So, yeah... I forgot to upload before...
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'Sure enough', Wang Feng mused, 'it's as if the system reads my thoughts and tailors missions either to push the plot forward or to strengthen me directly...'
He had only just begun contemplating the idea of locating the inheritance cave when, right on cue, the system had issued a mission to do exactly that.
His eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he scanned the mission details. 'Moon Yin Core and Sun Yang Source...? Aren't those Spirit Grade materials at the very least?' The confusion deepened on his face. 'And now that I think about it... why are most of the rewards Yin and Yang attributed items?'
A crease formed between his brows as his thoughts spun. 'Could there be... a pattern?'
The more he considered it, the more convinced he became.
{I will let you all figure it out.}
The trio flew for another hour before descending just outside the Treasurer Hall. Without a word, Meng Wu Ya strode straight inside, leaving Wang Feng and Xia Ning Chang standing together in the courtyard.
Wang Feng glanced at the veiled Xia Ning Chang. She met his gaze, and the two exchanged a quiet chuckle. Without hesitation, he stepped forward, gently wrapping his arms around her waist and planting a soft kiss on her forehead.
Xia Ning Chang's cheeks flushed crimson. Her eyes widened slightly—embarrassed yet filled with affection—as she looked up at him.
"I won't be able to see you for a while," Wang Feng said softly, his expression serious. "Something's come up."
She went still, her head lowering until it rested lightly against his chest. Wang Feng's smile deepened at her silent response. A few moments later, Xia Ning Chang looked up, her voice barely above a whisper. "Then take care of yourself."
Hearing her quiet, heartfelt words, Wang Feng felt his heart melt. He kissed her forehead once more before slowly releasing the embrace. "I will," he replied with a gentle smile. Then, turning away, he leapt into the air and vanished from the sect without looking back.
He moved swiftly. Within minutes, Wang Feng had reached the outer gate of the High Heaven Pavilion. Without slowing, he bounded down the stone steps, wind trailing behind him.
It took him just half an hour to arrive at the Black Wind Market. From there, he slipped into the Blood Gang's territory and began maneuvering through the surrounding woodland, careful and silent as a shadow.
His senses were sharp, scanning continuously for any sign of life or unusual concentrations of Yin and Yang energy. He knew the mine that concealed the inheritance cave was rich in those elemental forces—his target had to be nearby.
For the next several hours, Wang Feng navigated the terrain with measured precision. He avoided every life signature he detected, moving from shadow to shadow like a predator in waiting, his attention fully fixed on the faint pulse of Yin and Yang energy that would eventually lead him to his goal.
....
In the dense woods surrounding Black Wind Mountain, faint, rhythmic echoes of metal striking stone reverberated from the mouth of a shadowy tunnel nestled among the trees.
Near the tunnel stood a modest wooden cabin—barely large enough to accommodate a handful of people.
Hidden in the forest's gloom, Wang Feng observed the scene with a sharp, calculating gaze. His presence melted into the shadows as his eyes swept over the surroundings, every detail noted with precision.
Two disciples of the Blood Battle Gang emerged from the tunnel, straining as they pushed crates brimming with luminescent, bright yellow stones. The crates came to a rest just steps from the cabin, their contents gleaming faintly even in the dim light.
Wang Feng's attention shifted. Three more figures stood nearby.
One of them was an elderly man clad in the distinct garb of the Blood Battle Gang. The moment Wang Feng laid eyes on him, a subtle tension rose through his body—he could feel the man's oppressive aura from where he hid.
'Immortal Ascension Realm…' Wang Feng narrowed his eyes. 'That must be Long Zai Tian—the Great Elder of the Blood Battle Gang and patriarch of the Long Family. I'll need to tread carefully.'
He turned his attention to the remaining two figures—youths of similar age.
Wang Feng's gaze sharpened as he recognized one of them. 'Yang Kai? What's he doing here?'
His brow furrowed, and he studied the last figure more intently.
It was a young girl, striking in her appearance. She wore a sleeveless, short pink dress that stopped mid-thigh, trimmed with delicate frills at the hem and shoulders. A playful cutout at the chest revealed a hint of her smooth, fair skin. Her hair was styled in twin buns on either side of her head, adding a youthful charm to her already alluring presence.
'Is that Hu Mie'er?' Wang Feng mused, his eyes flickering with recognition. He tilted his head, then chuckled inwardly. 'She's definitely attractive… but I'm biased.'
For reasons he didn't quite understand, that last thought brought a smug sense of pride to his heart.
But that wasn't all—Wang Feng could sense yet another life signature emanating from within the wooden cabin. The distinctly Yang-based aura hinted not only at the individual's gender but also gave Wang Feng a fair guess at their identity.
Just then, he noticed Hu Mie'er speaking to Long Zai Tian, her expression stormy and voice sharp. After a heated exchange, she turned on her heel and disappeared into the tunnel, leaving the old man seething with barely contained fury. His glare shifted toward Yang Kai, who stood nearby with an air of indifference.
'Wait… is this the moment Hu Mie'er gives him the seeds?' Wang Feng mused, narrowing his eyes thoughtfully.
Suppressing his thoughts, he focused his full spiritual awareness on the environment, channeling his attention to the ambient energies.
A surge of potent Yin and Yang auras immediately washed over him. He frowned, straining his senses, probing through the fluctuations of energy in the air. He was trying to pinpoint the exact location where the Yin and Yang forces converged most intensely.
A minute passed.
Then, with a slight curve of his lips, Wang Feng opened his eyes. He had found it. Thanks to his unique physiques, sensing and distinguishing the two opposing auras came with relative ease.
His gaze turned back to the mine entrance, just in time to see Hu Mie'er emerging with a small pouch in hand. She offered it to Yang Kai with a sweet smile.
'Just as I thought', Wang Feng affirmed internally. 'This is the moment he receives the seeds— though it should have been much earlier.'
As he continued observing, it was clear that both Long Zai Tian and Yang Kai were distracted—the old man was too busy casting venomous glares at Yang Kai, who was clearly more focused on Hu Mie'er, returning her gaze with equal interest.
Seizing the opportunity, Wang Feng activated his movement technique. His form melted into the shadows as he shot toward the marked location like a wisp of mist—silent, seamless, and swift.
He moved with expert precision, making sure his Qi emissions were minimal—barely a whisper—knowing full well that even the faintest fluctuation could alert someone like Long Zai Tian.
It took only a few swift seconds for Wang Feng to arrive at the location he had sensed earlier. "It should be... here!" he muttered inwardly, eyes gleaming with purpose.
Dropping to one knee, he pressed both hands firmly against the ground. Channeling his Earth, Yin, and Yang Qi, he let the energies seep silently into the soil, flowing downward like threads of liquid light.
His Qi traveled quickly, diving tens of meters below the surface in mere moments. After about ten seconds, he felt it—his energy brushing against something unnatural.
An obstruction?
He pushed harder, attempting to penetrate the barrier. But it remained immovable, as though rooted in bedrock. He then tried to envelop it with his Qi, but as soon as contact was made, his energy was forcibly drained away.
Wang Feng's brows knitted together in frustration. He immediately withdrew his Qi and sat still for a moment, eyes narrowed.
'An array… and looks like I won't be able to crack it anytime soon...', he concluded grimly.
Just as he was preparing to delve deeper into his thoughts, a thunderous voice erupted through the forest:
"Who dares!!?"
Wang Feng's heart lurched, but he reacted with the precision of instinct. Without hesitation, he activated his movement technique to its limit. His breath stilled, his Qi signature suppressed to a bare whisper, and his body melted into the forest's shadowy embrace.
Without so much as a glance behind, he bolted—darting through the underbrush in a fluid blur of motion, silent and swift like a phantom vanishing into the night.
After traversing a considerable distance, Wang Feng finally arrived back at the Black Wind Market. He came to a halt, exhaling slowly as his sharp eyes gleamed with resolve.
"The entrance is definitely there. Now all that remains is finding a way to unseal it."
He furrowed his brow. His previous attempt had failed, the array proving too complex for direct manipulation. As his thoughts churned, he reflected on his options—or more accurately, the lack thereof.
'should I go to him...? He's probably accustomed to my impulsiveness by now,' Wang Feng mused, his mind drifting toward Meng Wu Ya.
In the original timeline, it had been Meng Wu Ya who destroyed the mine and exposed the inheritance cave. But that chain of events had been triggered by a series of circumstances: Yang Kai accompanying Hu Mie'er, Yang Kai's subsequent trip with Xia Ning Chang, and the Long Family's hostility toward him due to his involvement with Hu Mie'er.
But now, those events had been derailed. Wang Feng had accompanied Xia Ning Chang, and he hadn't even interacted with Hu Mie'er directly. The Long Family had no reason to act against them—meaning Meng Wu Ya had no cause to blow up the mine.
"When the butterfly flaps its wings, the winds of change ripple through the world..." Wang Feng thought grimly, fascination coloring his thoughts, "This must be the butterfly effect brought about by my interference."
As he stood in contemplation, a sudden sensation washed over him—fleeting but intense. His eyes narrowed as he instinctively focused on the strange feeling that stirred deep within.
It was vague, ephemeral... yet eerily familiar.
Then, it was gone.
A faint scowl touched Wang Feng's lips. 'That... felt similar to the moment I had my elemental enlightenment,' he noted, recalling the insight he'd gained during his 'sparring' with Su Yan.
But whatever that flicker of perception had been, it had slipped away beyond his reach. Unwilling to dwell on what he couldn't grasp, Wang Feng shook his head and turned around, striding away from the market with renewed focus.
The moment Wang Feng turned, he froze in surprise. Just a short distance ahead, Yang Kai and Hu Mie'er were walking out of the forest—hand in hand.
"What the…?" Wang Feng's brow twitched. "It took me over an hour to return here with all that maneuvering… They should've arrived long before me. Unless—" He snorted softly, eyes narrowing in amusement as Yang Kai's gaze met his.
Yang Kai's eyes went wide the instant he recognized Wang Feng, his expression caught between alarm and resignation.
Wang Feng's smirk curved wickedly. "Hmph. Kid, who told you to mess with me last time?"
Apparently reading the malicious gleam in Wang Feng's eyes, Yang Kai visibly panicked. He tried to turn Hu Mie'er around, attempting to lead her away, but her confused and slightly flushed face slowed their escape.
"Yo! Brother Kai!" Wang Feng called out with theatrical cheer, striding toward them. "Where have you been? I've been searching all over for you!"