Golden Lotus in the Sea of Suffering

Feather Transformation Sect.

In the Scripture Pavilion, Lin Jiufeng quietly read.

The world was quick to forget. Even the most stirring news would slowly fade after spreading for a time.

The grudge between the Feather Transformation Sect and the Supreme Dao Sect, Bai Yunfei's bold feat of fighting above his level against the Eighth Forbidden Realm—none of it was discussed anymore.

The Cultivation World was once again calm and peaceful.

Yet recently, many people had come to observe the Feather Transformation Sect, wanting to know what it planned to do next after repelling the Supreme Dao Sect.

They soon discovered that the Feather Transformation Sect remained as it had been before: the mountain was still sealed, its gates closed. It received no visitors, recruited no disciples, and made no attempt to expand.

It was as though repelling the Supreme Dao Sect had never happened.

Many people could not understand this.

But no one from the Feather Transformation Sect came out to explain. As time passed, people stopped coming to investigate.

Lin Jiufeng had long ceased to care about the storms and tempests of the outside world. The only thing he worried about was the Supreme Dao Sect, but there was nothing he could do now. Only by cultivating without pause and accumulating enough strength could he face the unknown risks ahead.

The Scripture Pavilion was as quiet as ever.

The three little ones cultivated in separate places. Whenever they encountered something they did not understand or found themselves confused, they came to ask Lin Jiufeng. The rest of the time, they immersed themselves in painstaking study.

Lin Jiufeng was happy to see it.

He brewed a pot of tea, picked up a book, and read in silence.

The fragrance of tea curled through the air, sandalwood lingered around his nose, and the scent of books seeped into his heart.

Dressed in a white Daoist robe, Lin Jiufeng sat by the window, turning the pages of the book in his hands with serene ease. He seemed to have merged with the Scripture Pavilion itself, their auras linked as one.

Outside the window, grass and trees grew freely in lush greenery. Ancient trees towered overhead, swaying with a rustling whisper.

Together, it all carried the tranquil flavor of peaceful years.

This was his magnetic field. Even unconsciously, he influenced everything around him.

Lin Jiufeng's state of mind was placid, and everything around him seemed equally calm and content.

If Lin Jiufeng were to glare in fury, everything around him would become irritable and violent.

After finishing a book, Lin Jiufeng gently set it down. Looking out the window, he murmured, "Two months have passed since that battle."

Over those two months, he had traveled back and forth between the Scripture Pavilion and the Small World.

Reading, seeking Enlightenment, cultivating his temperament, practicing calligraphy...

Rain or shine, never changing.

He felt that his accumulation had become exceptionally profound. Yet ever since he had gained insight into the Primordial Spirit last time, he had made no further progress.

During this period, he had also tried to excavate the immortal treasure hidden within his Primordial Spirit, but every attempt felt as though it lacked something. He had not succeeded.

Lin Jiufeng had experienced such things before. He knew they could not be rushed. He could only accumulate slowly and wait for that flash of inspiration. When it came, he would have enough foundation to break through.

Now that two months had passed, Lin Jiufeng's cultivation and accumulation had long reached the brink of a breakthrough.

Within the Sixth Forbidden Realm, he dared to call himself invincible.

Yet he was still short by that tiny fraction.

Lin Jiufeng sighed softly. "I wonder what scheme the Supreme Dao Sect is preparing?"

Over the past two months, there had been no movement from Bai Yunfei either. He was still quietly making his breakthrough.

Lin Jiufeng did not disturb him.

He continued reading and continued accumulating.

The day passed swiftly. When night fell, thunder suddenly rumbled across the skies above the Feather Transformation Sect.

Rumble!

Dark clouds gathered, wild winds swept through, and the roar of thunder pierced heaven and earth. Lightning writhed through the clouds, carrying a savage air.

Wearing his white Daoist robe, Lin Jiufeng stood beneath the eaves and watched the scene. "It's going to rain," he murmured.

He saw Wen Xinyun, Zhou Tianzi, and Yue Dashan all run back. They stood beneath the eaves with Lin Jiufeng.

"Martial Uncle, judging by this, it's going to rain heavily tonight," Wen Xinyun said.

"Yes. It hasn't rained in a long time," Lin Jiufeng nodded.

Crack!

The moment he finished speaking, a bolt of lightning struck directly down before the Scripture Pavilion. It seemed to split heaven and earth apart, as though a god were raging in fury. It was terrifying.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

The next moment, rain began to fall, landing on the stone tiles before the Scripture Pavilion with crisp sounds.

A few raindrops pried open the eyelids of the heavens. In the next instant, a torrential downpour came crashing down alongside the gale.

Accompanied by flashes of lightning and peals of thunder, it washed over the world.

Lin Jiufeng and the others raised their heads, watching as, in an incredibly short time, the eaves, the corridors, and the mountain forests were all covered by rain.

"This rain is so heavy," Zhou Tianzi said with feeling.

"This world is a little dirty. The rain has come at just the right time to wash it clean," Yue Dashan said honestly.

"Wen Xinyun, bring out all my tea utensils. With such heavy rain tonight, listening to the rain while tasting tea would be quite an elegant pleasure," Lin Jiufeng said on a whim.

Wen Xinyun's beautiful eyes lit up. Listening to rain and tasting tea—she liked that too. She immediately went into the Scripture Pavilion to bring out Lin Jiufeng's tea set, then diligently washed it and brewed the tea.

"Martial Uncle, I'll accompany you," Wen Xinyun said with a happy smile.

"Count me in. Such refined enjoyment does not come around whenever one wishes," Zhou Tianzi laughed heartily, bringing over several chairs and setting them in the corridor.

"Count me in too. I'll light the candles," Yue Dashan said with a simple smile. He brought out candles and lanterns. Dim yellow light flickered, stretching their shadows long. A cold wind blew past, making the lanterns sway, and their shadows swayed with them.

Lin Jiufeng teased Yue Dashan, "You used to drink tea like an ox chewing peonies. Have you learned how to appreciate it now?"

Yue Dashan sighed. "I never felt much about drinking tea before, but drinking it in this setting truly moves me."

Lin Jiufeng smiled. With practiced movements, he poured everyone a cup of tea. He said nothing, merely held his tea and quietly listened to the rain, watching it fall.

Outside, lightning flashed and thunder roared, while wild winds and torrential rain raged.

In the corridor, Lin Jiufeng and the three little ones sat quietly, listening to the rain and drinking tea in carefree contentment.

Lin Jiufeng took a light sip of tea, then looked toward the downpour.

Within this storm, he admired the world.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Thunder rolled endlessly, proclaiming its presence in the darkness. As Lin Jiufeng watched, he gradually became absorbed.

What he saw in the rainstorm was not merely rain.

He saw rivers carving open mountains and rushing onward.

He saw waterfalls plunging straight down from the Nine Heavens.

He saw babbling streams flowing gently.

He saw the vast ocean embracing a hundred rivers.

He also saw the ever-changing life of one drifting a boat across the Bitter Sea.

As he watched, a line of words appeared before Lin Jiufeng.

You observed the rain and gained insight, activating Heaven-Defying Comprehension. You comprehended Golden Lotus in the Sea of Suffering.

The next moment, within Lin Jiufeng's Primordial Spirit World, a boundless ocean churned and directly divided his Sea of Consciousness.

His Primordial Spirit carried the stars of all heavens, high above, while within the rolling ocean, a golden lotus emerged.

Golden Lotus in the Sea of Suffering—this was the immortal treasure Lin Jiufeng had excavated from his Primordial Spirit World.

At that moment, Lin Jiufeng's heart was blessed with sudden insight. The barrier of the Seventh Forbidden Realm that had troubled him all this time cracked open with a sharp sound.

Immediately afterward, the energy he had accumulated for two months surged forward like raging waves.

The threshold that had plagued him for so long was shattered by a single rainstorm.

He broke through the Sixth Forbidden Realm.

He entered the Seventh Forbidden Realm!