A Comparison Across Three Thousand Years

Bai Yunfei's plan was simple.

Though he had broken through the Eighth Restriction and cultivated the Feather Ascension Scripture, breaking through to the Ninth Restriction in a short time was unlikely. So he placed his hopes on Lin Jiufeng.

Over the past few years, he had personally watched Lin Jiufeng, a man over a hundred years old, attain sudden Enlightenment and surge from not even the First Restriction to the Seventh Restriction like a ship riding the wind and cleaving the waves.

And it was a terrifyingly powerful Seventh Restriction at that.

So he believed that as long as Lin Jiufeng was given time, he would certainly break through the Eighth Restriction, perhaps even the Ninth Restriction.

As long as Lin Jiufeng broke through the Ninth Restriction, the pressure from the Supreme Dao Sect would be nothing at all.

That was why he had no plans to recruit disciples for the time being, and why he had sought allies to resist the Supreme Dao Sect.

After hearing him out, Lin Jiufeng looked at Bai Yunfei and asked, "You believe in me that much?"

Bai Yunfei smiled nonchalantly. "Without the Feather Ascension Scripture you comprehended, Senior Brother, the Feather Transformation Sect would have been destroyed long ago. How could I not believe in you?"

"I don't know how long it will take me to break through the Eighth Restriction, or even the Ninth Restriction," Lin Jiufeng said truthfully. This depended on inspiration. Once inspiration struck and activated his Heaven-Defying Comprehension, breakthroughs would come easily.

But inspiration was an exceedingly mysterious thing.

Lin Jiufeng could give no guarantee.

Bai Yunfei smiled. "Please rest assured, Senior Brother. The Supreme Elder of the Supreme Dao Sect at the Ninth Restriction is in Secluded Cultivation, attempting to break through to the legendary Tenth Restriction. The Supreme Dao Sect now only has some Dao Ancestors at the Eighth Restriction left. I dare not boast about anything else, but ever since cultivating the Feather Ascension Scripture, I can say that within the Eighth Restriction, I have few rivals. I will buy Senior Brother more time. We need not contend with the Supreme Dao Sect over a momentary victory or defeat."

Looking at the confident Bai Yunfei, Lin Jiufeng suddenly smiled. "While you were in Secluded Cultivation, I comprehended several more cultivation methods. Do you want to learn them?"

Bai Yunfei stared at Lin Jiufeng in surprise. "Several cultivation methods? What kind?"

"Some are no worse than the Feather Ascension Scripture." Lin Jiufeng lifted his teacup, took a sip, and spoke as lightly as though it were nothing.

Bai Yunfei shot to his feet in shock, staring at Lin Jiufeng and wondering whether he had misheard.

No worse than the Feather Ascension Scripture?

The Feather Ascension Scripture was already a peerless, top-tier cultivation method. Even the Supreme Dao Sect did not possess one of that caliber.

And Lin Jiufeng had several more?

Bai Yunfei's mouth went dry. He wanted to say something, but Lin Jiufeng suddenly reached out and pressed a finger to his brow, transmitting all the cultivation methods he had comprehended into him.

Endless Vitality, Dragon Elephant Power, Grasswood Sword Technique, Nascent Soul Transcendence Method, Ten Palaces Yama...

All of these cultivation methods flooded into Bai Yunfei's mind, leaving him dumbstruck.

Especially Dragon Elephant Power, Grasswood Sword Technique, and Ten Palaces Yama—their depth and breadth were no less than those of the Feather Ascension Scripture.

And all of these had been comprehended by Senior Brother?

Bai Yunfei stared foolishly at Lin Jiufeng and asked, "Senior Brother, you're giving me so many powerful cultivation methods just like this? Aren't you afraid I'll spread them?"

"Cultivation methods only have meaning when they are passed down after being created. If I were the only one cultivating them, wouldn't they be locked away on a high shelf, unknown to anyone?" Lin Jiufeng said.

"Aren't you afraid that someone will cultivate these methods and turn around to use them against you?" Bai Yunfei asked worriedly.

"I'm not." Lin Jiufeng shook his head calmly.

Bai Yunfei looked at Lin Jiufeng in confusion, unable to understand why he was so composed.

"I am passing these cultivation methods to you because I hope you will carry them on. That way, the fruits of my efforts at this stage will not be buried."

"As for someone in the future using the cultivation methods I have created and comprehended at this stage to deal with me, I will give them time to catch up—until they can no longer even glimpse my shadow."

Lin Jiufeng was steady and composed, without the slightest worry. He had never believed that anyone cultivating the methods he passed down could become his opponent.

Bai Yunfei's breath caught, overwhelmed by Lin Jiufeng's formidable confidence.

Was this the confidence of an unparalleled monster?

Only after a long while did Bai Yunfei come to his senses. He said solemnly, "Senior Brother, I will pass these cultivation methods on to the Feather Transformation Sect's true disciples in the future and carry them forward. One day, the disciples of our Feather Transformation Sect will surely rule this world and become the standard-bearer of the Cultivation World."

Lin Jiufeng waved his hand. "That is your business. I have no desire to concern myself with such trivial matters. Quiet Cultivation, Enlightenment, and developing methods in the Scripture Pavilion suit me better."

Bai Yunfei nodded. Seeing that the morning glow had appeared, he stopped disturbing him and rose to take his leave. "Senior Brother, I'm going out for a while. While I'm away, I'll have to ask you to look after the Feather Transformation Sect."

Lin Jiufeng waved him off, telling Bai Yunfei to leave without worry.

Having broken through the Seventh Restriction, Lin Jiufeng's confidence had greatly increased. So long as no expert at the Ninth Restriction came, he would ignore them all.

Time flowed like a song; white clouds changed into pale dogs.

A month had passed since Lin Jiufeng and Bai Yunfei had both broken through and joined forces to kill Three Sages of Clarity.

During that month, the Feather Transformation Sect remained as quiet and peaceful as ever.

The three little ones were striving to break through. Lin Jiufeng often sensed their auras and noticed that all three had reached a critical point, only one step away from a breakthrough. So he did not disturb them, merely reading, cultivating, and seeking Enlightenment in peace.

Bai Yunfei had been gone for a month and had yet to return.

But Lin Jiufeng occasionally heard news of him.

After finishing his Cultivation each day, Lin Jiufeng would spread the power of his Primordial Spirit to its limit and listen to the discussions of people within its range.

He heard some things about Bai Yunfei.

For example, news of Three Sages of Clarity's death had spread.

For example, people had learned that Bai Yunfei had broken through the Eighth Restriction.

For example, everyone knew that he had visited forces hostile to the Supreme Dao Sect.

Bai Yunfei had no intention of concealing his whereabouts. On the contrary, whenever he arrived somewhere, he deliberately leaked information to draw the attention of the world onto himself.

That way, no one would notice that Lin Jiufeng was still hidden within the Feather Transformation Sect.

All Lin Jiufeng could do in response was cultivate diligently, with every day tightly scheduled.

Over the past month, he had spent most of his time in the hidden Small World, where there were many books he had never read before.

He read earnestly and comprehended two cultivation methods during that time, but they did little to improve his cultivation.

On this day, Lin Jiufeng was reading in the Small World.

In his hands was a book recording the Cultivation World from three thousand years ago.

The book said that three thousand years ago had been a Cultivation Golden Age. Geniuses were as countless as crucian carp crossing a river, and cultivators at the Eighth Restriction could not even be considered impressive.

To be considered formidable, one had to begin at the Ninth Restriction.

Seeing this, Lin Jiufeng drew a sharp breath. "Three thousand years ago, the Eighth Restriction could not even be considered impressive, and true strength began at the Ninth Restriction. Then those truly powerful experts must have been at the legendary Tenth Restriction?"

Lin Jiufeng could not help comparing three thousand years ago with the present.

Now, the Eighth Restriction was already called a Dao Ancestor. If a sect had an expert at the Eighth Restriction, it could be judged a second-rate sect.

Take the current Feather Transformation Sect, for example. Everyone knew that its disciples and elders had left, leaving only three disciples behind. Yet after Bai Yunfei broke through the Eighth Restriction, those forces no longer dared to underestimate the Feather Transformation Sect.

At the very least, no other forces dared to come near the Feather Transformation Sect's mountain gate to spy on it now.

"So what exactly happened in that battle three thousand years ago to make the Cultivation World decline so drastically?" Lin Jiufeng could not help but wonder.