Chapter 119: Chapter 119: North Sea Waters
On the mountain path, three horses moved along.
"Ahead is Mount Tianding. We will part ways here," Luo Feng said, reining in his Black Cloud Horse as he spoke to Lu Xuanshuang and Han Chen.
After defeating Duanmu Kuang the previous night, the three had left Luoxia Town. Luo Feng, concerned that Duanmu Kuang might redirect his anger toward Lu Xuanshuang and Han Chen, had escorted them to Mount Tianding.
Lu Xuanshuang halted her horse and smiled. "Luo Feng, thank you for everything on this journey. If you have time, please visit us at the Floating Snow School. Our school has many beauties; you definitely won’t regret going."
Luo Feng knew he couldn’t win a verbal spar with Lu Xuanshuang, so he just grimaced and said, "We’ll see."
Lu Xuanshuang then seemed to recall something. "That Duanmu Kuang never stops until he achieves his goal. He will undoubtedly train relentlessly to seek revenge for last night. You should be careful."
"I defeated him once; I can defeat him a second time!" Luo Feng offered a faint smile, waved at the pair, and said, "Take care."
Before his words fully faded, Luo Feng turned his horse and galloped away.
Later that night, Luo Feng appeared in the square outside the Purple Sun School.
After stabling his Black Cloud Horse, Luo Feng went directly to the Extreme Sun Great Hall, intending to report the completion of the White-faced Flying Fox mission.
Arriving at the mission handover window, Luo Feng presented the task token. "I’m here to turn in a mission."
"The assassination of the White-faced Flying Fox?"
The middle-aged instructor behind the counter took the token, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. Looking at Luo Feng, he said, "To complete this mission, you must present the head of Lu Huaiyu, the White-faced Flying Fox..."
Noticing the disbelief in the instructor’s eyes, Luo Feng didn’t bother with explanations. He simply retrieved the White-faced Flying Fox’s head and placed it on the counter.
The middle-aged instructor lifted the black cloth and examined the head carefully for a moment before nodding.
"It is indeed the White-faced Flying Fox. Congratulations on completing a two-star academy task. You’ve earned ten thousand silver and four academic points. Hand me your Inner Courtyard token."
As the instructor spoke, his gaze on Luo Feng was filled with growing surprise.
The mission to eliminate the White-faced Flying Fox had been available for some time. However, due to the White-faced Flying Fox’s exceptional Qinggong cultivation, the mission was in an awkward spot—too challenging for less capable students, yet unappealing to the more powerful ones. As a result, it had remained uncompleted. Students on the Hidden Dragon List had the strength to complete this task, but they disdained such a minor two-star task. Other students were tempted by it but lacked the ability to succeed. After several failed attempts, the mission gradually lost its appeal. The school eventually had to increase the reward from two academic points to four.
The instructor was somewhat surprised that this troublesome task had suddenly been completed.
Luo Feng nodded and handed over his Inner Courtyard token.
The middle-aged instructor took the token. A purple Gang Qi, about an inch long, emanated from his fingertip, acting as a pen to write swiftly on the jade token.
Such strong Gang Qi! Luo Feng’s brow twitched.
The fact that the instructor could use Gang Qi to write on jade without damaging it clearly showed his command over the energy had reached a state of perfection. His cultivation was unfathomable.
After a few soft hisses, the middle-aged instructor returned the jade token to Luo Feng.
"Alright, your four academic points have been recorded on your token," he said.
Luo Feng accepted the jade token and saw the numeral ’four’ faintly visible within its purple surface.
"Thank you, Instructor." Luo Feng pocketed the token, collected his reward, and turned to leave the hall.
"Luo Feng!"
As he stepped outside the hall, a light, melodious voice suddenly called out from nearby. It was Bing Ruolan, who was also just exiting the Extreme Sun Great Hall.
Luo Feng glanced at Bing Ruolan and smiled. "Ruolan, have you made a breakthrough?"
As Bing Ruolan walked, she exuded a subtle, vibrant aura; she had clearly reached the late stage of the Sixth Layer of the God Bravery Realm.
Her sapphire-like eyes crinkled slightly as Bing Ruolan smiled. "Yes, your pointers on the Tiger Roar Fist were very helpful. I immersed myself in cultivation for a month and finally entered the late stage of the Sixth Layer of the God Bravery Realm. I really owe you for that."
"That was the result of your own hard work. There’s no need to thank me," Luo Feng replied, shaking his head.
As they walked out of the hall, Bing Ruolan looked back and asked, "Luo Feng, were you just turning in a mission?"
"Yes. I spent a month in secluded cultivation and broke through to the peak of the Sixth Layer of the God Bravery Realm. I felt I couldn’t reach the Seventh Layer of the Essence Storage Realm anytime soon, so I took a mission to test my skills."
Hearing this, Bing Ruolan pouted her red lips. "I’ve only just entered the late stage of the Sixth Layer of the God Bravery Realm, and you’re already preparing to break into the Seventh Layer of the Essence Storage Realm. I can’t imagine how you cultivate. If I compared myself to you, I’d die of frustration."
Luo Feng chuckled and asked, "You were also at the Extreme Sun Great Hall just now. Were you planning to take a mission too?"
Bing Ruolan shook her head slightly and smiled. "I was looking for you."
"Looking for me?"
Seeing Luo Feng’s bewildered expression, Bing Ruolan wrinkled her delicate nose and said with a hint of displeasure, "Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten our agreement to go on an expedition together?"
Luo Feng suddenly remembered; the affairs of the Duanmu Family had made him forget.
Scratching his head in embarrassment, he quickly changed the topic and asked, "So, where do you plan for us to go?"
Bing Ruolan didn’t press the matter further. She blinked and said, "How about an adventure in the North Sea Waters? I’m quite familiar with that area, and there are many precious materials there. We can collect them and submit them to the school in exchange for academic points."
"The North Sea Waters?"
Upon hearing this, Luo Feng sank into deep thought.
The True Martial Continent was vast and boundless, roughly divided into five regions known as the Five Major Regions. Besides the Hundred Nations Territory, where the Canglang Dynasty was located, there were also the North Sea Region, the Southern Forest Wilderness, the Eastern Ridge Demon Region, and the West Desert Demon Realm.
The North Sea Region was one of these five major regions, inhabited by the mysterious Xi Tribe. The region was filled with abundant Yuan Qi, and its vast ocean nurtured countless heavenly treasures. While the North Sea Region was rich in treasures, it was also extremely dangerous. It harbored not only harsh environments and rampant demon beasts but also some Xi Tribe members who were hostile to humans, leading to mutual killings.
I’ve been in secluded cultivation, and it’ll be hard for me to break through to the Essence Storage Realm within two months. Venturing out might lead to some opportunities. Besides, I need to earn academic credits to exchange for Martial Arts.
After a moment of contemplation, Luo Feng nodded. "Alright. But the North Sea Region is extremely dangerous. We should prepare thoroughly and set off tomorrow."
Bing Ruolan, who had been waiting anxiously, brightened at his words. She smiled sweetly and said, "Okay, I’ll go back and prepare then."
With that, Bing Ruolan turned and left.
Luo Feng also returned to his own courtyard.
The North Sea Region was fraught with dangers, and his decision to venture there with Bing Ruolan placed significant pressure on him. But with the New Talent Conference looming in two months, he couldn’t afford to worry too much.
Half a month before the New Talent Conference, the school would hold a qualifying competition. Only students whose strength ranked them in the school’s top ten could participate in the New Talent Conference, which was an incredibly brutal affair. Although Luo Feng was confident of making the top ten, he knew that to achieve a good ranking in the New Talent Conference, he absolutely had to reach the Seventh Layer of the Essence Storage Realm.
Back in his courtyard, Luo Feng rested briefly, then immediately began to practice, intending to further consolidate his martial skills before the journey to the North Sea Region.
As night descended, the vast, boundless sky, dotted with stars, was dominated by a bright moon hanging centrally, illuminating the world below. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, creating soft, sighing sounds.
In the courtyard, a figure flickered continuously, eight Qi Dragons coiling and roaring around him. The figure moved like a weightless leaf, stepping out with the speed and power of lightning, effortlessly parting the air. He covered a hundred meters in the blink of an eye.
Dragon Roaring Nine Heavens!
The figure stopped abruptly. An astonishing aura swept across the courtyard. Dragon roars echoed as the eight Qi Dragons, baring fangs and claws, charged towards a giant tree twenty meters away.
CRACK!
The Qi Dragons roared past, instantly snapping the bowl-thick tree in two. The treetop, caught by a fierce gust of wind, was blown out of the courtyard, landing a good hundred meters away.
Only then did Luo Feng land back on the ground. Looking at the broken tree, a faint light gleamed in his obsidian-like pupils in the dim light.
My Teng Dragon’s Step has now reached the fourth-level limit, allowing me to leap eighty meters in a single jump, and my speed can reach eight times its normal rate. The power of Dragon Roaring Nine Heavens has also increased. I doubt anyone below the Fourth Layer of the Iron Bone Realm could withstand that last strike.
Luo Feng exhaled slowly, a smile gracing his lips.
His ability to defeat opponents of higher cultivation, even to challenge and overcome someone like Duanmu Yu of the Seventh Layer of the Essence Storage Realm, relied heavily on his excellent Qinggong.
In all martial arts, speed was paramount. Luo Feng deeply understood the importance of Light Martial Arts, which was why he had spent the entire night striving to improve the mastery of his Teng Dragon’s Step.
Luo Feng was confident that even if he couldn’t defeat true elites from the Four Great Schools, like Zi Yuan, he could at least contend with them and retreat unscathed.
If I just had a little more time to reach the Seventh Layer of the Essence Storage Realm and utilize Gang Qi, I’m confident I could compete with those truly elite students! Luo Feng took a deep breath, steeling his resolve.
The night passed quickly.
Early in the morning, while Luo Feng was practicing the Thunder Rush Shock Cloud Step, a knock interrupted him at the door.
Opening the courtyard gate, he found Bing Ruolan standing there with a gentle smile, her hands clasped lightly behind her back.
It was evident that Bing Ruolan had taken great care in dressing herself today. She wore a light blue dress instead of her usual attire. The simple, elegant color, along with her slender, well-rounded legs showcased by tight-fitting leather trousers, added a touch of purity to her youthful beauty. She had long legs, a perky figure, a budding chest, and a neat crop of light blue short hair. Bing Ruolan radiated a youthful vibrancy that was truly eye-catching.
This girl... she’s getting prettier and prettier.
Luo Feng was momentarily stunned, then smiled at her. "Ruolan, why are you dressed so beautifully today? Do you have a date?"
"Could it be? Someone far in the heavens, yet close at hand..." Bing Ruolan murmured, her hands still behind her back, her feet lightly scuffing the gravel on the ground. Her lips pursed slightly, and a faint blush crept up her ears.
This was her first time going out alone with a boy.
"Are you ready? We should get going," Bing Ruolan asked softly, not daring to meet Luo Feng’s eyes.
He had already placed the necessary items for their journey into his storage ring, so little preparation was needed. Luo Feng turned, went back into the courtyard to strap the Tiger Soul Saber to his back, then closed the gate and said, "Let’s go."
The two went to the stables, each leading out their Black Cloud Horse. They then left the school, galloping north.
Although the Canglang Dynasty was adjacent to the North Sea Region, the journey from the Purple Sun School to this destination spanned tens of thousands of miles. Even though a Black Cloud Horse could cover two to three thousand miles a day, it would still take them several days to arrive.
The pair rode at full speed, quickly leaving the vicinity of Qingfeng Town.
After a day and a night of continuous riding, Luo Feng estimated they were now five thousand miles from the Purple Sun School. Seeing that the Black Cloud Horses were also showing signs of fatigue, he reined in his horse and said to Bing Ruolan, "Ruolan, let’s rest for a while."