47: Qing Shen Zhu

Lin Feng suppressed the envy in his heart and smiled, "Senior Brother Sun, you are too modest. Congratulations on obtaining such a fine treasure."

He changed the subject, asking with a hint of curiosity, "I wonder, what is the price for such a Flying Magical Artifact in the Sect marketplace?"

Sun Hao was stunned for a moment and scratched his head, "This... Flying Magical Artifacts are not cheap; they cost at least several hundred to a thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones. Why, are you interested as well, Junior Brother Lin?"

Lin Feng nodded, "I do have such an intention. Having a Flying Magical Artifact on hand would make things much more convenient."

After stabilizing his cultivation, Lin Feng decided to search for the whereabouts of the qing shen bamboo.

After a moment of thought, he came to Hundred Flowers Peak again.

Luo Linger was carefully pruning the branches and leaves of a spirit plant. Seeing Lin Feng, she put down the scissors in her hand, "Junior Brother Lin? I haven't seen you for several days."

When her gaze fell upon Lin Feng, she suddenly widened her eyes slightly, "You... have reached the Qi Refining Seventh Layer?"

She remembered that when they last met, Lin Feng had just broken through to the Qi Refining Sixth Layer. This speed of Cultivation was simply too astonishing.

Lin Feng rubbed his nose and smiled, "I was lucky to have a Breakthrough, but I fear my Foundation is not stable, so I was looking for ways to steady my mind. So, you were the first person I thought of to ask for advice, Senior Sister."

Hearing this, Luo Linger's eyes flickered, and she glanced at him, "Oh? So you only come when you need something. Speak, what difficult problem have you encountered this time that made you think of me?"

Lin Feng chuckled and said, "Senior Sister is wise. I am in urgent need of a spirit plant called 'qing shen bamboo'. Senior Sister is well-versed in all kinds of herbs, do you know where I might find a trace of it?"

"qing shen bamboo?" Luo Linger tilted her head, resting her chin in her hand. After pondering for a moment, she said, "This item loves damp and shady environments. It does have miraculous effects for stabilizing one's state of mind and resisting Heart Demons, so it is no wonder you need it. The Sect's medicinal garden does not Cultivate it because its environmental requirements are too harsh..."

She paused, and then her eyes brightened slightly, "However... I do vaguely remember that years ago, a Senior claimed to have seen some in the rift valley area deep in the southwest of the Black Abyss Forest. But I have never verified it myself, so I do not know if it is true."

Speaking of this, she looked at Lin Feng, her expression becoming slightly more serious, "The depths of the Black Abyss Forest are not like the outskirts; they are fraught with danger. It is said that there are even Yao Beasts approaching the Foundation Establishment Stage lurking there. If you really want to go looking for it, you must be careful in everything and be fully prepared."

"It is a pity that those ice heart orchids on the peak are about to bloom, and Revered Master has strictly ordered me not to leave the peak, so I cannot accompany you this time." She added softly, "...Do not force yourself."

A few days later, a cyan sword light flashed across the mountains of the Tianxuan Sect's outer Sect, moving quite fast, heading straight towards the direction of the Black Abyss Forest.

Lin Feng stood on the qinggang sword, riding the wind. The strong wind hit his face, and his clothes fluttered.

'Sword flying is indeed more than ten times faster than relying on my legs to trek as I did before.' He looked down at the mountain forest retreating rapidly below, filled with emotion.

'The last time I stepped into the Black Abyss Forest, I was still a bullied Utility Disciple, risking my life for a few contribution points... Now, I am already at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer. It truly feels like a lifetime ago.'

Before long, the familiar edge of the Black Abyss Forest was in sight.

Lin Feng pressed down the sword light and landed on the ground.

His gaze swept over the area where the camp had been located back then. Now, it was empty, with only some broken traces remaining.

Not far away, the small Spirit Stone mine that had once triggered a conflict with the Chiyan Sect had already been completely mined, leaving behind only a huge pit and abandoned mine tunnels.

'West of the camp...' Lin Feng remembered the surprise attack by the Chiyan Sect back then; they seemed to have been aiming for something on the west side. He grew suspicious and stepped forward to explore towards the west.

He searched for a long time but did not find any abnormalities; there was neither a hidden Immortal Cave nor any strange spirit plants.

'Strange... Why did the Chiyan Sect go to such great lengths back then?' He stopped and frowned slightly.

He calmed his mind and carefully perceived his surroundings.

'Hmm? The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi here... seems to be much denser and purer than before?'

This change was extremely subtle; if not for his increased cultivation and keen perception, he would almost certainly not have noticed it.

He could not figure it out, and in the end, he shook his head.

'Perhaps I am overthinking it, and my own perception has improved.'

He suppressed this doubt for the time being and turned to head deep into the rift valley area in the southwest direction.

In the southwest of the Black Abyss Forest, in the rift valley area, the environment became increasingly dark and damp.

Lin Feng traveled through it for several days, avoiding several beast nests.

Relying on the heaven-stealing vine's unique, faint sensing ability towards spirit plants, he ruled out several wrong locations and finally, under an extremely remote, damp cliff that never saw sunlight, he felt that unique, cool, and calming aura.

Several tall and green spirit bamboos were growing quietly in the crevices of the cliff, their bamboo leaves swaying without wind, emitting a faint fragrance.

'qing shen bamboo. I've finally found it.' A flash of joy appeared in Lin Feng's eyes.

However, in the shadows beside the qing shen bamboo, a round, furry figure moved.

It was actually... a panda, as stout as an ox, with distinct black and white fur.

It was facing away from Lin Feng, hugging a large, thick bamboo shoot it had gotten from somewhere, chewing happily, making "crunch, crunch" sounds. It looked... harmless to humans and animals, and even somewhat adorable.

But Lin Feng dared not be careless at all.

'How could a creature that can occupy a place beside such a spirit item be an ordinary beast?' He scanned with his Divine Sense, and his heart tightened.

The Spiritual Pressure radiating from this panda was actually like that of the Qi Refining Ninth Layer, far exceeding its cute appearance.

The panda seemed to have noticed Lin Feng's arrival; it stopped chewing the bamboo shoot and slowly turned around.

It had a pair of pitch-black eye circles and glanced at Lin Feng, a low "hmm hmm" sound emanating from its throat. It shifted its chubby body and blocked the front of the qing shen bamboo.

'It seems this cannot be resolved peacefully...' Lin Feng took a deep breath, the qinggang sword quietly unsheathed, and a cold glint shimmered at the tip of the sword.

He tried to execute the Willow Catkin Following Wind Step, his figure like smoke, wanting to bypass the panda and take the bamboo directly.

The panda looked clumsy, but its reaction was astonishingly fast.

It saw it slap out a palm, seemingly casually. Its chubby paw created a low air-burst sound in the air, and a force as heavy as a mountain pressed down from a distance, instantly sealing off all of Lin Feng's angles for evasion.

Lin Feng's expression changed. His sword stance shifted, and he executed the Flowing Cloud Water Dividing Sword Art, his sword tip drawing a circle, attempting to deflect this immense force.

Bang.

Sword and palm collided. Lin Feng only felt an irresistible, overwhelming force coming from the sword body, shaking his arm until it went numb, his blood and Qi surging, and he stumbled back seven or eight steps before barely stabilizing his figure.

'What terrifying power.'

The panda, having succeeded in one strike, seemed somewhat dissatisfied and let out a "hmm" sound. It got down on all fours, pushed off the ground, and its whole body, like a black and white cannonball, slammed towards Lin Feng.

Its speed was completely inconsistent with its fat figure.

Lin Feng gritted his teeth and took the hits head-on. The sword and palm clashed several times, and each time, it shook his internal organs, causing blood to spill from the corner of his mouth.

His exquisite sword moves had little effect in the face of this absolute strength and defense.

'This panda... its strength, defense, and speed are all far superior to Yao Beasts of the same level. There are simply no flaws at all.'