Chapter 7: Feng Liang's Changed Behaviour (2)
Qing Chen leaned against the rough bark of the ancient tree in the Herb Valley, his eyes half-closed as he basked in the fading sunlight. He could feel the steady pulse of energy flowing through his dantian, a silent testament to his recent progress. Despite his newfound strength, an unshakable unease gripped him.
The Valley Master had been eerily quiet since Qing Chen rejected his offer to become a disciple. That silence was both a blessing and a curse.
Why hasn’t he done anything? What is he planning?
The faint rustle of leaves snapped him from his thoughts. Instinctively, he reached for the broom beside him—a useless weapon, but his body moved without thinking. But then his hand halted.
"Hm... Is it about to rain?" He leaned forward and looked up toward the thick clouds that had covered the burning rays of the sun.
He ran toward the direction of his hut. Precaution was better than cure.
"Hop on, Little Creature." Qing Chen took the Moonlight Hare in his hands and continued running.
While he was on his way, he saw some cultivators flying over the Herb Valley on their swords, spears, and some on their gourds.
Qing Chen used his Harmony Detection and saw that everyone who had just flown over him was in the Foundation Building Realm.
"Everyone, get back inside your residences." The Valley Master's voice echoed throughout the Valley.
Qing Chen had already reached his hut, while Bai Zian was in the hut opposite him. Feng Liang was nowhere to be seen. But Qing Chen did not really care as he had gotten used to the strange behaviour of Feng Liang since the day he had come to him to try and fix their previous relations and befriend him.
"Brother Qing, did something happen? I just came out from seclusion."
Qing Chen used his Harmony Detection, and his composed expression cracked.
[Bai Zian]
Nascent Soul Realm 1st Layer.
Harmony: 1000.
How?! Wasn’t it said that every cultivator needed to pass the Heavenly Test—Tribulation? But these dark clouds are centered around the Forest behind the Valley, and Bai Zian had already advanced to the Nascent Soul Stage. Just what kind of monsters are around me?
One might be a reincarnator or a transmigrator, and the other is some old monster regaining his lost cultivation as if he were drinking water. And his harmony points had increased as well.
"I don't know, Brother Bai, but I just saw many outside disciples flying toward the Forest Behind the Herb Valley. What I believe is that it might be related to those dark clouds."
Qing Chen and Bai Zian were both looking toward the dark clouds when they saw that the Valley Master was also flying in the direction where the outer sect disciples had flown.
Now, a huge crowd of cultivators had assembled below the dark clouds, forming a huge circle with no one daring to approach the clouds.
"What are you guys doing outside? Heed the Valley Master's command and go inside."
"Senior Brother!!"
Both Qing Chen and Bai Zian cupped their hands. "Senior Brother, we were just curious about what had happened for all the outer sect disciples to gather there."
"Even I don't know much. The Valley Master just sent me to protect the Valley while he was not here. It might be some treasure appearing or some cultivator making a breakthrough." Zhao Ling responded while he also turned his head to look toward the clouds. All three were looking in the same direction.
Qing Chen thought it might be Feng Liang. "I believe they are just rain clouds."
Feng Liang's voice sounded from behind them. They turned their attention away from the crowd of cultivators in the air.
Hiss~
"Brother Feng, are you alright? Your complexion looks so pale. Were you injured by some beast? But there is no beast in the Valley besides this naughty Moonlight Hare."
Zhao Ling was startled, and so were Bai Zian and Qing Chen, when they saw how pale Feng Liang looked.
"Brother Feng, please do not appear from behind like this, or someday my soul will leave my body," Qing Chen said to Feng Liang.
Feng Liang just gave a slight smile.
"I am alright. I had tried to forcefully break through to the Second Layer of the Energy Refinement Realm."
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"Brother Feng, you are still young. You know the saying that haste makes waste. Here, eat this pill. It will help you quickly recover from your internal injuries."
"Thanks, Senior Brother."
Qing Chen saw that Feng Liang was not guarded against Zhao Ling, which meant he was not dangerous. Qing Chen also let down his guard.
Bai Zian did not really react much, as his divine sense had already covered the whole Valley when he broke through to the Nascent Soul Realm. And he had already seen the situation ahead.
Qing Chen couldn’t shake off the unease as he watched Feng Liang accept the pill from Zhao Ling. Something about Feng Liang felt… wrong. His aura was faint, almost concealed, but Qing Chen’s instincts screamed at him to stay alert.
Still, he forced himself to smile. "Brother Feng, it’s good to see you’re okay. We can’t afford to lose anyone here, especially with the Valley Master so preoccupied."
Feng Liang nodded but didn’t say much. His eyes flickered briefly toward the dark clouds before he turned his attention back to Zhao Ling. "Senior Brother, I’ll repay this kindness when I’m back to full strength."
"No need for formalities," Zhao Ling replied with a hearty laugh. "We’re all family in this Valley, aren’t we?"
Feng Liang smiled faintly, but Qing Chen caught a brief flicker of something else in his eyes—resentment, or perhaps something darker.
As the hours passed, the dark clouds over the forest grew thicker, swirling ominously. Lightning crackled across the sky, illuminating the anxious faces of the gathered cultivators. The Valley Master hovered above them, his presence radiating authority.
Qing Chen, Bai Zian, Zhao Ling, and Feng Liang stayed near the edge of the Valley, observing from a safe distance. Despite their curiosity, none of them dared to approach the epicenter of the strange phenomenon.
"Do you think it’s a breakthrough?" Bai Zian asked quietly, his voice steady but thoughtful.
"If it is, it’s unlike any breakthrough I’ve read about," Qing Chen replied, his eyes narrowing as another bolt of lightning struck the ground with an earth-shaking roar.
Pit, pat.
The next moment, drizzle started. Senior Brother utilized his energy to create a cover from the rain. Slowly, the drizzle turned into rain, and the crowd of cultivators that had gathered around the rain cloud dispersed, with the Valley Master descending back toward the Herb Valley and going inside his residence.
False alarm.
What?! Was it just rain that alarmed the outer disciples? But on second thought, it’s understandable because if there really was an opportunity or a threat that could bring harm to the sect, the Elders would have come, and the sect formation would have been activated if there really was danger.
Qing Chen could not help but slap his forehead at his thoughts.
...
The next day, after the rain, the sky was clear, and a light breeze was blowing. Qing Chen took his tools and carefully walked, avoiding the pits of water in the Valley to avoid getting his clothes dirty.
When he reached the field, his expression turned grim. Because of the rain that had continued throughout the day, the herbs had been overloaded with water, which, in turn, forced them to mature early. Although it may sound good, in reality, the herbs' spiritual energy was affected. The herbs became less effective, and the preservation time of such herbs shortened.
Qing Chen again began the process of cutting the herbs carefully from their roots so as not to waste time and the Valley’s money on buying new seeds, sowing them, and watering them with spiritual water used by the Alchemy Hall in the Sect.
+1 Harmony Point.
+1 Harmony Point.
Such prompts continued sounding when suddenly a different prompt sounded that made Qing Chen stop what he was doing.
[Congratulations to Host for Reaching 1000 Harmony Points. Host is rewarded with Harmony Veil.]
As soon as the reward was given out, Qing Chen’s brain was flooded with the description of the Harmony Veil.
The Harmony Veil is an ethereal barrier that cloaks the user and their surroundings in an aura of perfect balance. It disrupts the flow of spiritual energy and natural laws within its radius, rendering the area imperceptible to divine senses, Heavenly Tribulations, and the gaze of higher beings.
Activation Cost: None.
Sustained Cost: 50 Harmony Points per hour.
Effects:
* Nullifies incoming Heavenly Tribulations while active.
* Conceals the user from detection by beings above their cultivation realm.
* Creates an environment of calm, subtly enhancing spiritual recovery and focus.
Limitations:
* Cannot be activated continuously; requires a cooldown period of 24 hours after deactivation.
* Ineffective against direct physical attacks or extreme fluctuations in energy caused by the user themselves. (Meaning if someone accidentally enters the Harmony Veil, it would be unable to stop them, and Qing Chen would have to deal with it himself.)
Qing Chen opened his status window and looked at his current points.
[Qing Chen]
Age: 13/59
Physique: Common Cultivator (0/10,000)
Cultivation: Foundation Building Ninth Layer (90/100)
Skills: Essence of Energy: Unlocking the Core of Cultivation (0/1000)
Harmony Points: 1002.
Qing Chen went back, put all the herbs he had collected in his hut, and closed all the windows and doors. He searched here and there for any signs of Little Fur in the room, but it seemed like it had again gone out to roam the Valley.
Qing Chen sat down cross-legged in a lotus position and joined the thumb and fingers of both hands together, getting ready for the influx of energy.
"Harmony Veil, activate."
A cylindrical barrier formed around him, just 1km in diameter.
"Invest all the points in the Cultivation Section."
[Breaking through Golden Core Realm.]
[Forming Core.]
Qing Chen felt a gaseous orb appearing in his dantian, and quickly it started solidifying, turning into a solid orb.
Golden Core First Layer (1000/1000).
Golden Core Second Layer (2/1000).
Spiritual energy came rushing toward him, and the spiritual energy in the Valley started shrinking. However, it was not enough to alert anyone except one—Bai Zian.
Why is the spiritual energy shrinking? Bai Zian spread out his divine sense, searching every nook and corner of the Valley but did not find any anomaly that could cause this phenomenon.
And the direction of the spiritual energy vanishing was in the direction of their servant huts. But he did not spy in the huts because a sudden spread of divine sense causes the spiritual energy in the body of lower-realm cultivators to become uneasy.
Could it be Qing Chen? No, a breakthrough to the Energy Refinement Realm does not cause the spiritual energy in the Valley to shrink. Then could the reason be Feng Liang? It might be something outside the Valley that could be the cause...
An hour later.
The shrinking spiritual energy stopped. Bai Zian thought it might have been just something outside the range of his divine sense that caused the phenomenon, and Feng Liang or Qing Chen were also cultivating at the same moment, causing some spiritual energy to flow in this direction.