22: Silk winding technique

Lin Feng felt a pang of heartache.

They were the same age, and less than two months remained before they reached the threshold of eighteen.

If she could not achieve a Breakthrough to the Fourth Level of Qi Refining within the deadline, she would lose the opportunity to be promoted to an Outer Sect Disciple forever.

"Yuner..." Lin Feng spoke, wanting to offer some comfort.

Ye Yuner shook her head, interrupting him: "I'm fine. Senior Brother Lin, please don't worry about me. You've just been promoted, surely you have many things to attend to? Go on, get busy! I... I need to go water the Spiritual Plants..."

She turned and walked toward another patch of medicinal fields. Watching her back as she feigned strength, Lin Feng swallowed the words that had come to his lips.

Leaving the medicinal field, he hadn't gone far before he bumped into Steward Wang, who had rushed over upon hearing the news.

Steward Wang stood by the roadside, his small eyes fixed intently on Lin Feng, the pockmarks on his face trembling.

He squeezed out a twisted smile: "Heh... hehe... Lin Feng, no, Junior Brother Lin now. Truly... you've had such great luck. Four months, tsk tsk..."

Lin Feng felt cold inside but nodded indifferently: "Steward Wang, you flatter me; it was just luck."

Without another word, he bypassed the frozen Steward Wang and left directly.

Returning to Qin Yang's Immortal Cave, Lin Feng did not immediately return to his own stone chamber but waited respectfully outside the cave.

After a long while, Qin Yang walked out from the cave. Seeing his new attire, his eyes flickered, but he showed little surprise.

"Senior Brother Qin." Lin Feng bowed and saluted, "This Disciple has passed the assessment and promoted to an Outer Sect Disciple. I wonder... how should I proceed from here? Regarding Elder Xuan Yue..."

Qin Yang looked at him, his gaze calm and waveless: "Revered Master is currently in seclusion and cannot attend to other matters. Since you are now an Outer Sect Disciple, you should act according to the rules of the Outer Sect. You may go to the Shang Gong Hall to receive daily tasks, or go to the Myriad Laws Pavilion to study Cultivation Techniques. As for where to stay..."

He pondered for a moment, seemingly feeling that it was inappropriate for an Outer Sect Disciple to reside here permanently.

"The Sect must have already arranged a place for you to stay." Having said that, he said nothing more and turned back into the Immortal Cave.

Arriving at the Myriad Laws Pavilion, the Disciple guarding the pavilion said nothing this time and let him pass directly.

The atmosphere inside the pavilion was solemn. On the tall Spirit Wood bookshelves were not books, but Jade Slips of various colors and materials.

A few scattered Outer Sect Disciples moved among them, their expressions indifferent.

An Elder with a withered face did not even lift his eyelids, his gaunt finger pointing casually: "A newly promoted Outer Sect Disciple may select two Cultivation Techniques or spells on the first floor to copy. The catalog is over there; look for yourself. Once you have made your selection, bring it here."

Lin Feng walked toward the huge jade wall, on which spiritual light flowed, displaying dense names and descriptions.

"Water Condensation Art", "Rock Solid Technique"...

Lin Feng shook his head; these were mostly shallow, common Cultivation Techniques with limited power.

He continued to scan the other Jade Slips.

"Geng Metal Art", containing a trace of Geng Metal sharpness, with extremely strong spiritual power penetration. At Minor Achievement, it can condense Qi to break through protective barriers. However, it consumes resources heavily and progress is slow.

"Silk Winding Hand", a dual Water-Wood element spell, condensing spiritual threads for binding and guiding, with exquisite variations. However, it has harsh requirements for Divine Sense and control, making it easy to learn but difficult to Revered Master.

"Shadow Evasion Technique (Fragment)", borrowing shadows for short-distance stealth and concealment, it is a remnant of an ancient evasion technique. However, the circulation route is strange, making it extremely prone to spiritual power backlash; no one has mastered it for many years.

Lin Feng's heart beat slightly faster. These were exactly what he needed.

But as his gaze swept over, he knew the cost was not cheap.

A Disciple nearby was frowning at a "Blazing Sun Palm": "...Sigh, I still have to do who knows how many tasks to have enough..."

"Geng Metal Art? That's a toy for Inner Sect Disciples, geniuses, and Disciples of wealthy Families to burn resources on..."

"Silk Winding Hand? Flashy but impractical; with that effort, you'd be better off practicing Wind Control Technique to save your life..."

"Shadow Evasion Technique? A huge trap. Last year a Senior Brother practiced it until he vomited blood and still hasn't recovered..."

The whispers of other Disciples gave Lin Feng a deeper understanding of these Cultivation Techniques.

He pondered for a moment and walked up to the Elder.

"This Disciple wishes to copy the Silk Winding Hand and Shadow Evasion Technique."

The Elder finally lifted his eyelids: "Shadow Evasion Technique? Are you sure? If something goes wrong, you bear the responsibility yourself."

A Disciple passing by happened to hear this and sneered: "Another idiot who wants to take shortcuts."

Lin Feng's expression remained normal: "Sure."

The old steward said no more, recorded the deduction of Lin Feng's contribution points, and tossed out two copied Jade Slips. "Take care of yourself."

He left holding the cold Jade Slips, and faint discussions came from behind: "...Silk Winding Hand is okay, but Shadow Evasion Technique... tsk, is he tired of living..."

The Outer Sect Disciple dormitory area at the foot of the mountain had thin Spiritual Qi and was noisy; it was simply not a place to Cultivate.

This day, he explored along the Sect's mountain range, trying to find a suitable location to practice the Silk Winding Hand. Unknowingly, he walked deeper and deeper. After passing through a dense forest of ancient trees, a rumbling sound of water suddenly reached his ears.

Following the sound, he saw a waterfall pouring down from a cliff, crashing into the deep pool below, stirring up mist that filled the sky.

'This place is quite secluded...' Lin Feng felt a slight joy. He observed his surroundings; there were no paths and no signs of human presence, as if it were rarely visited. He found a flat bluestone by the pool and began to concentrate on practicing the Silk Winding Hand.

However, this technique consumed a great deal of Divine Sense. After several failures, he felt his Divine Soul was exhausted, his head was splitting with pain, and his whole body was soaked in sweat.

Seeing no one around, he removed his outer garment and stepped into the cool pool water, wanting to wash away his fatigue and clear his mind.

The water submerged his chest, bringing a touch of relief.

Just as he closed his eyes to focus, a surprised and angry shout suddenly came from behind: "What lecherous scoundrel! How dare you spy here!"

A Spiritual Pressure instantly enveloped him, and at the same time, a sharp finger-wind struck directly at his back.

Alarm bells rang in Lin Feng's heart. He instinctively unleashed the Willow Wind Movement Technique, his body sliding to the side before turning around.

He saw a woman standing by the pool, dressed in the cloud-patterned white robe of an Inner Sect Disciple. She was about eighteen or nineteen years old and extremely beautiful, but at this moment her face was covered in frost, her eyes were filled with anger, and spiritual light flickered at her fingertips—clearly, the previous strike had come from her.

Her hair was still damp, clearly indicating she had just finished bathing nearby.

Lin Feng instantly understood that he had stumbled into her private bathing spot.

He immediately cupped his hands: "Senior Sister, please calm your anger. This Disciple is Lin Feng, a newly promoted Outer Sect Disciple; I certainly did not intend to spy. It is just that the dormitory at the foot of the mountain is noisy, so I sought this place to Cultivate. I was merely fatigued and entered the water; I am terribly sorry for disturbing you."

The woman's gaze was like lightning, sweeping over his wet hair and his body clad only in an undergarment. Her brows furrowed, and her anger slightly subsided: "A newly promoted Outer Sect Disciple? Why are you so ignorant of the rules? This is the territory of Yunni Peak; how dare you trespass and use it?"

Lin Feng's mind raced.

'Confronting her head-on or just begging for mercy probably won't work...' He recalled that flattery seemed to have some effect when dealing with Qin Yang earlier...

He bowed again: "This Disciple knows he was wrong. In truth, Senior Sister's grace is so breathtaking, and the Spiritual Qi here has become even more pure because of your presence, that I momentarily lost my composure..."

However, upon hearing this, the woman not only did not soften but her pretty face became even colder: "Smooth-talking. It seems you are not only rude but also have a devious mind." The spiritual light at her fingertips brightened again, and the pressure became even stronger.

'I flattered the wrong person...' Lin Feng's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately realized that this woman was different from Qin Yang; she didn't fall for that.

His brain raced, and his gaze swept over the messy traces of spiritual threads he had left on the bank from his failed attempts at the Silk Winding Hand. A thought flashed through his mind.