95: Escape and Cultivation of Sound

The cold, salty, and uniquely putrid smell of seaweed-laden sea breeze scraped across Lin Feng's cheek like a knife.

He sat cross-legged atop a massive, mirror-smooth black reef, polished by the waves. Beneath him, the faint glow of a rudimentary Dust Repelling Array barely shielded him from the encroaching sea wind and any potential prying eyes.

This was a cluster of isolated reefs deep within an unnamed sea area, far from any known shipping lanes or islands. Seven full days had passed since he had fled for his life from Black Reef Island, which had been thoroughly contaminated by true Devilish Qi.

Seven days.

Seven days that felt like purgatory.

Using the surging undercurrents that poured into the sea caves, he narrowly escaped the frantic pursuit of three pseudo-Purple Mansion demonic creatures. The bone-chilling seawater, immense water pressure, ubiquitous undercurrent whirlpools, and the fierce sea monsters he could encounter at any moment… every step was like dancing on a knife's edge.

He dared not surface, relying only on the Turtle Breath Qi Concealment Art and his meager Spiritual Qi to move underwater. He only dared to briefly surface in remote, uninhabited reef clusters when his Spiritual Qi was exhausted or when he needed to ascertain his direction.

The Spirit Stones and Medicinal Pills in his Storage Pouch were rapidly depleted, and his mind was constantly taut, like a fully drawn bowstring.

Fortunately, the three monsters, deeply corrupted by true Devilish Qi and left with only destructive instincts, seemed to possess no great intelligence and had left no tracking mark on him. After seven days of desperate flight, there was no longer any trace of pursuers behind him, only the boundless, dark green surging waves and the ceaseless sea wind.

Now, after confirming his temporary safety, Lin Feng's taut nerves finally relaxed slightly. He swallowed the last Medium Grade Qi Recovery Pill, closed his eyes, and fully circulated the Overturning Sea Sword Art. In his Dantian Qi Sea, Spiritual Qi, like a parched riverbed, greedily absorbed the pure medicinal power released by the pill, as well as the pitifully thin Spiritual Qi in the surrounding air.

Time flowed in silence. The sun set, the moon rose, and the tides ebbed and flowed.

As the seventh day's morning sun pierced the horizon, casting myriad golden rays upon this solitary reef cluster, the dormant Spiritual Qi within Lin Feng, like a sleeping volcano, finally accumulated to a critical point!

Boom!

A roar, audible only to himself, exploded in his Dantian! The once calm Qi Sea suddenly churned with monstrous waves! Potent Spiritual Qi, like a burst flood, wildly scoured his limbs and bones! His muscles and bones resonated, and his Bloodline surged!

Foundation Establishment Third Layer!

It was a natural progression!

An aura several times more powerful than before suddenly erupted from Lin Feng's body, causing the reef beneath him to tremble slightly and startling several resting seabirds into flight.

He slowly opened his eyes, his deep gaze shining brightly, all fatigue gone, replaced by a sense of abundant power and the composure of one who had survived a great calamity.

“Hoo…” Lin Feng slowly and lengthily exhaled a mouthful of turbid Qi, as if to expel all the fear, exhaustion, and impurities accumulated over these seven days. The turbid Qi, once outside his body, transformed into a condensed white streak that lingered in the sea wind for a long time.

He lowered his head to examine himself.

His magical robe was already tattered, stained with blood, seawater salt, and marks from rubbing against reefs.

The area on his back where the true Devilish Death Qi had grazed him, though not deeply corrupted thanks to the passive restraint of Demon Slayer and the Foundation of the Rock Body Tempering Art, still bore a scorched burn mark that throbbed faintly.

“Finally… I survived,” Lin Feng muttered, his voice a little hoarse.

He felt the powerful strength of the Foundation Establishment Third Layer within him, but there was little of the wild joy of Breakthrough. This Breakthrough, rather than being solely a result of Cultivation, was more a natural outcome of accumulation over days of fighting on the brink of death and continuously refining the pure energy gained from slaying demonic Cultivators.

It was a Realm forged in blood and fire.

He stood up and walked to the edge of the reef, gazing at the boundless, dark sea.

The sea wind whipped, fluttering his torn robe.

Surviving was just the first step. What came next was the real trouble.

Lin Feng's eyes were calm, like a bottomless cold pond. He began to sort out his current predicament.

First, and most urgent—the Positioning and Attraction Art!

He subconsciously touched the area beneath his left shoulder blade. There, beneath his skin, an invisible rune, composed of pure Spiritual Qi, lurked like a bone-deep maggot. This was a unique tracking spell under the Starfall Gate's conscription order!

Anyone conscripted, no matter where they were, as long as they were still in the Human Realm, the Starfall Gate Law Enforcement Hall could roughly pinpoint their location through the main altar's attraction array! When the conscription order was issued, this spell was silently imprinted on his body, impossible to resist.

“Unless this spell is removed, there will be no peace,” Lin Feng frowned deeply. He was a living target now. The Starfall Gate Law Enforcement Hall could come knocking at any time.

Would they give a reason? Too many! Desertion, failure to return on time to report, or he might even be accused of deserting in battle or colluding with the Demonic Path! After all, the true Devilish Qi incident was too horrifying, and he was one of the few survivors who knew about it.

Given the Starfall Gate's usual domineering style, to cover up certain “truths” or quell panic, it was perfectly normal for them to make an example of a “cannon fodder” like him, who had no background.

However, with the current Demonic Path invasion and the Star Luo Sect in crisis, they would naturally be much kinder to their Loose Cultivators. He would have to take it one step at a time!

He attempted to use his Divine Sense to observe internally, cautiously approaching the attraction rune. The rune's structure was exceptionally complex and intricate; its core seemed to be connected to some profound rule power, far beyond what his current Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivation could comprehend, let alone forcibly erase. Forcing an impact could very likely trigger a backlash, resulting in minor injuries or, worse, directly activating the attraction array, exposing his precise location, and inviting a thunderous pursuit!

“At least a Golden Core Stage Cultivation or a Great Master proficient in high-level Talisman Formations is needed to safely remove it without alarming the array…” Lin Feng's expression was grave. Both paths were beyond his reach.

He was currently “Lin Jiu,” a Foundation Establishment Loose Cultivator conscripted by the Starfall Gate.

The Black Reef Island mission, nominally a garrison duty, was in reality a near-death experience. The mission itself was a complete failure—the island was contaminated by true Devilish Qi, and the core area had fallen. But he was not without contribution.

“Blood Bone Shaman… although Senior Iron Sword was the main attacker, my Demon Slayer Divine Ability was the crucial blow, heavily damaging his Origin and ultimately leading to his demise… This was a genuine Purple Mansion Middle Stage Devil Head!”

“Killed three Late Stage and seven or more Middle Stage ordinary demonic Cultivators… though most were accomplished under the cover of Formations…”

“Assisted Senior Iron Sword in holding the core area for seven days, delaying until reinforcements arrived…”

“At the last moment, lured away three pseudo-Purple Mansion demonic creatures corrupted by true Devilish Qi, buying time for other Fellow Daoists to escape…”

Lin Feng silently calculated his “achievements” in his mind.

The Starfall Gate had a relatively complete contribution system. Killing high-level demonic Cultivators, protecting important figures, and completing key mission objectives could all earn substantial contribution points.

“Contribution points…” A glint flashed in Lin Feng's eyes. This was the only lifeline he could grasp at the moment! Contribution points were hard currency within the Starfall Gate; they could be exchanged for Cultivation Techniques, Medicinal Pills, Magical Artifacts, Talismans, and even…

Eliminate certain negative records or gain protection! If he could prove his worth, prove that he was not a deserter in the Black Reef Island incident but a survivor who had made contributions, perhaps… the Law Enforcement Hall would have some scruples? At least, he could gain an opportunity to explain?

But this idea was quickly doused by the cold water of reality.

“Evidence?” Lin Feng gave a bitter smile. The scene was utterly chaotic at the time; who could testify for him? Senior Iron Sword's fate was unknown, and Chen Hai and Old Sun were too busy looking after themselves. Would the Starfall Gate believe that a Foundation Establishment Cultivator like him could participate in slaying a Purple Mansion Devil Head? More likely, his “contributions” would be easily erased or claimed by others, while he would be saddled with various charges.

He touched the heavy, large Storage Pouch at his waist.

Inside, besides his original belongings, the most important spoils of war, there were also those three strange Jade Slips recording research on true Devilish Qi! Although the situation was urgent at the time and he had no leisure to examine them closely, their value was likely inestimable, and their danger unimaginable, given how precious they were to that rogue Cultivator! Once leaked, the consequences would be dire.

The aftermath of the true Devilish Qi incident.

Black Reef Island being contaminated by true Devilish Qi was a world-shattering event!

The Starfall Gate, the Profound Heaven Sect, and even all Human Race forces in the nearby sea area would undoubtedly be stirred into a massive uproar! Tracing the source, eliminating remnants, sealing off information… the storm had just begun.

As a firsthand witness, a sensitive survivor with secrets, he was highly likely to be drawn into the eye of the storm.

“To return is a dangerous path. Not to return is also a dead end.” Lin Feng looked at the surging waves, his eyes constantly shifting.

To return meant facing interrogation by the Law Enforcement Hall, possible framing, the threat of the positioning spell, and the risk of his treasures being exposed.

Not to return meant being branded a traitor, subjected to relentless pursuit by the Starfall Gate, with the positioning spell like a sword hanging over his head, never finding peace.

Between two evils…

A sharp glint flashed in Lin Feng's eyes, and he made a decision instantly!

“I must go back! But not now! And certainly not in this state!”

He needed a buffer period, a time to improve his strength, eliminate hidden dangers, and gather as many bargaining chips as possible!

“The immediate priority is to thoroughly stabilize the Foundation Establishment Third Layer Realm and eliminate any hidden injuries caused by the continuous fighting and fleeing.” Lin Feng returned to the center of the reef, sat cross-legged, and took out a high-quality “Jade Marrow Pill” obtained from the rogue Cultivator's Storage Pouch. The pill melted upon entering his mouth, transforming into a warm, pure medicinal power that nourished his damaged Meridians and smoothed out tiny cracks.

He circulated the Overturning Sea Sword Art and the Ming Wang Purgatory Skill, guiding the medicinal power to refine his Spiritual Qi and solidify his Foundation.

“Secondly, use this time to fully study the Turtle Breath Qi Concealment Art!”

This time, Lin Feng truly felt the benefits of this Qi Concealing Technique.

Lin Feng separated a wisp of his mind, sinking it into his Sea of Consciousness, and began to comprehend the Profound Truths of this first-tier Qi Concealing Secret Art obtained from the Golden Scale Merchant Guild.

Although this art was not of high grade, if practiced to a profound level, it could not only greatly conceal one's Spiritual Qi fluctuations and aura but also simulate a state of suspended animation, reducing life signs! This might interfere with the accuracy of the Positioning and Attraction Art's sensing? At the very least, it would allow him to act more discreetly.

“Finally, and most importantly…” Lin Feng's gaze fell upon the black Storage Pouch, his expression grave.

He took a deep breath, cleared his mind of distractions, and fully immersed himself in Cultivation and comprehension. On the reef, only the roar of waves crashing against the shore remained, along with a solitary figure seeking survival in despair.

Time quietly flowed on the unnamed reef cluster, with sunrises and sunsets, tides ebbing and flowing.

Lin Feng was like a stubborn rock rooted in the reef, unmoving as a mountain.

The pure medicinal power of the Jade Marrow Pill, guided by the Overturning Sea Sword Art, flowed like a gentle stream, repeatedly scouring and nourishing his damaged Meridians, smoothing out the tiny cracks caused by forcibly activating the Demon Slayer Divine Ability and his desperate flight. In his Dantian Qi Sea, the Spiritual Qi of the Foundation Establishment Third Layer became increasingly potent and solid, like a surging great river flowing through its widened and reinforced channel, no longer having the previous ethereal and sluggish feeling.

The circulation of the Ming Wang Purgatory Skill also did not stop. His muscles and bones, under the dual tempering of Spiritual Qi and medicinal power, emitted a faint hum, and their toughness reached a new level.

The scorched burn mark on his back, where the true Devilish Death Qi had grazed him, also finally began to slowly shed its dead skin under the combined action of the Jade Marrow Pill's medicinal power and the Body Tempering Art, revealing new, jade-like skin beneath.

At the same time, most of his mind was immersed in his Sea of Consciousness, repeatedly deducing the Profound Truths of the Turtle Breath Qi Concealment Art.

The essence of this secret art lay in “concealment” and “stillness.”

Conceal aura, conceal Spiritual Qi, conceal vitality.

Still as a rock, still as withered wood, still as stagnant water in a deep pond.

Lin Jiu tried to slowly contract the surging Spiritual Qi within his body, like guiding a rushing river into a deep underground current. His breath became long and faint, his heartbeat slow and heavy, and the Spiritual Qi fluctuations emanating from his body flickered like a candle in the wind, eventually almost completely internalized.

His body temperature dropped, his skin became icy cold, and his entire being exuded an aura as still and lifeless as a reef.