18: keen observation

Several months passed. Lin Feng was almost fourteen years old, and he was not far from a Breakthrough to Level 5 Qi Refining. Just as Lin Feng was preparing to enter seclusion for a month to attempt this Breakthrough, news broke.

The four Foundation Establishment cultivators of Liuyun Market returned, injured and fleeing. Thousands of Cultivators who had gone to the Qingyun Mountain Range were dead or wounded; most did not return. All sorts of rumors about the ruins began to circulate in the market.

This news caused an uproar in Liuyun Market. Upon their return, the four Foundation Establishment Seniors immediately ordered the Cultivators of Liuyun Market to activate the market's defensive Formation and not to deactivate it without their command.

Panic spread throughout Liuyun Market. At this time, Lin Feng, unaware of what had happened, immediately returned to Liuyun Pavilion to gather information. Upon arriving, Lin Feng saw Xiong Hu, Ye Qingfeng, and others looking troubled.

Lin Feng nodded to Xiong Hu and the two others, then turned to Ye Qingfeng, asking with confusion, "Senior Brother Ye, what happened in Liuyun Market? Why has the grand defensive Formation been activated?"

Ye Qingfeng sighed deeply and, with some anger, informed Lin Feng, "The news about the so-called Great Cultivator's ruins was false. It was actually a trap set by the Blood Demon Sect. These remnants of the demonic cult, the Blood Demon Sect, dared to come to our Great Xin territory in the Qingyun Mountain Range and set up a trap. They deployed the Blood Transformation Array there, almost refining all the Cultivators who went to the so-called ruins."

"If it weren't for Martial Uncle Ye and the others' profound Cultivation and their initial suspicions that prevented them from going deeper, perhaps the four Martial Uncles would not have returned. I'm not entirely clear on the specifics, but as soon as Martial Uncle Ye and the others returned, they ordered us to activate the grand defensive Formation. All four Martial Uncles and Senior Martial Uncles are recuperating inside the pavilion, and no one is allowed to visit them without their summons."

Lin Feng's expression darkened upon hearing this. This implied that all four top combat powers of Liuyun Market were incapacitated. Not to mention the Blood Demon Sect outside, even within Liuyun Market itself, chaos could easily erupt if the four Foundation Establishment Seniors were not present to maintain order.

Lin Feng knew he couldn't panic at this moment. The current situation of the Blood Demon Sect members and whether this place could still be stayed in were uncertain. After pondering for a moment, Lin Feng looked at Ye Qingfeng and asked, "Senior Brother Ye, do you know the strength of that group from the Blood Demon Sect?"

Seeing Lin Feng inquire about the Blood Demon Sect, Ye Qingfeng informed Lin Feng and the others, "Junior Brother, I can tell you about this, but you must promise not to spread it. The Blood Demon Sect has ten Foundation Establishment cultivators, including one Late-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. This group from the Blood Demon Sect is not something our market can handle. So, to be safe, Martial Uncle and the others ordered everyone not to enter or leave the market as soon as they returned, and to activate the grand defensive Formation!"

Lin Feng and the others were startled to hear that the other side had ten Foundation Establishment cultivators. If these ten Cultivators were to attack the market together, without the four Foundation Establishment Seniors, the market would undoubtedly fall.

Thinking of this, Lin Feng's expression grew even more somber. Lin Feng looked at Ye Qingfeng and asked, "Senior Brother Ye, what about the Loose Cultivators outside Liuyun Market?"

Ye Qingfeng, hearing this, showed a hint of reluctance but then shook his head, "Junior Brother Lin, we can't worry about that now. Whether Liuyun Market can overcome this crisis is still unknown. If those from the Blood Demon Sect unite to attack the market, we can only defend to the death. We can only hope that Martial Uncle Ye and the others recover soon."

Lin Feng understood the gravity of the situation. Panic was spreading within Liuyun Market. If the situation couldn't be stabilized, chaos would likely erupt from within Liuyun Market even before the Blood Demon Sect attacked.

Thinking of this, Lin Feng said to Ye Qingfeng, "Senior Brother Ye, let's stabilize the situation first. You have prestige in the market, so perhaps you should go and reassure the Cultivators outside. Otherwise, Liuyun Market might fall into chaos even without the Blood Demon Sect making a move."

Ye Qingfeng agreed with Lin Feng. The situation was unclear, and panic was spreading within Liuyun Market. If the situation couldn't be stabilized, chaos would likely erupt from within Liuyun Market even before outside forces attacked.

Ye Qingfeng, agreeing with Lin Feng's point, no longer delayed. He turned and went to discuss with the resident managers of the other three major Sects in this area to first stabilize the chaotic situation in the market, and also to discuss some defensive matters.

Lin Feng did not participate in these matters at this time, because he knew that with his current Cultivation, he couldn't be of much help.

Lin Feng looked at Xiong Hu and the two others, telling them not to worry too much. At this time, they shouldn't cause more trouble, and their personal safety was paramount. Also, they should Cultivate diligently. Without strong Cultivation as a backing, entrusting one's life to others when something happens is not a wise thing to do.

Lin Feng currently had many Talismans. He gave ten to each person. After doing this, Lin Feng returned to his small courtyard and did not go out again. Lin Feng decided to accelerate his Cultivation at this time and enter seclusion.

No matter how chaotic it was outside, he couldn't be of much help. It was better to improve his Cultivation first. Every bit of Cultivation improvement was a gain, and a bit more strength meant a stronger ability to resist risks.

Liuyun Market was put under full lockdown afterward. As long as there were no accidents, Lin Feng believed that nothing would happen in the short term.

Lin Feng remained in seclusion for a month. In between, when he was too tired, Lin Feng only rested for three or four days, and also crafted Talismans to nourish his spirit. He also occasionally went out to check the situation inside Liuyun Market. At this time, he didn't know if the Sect had received the news and would come to provide support.

During this period, Lin Feng repeatedly sought out Ye Qingfeng to discuss the defensive arrangements of Liuyun Market. With the Formation activated, even if the Blood Demon Sect came to attack the market, they wouldn't be able to break through.

After much discussion among the managers, everyone unanimously agreed that the main problems were preventing internal unrest and being wary of betrayal or infiltrators. They strengthened the defenses at the core of the Formation to prevent it from being opened.

As for the four Foundation Establishment Martial Uncles and Senior Martial Uncles, among these four Foundation Establishment cultivators, only Xie Zian of the Yu Ling Sect had lighter injuries. This Senior Martial Uncle Xie, to prevent internal chaos in Liuyun Market, specifically made an appearance once to stabilize morale, which significantly calmed the panic among the numerous Loose Cultivators in the market.

After a month of consuming Medicinal Pills and diligently Cultivating, Lin Feng finally broke through Level 4 Qi Refining to become a Level 5 Qi Refining Cultivator. At this moment, Lin Feng's entries panel displayed a prompt.

Breakthrough Realm, gain entry selection rights.

One: Gray entry · Body Depletion (Body is prone to illness, Physique is very weak.) Can be advanced.

Two: Gray entry · Continuous Bad Luck (Plagued by misfortune, affecting relatives and friends) Note: Can be evolved.

Three: Blue entry · Keen Observation (Perceive subtle Domain fluctuations within ten zhang, and emotional fluctuations of people nearby.) Can be advanced once.

Lin Feng looked at the panel. This time, his Cultivation advancement didn't yield any talent-based entries. There were two trash entries, which Lin Feng naturally wouldn't choose. There was only this blue entry, Keen Observation.

Lin Feng felt that this blue entry didn't bring as many benefits as a green entry, but this entry was exactly what Lin Feng urgently needed at the moment. Without any hesitation, he chose Keen Observation.

Character: Lin Feng

Realm: Level 5 Qi Refining

Gray entry one: Early Misfortune (Early Misfortune, but after experiencing misfortune, there will be an opportunity, harmful to relatives.) Note: Cannot be advanced.

Green entry one: Diligence Can Compensate for Lack of Talent (Daily Cultivation for eight hours has double effect, every additional four hours adds another double effect) Note: Can be advanced once.

Green entry two: Minor Comprehension (Comprehension Ability is twice as high as ordinary people.) Can be advanced.

Green entry three: Talisman Control (Talisman crafting success rate increased by 30%.) Can be advanced.

Blue entry one: Spirit Rhinoceros Eye (Analyzes Cultivation Technique operation trajectories, can see through low-level spell arts, has a very small chance to replicate low-level spell arts, but replicating high-level spell arts will result in backlash.) Note: Can be evolved once.

Blue entry two: Keen Observation (Perceive subtle Spiritual Qi fluctuations within ten zhang, and emotional fluctuations of people nearby.) Can be advanced once.