After hearing Li Yunting's words, Ling Feng couldn't help but take a deep breath. Despite having already placed the top sword teams of the four major academies on a high pedestal, he realized he had still underestimated them.
His future opponents were very likely to be at the Spiritual Element Realm, and all of them were geniuses at that level!
Though these individuals might be around twenty-four years old, which was about ten years older than Yan Jinghong, they were still among the elite in the Tianbai Empire.
But in the next moment, Ling Feng's gloom was replaced by a burning will to battle.
Only stronger opponents could push him to unleash his full potential, which was the very reason he had joined the sword team in the first place.
Sensing the change in Ling Feng's eyes, Li Yunting showed a hint of appreciation.
Although Ling Feng was currently only at the Pulse Formation Realm, he believed that in a few years, Ling Feng would surpass him and become the strongest student in Tianwei Academy.
"Junior Brother Ling Feng, I suppose you're also here to search for the Nine-Mystical Creation Fruit. Since you have such a strong companion, I won't interfere," Li Yunting said. He looked deeply at Ling Feng before clasping his hands in farewell. "I have some matters that require my immediate return to Tianwei Academy. Farewell!"
"Senior Brother Li, farewell!" Ling Feng nodded, watching Li Yunting's figure disappear into the distance as he felt a surge of pride.
There were less than six months left until the Five Courts' Sword Team Grand Competition, so he didn't have much time left.
"Brat, I'll be taking the Nine-Leaf Whispering Wind Grass for myself!" The despicable donkey, having seized the spirit herb earlier, grinned mischievously.
"Go ahead," Ling Feng said calmly, touching his nose. "This flower is great for body refinement, but I need treasures that can help me break through my meridian gates right now."
The despicable donkey, upon hearing Ling Feng's words, finally took out the Nine-Leaf Whispering Wind Grass from its storage space and swallowed it whole like a glutton.
"By the way, you mentioned the first-refinement of soul manifestation earlier. What does that mean?" Ling Feng asked.
"Since you didn't fight me for the Nine-Leaf Whispering Wind Grass, I'll tell you for free," the despicable donkey said while chewing. "When a martial artist at the Spiritual Element Realm awakens their soul manifestation, they start refining it to strengthen their soul manifestation and increase their cultivation, just like how you continuously open your meridian gates at the Pulse Formation Realm.
"The difference is, while you can open dozens of meridian gates, a soul manifestation can only be refined nine times. Those two guys from earlier had only refined their soul manifestations once, hence the term 'first-refinement,' making them first-level Spiritual Element Realm martial artists. As for that Yan kid we fought earlier, he had probably reached the third-refinement level."
After hearing the despicable donkey's explanation, Ling Feng clenched his fists. It seemed that defeating Yan Jinghong was still a distant goal.
"Let's move out!" Ling Feng took a deep breath. He didn't have any time to waste.
The core area of the Sea-Blue Abyss was recognized as one of the most dangerous regions within the Tianbai Empire.
Typically, only peak Transformation Realm martial artists possessed some self-preservation ability in this area. To obtain the Nine-Mystical Creation Fruit, second and third-rate sects had even dispatched their Spiritual Element Realm elders or the sect leaders themselves.
For a small sect, obtaining a Nine-Mystical Creation Fruit meant nurturing a new Spiritual Element Realm expert. If they were exceptionally lucky, this expert might even ascend to the Spiritual Sea Realm, instantly elevating the sect's status.
Furthermore, the Nine-Mystical Creation Fruit granted two hundred years of life essence, which was irresistible to many.
Despite having the despicable donkey with him, Ling Feng remained vigilant. The core area was filled with poisonous mists that turned rocks and vegetation black and drained all vitality.
Some poisonous flowers and herbs, instead of withering under the influence of the toxic mists, seemed to thrive, becoming more vibrant and emitting a foul stench. Even Spiritual Element Realm experts would avoid these terrifying mists.
There were towering ancient trees with black bark and sharp thorns that were so tough that even Ling Feng had to strike them multiple times with his Eradicator of Realms to cut them down. These thorns were highly toxic; he once saw an elder impaled on one following his corpse rotting away. It was a ghastly sight.
From that point, every step was fraught with danger. Ling Feng proceeded cautiously. Many had arrived here before him and carved out some clearings amidst the brambles, which saved him some trouble.
After half a day's journey, Ling Feng finally reached the area where the Nine-Mystical Creation Fruit was rumored to be. This area spanned about three hundred li[1]. For ordinary people, it was vast, but for martial artists who could fly and move swiftly, it wasn't too large.
However, despite searching this area for over half a month, no one had found the Nine-Mystical Creation Fruit. Such a heavenly treasure had already developed a certain level of spiritual intelligence and was capable of running, jumping, flying, and hiding.
Thus, searching for it here was indeed challenging.
The most troublesome aspect was that this herb could burrow underground. If it went deep enough, even Spiritual Element Realm experts wouldn't dare follow it. The Sea-Blue Abyss's core area was filled with hidden dangers; who knew what terrifying creatures lay beneath the surface?
Encountering a peak sixth-tier monster could be fatal. Such a beast could cause massive destruction with a single bite!
Therefore, the martial artists guarding this area opted for the simplest method: waiting.
If the Nine-Mystical Creation Fruit appeared once, it would naturally appear again. These rare spiritual flowers and fruits, despite their long lifespan, had no offensive capabilities and could only dash around. Once it showed up, the numerous martial artists would capture it together, ensuring it had nowhere to hide.
Ling Feng moved cautiously through this perilous region. Though he hadn't seen any other martial artists, his keen senses detected several powerful presences nearby. These elders were likely at the third, fourth, or even fifth-refinement level of the Spiritual Element Realm!
They were probably reclusive elders from second and third-rate sects.
Fortunately, he hadn't sensed any Spiritual Sea Realm experts yet. With the despicable donkey's assistance, he was probably able to manage.
1. 150km/90ish miles ☜