Chapter 5

### Chapter 5: Refusal

"Finished? Not bad, not bad. I bet the Senior Brother will be thrilled. What reward do you want? Just say it. Now, I wonder what those old guys will say, hahaha."

In the third cave of the White Water City, the elder in black robes, a Golden Core cultivator, looked extremely pleased and laughed out loud.

"Uncle, I feel ashamed, Fei Feng."

"Feel ashamed?" The black-robed cultivator was taken aback, pondered for a moment, then shook his head as if he understood something.

"Xiao Feng, this is your first solo mission, isn't it? It's a bit too early. With your talent, you should have waited until later to seek opportunities for breakthroughs. Sigh, life is unpredictable."

When Lin Fei Feng heard the words "Xiao Feng," she felt a tightening in her body, and a lazy smile appeared before her eyes. She didn't notice the elder's change in demeanor.

"Uncle, Xiao Feng understands. Perhaps this is for the best."

"Yes, the methods of the other islands have their own merits. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been debating for thousands of years without reaching a consensus. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. Different people are suited to different cultivation methods. It's just that the disciples can't choose for themselves; they can only accept their fate, which is a helpless situation."

The Blue Water Sect is located in the largest lake in Qishan, the Blue Water Lake, which contains hundreds of islands of various sizes. Most of the sect's disciples primarily cultivate water-based techniques. At some point, the sect's approach to the cultivation of younger disciples split into two factions. One faction advocated for natural selection, encouraging disciples to go out and train, with the survivors being the elite and worthy of intensive cultivation. The other faction believed that talented disciples should cultivate within the sect, only venturing out when they needed to break through a bottleneck to seek opportunities.

Lin Fei Feng has an ice spiritual root, a rare talent in the Blue Water Sect. The Lin family is one of the major families in the sect. This time, due to the death of a Lin family elder at the late-stage Core Formation level and some unavoidable circumstances, she had to leave the Blue Water Sect at the mid-stage Foundation Establishment level to defend White Water City.

"Uncle, Zhu Yubei and Feng Rui Shan aren't very strong, but the credit is theirs. We just happened to be there, and I feel quite ashamed."

"Strength? Credit?"

The elder smiled slightly. "You are clever, but you have too little experience and don't understand the deeper aspects of things."

"Please, Uncle, enlighten me."

Lin Fei Feng was delighted. Guidance from a Golden Core cultivator in cultivation was common, but discussions about human relations were rare. Clearly, the elder was in a good mood today, and this was a rare opportunity.

The battle a few days ago had a significant impact on her, almost颠覆了她的一些根本认知. These days, she had been thinking repeatedly, her mind in a mess, and she needed to hear others' opinions.

"Ask when you don't understand. You, my child, are likable for this very reason." The elder smiled warmly.

"That's because you, Uncle, are so kind. I would never ask Feng Rui Shan a single word, even if I were beaten to death, hmpf!" Lin Fei Feng grumbled inwardly.

"Let's talk about strength first. What is strength? As long as you follow the sect's arrangements and work hard, you don't need to worry about much else. Those two are itinerant cultivators, probably spending their time fighting for even half a spirit stone. Your world's main task is to quickly break through to the next realm and improve your cultivation. Cultivation is strength. Their primary task is to survive. For them, anything that helps them survive is strength. Being alive itself is a form of strength. It's different, just like the debate within our sect. We are trying to choose the better method between the two, but they have no choice."

"Uncle, how did they come up with those ideas? At the time, it didn't seem extraordinary, quite simple. After careful consideration, the deductions weren't difficult, but the hardest part was pulling the first string. The first step was the hardest."

Seeing the elder's enthusiasm, Lin Fei Feng took the opportunity to ask about the problem that had been troubling her.

"Ha ha, I don't know either. They probably can't explain it clearly themselves. It's probably a combination of experience and talent."

"Talent? What kind of talent?"

"Finding connections in a mess of phenomena, or as you put it, first realizing that there might be a connection, pulling the first string. This keen sense is a talent, and a very rare one. I heard that Feng Rui Shan cultivates the ancient technique 'Spring Rain,' which focuses on the interplay and combinations of the five elements. This technique has many variations, which might benefit his ability. Feng Rui Shan is indeed a talent. Find a chance to see if you can bring him into the sect. But after this battle, many people will have ideas, so it might be difficult."

"What about Zhu Yubei?" Lin Fei Feng quickly changed the subject, clearly already aware of Feng Rui Shan's technique.

"He was a general in a mortal city before he cultivated. Formulating tactics is his strength. Those things are not much different for cultivators and mortals."

The elder clearly had little interest in Zhu Yubei.

"Now, about credit. You were the team leader, and the final decision was yours. Being able to listen to different opinions and adopt the correct ones, and achieving satisfactory results, is the greatest credit. There's no need to feel embarrassed; you must have the right mindset."

"But that's unfair to them."

Lin Fei Feng was a bit不服气.

"There's no such thing as fairness or unfairness. As a team leader, you are responsible for the team's overall actions. You are responsible for the bad, and you are also responsible for the good. The second team is Lin Fei Feng's team, not anyone else's. Think about it this way: if Dugu Feng had led 20 cultivators at the Qifeng stage, who would be punished? Or if Dugu Feng wasn't on the island, what would the other team members think of you as the team leader? They won't suffer any losses. I suspect these two don't often speak up in the team. Even if they fail, they won't be worse off. These two have quite a bit of courage. Besides, in the end, they got what they deserved. Without you, they could only watch. Whether it's fair or not, it's not even a question."

The elder looked unconvinced.

"Failure? They seemed so confident, as if failure was impossible."

Lin Fei Feng tried to recall their expressions at the time, but it was difficult for her. She only clearly remembered the lazy smile.

"Confident? Ha ha, interesting little guys, daring to gang up on our Xiao Feng."

Lin Fei Feng blushed, but she didn't seem angry.

"Alright. Do you plan to stay in the city to cultivate or go out for a walk?"

"I want to go for a walk in the mountains." Lin Fei Feng didn't hesitate, clearly having already made up her mind.

"Good. Ask Feng Rui Shan if he wants to go. It's safer together."

"Okay."

"Xiao Feng, everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. Confidence is good, but don't try to do everything alone. Learn to appreciate others' strengths, and you will have many friends and be happier. Learn to leverage others' strengths, and you will be more successful."

The elder saw Lin Fei Feng's不服气look and said calmly, with deep meaning.

"Yes, thank you, Uncle. I will pay more attention." She added silently, "But not that annoying Feng Rui Shan."

"Rest for two days and prepare well. The mountains are not like the city. You want a Seven-Colored Flying Lotus, right? I will do my best to get it for you. I think it shouldn't be a problem. I'll let you know when it's ready."

"Thank you, Uncle, thank you, Uncle." Lin Fei Feng was overjoyed.

The Seven-Colored Flying Lotus is a flying magical tool made from the Blue Water Lake's specialty, the Seven-Leaf Green Lotus. It is extremely rare, and Lin Fei Feng had long wanted one. Unfortunately, not every Golden Core cultivator in the sect has one, and even though she was outstanding among Foundation Establishment disciples, she could only envy it.

Although it is just a magical tool, flying magical tools are rare in the cultivation world. The patrol boats used by Lin Fei Feng and others are specifically for patrols, and there are only three in the entire White Water City, which must be returned after patrols.

Flying magical tools only require spirit stones to fly, without consuming the cultivator's spiritual energy. Compared to flying with a sword, although the speed is not fast, they save a lot of time for long-distance travel, and the safety of cultivators is incomparable.

"Alright, go. I'll let you know when it's ready."

"Yes."

Lin Fei Feng stood up, bowed to the elder, and left the third cave with a heart full of joy. Suddenly, she remembered she needed to invite Feng Rui Shan, and her joy flew out the window.

"Let Liu Yingying ask him. I hope he's alone at home. Annoying."

It wasn't clear whether she was annoyed with Feng Rui Shan or the situation.

...

Feng Rui Shan's cave was not empty. He had just finished a magical technique sparring session with Zhu Yubei, and they were talking happily.

"You, your ability to blend spiritual energies has improved again. You had me completely fooled. If it were someone else, they would be lost from the start. Unfortunately, it only suits those who cultivate all five elements. I only cultivate wood and fire, so I can't create as many variations, and it would take a lot of time, which isn't worth it."

"Do you think I enjoy these deceptive tricks? It's just that I couldn't find suitable techniques after Foundation Establishment. The techniques in the cultivation method are so weak that using them makes me blush. Come, try this wine."

Because the 'Spring Rain' technique doesn't focus on attack and defense, the Foundation Establishment techniques it includes are mediocre. Whether in attack range, attack power, or defensive strength, they don't satisfy Feng Rui Shan. But there were no suitable techniques to cultivate at the time, so he hesitated for a long time before deciding to take another path: not pursuing the power of individual techniques but emphasizing the speed and variation of techniques.

The more powerful a technique, the longer the casting time, and vice versa. Of course, if the power is too weak, a fast casting speed is meaningless. Inspired by alchemy, Feng Rui Shan thought that since the 'Spring Rain' technique can use divine sense to blend the spiritual energy of medicinal herbs into a pill, what would happen if he used it to blend his own spiritual energy?

Fortunately, the 'Spring Rain' technique has mediocre power but unique applications of divine sense. His life-bound spirit wood is the Soul Nourishing Wood, and his divine sense far exceeds that of other cultivators at the same stage. He also continuously practiced alchemy, making his divine sense control extremely proficient and precise. Although blending spiritual energy was initially difficult, after persistent exploration, he had some initial success and saw hope.

In the sparring session, Feng Rui Shan only used the most basic Fireball, Water Bullet, Metal Spear, and Giant Tree techniques, but each technique contained more than one type of spiritual energy, producing effects vastly different from ordinary techniques. The appearance remained unchanged, and the casting time for Foundation Establishment cultivators was very short, almost negligible. There was no need to consider the consumption of spiritual energy. Although the power was still limited, Zhu Yubei's defensive techniques were always off the mark, often forcing him to dodge, interrupting his casting, and leaving him extremely frustrated.

Cultivators are not beasts that can withstand the attacks of techniques with their physical bodies. Even a basic Fireball is not something they can endure. He was less frustrated because he knew that Feng Rui Shan could only skillfully blend the spiritual energies of these basic techniques.

"Hey, this wine is different. Good, you have something good again. Hurry up, bring it out."

Feng Rui Shan enjoyed watching Zhu Yubei's expression, slowly taking out a small red gourd.

"That's all. Consider it payment for the beating you took."

"Is that all? Miser. Next time, I'll fight back."

Zhu Yubei said this, but his hands were quick, and the small gourd disappeared immediately.

"Really good stuff, but there's not much. It can only be used to save your life in a critical moment. Thanks."

"Thanks for what? The spiritual herbs you brought for the Spirit Recovery Pill were a stroke of luck. The first five pills produced two, and I used the rest to make these spirit wines, which were originally yours."

"Is this a stroke of luck? I had a full batch of spiritual herbs, and a full batch produces ten pills. Also, can't you slow down a bit and let me be more moved by your noble character?"

Zhu Yubei was at a loss for words, stroking his beard.

"Hehe, you can continue to be moved now."

"Right. Your success rate in alchemy is still unique. Have you improved?"

"Improved? Not at all, still less than one percent."

"Hey, if your success rate were fifty percent, we could open an alchemy shop and make a fortune. We wouldn't have to risk our lives and be at the mercy of others. Just thinking of Liu Yingying's smile makes me lose sleep. Why is there such a big difference among sect disciples? Look at Lin Fei Feng, already at the mid-stage Foundation Establishment, and she doesn't act like a demon. Does she really think she's the best in the world?"

Zhu Yubei said harshly.

Given his extremely low success rate in alchemy, Feng Rui Shan took a different path. Instead of pursuing the formation of pills, he blended the semi-finished pill liquid into wine, creating spirit wines. This didn't affect his absorption of vitality and didn't hinder his understanding of the interplay between the five elements.

However, making spirit wines was not easy. It was time-consuming and labor-intensive, and the effects were not as good as forming pills. But it was better than wasting everything.

Ordinary spirit wines are made by fermenting herbs rich in spiritual energy, primarily to restore spiritual energy, though they have other uses. There are various techniques involved, and brewing, like alchemy, is a specialized skill. On the Huaxia continent, brewers are highly respected.

Like his specially made alchemy pills, his spirit wines had better spiritual energy compatibility than those sold in the market, and they absorbed much faster, taking only about one-tenth of the time. Unfortunately, the yield was too low, and they were five times more expensive than market spirit wines for the same amount of spiritual energy. Not all pills could be converted into spirit wines, such as those used for breaking through bottlenecks.

In fact, Feng Rui Shan could only convert Foundation Establishment Spirit Recovery Pills into spirit wines. He wanted to try other pills, but no one gave him the chance.

Over the years, he had accumulated hundreds of small wine gourds, each containing different types of spirit wines. He didn't charge for alchemy but took the risk himself. After a batch of herbs successfully produced one Spirit Recovery Pill, the remaining herbs were his, if there were any. Although it was a bit greedy, he had no choice. Those who asked him to alchemize were mostly acquaintances who knew that there was usually nothing left. Besides, other alchemists refined the entire batch, while he refined one pill at a time. The remaining herbs for one or two pills were useless to others.

"Do you think I don't want to? But Dugu Feng and the others are really wealthy. This time, we made a big profit. I plan to refine the suitable herbs first, which will take about half a year. What about you?"

"Big profit? That's all you're capable of. I'm the same. This time, I got a good sword, a high-quality magical tool. I need to familiarize myself with it quickly."

"Yes. Don't blame Liu Yingying. If it were you, I guarantee you wouldn't be as good as her."

"Not as good as her? A little flower in a greenhouse. But the team leader's character isn't bad. She knew you had ulterior motives but still made the right decision. At the time, some people were waiting to see the joke. Did you know her decision from the start? You've really improved."

"Great fortune brings great misfortune. I didn't think that much. She's just a bit cold and proud, but she's not stupid and has a good temperament. I'm just curious, I haven't offended her, so why does she always look at me with disapproval? She's not a petty person."

"Hehe, hate often means the beginning of love. Be careful, don't end up in the same family."

"Hate your big head. Are you talking about yourself? Who was just hating Lady Liu Yingying?"

...

Cultivators are also human, and male cultivators are men. When they are together, besides discussing cultivation, they enjoy talking about the same topics as other men.

Zhu Yubei was about to speak when a faint spiritual energy fluctuation was detected, indicating that someone was approaching. Feng Rui Shan's expression changed, and he laughed loudly. Zhu Yubei was puzzled and released his divine sense to investigate, only to burst out laughing when he saw it was Liu Yingying.

"Really strange."

Ignoring Zhu Yubei's muttering, Feng Rui Shan hurriedly lifted the cave's restrictions.

"Unaware of Lady Liu's visit, I failed to welcome you properly. Please forgive me."

"Disturbing you, Fellow Daoist Feng. Fellow Daoist Zhu is also here."

"Uh, I'm fine. If you need to talk, I'll leave."

Seeing Liu Yingying in a light green dress, her face full of spring, and her graceful demeanor, Zhu Yubei was momentarily stunned.

"Fellow Daoist Zhu, you're too polite. No need to rush. I also need to talk to you, saving me a trip."

As Zhu Yubei stood up and walked to the door, Liu Yingying smiled and spoke slowly. Feng Rui Shan's insides were laughing, but he maintained a serious expression, struggling to hold back his laughter.

"Is that so." Zhu Yubei was at a loss, so he sat back down.

"Rare for Lady Liu to visit, please try this spirit tea."

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist Feng. Good tea."

Liu Yingying picked up the teacup, took a small sip, and complimented it, clearly not a connoisseur.

"Just ordinary spirit tea, not worthy of Lady Liu's praise."

Although curious about Liu Yingying's purpose, Feng Rui Shan didn't ask.

"Let me get straight to the point. In a few days, my senior sister and a few other fellow daoists and I plan to go to Snow Peak Mountain. We would like to invite the two of you to join us. What do you think?"

Seeing Feng Rui Shan sipping tea with a contented expression, as if he hadn't heard her deliberate emphasis on "something important," "annoying," Liu Yingying was secretly annoyed.

Zhu Yubei glanced at Feng Rui Shan, the meaning clear: "A strong dragon doesn't suppress a local snake. You, the host, should speak first."

"Sorry, Lady Liu, I have other matters."

Feng Rui Shan didn't hesitate and refused outright.

"That's unfortunate. I apologize for the disturbance. Goodbye."

Liu Yingying stood up, her face slightly changed.

Zhu Yubei thought for a moment and didn't speak. Clearly, Liu Yingying didn't consider him the main focus, just a coincidence.

"Hmph, what's so great about it? She didn't even ask who else was going or what they were doing. Not going is better; I don't want to share the spirit herbs with an extra person. I rarely ask for help, and I'll make you pay for it."

Liu Yingying cared more about being rejected so bluntly than whether Feng Rui Shan would join the trip to Snow Peak Mountain.

...

"It's not a good time to wander around outside. Others might not care, but the two of us should stay put."

Feng Rui Shan looked at Zhu Yubei and said calmly.

"I know. Do I need to be told this?"

For some reason, Zhu Yubei suddenly felt annoyed, completely losing the ease he had before Liu Yingying arrived.