After leaving Luoyun Town, Lin Feng and Murong Xue traveled day and night, heading towards Qingfeng Sect. Along the way, Lin Feng felt uneasy, as if a pair of eyes were secretly watching them. He warned Murong Xue to be extra cautious. They slowed their pace, vigilantly observing their surroundings.
One day, they arrived at a place called "Black Wind Canyon." The canyon had steep cliffs on both sides, with only a narrow path in the middle. A faint smell of blood permeated the air. Lin Feng's heart tightened; this place was treacherous and prone to ambushes.
"Senior Sister Murong, let's be careful. There might be an ambush here," Lin Feng said in a low voice.
Murong Xue nodded, circulating her spiritual energy to its limits, ready to respond to any sudden situation. Just as they reached the center of the canyon, footsteps suddenly echoed around them. Dozens of men in black jumped down from both sides of the cliffs, surrounding them. The leader of the men in black possessed a powerful aura, already at the late-stage Foundation Establishment peak, exuding a dense Nether Power.
"Lin Feng, we meet again," the leader of the men in black sneered. "You were lucky to escape from the mystic realm last time. This time, let's see where you can run!"
Lin Feng's heart sank. These men in black were clearly from the Netherworld Palace, and they were stronger than those encountered in the mystic realm. He gripped the sword in his hand and said to Murong Xue, "Senior Sister Murong, I'll hold off the leader of the men in black. You take the opportunity to break through and go to Qingfeng Sect for reinforcements."
"No, I can't leave you alone," Murong Xue said firmly. "We fight together. Either we leave together, or we die together!"
Lin Feng's heart warmed. He said no more, circulating his Chaos Power and charging towards the leader of the men in black. The leader drew a black longsword and met the charge. Their swords clashed, and the dark Nether Power collided with the dark Chaos Power, producing rumbles.
Murong Xue also engaged the other men in black. She excelled in Spiritual Plant Technique and Alchemy. Although her combat power was not as strong as Lin Feng's, she was not to be underestimated. She drew a Spirit Plant Sword, its body entwined with vines that could release toxins during combat. A few men in black were hit by the toxins and immediately lost their combat effectiveness.
However, there were too many men in black, and their leader was extremely powerful. Lin Feng gradually fell into a disadvantage. He was wounded in the shoulder by the leader's sword, and blood flowed freely. Seeing this, Murong Xue grew anxious and wanted to help, but she was entangled by several men in black and could not break free.
"Lin Feng, you might as well surrender," the leader of the men in black sneered. "If you hand over the jade pendant on your waist and the ancient cultivation technique, I can spare your life."
"Never!" Lin Feng roared, channeling all the Chaos Power within him and unleashing "Chaos Break," thrusting his sword at the leader. The leader didn't expect such a powerful surge from Lin Feng and quickly raised his sword to block. With a clang, the leader was sent flying backward, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
Lin Feng seized the opportunity to advance and stab at the leader. A flicker of fear crossed the leader's eyes as he quickly pulled out a black shield to block Lin Feng's attack. Just then, the other men in black attacked Lin Feng simultaneously, with countless streams of Nether Power aimed at him.
With nowhere to dodge, Lin Feng could only circulate his Chaos Power to form a barrier around himself. But there was too much Nether Power; the barrier was quickly broken, and Lin Feng was hit, falling heavily to the ground and spitting out blood.
The leader of the men in black stepped forward, placing a foot on Lin Feng's chest, and sneered, "Lin Feng, let's see how you can resist now. Hand over the jade pendant and the cultivation technique, or I'll kill you right here!"
Lin Feng struggled to get up but was pinned down by the man in black, unable to move. He looked at the greed in the man's eyes, filled with unwillingness. Just then, the jade pendant at his waist suddenly erupted with a powerful dark aura, instantly blasting the leader of the men in black away. The man crashed heavily to the ground, near death.
Seeing this, the other men in black were terrified and turned to flee. How could Lin Feng let them escape? He circulated "Gale Steps," caught up to several of the men in black, and cut them down with his sword. The remaining men in black ran faster, quickly disappearing into the depths of the canyon.
Lin Feng collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath. Murong Xue rushed forward, produced a healing pill, and fed it to him. She asked with concern, "Lin Feng, how are you? Is your injury serious?"
Lin Feng shook his head. "I'm fine. Thank you for your concern, Senior Sister Murong. It's just that these people from the Netherworld Palace are getting stronger. We must improve our strength as soon as possible, or we might not be so lucky next time."
Murong Xue nodded. "Yes, the Myriad Treasures Assembly is less than a month away. We must improve our cultivation within this month to have a chance at bidding for the Thousand-Year Snow Lotus."
After resting for a while, they continued their journey to Qingfeng Sect. Upon returning to Qingfeng Sect, Lin Feng went straight to the alchemy room to refine healing pills. After taking the pills, his injuries quickly healed. In the following days, Lin Feng and Murong Xue entered closed-door cultivation together, preparing for the Myriad Treasures Assembly.
Lin Feng cultivated by combining the "Ancient Spirit Art" and "Chaos Heart Sutra." His Chaos Power became more refined, and his cultivation rapidly improved. With Lin Feng's help, Murong Xue also broke through to the late-stage Foundation Establishment peak.
A month later, both had significantly improved their cultivation. Lin Feng had broken through to the late-stage Foundation Establishment, and Murong Xue had stabilized her cultivation at the late-stage Foundation Establishment peak. They packed their belongings and set off for Myriad Treasures City in the central region of Qinglan Continent.
Myriad Treasures City was the largest city in the central Qinglan Continent and the venue for the Myriad Treasures Assembly. The city was bustling with cultivators from various sects and families. Lin Feng and Murong Xue found an inn to stay at and then headed to the venue of the Myriad Treasures Assembly – the Myriad Treasures Pavilion.
The Myriad Treasures Pavilion was a nine-story tower, crowded with cultivators outside. They squeezed through the crowd and entered the pavilion. Inside, various rare medicinal ingredients, spirit treasures, and cultivation techniques were displayed, dazzling the eyes.
The auction segment of the Myriad Treasures Assembly soon began. Item after item was brought onto the auction stage, sparking fierce competition among the cultivators below. Lin Feng and Murong Xue sat in a corner, patiently waiting for the appearance of the Thousand-Year Snow Lotus.
Finally, the auctioneer produced a jade box. He opened it to reveal a pure white snow lotus – the Thousand-Year Snow Lotus. The auctioneer smiled and said, "This Thousand-Year Snow Lotus is a Tier 3 spiritual medicine that can be used to refine various high-level pills. The starting bid is five hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones, with each increment no less than fifty Low-grade Spirit Stones."
"I bid six hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones!"
"I bid seven hundred!"
"I bid one thousand!"
Cultivators in the audience began to bid, and the price quickly rose to two thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones. Lin Feng frowned; he only had fifteen hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones, which was not enough.
Just then, a young man in luxurious attire spoke, "I bid three thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones!"
The young man was a disciple of "Qingyun Sect," a top sect in Qinglan Continent, named Zhang Hao. He was a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. He looked at Lin Feng with disdain, clearly deliberately opposing him.
Lin Feng panicked. He knew the Thousand-Year Snow Lotus was crucial for treating his mother's illness and could not give it up. He took a deep breath and said, "I bid three thousand five hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones!"
The audience erupted in an uproar. No one expected an unknown cultivator to dare compete with a Qingyun Sect disciple. Zhang Hao's face fell, and he said coldly, "I bid fours thousand!"
Lin Feng gritted his teeth and was about to bid again when Murong Xue stopped him. Murong Xue whispered, "Lin Feng, we don't have enough Spirit Stones. Even if we keep bidding, we might not win. Why don't we think of another way?"
Lin Feng's heart ached, but he knew Murong Xue was right. He looked at the Thousand-Year Snow Lotus, his eyes full of unwillingness. Just then, the auctioneer called out, "Four thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones once, four thousand twice, four thousand three times! Sold!"
The Thousand-Year Snow Lotus was won by Zhang Hao. Zhang Hao gave Lin Feng a triumphant look, turned, and left the Myriad Treasures Pavilion.
Lin Feng clenched his fist, secretly vowing, "I couldn't get the Thousand-Year Snow Lotus today, but in three months, I will return to the Myriad Treasures Assembly. Not only will I bid for the Thousand-Year Snow Lotus, but I will also make everyone who looked down on me see me in a new light!"
Murong Xue looked at him and comforted him, "Lin Feng, don't be discouraged. We can still look for the Thousand-Year Snow Lotus elsewhere. Even if we can't find it, we can find other ways to treat your mother's illness."
Lin Feng nodded, his eyes rekindling with fighting spirit. He knew that the Myriad Treasures Assembly in three months would be his chance to prove himself. Little did he know that the Netherworld Palace was also preparing for the Myriad Treasures Assembly. They planned to make a move against him during the event to seize his jade pendant and ancient cultivation technique. A greater storm was brewing in silence.