At the summit of Starfall Peak, even the night breeze seemed to carry a hint of sweetness.
Feng Qinghuang took a small sip of the chewy "Starry Fruit Candied Fruit," its cool, sweet taste melting on her tongue, transforming into a gentle, warm current, like a spring drizzle, quietly nourishing the still shattered fragments of her soul within her sea of consciousness. Although its effects were far less dramatic than the Starry Origin Pill, it was gentle and sustained, carrying a strange sense of comfort, as if her weary soul had received a soft massage.
The taste... was indeed quite good. Her cool eyes narrowed slightly, like a languid ice phoenix, and even the aura of coldness that kept people at a distance dissipated considerably.
"Hehe, not bad, right?" Lin Yuan chewed on it with a smug look on his face, as if it were a supreme delicacy he had personally crafted. "This unique skill of mine, even the sect leader..." He wanted to say "hasn't even tasted it," but remembering the sect leader's face, which was as black as the bottom of a pot, he wisely stopped himself and instead patted his chest, "Anyway, follow me, and I guarantee you'll live the high life!"
Seeing Lin Yuan's "come praise me" expression, Feng Qinghuang's lips twitched almost imperceptibly upwards, a tiny curve like a ripple on a frozen lake, fleeting in an instant. She nodded slightly, acknowledging the value of this "snack," and carefully put the jade box away. This thing might be able to alleviate the exhaustion of her depleted spirit in a crucial moment.
Just then, Lin Yuan suddenly felt a warm current rise from his abdomen, quickly flowing through his limbs and bones! This power was not violent; on the contrary, it was as docile as a domesticated beast, carrying pure star energy. Wherever it passed, his body, exhausted from setting up the array and enduring the pressure, recovered its vitality at an astonishing speed! What surprised him even more was that this power seemed extremely friendly, actively drawing upon his meager spiritual power at the Qi Refining Realm, causing it to slowly circulate along the most basic circulation pathways within his body!
"Holy crap? This dried fruit can be used as a blue potion? No, it's used as an experience potion?" Lin Yuan was both surprised and delighted, and quickly looked inward. He saw that the pure star power was gradually and meticulously merging into his parched meridians, nourishing his meager spiritual power, and even... very slowly widening his originally narrow and blocked meridian channels!
Although the speed was as slow as a snail's pace, it was a genuine, passive boost that didn't require him to meditate! Lin Yuan's eyes lit up! This wasn't a snack; it was an auto-repair chain accelerator!
"Master?" Feng Qinghuang keenly sensed the subtle change in Lin Yuan's aura and the foolishly gleeful expression on his face, as if he had found a treasure. A hint of doubt flashed in her cold eyes again. It was just a piece of dried fruit, containing extremely weak energy. Why was he so... excited? Had he never even sensed such a tiny bit of energy before?
Lin Yuan snapped out of his daze and quickly composed himself, trying to maintain his master's dignity, but the excitement in his eyes was impossible to hide: "Ahem, it's alright. Although this dried fruit is just a pastime, it does contain a trace of star essence, which is better than nothing for someone in the Qi Refining Realm... well, it's better than nothing." He tried to make his words sound nonchalant, as if his realm was so profound that he didn't care about such a "trivial" benefit.
Feng Qinghuang understood. Sure enough, Qi Refining Realm… The curiosity that had arisen in her heart due to the pills and formations seemed to have faded a little. However, the taste of this dried fruit was indeed unique, and its nourishing effect on the soul was unexpectedly comfortable. She stopped paying attention to Lin Yuan, instead closing her eyes and silently reflecting on the gains she had made during the past hour of deep comprehension, especially her new understanding of the introductory chapter of the *Zhou Tian Xing Chen Jue*.
Seeing this, Lin Yuan was happy to have some peace and quiet. He savored the slow but steady "automatic chain repair" within his body, enjoying the sweetness of the dried fruit while pondering another item rewarded by the system—the [Star Tempering Body Technique].
This is crucial for him to directly reach the peak of the Tribulation Transcending Realm after completing the mission! A body refining method! Just hearing about it makes him sound far more advanced than basic breathing techniques like Qi Induction! He couldn't wait to "open" this Immortal King-level body refining technique in his system space.
As consciousness sank in, a vast cosmic panorama unfolded instantly! Countless profound runes, the trajectories of stellar energy, and secret techniques for tempering the physical body flooded into the mind like a torrent! The amount of information was immense!
"Hiss—" Lin Yuan gasped, feeling as if his head had been stuffed into a rapidly spinning galaxy, buzzing and seeing stars. Even just receiving the initial information from a Celestial King-level technique was far beyond what his small Qi Refining Realm body could easily withstand! His face instantly turned deathly pale, fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead, and he swayed as if he would faint at any moment.
"Master?" Feng Qinghuang was startled again. Opening her eyes, she saw Lin Yuan's pale face and unsteady posture, and her brows furrowed slightly. He was fine just now, so why did he suddenly seem to have suffered a spiritual injury? Could it be that Zhao Kun's oppressive aura left behind some hidden injury?
Lin Yuan suppressed his dizziness and nausea, struggling to steady himself, and forced a smile that looked more like a grimace: "It's...it's alright! Your master...your master was just trying to comprehend a...um...profound and unfathomable body-refining divine technique! It's too mysterious, and for a moment...for a moment my mind was agitated!" He couldn't very well say that he was overwhelmed by the information about the technique, could he? That would be too embarrassing!
A Body Refining Divine Art? Looking at Lin Yuan's weak state, as if he were about to faint at any moment, and then at his Qi Induction Realm cultivation, Feng Qinghuang's cold eyes revealed for the first time a clear "Are you kidding me?" expression. A Qi Induction Realm cultivator comprehending a Body Refining Divine Art? And something that could make him "mentally agitated" to the point of almost fainting? This master… truly doesn't operate according to common sense.
"Disciple...understands." Feng Qinghuang's tone was calm, but the slight upward inflection at the end carried a hint of helplessness and...a barely perceptible teasing? She thought for a moment, then spoke again, "If Master needs protection, disciple may..."
"No need, no need!" Lin Yuan quickly waved his hand. He was joking. How could he let his disciple almost faint while he was trying to comprehend the cultivation technique? What about his reputation as a master? "Master... um, I need some peace and quiet! Some peace and quiet by myself!" He almost staggered as he plunged into the simple cave next to him, slamming the stone door shut, cutting off Feng Qinghuang's gaze, which was filled with inquiry and a hint of "care".
Inside the cave, Lin Yuan leaned against the cold stone door, panting heavily, still shaken. It was terrifying! A Celestial King-level cultivation technique was truly formidable! It took him a while to recover before the dizziness subsided somewhat. He dared not directly "read" the entire technique again, but instead cautiously tried to extract only the very beginning and most basic introductory Qi-inducing and body-tempering section.
This time, the amount of information was much less. It mainly focused on how to draw upon a faint stellar energy, combined with specific breathing techniques and extremely simple movements, to initially massage the skin and nourish the muscles and bones.
"This...maybe I can give it a try?" Lin Yuan looked at the several extremely awkward movements that flashed through his mind, resembling the strange postures of some ancient ape mimicking the stars, and then looked at his small body at the Qi Refining Realm, feeling a little apprehensive. But thinking of the tempting peak Tribulation Realm cultivation that would come after completing the mission, he gritted his teeth!
"Damn it, I'll risk it all! For the Tribulation Realm! So what if I have to train like a monkey? I'll train!"
Thus, in the simple and cold stone cave, with the "automatic chain repair" buff brought by the residual energy of the Star Fruit Preserves, the most "glorious" chain repair in history began!
Lin Yuan was seen:
Sometimes it's like a clumsy bear, on all fours, with its rear end sticking out, "swallowing and spitting starlight" into the void, its face turning red from holding its breath;
At times, it would resemble a frog having a cramp, standing on one leg while the other leg kicked wildly in the air, trying to "attract" the power of the stars. As a result, it lost its balance and fell to the ground with a "plop."
At times, it seemed as if it were performing a shamanistic ritual, waving its arms, twisting its body, and making all sorts of bizarre and contorted gestures while muttering incantations (actually, it was just grimacing in pain)...
Sweat soaked through his simple blue robe, his hair clung to his face, and he looked utterly disheveled. Every movement was accompanied by a slight groan as his bones strained under the weight and a tearing, aching pain in his muscles. Several times he wanted to give up, but the thought of the allure of the peak of the Tribulation Realm made him grit his teeth, get up, and continue his "Starry Ape Imitation Show."
Outside the cave, Feng Qinghuang, seated cross-legged within the spirit-guiding array, naturally "saw" everything inside with her powerful divine sense. Her usually aloof face held an extremely complex expression. There was astonishment, confusion, and… a hint of unbearable to look at?
This... is what Master called the "profound and unfathomable body-refining divine skill"?
This movement... is it perhaps some kind of lost ancient sacrificial dance? Or... a sign of going berserk?
She silently withdrew her divine sense, deciding not to "disturb" her master's "high-level cultivation" for the time being. However, she added another point to her evaluation of this cheap master: strange behavior, but... his perseverance is acceptable? Well, at least he is trying very hard to play the role of a "master".
She gently picked up a star fruit preserve and put it in her mouth, enjoying the refreshing sweetness and coolness. Her gaze towards the cave entrance was less distant and more subtle, revealing a hint of something she herself didn't even realize... a gentle smile.
The night at Starfall Peak passed quietly amidst the eerie harmony of the "Master's Monkey Dance" inside the cave and the Empress quietly enjoying dried fruit outside.
Meanwhile, inside a magnificent cave dwelling rich in spiritual energy within the inner sect of the Tianyan Sect.
Zhao Hao's face was ashen as he listened to the report from a black-clad man below, whose aura was sinister and who was as elusive as a shadow.
"...Starfall Peak is covered by a strange array that draws on faint star power, so I dare not get too close. I only vaguely saw that Lin Yuan was behaving strangely, as if he was practicing some kind of...strange dance? As for Feng Qinghuang, she was meditating in the array, her breathing was steady, and she seemed...to be perfectly fine."
"A bizarre dance?" Zhao Hao frowned, his fingers unconsciously tapping the armrest of the jade chair. "Lin Yuan... what on earth are you up to? And Feng Qinghuang, are you really content to stay on that abandoned peak?"
A cold glint flashed in his eyes: "Keep an eye on them! Also, investigate! Find out the source of Lin Yuan's spirit-guiding array and pills! And that 'Starry Fruit Preserves'! I don't believe a Qi Refining Realm waste like him could actually produce these things! There's definitely something fishy going on behind this!"
"Yes!" The man in black flickered and disappeared into the shadows.
Zhao Hao gazed towards Starfall Peak, a cold, calculating smile playing on his lips: "Lin Yuan, no matter who's behind you, daring to touch someone I, Zhao Hao, have chosen... this Starfall Peak is destined to become your burial ground!"