Volume One, Chapter 11: The Crisis in Yellow Mist City

Although Chen Fei had his back to Su Ran, his innate spiritual vision, the Serpent’s Eye, once again caught sight of Su Ran’s proud posture, stirring a restless feeling within him.

“You can trust him!” Chen Fei replied, evading the question.

“You didn’t say that to Miao Yue just now,” Su Ran said curiously as she adjusted her clothes.

“How can you be the same as Miao Yue?” Chen Fei retorted.

“Unfortunately, he’s only at the fifth tier of the Spirit Transformation Realm...” After changing, Su Ran returned to the secret chamber. What she did not realize was that Chen Fei’s true cultivation was merely at the second tier of the Spirit Transformation Realm.

Chen Fei stared at the closed chamber and murmured to himself, “A great spiritual master at the fifth tier of the Spirit Transformation Realm, and you still look down on him? I wonder what great secret you’re hiding.”

At that moment, Chen Fei took out a Silver-Winged Golden Eagle Pill from his pocket and smiled slightly. “What if my strength is at the sixth or even seventh tier of the Spirit Transformation Realm?”

The Silver-Winged Golden Eagle Pill was not only expensive but also exceedingly rare.

Currently, only first-grade pills circulated openly in Yellow Mist City—and most were of inferior quality.

The Silver-Winged Golden Eagle Pill was a second-grade pill, possessing value but no market.

Moreover, although it was merely a second-grade elixir, the entire Yellow Mist City had none of this pill. Chen Fei had exhausted all his ingenuity to obtain it by leveraging the Qin family’s caravan from the capital city.

Activating the Void Heaven Cauldron and circulating the myriad Dao cultivation methods, Chen Fei absorbed and refined this pill, worth a hundred thousand spirit stones.

The spiritual power within him surged visibly, elevating him swiftly to the third tier of the Spirit Transformation Realm and nearing the fourth tier.

Such an astonishing speed of cultivation advancement made him exclaim once again at the marvel of the Void Heaven Cauldron!

Normally, the efficiency of pill refinement varies from person to person. The better the spiritual master’s talent, the higher the conversion efficiency of pills or natural treasures into cultivation.

Yet, even with the Three-Eyed Spiritual Vision, the first time refining a particular pill would only yield about a three percent conversion rate.

Three percent was already a very high conversion rate!

Moreover, the more pills or treasures of the same type consumed, the conversion rate would gradually decline. In fact, the second time consuming the same type of pill was essentially ineffective!

This was why even the city lord’s mansion could not quickly cultivate Ye Bufan to the Spirit Master Realm.

But with the Void Heaven Cauldron, whether refining high-grade spirit stones or the Silver-Winged Golden Eagle Pill, the conversion efficiency was a perfect one hundred percent.

This alone made Chen Fei realize that the Void Heaven Cauldron within him was of an unimaginable origin and magnitude.

The Silver-Winged Golden Eagle Pill contained the essence blood of the Silver-Winged Golden Eagle, awakening within him the abilities of this beast spirit once again.

“Qi Manipulation!”

“No wonder the Silver-Winged Golden Eagle can fly through the air at lightning speed.”

“It turns out the Silver-Winged Golden Eagle is born with the ability to manipulate qi for movement.”

Chen Fei was overjoyed. With the ability to manipulate qi, while not enough to fly through the air like the eagle itself, it could significantly increase his own speed.

Paired with the Phantom Step martial technique, it was enough to elevate this ordinary skill to a higher level, rivaling the agility of spirit-level movement techniques.

After a night of arduous cultivation, Chen Fei felt no trace of fatigue; instead, he was invigorated. Drawing on the spiritual power contained in over a hundred mid-grade spirit stones and the Silver-Winged Golden Eagle Pill, he solidified his realm, reaching the peak of the third tier of the Spirit Transformation Realm.

Only one step remained to the fourth tier!

With his strength greatly increased, Chen Fei’s confidence soared. The Qin family no longer posed any threat.

Su Ran had left early that morning. She seemed truly busy, though no one knew what she was occupied with.

When Miao Yue brought breakfast, her mood was evidently sour—likely scolded by the elder Su the previous night.

“Stay in the courtyard these days and don’t go out. The Su family is in big trouble,” Miao Yue warned Chen Fei as she left.

“What trouble?” Chen Fei asked curiously.

“The two brothers, Su Mingcheng and Su Mingcai, who let you into the mine vein the day before yesterday, have disappeared. Early this morning, their bodies were found in the main cave of the vein, with clear signs of a struggle,” Miao Yue explained.

“Have they found the murderer?” Chen Fei asked, expression calm.

“There are some leads,” Miao Yue said. “Someone dared to enter the Su family and kill the direct disciples. The patriarch has issued an order: at all costs, find the culprit and execute them publicly.”

Chen Fei said no more, losing interest. He was certain the investigation would never point to him.

After Miao Yue left, Chen Fei finished his breakfast and skillfully climbed over the wall again.

Right now, the most important thing for Chen Fei was to force the Qin family step by step into desperation so that Qin Shuang would reveal herself.

Secondly, he needed to find the mysterious mystic arts master hiding in Yellow Mist City.

Although in the mine, he hadn’t seen the mysterious master’s face clearly, he still felt a vague unease about him.

He had seized twenty high-grade spirit stones from that master’s possession, yet the other party remained silent, deepening his anxiety.

That was a vast fortune!

“Young master, the city lord’s mansion sent an invitation,” Li Zhong said as Chen Fei arrived at the courtyard where he was caring for Li Zhong.

Li Zhong handed over an invitation letter.

After Chen Fei gave him pills to heal, Li Zhong was not fully recovered but had regained about seventy to eighty percent of his cultivation.

“A capital founding celebration?” Chen Fei glanced at it but showed no interest.

“Young master, there’s also a letter here,” Li Zhong said, seeing Chen Fei’s indifference to the city lord’s invitation. He took another letter from his pocket.

“Hm?” Chen Fei looked at Li Zhong in puzzlement.

“You became famous overnight. Now you are the most prominent figure in Yellow Mist City. Six groups of people came looking for you just last night,” Li Zhong explained with a smile.

He then recounted the six groups that came to see Chen Fei the previous night.

After hearing Li Zhong’s account, Chen Fei’s brow furrowed deeply. This unremarkable city of Yellow Mist, he had always thought was dominated by the three great families, but now he realized it was far more complicated.

Last night’s visitors included not only the city lord’s mansion and the Su family but also four other low-profile forces in Yellow Mist City.

“Li Zhong, do you think such a small city as Yellow Mist can contain so many great masters?” Chen Fei asked curiously.

“Young master, I also find it odd. Yellow Mist is after all the smallest city in the Great Qing Kingdom. For so many powerful forces to emerge here is indeed strange,” Li Zhong admitted, equally surprised but clueless about the cause.

“Young master, you should read the letter first. Among the six groups, I believe only this Elder Sun came with goodwill and sincerity,” Li Zhong added.

“Silver Moon Academy?” Chen Fei opened the envelope and revealed the emblem of the Silver Moon Academy—a silver crescent blade.

Seeing this silver crescent blade again, memories of Qin Shuang’s betrayal and exploitation flooded Chen Fei’s mind. She had stabbed him in the dantian with a silver crescent blade.

“Young master, I’m sorry...” Li Zhong was startled, never expecting Elder Sun to be from the Silver Moon Academy.

“It’s alright. The one who betrayed me was that wretched Qin Shuang, not the Silver Moon Academy,” Chen Fei said after reading the letter.

“Besides, you’re right. Elder Sun is indeed full of sincerity,” Chen Fei added.

“Young master, what exactly is going on?” Li Zhong asked, curious.

“Yellow Mist City is about to undergo a tremendous upheaval,” Chen Fei now understood why so many great figures had suddenly appeared in this small city.

“You’ll go to the Su family on my behalf. As repayment for saving my ‘brother’ in their time of crisis, deliver this letter to the Su clan head,” Chen Fei handed the letter to Li Zhong.

“All right!” Li Zhong laughed heartily, took the letter, and set off for the Su family.

Chen Fei himself, according to Elder Sun’s request, went to meet the man.

Elder Sun informed Chen Fei of the earth-shaking changes about to occur in Yellow Mist City and cordially invited him to become a specially recruited student of Silver Moon Academy, hoping Chen Fei would join him in facing the forthcoming upheaval.

Chen Fei was quite interested in becoming a specially recruited student of Silver Moon Academy.

After all, if Qin Shuang hid within Silver Moon Academy refusing to return to aid the Qin family, he would have to personally visit the academy sooner or later.

Having the status of a specially recruited student there would naturally be advantageous.

Responding to the invitation, Chen Fei arrived at a seemingly ordinary small courtyard.

Elder Sun had arranged for someone to greet him at the gate well in advance.