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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter Forty-Two: Longing Before Parting
Lin Feng was not suited for cultivating the Sword Heart Technique, so staying in Solitary Moon City held little meaning for him. Elder Xu received instructions from the Sword Saint to send Lin Feng to the border of Yang Prefecture for training.
Elder Xu called Lin Feng over and presented him with a disciple token. "Every year, we at Solitary Moon City send a disciple to the border for training, serving Yang Prefecture and becoming part of its guardians. This opportunity is yours this year, as per the Sword Saint's wishes."
Although Lin Feng was unsure what the border training would entail, he knew that if the Sword Saint had spoken, it would surely benefit his cultivation. He readily agreed.
When Lin Miaomiao learned that Lin Feng would be leaving for the border, her heart was filled with reluctance. They had only just reunited, and now they were to part again. Miaomiao understood Lin Feng's determination to pursue the path of strength and could only suppress her feelings of sadness, allowing him to leave.
Elder Xu said, "Lin Feng, you only have a year and a half. Make sure to seize this opportunity. After a year and a half, we will need to prepare for the Jiuzhou Gathering Conference. I hope you can represent Solitary Moon City and enter Zhongzhou by then."
Lin Feng nodded, aware of the urgency of time. "Elder, I will give it my all."
"Is it going to be a year and a half?" Miaomiao realized that this journey was not just a long trip but also a lengthy separation.
Lin Feng felt reluctant to leave as well, but life often offered no choices. "Miaomiao, let's work hard so that we can be together in the future."
"Okay," Miaomiao nodded, her face breaking into a playful smile. "Lin Feng, you can't slack off during this year and a half! If you're not chosen to go to Zhongzhou, I will be very upset."
"I won't dare aim for first place at the Jiuzhou Gathering Conference; I'll settle for second place among the Inner Sect Disciples of Solitary Moon City," Lin Feng replied confidently, knowing that first place was reserved for Miaomiao.
After Elder Xu explained some details about the border training and who to contact when the time came, he said, "Lin Feng, it's time to set off."
Lin Feng nodded and looked at Miaomiao. At that moment, even before parting, he felt an overwhelming sense of longing that made him want to cry. He suppressed his feelings of reluctance and smiled at her. "Miaomiao, let me hug you."
"Mm."
Miaomiao nodded obediently and nestled into Lin Feng's embrace. This was the first time Miaomiao had been held by Lin Feng, and the feeling was so wonderful and blissful that she wished she could experience it forever.
Thinking about how Lin Feng would soon leave, and that this feeling wouldn't return for another year and a half, Miaomiao couldn't help but hold onto Lin Feng's back tightly.
How she wished this moment could last, allowing this happiness to linger a little longer.
Elder Xu coughed lightly and said, "Lin Feng, you should set off soon. Time is important for both of you, and Miaomiao needs to begin her training today."
Lin Feng and Miaomiao separated, and he said, "Miaomiao, wait for me to come back."
"Okay." Miaomiao smiled sweetly, looking very obedient as two shallow dimples appeared on her cheeks.
As Lin Feng turned to leave, he suddenly felt an overwhelming sadness wash over him, and he couldn't help but shed a few tears. He walked away without looking back; he was afraid to turn around.
Miaomiao watched Lin Feng's figure gradually fade into the distance, her face still adorned with a cheerful smile until he completely disappeared. Suddenly, she burst into tears.
Large drops of tears fell continuously as Miaomiao sobbed uncontrollably. The tears soaked her clothes, making her look pitiful.
Elder Xu observed Miaomiao and couldn't help but step closer. "Miaomiao," he said gently, "separation is not necessarily a cruel thing. It is through separation that we feel longing and understand how deep our feelings for each other truly are."
"Only by experiencing separation can one appreciate the strength of true love. It doesn't mean being together all the time; rather, it's in every moment spent gazing at the starry sky that we realize we are not alone. Because under the same sky, there is someone we love who is also looking at it and missing us."
Listening to these words, Miaomiao silently took them to heart and then asked, "Elder, do you think this way because there is someone you love under the stars in another place?"
Elder Xu gazed slowly at the sky, even though the stars were not visible at that moment. He remained silent for a long time, revealing a look of nostalgia along with a gentle smile.
He did not answer, but Miaomiao understood the answer nonetheless.
Before Lin Feng decided to head to the border, he aimed to elevate his Foundation to the Foundation Establishment stage. He re-entered the Beastly Forest for one last push, striving to achieve a physical strength of one hundred thousand pounds.
Since reaching the Foundation Realm at the Ninth Layer, the spiritual power absorbed from consuming the flesh and blood of Second-Stage Beasts had nearly lost its effectiveness. The torment brought by spiritual power had become merely a dull ache.
"Am I really going to challenge a Third-Stage Beast?"
Lin Feng stood cautiously at the outskirts of the Beastly Forest, still far from its center and even further from its deepest parts.
He carefully made his way deeper into the Beastly Forest, searching for a Third-Stage Beast.
Generally speaking, a Third-Stage Beast's strength was comparable to that of a Cultivation Realm Walker. Lin Feng did not yet have the confidence to face a Third-Stage Beast alone.
After searching for a long time, he finally spotted one. It was about fifteen feet long and radiated a faint golden light; it was a Golden Lion.
"The Golden Lion is a top-tier beast of the Third Stage. I am not ready to fight it yet. I should practice against a beast that has just entered the Third Stage."
As Lin Feng muttered to himself, he quietly retreated. Once he was out of the Golden Lion's territory, he began looking for a new target.
A day later, Lin Feng set his sights on a deer. This deer stood about five feet tall and was over ten feet long, with a brown coat. What made it particularly special were the numerous dark red spots on its body, which were not very conspicuous.
The Crimson Flower Deer was a Third-Stage Beast.
After identifying his target, Lin Feng began searching for a suitable battlefield. Engaging in combat with the Crimson Flower Deer without caution could disturb other Third-Stage or even higher-level beasts, putting his life in danger.
Lin Feng found a cave that was about one and a half people high at its entrance and wide enough for two people. The cave wasn't very deep, and he felt it would be suitable for battle.
Returning to the territory of the Crimson Flower Deer, he noticed that it seemed to be an herbivorous beast that only liked to consume a specific type of red spiritual herb.
Lin Feng suddenly appeared in front of the Crimson Flower Deer. The deer glanced at him and quickly assessed his strength, concluding that he posed no threat.
Ignoring Lin Feng completely, the Crimson Flower Deer continued its search for Red Spirit Grass.
"A herbivorous beast like this is a rare sight. It looks quite docile. If I were to eat it, I would feel a bit reluctant," Lin Feng thought momentarily, but he reminded himself that becoming stronger was his ultimate goal. He didn't act immediately; the Crimson Flower Deer took off running at incredible speed, and he wasn't sure if he could catch up.
Initially, Lin Feng's plan was to deliberately appear and provoke the Crimson Flower Deer into attacking him, then feign escape into a cave, trapping it like fish in a barrel.
Now, it seemed he needed to come up with a new plan.
To lure the Crimson Flower Deer into the cave, Lin Feng gathered a large amount of Red Spirit Grass and began to lay it out along the path from the deer's territory to the cave. From a distance, it looked like a red trail leading straight to the cave.
These Red Spirit Grass were not easy to come by; it took Lin Feng three hours to collect enough for this setup.
The Crimson Flower Deer had never seen so much Red Spirit Grass before, especially not without any effort. It happily munched its way along the trail, its mood soaring.
Lin Feng watched closely as the deer moved step by step toward the cave, a look of joy spreading across his face.
Just as the Crimson Flower Deer was about to enter the cave and Lin Feng was ready to strike, a Golden Lion suddenly charged out with a terrifying roar aimed at the deer.
While eating the Red Spirit Grass, the Crimson Flower Deer had been on high alert. The moment the Golden Lion attacked, it swiftly turned and fled with astonishing speed.
Lin Feng watched in frustration as his plan was thwarted by the lion. "You lion! You've ruined my good deed. One day, I will feast on you," he gritted his teeth in anger.
With his plan foiled, he had no choice but to start over. This time, Lin Feng spent five days gathering enough Red Spirit Grass again to set another trap for the Crimson Flower Deer.
It seemed that the Red Spirit Grass was the nemesis of the Crimson Flower Deer, or perhaps it had a fatal attraction to it. The Crimson Flower Deer hurriedly attempted to consume it again, but this time it was more cautious, frequently stopping to glance around.
This time, the Golden Lion did not appear, and Lin Feng successfully lured the Crimson Flower Deer to the entrance of a cave.
The Crimson Flower Deer looked at the Red Spirit Grass inside the cave and then glanced around. After hesitating for a long while, it finally turned and left.
Another failure. Lin Feng thought to himself, "It must be that there isn't enough Red Spirit Grass inside the cave; the allure is insufficient."
Lin Feng began searching for Red Spirit Grass again, spending seven days on this task. Once he collected a sufficient amount, he started to set up his plan.
This time he was smarter; he scattered a small amount of Red Spirit Grass along the way. Then he threw all the remaining Red Spirit Grass deep into the cave, ensuring it was still visible from the entrance.
The Crimson Flower Deer, having escaped danger last time, felt a bit more relaxed this time. It reached the cave entrance and saw the pile of Red Spirit Grass inside, unable to resist licking its lips.
"Go in, go in," Lin Feng whispered softly to himself.
The Crimson Flower Deer looked around and hesitated for a moment before turning to leave again.
"Another failure?"
Just as Lin Feng was about to get up and reflect on his attempts, he noticed that the Crimson Flower Deer had returned, charging into the cave without any hesitation.
"So it was just scouting for danger; this Crimson Flower Deer is quite clever."
Now was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Lin Feng decisively took action and instantly appeared at the entrance of the cave.
The Crimson Flower Deer was greedily devouring the Red Spirit Grass when it sensed a figure suddenly approaching. It instinctively stepped back and looked at the newcomer—only to find it was that weak human again.
The Crimson Flower Deer slightly relaxed its guard and continued to consume the Red Spirit Grass.
"Do you look down on me that much? Fine, you'll regret it soon," Lin Feng said.
The Crimson Flower Deer quickly finished off the pile of Red Spirit Grass, then turned away from Lin Feng and headed towards the cave entrance. Lin Feng stepped forward to block its path.
It was only then that the Crimson Flower Deer realized that this human was the one behind it all. A cold glint flashed in its eyes, and suddenly it charged at Lin Feng, using its antlers as a weapon.
Lin Feng felt a strong gust of wind rush towards him, bringing with it an overwhelming sense of pressure.
"The aura of a Third-Stage Beast is indeed different."
Lin Feng couldn't dodge; he had to stand firm. If he let the Crimson Flower Deer escape now, all his efforts would be in vain. Just as the deer was about to collide with him, Lin Feng suddenly took out the Ancient Cauldron and raised it in front of him as a shield.
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