106: Liuyun City

The figure of Yan Huang appeared not far away, his expression as gloomy as water, eyes burning with rage. He locked his gaze firmly onto Lin Feng and shouted sternly, "Brat, hand over the crimson sun pearl. Otherwise, today I will ensure your body and soul are destroyed."

He gave no opportunity for any explanation. With a wave of his hand, a giant crimson palm condensing terrifying heat waves swooped down towards Lin Feng. His intention was clear: not only to retrieve the precious treasure but also to severely punish this audacious brat.

Seeing the giant palm descending, Lin Feng's pupils constricted. He frantically circulated his Cultivation Technique, attempting to break through the confinement, but the Spiritual Pressure of the Mid-stage Core Formation was like a mountain of ten thousand zhang, pinning him down firmly.

Just as he was preparing to force out his essence blood to execute the Blood Evasion Technique, the temperature between heaven and earth plummeted suddenly.

A streak of Ice Soul Divine Light silently tore through space, arriving later yet striking first, slashing against that giant crimson palm.

The scorching giant palm was instantly covered by a thick layer of deep blue mystic ice, and immediately after, it crumbled inch by inch, dissipating into ice crystals filling the sky.

Lin Feng felt the heavy Spiritual Pressure around his body suddenly lighten. He stared blankly at the ice crystals drifting before him, his heart filled with turbulent waves. This is… the Ice Soul Divine Light wielded by Master?

A plain white figure appeared silently in front of Lin Feng, her sleeves fluttering gently in the biting cold. It was his Master, Lu Yuchan.

Her expression was as calm as water; she didn't even glance at Lin Feng, only gazing indifferently at the face-changing Yan Huang opposite her.

"Sect Master Yan," she said coldly, "In my Tianxuan Sect, you dare to touch my, Lu Yuchan's, Disciple without even a word of greeting?"

Yan Huang was choked by this blunt questioning, then laughed out of extreme anger: "Lu Yuchan. You still have the face to ask? This brat is inextricably linked to the attack on my grandson half a year ago and the loss of my Sect's precious treasure, the crimson sun pearl. Today, I must take him back to get to the bottom of this."

Lu Yuchan raised an eyebrow: "Oh? Where is the evidence? Just because you point a finger with your empty mouth, I should hand over my own Disciple? Yan Huang, who do you take me for?"

Yan Huang's face alternated between red and white, his chest heaving violently. He stared fixedly at Lu Yuchan; the restrained Sword Intent on her body made him feel a great threat. Being both at the Mid-stage Core Formation, this woman exerted pressure on him that far exceeded others of the same rank.

He knew in his heart that with Lu Yuchan here today, it would be impossible to succeed, and if he forced a move, he likely wouldn't come out unscathed.

He glared fiercely at Lin Feng: "Brat. This is not over. Lu Yuchan, you can protect him for a moment, but you cannot protect him for a lifetime."

After throwing down these harsh words, Yan Huang transformed into a streak of crimson light and left indignantly.

Not until that terrifying pressure completely vanished did Lin Feng feel his body lighten, nearly collapsing from exhaustion. He took a deep breath of the cold air and bowed to the figure in front: "Disciple Lin Feng thanks Revered Master for saving my life."

Lu Yuchan slowly turned around, her gaze falling upon him, lingering for a moment before she spoke: "Why did you provoke the Chiyan Sect?"

Lin Feng did not hide anything, briefly recounting how he desperately needed the heart-bewitching grass, how he pursued clues, and ultimately encountered an accident in the black market, leading to being targeted by Yan Huang.

He omitted the specific details about the crimson sun pearl, mentioning only that there might be some old grudges with the Chiyan Sect.

Lu Yuchan listened quietly. After he finished, she pondered for a moment before speaking: "The heart-bewitching grass... this item is indeed rare. Information collected by the Sect in recent years indicates that almost all the output controlled by the Chiyan Sect flows to the Hehuan Sect. The Sect is also keeping an eye on the Hehuan Sect, but clues are limited. Take care of yourself."

Having said that, she said no more, flicked her sleeves, and vanished into the horizon in an instant.

Watching his Revered Master depart, Lin Feng knew that the road ahead would depend on himself. He suppressed the distracting thoughts in his heart, steered the wine immortal gourd, and did not return directly to the Sect, but turned towards the southwest.

There lay a major cultivation city bordering the edge of the Hehuan Sect's influence, "Flowing Cloud City," famous for being well-informed.

Several days later, the wine immortal gourd crossed a lush mountain range, and a magnificent city appeared at the end of his vision.

Flowing Cloud City was built against a mountain, with towering walls. One could vaguely see rows of pavilions and towers within the city, and various Escaping Lights were entering and exiting the city gates, appearing exceptionally prosperous.

Lin Feng landed in a secluded spot outside the city, put away the wine immortal gourd, and circulated the hidden star pendant to suppress his cultivation fluctuations to the Early Foundation Establishment Stage, before blending into the crowd and walking toward the city gate.

The Cultivator guarding the city merely glanced at him lazily before waving him through, clearly long accustomed to such solitary Loose Cultivators.

The city was indeed bustling, with wide streets and shops lining both sides, selling various Medicinal Pills and Magical Artifacts. Some shops even had ambiguous pink lanterns hanging at their entrances, from which the faint sounds of string and wind instruments drifted.

Lin Feng looked straight ahead and went directly to a fairly large teahouse in the city called "Hundred Knowledge Pavilion." This teahouse had three floors and was noisy with people, serving as a gathering place for all kinds of news in Flowing Cloud City.

He paid a few Spirit Stones and sat down in a quiet corner by the window on the second floor, where he sat for three days. Each day, he ordered only a pot of Clear Heart Tea, sitting quietly, appearing to be resting with his eyes closed.

"...I heard Hundred Flowers Valley is holding a Flower Appreciation Gathering next month. The scale this time is not small, and it is said that even Disciples from the inner gate of the Hehuan Sect will come..."

"Hundred Flowers Valley? Hmph, it's just an outer force of the Hehuan Sect, using the name of flower appreciation to carry out those dual cultivation absorption practices."

"Shh! But having said that, if one could gain the favor of a Hehuan Sect Fairy and receive a pointer or two, perhaps one could really save decades of wasted time..."

"Recently, the Hehuan Sect seems to be secretly purchasing a batch of special hallucinogenic Spiritual Plants, offering an extremely high price. Who knows what secret medicine they are trying to refine..."

"The heart-bewitching grass? That thing is extremely rare. It is said that only the fire-saliva soil of the Chiyan Sect can cultivate it. It has almost disappeared from the market in recent years. Could it all have flowed into the hands of the Hehuan Sect?"

His heart stirred slightly, but his expression remained unchanged as he continued to sip his tea slowly, as if he were just an ordinary passerby.

Over the next few days, he changed his appearance and identity several times, using a small amount of Spirit Stones to further confirm the news at markets and with information brokers where low-level Cultivators gathered in the city.

Hundred Flowers Valley was indeed about to hold a Flower Appreciation Gathering for Cultivators from all sides. The scale was not small, and there were signs indicating that Disciples from the Hehuan Sect might appear at that time.

As for the heart-bewitching grass, it was a taboo subject, and no one dared to speak of it openly, but it vaguely pointed to being related to some secret needs of the Hehuan Sect.

The risk was immense, but this seemed to be the only public avenue currently available to potentially come into contact with clues related to the Hehuan Sect. Lin Feng pondered for a long time and finally decided to take the risk.

Half a month later, Lin Feng, disguised as a down-and-out aristocratic family son with a keen interest in spirit plants and a cultivation level hovering at the Early Foundation Establishment Stage, arrived at Hundred Flowers Valley. The valley was indeed flourishing with exotic flowers and plants, and the fragrance was rich.

For two consecutive days, Lin Feng appeared to be strolling around Hundred Flowers Valley, but in reality, he was observing carefully, yet he did not discover any clues directly related to the heart-bewitching grass.

Not until the dusk of the third day, when the setting sun gilded the exotic flowers and plants in the valley with a layer of warm gold, did the visitors gradually thin out.

Lin Feng strolled to a relatively secluded flower bed planted with several rare "Butterfly-Mesmerizing Orchids," pretending to be attracted by the flowers that looked like butterflies and emitted a strange, faint fragrance, stopping to admire them closely.

Just then, a fragrant breeze swept by, and a slender figure quietly arrived at his side.

The newcomer was dressed in colorful clothes, her skirt fluttering, her face charming, and her eyes held an enchanting allure as they shifted; her cultivation was around the Foundation Establishment Mid-stage.

She examined Lin Feng's profile closely, a faint, elusive smile hanging on the corners of her lips.