139: Floating islands

Lin Feng’s brows were tightly locked, lightning flickering on his fingertips.

“illusion heart vine.”

The moment these three words escaped his lips, the older Disciple jerked his head up, disbelief and shock flashing in his eyes: “You... how do you know our Sect's secrets?”

The lightning net tightened abruptly, electric light wrapping around his throat.

Lin Feng spoke coldly: “I am the one asking the questions now. Where did you obtain the illusion heart vine?”

The younger Disciple suddenly coughed violently, black blood spilling from the corners of his mouth.

Cyan light flickered from Su Sizhu’s fingertips, and three Soul Transformation needles hung in the air, their tips aimed at the Disciple’s glabella.

“Are you trying to use the Spirit Refining technique?” The older Disciple went pale at the sight: “Under this method, not only will I lose my memory, but my cultivation will also be completely destroyed!”

Lin Feng sneered: “Tell me the source.”

The older Disciple gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead.

Just as he was about to speak, black blood suddenly poured from his seven orifices, and he collapsed, convulsing violently.

The younger Disciple was terrified and incoherent: “I’ll say it...” Before he could finish, a strange rattling sound came from his throat, and the same black blood poured from his ears and nose.

Su Sizhu retreated two steps quickly: “It’s a Divine Soul Restriction. They were cursed long ago; revealing secrets means certain death.”

Lin Feng stared at the two quickly stiffening corpses on the ground, his brows locked tight.

“The people are dead, and the trail is broken.” Su Sizhu said softly, “The Hehuan Sect is a major Sect of the Demonic Path after all; if we rush in rashly...”

Lin Feng shook his head: “No need to force our way in. Since we know it involves the illusion heart vine, it is better to strike at the source.”

He suddenly remembered the sweet past with Luo Linger in the Sea of Ash and Silence, and a hint of a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

“Let’s find Senior Sister Luo.” The communication talisman in Lin Feng’s hand flew rapidly toward the southwest, “She is proficient in the habits of all kinds of spirit plants and might know where the illusion heart vine grows.”

Su Sizhu nodded: “That works. Her wood kite Magic Treasure can certainly arrive within three days.”

The communication talisman turned into a stream of light and vanished into the night sky.

Lin Feng looked toward the heavy darkness of the night and suddenly spoke: “Senior Sister Su, you and Senior Sister Luo have known each other for a long time. Why is she so obsessed with spirit plants?”

Su Sizhu’s hand, which was tidying her hair, paused slightly, and a smile appeared on her lips: “That is a long story. Do you know that during the Sect Grand Competition that year, she was so busy studying a Drunken Dragon Grass that she forgot to participate in the competition itself?”

Lin Feng’s brows furrowed slightly: “No wonder I never saw her during the Sect Grand Competition that year.”

“That is just the tip of the iceberg.” Su Sizhu looked at the crescent moon in the sky, “When she was seven, she discovered a purple-veined flower in the Black Wind Ravine behind the Spirit Pill Pavilion. The flower was entirely purple, and even Elder Wu had never seen it before. She ignored all advice and insisted on picking it for research, only to be wounded by poisonous thorns and fell into a coma for three whole days.”

“The strangest thing is, the first thing she said after waking up was ‘I have recorded the toxicity patterns of that vine’.” Su Sizhu shook her head and chuckled, “From then on, she vowed to know all the plants in the world. A few days ago, while trying to pick an Ice Soul Lotus, she almost fell into a ten-thousand-foot cold abyss.”

Lin Feng’s gaze fell upon the pool of black blood on the ground: “If we see the illusion heart vine this time...”

“So you must take good care of her. Your cultivation is no longer weaker than hers now.” Su Sizhu said seriously, “This obsessed person doesn't even care for her own life when she sees rare flowers and plants.”

The cry of a night owl came from the distant mountains, and Lin Feng nodded heavily: “I understand.”

At dusk two days later, the wings of the wood kite pierced through the clouds, and Luo Linger landed in front of the hilltop with her green robes fluttering.

She didn't even have time to tidy her hair, which had been messed up by the wind, and ran over lifting her skirt, her eyes shining astonishingly: “illusion heart vine? Did you really find clues about the illusion heart vine?”

Lin Feng had just stood up when she grabbed his sleeve: “Wait! When did you reach the Foundation Establishment Mid-stage? I haven't seen you for years; I heard you became a Disciple under Martial Uncle Lu Yuchan?”

Su Sizhu coughed lightly: “I didn't expect you to be so well-informed this time.”

“Not just well-informed!” Luo Linger leaned closer to Lin Feng, “I heard Martial Uncle Lu took you as a Disciple by force?”

She suddenly lowered her voice, “Everyone says Martial Uncle Lu hasn't taken a Disciple in thirty years, yet she made an exception for you...”

“We found out that the Hehuan Sect is using the illusion heart vine to refine the spirit bewitching pill.” Lin Feng’s ears turned slightly hot, and he cut straight to the point to ease the awkwardness.

Luo Linger was stunned: “spirit bewitching pill? That name is quite unfamiliar...” She tilted her head curiously, “What is this Medicinal Pill used for?”

Su Sizhu spun the Soul Transformation needle on her fingertip: “The person who takes the pill will develop a dependency on the caster, and their cultivation will be gradually drained.”

The black seed in Luo Linger’s hand suddenly fell to the ground, and a tender sprout broke through the shell at a speed visible to the naked eye. She looked at Lin Feng in disbelief: “So those Cultivators... were treated as Cauldron?”

Lin Feng nodded silently.

“No wonder...” Luo Linger murmured, “Revered Master once said that the illusion heart vine can bewitch the mind.” She suddenly grabbed Lin Feng’s wrist, “If that’s the case, we must destroy the source of the illusion heart vine!”

She sighed and looked up into the depths of the sea of clouds: “If the illusion heart vine really exists, I am afraid that only the floating islands of the Shattered Star Cloud Sea could allow such an evil object to survive.”

“Let’s set off now.” She summoned the wood kite, its green wings growing against the wind, “The floating island ruins of the Shattered Star Cloud Sea are not an ordinary place.”

Lin Feng and Su Sizhu followed Luo Linger, flying north for three days before sweeping upward out of the cloud layer. After passing through layers of mist, the scene before them made the three of them gasp.

Countless broken islands hung under the starry sky, like mountains split by a giant axe and suspended upside down in the air. Silver-gray mist belts coiled between the islands, and the sound of stones clashing could be heard faintly. The largest floating island was shaped like a Medicine Cauldron, surrounded by seven layers of flowing halos.

Suddenly, cobweb-like spatial cracks appeared ahead. Luo Linger turned the head of the kite sharply: “Careful! These are cracks in the natural no-fly Restriction!”

Lin Feng observed intently for a moment, already understanding the patterns of the cracks' movements. “The cracks are moving according to the positions of the celestial bodies, changing three times per breath.”

Lightning condensed into thin threads at his fingertips, outlining the trajectories of the cracks in the Void Realm: “When it shifts from the Kan position to the Li position, there will be a three-breath gap.”

Luo Linger and Su Sizhu followed his guidance, weaving through lightly, avoiding the cracks like swimming fish.

When approaching the main island, ancient runes on the rocks at the edge of the island emitted a deep blue halo. Luo Linger frowned: “The Restriction is fully activated...”

“No.” Lin Feng’s gaze swept over the rhythm of the flowing runes, “These Restrictions are protecting something.” He pointed to the area where the halo was densest, “Look, the runes there are flowing half a beat slower than elsewhere.”

Su Sizhu nodded: “It looks like a flaw left by someone.”

After passing through the Restriction and entering the main island, the three of them landed silently on the rocky beach at the edge of the floating island, and the scene on the island made them hold their breath.

Scattered Pill Furnaces were hidden within the thicket of illusion heart vine, and several Hehuan Sect Disciples were refining vine juice. A blood-colored crystal floating in the center was constantly extracting the essence of the vines.

As the three were preparing to strike, several figures suddenly flashed out from the illusion heart vine thicket ahead. After Smoke of Willow, who was leading them, saw who had arrived, the brocade handkerchief Magic Treasure in her hand suddenly tightened.

“It’s you?” Shock flashed in her eyes, “You stole my heart-bewitching grass back then and ruined my plans...” Then she sneered, “Since you found this Secret Realm, I cannot let you leave alive!”