42: Star-patterned iron

Lin Feng held his mother's hand, his gaze clear and firm: "Mother, these things are not essential for me. I have other means to rely on. I'll feel at ease leaving only if I leave them for Father, Mother, and Xue'er. Please, Father and Mother, accept them, and do not make a fuss."

His words carried an undeniable force.

Lin Qingshan looked deeply at his son, as if truly seeing him for the first time.

He saw the self-confidence, responsibility, and determination to protect his family in his son's eyes. He asked no more questions, nodding heavily: "Good! Your father and mother will accept them! Lin Feng, you… be careful in everything!"

"Ge Ge… don't go…" Xiao Yu seemed to sense the atmosphere of parting, her small mouth pouted, her big eyes filled with tears, clutching Lin Feng's clothes tightly, refusing to let go.

Tenderness is always fleeting.

Under his parents' tearful gazes and Xiao Yu's crying shouts of "Ge Ge," Lin Feng hardened his heart, turned, and summoned his Moon Shuttle, transforming into a silver streak of light that vanished into the sky above Azure Wave Island. He did not look back, fearing that if he did, he would be reluctant to leave this ordinary warmth.

Early the next morning, as the sky just began to lighten, Lin Feng, under the tearful gaze of his parents and Xiao Xue'er's reluctant cries of "Goodbye, Ge Ge," summoned his Moon Shuttle, transforming into a streak of light that shot into the sky, instantly disappearing into the horizon of Azure Wave Island.

The Moon Shuttle sliced through the sea breeze, landing once again on the shore of Black Reef Island.

This time, Lin Feng's mood was even calmer, filled with infinite anticipation for the future.

He walked straight to the Spiritual Field area. The Jade Emperor Bee swarm still buzzed around the Jujube Pear trees, seemingly restless at their master's return. Lin Feng took out the two newly acquired Beast Bags and walked to the beehive.

"Little ones, it's time to move."

He practiced calming the Jade Emperor Bee Queen with his Divine Sense.

The Jade Emperor Bee Queen transmitted feelings of resistance and unease. Lin Feng, left with no choice, forcibly enveloped the entire beehive with Spiritual Qi, carefully removed it from the tree branch, and placed it into one of the Beast Bags.

He then opened the other Beast Bag and, using gentle wood-attribute Spiritual Qi, guided the flying bee swarm slowly into it.

The entire process lasted for about half an hour before the bee swarm was completely subdued. Both Beast Bags were slightly bulging, emitting a gentle spiritual glow and a low hum.

After a final glance at this desolate reef island, which had once held the secret of his initial rise and was now restored to its "barren" state, Lin Feng no longer lingered and stepped onto his Moon Shuttle.

Leaving Black Reef Island, Lin Feng piloted the Moon Shuttle directly towards the nearest small Cultivator market he remembered—White Sand Market. The sea wind howled, blowing across his increasingly composed face, a result of his improved cultivation.

He mused: He needed to sell some of the processed Yao Beast Materials, replenish the special Talisman Ink Materials required for Talisman drawing, and most importantly, find clues for "star pattern iron" or similar spiritual Materials capable of carrying the power of stars, as mentioned in the Formation books.

White Sand Market was located on the edge of an island slightly larger than Black Reef Island and with slightly richer Spiritual Qi.

Though called a market, it was more like a slightly larger fishing village. Along a few simple stone slab streets, scattered shops and stalls, run by Cultivators or Mortals, could be found. The air was a mixture of fishy smells, medicinal herbs, and the metallic scent of low-quality Magical Artifacts.

Lin Feng concealed his aura to the sixth level of Qi Refining and moved through it discreetly. He first sold some processed, inconspicuous Yao Beast Materials in batches to several different general stores, exchanging them for several hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones, barely covering his previous expenditures.

Afterward, his target shifted to the Talisman Material shop.

In an old shop named "Ink Rhyme Studio," he purchased several upgraded Materials for basic Talisman Ink: second-tier Yao Beast blood, Spirit Calming Grass juice, and a batch of better quality first-tier Talisman Paper, plus some Spiritual Plant seeds for making second-tier Talisman Paper, specifically Sword Star Grass seeds.

The shop owner, an old Cultivator at the fifth level of Qi Refining, saw that Lin Feng's selections were quite professional, and his attitude became more cordial.

"Fellow Daoist is a Talisman Master? Looking at the Materials you've chosen, are you trying to draw first-tier Medium Grade Talismans?" the old shop owner asked, stroking his beard.

Lin Feng vaguely replied, "I have a rough understanding and am currently exploring. Shopkeeper, I wonder if you have heard of a spiritual material called 'star pattern iron' here? Or, Ore that contains the power of stars?"

star pattern iron could also be a raw material for drawing spiritual Talismans.

"star pattern iron?" A hint of surprise flashed in the old shop owner's eyes, then he shook his head. "That's a rare item! It's said to contain faint stellar essence and is a Material for refining certain special Formation Flags, High Grade Talisman Brushes, or even Magical Artifacts with star attributes.

In a small market like ours, you might not see a piece the size of a fingernail in decades. If Fellow Daoist truly needs it, you might have to go to a large city like 'Heavenly Star City,' or… keep an eye out for special auctions or black markets."

Lin Feng's heart sank slightly, but it was within his expectations. He paid the Spirit Stones and was about to leave when the old shop owner lowered his voice: "If Fellow Daoist really wants to try your luck, you might as well go to 'Old Cripple's' dilapidated boathouse at the west end of the market. That old fellow has wild connections and often has some strange, illicit items, but the price… hehe, is also quite steep."

Lin Feng's heart stirred, he thanked him, and turned to leave.

He first wandered around other areas of the market, purchasing some ordinary Medicinal Pills for healing and restoring Qi, before finally strolling seemingly inadvertently to the far west end of the market.

Here, near the abandoned dock, the air was filled with a strong smell of fish and decaying wood. In front of a crooked shack built from broken boat planks, an old man with gray hair, a face full of wrinkles, and a noticeably withered leg, was puffing on a dry tobacco pipe, squinting in the sun.

His aura was faint, as if he were a Mortal, but Lin Feng's spiritual sense subtly felt a chill of being spied upon. This person was definitely not simple.

"Fellow Daoist, I heard you have some things here that can't be found elsewhere?" Lin Feng approached, getting straight to the point.

The old cripple's cloudy eyes rolled, sizing up Lin Feng for a few moments, and he spoke hoarsely: "I have things, depends on what you want and what price you can afford."

Lin Feng did not directly mention star pattern iron, but instead said: "I need some special Artifact Refining Materials, preferably those with Yin-cold attributes or containing the power of stars. If there are any good Talisman Brush blanks, I can also take a look."

The old cripple tapped his tobacco pipe, slowly got up, and limped into the shack. Inside, it was dark and cluttered, piled high with rusty boat anchors, ropes, unknown beast bones, and Ore.

From the bottom of a greasy wooden box, he pulled out two items.

The first was a fist-sized piece of Ore, entirely dark blue, with what looked like ice crystals flowing within it, emitting a biting coldness. "Deep Sea Cold Iron Mother, first-tier High Grade, when refined into a Flying Sword, it can increase its sharpness and coldness. Five hundred Spirit Stones."

The second item was a palm-sized dark purple wooden box. The old cripple opened the lid, and inside lay a small section of metal strip, about the thickness of a finger, with a dark color like the night sky, and its surface covered with extremely fine, seemingly naturally formed silver stippled patterns. It had no dazzling light, but it emitted a deep, distant, almost light-absorbing strange fluctuation.

"Here, this one. I don't know if it's the 'star pattern iron' you're looking for. I dug it out of the belongings of an unlucky Outer Sect Disciple from the Starry Sky Pavilion. There's only this small piece. One thousand Spirit Stones, no bargaining," the old cripple said calmly, but his eyes were fixed on Lin Feng.

Lin Feng's heart suddenly leaped! This was it! Although the quantity was extremely small, far from enough to refine a Formation Flag, its characteristic stellar power highly matched the description in the Jade Slip of "Elementary Formations"!