Chapter 12: Determination

Chapter 12: Determination

Chen Feng stepped into the room, his gaze sweeping across the interior.

A tall figure in a green robe stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing out the window. Following the man’s line of sight, Chen Feng could see the entirety of the Beast Arena.

A moment later, the green-robed man turned around, revealing a young and handsome face. His eyes seemed to shimmer with a faint cyan hue. Despite wearing only a simple green robe, he exuded an air of nobility, as if he were a young master from a prestigious clan.

"Should I call you the Unreturning Swordsman… or Chen Feng?"

A voice as smooth as flowing water emerged from the youth’s lips, carrying a hint of amusement.

The words of the Green-robed Youth caused Chen Feng’s brows to furrow briefly before relaxing again.

The Beast Arena had always been shrouded in mystery, so it was no surprise they had uncovered his identity so quickly.

"As you wish," Chen Feng replied calmly. "But may I ask why you summoned me here?"

"Nothing much. I was merely curious after encountering a minor talent in this backwater place," the Green-robed Youth said dismissively. "With your strength, joining the Huntian Sect won’t be difficult. Ah, never mind… you may leave."

With that, the youth waved his hand indifferently and turned away, no longer paying Chen Feng any attention.

Chen Feng was momentarily stunned.

He had been called here, only to be dismissed without any meaningful conversation.

Summoned and dismissed at will?

A surge of anger rose from the depths of his heart, but it was swiftly extinguished.

Though this youth appeared amiable and lacked any overbearing aura, Chen Feng’s instincts told him the man was unfathomably deep. The last person who had given him such a feeling was the Academy Head of Huntian Dao Academy.

"Farewell," Chen Feng said solemnly before turning to leave.

"Young Master, weren’t you interested in this boy? Why…?"

As soon as Chen Feng departed, a shadowy figure in the corner of the stone room spoke up.

"A passing whim, nothing more. At best, he’s a minor talent. Even if he joins the Huntian Sect, he’ll be lucky to become an inner disciple. Hardly worth noting, let alone recruiting," the Green-robed Youth replied with indifference.

"True. He has some talent, but at seventeen or eighteen, he’s only at the Sixth Level of the Body Forging Realm. Compared to the thousands of disciples in our clan, he’d be at the bottom. His ability to fight above his level is somewhat commendable, but it doesn’t make him worth cultivating," the Shadow remarked.

……

Chen Feng carried Li Xinyue’s Hundred Refinements Sword, his expression cold, though a simmering rage coiled within him.

"Low cultivation, weak strength—no respect is given."

"The Ye Family was like this… and now the Beast Arena is the same…"

"But one day, no one will dare look down on me again."

Outside the Beast Arena, Li Xinyue waited. When she saw Chen Feng, now dressed in his usual clothes and without his mask, a glimmer of joy flashed in her eyes.

"Instructor, thank you for lending me your sword," Chen Feng said, handing the Hundred Refinements Sword back to Li Xinyue, who in return passed him his own Ten Refinements Sword.

"Chen Feng, I regretted telling you about the Beast Arena earlier," Li Xinyue admitted with a bitter smile as she took the sword. "Thankfully, your strength was enough."

"Instructor, you shouldn’t blame yourself. On the contrary, I should thank you," Chen Feng replied with a smile. "By the way, I’ll return the ten taels of silver I borrowed from you after I exchange the banknotes."

"No need. The three hundred taels can buy three Foundation Establishment Pills, which might be enough for you to break through to the Seventh Level of the Body Forging Realm," Li Xinyue said. "If it were ten taels short and you failed to break through, wouldn’t that just mean extra trouble?"

"Fair enough." Chen Feng pondered for a moment and said nothing more, but he engraved this kindness in his heart.

"Chen Feng, with three Foundation Establishment Pills, you might have a chance to reach the Seventh Level before the assessment. As for me, I’ll be going into seclusion soon to focus on breaking through to the Ninth Level of the Body Forging Realm." Li Xinyue’s bright, sharp eyes gleamed with anticipation. "By then, I hope we both pass the assessment and become disciples of the Huntian Sect."

"Absolutely!"

Chen Feng responded with solemn determination.

Watching Li Xinyue’s tall and agile figure depart, Chen Feng turned back to his courtyard. After resting briefly, he took out one Foundation Establishment Pill and consumed it.

Once the pill’s power was fully absorbed, Chen Feng could clearly feel his tendons and bones becoming more resilient, and his Tendon and Bone Force growing stronger and more vigorous.

"Almost at the mid-to-late stage of the Sixth Level of the Body Forging Realm."

He took the second pill, refined it, absorbed its energy, and tempered his tendons and bones once more.

"Peak!" Chen Feng revealed an expression that was both expected and slightly disappointed.

As expected, advancing in cultivation became increasingly difficult the further one progressed. Two Foundation Establishment Pills had only raised his cultivation from the early stage of the Sixth Level to its peak. Now, with only one pill left, Chen Feng suddenly felt uncertain.

Would he be able to break through to the Seventh Level?

If he still couldn’t…

"Refine it first and see."

Without hesitation, Chen Feng tossed the last pill into his mouth. The Divine Talisman Of Creation swiftly refined it, sending an extremely pure surge of energy coursing through his body, tempering his tendons and bones once again.

A layer of bloody light emerged around Chen Feng, growing increasingly dense.

The latter three levels of the Body Forging Realm involved tempering the internal organs, which were far more fragile than tendons and bones. A single misstep during refinement could lead to injury.

This meant breakthroughs in the latter three levels were even more difficult.

Before long, the bloody light gradually receded inward. Chen Feng opened his eyes, deeply disappointed.

"At the threshold between the Sixth and Seventh Levels of the Body Forging Realm," Chen Feng muttered to himself after carefully sensing his condition.

"Now, I either take another Foundation Establishment Pill to guarantee a breakthrough, or rely on my own cultivation—but there’s no guarantee I’ll reach the Seventh Level before the Huntian Sect’s assessment..."

Chen Feng fell into thought.

Should he return to the Beast Arena?

Given his previous record, the challenge there would be at least three first-grade, seventh-tier demonic beasts.

"My current cultivation is at the peak of the Sixth Level. My tendons and bones are several times tougher than when I first broke through, and my Tendon and Bone Force has doubled. With my sword technique and movement technique, my combat strength has more than doubled. Three first-grade, seventh-tier demonic beasts aren’t unbeatable..."

The problem was his sword.

Last time, when he fought two first-grade, seventh-tier demonic beasts, he used the Hundred Refinements Sword.

But that sword belonged to Li Xinyue. His own weapon was only a Ten Refinements Grade sword, which could hardly deal effective damage to first-grade, seventh-tier demonic beasts.

Borrowing Li Xinyue’s sword wasn’t impossible, but she was in seclusion now.

Another issue was the Beast Arena’s owner, whose unfathomable aura instinctively made Chen Feng wary.

"Very well, I'll spend these next few days mastering the Wind Shadow Sword Technique and the Nine Shadows Illusory Body to their limits while attempting to break through to the Seventh Level of the Body Forging Realm on my own. I'll also look for other ways to earn money, improve my cultivation as much as possible, and buy a Hundred Refinements Sword," Chen Feng muttered to himself, gripping his sword and heading straight for the small woods by Mirror Lake to begin his training.

For three consecutive days, Chen Feng spent most of his time deep in the woods near Mirror Lake, practicing the Wind Shadow Sword Technique and the Nine Shadows Illusory Body.

Illusory shadows materialized out of thin air, solid as reality—nine in total—circling a tree as thick as a man's waist. Nine sword shadows, swift as the wind, slashed through the air, striking the tree simultaneously. Nine identical sword marks, uniform in size and depth, appeared in a perfect ring around the trunk.

"Not only have I mastered the Wind Shadow Nine Swords and the Nine Shadows Illusory Body, but they now complement each other flawlessly..."

Chen Feng sheathed his sword, a faint smile appearing on his face.

"I wonder how my current strength would fare against an Eighth Level of the Body Forging Realm opponent?"

Chen Feng pondered silently.

"Over these three days, aside from refining my swordplay and movement techniques, I’ve also learned of other ways to earn money quickly."

That was to venture out and gather rare herbs or hunt demonic beasts.

Compared to the Beast Arena, gathering rare herbs and hunting demonic beasts was far more unpredictable and dangerous. But if successful, the rewards would be far greater.

Leaving the woods, Chen Feng bought some provisions, filled his waterskin, and immediately set off from Huntian Dao Academy, heading straight for the city gates.

Huntian City was built at the foot of the Great Ridge Mountains, which stretched across the Great Xia Kingdom. The mountains teemed with countless demonic beasts, making them the ideal destination for warriors seeking rare herbs or hunting prey.

The moment Chen Feng left Huntian Dao Academy, someone secretly followed him. When he stepped out of Huntian City, the shadow tailed him at top speed before returning to the academy to report to Ye Huai.

"Are you certain Chen Feng has left Huntian City?" Ye Huai sheathed his blade, his eyes icy and sinister, making the other man break out in a cold sweat.

"Yes, I followed him the whole way and saw it with my own eyes. I suspect Chen Feng might be heading to Ten Thousand Woods to gather rare herbs or hunt demonic beasts," the man hastily explained everything he knew.

"Ten Thousand Woods... gathering rare herbs, hunting demonic beasts..." Ye Huai's eyes gleamed with a dark light, a vicious smile curling his lips. "Chen Feng, you certainly know how to pick your spots."