127: Wanling Zhenbang

Liu Yuer gently stroked the bell at her waist and suddenly spoke, "I was perusing the Sect's archives the other day and read that the cultivation of the Spirit Summoning Technique is closely related to the quality of the Spirit Beast one communicates with. If one could witness or even possess a powerful Spirit Beast, it would be of great benefit to one's cultivation."

Chu Yunshen nodded in agreement, "That is indeed true. The Myriad Spirit True Ranking records the most supreme Spirit Beasts in the world. It is said that any single one on the list possesses heaven-defying and earth-shattering capabilities."

"The Myriad Spirit True Ranking?" Chen Mo revealed a look of yearning. "It is rumored that every mature Spirit Beast ranked in the top hundred is comparable to a Nascent Soul Cultivator. If one could gain the recognition of just one, the Spirit Summoning Technique would surely advance by leaps and bounds."

The Shen Qingchen brothers exchanged glances and sighed, "Unfortunately, such Spirit Beasts are rare and hard to find. I heard that in the entire Canglan Continent, there are no more than three Sects that possess a Spirit Beast from the Myriad Spirit True Ranking."

At this moment, Liu Yuer lowered her voice, "Actually... our Qingxia Sect has one." Seeing everyone looking at her in shock, she continued, "It is the Golden-Scaled Turtle of the Sect Master, my Revered Master, which ranks fifty-ninth on the Myriad Spirit True Ranking."

The crowd was instantly in an uproar.

"It is a pity that we have no chance to see its glory," Chen Mo sighed softly. "It is said that it guards the Sect's Forbidden Ground all year round and will not appear unless the Sect is at a critical juncture of survival."

Liu Yuer nodded, "I only saw it once when I was young, and I still cannot forget that majestic aura." She changed the subject, "However, Revered Master once said that if one can find a high-level Spirit Beast that matches one's own attributes, it is not impossible to recreate the miracle of a Spirit Beast acknowledging its Revered Master."

These words left the present Disciples in deep thought. Lin Feng's gaze flickered; he had gained a new understanding of the Spirit Summoning Technique. It turned out that this art not only emphasized the control of spiritual power but was also closely related to the quality of the Spirit Beast.

The days of cultivation in the Qingxia Sect passed like flowing water, and in the blink of an eye, three months had passed.

Today was the day of the Spirit Summoning Technique examination for the Inner Sect Disciples. Not only did the seven Prodigy Disciples at the Late Foundation Establishment Stage have to demonstrate their cultivation results, but even the ordinary Disciples observing from the sidelines had gathered around.

After the seven Disciples had finished their demonstrations one by one, Elder Zhou signaled for Lin Feng, who was in the corner, to step forward, "You should try it as well."

The crowd below was instantly in an uproar. How could a Qi Refinement Stage Disciple be worthy of standing on the same stage as a Prodigy at the Late Foundation Establishment Stage?

Lin Feng walked calmly to the last stone platform. He did not form any hand seals; he simply stood still with his eyes closed. A moment later, three-colored light suddenly rippled around his body.

The three colors intertwined into a hazy halo. Although it did not condense into a specific beast shape, it caused all the Spirit Beasts present to raise their heads and whimper simultaneously.

"This is... Three-Spirit Resonance?" Chen Mo gasped in surprise.

What was even more shocking was that as Lin Feng casually practiced basic fist techniques, they unexpectedly contained both the ferocity of the Crimson Flame Tiger, the flexibility of the Azure Water Flood Dragon, and the agility of the Wood Spirit Butterfly.

Three completely different Concepts were seamlessly integrated in his hands. Although the power was not as great as that of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, the refinement of the Concept was even superior.

A brilliant light flickered in Liu Yuer's eyes. She could see clearly that this youth's control over spiritual power had reached a Transcendent state; the three types of spiritual power were like an extension of his own arm, clearly a sign of Minor Achievement in the Spirit Summoning Technique.

The recording Jade Slip in Elder Zhou's hand trembled slightly. He had been cultivating for two hundred years and had never seen anyone reach such a Realm in the Spirit Summoning Technique during the Qi Refinement Stage. This youth's talent was likely even more astonishing than the Sect Master's back in the day.

The ordinary Disciples below were already dumbfounded. They had cultivated bitterly for years and found it difficult to communicate with even one Spirit Beast, yet this youth could control the power of three Spirit Beasts simultaneously?

After the examination ended, Liu Yuer walked quickly to Lin Feng's side, her eyes still filled with lingering shock, "To invoke the power of three Spirit Beasts simultaneously just now... this is the first time Yuner has seen such a method."

Lin Feng returned the courtesy modestly, "I have had a slight realization, I hope I haven't made a fool of myself in front of Senior Sister Liu."

She paused slightly, organizing her thoughts. Her voice was soft but could not hide her shock, "Revered Master once said that the most difficult part of the Spirit Summoning Technique is not the grade of the Spirit Beast being communicated with, but the number of Spirit Beasts one can control simultaneously. For every additional one communicated with, the risk of spiritual power conflict increases exponentially. Even for a Late Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator, being able to stably control two is already rare."

Liu Yuer looked at the stone platform where Lin Feng had just stood, her tone filled with a touch of yearning, "It is said that if one can control five Spirit Beasts of different attributes simultaneously, one can form a Five Elements mutual generation formation. However..." she shook her head gently, "No one in the Sect has ever achieved this."

Lin Feng listened quietly, his gaze calm. He naturally understood the deeper meaning in Liu Yuer's words. He did not wish to attract too much attention. After all, the Nine Profound Sword Heart Art could evolve into thousands of variations and could draw the essence of various attributes into the Sword Heart, far exceeding mere Five Elements attributes.

"Senior Sister Liu is too kind," Lin Feng returned the courtesy modestly, "I just happened to grasp a few tricks by luck; I am still far from truly controlling multiple Spirit Beasts."

Liu Yuer shook her head, "Junior Brother does not need to be overly humble. The scene of the three spirits dancing together just now cannot be explained by the word 'luck'. May I ask, Senior Brother, how you resolved the conflict of spiritual power?"

At this moment, other Disciples also gathered around, clearly all very concerned about this question. Although Chu Yunshen did not speak, his gaze also held a look of inquiry.

Lin Feng pondered for a moment and selectively revealed some insights, "The key lies in finding the balance point between spiritual powers. It is just like the Five Elements mutual generation and restriction; if one can grasp the rhythm within it, one can naturally turn conflict into harmony."

These words were vague, yet they left everyone present in deep thought. Liu Yuer's eyes lit up, as if she had thought of something.

Elder Zhou stroked his beard and smiled in the distance. This Lin Feng not only had extraordinary talent but, more importantly, knew how to hide his true abilities. He had clearly glimpsed the true essence of the Spirit Summoning Technique, yet he only called it "a realization by luck."

Flowers bloomed and withered, and in the blink of an eye, another half a year passed.

Inside the Mission Hall of the Qingxia Sect, there was a commotion.

"Let Junior Brother Lin, who is in the Qi Refinement Stage, follow Senior Sister Liu to subdue a Fourth-Rank Yao Beast? Elder Zhou, are you not joking?" Zhao Hanzhi was the first to stand up and object, and other Foundation Establishment Cultivators also echoed her sentiments.

"Elder Zhou, you want me to take Junior Brother Lin to subdue a Fourth-Rank 'Iron-Armored Crocodile'?" She couldn't help but confirm, "That Yao Beast lives in the depths of the poisonous swamp, and even Late Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivators have to form a team to go there..."

Elder Zhou stroked his beard and said, "This is the Sect Master's intention. He said that Lin Feng has a special talent for the Spirit Summoning Technique and might be able to help."

On the day of departure, Liu Yuer looked at Lin Feng, who was only in the Qi Refinement Stage, and sighed inwardly. She really did not understand why the Sect Master—who was her Revered Master and also her father—wanted her to take this "dead weight" to carry out such a dangerous mission.

On the way, Liu Yuer couldn't help but ask, "Junior Brother Lin, do you know why the Sect Master specifically named you to accompany me?"

Lin Feng replied respectfully, "I do not know. Perhaps the Sect Master felt that if I went out for training with Senior Sister, I could learn more, or perhaps I could be of some small help."

Liu Yuer shook her head and sighed softly, "I hope so. That Iron-Armored Crocodile has scales as hard as iron and can spray poisonous fog. Last time I went with Senior Brother Zhao and the others, we almost suffered a loss."

Deep in the dense forest behind the Qingxia Sect, ancient trees towered into the sky, and vines were intertwined. Lin Feng and Liu Yuer flew through the air one after the other.

"After passing through this forest, we will be in the poisonous swamp area." Liu Yuer stopped, took out a Poison-Avoiding Pill and swallowed it, then handed one to Lin Feng, "Junior Brother, remember to follow me closely; the poisonous swamp is fraught with danger."

Lin Feng nodded in agreement, but his gaze looked toward the southeast with a thoughtful expression. Suddenly, he reached out to stop Liu Yuer, who was about to move forward, "Senior Sister Liu, wait a moment."

Liu Yuer turned her head in confusion, "What is it?"