342: Chapter 342 Facing It Together

One day, Chu Lan gathered everyone in the spirit plant garden.

She held an exquisite jade box in her hands, walked up to Gao Feng, and solemnly handed it to him.

"Senior Brother Gao Feng, this is for you."

Gao Feng took the jade box and opened it to see a fruit the size of a fist inside. The fruit was entirely silver, and faint, mysterious patterns were visible on its skin, emitting a faint power of time.

"This is a time spirit fruit," Chu Lan explained. "It was nourished by the time spirit spring and is the first fruit to ripen. It contains a faint power of time, and consuming it allows for a brief perception of the Law of time, which is of great benefit to breaking through in cultivation."

She looked at Gao Feng, her eyes filled with gratitude, and said, "This time in the Time Secret Realm, if you hadn't risked your life to protect me, I would have died at the hands of that remnant soul. This spirit fruit is a small token of my appreciation; please, you must accept it."

Gao Feng looked at her, smiled slightly, and said, "Alright, I will accept it."

He did not refuse. Because he knew that this spirit fruit held extraordinary significance for Chu Lan, and if he did not accept it, Chu Lan would feel uneasy instead.

He sat cross-legged on the spot and consumed the time spirit fruit.

The spirit fruit entered his stomach and transformed into a warm current that surged into his limbs and bones. Within that warm current was a faint but pure power of time, flowing slowly through his body.

He closed his eyes and began to refine this power.

The power of time merged with his War God Power, allowing his perception of the Law of time to reach an unprecedented height in a short period. Although it was only a brief perception, that profound experience deepened his understanding of the fourth form of the Nine Styles of the War God, "Time Breaking Delusion."

More importantly, nourished by this power, his cultivation began to loosen.

On the barrier of Foundation Establishment Fourth Layer Perfection, the crack grew larger and deeper. His spiritual power circulated frantically, repeatedly striking that barrier.

One day, two days, three days...

When the seventh day arrived, Gao Feng suddenly opened his eyes!

In those eyes, golden light flickered at this moment; it was the realization and confidence after a Breakthrough!

His cultivation, from Foundation Establishment Fourth Layer Perfection, had stepped into the Foundation Establishment Fifth Layer Late Stage in one go!

Although there was still a distance from Foundation Establishment Fifth Layer Perfection, this Breakthrough was greater than his gains from the previous three months of closed-door cultivation! He could feel that his control over power had risen to a new level, and his perception of the Law had deepened.

He stood up and walked out of the cultivation room.

Everyone had been waiting outside, and seeing him come out, they all gathered around.

"Did you break through?" Luo Li asked, her eyes filled with anticipation.

Gao Feng nodded and said, "Foundation Establishment Fifth Layer Late Stage."

Hearing this, everyone was both surprised and happy. Lin Yue grinned and said, "That's great! Now our team's strength has become much stronger!"

Chu Lan stepped forward and said, "Senior Brother Gao Feng, I still have some time spirit spring here, and I would like to share it with everyone."

Gao Feng looked at her and said, "This is your item; you decide for yourself."

Chu Lan nodded, took out several jade bottles, and handed them to everyone respectively.

"These time spirit springs can be used to assist in cultivation," she explained. "Consuming one drop before each cultivation session can increase cultivation efficiency and also allow for a brief perception of the Law of time. Although the effect is not as good as the time spirit fruit, it is still very useful."

Everyone took the jade bottles, all feeling extremely grateful.

In the following days, everyone began to use the time spirit spring for closed-door cultivation.

Luo Li went into closed-door cultivation in the melody room for ten days. She consumed one drop of time spirit spring daily, and with the assistance of the spring water, her perception of the Melody Sword Art became deeper and deeper. Ten days later, her cultivation broke through from Foundation Establishment Third Layer Late Stage to Foundation Establishment Fourth Layer Early Stage, and the Melody Sword Art also reached a new height.

Su Ning went into closed-door cultivation in the Immortal Cave for ten days. She already had a profound understanding of the Law of space, and now with the assistance of the time spirit spring, she also had a glimmer of perception regarding the Law of time.

Although time and space are two different Laws, there is a subtle connection between them. Ten days later, her cultivation stabilized at the Middle Stage Foundation Establishment Layer Four, and her space Spells became more refined.

Tianxin went into closed-door cultivation in the Immortal Cave for ten days. She combined the power of darkness with the time spirit spring to create a brand new "Time Darkness Talisman." This Talisman contained a faint power of time, which could cause the enemy to briefly fall into time stasis, and when combined with her assassination art, its power was multiplied. Ten days later, her cultivation broke through from Foundation Establishment Fourth Layer Early Stage to Middle Stage Foundation Establishment Layer Four.

Yaoguang went into closed-door cultivation in the alchemy room for ten days. Using the time spirit spring as a catalyst, she refined a batch of "Time Rejuvenation Pills." This Medicinal Pill contained a faint power of time and could instantly repair serious injuries, and could even bring back to life someone who had just died not long ago. Ten days later, her cultivation broke through from Foundation Establishment Third Layer Mid Stage to Foundation Establishment Third Layer Late Stage.

Lin Yue went into closed-door cultivation in the Immortal Cave for ten days. He integrated the time spirit spring into the Rock Demon Prison-Suppressing Array, giving the Rock Demon Phantom a faint power of time as well. Now his Rock Demon Phantom could not only defend but also interfere with enemies using the power of time. Ten days later, his cultivation stabilized at the Foundation Establishment Fourth Layer Early Stage, and his defensive capabilities reached a higher level.

Ten days later, everyone gathered together to exchange their respective gains.

Chu Lan looked at everyone, her eyes filled with gratification. She knew that with the time spirit spring, the cultivation resources of the fief would be greatly enriched, and everyone's cultivation speed would significantly increase.

And all of this was thanks to Gao Feng. If he hadn't risked his life to protect her, she would have died in the Time Secret Realm long ago.

She walked up to Gao Feng and said softly, "Senior Brother Gao Feng, thank you."

Gao Feng turned to look at her, smiled slightly, and said, "What are you thanking me for? We are teammates."

Chu Lan nodded, a determined light flashing in her eyes.

She knew that no matter what difficulties they encountered in the future, as long as Gao Feng was there, as long as these teammates were there, they would surely be able to overcome them. The effect of the time spirit spring was indeed extraordinary; in just half a month, the cultivation atmosphere of the entire fief had become heated. Those low-level Cultivators recruited by Chu Lan, with the assistance of the spirit spring, saw their cultivation progress by leaps and bounds, and their sense of belonging to the fief grew stronger and stronger.

One day, Tianxin came alone to the depths of the Immortal Cave and knocked on the door of Gao Feng's cultivation room.

Gao Feng was regulating his breath, and upon hearing the knock, he opened his eyes and said, "Come in."

Tianxin pushed the door open and entered, sitting down opposite him. She lowered her head and remained silent for a long while before opening her mouth to say, "Senior Brother Gao Feng, there is something I want to tell you."

Gao Feng looked at her, not urging her, but simply waiting quietly.

Tianxin took a deep breath and slowly raised her head. Those eyes, usually calm and self-restrained, were now filled with complex emotions—sadness, hatred, hesitation, and a trace of anticipation.

"That trace of dark Bloodline within me, you know about it," she said softly.

Gao Feng nodded. In the seventh layer of the Shadow Demon Dark Palace, that Shadow Demon Clan remnant soul had seen at a glance that Tianxin possessed a dark Bloodline, and it was precisely because of this that it had taught her the Shadow Demon Assassination Technique.

Tianxin continued, "This Bloodline originates from my father. He was a member of the Shadow Demon Clan."

Gao Feng was slightly startled, but quickly returned to calmness. He did not speak, only continued to listen.

"My mother was a human," Tianxin's voice became even deeper. "She was just an ordinary Loose Cultivator with no background. Back then, because my father was dissatisfied with the Shadow Demon Clan's massacre policy against the Human Race, he betrayed the Shadow Demon Clan and fled to the Human Realm. There, he met my mother; the two fell in love, and then they had me."

She paused, a look of pain flashing in her eyes. "But good times do not last. The Shadow Demon Clan would not let a traitor go. They sent pursuers, led by an Elder at the Golden Core Second Layer, named Shadow Venerable. In that battle, my father resisted with his life, but in the end, he was no match. He told my mother to take me and flee, while he stayed behind to hold off the pursuers..."

Tianxin's voice began to tremble. "Mother held me and fled desperately, fleeing for three days and three nights. But the pursuers still caught up with us. Mother hid me in a tree hollow and blocked the entrance with her body, not letting those pursuers discover me. Then..."

She could not continue, tears streaming from her eyes.

Gao Feng remained silent, reached out, and gently placed his hand on her shoulder. That palm was warm and powerful, causing Tianxin's trembling body to gradually calm down.

After a long while, Tianxin continued. "I don't know how my mother died. I only remember that she was fighting those pursuers outside the entrance; the noise was very loud and chaotic. Then everything became quiet. I hid in the tree hollow for three days and three nights until a passing Wuxiang Sect Cultivator discovered me."

"That Cultivator brought me back to the Sect and gave me to an outer Sect Elder to raise. That Elder named me Tianxin, taught me to Cultivate, and treated me like his own daughter. He did not ask where I came from, did not ask who my parents were, but only said: 'Let the past be the past; from now on, you are a Disciple of the Wuxiang Sect, you are of the Human Race.'"

Tianxin raised her head and looked at Gao Feng, her eyes filled with tears. "But Senior Brother Gao Feng, I cannot forget. Every night I dream, dreaming of my father fighting in a sea of blood, dreaming of my mother blocking the entrance with her body. I want to avenge them, but... but I am too weak. Shadow Venerable is at the Golden Core Second Layer, and I have only just reached the Foundation Establishment Fourth Layer; how could I possibly be his opponent?"

She lowered her head, her voice becoming choked with sobs. "So all these years, I have only been able to bury the hatred in the bottom of my heart, pretending that nothing had happened. I have Cultivated desperately, trying to become stronger, but... but every time I think about facing a powerhouse at the Golden Core Second Layer, I..."

Gao Feng suddenly spoke. "Do you want to go take revenge?"

Tianxin suddenly raised her head and looked at him.

Gao Feng's gaze was calm and firm. "I am asking you, do you want to go take revenge?"

Tianxin opened her mouth but did not know what to say. She wanted to, of course she wanted to; she dreamed of it in her sleep. But...

Gao Feng said, "If you want to go, I will go with you."

Tianxin was stunned.

Gao Feng continued, "Shadow Venerable is at the Golden Core Second Layer. With my current strength and your assassination art, it is not as if we don't have the power to fight. Moreover, we also have Luo Li, Su Ning, and Chu Lan and the others. If the seven of us go together, even if we cannot win, it is not certain that we cannot retreat unscathed."