The breaking of the fourteenth meridian felt like a frozen river erupting inside his body. Lin Feng sat cross-legged in his cramped barracks room, his body trembling violently as Primal Energy from the Heaven's Core Shard swept away the last remnants of blockage in his Kidney-Bladder Meridian. The pain was so intense his teeth gritted, but it was followed by an intoxicating wave of relief as the energy channel fully opened, emitting a cold blue-white light.Shard Synchronization Level: 41%Cultivation Stage: Qi Refinement Stage 4 (Peak)Achievement: 14/24 Primary Meridians Reconstructed.He took a deep breath, and the stuffy air in the room felt like pure mountain dew. His enhanced senses could detect every dust particle, every small insect crawl behind the wooden walls. The power flowing through his body was now equivalent to a mid-tier Inner Court disciple. Yet, in his open eyes, conflicting emotions were reflected: the satisfaction of achievement, and th

The leather pack on Lin Feng's back felt heavy. Not physically heavy—just a dozen scrolls and two small wooden boxes—but heavy with value. Inside lay the fruits of two weeks of intense work: the perfected blueprint for a modular "Spirit Water Filtration Formation," and three Basic Meridian Purification Pills (Premium Quality) he had produced from his deconstructive understanding of common sect poisons.This was the first delivery for his exclusive contract with the Azure Harmony Pavilion, a neutral merchant guild in Whispering Willow Town. The price: Five hundred pure spirit stones, paid in cash. Enough to buy rare materials for his Shattered Heaven Refining Art experiments, and perhaps, a decent defensive artifact.He had chosen the "Lonely Path"—an old, rarely-used mountain trail full of steep cliffs and dense forest, but cutting the journey from the sect's outpost to the town to just one day. Most people avoided it due to stories of restless spirits and wild bea

The night in the Azure Mist Forest breathed with ill intent.Lin Feng and Chen moved like shadows among the giant trees, yet each of their steps felt orchestrated to create the loudest rustle. In Lin Feng's hand, wrapped in tattered cloth, the second Heaven's Core Shard pulsed with an almost unbearable heat—a beating purple heart, radiating energy the cloth couldn't fully hide.They had left chaos behind them: the glittering city of Azure Mist, the tense auction, and their narrow victory over Lot 77. But that victory was like raising a flag in a sea of predators.“How much longer?” Chen hissed, his breath short. The wound on his arm had healed, but the fear in his eyes was fresh.“Until we reach the Whispering Dead River. Our boat waits there.” Lin Feng answered without turning, his Deconstruction Eye constantly active, sweeping the forest in a fifty-meter radius. “Don't stop. They're still following.”Them. The hunters.Since th

The air on the Heart Demon Peak was not air. It was pure vibration of unraveling thoughts, crystallized anxieties, and breathing nightmares. Lin Feng stepped onto the desolate stone plateau, his legs feeling like lead after three days traversing the three previous peaks. Soul, Body, Technique. He had passed them by using his Deconstruction Eye to see the flaws in each trial, but here, on the final peak, there were no external weaknesses to analyze. Here, the only enemy was what lurked in the depths of his own heart.The plateau was surrounded by shifting grey mist that reflected vague shadows—distorted memories, childhood fears, the sting of the lash in the mines. At its center, a large, flat stone, smooth as a mirror, awaited. The seat for confronting one's heart demon."The final step," Lin Feng murmured, his voice hoarse. He stared at the stone. After this, the trial would end. Ranks would be decided. Access to the Scripture Pavilion's Third Floor, recognition,

Fifteen days after his meeting with the Grand Elder, Lin Feng stepped out of the Scripture Pavilion, and the world around him exploded.One second earlier, the Outer Court complex was still submerged in golden dusk, disciples hurrying back to their respective barracks, Deacons busy with their scrolls. The next second, the sky darkened—not twilight, but thick black mist gushing from the main gate like blood from a severed artery.The frantic clang of bronze bells echoed from the watchtower. Not ordinary bells. It was the Highest Danger Bell, only rung when the sect faced an existential threat. The bell had remained silent for over thirty years."INVASION! NIGHT PHANTOM SECT! ALL OUTER COURT DISCIPLES TAKE SHELTER!"Elder Wan's voice, usually cold and restrained, now cracked with tension. The Verdant Vine's defensive formation—a massive green energy shield that normally covered the entire complex—flickered erratically, as though choked by something.