27: Ye Yun'er's final destination

Lin Feng composed his expression: "If this Junior Brother ever finds any strange or exotic plants in the future, I will certainly bring them to Senior Sister for guidance first."

Luo Linger was truly happy then, nodding vigorously: "Okay, okay. You must bring them for me to see. I know so much."

After Lin Feng went down the mountain, he visited several of the larger shops in the Sect market and successfully purchased some decent quality Three-Leaf Green Ganoderma and a small bottle of Century-Old Stone Milk, but the Pill Formula needed to refine tongmai powder was nowhere to be found.

Speaking of Alchemy, he could only think of Su Sizhu, whom he had met once at the Spirit Pill Pavilion; perhaps she could help.

But he didn't know where this mature Senior Sister's Immortal Cave was, and there was nowhere to ask, so he had to put this thought aside for now.

He turned and headed toward the familiar herb garden. From a distance, he sensed a chaotic and anxious fluctuation of Spiritual Qi coming from Ye Yuner's small house.

He saw Ye Yuner sitting cross-legged, her face flushed red, her surrounding Spiritual Qi fluctuating unsteadily. She was desperately trying to break through the Bottleneck of the Qi Refining Third Layer, but her strength was clearly failing, and her aura was beginning to slide toward the brink of collapse.

Lin Feng frowned, stepped forward quickly, and without the slightest hesitation, gently pressed his palm against her back, slowly channeling a stream of pure and peaceful Spiritual Qi to help her organize and guide that chaotic aura.

The restless Spiritual Qi in Ye Yuner's body seemed to have found a backbone, gradually calming down.

Her aura suddenly surged, then slowly stabilized as she officially stepped into the Qi Refining Third Layer.

Ye Yuner opened her eyes, sweat beads still on her forehead. A smile first flashed across her face, but when she saw Lin Feng, her eyes dimmed.

There were only a few days left until she turned eighteen.

It was not so easy to break through between the Qi Refining Third Layer and the Fourth Layer.

"Senior Brother Lin..." her voice trembled, with a hint of a sob, "I..."

Lin Feng looked at her, his heart equally heavy. He took the small bottle containing the last peiyuan pill from his Storage Pouch.

But the moment his fingertips touched the bottle, the scene of the violent medicinal power surging through his Meridians when he took the peiyuan pill—the excruciating pain, the near-death experience of his body exploding, and finally relying on Qin Yang's help to luckily succeed—flashed through his mind.

"No." His fingers stiffened.

"With my current cultivation and knowledge, I cannot act as a Protector for her like Senior Brother Qin did, guiding that violent medicinal power. Giving her this pill is not helping her, but harming her."

Watching Ye Yuner's deadline approach while being unable to do anything about it was a feeling even more suffocating than facing a powerful enemy.

It seemed only the most helpless path remained.

Becoming Dao Companions; with his status as an Outer Sect Disciple, he could barely protect her and keep her at the bottom of the Sect, but this would undoubtedly ruin any future possibilities for her.

Several days later, Lin Feng returned to Zhao Li's Immortal Cave on Yunshu Peak as promised.

The stone door opened. Zhao Li was dressed in a plain robe, her hair bunned meticulously. Although a lingering trace of sorrow remained between her brows, her eyes had returned to calmness.

"You're here." She stepped aside to let Lin Feng enter, "My brother's funeral arrangements have been mostly settled."

The Immortal Cave was still piled with Artifact Refining Materials and semi-finished products, but it was slightly tidier than last time.

The two sat down at the stone table, silent for a moment.

Lin Feng could feel that after experiencing the pain of losing her brother, Zhao Li's temperament seemed to have become more introverted and difficult to approach.

"Junior Martial Uncle, please accept my condolences." Lin Feng spoke first.

Then, he stated the doubts and observations he had organized: "This Disciple is of low status and weak power, only able to observe these surface details. I do not know if this is of any help to Junior Martial Uncle in pursuing the truth? If I discover anything in the future, I will certainly come to report it."

Zhao Li listened carefully. Although the clues provided by Lin Feng were extremely vague and almost impossible to point to a specific target, they clearly touched her.

She was silent for a moment, then sighed softly: "Thank you for your trouble. My brother's matter... the water runs deep behind it. Your cultivation is still shallow; you must prioritize your own safety and not force things."

"Junior Martial Uncle, rest assured, this Disciple knows his limits." Lin Feng nodded.

Just then, Lin Feng's gaze inadvertently swept over the accumulated waste and mineral residue in a corner of the Immortal Cave, and a thought flashed through his mind.

His trace of hesitation and difficult-to-speak expression was caught by Zhao Li.

"Is there something else?" Zhao Li asked proactively.

Hearing this, Lin Feng showed a bitter smile, sat back down, and sighed:

"I dare not hide anything from Junior Martial Uncle. There is indeed a matter troubling my heart, but it has nothing to do with Senior Sister's matter. It is just a trivial personal matter of this Disciple, and I should not have bothered Junior Martial Uncle."

"Speak freely."

Lin Feng then recounted Ye Yuner's situation in detail.

After listening, Zhao Li was silent for a moment, her fingertips tapping on the stone table.

But soon, she seemed to have thought of something, and a glimmer of light flashed in her eyes.

She looked at Lin Feng again: "The Dao of Artifact Refining also requires a calm heart."

"If she is truly as you say, patient and meticulous, then bring her here. The environment of Yunshu Peak and these tasks themselves might be a form of tempering and settling for her."

"As for her Bottleneck... after she comes, I can teach her a 'Meridian Warming Formula' used to stabilize Qi and blood and calm the mind."

The heavy stone in Lin Feng's heart fell, and he immediately bowed: "Thank you, Junior Martial Uncle, for giving her this opportunity. This Disciple will go bring her now."

"Hmm." Zhao Li replied indifferently, her gaze already returned to the Magical Artifact components on the stone table.

A moment later, the stone door of the Immortal Cave opened again. Lin Feng returned, followed by a young girl who was so nervous she was almost walking with an uncoordinated gait, her fingers tightly twisting the corner of her clothes; it was Ye Yuner.

"You are Ye Yuner? Qi Refining Third Layer, Foundation is acceptable, but Spiritual Qi is floating, seemingly mostly due to Medicinal Pill assistance, with insufficient self-tempering."

With one sentence, she exposed Ye Yuner's current situation.

Ye Yuner's face turned pale, and she lowered her head further: "Th-this Disciple is dull..."

She took out a Jade Slip with an ancient color and placed it on the stone table:

"This is a 'Meridian Nourishing Formula', not a profound Cultivation Technique, but it has some small effect in stabilizing Qi and blood and gently nourishing Meridians, and it may help you solidify your current Realm."

"If you are willing to stay, you can practice this method and also stay here on Yunshu Peak to cultivate. The Spiritual Qi here is better than a low-grade herb garden."

Ye Yuner looked up and hurriedly bowed, her voice trembling: "This Disciple is willing. This Disciple will certainly do her best and will never dare to be slack. Thank you, Junior Martial Uncle. Thank you, Junior Martial Uncle, for your kindness."

Seeing this, Lin Feng knew the matter was settled.

He took out the peiyuan pill and handed it to Ye Yuner, then bowed solemnly to Zhao Li again: "Thank you for your trouble, Junior Martial Uncle. This Disciple takes his leave."

The waterfall roared, and water vapor was dense.

Lin Feng was shirtless, standing in the waterfall, letting the cold torrent impact his body; this was the simplest method he could think of to temper his Physical Body.

In several inconspicuous rock crevices beside him, a few small Formation Flags were quietly inserted; this was the simplest 'Qi Concealment Formation' he had just learned from the Jade Slip given by Martial Uncle Zhao Ming.

Although the effect of the Formation was weak, it could still isolate sound and fluctuations of Spiritual Qi.

He took a deep breath, swallowed the Medicinal Pill he had prepared long ago, sat cross-legged, and fully operated his Cultivation Technique, guiding the surging medicinal power and the gathered Spiritual Qi to launch an assault on the Qi Refining Fifth Layer.

At the critical moment, Spiritual Qi surged, and the Bottleneck was tottering.

Just at this moment, a cold and harsh shout came.

"Who is setting up a private Formation here?!"