Chapter 622: 293: Revenge

Jiang Feng was weighed down with heavy thoughts. Since joining the Cyan Cloud Sect, while it seemed that his safety was now assured, hidden troubles had followed one after another in the shadows.

For now, the Divine Sect still didn’t know he was a Fourth-Grade Talisman Master.

If his strength was exposed, the consequences were easy to imagine.

Moreover, he would one day achieve the Celestial Dao Foundation Establishment. With his current level of attention, it was likely to draw all sorts of dangers.

He returned to his cave abode.

Jiang Feng checked his Fortune Point.

Fortune: 8812017

After clashing with Yu Feihong, although he had used the Golden Cicada Talisman to seriously injure him, resulting in Yu Feihong being punished with three years at Demon Blade Peak, his Fortune Point had almost not changed.

This showed that the other party harbored deep resentment.

The danger coming from Yu Feihong had not been resolved.

If the other party had learned his lesson and stopped targeting him, even if there hadn’t been murderous intent at the start, now with the resentment gone, his Fortune Point would have increased significantly.

After so many years, Jiang Feng understood very well how Fortune Point fluctuated.

From calamities brought by the changes in the rules of Heaven and Earth, to the ill will of a passerby—from the great to the small—so long as he could withstand or successfully resolve them, his Fortune Point would rise.

Yu Feihong’s hatred was so great, that even without thoughts to kill him, if Jiang Feng could resolve it, he would gain hundreds of thousands, even a million Fortune Points.

But his Fortune Point had only increased by about a hundred—a daily incremental rate—showing that the resentment from Yu Hongfei towards him had not disappeared, and perhaps was even growing stronger.

"If I achieve Golden Core before he does, then even if he leaves Demon Blade Peak, under the pressure of my power, all he’ll be able to do is quietly swallow his bitterness."

"There is no deep enmity between us. It was nothing more than me acquiring the Qinglong Cauldron one step ahead, and now severely injuring him with the Golden Cicada Talisman. He probably just wanted to teach me a lesson at first, but didn’t expect to suffer at my hand—instead of having his way, his spirit pet nearly died in the jaws of the three-tailed wolf, and in the end, he was punished by Xu Shusheng and sent off to Demon Blade Peak."

"It started as a small grievance, but eventually accumulated into great animosity!"

"Whatever happens, I must reach the Celestial Dao Foundation Establishment as soon as possible, only then can I advance to Golden Core Powerhouse."

Through wind and rain.

In the blink of an eye, another year passed.

This year, Jiang Feng had hardly left Yagu Peak, let alone stepped outside of the Cyan Cloud Sect. He practically spent every day with Changyun and the others—engraving talismans together, making talisman paper and such. In their leisure, they’d sit and share insights with each other. Life was quite fulfilling.

After finishing two Defense Talismans, Jiang Feng went back to his cave abode. He had prepared some mountain delicacies, since Bai Yang, Wu Weiwei, and Qu Yiguang were coming over for dinner soon.

The four had now formed a small group of friends.

They often visited each other’s places.

Qu Yiguang had finally become a First-Grade Talisman Master last month, and could carry on his rivalry with Ma Weidong. He had expected to make the breakthrough within ten years, but astonishingly, less than three years had sufficed.

This kept Changyun gleefully showing off in front of Qiu Shan for quite some time, until Qiu Shan couldn’t take it anymore and had Ma Weidong challenge Qu Yiguang, finally bringing Changyun’s bragging to a stop.

As for Bai Yang, who had meritorious service in the battle at Yagu Peak, he had gone from Outer Disciple to Official Disciple, but even so, Bai Yang remained the weakest in both strength and status among the four.

Jiang Feng was, on paper, a First-Grade Talisman Master and a Direct Disciple—the highest status.

Wu Weiwei, though she had just joined the Cyan Cloud Sect a year ago, was the Scholar’s Attendant of Xu Shusheng, and had learned much in that time. She was already planning her Foundation Establishment. Privately, she mentioned that Xu Shusheng had asserted her foundation would at least be Divine Dao.

Once she succeeded, coupled with her Scholar’s Attendant position, Wu Weiwei would enjoy treatment not inferior to that of Wu Jingming and the others, her status far above an Official Disciple.

And although Qu Yiguang had just become a First-Grade Talisman Master, his previous status had already matched that of an Official Disciple. Now, as a Talisman Master, he could receive a sect flying ship as a reward, and had the authority to use sword flight to operate flying ships within the sect—a status much higher than Bai Yang’s.

This left Bai Yang, though he never voiced it, always quiet at their gatherings—he would only be lively when Jiang Feng organized them.

On the banquet table, the dishes besides mountain delicacies included Jiang Feng’s signature salt pickles with boiled tofu and pork head, as well as yellow rice wine and a plate of peanuts. He kept these close to himself; only Wu Weiwei would occasionally have a bite.

"Bring me a jug of yellow rice wine. Back by our Demon-Suppressing Martial Arts Hall, there used to be a tavern selling this kind—I’m almost forgetting what it tastes like."

Wu Weiwei reached out and said.

"If you’re not used to it, just leave it."

Jiang Feng casually handed over an unopened jug of yellow rice wine from the ground.

"A year from now, the sect is sending Official Disciples on a trial in the Forbidden Forest, for a whole year. I’ve signed up."

Bai Yang took a sip of the fine sect wine and said to everyone.

"That trial next year—I heard the end point is atop the broken cliff, right by the strangest stretch of the Nether King River. This is, for decades, the riskiest and longest trial ever."

Qu Yiguang remarked. Though he didn’t openly try to talk Bai Yang out of participating, the intent was obvious in his words, and everyone understood.

"The greater the danger, the greater the opportunity. If I don’t risk it, there’s no way I’ll ever achieve Foundation Establishment."

Bai Yang replied earnestly.

"Senior Brother Bai, there’s still plenty of time—why not wait a few more years, go again in the next sect trial, and see for yourself then?"

Qu Yiguang advised.

"Junior Brother Qu can wait—I can’t wait any longer."

Bai Yang shook his head. He downed another mouthful of wine and smiled, "Of the four of us, I joined earliest—even Junior Brother Qu was a few years later. Now, you two have become Talisman Masters, Wu Weiwei is Xu Shusheng’s Scholar’s Attendant, but I’m still only an Official Disciple, and Foundation Establishment is nowhere in sight. Junior Brother Qu has found another path in Talisman Dao—even if he doesn’t achieve Foundation Establishment right now, sooner or later, with help from our circle of Talisman Masters, he’ll break through. But I’ve got no other choice."