70: Tiannan Model

“Senior Brother Lin! This is great, I knew you must be alive!”

Lu Renjia rushed to Lin Feng in a few quick steps, her pale Face filled with excitement and relief.

She looked him up and down, and seeing him safe and sound, her eyes almost welled up with tears.

Han Li stood by, his expression quite complex, and also cupped his hands towards Lin Feng, his voice slightly dry: “Brother Lin.”

Lin Feng found it amusing; this appearance of Old Devil Han was indeed rare.

But on his Face, he maintained a gentle and humble demeanor, nodding slightly to Lu Renjia: “Junior Sister is blessed with good fortune. I am also happy for your safe return. Junior Brother Han is also deeply blessed.”

Lu Renjia waved her hands repeatedly, eagerly explaining to Li Huayuan and others: “Uncle Li, Red拂 Shishu! You don’t know, if Senior Brother Lin hadn’t acted righteously, Junior Brother Han and I would have probably… probably perished in the Forbidden Ground on the very first day we entered!”

Her voice was agitated, and she briefly recounted how she had encountered Feng Yue earlier, how Lin Feng had miraculously saved her, how he had appeared like a Heavenly God, and how he had saved both her and Han Li.

Li Huayuan heard this and his gaze shifted between Lin Feng and Han Li, as if in deep thought.

He had previously wondered how Han Li, with such a cautious personality, could have obtained a treasure like the Blood Ginseng. Now, hearing Lu Renjia’s account, he understood.

It seemed that Lin Feng also deserved some credit for Han Li’s gains this time.

His eyes, as he looked at Lin Feng, couldn’t help but show a bit more appreciation.

“So that’s how it is.” Li Huayuan stroked his beard and nodded, “Nephew Lin is a man of high integrity, fearless in the Face of danger, and aids fellow Disciples. He is truly a model for our Huangfeng Valley Disciples.”

Lin Feng looked at the surrounding Disciples, his gaze falling upon that seemingly ordinary elderly figure—Xiang Zhili.

Across the crowd, he cupped his hands towards the Huangfeng Valley Disciples and said loudly: “All Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters, you’ve worked hard on this journey. It is my honor, Lin Feng, to meet you all here again.”

Xiang Zhili, disguised as a Qi Refining old man, was indeed in a good mood after receiving Lin Feng’s miraculous “Spirit Descent Talisman.”

Seeing Lin Feng bow to everyone, he also showed a benevolent smile and nodded slightly in return.

The other Huangfeng Valley Disciples, having heard Lu Renjia’s description, already knew of Lin Feng’s righteous act of risking his life to save fellow Disciples. Now, seeing him so humble and courteous, they felt even more admiration and cupped their fists in return.

“Junior Brother Lin is too kind!”

“Junior Brother Lin’s integrity is high, I, Song, admire you!”

Li Huayuan and Hongfu Immortal watched this scene, and their impression of Lin Feng improved even further.

Just as the atmosphere on Huangfeng Valley’s side was harmonious, Li Huayuan keenly noticed that on Yanyue Sect’s side, from Core Formation Elders down to ordinary Disciples, many gazes were still fixed on Lin Feng.

His heart stirred, and he loudly asked the middle-aged female Cultivator leading the Yanyue Sect: “Fairy Yue, may I ask for your guidance? Why are your esteemed Fellow Daoists constantly looking at this Disciple?”

That middle-aged female Cultivator from the Yanyue Sect was Nangong Wan’s Senior Sister, with the Daoist title “Qingyue.” She had always been cold as ice and unapproachable towards Cultivators from other Sects.

Now, hearing Li Huayuan’s question, the perennial chill on her Face melted a few points, and her tone was surprisingly gentle.

“Fellow Daoist Li, you exaggerate.” Fairy Qingyue slowly began, “I dare not offer guidance. It’s just that our Yanyue Sect owes your esteemed Sect a considerable favor this time.”

“Oh?” Li Huayuan raised an eyebrow, quite surprised, “A favor? How did this come about?”

Not only him, but Core Formation Cultivators from the other Sects also cast curious glances.

When did Huangfeng Valley establish such a relationship with the Yanyue Sect?

Fairy Qingyue’s gaze turned to Lin Feng, a complex and unreadable glint flashing in her eyes—there was admiration, surprise, and also a hint of… an indescribable meaning.

“Fellow Daoist Li, your Huangfeng Valley has truly taken in an extraordinary new Disciple this time.”

“This child, with a Qi Refining Perfection cultivation, deep within the Forbidden Ground, single-handedly fought a second-level Yao Beast without falling behind, ultimately heavily injuring and repelling it.”

“If he hadn’t acted righteously, the dozens of Disciples from our Yanyue Sect who entered the Forbidden Ground this time would probably all have perished in the mouth of that Yao Beast.”

As soon as these words were spoken, there was an immediate uproar!

“What? A Qi Refining Stage Cultivator fighting a second-level Yao Beast alone?”

“A second-level Yao Beast? That’s comparable to a Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator!”

“This… how is this possible?!”

The Seven Sects Cultivators, whether they were Elders or surviving Disciples, instantly changed their gazes towards Lin Feng.

Shock, doubt, disbelief, all kinds of emotions intertwined.

Lu Renjia, standing beside him, widened her small mouth. She only knew that Senior Brother Lin was formidable, but she didn’t know he was formidable to such an incredible extent.

Han Li’s pupils also constricted, his heart churning.

A second-level Yao Beast… He knew that if he encountered one, there would be no other path but to flee.

How much strength had this Lin Feng hidden?

Fairy Qingyue paused, then added: “I just heard that before this young friend Lin saved our Sect’s Disciples, he also covered for your Sect’s fellow Disciples, single-handedly repelling Song Bao’er without harming her life. Such conduct, sacrificing oneself for others, truly deserves to be called a model for us Cultivators of Tiannan!”

As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions in the eyes of the Disciples from various Sects towards Lin Feng varied, most carrying admiration, while some had a flicker of disdain and jealousy.

“Hmph, it sounds like a tall tale, who knows if it’s true or false?”

“A Qi Refining Stage Cultivator repelling a Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator? Surely that’s an exaggeration!”

“Perhaps he relied on some powerful Magical Artifact, who knows.”

Lin Feng naturally heard some of these low whispers.

He smiled bitterly in his heart. Nangong Wan must have deliberately wanted him to show off; was this her revenge on her husband?

However, he maintained a calm and composed demeanor on his Face, bowing slightly to Fairy Qingyue: “Senior, you flatter me. This Junior merely happened to be there and was fortunate enough to lend a hand; I am not worthy of being called a model.”

His humble and unassuming manner, on the contrary, made those Cultivators who had a good impression of him admire him even more.

Li Huayuan’s mood at this moment was like being on a roller coaster.

First, the pleasant surprise of Han Li presenting the Blood Ginseng, then the relief of Lin Feng saving his fellow Disciples, and now the Yanyue Sect Elder publicly expressing thanks and owing a favor.

“Good, good, good!” Li Huayuan said “good” three times in a row, the smile on his Face almost reaching his ears, “Nephew Lin is too humble. Fairy Yue, this trip to the Forbidden Ground, it is only right that our two Sects’ Disciples help each other. There is no need to mention the favor again.”

Although he said so, his heart was blooming with joy.

A favor from the Yanyue Sect was a tangible benefit.

Fairy Qingyue nodded slightly and said no more.

Her public announcement today was genuinely to thank Lin Feng, and also to give Huangfeng Valley Face, and at the same time, it was at the request of her Junior Sister Nangong Wan.

As for whether Lin Feng would attract trouble because of this, that was not for her to consider.

As Disciples from various Sects successively emerged from the passage, time gradually passed.

Half a day later, the entrance to the passage, shrouded in colorful light, flickered intensely, then completely dimmed, and finally disappeared.

The Forbidden Ground trial thus came to an end.

After the Core Formation Cultivators of each Sect had counted their numbers and gains, they successively conjured their flying Magical Artifacts, carrying their Disciples, and transformed into streaks of light, flying towards their respective Sects.

They had arrived with great momentum, but when they returned, most carried a sense of heaviness and complexity.

In the Huangfeng Valley team, the atmosphere was relatively much more relaxed.

Li Huayuan was in high spirits, and Hongfu Immortal also rarely showed a hint of a smile.

Han Li silently followed at the back of the team, pondering how to use the Heaven-Devouring Bottle to ripen Spirit Medicine and quickly improve his cultivation after returning.

Lin Feng, meanwhile, chatted with several fellow Disciples who proactively came forward to befriend him, handling it with ease.

He knew that from today onwards, he would no longer be an unknown person in Huangfeng Valley, or even the entire Yue Country Cultivation World.

This had both advantages and disadvantages for him.

But just as Fairy Qingyue thought, the path of Cultivation is never smooth.

He had the System, and many trump cards; what did he have to fear from a few waves?

...

After the Blood Forbidden Ground expedition ended, the Seven Sects Cultivators returned to their respective Sects.

Within just a few days, two pieces of news spread like wildfire throughout the Seven Sects of Yue Country, and even among some smaller Cultivation Families in the vicinity.

One was that Elder Li Huayuan of Huangfeng Valley had taken a new Disciple named Han Li. This person had ordinary Aptitude and an ordinary appearance, but he had a stroke of luck in the Blood Forbidden Ground, not only collecting several rare Spirit Medicines and the main ingredient for the Foundation Establishment Pill, but also finding a Blood Ginseng, which he presented to his master, Li Huayuan.

For a time, Han Li’s name attracted considerable attention, mostly from people envying his incredible luck.

The other piece of news, however, was even more eye-catching and spread more widely, especially among the younger Disciples of various Sects.

That was the legend of “Tiannan Model” Lin Feng.

Lin Feng, a Disciple of Huangfeng Valley, in the Blood Forbidden Ground, first risked his life to save fellow Disciples, fighting a powerful enemy alone. Later, with a Qi Refining Stage cultivation, he directly confronted a second-level Yao Beast, saving the lives of dozens of female Disciples from the Yanyue Sect.

His chivalrous deeds and profound cultivation earned him a public thank you from a Core Formation Elder of the Yanyue Sect, who called him a “model for Tiannan Cultivators.”

Subsequently, a portrait of Lin Feng was even circulated from a mountain peak belonging to a Yanyue Sect Elder.

Once the portrait circulated, it caused quite a sensation.

The young man in the painting had sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, a Face like polished jade, handsome and refined. Dressed in a green robe, he was elegant and ethereal, like an exiled Immortal descended to the mortal realm.

Such an outstanding appearance, coupled with such astonishing and brilliant deeds, quickly captured the hearts of countless young female Cultivators.

——

Speaking of Tiannan’s pillar, wouldn’t “Righteous Path Model” sound better~