31: First meeting with Chen Qiaoqian

The flying boat soared into the sky, cutting through the air above Tai Nan Valley. The valley rapidly shrunk in their view, eventually becoming a blurred mark on the ground.

Lin Feng sat by the window of the flying boat, feeling the wind blowing against him. Not far from him, Han Li sat upright, a hint of novelty and tension in his eyes.

Lu Yunfeng, on the other hand, sat on the other side, his face gloomy, occasionally glancing at Lin Feng and Han Li with complex emotions.

"Brother Lin," Han Li suddenly turned his head and spoke in a low voice, "It's quite a coincidence. Thanks to your reminder about the ascension token that day, I went back and searched through my old belongings, and I actually found one."

Upon hearing this, Lin Feng's face showed just the right amount of surprise and joy.

"Oh? Brother Han actually has such an Opportunity!" Lin Feng cupped his hands, "Congratulations, Brother Han. It seems Brother Han is destined for Huangfeng Valley."

"Not at all, just a stroke of luck." Han Li waved his hand, but the smile at the corner of his brow couldn't be hidden. He paused, then continued, "I didn't expect Brother Lin to also choose to join Huangfeng Valley. In the future, within the Sect, I hope Brother Lin will look after me."

"Old Brother Han, you're too polite. We Loose Cultivators should naturally help each other," Lin Feng replied with a smile. He glanced in Lu Yunfeng's direction, seeing his gloomy gaze, and sneered inwardly.

Lu Yunfeng had suffered two major losses at Lin Feng's hands. Now, seeing himself and Han Li, whom he considered a "waste," getting along well, he probably felt very unpleasant.

"By the way, how much does Brother Lin know about Huangfeng Valley?" Han Li asked.

"I only know it's one of the Seven Schools, neither strong nor weak among them," Lin Feng replied. "As for the specifics, I'll only know after entering the Sect."

"Yes," Han Li nodded, "but being able to enter an Immortal School is always a good thing. We, who struggled in the Mortal world, are already very fortunate to have this kind of encounter."

"I wonder if Old Brother Han has any plans for his future immortal Dao?" Lin Feng asked, following up.

Han Li pondered for a moment, his eyes a little lost: "Plans? To reach Foundation Establishment as soon as possible and establish myself in the Sect. What about Brother Lin? Brother Lin's strength is extraordinary, do you have a grander goal?"

"Reaching Foundation Establishment early is natural, but isn't Cultivating the Dao for the sake of longevity?" Lin Feng looked at the sea of clouds passing outside the flying boat, his gaze deep, "Attaining the Dao and achieving longevity, freely roaming the heavens and earth, that is my goal."

Listening to Lin Feng's words, Han Li felt something stir within him. Longevity? This word also held immense appeal for him. He had always felt that only by living long enough could he control his own destiny. And he possessed the small green bottle; as long as he could achieve longevity, he wouldn't worry about being unable to advance his Cultivation.

"Longevity..." Han Li murmured, a trace of yearning flashing in his eyes.

The two chatted desultorily, from their Mortal lives to their confusions about Cultivation. Lin Feng intentionally tried to get closer to Han Li, maintaining a friendly and slightly admiring attitude on the surface, which made Han Li feel as if they had met too late.

He knew that although Han Li was cautious, he would lower his guard with people he recognized.

Lu Yunfeng, on the side, pricked up his ears, listening to their conversation. Hearing Lin Feng and Han Li speak the words "longevity," he sneered inwardly. Two pseudo Spiritual Roots, daring to speak of longevity?

What angered him more was that Lin Feng was actually associating with Han Li, that "waste" in his eyes.

He, a dignified direct Disciple of the Lu Family, a major Cultivation Family, was born with a Heavenly Spiritual Root. He was destined to be a top figure in the Cultivation world, yet he was easily suppressed by a Loose Cultivator who appeared out of nowhere. He couldn't swallow this humiliation.

What was even more hateful was that the guy's strength was too strange; in both clashes, he felt powerless to resist. But now that he had joined Huangfeng Valley, he had a chance to get revenge on Lin Feng. Thinking of this, his gaze towards Lin Feng and Han Li became even more venomous.

The flying boat flew steadily at ten thousand miles high, passing through layers of white clouds. Lin Feng withdrew his thoughts from his conversation with Han Li and began to scan the Foundation Establishment Disciples of Huangfeng Valley on the flying boat. He knew that some important characters from the original story might be among this group.

His gaze swept over face after face, and suddenly, it lingered on a woman.

She was a woman dressed in a light yellow dress. She wasn't excited or nervous like the others, but simply sat quietly, looking out the window. Her profile was soft, her skin fair, exuding an scholarly Aura.

Although she wasn't stunningly beautiful, she possessed a clear and ethereal temperament that made people unable to help but look at her a few more times.

She was a woman with a refined and beautiful face, her features as exquisite as a painting, with a gentle and agile temperament flowing between her brows and eyes. Her figure was graceful, her skin like snow, and a plain long dress made her posture light and ethereal.

Especially her bright eyes, as clear as autumn water, revealing intelligence and kindness in their glances.

Her figure was full without losing its softness, especially her ample body wrapped in the plain dress, but her overall demeanor was dignified, without any hint of frivolity. And she wore a jade Magical Artifact at her waist, which showed the coldness of a Cultivator while also hinting at the nobility of a Family background.

"System Prompt: Detected Bonded Character [Chen Qiaoqian], current Bond Rank: (5/30) Initial acquaintance not activated."

It was her, indeed. Lin Feng's heart stirred. Chen Qiaoqian, in the original story, was a Family Disciple. After joining Huangfeng Valley, she encountered two scumbags, Lu Yunfeng and Han Li, and eventually died in depression, a truly tragic end.

This made countless readers feel it was unfair to her.

Lin Feng's gaze lingered on her for a moment, then moved away. He noticed that it wasn't just him; the gazes of some male Disciples around him also occasionally drifted towards Chen Qiaoqian.

And one of those gazes, in particular, made Lin Feng feel a bit uncomfortable.

He turned to look and saw Lu Yunfeng staring intently at Chen Qiaoqian, an evil and lustful gleam in his eyes. It was a naked, possessive desire that instantly put Lin Feng on alert.

Lu Yunfeng had exposed his despicable nature at the Ascension Gathering, and he hadn't expected him to target Chen Qiaoqian as soon as he entered the School.

Lin Feng sneered inwardly. Lu Yunfeng, you want to scheme against my Senior Sister Chen? You'll have to get past Old Devil Han first! His mind began to plan the subsequent script for Han Li and Lu Yunfeng.

As Lin Feng planned in his mind, Huangfeng Valley's flying boat sped on, its speed undiminished. The scenery outside the window gradually changed. In the distance, a continuous mountain range appeared, majestic and grand.

As the flying boat approached the mountain range, Lin Feng saw that the entire range was covered by a faint white mist, obscuring the specific sights within.

"What a grand Formation!" Han Li exclaimed.

Lin Feng also felt a powerful Spiritual Qi fluctuation. It seemed this was Huangfeng Valley's protective mountain Formation, hiding the entire Sect within it, isolating it from the Mortal world. Mortals standing at the foot of the mountain would probably only see ordinary green hills and waters.

The flying boat paused briefly outside the protective mountain Formation, seemingly waiting for the Sect to open a passage. A moment later, a swirling gap appeared in the white mist shrouding the mountain range, and the flying boat slowly entered through the gap.

Passing through the white mist, the scene before them suddenly opened up. Islands suspended in mid-air came into view, with pavilions and towers on them, Spiritual Qi swirling, and waterfalls cascading from high places into the lakes below.

Various rare flowers and exotic plants emitted a faint glow under the nourishment of Spiritual Qi, and the air was filled with dense Spiritual Qi; even a single breath invigorated one's spirit.

Huangfeng Valley, truly worthy of being one of the Seven Sects!

The new Disciples exclaimed one after another, their faces filled with longing and shock.

The flying boat carried the crowd, descending towards one of the larger islands. A wide plaza was built on the island, where some Cultivators dressed in Huangfeng Valley attire were already waiting.

The flying boat slowly landed, and the cabin door opened. New and old Disciples streamed out, stepping onto the land belonging to Huangfeng Valley.

The white-haired Core Formation old Daoist walked down the flying boat, a benevolent smile on his face. He surveyed the new Disciples and spoke loudly.

"Welcome, everyone, to Huangfeng Valley!"