Chapter Eighty-Six: Arrival at Jingsheng City

Since his return from the mission on Mount Jinyang, Chu Feng had made great strides in his study of the Way of the Sword. This breakthrough made him realize that cultivation was not only about tempering the body, but also about refining the heart. Perhaps this was the crucial aspect of comprehending the Way of the Sword. For that reason, Chu Feng did not wish to remain forever in the Celestial Battalion. He decided to set out, to travel farther afield, to merge with nature, broaden his horizons, and hone his spirit.

He had already successfully broken through the First Extreme, and could temper his body just as well in the outside world. Moreover, he needed to prepare for the next breakthrough, which required gathering certain rare herbs that could only be found in the wild.

Of course, all this was kept to himself; he did not disclose much to the others. This small gathering was, in a way, his temporary farewell to his friends—he would return a year later to participate in the Sacred Trials.

Two nights later, in the dead of night, Chu Feng left the Celestial Battalion. In these two days, he had made ample preparations. Aside from food and supplies for camping, he brought cooking utensils and seasonings—after all, he would be away for a long time, and it was impossible to carry a year’s worth of provisions on his back.

Ever since breaking through the First Extreme, his constitution had undergone a tremendous transformation. His body was now even stronger than that of an early-stage Fifth Tier Earth Spirit Warrior. As long as he did not overexert himself, two or three months without food or water posed no problem at all. However, if he exhausted himself, no amount of food could replenish him.

Spirit Warriors needed to absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to recover effectively. Chu Feng, unable to draw in spiritual energy on his own, had prepared some Rejuvenating Pills used by Spirit Warriors, to be taken as necessary to restore his strength.

As for eating and drinking, for Chu Feng, it had become a habit to satisfy his palate. Life without food or drink would be dull indeed.

In these two days, Chu Feng had also taken on two missions, though not with the intent to complete them.

He chose to leave in the dead of night, with no one to see him off, and even stowed his Sword of Domain into his storage ring—all to avoid attention, especially from the Qin clan.

Although he had grown much stronger, he still believed caution was necessary. If the Qin clan sent another Seventh Tier Earth Spirit Warrior after him, he would stand no chance.

Chu Feng did not want his whereabouts discovered, and taking on missions was part of his plan.

Both missions were in the southwest, but he set out toward the east gate, left his horse, and then proceeded northeast.

His route was entirely contrary to the mission destinations. The main reason for this was to guard against the House of the Eastern King.

Though the Qin clan had some influence, they were insignificant in the Holy City. Discovering his whereabouts from within the Celestial Battalion was nearly impossible.

But the House of the Eastern King, Chu Feng believed, would find this far less difficult.

He understood his situation well—perhaps, ever since his encounter with Yu Yang, his opposition with the House of the Eastern King had been fated.

Still, Chu Feng was not overly worried. For now, he was weak, and the House of the Eastern King might not pay him much mind. As long as he acted with care, nothing untoward should happen; his precautions were merely for peace of mind.

He had some confidence in dealing with the Qin clan. It would be extremely difficult for them to track him down.

Since he joined the Celestial Battalion, the Qin clan had temporarily withdrawn their designs. They understood how hard it was to kill a member of the Celestial Battalion. Even if they succeeded, the Spirit Warrior Pavilion would surely launch an investigation, for members of the Celestial Battalion were too important.

If it were a feud between students, it might be overlooked. But if the Qin clan were found to be targeting Celestial Battalion members, they would face consequences beyond measure.

Thus, the Qin clan had pinned their hopes of eliminating Chu Feng on the army and the battlefield.

After leaving the east gate, Chu Feng avoided the main roads, heading straight into the forest, his figure soon swallowed by the darkness.

For someone who could extend his spirit sense, traveling at night was no different from moving in broad daylight.

Day after day passed. Leaving the Holy City and entering the vast wilderness, Chu Feng’s heart grew ever more tranquil.

To him, this land was the best training ground.

Here, there were no shackles. He could leap to his limits, run at full speed, unleash his power without restraint.

Chu Feng’s training was exhilarating, though it brought suffering to the forest creatures—his presence often sent beasts and birds fleeing in terror.

Naturally, his storage ring contained training equipment brought from the Celestial Battalion. Sometimes, he would change his routine, such as hiking through famous mountains clad in a four-thousand-pound soft armor—a pleasure all its own.

At dawn, as all things revived, he would greet the rising sun and meditate on the Way of the Sword.

Each time he did so, Chu Feng sensed subtle and profound states of mind, though he realized that while these insights aided his growth, they were not quite the ineffable, elusive realm he had once glimpsed.

Nonetheless, with each passing day, his swordplay became more ethereal, his sword ever swifter. Without the inspiration drawn from the Way of the Sword, he could never reach such speed.

He could feel a mysterious power coursing along the blade, as if helping him swing it. Recently, out in the wilderness, he sensed that the profound states revealed in the Way of the Sword were not so unattainable. Now, with every swing, he felt as if something was about to emerge from the blade. He believed that if he continued like this, astonishing changes would come.

Two months passed quickly. Chu Feng’s journey had not taken him far—just over a thousand miles—but his range of activity was vast, and he had visited many great mountains.

During these two months, aside from tempering himself, he made some gains as well—he found three spirit herbs.

Consulting the Compendium of Spirit Herbs, he confirmed that two were ingredients he needed, though not the rare ones unavailable in the Hall of Spirit Herbs. The third was not on his list.

Even so, Chu Feng was quite satisfied with his luck; this alone would save him a good deal of merit points.

His initial supply of food lasted only half a month. Thereafter, he hunted for himself. In the mountains, this was not difficult. With all his preparations—utensils, seasonings—he enjoyed rare delicacies in the wild.

Along the way, he met few people. Occasionally, he would spot youths—boys and girls—from afar, who were likely fellow Spirit Warrior Pavilion trainees.

One day, Chu Feng arrived at Jingsheng City, the first city he encountered on his journey.

Jingsheng City was far more prosperous than the ancient Qulin City had been. Walking its streets, Chu Feng discovered shops selling spiritual weapons and medicinal herbs. The city was full of cultivators—a sight new to him. Cities like Qulin and Yuehu, far from the Holy City, could never compare.

“It seems the Holy City must also have such shops, just not near the Spirit Warrior Pavilion,” Chu Feng mused. Perhaps, upon his return, he could find what he needed there.

He had little interest in spiritual weapons, but spirit herbs were another matter.

He browsed the herb shops, finding many kinds of spirit herbs, though none were what he required.

Not that it mattered—for even if they had the herbs, Chu Feng could not have bought them.

These items could not be purchased with gold or silver. In the Spirit Warrior Pavilion, one traded points for them, but in the wider world, cultivators used something called spirit stones.

It was the first time Chu Feng had heard of such things; they were unknown in the Spirit Warrior Pavilion and in Qulin City as well.

Upon inquiry, he learned that spirit stones were crystals formed from the condensation of spiritual energy over the ages.

Normally, these crystals were very stable and did not dissipate. But once the barrier around them was broken, they would release dense spiritual energy for cultivation.

Chu Feng understood at last. The Spirit Warrior Pavilion was suffused with spiritual energy, so there was no need for spirit stones. In ordinary towns like Qulin, there were few advanced cultivators, so spirit stones were not in circulation.

Rich spiritual energy sped cultivation and could also substitute for Rejuvenating Pills, allowing for rapid recovery. The importance of spirit stones for cultivators was obvious.

Thus, spirit stones had become the currency of exchange among cultivators. The Pavilion used merit points, while in the military, whether for providing resources or rewards, spirit stones were commonly used.

A spirit stone was two inches long, one inch wide, half an inch thick, clear as crystal, flawless and pure.

Chu Feng saw a middle-aged man buy a spirit herb for ten spirit stones—a herb required for his own First Extreme breakthrough, for which he had once paid over a hundred merit points.

From this, Chu Feng estimated that one spirit stone was worth about ten merit points.

“To think spiritual energy is so expensive!” Chu Feng marveled inwardly. In the Spirit Warrior Pavilion, spiritual energy was limitless, almost worthless.

Still, he understood that spiritual energy was the bedrock of cultivation—with none, there could be no progress.

The value of spirit stones was beyond question, and Chu Feng believed that a single stone contained an enormous amount of energy.

Upon further inquiry, his guess was confirmed—a single spirit stone could sustain a cultivator from the beginning of Spirit Transformation all the way to becoming a Second Tier Earth Spirit Warrior.

Chu Feng realized that spirit stones were tightly held by the powerful. Ordinary cultivators, especially those who had not awakened their spirit attributes, would be lucky to receive a single stone in the army.

“Looks like I’ll have to stock up on some spirit stones for future use,” Chu Feng thought, and left the herb shop.

He wandered the city, sword upon his back, but did not linger long. After a hearty meal, he set out once more.

Outside the city, on a quiet path, four youths—seventeen or eighteen years old—caught up with Chu Feng. Their gazes lingered on the Sword of Domain strapped to his back, a strange glint in their eyes.