Another Rain of Spiritual Energy

Lin Jiufeng looked at Bai Yunfei, drenched in blood from head to toe, and said, "Go wash up first. We can talk afterward."

Bai Yunfei nodded. He truly was exhausted. He had suffered constant suppression along the way, accumulating both external and internal injuries under immense pressure. Only now, back at the Feather Transformation Sect and reunited with Lin Jiufeng, did his tightly wound emotions finally ease.

Lin Jiufeng watched Bai Yunfei leave to wash up, then went to the Tea Room himself. He brewed the tea first and waited for Bai Yunfei to finish.

After a while, Bai Yunfei came in wearing a cloud-white Daoist robe, carrying himself with great vigor. He flopped straight onto the couch in the Tea Room, pillowed his head on his hands, and sighed. "It is still most relaxing in front of Senior Brother. No other place can compare."

Before Lin Jiufeng, Bai Yunfei felt inexplicably at ease. It was as though no pressure could frighten him; even if he truly could not hold on, Senior Brother was still behind him.

"How did you find your year or so outside?" Lin Jiufeng poured Bai Yunfei a cup of tea and asked gently.

"How did I find it?" Bai Yunfei thought carefully, propping his head up with one hand. "The Cultivation World is far from peaceful. Among the Daoist sects, the Supreme Dao Sect stands alone above all others. They act tyrannically and have friction with every major force, but they are powerful, so no one dares provoke them. Others can only yield three parts."

"Besides that, the Demonic Sect has recently produced several genius Dao Ancestors. They call themselves Invincible at the Same Level, and they have revived the Demonic Sect's reputation. It can now stand shoulder to shoulder with the Supreme Dao Sect."

"I have also heard that the Buddhist Sect has an Arhat Descends and a Buddha Reincarnation. Though they keep a low profile, their strength cannot be underestimated."

"The Overseas Forces have also expanded considerably in recent years. The Primal Qi Sect of the Grasslands and the Outer-Pass Buddhist Teachings have both produced peerless geniuses. Beyond that, quite a few formidable figures have risen among the independent cultivators. There are several whom I would not dare claim I could certainly defeat."

Bai Yunfei laid out the situation outside one by one.

"Why does it feel as though geniuses have suddenly sprung up everywhere?" Lin Jiufeng asked in confusion.

"It should be related to Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy," Bai Yunfei guessed.

"Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy?" Lin Jiufeng raised a brow, recalling the newly born spiritual energy he had activated not long ago with the Rain Character Art.

Bai Yunfei nodded. "I spoke with many people. They all felt that the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy in this world is slowly increasing. You cannot tell with the naked eye; only after observing it year after year can you discover it."

"Then the spiritual energy of this era has indeed increased considerably compared to when we entered the Feather Transformation Sect as disciples a hundred years ago." Lin Jiufeng recalled when he had first begun cultivating. Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy had been so scarce then that it was like farmland too barren to grow rice.

Combined with how a single Rain Character Art had drawn down so much newly born Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy not long ago, it seemed to confirm Bai Yunfei's claim that Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy was increasing.

Geniuses were emerging from every major force, as though signaling that a Cultivation Golden Age was about to unfold.

"Senior Brother, now that you have broken through the Eighth Ban, should we revitalize the Feather Transformation Sect?" Bai Yunfei suddenly asked.

The Feather Transformation Sect now had only a few people left, barely maintaining its inheritance without letting it perish. If they wanted it to flourish, they would certainly have to recruit disciples and nurture the next generation.

Lin Jiufeng looked at Bai Yunfei and said calmly, "You are the Sect Master of the Feather Transformation Sect. That is something you should consider. If you recruit disciples, you must teach them seriously. Right now, no one in the Feather Transformation Sect can teach new disciples."

Lin Jiufeng would not teach new disciples.

Teaching Wen Xinyun and the other two had already been enough. With that effort, he would rather comprehend more Great Dao techniques.

"Then let us put it off for now. Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy is slowly increasing, and I still want to break through the Ninth Restriction as soon as possible. That way, we will not need Senior Brother to act in every matter," Bai Yunfei said after thinking it over, still shaking his head.

"This time, eight Dao Ancestors of the Supreme Dao Sect died. They will certainly retaliate. First, we must withstand the Supreme Dao Sect's thunderous wrath. Then, without any need for us to publicize it, the world will know that the Feather Transformation Sect has risen again," Lin Jiufeng said.

"With Senior Brother here, as long as the Supreme Dao Sect's Ninth Restriction Ancestor does not emerge, who can threaten my Feather Transformation Sect?" Bai Yunfei said proudly.

"What if the Supreme Dao Sect's Ninth Restriction Ancestor breaks through to the Tenth Restriction?" Lin Jiufeng asked in return.

Bai Yunfei froze, then swiftly sat up and looked at Lin Jiufeng gravely. "That should not happen, right?"

"You said it yourself: Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy is slowly increasing, and so many geniuses are sprouting up like bamboo shoots after spring rain. Why should the Supreme Dao Sect's Ninth Restriction Ancestor be unable to break through?" Lin Jiufeng said calmly.

"Then Senior Brother must break through quickly. If the Supreme Dao Sect's Ninth Restriction Ancestor truly reaches the Tenth Restriction, it will be dangerous. I have read in many books that the difference between the Ninth Restriction and the Tenth Restriction is like clouds and mud. This is no joke," Bai Yunfei said with a frown.

"I will work hard, but you must work hard as well," Lin Jiufeng nodded.

"How could we cultivate as quickly as Senior Brother? Senior Brother has a single sudden enlightenment and Ascends with Radiance, while we merely bask in Senior Brother's light. Otherwise, I would not have been able to break through the Eighth Ban even now," Bai Yunfei said, shaking his head dejectedly.

If Lin Jiufeng had not passed the Feather Ascension Scripture to him, he would still have been unable to break through the Eighth Ban.

As for the Ninth Restriction, Bai Yunfei estimated that without a hundred years, he would have no hope of reaching it.

A hundred years was far too long.

Lin Jiufeng chuckled softly. "Perhaps it will not be long before you can break through the Ninth Restriction."

Bai Yunfei looked at Lin Jiufeng suspiciously. He did not know where Lin Jiufeng's confidence came from; he certainly did not possess such confidence himself.

Lin Jiufeng did not explain. Instead, he looked at the sky outside the window and murmured, "It should rain tomorrow."

Bai Yunfei was even more baffled. He could not understand what rain tomorrow had to do with his breaking through the Ninth Restriction.

"All right, go tend to your injuries first. You will know tomorrow," Lin Jiufeng said, waving Bai Yunfei away.

Bai Yunfei could only leave with his doubts, returning to the Golden Summit Great Hall to slowly heal his injuries.

In the Tea Room, the fragrance of tea curled through the air. Lin Jiufeng lifted his cup and took a sip, whispering, "I wonder how much spiritual energy the Rain Character Art can draw down tomorrow."

The next day, sure enough, it rained.

Lightning flashed and thunder roared, while furious winds howled. The mountains and forests were washed by the rain.

At the Feather Transformation Sect's Scripture Pavilion, Lin Jiufeng did not go to the rooftop to cultivate with White Fox today. Instead, he stood before the Scripture Pavilion, admiring the rain.

White Fox stood beside Lin Jiufeng, quietly keeping him company.

The rain pattered against the eaves of the Scripture Pavilion, falling down in a curtain of rain.

"What are you looking at?" White Fox could not understand why Lin Jiufeng was enjoying the rain. What was so interesting about it?

Lin Jiufeng smiled faintly. "Very soon, a surge of spiritual energy will fall together with the rain. Absorb as much as you can."

White Fox looked at Lin Jiufeng suspiciously. Where would spiritual energy come from?

Lin Jiufeng did not explain. He simply raised his hand and traced through the empty air.

Before long, Lin Jiufeng drew a Rain Character Art, then struck it into the rain.

The Rain Character Art flew into the downpour and dissolved at once.

Then, with a boom, the falling rain around the Feather Transformation Sect was infused with torrential spiritual energy.

At that moment, the spiritual energy throughout the entire Feather Transformation Sect began increasing hundreds, even thousands of times faster.

White Fox's eyes widened as she stared at Lin Jiufeng in disbelief.

Spiritual energy truly had fallen together with the rain.