42: Trial at the Outer Gate of the Valley of Ten Thousand Beasts

Fang Lingyao paused for a moment. Seeing Lin Feng's serious and determined gaze without any hint of a joke, she nodded readily:

"Very well. Sword arts have no fixed form; whatever suits you is best. Since you are determined, I, your Senior Sister, will teach you. Watch closely."

Having said that, her expression turned solemn, and her long sword left its sheath once more.

Moving with her sword, she slowly demonstrated the Flowing Cloud Water Dividing Sword Art from beginning to end.

The opening stance was extremely soft and slow. The tip of the sword traced an arc, and the petals around her were drawn by an invisible Qi force, surprisingly not falling to the ground but dancing along with the sword.

The sword momentum gradually expanded, turning into a dense, fine net, like continuous spring rain. It appeared weak but guarded the area in front of her so thoroughly that not a single drop of water could leak through.

The sword technique changed; the long sword led diagonally, quietly deflecting the branches of a nearby shrub from their original path.

Before finishing the form, a flash of cold light suddenly erupted from within the extremely soft sword momentum, swiftly pointing into the Void Realm.

Throughout the entire sword art demonstration, the movements were smooth and soft without any sign of aggression, yet they vividly displayed the four essentials of water momentum: 'deflect, neutralize, lead, and release.'

"This sword art emphasizes intent over form. The key lies in understanding the ever-changing nature of flowing water and making the best use of the situation..." Fang Lingyao sheathed her sword and stood still, her breathing steady, just about to explain the Mind-Cultivation Technique's key points.

However, she saw that Lin Feng had already closed his eyes. With a soft 'clink,' the qinggang sword unsheathed at his command and was held in his hand.

His wrist sank slightly, and he subconsciously began to imitate and deduce.

At first, his movements were somewhat awkward, and the sword momentum was slightly stiff, as he only managed to mimic the opening stance.

But soon, the spiritual power flowing on the qinggang sword's blade began to change, gradually taking on a hint of the softness and agility of flowing water.

As his long sword cut through the air, the tip actually brought about faint, subtle air vortexes, quietly leading several falling leaves away and swinging them to the side with a smooth and natural trajectory.

He even imitated Fang Lingyao's final strike of 'erupting with sharp intent from the softest point.' The tip of the qinggang sword trembled and pierced out swiftly. Although its power and speed were far inferior to Fang Lingyao's, the condensed sharp intent and the charm of extreme softness turning into hardness that erupted in that moment were actually thirty percent similar.

The smile on Fang Lingyao's face completely froze, and her beautiful eyes widened.

'This... how is this possible?'

She had been cultivating this sword art for over half a year and had only just gained a basic understanding. Yet Lin Feng... had only watched it once. Just once. He could actually imitate several parts of its flow and force-exertion techniques with a sword?

'What kind of terrifying Comprehension Ability and sword dao talent is this?'

Lin Feng slowly finished the form, twirled the qinggang sword, and sheathed it precisely.

He looked at Fang Lingyao and said sincerely, "Senior Sister's Flowing Cloud Water Dividing Sword Art is extraordinary. Using water as a metaphor for the sword to divide and deflect force has benefited me, your Junior Brother, greatly.

However, regarding that final transformation of 'Extreme Softness Generating Sharpness,' the spiritual power circulation seems to still need..."

He frowned slightly, seemingly reflecting on and thinking about the deeper key points.

Fang Lingyao took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the shock in her heart: "Junior Brother Lin... is this truly... the first time you've seen this sword art?"

After receiving Lin Feng's affirmative answer, she gave a bitter smile, shook her head, and sighed, "Junior Brother's Comprehension Ability is truly... unheard of."

As the sun set, Lin Feng memorized all the essentials of this sword art and took his leave.

Fang Lingyao watched his departing figure, her heart unable to calm down for a long time.

'When did the Sect produce such a Prodigy...'

That inexplicable throb in her heart grew even stronger.

A few more days passed. Lin Feng intended to go to the Shang Gong Hall to see if there were any suitable tasks, and his attention was drawn by the noisy scene on the plaza ahead.

He saw many Outer Sect Disciples, whose cultivation was mostly at the Qi Refining Fifth or Sixth Layer or even higher and who were rarely seen on ordinary days, gathering in groups of two or three.

"Have you heard? This year's top prize, besides Spirit Stones, also includes a flying Magic Treasure."

"Tch, first place is too difficult. The key is the rewards for the top three. It's said there are dragon scale fruits."

"dragon scale fruit? For real? That's a treasure for refining foundation establishment pills."

"Absolutely. Senior Brother Zhang Kuang and his group have already declared they'll sweep the top three..."

"Humph, Senior Brother Li Xuan's side isn't to be trifled with either."

"Myriad Beast Valley is not a peaceful place. Although it's just the outskirts, there are quite a few Yao Beasts..."

"What's there to fear? Fortune favors the bold. If we take a chance, maybe there's hope for Foundation Establishment."

Fragments of the discussion reached Lin Feng's ears.

'Myriad Beast Valley trial? dragon scale fruit? An auxiliary ingredient for the foundation establishment pill...' Lin Feng's footsteps paused slightly, and his eyes instantly sharpened.

He immediately remembered. The Sect indeed had a tradition of opening the outskirts of Myriad Beast Valley once a year for Outer Sect Disciples to undergo trials and obtain resources, but because his cultivation had been low before, he had never paid much attention to it.

Now that he had reached the Qi Refining Sixth Layer Peak, Foundation Establishment was no longer out of reach. Any item that could increase the chances of Foundation Establishment was worth fighting for with his life.

His gaze swept over the crowd again as he quickly calculated in his heart.

Quite a few Disciples at the Qi Refining Eighth Layer had come... but the truly top-tier ones didn't seem to be present.

He thought of the names of several Disciples who were constantly in seclusion to push for Foundation Establishment or had already reached Qi Refining Perfection and were just one step away, such as Han Li and Lin Dong.

That's right. For them, the rewards of the Sect's minor competition probably no longer held much attraction. They were either seeking better Foundation Establishment Opportunity or already had one foot in the Inner Sect and looked down on this Outer Sect trial.

There were also some powerful Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters who might be out performing more lucrative Sect tasks or seeking their own fortunes in some dangerous land... 'But for me... this dragon scale fruit is one of the most practical hopes for Foundation Establishment I can currently reach.'

With his mind made up, Lin Feng followed the direction of the surging crowd and the growing clamor, walking quickly toward the mountain gate.

On the plaza in front of the Myriad Beast Valley entrance, nearly two hundred Outer Sect Disciples at the Middle and Late Stages of Qi Refining had already gathered.

Lin Feng stood in the crowd, his gaze sweeping over the mist-shrouded valley entrance ahead. His expression was calm, but his palm inside his sleeve tightened slightly.

"Junior Brother Lin!" A resonant voice interrupted his thoughts.

The tall and sturdy Sun Hao squeezed through the crowd and walked over quickly.

The Spiritual Pressure of the Qi Refining Eighth Layer naturally emanated from him, causing several nearby Disciples to subconsciously step aside.

"Senior Brother Sun," Lin Feng nodded in greeting.

Sun Hao approached and bowed solemnly with hands cupped: "Junior Brother Lin, last time... thanks to you. If you hadn't brought Senior Sister Su to help in time, I'm afraid my life would have been forfeit. I, Sun Hao, will remember this favor."

Lin Feng stepped slightly to the side, not fully accepting the bow, and said calmly, "Senior Brother Sun, you overstate it. Fellow Disciples should support each other."

Sun Hao straightened up and patted Lin Feng's shoulder hard: "Haha, good. I won't say any more polite words. Junior Brother, look, the trial reward this time actually includes dragon scale fruit."

He leaned in closer and lowered his voice: "Junior Brother Lin, this dragon scale fruit is very important to both you and me; it's a rare Opportunity. You are sharp-witted and have many tricks.

If we fellow Disciples join forces and look out for each other, we'll have a better chance in this Myriad Beast Valley. How about it, shall we do it together?"

Looking at Sun Hao's sincere and expectant gaze, thoughts whirled in Lin Feng's mind:

'Senior Brother Sun is someone worth associating with.

During the last trial together, the xuanming heavy water bead ended up with me, yet he didn't hold a grudge; he is an upright person.

Joining forces this time is indeed the best choice. Since he values friendship, I cannot mistreat him.

This time, I will do my best to help him break into the top three, which can be considered repaying the favor from last time.'