Chapter 225 Jinling Cannot Cross (The Wind Rises) Regarding the speculation about the hailstones, to…

The following day, after several days of clear skies, Jinlingdu was once again greeted by a pale gray cloud, but no rain fell; instead, it lingered overhead, casting wisps of mist.

In the hazy sunlight, one could hear one stirring drumbeat after another, sometimes loud and sometimes slow, and even the pervasive fog seemed to dissipate slightly.

Lin Feiran, holding a bowl of noodles, stood in front of his house like many other residents of Jinlingdu, watching the scene unfold.

Unlike others who might be overjoyed and celebrating, she didn't show much emotion. She simply held the bowl, the soup inside resonating with the drumbeats, swaying slightly.

A drum troupe slowly walked down the street, each drum carried on the back of a bare-chested old man, followed by a bare-chested young man. The drumsticks were held in their hands. After taking three steps, the large drumsticks would strike the drumheads three times, and the old men carrying the drums would stagger forward.

Around this man were children wearing red ribbons, clapping and reciting poems in their local dialect, taking one step at a time.

This was not a punishment; everyone, whether old, young, or child, wore a smile.

"This is the unique ceremony of Jinling Ferry."

Xun Feifei stepped forward and explained while eating noodles.

"This place has always relied on water for its livelihood. On the day the Dragon King is reborn, the people in the city will perform this kind of prayer, praying for favorable weather and abundant harvests in the coming year."

Li Changfeng stepped forward with a bowl of noodles, slurped a mouthful, and asked, "What does 'Dragon King Reborn' mean?"

Before Xun Feifei could speak, the sword spirit appeared first to explain.

"Legend has it that long ago, Jinling Ferry suffered a near-catastrophic flood. At that time, there were not many cultivators. Then a dragon appeared and did its best to stop the flood, saving the entire city, but it died in the process."

"There are no dragons in the world." Xun Feifei calmly ate her noodles.

Li Changfeng slurped up another mouthful of noodles: "And how did you come back to life?"

The sword spirit said, "It's a cliché story. The whole city prayed for it, and each person shed a tear to heal its wounds and revive it."

Li Changfeng wasn't too surprised; strange tales in the world are usually quite accurate. He looked at Xun Feifei and asked, "Did it not reappear after that?"

Xun Feifei calmly drank her soup, then said, "There are no dragons in the world."

Li Changfeng clicked his tongue in amazement: "How can someone so young look so old? I'll believe this story is true."

Xun Feifei: "..."

Lin Feiran stood in front watching until the drum team passed by the gate and the children's singing became clearer and brighter before she spoke.

What are they singing?

"Moon, moon, heal my wounded heart. Moon, moon, brush away the frost from the dragon's head."

Moon, moon, I beseech the goddess to visit me from afar. Moon, moon, ferry me back to my homeland.

"Why the moon?" Lin Feiran looked in the direction they were heading. "This isn't the way to the docks. Where are they going?"

"Because in legend, the Dragon King came with the moon, and in Jinling Ferry, the moon is an image that is more important than the sun."

Xun Feifei began to explain, then glanced at her again.

"The place where we worship the Dragon King is the Mirror Lake on the mudflats."

Lin Feiran paused, then immediately turned to look: "Why there?"

Xun Feifei looked into the distance, her expression still indifferent, unaffected by the spreading joy: "Legend has it that the Dragon King was reborn in the Mirror Lake on the mudflats."

Lin Feiran frowned slightly, but the sword spirit walked to his side and said the same thing: "There are no dragons in the world. But during the flood back then, someone did lend a helping hand."

"You know? Who is it?" she asked, somewhat surprised.

The sword spirit's figure suddenly disappeared, and only Lin Feiran could see and hear it. She said, "In the song, back then, there was indeed a 'goddess' who visited."

Lin Feiran lowered her eyes and pondered for a moment. Now, when she heard the words "Goddess", the only thing she could think of was the Goddess Sect. Regardless of whether it was related to them, why would it involve the dragon?

Just then, a loud bang came from the gate of the house next door.

Many people turned to look, only to find that it was the madwoman Wang Po who burst out of the door, carrying a carved bench in her arms, and excitedly rushed into the drum troupe, knocking down many children.

She didn't say anything, but laughed maniacally, slamming the wooden stool in her hands like a drum.

Upon seeing her, the others were not surprised, but rather annoyed, and complaints poured out. They were used to her barging in.

Lin Feiran watched quietly, and for a moment, she seemed to meet the gaze of Granny Wang.

Although she found it strange, the worship she encountered this morning was just a coincidence, and she didn't dwell on it too much.

Li Changfeng coughed lightly and said in a low voice, "How did we run into such a thing today? Are you still going tonight?"

"Of course I'll go."

Last night, her master appeared to her in a dream and mentioned the matter of the fake spiritual vein.

The members of the esoteric sect gathered in the main hall and, upon discovering the anomaly in the first spiritual vein, reacted swiftly. Not long ago, apart from Ao Xue and the Seventh Sword whom she had locked in the furnace room, everyone else was sent out to search for the whereabouts of the spiritual vein, with their target being the Demon Capital.

They were clearly very familiar with the people who had dealings with Lin Feiran.

Zhang Siwo's sword furnace was ransacked, Xie Kanhua's house was in a mess, and even Murong Qiudi, who was far away in the Northern Plains, could not escape it. The spiritual veins hidden in the Demon Capital were also gradually unearthed.

This multi-pronged approach did take a lot of time, but the only place that remained unconquered was the Demon Capital Xingzhi Palace.

With so many fake spiritual veins appearing, these people were unsure whether the spiritual vein was still with Lin Feiran, and how they could break through a cultivator at the Divine Travel Realm to capture her and investigate.

"They dare not make any rash moves for the time being and are waiting for the Holy Maiden. The latest they can do so is tomorrow. Once the Holy Maiden arrives, whether they force their way in or investigate, they will definitely find that you are not in the Demon Capital. If you are still trapped here, you will be like a turtle in a jar!"

In his dream, the grandmaster stared with one big eye, so anxious he almost jumped up.

"After tomorrow, even if you don't obtain the fire seed, you must leave immediately! I have already thought of the best way to hide the spiritual vein, but it will take some time to prepare. Remember, the spiritual vein is more important than the fire seed!"

That rare shout still seemed to echo in his mind, making Lin Feiran's ears ring.

Judging by the time, the Holy Maiden should arrive in the Demon Capital around noon. Lin Feiran had experienced her abilities before; she was also at the Divine Travel Realm, comparable to Shan, let alone Han Huo.

No matter how many people go to the mudflats and Mirror Lake to steal fire, it will only happen today!

Lin Feiran looked at the drum team and slowly exhaled a breath of stale air: "Senior, they are going to the mudflats to worship, it will definitely be noisy. Let's take this opportunity to make our move and get it as soon as possible."

“Okay.” Li Changfeng naturally had no objections.

After putting down their bowls and bidding farewell to Xun Feifei and Ru Niang, the two quickly disappeared into the crowd.

"I hope their trip goes smoothly." Ru Niang couldn't help but sigh. Although she didn't know what Lin Feiran was going to do, she figured it wouldn't be an easy task.

She suddenly thought of something: "Feifei, was there another woman who came with her?"

Xun Feifei paused, then turned to look: "It's her sword spirit, but mortals shouldn't be able to see it. Mother, have you seen it?"

Ru Niang nodded and recalled, "Last night after I fell asleep, I woke up in the middle of the night. I was a little thirsty and wanted to get out of bed to pour myself a glass of water, but I vaguely saw a woman in the room. She was blurry and only had an outline. It seemed like she had been standing there for a long time."

Seeing this, she poured me a glass of water, but then disappeared again.

When I woke up this morning, I thought I was dreaming, but the cup was right there on the bedside table…

Xun Feifei said, "Godmother, you may not know this, but that sword is her mother's keepsake. This sword spirit has seen you before, but you didn't recognize it. It also has feelings for you."

Ru Niang suddenly realized: "So that's how it is..."

"Didn't I tell you before that you're weak now? If you get up at night, just ring the bell to wake me."

Ru Niang smiled and said, "Okay, I'll definitely wake you up next time."

...

The drums beat loudly, and the people of Jinlingdu along the street opened their windows and sprinkled water on the drum team. Even though the sky was dark, there was still laughter and joy.

Lin Feiran and Li Changfeng walked through the top, gradually leaving the drum team behind. The thin mist around them began to dissipate, but a sense of impending wind and rain was rising.

As the two approached the dense forest, they found that many people had gathered on the mudflats to make their wishes. The lanterns floating on the Mirror Lake were no longer lotus lanterns, but rather round paper lanterns that shone with a faint glow in the sunlight.

In the center of Mirror Lake, the esoteric Buddhist sect was surprisingly willing to close half of its temple doors to make way for this sacrificial ceremony.

The two glanced at it briefly, then left without lingering, heading straight to a certain spot in the dense forest to meet up with Qingque, who was waiting there.

The female cultivator, who wasn't very tall, looked at them with an unprecedentedly solemn expression.

"Of all the people, only my identity has never been exposed, but after this battle, it is inevitable that they will find out."

I am not afraid of this, but you must know that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to delve into esoteric Buddhism; it is not to be missed.

After saying this, she took off her jade pendant and handed it to Lin Feiran.

“There is a pair of eyes watching from inside the main hall. You must be extremely careful. I covered for you when we set up the formation before, but today you have to rely on yourself to get the fire. Use this token to temporarily deceive it.”

Now, besides Ao Xue and the other two, there are only three incense masters in the main hall, including myself. I will do my best to protect you. If anything urgent happens, I will also use this token to send a message. Please be careful.”

Lin Feiran nodded and accepted it. As he was leaving with Li Changfeng, he suddenly remembered something, stopped, and turned back to say, "Senior, there's no need to worry too much about the one in the furnace room. Last night, I trapped him in the formation. The formation will be broken at the earliest tonight. Just keep an eye on Aoxue."

"How to control the magic circle that traps her? Follow these pages."

Qingque solemnly accepted it and nodded, "Hmm...hmm?!"

She looked in surprise toward the furnace, then turned back. Lin Feiran and Li Changfeng had already put on their robes and left, disappearing from sight. Only the paper lanterns on the lake spread out to both sides, creating a path that didn't resemble a proper road.

The invisibility suit Zhang Siwo created allowed them to move freely wherever they went, as long as it didn't get wet. The cultivators left in the main hall couldn't see through it, and the two of them were able to sneak in successfully.

Using Qingque's token, they quickly reached the top floor and stood in front of a room on the southeast side of the top floor.

There was a formation locking the outside of the room. Li Changfeng stood guard with his sword in his hand, while Lin Feiran crouched down, took out a piece of spirit jade, and carefully began to break the formation.

The intricate array patterns on the spirit jade slowly rotated and merged. When only one gap remained, Lin Feiran suddenly stood up. Upon seeing this, Li Changfeng tensed up, looked around, and whispered, "There's something strange about the array?"

Li Changfeng looked over and was somewhat surprised. He saw a kind of hesitation and uncertainty on Lin Feiran's face, as well as a bit of the tension that should be present at her age.

With great ability comes great responsibility, but not everyone can readily accept good advice.

The spiritual veins of heaven and earth cannot be lost, but for them, the fire is equally indispensable. Hesitating and looking back will only lead to more losses than gains.

Whether it's a wolf or a tiger, the only solution is to draw your sword.

Lin Feiran closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them, his long fingers clenched in the air and slowly rotated. With a click, streams of spiritual light flowed from outside the room.

She suddenly remembered another sentence that the man had added when he told her the location of the treasure last night.

"Behind that door is a place that only the Holy Maiden has ever been. Even we have only heard of it but have never been inside. No one can predict what lies behind the door, so be careful in everything you do."

Lin Feiran clenched his fists slightly, focused his mind and pushed the door open to enter, with Li Changfeng following closely behind.

Upon entering, the two found themselves not in a room, but in a slowly unfolding scroll painting. The painting depicted picturesque mountains and clear waters, with rich ink tones. A gust of wind with blurred lines swept in and stopped in front of them.

A moment later, the crosswind spun into an eye that was just barely open, its lines flowing rhythmically, yet it seemed to be staring intently into the distance.

The two immediately remembered Qingque's warning. Lin Feiran moved his right hand slightly and grasped the hilt of the Jinlan sword. Li Changfeng pushed up with his thumb and the sword was already half an inch out of its sheath.

Its gaze swept over from all directions, and after a moment, as if attracted by something, it stared intently at Lin Feiran.

Suddenly, countless gusts of wind blew in, swirling into countless eyes that densely covered the scroll, all staring at her alone, almost sending chills down one's spine!

With a crisp clang of metal, before more single eyes could form, Lin Feiran and Li Changfeng had already drawn their swords.

Although their sword techniques differed, they shared the same sharpness and swiftness, like a pair of scissors honed over many years, mercilessly cutting through the painting.

In an instant, as if the heavens and earth had been overturned, gusts of rapid air swept in from behind the scroll, almost blowing the two of them away from the spot.

Their robes trembled like flags, and the blades of their swords roared. The two gathered their strength, slashed with their swords, and leaped into the painting!

...

Crack! The jarring sound of the gong rang out incessantly.

Ao Xue was in the midst of her quiet cultivation when she heard this sound, which inevitably made her feel irritated. The slight tremor that rippled through the building was blocked by the magic array and failed to reach her.

She suddenly opened her eyes, looked out the window with a somewhat uneasy expression, picked up the jade pendant beside her, and tapped it twice: "Where are you?"

A moment later, a rough voice came from the other end of the jade tablet: "Today's ceremony was noisy in the main hall, so I came to the furnace room to take refuge."

“Speak properly, this tone is unbearable to listen to.” Ao Xue frowned. “I am currently in the bottleneck period of breaking through my cultivation level, and I can’t stand this kind of noise. I’m going to set up a soundproofing array. All the affairs of the main hall will be entrusted to you.”

Help me this time, and I'll help you next time.

"Alright." The voice on the other end returned to normal, sounding refined and clear. "Focus on your cultivation. I'll handle any unusual activity."

Ao Xue didn't have many questions. This person had always been of good character, and compared to others, he was quite normal. With him watching over her, she didn't need to worry.

For some reason, the withered grass in the house, which she had watered with her own blood and sweat and which was a sign of impending danger, always drooped listlessly, making her feel uneasy.

She sat back down on the futon, but couldn't resist tapping another jade tablet. A moment later, a sweet male voice came from the other end.

What are you doing?

Ao Xue paused, then opened her eyes again, her brows furrowing slightly: "Why is it you again? Get your brother out here, I have something to ask him."

"My brother isn't your subordinate, so watch your tone. Are you suggesting I ask you something and then..." The other person coughed, then quickly regained their composure, "What is it?"

Ao Xue was already used to it, so she didn't take it too seriously. She simply asked, "How is the progress of the Heavenly Spirit Vein? The omens on my end seem to be going poorly?"

Fu Yin spoke calmly: "Indeed, during the search, we also found a few other fakes, which took up a lot of our time. Now the rest of us are on our way to the Demon Capital, and we are going to meet here to wait for the Holy Maiden to arrive."

"So that's how it is." Ao Xue glanced at the withered grass again, feeling slightly relieved. "That Lin Feiran is so young, yet he has accomplished so much. He must have someone guiding him and the protection of the Demon Lord... How do you plan to deal with Ru Xian?"

Fu Yin's voice remained largely flat, and he simply uttered "Amitabha Buddha": "The Holy Maiden will make her own choice."

Knowing that the Holy Maiden was about to arrive, Ao Xue stopped worrying and was about to disconnect when Fu Yin called her back.

This time, it was Fuyin who cut off the transmission of sound first.

Ao Xue scoffed. What kind of young Fu Xia is she? Why is she protecting her like this? Is she a sister or a wife?

She tossed the jade pendant aside and couldn't help but say, "You're sick."

She looked up again and saw that the leaves of the withered grass had turned yellow, which must be quite troublesome to deal with the hail.

After all, he had defeated three True Immortal cultivators in a row, and they still didn't know how he did it. His next move was unknown, and they didn't know how the Holy Maiden would make her move.

Ao Xue felt a little more at ease. After setting up a soundproof array, she continued meditating to break through the barrier.

...

Within the painting, Lin Feiran and Li Changfeng seemed to have stepped into a bottomless pit, constantly falling into this small world.

Surrounded by a myriad of stars and flowing silver streams, the two quickly reacted, flipped over, and mounted their swords, moving forward in this boundless dark realm.

After a short while, the stars twinkled and then coalesced into eyes, looking at Lin Feiran and chasing after her like shooting stars.

"This is disgusting!"

Unable to contain himself any longer, Li Changfeng flipped himself up, a sword light flashing behind him as he formed a hand seal. A fiery serpent appeared out of thin air, instantly burning the meteor behind him to ashes.

"Why are they all chasing after you?" he asked, puzzled.

"Perhaps there's something about me that attracts it."

At this moment, Lin Feiran could only think of spiritual veins.

"Senior, is this small world truly bottomless?"

Li Changfeng shook his head, his bangs disheveled: "There is no bottomless world. Please wait a moment while I check the flow of spiritual energy."

A few breaths later, his eyes narrowed and he stared straight at a certain spot. He then pointed his fingers out, and the long sword flew out swiftly. His palm print moved again, and the sword instantly split into dozens or even hundreds of sword shadows, spinning and attacking in all directions.

With a loud bang, a crack appeared in this small world where only the last rays of starlight remained.

A long, narrow crack appeared on the side, and wind howled in. Before the star-like monoculars could pursue them, the two had already escaped through it.

Just before she fled, a single eye brushed past Lin Feiran's palm. She glanced down at it and saw that the eye was staring at her face. Then, it blinked as if it were a real person, and was suddenly left far behind by her.

Lin Feiran couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable. She wiped her palms and looked ahead with Li Changfeng.

Having passed through that galaxy, what stands before us now is yet another small world.

Equally dim and boundless, yet suspended in the air are numerous small pavilions with missing walls and corners, each containing a square cabinet, on which are placed books or treasure boxes.

Each small pavilion stands independently, with no roads connecting them. They are surrounded only by broken, floating wooden bridges, making them appear very scattered.

This is clearly the location of the esoteric Buddhist treasure.

Lin Feiran and Li Changfeng stood on a slightly crowded wooden arch bridge that was only half-built, while below them was still a bottomless abyss.

The two looked at this place in surprise, their eyes searching among the small pavilions, but they couldn't see even a single burning treasure.

Suddenly, the wooden bridge beneath their feet deformed slightly, as if it had been compressed and stretched. It began to extend at both ends and branches grew out to the left and right. Four white figures appeared at the end of the wooden bridge, looking straight at them.

"Lost and Found Password"

His tone was very stiff, and he didn't look like a real person.

Lin Feiran and Li Changfeng exchanged a glance and said in unison, "Draw your swords."

As soon as the words were spoken, one person went to the left and the other to the right. Wherever the sword light passed, the white shadows vanished instantly, but after only a few breaths, they gathered again and swept over with an indescribable power.

Lin Feiran suddenly felt her movements were much slower. Turning her head, she saw that Li Changfeng was also swinging his sword five breaths slower than usual.

She withdrew her gaze, focusing more on the numerous small pavilions in front of her rather than the white figures.

If she were alone here, it would certainly be more difficult, but now that Li Changfeng is helping her, she can search for the fire source with peace of mind.

The esoteric sect has been established for several years, and the treasures it has collected are countless compared to the treasure trove that is as plentiful as haystacks. With so many floating pavilions in front of her, how can she find the spark of fire faster?

With that thought in mind, Lin Feiran leaped onto one of the platforms.

Inside the crumbling pavilion, there was only a long cabinet leaning against the wall, and the suspended, sloping floor was just big enough for one person to stand in.

She carefully steadied herself, then pulled open one of the drawers. Before she could even see what treasures were inside, she felt a tremendous suction force. The next moment, she appeared out of thin air on another small pavilion far away.

Lin Feiran looked surprised and opened the cabinet door beside her in disbelief. Sure enough, just like before, she had been moved to another place.

It would be almost impossible to search them one by one, and it's unknown whether this white figure will send messages to outsiders.

She had to calm down and find a way to break the deadlock. Just as the Venerable One of the Goddess Sect had said, her aura was unique, and only she could find the spark...

Since we can't find it, we can only try to lure it out.

...

With a bang, the door was suddenly pushed open, and a woman dressed in purple strode in. Her face was covered with a light veil, but the sharpness in her eyes could not be concealed.

Accompanying her was a young man dressed in a white robe.

Several people gathered in the room. When she entered, they all stood up, nodded, and called out, "Holy Maiden."

The woman in purple waved her hand and got straight to the point: "How is the situation?"

The demon realm and the human realm are inverted day and night. They have been gathered here for a long time. At this moment, the candlelight inside the room is flickering. Everyone has different expressions, but none of them intend to answer first.

Fu Yin stood up and looked out the window, then replied, "There has been no news of Lin Feiran's departure from the city. Ru Xian is still in Xingzhi Palace. When we investigated, we discovered these fake spiritual veins... Now we cannot confirm whether the true spiritual vein is still on her."

The saintess stepped forward, grabbed the three fake spiritual veins on the table, and with a slight blink of her eyes, crushed them into dust.

"There is only one spiritual vein in the world, which cannot be cut by a knife, nor broken by an axe, nor melted by flowing fire, nor stagnant water... Such a treasure can only be hidden away; there is no other way."

She tossed the dust into the night sky, her voice as cold and desolate as the winter night.

"This is of utmost importance. We must bring her back today, no matter the cost!"

"My lord, there is something I do not understand."

One of them suddenly spoke up, and everyone turned to look at him, quietly sizing him up.

The saintess also turned her head, her gaze unwavering: "It's rare to see you in person. What would you like to ask?"

The young man looked at the crowd, twirling a wildflower between his fingers, and said slowly, "Our sect has countless treasures. This spiritual vein of heaven and earth may be unique, but to us, it is nothing more than containing pure spiritual essence. This is not surprising. Why bother to go to such great lengths?"

The saintess did not speak, but simply looked at him.

Fu Yin shifted slightly, her expression changed, and she put her hands on her hips, smiling enigmatically, "Qi Chen, what do you mean by asking that? I am stationed in the Demon Realm, have I ever heard that your wife and Lin Feiran have a close relationship? If I were you, I would have avoided suspicion today."

Qi Chen didn't seem to care much: "What Lady Fuxia said makes sense. Then I'll go back to my wife tonight."

Fu Xia choked for a moment: "You!"

The saintess glanced around, taking in the expressions on everyone's faces.

"It is useless to us, but that does not mean it is useless to the Dao Master. However, I will not go into the details, nor do I need to tell you."

All you need to know is that the spiritual vein is extremely important to the Dao Lord. If you can get it back, each of you will receive an additional three taels of silver in the merit book.

If I'm not mistaken, although your achievements are considerable, how many more times can they sustain this?

After all, that time is fast approaching.

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone's expression changed slightly. Even Qi Chen composed himself and lowered his eyes to look at the wildflower between his fingers.

Having said that, the saintess said no more, but turned to look at the boy who had followed her and asked intently, "Acheng, how confident are you about your prediction about Ruxian last time?"

This man was none other than the boy who had appeared during the siege. He stepped forward, his voice growing increasingly hoarse: "It used to be only 30%, but after my investigation over the past few months, it's now as high as 80%."

The saintess's gaze darkened slightly: "If that's the case, I'm not confident I can take him down tonight."

We can't fight them head-on, but there are other options.

She turned to look at Mu Ye, and a longbow of flowing silver suddenly appeared in her hand. As she raised her wrist to nock an arrow, a jade-green arrow flew out silently, striking the night sky.

Wherever the arrow passed, it absorbed all the surrounding moisture, making the glassy color even clearer. The arrowhead even emitted wisps of fine blue smoke, like water vapor evaporating, leaving only extreme heat.

A moment later, a loud commotion came from the night sky; the wind had not yet arrived, but the water had already fallen.

A torrential downpour poured down upon the city of demons.

She stood by the window, her hands forming a mudra with lightning speed. The next moment, the falling raindrops spun silently, seeping into every part of Xingzhi Palace.

Under everyone's gaze, she slowly opened her eyes, her expression growing colder.

"Lin Feiran is not in Yaodu."

Author's Note: [Heart emoji]