Chapter Seven: Treasure Exchange Inn (Part Two)

After returning to his bedroom at the Yibao Inn, Lin Feng could still feel the lingering shadow of fear. Recalling the life-and-death struggle with Li Yuan, his palms could not help but break into a cold sweat. Had he not acted decisively and slain Li Yuan before he could unleash the talisman treasure crafted by a Foundation Establishment Great Perfection expert, he would likely have been dead by now.

In this world of cultivation, life and death are separated by a single thought. The strong live and the weak perish; there is neither mercy nor room for luck.

Lin Feng lightly waved his hand, erasing the spiritual imprint on Li Yuan’s storage pouch. With a trace of his spiritual energy, he peered inside to find a massive fortune: one hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones, along with some beginner-level medicinal pills—three "Rejuvenating Jade Dew Pills," two "Qi-Gathering and Essence-Condensing Pills," and one "Clear Spirit Pill." To Lin Feng's surprise, there was also an exquisite small red sandalwood box.

With a flicker of his consciousness, the box appeared in his palm. He opened it casually. "Truly a surprise," Lin Feng sighed. Inside lay a yellowing sheet of paper, which clearly contained the formula for the Foundation Establishment Pill. This was an unexpected and delightful discovery. Killing to seize treasures was truly the most direct way to strike it rich in this world.

"I must grow stronger!" Lin Feng frowned, his eyes flashing with firm resolve. That wretch Li Yuan had sought to kill him out of mere jealousy; in this world, truth resided only in one's fists. Today's danger was but a minor interlude on this cruel path of cultivation. If he did not wish to become meat on another's chopping block, he had to continuously enhance his strength and take control of his own destiny.

After calming himself, Lin Feng realized that the battle might have attracted the attention of the marketplace patrol. Fortunately, he had been prepared; wearing his black trench coat and a bamboo hat, he suppressed his presence to the absolute minimum. He remained vigilant on his way back, and before returning to the inn, he found a secluded corner to change back into his Qingyuan Sect robes. Only after ensuring no one was following him did he return to his room.

Inside, he checked his defensive wards. Once confirmed that all was secure, he took out the "Qingyuan Sword Manual" from his Purple Mansion, his eyes filled with determination and anticipation.

Sitting cross-legged on his bed, Lin Feng followed the first page of the manual: "Qingyuan awakens the spirit, moving the heavens; the sword heart condenses Qi, opening the chaos. Qingyuan gathers spirits to form ethereal rays, sword shadows coalesce to embody the celestial core. Circulate the Qi through the heavenly channels to open the mysterious portals..." He began to study the method for condensing sword Qi. According to the manual, one must compress the spiritual energy within the body to a high degree and guide it through a unique circulation to form a lethal sword Qi. Yet, these seemingly simple steps proved to be fraught with difficulties.

Initially, as he tried to mobilize his spiritual energy following the path described, it behaved like a herd of wild horses, refusing to obey and rampaging through his meridians. Each attempt caused waves of intense pain. "Concentrate, master the energy!" Lin Feng gritted his teeth, silently encouraging himself.

After countless failures, he began to grasp the essence. He realized the key lay in precise control of spiritual power and a calm, stable state of mind. He adjusted his breathing, cast aside distracting thoughts, and focused entirely on the flow of energy within.

Attempt after attempt, his body endured immense pressure. His clothes were soaked with sweat, and his face turned pale as paper, yet he never gave up. Finally, during one arduous circulation, a faint wisp of sword Qi shimmered at his fingertip before instantly vanishing.

"Success! Though it was only a wisp, it is a start!" Lin Feng was so excited he nearly cried out. Although the wisp of sword Qi was almost negligible, it was like a ray of dawn light piercing the darkness, giving him hope.

He spent the entire night fully immersed in his cultivation.

As he delved deeper, Lin Feng found that condensing sword Qi became increasingly difficult. Each increment required exponentially more spiritual energy and focus. Moreover, due to the prolonged, high-intensity training, his meridians began to show signs of minor damage.

Once, when he forcefully compressed his energy in an attempt to break through to the minor completion stage of sword Qi, his meridians could not bear the strain and ruptured. Blood surged into his throat, and he spat out a mouthful, becoming incredibly weak. Yet, he merely swallowed a healing pill, rested briefly, and dove back into his practice.

Throughout this arduous process, Lin Feng gradually understood the profundity of the "Qingyuan Sword Manual." The sword Qi was not merely compressed energy; it embodied an understanding and application of the forces of heaven and earth. Between sessions, he began to observe the changes in nature, grasping the sharpness and agility of the sword Qi from the shifting winds and clouds, and feeling its power and weight from the mountains and rivers.

Thus, after countless failures and setbacks, Lin Feng finally succeeded in bringing his sword Qi to the minor completion stage. Now, every movement he made carried a faint hint of sharp, piercing energy, and his eyes had become deeper and more penetrating.

"Is this the power of minor completion?" Lin Feng felt the surging power within and was filled with confidence. He was very satisfied with this achievement and began to conceive of a surprise killing move for the future: the "Qingyuan Hidden-Kill Sword."

The Qingyuan Hidden-Kill Sword is designed to deliver a lethal blow when least expected. Even against an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, if the timing is mastered, it possesses immense destructive power.

Execution steps:
1. Suppress breath and hide presence.
2. Condense the sword in the void.
3. Lock onto the target's aura.
4. Instantaneous flash strike.
This allows him to bridge the distance to his opponent in an instant, catching them off guard.

However, Lin Feng was not satisfied yet. He knew that while he had temporary self-preservation in the Yibao Marketplace, he remained fragile before true powerhouses. As for the forces behind Li Yuan, they would surely not let the matter rest. But Lin Feng was not worried; in Qingyun Province and the Zhenwu Kingdom, Golden Core cultivators were the top-tier combatants and were few in number. Even without reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, he felt confident in his ability to survive against an early-stage Foundation Establishment practitioner.

Today, Senior Sister Li Xiaoxia was expected to return from the Ten Thousand Mountains. Lin Feng felt fond of her; in the Dan Ding Peak, where the population was small, they had always treated the original host of this body kindly. They had never mocked him for his five-element spiritual root and stagnant cultivation, and they had even stood up for him when disciples from other peaks targeted him.

Lin Feng felt he should host a proper welcome feast for her and the other seven fellow disciples. Since arriving in this world, he had not had a single friend. Social etiquette was useful here, and he did not want to lose the joy of living solely for the sake of cultivation. He found himself becoming more carefree and confident—perhaps a sign that his state of mind was gradually reaching perfection.

Except for Senior Sister Li, who had reached the late stage of Qi Refining, the others were in the middle stage and had not yet achieved Inedia. Back on Earth, Lin Feng had enjoyed gourmet food, and he had yet to properly sample the delicacies of this world. He looked forward to it.

Suppressing his cultivation aura to the first layer of Qi Refining and still wearing his iconic Qingyuan Sect robes, Lin Feng left his room and headed for the inn's lobby.

He scanned the bustling lobby. Finding a quiet corner, he sat down. Not seeing Jiang Yan, he used a jade tube to contact her, asking her to come down. He pondered his plans: first, a lavish feast for his senior sister and fellow disciples to show his appreciation. Second, after returning to the sect, he would focus on alchemy to improve his skills and prepare the Foundation Establishment and Obstacle-Breaking Pills, as the materials were already prepared in his Liuyun Ring.

A crisp, pleasant voice interrupted his thoughts. "Fellow Daoist Lin, sorry to keep you waiting." Jiang Yan was dressed in a simple yet stylish purple outfit, matching her capable and shrewd demeanor.

Lin Feng smiled. "I just sat down myself. I actually have a favor to ask."

Jiang Yan looked at him, slightly surprised. "This Fellow Daoist Lin seems different than before," she thought, though she couldn't pinpoint why. He gave her a very comfortable feeling.

In truth, ever since Lin Feng had cultivated the "Evergreen Technique" to the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, he hadn't realized that the technique had profoundly reshaped his body—improving his skin and bone structure, and causing his Evergreen mana and Five-Element true Qi to fuse and condense into a unique Evergreen spiritual energy. Fortunately, he had practiced the "Breath-Returning Grand Method" to mask most of his aura, otherwise the changes would have been even more obvious.

"Manager Jiang, my senior sister and the others should be back today. I wanted to check out your spiritual banquet to welcome them home."

"Of course, Brother Lin," Jiang Yan replied, smiling playfully as she handed him a menu of the Yibao Pavilion.

As a former physics Ph.D. who had transmigrated, Lin Feng recognized her deliberate show of favor, but he was not considering romantic entanglements for the time being.

Opening the menu, he was astonished. It completely overturned his perception of the culinary arts in the cultivation world—it was truly a world of refined tastes.

Some of the Yibao Pavilion's famous dishes:
- **Golden-Scaled Flame-Tail Fish:** Selected from the depths of the Spirit Flame Valley, this fish is tempered by spirit flames, and its meat contains powerful fire-attribute energy. Paired with thousand-year-old Ice Spirit Grass, the cold nature of the grass balances the fish's heat, removing the fishy smell and making it tender and juicy. Consuming it helps improve the cultivation speed of fire-attribute spiritual energy and aids in breaking through bottlenecks. Price: 100 low-grade spirit stones.
- **Purple Spirit Ginseng Phoenix Claws:** Made with Purple Spirit Ginseng and the claws of a Purple-Feathered Phoenix. The ginseng grows in the spirit-rich Purple Spirit Secret Realm, and the phoenix is a relic of antiquity. The claws are tough and chewy, rich in wind-attribute energy. Cooked with unique spirit flames, the medicinal power of the ginseng infuses the claws, nourishing the body and enhancing the practitioner's perception of wind-attribute energy. Price: 500 low-grade spirit stones.
- **Emerald Spirit Rhinoceros Tenderloin:** Taken from the tenderloin of the Spirit Rhinoceros from the Emerald Spirit Abyss, which is surrounded by wood-attribute energy. Paired with Emerald Spirit Leaves, which purify the spiritual energy and remove impurities. The dish is a vibrant green, tender and smooth, with a subtle wood fragrance. It accelerates the circulation of spiritual energy and is excellent for healing, especially for wood-attribute practitioners. Price: 500 low-grade spirit stones.
- **Mystic Frost Thunder-Crystal Bear Paw:** Crafted from the paw of a Mystic Frost Bear from the freezing north and Thunder-Crystal ore. The bear's paw provides cold energy, while the ore provides violent thunder-attribute energy. Special techniques are used to seal the thunder energy and slowly release it into the meat. The dish is rich in flavor and offers a dual impact of cold and thunder, tempering the practitioner's body and meridians and increasing resistance to thunder-attribute energy. A rare delicacy served only on special occasions. Price: 1,000 low-grade spirit stones.

"So many varieties, and quite expensive," Lin Feng sighed.

"The Yibao Pavilion's signature dishes are all made from rare spirit beasts and herbs, carefully prepared. Each one has unique effects and tastes," Jiang Yan said, leaning closer to explain each dish in detail.

"There are ten of us. You can arrange it as you see fit. Just book a private room for me. Tell me the budget," Lin Feng said, intentionally putting some distance between them. The fragrance Jiang Yan wore and her physical proximity were a bit overwhelming.

"For ten people, we have a set menu for 8,888 low-grade spirit stones, which includes main courses, spirit fruits, nectar, and fruit dew," Jiang Yan noted that he was someone who didn't lack money. Knowing his intention to welcome his fellow disciples, she didn't want to offer anything too low-grade. 8,888 felt appropriate.

"Fine," Lin Feng agreed.

"Hehe, Brother Lin is so good to your senior sister. I'm envious," Jiang Yan said, dropping the teasing tone. "Here is a VIP card for you. I'll waive the remainder; 8,000 will do." She pressed a jade card into his hand. "I have some things to attend to. You can pay the counter directly."

Before he could refuse, she turned and hurried away.

Lin Feng looked at the jade card, unable to thank her in time. He headed straight to the counter, paid the eight thousand low-grade spirit stones, requested some ink and paper, and returned to his room to wait.