Chapter 7: Immortal Inquiry Qi Refining Technique

"Come in!"

Just as Ling Feng was frowning in thought, a quite gentle voice drifted from within the bamboo building. It didn't sound like it belonged to any fierce or menacing individual.

Ling Feng clenched his fists, a sense of vigilance rising in his heart, and walked toward the bamboo building.

Stepping up the bamboo stairs, Ling Feng walked step by step into the largest bamboo building located in the center.

When he reached the door, he stopped and bowed respectfully toward the inside.

"Disciple Ling Feng greets Master!"

Since he had been assigned to Little Bamboo Peak, he must be the disciple of that "Uncle Duanmu." In terms of seniority, wouldn't he be of the same generation as the Peak Masters of the Wenxian Sect?

A gust of wind swept past, and before he even arrived, the scent of alcohol rushed to his nose.

In the next moment, an old man dressed in green with hair as white as frost walked out of the room. A wine gourd hung from his waist, and his hair was somewhat disheveled, giving him the air of a "Wine Immortal."

Although he looked somewhat unkempt, he didn't seem like a wicked person!

"Are you the disciple who joined my lineage this year?" the old man asked, sizing Ling Feng up.

"Yes! Disciple Ling Feng greets Master!" Ling Feng bowed deeply, feeling a flicker of curiosity.

Since he was the martial uncle of Yang Wei and Li Liang, this old man's status should be quite high. Why, then, was he living in such a crude place?

"You're quite a clever lad. I haven't even officially taken you in, yet you've already called me Master." The corners of Duanmu Qingshan's mouth curled up slightly as he said indifferently, "However, it's a bit early to call me Master. As you can see, in my lineage, there are only the two of us left."

Ling Feng froze. Indeed, the closer one got to Little Bamboo Peak, the more desolate it became.

Could it be that his "Master" was a strange person, which was why no one dared to become his disciple?

"Extend your hand." Duanmu Qingshan's voice was magnetic, but unfortunately, it lacked even a hint of emotional fluctuation.

Ling Feng gritted his teeth and extended his right hand.

Duanmu Qingshan grabbed Ling Feng's arm, placed his fingers on his pulse point to sense it for a moment, and then shook his head. "As expected, just another boy with dull aptitude."

Ling Feng blinked. No matter how foolish he might be, he knew that Yang Wei and Li Liang had no good intentions.

But why would they send a disciple with mediocre aptitude to Duanmu Qingshan's lineage?

"Since you have called me Master, I shall teach you the basic cultivation methods of the Wenxian Sect." Duanmu Qingshan stood with his hands behind his back, his voice remaining cold.

As he spoke, Duanmu Qingshan produced a book from seemingly nowhere. It was stained with wine, but the handwriting was still legible.

*The Wenxian Qi Refining Manual*!

"Take it!" Duanmu Qingshan tossed the manual over casually.

Ling Feng reached out to catch it. Knowing this was the method for Qi circulation for disciples in the Qi Condensation Realm, he hurriedly bowed to Duanmu Qingshan. "Thank you, Master."

"I told you, don't be in such a hurry to call me Master," Duanmu Qingshan said flatly.

A sense of doubt arose in Ling Feng's heart. Judging by Duanmu Qingshan's attitude, combined with the look in Zong Yuan's eyes when he had brought him here, it was clear that he would encounter trouble in the coming days.

Duanmu Qingshan glanced down at Ling Feng and said, "It would be best if you try not to get involved with me, lest it ruin your life."

"Just as I thought!" Ling Feng's gaze sharpened, and he clenched his fists. He did not want to invite trouble, but if trouble came looking for him, he would not back down!

Now that he had entered the Inner Sect, it was impossible to simply run back to the Outer Sect.

The resources available to Inner Sect disciples versus Outer Sect disciples were as different as heaven and earth. If he wanted to become strong as quickly as possible, he had to stay in the Inner Sect!

"You and I are somewhat fated. There are some spiritual herbs and medicines for healing outside. If you need them, feel free to pick them." Duanmu Qingshan patted Ling Feng on the shoulder, then unfastened the wine gourd from his waist, took a sip, and turned to leave.

Watching Duanmu Qingshan's retreating figure, Ling Feng's confusion only deepened.

As a figure of the generation of the Peak Masters, would he just stand by and watch his own disciple be bullied?

What hidden truth lay behind all this?

However, at that moment, Ling Feng's brow furrowed. He noticed that there seemed to be something wrong with Duanmu Qingshan's body.

"Hidden injuries?" Ling Feng touched the bridge of his nose.

A physician observes, listens, asks, and feels the pulse.

Ling Feng's medical skills could be described as reaching a level of sagehood among mortals. Although he hadn't performed a pulse reading, he was very confident in his eyesight.

"A senior at the level of a Grand Ancestor of the Wenxian Sect, having no status within the sect and suffering from hidden injuries..." Ling Feng frowned. "What does all this signify?"

A moment later, he shook his head and smiled bitterly. "I can barely keep my own head above water. I should just focus on surviving these next few days!"

"I worked so hard to enter the Inner Sect; I absolutely cannot be expelled!"

Ling Feng clenched his fists. There were too many mysteries in his heart, and all of them required great strength to unravel.

Ling Feng took a deep breath. According to what Duanmu Qingshan had said, he seemed to have planted some spiritual medicines.

Driven by curiosity, he turned and walked toward the courtyard in front of the bamboo building, where he indeed saw several medicinal plots.

"Purple Blood Ginseng!"

"Strange茸 Chrysanthemum!"

"Treasures... they are all treasures!"

Ling Feng's eyelids twitched violently. These were spiritual medicines that couldn't even be seen in the mortal world!

As a physician, seeing these spiritual herbs and plants made Ling Feng's brain feel almost dizzy with excitement.

Since Duanmu Qingshan had allowed him to pick them, it shouldn't matter if he took a few.

...

Duanmu Qingshan sat by the window, drinking wine while his gaze drifted toward Ling Feng.

"Strange. Why is this boy so interested in these herbs? An ordinary person probably wouldn't even be able to identify them."

Duanmu Qingshan himself was a highly skilled Taoist physician. The medicinal materials he planted in the courtyard were for treating his own hidden injuries.

Logically, without significant medical expertise, it would be impossible to recognize those niche medicinal herbs.

Suddenly, a streak of black Qi flashed across Duanmu Qingshan's forehead. He hurriedly sealed several acupoints on the left side of his body, and it took a long time before he could catch his breath.

"Lin Canglang, Yang Wei! Don't even think about trapping me, Duanmu Qingshan, for the rest of my life!"

Duanmu Qingshan gave a light snort and finally withdrew his gaze, no longer looking at Ling Feng.

He knew very well that even if this youth named Ling Feng understood some medicine, it wouldn't change his fate.

Before long, he would be just like the mediocre talents sent here in the past ten years—unable to endure the bullying from disciples of other lineages and leaving of his own accord.