Demon

The rain fell through the night.

Lin Jiufeng cultivated through the night as well.

The Spiritual Energy he absorbed that night was greater than what he had absorbed through meditation and Qi refinement over the past year.

After breaking through to the Seventh Restriction, he had not deliberately tried to improve himself over the past year. Instead, he had been consolidating his foundation, stabilizing his Seventh Restriction cultivation.

Yet in a single night, Lin Jiufeng had raised his cultivation to the peak of the Seventh Restriction.

The newly born Spiritual Energy was far too vast and pure. Once absorbed into his body, it directly drove his cultivation ever higher.

At the Seventh Restriction, the Immortal Treasury of the Spiritual Platform—Lin Jiufeng had already opened much of it.

His Sea of Consciousness was now truly like an ocean, boundless and endless, with countless treasures waiting to be unearthed within.

When the rising sun illuminated the Golden Summit Great Hall of the Feather Transformation Sect, Lin Jiufeng stopped cultivating and looked at the three little ones beside him. They were still cultivating, their auras fluctuating intensely. Last night's Spiritual Energy had been a tremendous tonic to them. Now that the rain had stopped and the Spiritual Energy was gone, they were still digesting it.

Lin Jiufeng did not disturb them. He quietly left and went to the Tea Room, brewed a pot of tea, and began to think in earnest.

Though he had not broken through to the Eighth Restriction that night, he had comprehended quite a few principles. His understanding of Heaven and Earth, and of all living beings, had become even more penetrating.

What puzzled Lin Jiufeng was why a single Rain Character Art of his could draw down Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy.

"That Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy was more abundant and purer than the Spiritual Energy of ordinary days, as though it did not belong to this world." Lin Jiufeng slowly pondered what had happened last night.

He had activated his Heaven-Defying Comprehension, which had lain dormant for a year, and comprehended the Rain Character Art. That in itself was nothing unusual, considering he had spent a year consolidating himself.

But when the Rain Character Art fell into the drizzling spring rain, it triggered a torrential downpour and unexpectedly brought an enormous amount of Spiritual Energy. That was beyond his understanding.

"Should I try it again?" Lin Jiufeng acted the moment the thought arose, immediately unleashing a Rain Character Art.

Boom!

The Rain Character Art brought rain to the mountain gate of the Feather Transformation Sect, but there was none of the Spiritual Energy Lin Jiufeng wanted to see within it.

"It doesn't work now?" Lin Jiufeng frowned, lifted his teacup for a sip, and guessed, "Could it be that this Rain Character Art only works when it is already raining?"

"Looks like I'll have to wait until the next rain and try again." Lin Jiufeng committed the matter to memory.

"Still, a year of accumulation only brought me to the peak of the Seventh Restriction. There is still some distance to the Eighth Restriction. It seems the Eighth Restriction Dao Ancestor realm will be difficult to break through." Lin Jiufeng turned his attention back to himself and said with a smile.

He was not discouraged. If he could not break through to the Eighth Restriction this time, then there would be a next time. In any case, the Feather Transformation Sect's situation was much better than before. Bai Yunfei was outside buying him time, so naturally, he was in no hurry.

Speaking of Bai Yunfei, Lin Jiufeng suddenly remembered that he had been away from the Feather Transformation Sect for a year. He wondered how he was faring in the Cultivation World.

"He should be fine. Bai Yunfei is at the Eighth Restriction Dao Ancestor realm, possesses the Feather Ascension Scripture, and has the other cultivation techniques I taught him. To kill him, either someone at the Ninth Restriction must make a move, or seven or eight Eighth Restriction experts must join forces to besiege him. Otherwise, there is nowhere under heaven he cannot go." Thinking this, Lin Jiufeng stopped worrying.

He lit sandalwood incense and peacefully savored his tea.

A breeze stirred, setting the bell hanging from the eaves of the Scripture Pavilion ringing with a crisp chime.

True Qi flowed through Lin Jiufeng's body, calming the aura that had just broken through.

At that moment, the three little ones at the entrance to the Scripture Pavilion had also finished absorbing last night's vast Spiritual Energy. They ran to the Tea Room with a patter of footsteps, chattering as they questioned Lin Jiufeng.

"Martial Uncle, last night's Spiritual Energy was so rich! One night of effort surpassed half a year of my gains," Yue Dashan exclaimed.

"Exactly. By the end, I couldn't absorb any more Spiritual Energy. It was my first time absorbing so much Spiritual Energy that I got full," Zhou Tianzi said, nodding along.

"Martial Uncle, where did that Spiritual Energy come from?" Wen Xinyun asked curiously.

Lin Jiufeng looked at the anxious three little ones and chuckled. "That Spiritual Energy descended from the heavens. As long as you cultivate diligently, Spiritual Energy will descend again in the future."

"That's wonderful! One night yesterday has already brought me to the peak of the Fourth Restriction. If it happens once more, I'll definitely break through to the Fifth Restriction." Yue Dashan said excitedly.

"Me too. The Fifth Restriction isn't far off," Zhou Tianzi added.

"Martial Uncle, did you absorb Spiritual Energy last night too?" Wen Xinyun asked with concern.

"I did." Lin Jiufeng nodded.

"Then did Martial Uncle break through to the Eighth Restriction?" Wen Xinyun looked at Lin Jiufeng with eager anticipation.

The other two little ones also looked at Lin Jiufeng excitedly.

They knew that the Feather Transformation Sect's great enemy, the Supreme Dao Sect, was very powerful. If their Martial Uncle broke through to the Eighth Restriction, the Feather Transformation Sect would have far more confidence.

Lin Jiufeng shook his head. "If the Eighth Restriction were so easy to break through, it would not be worthy of being called Dao Ancestor. You think too highly of your Martial Uncle."

Wen Xinyun comforted him, "It's all right. I believe Martial Uncle will definitely break through. Master told us that the Feather Transformation Sect's future rests on Martial Uncle."

Lin Jiufeng smiled. "You all think that highly of your Martial Uncle?"

"Of course. Martial Uncle is our role model," Wen Xinyun said firmly.

Yue Dashan and Zhou Tianzi nodded firmly as well.

"All right, go properly consolidate your suddenly increased cultivation. Build your foundation firmly. A tower ten thousand zhang high rises from level ground; what it depends on is its foundation." Lin Jiufeng sent the three little ones away so they would not disturb him.

As they grew older and spent several years together, their bond had deepened. Only then did Lin Jiufeng realize that all three little ones had a tendency to chatter endlessly.

Of course, that was only in front of him. In front of Bai Yunfei, the three little ones spoke much less.

After all, Bai Yunfei often entered Secluded Cultivation and spent very little time with them.

After sending the three little ones away, Lin Jiufeng continued drinking tea and contemplating the Rain Character Art he had comprehended.

Until nightfall.

Lin Jiufeng's Primordial Spirit sensed that the three little ones were in their respective rooms, sitting cross-legged in meditation and absorbing Spiritual Energy without the slightest slackening.

"The little ones are working so hard. As their Martial Uncle, I should work hard too." Lin Jiufeng raised a hand and extinguished the lamp, preparing to sit cross-legged and meditate on Qi.

But in the next instant, his brows furrowed. He sensed someone sneaking furtively into the Feather Transformation Sect, heading straight for the Scripture Pavilion.

As Bai Yunfei made a name for himself in the Cultivation World, everyone learned that there were only a few insignificant people left within the Feather Transformation Sect. Thus, over the past year, many people had secretly slipped into the Feather Transformation Sect's mountain gate, hoping to steal the Feather Ascension Scripture.

Without exception, Lin Jiufeng had dealt with them in secret.

With Lin Jiufeng at the Seventh Restriction, even if Eighth Restriction Dao Ancestors came, so long as there were not too many of them, he could handle them without a sound.

Tonight, Lin Jiufeng had intended to do as usual and silently dispose of the intruder, but then he suddenly discovered that what had come to the Feather Transformation Sect's mountain gate tonight was not human.

A Demon.

Lin Jiufeng's Primordial Spirit hovered high above, overlooking the entire Feather Transformation Sect mountain gate. He saw a White Jade Fox, flawless from head to toe, its white fur exceptionally soft beneath the moonlight.

"A Demon?" Lin Jiufeng was greatly astonished. This was the first time he had ever seen one.

And it was a legendary fox demon.