Qin Feng was familiar with Yu Shui Peak, Sunset Peak, Purple Mist Peak, Jade Sea Lake, and Cyan Cloud Cave. All these Spirit Mountain Blessed Lands were within a few hundred miles of Heavenly Red Peak. The first three peaks were Sixth-level Spiritual Mountains, while Jade Sea Lake and Cyan Cloud Cave were famous Fifth Level Spirit Mountains.
For the Cave Guardian Spirit Objects of these places to be stolen... This was bound to cause a massive uproar!
Qin Feng was very curious. Who could be so audacious as to sneak into the territory of All Stars Academy and steal Spirit Medicine?
"Who on earth is behind this?"
Luan Xiaochuan said, "Itâs not clear whoâs responsible!"
Qin Feng frowned. "Have they found any clues?"
Luan Xiaochuan replied, "Not a single one."
Qin Feng looked surprised. "You mean the Spiritual Objects just vanished without a trace?"
Qin Feng found it inconceivable. Most of the Spirit Mountain Blessed Lands in the Academyâs territory were protected by dense arrays. Take Heavenly Red Peak, for example; without Qin Fengâs permission, no ordinary person could ever get inside.
And the Cave Guardian Spirit Object was always the most heavily protected asset.
Typically, a Cave Guardian Spirit Object is protected by formidable Restriction Arrays. Even if a thief tried to break through, it would take a significant amount of time.
That would be more than enough time for someone to notice something was wrong.
It was impossible for them to have left no trace.
Luan Xiaochuan gave a wry smile. "Thatâs just it. The thief seems to move through each peakâs Prohibitions as if they donât even exist, coming and going at will."
"The matter has sent shockwaves through the Medicine King Hall. I heard several powerful figures came to investigate, but they still came up empty-handed!"
After speaking, Luan Xiaochuan glanced at Qin Feng and lowered his head. "According to news I received a short while ago, everyone at those Spirit Mountain Blessed Landsâfrom the Cave Masters down to the Medicine Boysâhas been stripped of their status as Medicine Garden Disciples. They were taken away shortly after the Spirit Medicines were lost. The rumor is they might all be demoted to âindentured servantsâ!"
To fall from a Cave Master to an indentured servant overnight... the price was undoubtedly steep.
Qin Feng saw the worry deep in Luan Xiaochuanâs eyes.
Qin Feng fell silent, wondering, âTo pass through the Prohibitions without a sound... Who on earth has that kind of ability?â
âCould it be... Does the thief have a Forbidden-Breaking Pearl?â
Qin Feng recalled a type of Ancient Treasure known as the Forbidden-Breaking Pearl.
The Forbidden-Breaking Pearl was a special and rare treasure refined by the Array Masters of Ancient Times. Wielding it allowed one to bypass most of the Prohibitions in the world.
However, Forbidden-Breaking Pearls were exceptionally rare; legend said they had been lost for ages.
Seeing Qin Fengâs silence, Luan Xiaochuan couldnât help but speak up. "Cave Master, weâre worried that Heavenly Red Peak will be the thiefâs next target!"
Luan Xiaochuanâs voice grew heavy. "Heavenly Red Peak is within a few hundred miles of the places that were robbed. Weâre too close. And there are several other Spirit Mountain Blessed Lands nearby as well!"
After a moment of contemplation, Qin Feng looked up. "You donât need to worry about guarding the Cave Guardian Spirit Object. Just watch over the seven stalks of Spirit Medicine in the Spirit Garden."
Luan Xiaochuan started to say something more, but Qin Feng waved a hand dismissively, his voice cold. "Rest assured. No one is stealing the Green Water Golden Lotus from under my nose!"
As an Array Grandmaster, if he let someone steal a treasure he was guarding right under his nose, he might as well just give up his title.
Back in Bishui Cave, Qin Feng gave it some thought. He then set up a few safeguards and several special, small arrays around the Spiritual Spring in the Lotus Pool.
These small arrays were designed specifically to counter treasures like the Forbidden-Breaking Pearl. If anyone tried to use such a treasure to steal the Spirit Medicine, Qin Feng would make sure they got a massive surprise.
For the next few days, Qin Feng stayed in Bishui Cave, focusing on his cultivation of the 9th Layer of the Little Cloud Rain Technique.
Three days later, the process went incredibly smoothly, and Qin Feng successfully condensed the ninth Small Cloud Rain Seal.
Inside the Cave Mansion, Qin Feng sat cross-legged by the Lotus Pool. The Green Water Golden Lotus swayed, its strands of Spiritual Light illuminating the stone chamber. The Spiritual Spring gurgled softlyâGURGLE, GURGLEâas a black seal hovered in Qin Fengâs palm.
The Black Seal floated slowly before him.
It radiated a dim, dark light.
With a focused expression, Qin Fengâs fingers interlaced, rapidly forming a series of Hand Seals. Gradually, he began to absorb the Black Seal.
The slow process of refinement began.
HUMMM!
The Beiming Divine Water Sword vibrated, pulsing with wisps of Spiritual Qi to help Qin Feng refine the Small Cloud Rain Seal.
With ease, he mastered the 9th Layer of the Little Cloud Rain Technique.
Qin Feng raised a hand. A faint, black mist materialized in his palm.
This was Celestial One True Water. A single drop was enough to bring a withered tree back to life.
Celestial One True Water was one of the thirty-six types of Post-Innate True Water, a condensation of the vital energies from all the waters in the world.
With the Beiming Divine Water Sword at his side, Qin Fengâs comprehension of the Mystical Meanings of the Water Attribute was like having a key to unlock the treasures of his Black Tortoise Bloodline.
He now found that he could grasp certain Mystical Meanings of the Water Attribute with just a momentâs thought.
The feeling was like receiving divine aid.
Qin Feng had a strong intuition that his progress wouldnât stop at the 9th Layer of the Little Cloud Rain Technique. The path to the 10th, 11th, and even the 12th Layer would now be wide open.
Moreover, the bottleneck to the 8th Layer of his Geng Metal Breaking Killing Technique had also begun to loosen!
Spurred on by this, his comprehension of the Tide Sword Intent also rose, like a rising tide lifting all boats.
Qin Feng estimated that in just a few more days, he could break through to the 8th Layer of the Geng Metal Breaking Killing Technique in one go.
Even while cultivating, Qin Feng didnât lose touch with the outside world.
Over the past few days, the spirit-medicine thief seemed to have gone to ground. There was no more news, as if they had simply vanished after pulling off such a major heist.
But Heavenly Red Peak didnât let down its guard. Luan Xiaochuan and the others patrolled even more diligently, working day and night without rest and adding many new hidden sentries.
According to Luan Xiaochuan, it was the calm before the storm. He believed the thief was likely watching Heavenly Red Peak from the shadows, just waiting for them to relax their guard.
Qin Feng did nothing to dampen their enthusiasm.
However, Qin Feng had felt something was strange for the past few days. Ever since heâd returned, he hadnât seen much of Eighth Master.
He had no idea what that strange, squawking bird had been up to, but it was nowhere to be seen, day or night.
It was all very mysterious.
Qin Feng had asked Luan Xiaochuan and the others about it. According to them, Eighth Master had been sleeping all day, every day, lazing about in its old nest on the withered tree.
According to Eighth Master itself, it was in the middle of cultivation!
Qin Feng had caught a glimpse of Eighth Master once, and strangely enough, the bird had grown a new featherâa single tail feather, sprouting from its chubby rump.
It looked absolutely ridiculous!
Qin Feng had found it exceptionally odd at the time.
In the three years since Qin Feng had brought Eighth Master back from the Poison God Territory, it hadnât grown a single feather. Yet now, it was finally starting to grow them.
Qin Feng guessed, âCould it be that this little rascal has finally developed a sense of shame? Does it finally realize itâs not proper to run around naked?â
On the fourth day, Qin Feng was jolted from his cultivation. Luan Xiaochuan entered Bishui Cave with a grim expression, bearing bad news.
"The thief has struck again! This time, it was Divine Wood Peak!"
Divine Wood Peak was a Spirit Mountain Blessed Land right next to Heavenly Red Peak! Its Cave Guardian Spirit Object was a Xuan-grade High-level Spiritual Object: the Cyan Dragon Divine Wood!
(This is the fourth Chapter of the day; the fifth will be out this afternoon. Please vote and add to your library!)