After leaving Spirit City, Lin Feng headed north along the main road.
Without his fixed daily training, he still did not slack off. He traveled during the day, and after finding somewhere to stay at night, he circulated his Soul Power as usual.
Several days later, dusk fell.
Lin Feng found an inn in a small town and returned to his room after dinner.
He shut the door and windows, sat down beside the bed, then lifted the restriction on communicating through thoughts.
He was unsure how far away Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo, who were following him in secret, were, so he had refrained from releasing his Martial Soul Bibi Dong.
"I've been traveling for days. Tonight, I'm enjoying a night at an inn," Lin Feng explained first.
"Lin Feng." Martial Soul Bibi Dong's voice soon rang out. "There is something I wish to discuss with you."
Lin Feng said calmly:
"Go ahead."
Martial Soul Bibi Dong said, "Now that you can venture out to gain experience on your own, it is time to consider certain matters."
At her words, something stirred in Lin Feng's mind, and he asked:
"You mean taking revenge for you?"
"Indeed." Bibi Dong did not deny it and said solemnly, "I do not wish to see Spirit Hall destroyed again, nor do I want Xue'er to suffer her divine seat shattering a second time. Since we have a chance to start over, we must do something."
Lin Feng did not answer immediately.
Over the past six years, his life had become very different from what he had imagined when he first transmigrated.
Pope Bibi Dong taught him earnestly, Hu Liena treated him affectionately, and Spirit Hall had provided him with a stable environment for cultivation.
When the time truly came for Spirit Hall to go to war with Tang San, he certainly could not simply say it had nothing to do with him and hide on the sidelines.
But that did not mean he would let Bibi Dong dictate everything.
"I can help you change certain things."
Lin Feng slowly said in his mind, "But I have to judge how to do it myself. You can't get so caught up in revenge that you send me to fight Tang San to the death right now."
"His father, Tang Hao, has been following him in secret all along."
"I did not tell you to act now." Bibi Dong's voice grew a little heavier as she continued, "Precisely because I know what sort of person he will become, I understand all the better that some things cannot be judged solely by what is before us."
Somewhat puzzled, Lin Feng pressed:
"Such as?"
Bibi Dong continued:
"I have already told you many things about the future. You know Tang San later became the Sea God, but you may not understand that the Asura God's arrangements also lay behind his ability to defeat Xue'er and me."
Hearing that name, Lin Feng instinctively sat up straight.
Of course he knew the Asura God had been helping Tang San in secret all along. He had even suspected at one point that Tang San's transmigration had something to do with that fellow.
But under the present circumstances, he could only pretend he knew nothing.
"How can you be sure?"
"I personally died beneath that power. Do you think I could not deduce anything?" Bibi Dong fell silent for a moment before speaking again.
"Tang San clearly received the Sea God Inheritance, yet in the end, he could wield the Asura God's power. That was absolutely not something a newly ascended god could accomplish on the spur of the moment."
"I fear the Asura God had made arrangements within him long before."
After hearing her out, Lin Feng remained silent for a long time.
Bibi Dong did not hurry him.
She was now merely a Martial Soul, her former divine power long gone. Ultimately, she could not change the future without this boy.
After a while, Lin Feng suddenly said, "In that case, let's first find a way to seize the opportunities Tang San would obtain in the future."
Bibi Dong asked, "What do you mean?"
"First, make ourselves stronger, then find ways to reduce the benefits Tang San can gain later." Lin Feng did not release his Martial Soul and continued speaking in his mind.
"I know a place with plenty of precious medicinal herbs, including immortal herbs."
"Immortal herbs?" At this, a hint of surprise entered Bibi Dong's voice, and she asked, "You know where those things are?"
"The Heaven Dou Empire, Sunset Forest, the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well."
"There are two springs there, one cold and one hot, with many unusual medicinal herbs growing around them. Some of the immortal herbs can improve one's constitution and raise Soul Power, and even make a Martial Soul evolve."
Bibi Dong did not rush to reply. His words were far too specific to have been casually made up.
"Have you been there before?"
"No."
"Then how did you learn about it?"
Lin Feng offered no explanation, merely saying in his mind, "I have my own methods. Once we find the place, you'll know whether it's true."
Over the years, Bibi Dong had noticed more than once that Lin Feng seemed to know even more than she did. Could he have been reborn too?
But since Lin Feng was unwilling to speak, Bibi Dong naturally could not get an answer out of him.
For now, Bibi Dong seemed more concerned with another question and asked, "What does that place have to do with Tang San?"
Lin Feng explained:
"The immortal herbs there would originally have fallen into his hands."
"He would also share them with the people around him."
At that thought, he narrowed his eyes.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda becoming the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, Ma Hongjun's Evil Fire being resolved, and Tang San's own Ice and Fire Body Tempering.
All those opportunities began there.
Without the help of immortal herbs, how could the Shrek Seven Devils have made up for their shortcomings so smoothly and rapidly improved their cultivation aptitude?
And there was still some time before Tang San encountered the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, so naturally, he had to get there first.
Martial Soul Bibi Dong asked:
"So, you intend to take those medicinal herbs first?"
Lin Feng answered without the slightest hesitation, "Take all of them. Since I know they're there, I can hardly leave them waiting for Tang San to pick."
This time, Bibi Dong did not object.
If those immortal herbs truly had such effects, obtaining them first could indeed change many things.
"But with so many precious medicinal herbs growing there, is no one guarding it?"
Lin Feng paused, then explained:
"There is."
"Poison Douluo, Dugu Bo."
"I am familiar with this man." Qian Renxue suddenly spoke through their mental connection. "He has dealings with the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, and his granddaughter Dugu Yan matters most to him. If you wish to negotiate with him, you can consider approaching it from that angle."
Hearing this, Lin Feng committed her words to memory. As a transmigrator, how could he not know what Qian Renxue had told him?
Upon hearing that name, Bibi Dong immediately understood the trouble involved. "A Titled Douluo's belongings are not so easy to take."
"I know."
Lin Feng glanced at the tightly shut window. Since the Pope had already arranged for people to follow him, he would naturally consider how to make use of that protection.
"As for how to negotiate with Dugu Bo, that will have to wait until we find the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well."
After the three briefly discussed it, Lin Feng calmed his mind once more and continued circulating his Soul Power to cultivate.
More than ten days later.
Heaven Dou City.
Upon entering the city gates, Lin Feng did not hurry to find lodging. Instead, he first asked about Sunset Forest's location, though he did not mention Dugu Bo directly.
A twelve-year-old boy asking everywhere about a Titled Douluo's whereabouts would have been far too conspicuous.
He only asked a Soul Master who had just returned from Sunset Forest in a shop selling Soul Beast materials.
"You're going Soul Hunting?" The man glanced at him and pointed toward the outskirts of the city.
"The outer area is fine, but don't wander into the depths. There's also a mountainous area inside shrouded in poisonous mist all year round. If you see it, you'd best go around."
"Are there poison-attribute Soul Beasts there?"
"Who knows? Anyway, few people who go in are willing to return. There aren't even many Soul Beasts around there."
Lin Feng committed those words to memory and thanked him.
After leaving the shop.
He stood beside the street and looked toward Sunset Forest.