Wang Laoshi was hung on the simple gate archway of Xingyun Peak like a dead dog, his face bruised and swollen, unconscious, like a flag of shame. The news spread like wildfire throughout the outer sect and the servants' quarters of Tianyan Sect.
"Have you heard? That useless peak master of Starfall Peak personally broke the traitor's nose with a single punch!"
"Hiss! That's ruthless? Wasn't he supposed to be at the Qi Refining Realm?"
"So what if he's at the Qi Refining Realm? That punch didn't look like it had any spiritual power, but it was incredibly strong! I heard he even spurted blood high in the air!"
"Tsk tsk, Senior Brother Zhao Hao's men, crippled just like that, and even hung up as a warning... This Peak Master Lin is reckless! Tough as nails!"
"That Starry Sky Spirit-Attracting Array is real! A fellow villager of mine works as a handyman on Starfall Peak, and he says the spiritual energy there is even stronger than in ordinary outer sect areas! They even give you berries to eat while working! I heard they can nourish your soul!"
"Really? Berries that nourish the soul? As a snack?"
In an instant, the image of Lin Yuan, the "useless peak master" of Starfall Peak, underwent a subtle transformation in the minds of the lower-level outer disciples. From a mere object of ridicule, he became a peculiar figure: "though his cultivation is low, he is protective of his own, daring to fight, and possesses some mysterious abilities (the ability to cultivate divine trees)." Furthermore, news of Starfall Peak's "spiritual energy revival" and "mysterious berries" further stirred the ambitions of many struggling disciples at the bottom.
The enforcement team from the General Affairs Hall arrived quickly. Seeing the "human-shaped flag" hanging on the mountain gate and the irrefutable evidence of the communication jade talisman, and sensing the noticeably rich spiritual energy of Starfall Peak, their gazes towards Lin Yuan were filled with surprise and caution. They didn't say much, but according to sect rules, they dragged the seriously injured Wang Laoshi away, stating they would thoroughly investigate whether Zhao Hao had instigated it.
Lin Yuan didn't hold out much hope. For an inner sect elite like Zhao Hao, whose family held considerable power, sending a lowly servant to take the fall would be incredibly easy. But at least he had made his stance clear: Starfall Peak was not to be trifled with! Anyone wanting to cause trouble should be prepared for a "physical extermination"!
After this incident, the remaining twenty-nine disciples were even more apprehensive, working twice as hard, their eyes practically overflowing with awe. The Peak Master usually seemed easygoing, even a bit comical, but when he got ruthless, he was truly terrifying! No one wanted to become the next "role model" hanging on the mountain gate.
Order was restored to the summit. Lin Yuan looked at the array nodes, now completely repaired by Feng Qinghuang, and then at the three Star Gathering Spirit Bonsai that were still slowly absorbing star power but hadn't yet borne fruit. He pondered. These three bonsai alone would have limited output, and the area they could reach was too small. The system had only provided three Star Gathering Spirit Bonsai seeds…
"System, can I buy these seeds? Or... is there another way to get them?" Lin Yuan asked tentatively in his mind.
"Ding! The seeds of the [Starry Spirit Gathering Bonsai] can be exchanged in the system shop. Each seed costs 1,000 points of 10,000 Dao Values."
Ways to obtain Myriad Path Points: disciple's cultivation breakthrough, disciple's mastery of new cultivation techniques/skills, disciple's increased contribution to the sect/master, disciple's increased intimacy, etc.
Master's Dao Value? Lin Yuan quickly checked the system interface and indeed found a value in the corner: Myriad Dao Value: 5 points. Source annotation: Disciple Feng Qinghuang has initially mastered "Starlight Line", intimacy level increased (-5→0), contribution to Starfall Peak (setting up a spirit-guiding array).
Five points... a single seed is a far cry from 1000 points. Lin Yuan's lips twitched. It seemed his dream of establishing a "berry plantation" was temporarily shattered.
"Master." Feng Qinghuang's cool voice interrupted his thoughts. She walked to Lin Yuan, opened her palm, and lay three ores of different sizes, all radiating pure starlight energy. "This disciple found these items in a stone box in a corner while cleaning the old storerooms within the peak. They should be... remnants of starstone?"
Lin Yuan stared intently, his breathing instantly quickening! This wasn't some scrap material at all! It was clearly a star stone of excellent quality, just a bit smaller! Although it couldn't compare to the nine core main stones used for setting up the formation, the stellar power it contained was still considerable! This must be a legacy left by his master, which the original owner had thrown away as trash in a corner!
"Good stuff! Good stuff indeed!" Lin Yuan was overjoyed and took it in one gulp. Feeling the pure star power within the ore, a thought flashed through his mind! If potted plants aren't enough, an array will do! The [Star Spirit Guiding Array] rewarded by the system is a peak master level array. Covering the entire peak is its basic function, but its internal structure is complex. Theoretically, it can be divided into regions to focus on strengthening specific areas!
"Disciple! Quick! Help your master take a look!" Lin Yuan pulled Feng Qinghuang to the floating array plate, pointing to the intricate star trail runes on it. "Could this array create a smaller but more concentrated core area of star power near the stone platform at the summit? For example... could we concentrate and guide the energy of these three star stones there?"
Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed in Feng Qinghuang's cool eyes. She carefully examined the array plate and the surrounding stellar energy flow, her powerful divine sense rapidly deducing the patterns. After a moment, a look of understanding appeared in her eyes: "It's feasible. We only need to slightly adjust the star orbits at the three nodes of 'Li,' 'Kun,' and 'Xun,' drawing the power of the three stones to converge in the center of the stone platform, forming a small spirit-gathering vortex. However…"
"Just what?"
"However, this method requires precise control and will slightly affect the overall stability of the formation, reducing the coverage area by about half a percent," Feng Qinghuang explained.
"Half a percent? No problem!" Lin Yuan waved his hand. "Let's do this! A strong core area is what truly matters!" He needed to improve his and Feng Qinghuang's strength as soon as possible, so this small loss was completely acceptable!
Feng Qinghuang said no more. She sat cross-legged in front of the array plate, her eyes slightly closed. Her powerful divine sense, like the most precise carving knife, began to carefully guide the trajectory of the star power within the array plate. At the same time, she flicked her finger, and three fragments of star stone flew precisely to three specific locations on the outer edge of the stone platform, embedding themselves in the ground.
Buzz—!
As she channeled and guided the starlight from her fingertips, the aura of the entire Star Spirit Guiding Array rippled slightly. In the central area of the stone platform, the air seemed to subtly distort, and the dense starlight, as if drawn by an invisible vortex, began to converge from all directions! The concentration increased at a visible rate, quickly reaching several times its previous level! The entire stone platform area was enveloped in starlight, as if one were immersed in a miniature galaxy! Even the air became viscous, filled with pure stellar Dao essence!
The aura covering the entire Starfall Peak did indeed dim slightly and its range shrank a little, but it was not a major issue.
"It's done!" Lin Yuan stood in the center of the stone platform, feeling the star spiritual energy that was almost solidifying, and was so excited he almost jumped up! This concentration was simply amazing! With his Qi Induction Realm cultivation here, he felt like even breathing was a form of cultivation! His passive AFK speed had increased at least several times!
Feng Qinghuang also opened her eyes, sensing the rich star power in this core area, a hint of satisfaction flashing in her eyes. This environment was crucial for her breakthrough to her bottleneck.
"Master, I wish to take advantage of this environment to attempt to break through to the late stage of the Breaking Illusion Realm." Feng Qinghuang looked at Lin Yuan, her tone carrying a hint of solemnity. With the Star Origin Pill as a foundation, the accumulation of deep comprehension last night, and the enhancement of this core spirit-gathering array, she felt that the bottleneck was already as thin as a cicada's wing!
"Alright! Charge ahead! I'll protect you!" Lin Yuan's spirits lifted, and he patted his chest to assure him, although the validity of his "protection" was questionable. He immediately ordered his servant disciples to clear the central area of the stone platform, strictly prohibiting anyone from approaching or disturbing it.
Without further hesitation, Feng Qinghuang walked to the center of the stone platform and sat down cross-legged. She took out a jade bottle and swallowed another [Star Origin Pill]! A vast and pure power of star origin instantly dissipated!
This time, she held nothing back! Under the guidance of the "Zhou Tian Xing Chen Jue," the vast and unfathomable spiritual power of the mid-stage of the Breaking Illusion Realm within her body surged forth like a bursting dam of starlight! The extremely dense star power in the core area of the stone platform seemed to have found an outlet, rushing wildly into her body!
boom!
An immense pressure, far exceeding anything seen before, erupted from Feng Qinghuang's center! Her moonlit dress billowed and rustled without wind, her long, black hair dancing wildly in the starlight! A dazzling, azure starlight radiated from her, making her appear like a star goddess descended from the heavens!
In the sky, the originally clear night sky was suddenly filled with wisps of starlight that were forcibly drawn down, forming visible silver bands of light that converged at the summit! The stellar energy fluctuations above the entire Starfall Peak became unusually active!
"She's about to break through!" Lin Yuan was both terrified and incredibly excited. He activated his [Eye of Insight] with all his might, nervously "observing" the situation within Feng Qinghuang's body.
Under the combined impact of the vast torrent of stellar power and the primordial pill power, the invisible barrier between the mid and late stages of the Breaking Illusion realm was cracking under the strain! Cracks spread like a spider web!
A solemn expression appeared on Feng Qinghuang's beautiful face. She formed a profound hand seal, and the shattered divine soul light in her sea of consciousness burst out with unprecedented light, forcibly guiding the violent star power to repeatedly impact the cracked barrier!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Each impact was like a collision of stars, producing a muffled roar! The entire stone platform trembled slightly! Lin Yuan and the servant disciples in the distance watched with bated breath, their hearts pounding!
finally!
After the seventh violent impact!
Click—!
A crisp, shattering sound, seemingly originating from the depths of the soul, resounded throughout!
That solid barrier shattered with a crash!
A vaster, purer, and more powerful spiritual energy, imbued with the spirit of destruction and rebirth, surged forth from Feng Qinghuang's body like an ancient behemoth breaking free of its shackles! It swept across all directions!
Phew——!
A clear and melodious phoenix cry, seemingly capable of piercing the heavens, soared from within Feng Qinghuang's body! This sound was not tangible, but rather a powerful resonance of divine soul and Daoist principles! Instantly, it spread throughout the entire Starfall Peak, even faintly reaching the nearby peaks!
Feng Qinghuang suddenly opened her tightly closed eyes! Two condensed, almost tangible, ice-blue starlight beams pierced the night sky like sharp swords! Her aura surged like a rocket, instantly breaking through the shackles and reaching a whole new level!
Breakthrough Realm, late stage! Success!
She slowly rose to her feet, her exquisite face appearing even more holy under the starlight. A powerful yet restrained aura flowed around her, like an ice phoenix reborn from the ashes, her majesty even greater!
"Congratulations on your breakthrough, Senior Sister!" The servant disciples in the distance shouted excitedly in unison, their voices filled with admiration!
Lin Yuan grinned from ear to ear, even happier than when he himself had broken through! He succeeded! The first step was complete! He was one step closer to the Tribulation Transcending stage! And…
"Ding! First disciple 'Feng Qinghuang' has successfully broken through to the late stage of the Breaking Illusion Realm!"
"Task progress update: Target is at the Tribulation Transcending stage (Late Stage 1/1 of the Breaking Illusion realm)"
"Reward Settlement: Teacher's Virtue Points +1000!"
"Disciple breaks through a major realm, bonus reward: 10 [Star Gathering Spirit Bonsai] seeds! [Star Tempering Body Technique - Transformation Chapter] unlocked!"
1000 points of Master's Virtue! 10 potted plant seeds! And the Transformation Yuan Chapter Body Refining Technique! Lin Yuan almost fainted with joy! He's struck it rich! He's really struck it rich now! A berry plantation is just around the corner!
He scurried over to Feng Qinghuang, who had just broken through and whose aura hadn't fully recovered, his smile so bright it could blind anyone: "Disciple! Well done! You truly are my good disciple! Quick, consolidate your realm! Take these ten 'Starry Divine Tree' seeds and plant them next to the core spirit-gathering array! From now on, our Starfall Peak will have plenty of berries!"
Looking at the ten shimmering seeds Lin Yuan handed her, and then at his "praise me!" expression, as well as the adoring gazes of the surrounding disciples, a faint but genuine warmth quietly surfaced in her usually cool eyes. She accepted the seeds and nodded gently: "Thank you, Master."
At this moment, atop Starfall Peak, starlight shone brilliantly, and the lingering echoes of phoenix cries resonated. The master and disciple stood there, one brimming with pride, the other exuding a cool yet warm aura. The gloom brought by the traitor seemed to have vanished, replaced by vibrant life and boundless hope.
However, in a distant mountain cave with even richer spiritual energy, overlooking Starfall Peak.
Zhao Hao's face was ashen, and he crushed the jade cup in his hand to pieces!
"Late stage of the Breaking Illusion Realm... Phoenix Cry Starfall... Excellent! Very good!" His eyes flashed with cold light, filled with jealousy and anger. "Lin Yuan! Feng Qinghuang! You two are certainly enjoying your moment of glory!"
"It seems you really don't know who's in charge at Starfall Peak unless I give you a 'big gift'!"
He suddenly waved his hand, and a mysterious communication talisman transformed into a stream of light, shooting towards a certain direction deep within the sect.
The calm at Starfall Peak is destined to be short-lived. A greater storm is quietly brewing.