He needed greater power, and he needed to grow more discreetly.
In the days that followed, Song Zifeng remained as indolent as ever by day, occasionally helping the villagers with odd jobs but seemingly spending most of his time wandering around or sleeping.
At night, however, he became a different person. In his dilapidated little courtyard, or hidden in the deserted woods behind the village, he diligently cultivated the Five Elements True Art and began practicing basic spells occasionally issued by the system, such as the Breath Concealment Technique and Light Body Technique.
Like a parched sponge, he voraciously soaked up knowledge and increased his strength.
All of this took place under Li Yunjing's silent observation.
"Resolute, capable of hiding his talents, and aware that strength needs time to settle-not bad."
Li Yunjing nodded slightly, quite satisfied with this pawn's growth.
He no longer intervened directly, merely issuing small, manageable tasks through the "system" from time to time and awarding basic pills or spells to guide Song Zifeng steadily forward.
Time slipped quietly by, and several months passed in the blink of an eye.
With the "system's" assistance and his own efforts, Song Zifeng's cultivation steadily rose to the third level of Qi Refining.
In mortal eyes, he already qualified as a "martial arts master," yet he remained cautious and never revealed his true strength in public.
One day, Dingxin, the guest-reception monk of Mingxin Temple, returned to Ma Family Village and announced that the temple would temporarily reclaim its farmland, cutting off the villagers' livelihood entirely.
Why had he not come earlier?
Dingxin had long since forgotten such a trivial matter.
By the time he remembered, three months had already passed.
His cultivation had recently run into trouble, so he took the opportunity to descend the mountain and vent