a Saint-level Magus before, so does that mean you also comprehended the Laws of the World?" Lin Feng continued to ask, feigning ignorance.

"That goes without saying." At this point, a hint of pride finally appeared in Doehring Cowart's eyes, and his tone was full of self-assurance, but then he immediately returned to his lonely state: "These are all in the past, no need to mention them."

Having reached this point, with only the final step left, Lin Feng said matter-of-factly, "Grandpa Doehring, although you no longer have a physical body, your soul still exists. You cannot use magic power, but you can still comprehend the Laws of the World. I believe that once you become a god, you will certainly be able to break free from the shackles of the Coiling Dragon ring."

This sentence was what Lin Feng really wanted to say to Doehring Cowart. All the previous ignorant questions were meant to set a trap for him. Comprehending the Laws of the World relied entirely on soul deduction and had little to do with the physical body. Therefore, Doehring Cowart, as a soul entity, could still comprehend the Laws of the World. As long as he fully comprehended one profound mystery of the Laws, he could become a god. At that time, with the descent of the Laws of the World, even the Sovereign Artifact Coiling Dragon ring would certainly not be able to resist the Laws of the World. Thus, Lin Feng could be certain that as long as Doehring Cowart could independently comprehend the path to godhood, breaking free from the shackles of the Coiling Dragon ring was a certainty.

Upon hearing this, Doehring Cowart's eyes lit up suddenly, and he laughed loudly, "It seems that after staying in the Coiling Dragon ring for five thousand years, my brain has become rigid. Haha, Lin Feng, you have truly awakened me with a single word. Good, good, good! I will return to the Coiling Dragon ring immediately to comprehend and deduce the Laws of the World. In the future, if you encounter problems you cannot solve, you can actively call me through the Coiling Dragon ring."

Without waiting for Lin Feng to reply, he turned into a stream of light and entered the Coiling Dragon ring.

Seeing Doehring Cowart's hurried appearance, Lin Feng was speechless. He had already waited five thousand years, was there really such a rush for this moment?

Although Lin Feng could understand Doehring Cowart's current situation, he could not fully grasp his feelings at this moment. For someone who had already despaired, suddenly finding hope again was a feeling that simply could not be described in words.