Chapter 587: Chapter 582: The Opportunity of Time Hourglass and Spring and Autumn Cicada

“Junior Sister Lin?”

As Qin Feng looked at Lin Jingxin, standing serenely in front of the Cave Mansion, he was slightly surprised, “What brings you here?”

“Junior sister has a favor to ask, I hope Senior Brother won’t take it as a disturbance to his cultivation,” Lin Jingxin’s voice was soft and gentle.

In fact, she and Qin Feng joined the Sect at the same time and were of a similar age; there wasn’t really a question of who was older or younger. She even entered the Inner Sect a year earlier than Qin Feng!

It was just that Qin Feng had risen to prominence afterwards. Not only had he become a True Disciple of the Spiritual Snake Lineage at an early stage, but he had also triumphed in the trials of the Five Domains Alliance, becoming the Master of Qi Luck.

Although Lin Jingxin had an Innate Daoist Heart, she had joined the Beast Taming Sect a few years too late and had been preempted by Lianxing for the position of True Disciple. This had completely severed her ties with the Creation Lineage’s True Inheritance.

While it didn’t affect the treatment she received within the Sect, her reputation was still somewhat overshadowed by Qin Feng.

Moreover, Qin Feng had triumphed in the trials of the Five Domains Alliance, earning him the great fortune bestowed by the Heavenly Dao, making him a face of the Sect. Under these circumstances, not just Lin Jingxin but also other disciples who joined in the same year referred to Qin Feng as Senior Brother as a sign of respect.

It was actually because the trial place was situated in a high-rank world beyond the Five Domains that Qin Feng and others managed to seize the opportunity for the trial positions. Had it been within the Biluo Great World, Lin Jingxin was confident she would have secured a spot, considering her favored status since birth, her natural Daoist Heart, and seemingly boundless potential; the Heavenly Dao would have likely favored her over other talented cultivators.

Nevertheless, even in the trial of the Otherworld, Lin Jingxin had used her Innate Daoist Heart to sense the true intentions of all living beings and, with her ability to communicate with animals and plants, her achievements weren’t any less than those of Spring and Autumn Hospital’s Fang Chengqian or Daoist Wu, not to mention her extraordinary talent promising a bright future.

Hearing Lin Jingxin’s courteous words, Qin Feng quickly waved his hand, “There’s no need for such words, Junior Sister Lin. Your visit already honors my humble dwelling. Please come in, come in. Although we joined the Sect in the same year, we have never really had a private conversation. I’ve always known that Junior Sister has an Innate Daoist Heart, with unique insights into Daoist Law. I’ve been stuck at a bottleneck in my cultivation and haven’t been able to break through. Since Junior Sister is here, I can’t let you go without hearing your esteemed opinion.”

“You overpraise me, Senior Brother,” Lin Jingxin responded with her usual gentle composure, following Qin Feng into the Cave Mansion.

“Please have a seat, Junior Sister.”

Qin Feng quickly brewed a pot of Spiritual Tea and took out several Spirit Fruits on a jade plate, bringing them to Lin Jingxin, “Please try them, Junior Sister. The tea is just alright, a product of our own Beast Taming Sect’s plantation; you must have had it before. But these Spirit Fruits were picked by me in the land of trials; they are quite unique within the Cultivation World and are exclusive to me for the time being. You must give them a taste.”

“Thank you, Senior Brother.”

Lin Jingxin nodded and took two grape-sized, ruby-like Spirit Fruits into her mouth, nodding in approval, “The taste of these Spirit Fruits is excellent; they melt in your mouth and contain a pure breath of Fire Spirit Energy, truly rare indeed!”

“Right, didn’t you say you had something to discuss with me, Junior Sister?” Qin Feng brought up the matter proactively to avoid making Lin Jingxin feel uncomfortable about asking for a favor.

“That’s correct.”

Lin Jingxin nodded, “I heard from the Supreme Elder that Senior Brother Qin had acquired a piece of the World Tree Root in the Trial Land. You know, my Lifebound item is a Treasure Tree, and I wish to cultivate it using top-level Spirit Roots from the world to enhance its potential. That way, after I advance and develop my Dharma Image, I’ll have more room for improvement. So today, thick-skinned as I am, I’ve come to request this treasure from Senior Brother. May I ask if you would be willing to part with it?”

As she spoke, her autumn-water-like beautiful eyes looked directly at Qin Feng, saying, “Given that the World Tree supports a high-rank world, its root is certainly an extraordinary treasure. I would not want Senior Brother to be at a loss, so I offer a treasure that I obtained during the trials in exchange. What does Senior Brother think?”

With those words, she took out a golden hourglass from her sleeve!

However, when the hourglass appeared, Qin Feng’s eyebrows shot up sharply.

The hourglass, no bigger than a palm, was golden and engraved with intricate and peculiar runes.

But that wasn’t the main point. What truly captivated Qin Feng was the strange fluctuation emitted by the hourglass the moment it appeared.

This fluctuation didn’t have a harmful attribute, but it caused Qin Feng’s heart to throb violently.

As a cultivator who had comprehended the Time Law, he had an exceedingly keen sense for such things, and the vibration coming from the hourglass seemed to embody the Time Law!

“This is…”

Qin Feng examined the hourglass closely, then lifted his head to look at Lin Jingxin with a trace of astonishment and uncertainty in his eyes.

“The Time Hourglass!”

Lin Jingxin said, “This is a treasure that junior sister accidentally obtained during the trials. Hearing that senior brother has a Spring and Autumn Cicada that can control the Time Law, this item might be useful to you, so I wanted to exchange this treasure for the World Tree Root you possess.”

“This…”

Qin Feng steadied himself and couldn’t help but give a wry smile, “The treasure junior sister is offering to exchange is somewhat precious. Divine Artifacts related to the Time Law are rare indeed, yet you are willing to exchange it for a segment of the World Tree Root with me. You’re at a disadvantage!

Although the World Tree Root is valuable, that is relative to the current situation. In the future, as Biluo lays out strategies in the Nordic God Realm and occupies that world, how many branches and roots could one want with the enormous size of the World Tree?

In comparison, a Divine Artifact containing the Time Principle is a rare treasure in the Ten Thousand Worlds. To exchange it for such a small segment of the World Tree Root, isn’t junior sister putting herself at a loss?”

Qin Feng did not want to take advantage of her in this matter, so he made his position very clear. Otherwise, there might be awkwardness when they met in the future.

After all, they were from the same Sect, and both recognized as geniuses. They would need to get along for a long time after they’ve achieved the Immortal Dao, and maintaining a good relationship was essential since they would frequently cross paths.

Moreover, the World Tree Root’s greatest use to him was to merge with the Soul Devouring Vine Demon, and since the merger was already complete, the remaining segment was not of much use to him. If he were to refine it into a Magical Treasure, whether or not it could become an Immortal Artifact was uncertain. After all, compared to the main body of the World Tree, this segment could only be considered a slender rootlet.

The King of All Gods, Odin, managed to refine the Eternal Spear from a branch of the World Tree because the branch he took was thick enough, containing enough Laws. The small segment of root that Qin Feng possessed, which was only a few feet long, would simply be unrealistic to refine into a Divine Artifact or Immortal Artifact. At best, it could serve as material for the refining of an Immortal Artifact.

So when Lin Jingxin mentioned wanting the World Tree Root, Qin Feng readily nodded, not refusing her request.

But he hadn’t expected Lin Jingxin to be so generous as to exchange such a rare Divine Artifact with him.

“To senior brother, this Time Hourglass is more precious. However, our paths differ, and to junior sister, that segment of the World Tree Root is the true invaluable treasure.”

Lin Jingxin’s lips curved into a smile, clearly pleased that Qin Feng did not refuse her request, “We cultivators must strive for every moment. Until we have proven our Dao and attained longevity, we can’t afford to slack off even slightly. If we become complacent, we might cut off our own path to the Dao.

Furthermore, we are in an era of great contention. Biluo is launching a full-scale expedition, and our Beast Taming Sect is scheming beyond the Five Domains. The Cultivation World is on the cusp of prospering. I do not wish to waste this precious period of cultivation for a few resources or treasures.

If we have to wait until the Cultivation World completely conquers the Nordic God Realm and causes the price of the World Tree Root to plummet, who knows how many years that would require? I definitely can’t afford to stay idle just for this reason.”

She advanced to the Purple Mansion during the second year of her trials in the high-level worlds of the Five Domains, and nearly ten years later, she had taken a significant step forward on her Purple Mansion path.

With the speed of her Innate Dao Heart’s cultivation, plus the Power of Qi Luck bestowed by the Heavenly Dao, given a few more opportunities, she might be able to condense her Dharma Image and successfully advance within a few years, so there really was no need for her to delay her cultivation.

For these talented cultivators, time was the most wasteful thing to lose. Only by making leaps and bounds could they live up to their prime years.

Otherwise, once the Qi Fortune favored by the Heavenly Dao slips away, mediocrity awaits.

“Be that as it may, I can’t take advantage of you.”

Qin Feng reached out to place the segment of the World Tree Root in front of Lin Jingxin. After a moment’s thought, he took a jar of Water of Life from the seventh layer of the Demon Refining Pot and handed it to Lin Jingxin, saying, “This is the Water of Life, containing within it the essence of vitality. I think it might help junior sister when merging the World Tree Root with your Lifebound Spiritual Tree!”

“Eh?”

Lin Jingxin’s face showed surprise for the first time. She quickly received the Jade Pot with both hands, carefully inspecting the Water of Life within. On her fair, delicate face, she couldn’t help but show a joyful smile, “Thank you, senior brother. I never expected such miraculous True Water to exist in the world. With this Water of Life, I am confident not only in completely integrating the World Tree Root with my Lifebound Treasure Tree but also in further enhancing the potential of the Treasure Tree.

I initially did not want to accept any more treasures from senior brother, but this Water of Life is really too important to me, so I will brazenly accept it.”

“Hehe, no need for formalities, junior sister!”

Qin Feng responded with a chuckle, waving his hand, then he picked up the Time Hourglass, “Speaking of which, I should be thanking junior sister. I’ve been searching for such treasures myself, but items containing the Time Law truly are difficult to find. Without you, I wouldn’t know when I might have had the chance to obtain such a treasure.”

He was in high spirits; with the Time Hourglass, he needn’t worry about the Spring and Autumn Cicada’s future advancements for some time.

Otherwise, without the support of the Spring and Autumn Tree, relying solely on the Spring and Autumn Cicada’s slow cultivation, it would take more than a thousand years before it could achieve a deep understanding of the Time Law. Qin Feng did not want his own cultivation pace to be hindered by this.

Now with the Time Hourglass, a big problem for Qin Feng was instantly resolved.

However, this treasure was not meant to be used as the Lifebound Magical Treasure for the Spring and Autumn Cicada. Even the Demon Clan, when refining their Lifebound Magical Treasures, do so with something personal. Treasures like this, that are already formed, especially those Divine Artifacts created by divine beings from other high-rank worlds, neither cultivators nor members of the Demon Clan would consider them as their foundations.

Qin Feng intended to study the Laws contained within this Time Hourglass with the Spring and Autumn Cicada. Then, he would feed the grains of sand in it, charged with the Power of Time, to the Spring and Autumn Cicada for it to digest and Refine, along with fine fragments of the Time Principle contained within it, to foster the cicada’s rapid growth!