88: Chapter 88 Taking a Girl to Grind Monsters! Breath of Earth Obtained! That Guy Wasn't Dead After All.
Lin Feng and Cold Moon walked out of the underground garden.
Looking back at the entrance, the surviving magic flowers and grass were still trembling.
"Where to next?" Cold Moon asked.
Lin Feng thought for a moment.
"There's still over a day left, let's look around."
"You... are taking me with you?"
"Since I have nothing better to do anyway," Lin Feng shrugged, "I might as well help you level up."
Cold Moon was stunned.
Help her level up?
She looked at Lin Feng with a complicated expression.
This man had just complained about her holding him back, and now he was going to take her along?
"Aren't you afraid I'll drag you down?"
"I am," Lin Feng said honestly, "but if I leave you alone and you happen to die, it'll be hard to explain when we get out."
Cold Moon: "..."
Even though it was the truth, why did it sound so heart-wrenching?
"Let's go."
Lin Feng unfurled his Wind Wings and flew at a low altitude.
Cold Moon followed behind him, wind rising beneath her feet—that was her wind-type skill, which could increase movement speed for a short duration.
The two of them traveled through the Secret Realm, one in front and one behind.
...
The first thing they encountered was a group of Gargoyles.
Over thirty of them were perched in a deserted Stone Temple.
They were elite-tier, between Rank 28 and 30.
When Cold Moon saw those Gargoyles, her expression changed.
These monsters were thick-skinned and had extremely high physical Defense.
As an assassin, she feared this type the most.
"I'll do it," Lin Feng said.
He raised his hand, and a golden beam of light shot out!
Judgment of Light!
A golden greatsword slashed down!
Boom!!!
Three Gargoyles were instantly blown into fragments!
The remaining Gargoyles were shocked and enraged, lunging forward frantically!
Unperturbed, Lin Feng pulled the dragon slaying sword from his wanxiang ring.
A pitch-black blade with golden patterns.
He swung it casually!
A black Sword Qi swept outward!
Puchi puchi puchi puchi puchi!!!
Seven Gargoyles were sliced in half at the waist!
[Killed Gargoyle x10, experience points +100,000]
Cold Moon stood to the side, watching in a daze.
The thirty-plus Gargoyles that would have given her a headache were just... gone?
In less than ten seconds?
"What are you staring for? Pick up the Materials," Lin Feng said.
Cold Moon snapped back to her senses and walked over silently to begin gathering the Materials dropped by the Gargoyles.
[Gargoyle Core (Blue) x8]
[Gargoyle Wing (Blue) x5]
[Gargoyle Essence Blood (Green) x12]
As she picked them up, she marveled in her heart.
Following a big shot, even picking up Materials felt blissful.
...
The second thing they encountered was a Poison Mist Swamp.
Countless Poison Frogs, poison snakes, and Poison Lizards were hidden in the swamp.
They were between Rank 30 and 32, numbering at least a hundred.
Cold Moon's face turned pale as she looked at the poison mist.
She didn't have enough detoxification potions; going in would be a death sentence.
Lin Feng glanced at her.
"Wait here."
He walked into the poison mist alone.
Five minutes later.
The poison mist dissipated.
Lin Feng walked out without a single trace of poison on him.
"Let's go, the monsters inside are cleared out."
Cold Moon walked into the swamp and saw a scene of devastation.
Over a hundred poisonous creatures were all dead.
The ground was piled high with Materials.
[Poison Frog Skin (Blue) x35]
[Poison Snake Fangs (Blue) x28]
[Poison Lizard Eye (Purple) x12]
There was also a [Ten-Thousand-Year Poison Spirit Reishi (Red)] in the center of the swamp that he had also harvested.
Cold Moon silently collected the Materials.
She no longer knew what to say.
...
The third thing they encountered was a group of Fire Elements.
Over forty of them were floating above a volcano crater.
They were between Rank 32 and 35, mostly boss-tier.
Cold Moon looked at those Fire Elements and silently mourned for them.
As expected.
Lin Feng walked up and unleashed an Ice Seal Domain with a wave of his hand!
Ice-blue light expanded!
Those Fire Elements were frozen until they shivered!
Then came Thors Hammer!
Purple lightning struck down!
With the elemental counters of ice, fire, and lightning, those Fire Elements were torn apart like paper!
Over forty of them were completely wiped out in three minutes!
[flame essence (Purple) x18]
[Fire Core (Blue) x25]
[Breath of Fire (Red) x3]
Cold Moon picked up the Materials numbly.
She was already used to it.
...
Just like that, the two of them roamed the Secret Realm for a day.
Lin Feng was responsible for killing monsters, and Cold Moon was responsible for picking up Materials.
Occasionally, when they met something difficult to defeat, Lin Feng would spend a few extra seconds.
When they met something manageable, it was a one-shot kill.
From her initial shock to her later numbness, and finally to...
She no longer knew how she felt.
She just felt that this world was too surreal.
In one day.
They had raided over a dozen monster gathering spots.
They had killed at least two thousand monsters.
Lin Feng's experience bar shot up like a rocket.
Rank 35... Rank 36... Rank 37... Rank 38... Rank 39...
Finally—
After killing a Rank 35 lord-tier Flame Giant Lizard.
A golden light flashed!
[Rank Up! Rank 40!]
[All Attributes +3, Free Attribute Points +20]
[Current Rank: 40]
[spirit: 1710]
[Magic Attack: 8550]
[health points: 2000000/2000000]
[mana: 1700000/1700000]
Rank forty!
spirit at one thousand seven hundred and ten!
Magic attack at eight thousand five hundred and fifty!
health points at two million!
mana at one million seven hundred thousand!
"Awesome!"
Lin Feng couldn't help but roar toward the sky.
Cold Moon stood by his side, silently watching him.
Rank forty.
She remembered that before coming in, he was only Rank 26.
In just two or three short days, he had risen by fourteen Ranks.
Who would believe this leveling speed if it were told?
"Congratulations," she said softly.
Lin Feng turned to look at her and smiled.
"You're not bad either, you're Rank 32 now."
Cold Moon looked down at her own attributes.
Rank 32, she had risen 4 Ranks since coming in.
She would have been quite satisfied originally.
But looking at Lin Feng...
Forget it, no point in comparing.
...
At night.
The two of them found a cave to rest in.
Cold Moon kept watch at the cave entrance while Lin Feng said he needed to process some Materials.
He walked deep into the cave, and once he was sure Cold Moon couldn't see him, he took out the soil of life from the wanxiang ring.
Ten cubic meters of pale golden soil were piled into a small hill.
It emitted a warm glow and a faint fragrance.
[soil of life (Red) x 10 cubic meters]
"Elder Dan, what can this stuff be fused into?"
Lin Feng asked.
Elder Dan was silent for a second.
"You don't even know what it can be fused into, yet you're asking me?" he said displeasedly.
Lin Feng thought for a bit.
"Then I'll give it a try."
He held his hands together in the air, aiming at the pile of soil of life.
"Talent—Activate!"
Buzz—
Pale golden light enveloped the entire pile of soil!
[Detectable Fusion Item: soil of life (Red) x 10 cubic meters]
[Soil Fusion]
[Warning: Fusing top-grade Materials is extremely risky; success rate is below 40%]
[Suggested Consumption: 800,000 mana]
[Fusion Direction: Sublimation]
Eight hundred thousand mana!
Lin Feng now had one million seven hundred thousand, so it was enough!
"Give it to me—Fuse!"
He gritted his teeth and injected eight hundred thousand mana!
Boom!!!
The golden light surged!
That pile of soil of life instantly floated up!
They spun, compressed, and sublimated frantically within the golden light!
The volume continued to shrink!
From ten cubic meters, it shrank to five, three, one...
Finally, it condensed into a palm-sized piece of... mud?
That piece of mud was dark gold all over, with a seven-colored aura flowing on its surface.
It felt warm as jade to the touch, yet soft as cotton.
It emitted a life aura a hundred times more concentrated than before!
[Obtained: Restless Soil (Pseudo-Chromatic)]
[Quality: Chromatic (Pseudo)]
[Effect 1: Infinite growth; automatically expands in volume in any environment]
[Effect 2: Spiritual plants grown on Restless Soil have growth speed +1000%, quality increased by three tiers]
[Effect 3: Can be used for Artifact Refining; equipment crafted will have the 'Regeneration' attribute (automatic repair)]
[Effect 4: Can be used for Alchemy; pills crafted will have the 'Everlasting' effect (continuous recovery)]
[Effect 5: Can be fused into the body to obtain the passive skill 'Mother of the Earth']
[Mother of the Earth: When on the ground, health points recovery speed +500%, Defense +100%, all earth-element skill effects +200%]
[Description: Legendary divine soil, used by Nüwa to create humans, possesses the characteristic of infinite growth, the source of all life in the world]
Lin Feng was completely dumbfounded as he looked at that description.
Infinite growth?
Planting speed +1000%?
Quality increased by three tiers?
Automatic equipment repair?
It can even grant a passive skill when fused into the body?
What kind of god-tier item is this?!
"Dan... Elder Dan..."
His voice was trembling.
Elder Dan was silent.
He was silent for a very long time.
Then, he slowly spoke.
"Kid, I no longer know what to say."
"Restless Soil... this is a thing of legends."
"Back then, the First Emperor of Qin sent Xu Fu to sea specifically to find this thing."
"In the end, Xu Fu didn't find it, but you fused it into existence."
Lin Feng held the Restless Soil, his hands shaking.
This thing was even more valuable than the dragon slaying sword!
Higher than the complete compendium of elixirs!
Higher than anything else!
"I've hit it big... I've really hit it big..."
He murmured.
He carefully put the Restless Soil into the wanxiang ring, placing it separately in the deepest part.
Then, he calmed his emotions and walked out of the cave.
Cold Moon was still keeping watch at the cave entrance.
Seeing Lin Feng come out, she stood up.
"Finished processing?"
"Yes." Lin Feng nodded.
Cold Moon looked at him, hesitating to speak.
"What is it?"
"Nothing." Cold Moon shook her head, "I just feel... you're too mysterious."
Lin Feng smiled and didn't say anything.
The two of them sat at the cave entrance, looking at the night outside.
There was no moon in the Secret Realm, but the floating elemental light spots decorated the night sky like a galaxy.
After a moment of silence, Cold Moon suddenly spoke.
"Lin Feng, what else do you think is in this Secret Realm?"
Lin Feng thought for a moment.
"There is something."
"What?"
"I don't know." Lin Feng shook his head, "But I always feel like something is hiding from me."
Cold Moon was stunned.
"Hiding from you?"
"Yes." Lin Feng frowned, "Every time I feel like I'm about to find something, that aura disappears."
"It's like... it has a consciousness."
Cold Moon felt her scalp tingle as she listened.
"You mean, this Secret Realm... is alive?"
"It's possible," Lin Feng said, "or it could be something that just doesn't want to be found by me."
Cold Moon fell silent.
She suddenly felt that this Secret Realm was even more terrifying than she had imagined.
...
The next day.
The two continued to roam the Secret Realm.
But just as Lin Feng had said, that faint, indistinct aura could no longer be found.
It was as if it were intentionally hiding from them.
Lin Feng tried searching with Mental Energy, sensing with the Eye of the Elements, and even had Xiao Jin help.
But they found nothing.
"Forget it." He gave up, "Maybe the time isn't right yet."
Cold Moon nodded.
The two of them raided a few more monster gathering spots, rising by half a Rank.
Then—
Buzz...
The surrounding space suddenly began to distort.
A powerful repulsive force surged from all directions!
"Time's up!" Cold Moon exclaimed.
Lin Feng felt his body being lifted by an invisible force, flying toward a certain direction against his will.
His vision blurred.
When he opened his eyes again, he was already standing on that familiar open ground.
At the entrance, that purple barrier of light was still there, but its glow had dimmed considerably.
Chen Ruoxi stood not far away, with several soldiers behind her.
Seeing Lin Feng, her eyes lit up.
"Lin Feng! You're out!"
Lin Feng nodded and looked around.
Beside him, Cold Moon had also come out.
She stood three meters away, her face pale, but her spirit seemed fine.
And further over...
A figure in white.
Shen Yutang.
He was still alive.
But he was in a very poor state.
That magnificent white robe was tattered and covered in bloodstains and mud.
His hair was disheveled, and there were several scars on his face.
His eyes were sinister, staring fixedly at Lin Feng.
It was as if he wanted to swallow him alive.
Lin Feng glanced at him and didn't say anything.
Chen Ruoxi walked over, her gaze sweeping across the three of them.
"Everyone is out? Where is Zhao Iron Pillar?"
No one answered.
Chen Ruoxi's expression darkened.
"He didn't come out?"
Chen Ruoxi fell silent.
After a few seconds, she took a deep breath.
"Let's wait a little longer."
Lin Feng didn't speak.
He knew that Zhao Iron Pillar most likely wouldn't be coming back.
That taciturn special forces soldier had died just like that in the Secret Realm.
"How were your harvests?" Chen Ruoxi asked.
Cold Moon looked at Lin Feng.
Lin Feng didn't speak.
Shen Yutang suddenly spoke, his voice hoarse.
"Harvest? Hmph, I didn't get anything."
He stared at Lin Feng, his eyes full of resentment.
"Some people, on the other hand, made a fortune inside."
Chen Ruoxi looked toward Lin Feng.
Lin Feng shrugged.
"Just good luck, I picked up a few things."
Shen Yutang gave a cold laugh and didn't say anything more.
But his eyes had already said everything.
He had noted down this debt.
Lin Feng ignored him.
He looked up at the light barrier that was about to close.
He thought about that aura that had been hiding from him.
What exactly was it?
Why didn't it want to be found by him?
"Sooner or later..."
He murmured.
"I will come back again."