Chapter Sixty-One: The Martial Arts Tournament of the Five Provinces

Ever since the simple version of the Trinity Spirit Gathering Array had been set up in Villa No. 1, Lin Feng had been wholly absorbed in cultivation, with no time to spare for anything else. Li Yating had even taken a long leave from the Yao Corporation on his behalf so he could devote himself entirely to meditative practice within the array.

After more than ten days of seclusion, Lin Feng’s cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds. When he finally opened his eyes and ended his retreat, he had already reached the peak of the seventh level of the First-Grade Meridian Master. Seven of the twelve main meridians in his body had been unblocked, leaving only five more to complete the cycle and form the Minor Circulation.

No sooner had Lin Feng finished his meditation than the villa’s doorbell rang.

“Ding-dong—”

Rising to his feet, Lin Feng walked into the living room. He glanced at the monitor displayed on the TV and saw that his visitors were Wang Jisheng and his son, Wang Haiyang.

Both wore anxious expressions, with Wang Jisheng’s brows tightly knitted, clearly burdened with worries. Unhurried, Lin Feng used his phone to remotely open the main gate.

The father and son quickly entered the villa. As soon as they stepped inside, they felt a wave of soothing comfort wash over them, as if delicate, boneless jade fingers were caressing their internal organs, making them almost drunk with pleasure.

“How miraculous! Every time I visit Grandmaster Lin’s villa, I’m enveloped by this intoxicating sense of comfort, as though I’ve entered a paradise,” Wang Jisheng sighed.

“Dad, it’s true! It’s even more enchanting than a girl’s fragrance,” Wang Haiyang added, both of them inhaling deeply as if trying to drink in the atmosphere, momentarily forgetting their troubles.

“What brings you here so early this morning?” Lin Feng asked.

“Ah, right! I almost forgot our purpose. Grandmaster Lin, there’s trouble—please take a look!” Wang Jisheng hurriedly pulled out his phone and played a video.

On the screen, a burly, powerful man rampaged through a crowd of more than twenty robust fighters as though no one could stand in his way. He felled every opponent mercilessly. In less than ten minutes, not a single man was left standing or even able to catch his breath.

With a grave expression, Wang Jisheng explained, “Yesterday afternoon, a burly man showed up at Jisheng Society’s Tenglong Underground Boxing Arena. In just a few moves, he incapacitated every fighter in the arena, leaving them seriously injured. Then he threw down a challenge letter and walked away.”

Wang Haiyang promptly handed over a blood-red envelope. On it, two golden characters were embossed: “Challenge Letter.”

Lin Feng took the letter, glanced at it, and his brows furrowed slightly. “The Five Provinces Martial Gathering? Qualification spots? Is the Tianlong Hall trying to seize Jisheng Society’s qualification for the gathering?”

“That’s right. The Five Provinces Martial Gathering is the most influential event recognized by the underground circles of the five coastal provinces of Huaxia, held once every four years,” Wang Jisheng explained. “All the top underground powers gather at Tiange Mountain on the third day of the ninth lunar month. Strength alone determines each group's territory and resolves disputes. The event also selects the leader of the Five Provinces Alliance.”

Wang Haiyang followed up with a brief introduction to the gathering. Clearly, it resembled the martial heroes’ assemblies of ancient times, where might was everything and disputes were settled with fists.

“I’ve already looked into the man in the video,” Wang Jisheng continued. “He’s Cheng Longjian’s elder brother, Cheng Qianfeng. He’s even more formidable than Cheng Longjian, one of the most feared killers in the Chinese community. The Tianlong Hall’s master, Long Aoyun, and the Cheng brothers trained under the same master and are all disciples of the American Skull Society.”

“This time, Cheng Qianfeng is representing the Tianlong Hall to challenge us for the right to participate in the gathering. Their aim is to seize the seat of the Five Provinces leader—they have no small ambition.”

Wang Jisheng’s eyes reflected his apprehension, his demeanor heavy. Against such a formidable opponent, his carefully cultivated fighters had been destroyed in a few blows. Without Lin Feng’s intervention, Jisheng Society would be doomed.

“So you want me to deal with Cheng Qianfeng and win the spot?” Lin Feng asked quietly.

“Exactly, Grandmaster Lin! For someone of your caliber, defeating Cheng Qianfeng will be effortless. Besides, the Five Provinces Martial Gathering is the perfect opportunity for you to build a formidable organization with a word,” Wang Jisheng urged, his tone both earnest and persuasive. For the sake of his society and his own life, he had to persuade Lin Feng to step in.

Lin Feng’s eyes narrowed, a gleam shining within. The Five Provinces Martial Gathering was indeed something he could use. If he wished to quickly establish a cross-province force, he would have to consolidate the five coastal provinces first. Then, with such power, he could decisively return to Jinling and sweep away the Liang family with true assurance.

“Wang Jisheng, I must admit, your proposal is tempting.”

“Grandmaster Lin, does that mean—?” Wang Jisheng asked anxiously, eyes fixed on Lin Feng, dreading a refusal.

“I accept. In ten days, I will personally seize the qualification,” Lin Feng replied.

“Wonderful! With you on our side, Jisheng Society will be unstoppable—perhaps even rise to become the leader of the Five Provinces!” Wang Jisheng’s worries vanished, his heart settling and excitement shining in his eyes.

Lin Feng, however, cared little for fame or titles; cultivation resources were his true concern.

“Oh, right—Wang Jisheng, have you made progress finding the other two millennial spiritual items?”

At the mention of the spiritual treasures, Wang Jisheng’s face fell into a bitter grimace.

“It’s not that I haven’t tried, Grandmaster Lin—it’s simply too difficult! I’ve scoured four or five cities in the area, including Binhai, but there’s not a trace of what you seek,” he admitted. Over the past month, he had done all he could, even using jade talisman auctions and spiritual item trades to search the whole region, nearly turning it upside down. While he had acquired plenty of common spiritual items, the thousand-year treasures Lin Feng needed were nowhere to be found.

Lin Feng merely waved his hand, showing no sign of blame. In this era of dwindling spiritual energy, such rare items were indeed hard to come by; he couldn’t fault Wang Jisheng for that.

At that moment, Lin Feng recalled Luo Jiale, the procurer from the Demon Society at the Tang family auction. The spiritual ring in his possession was extraordinary and seemed to hail from Yunfeng Mountain.

He took out the ring, studying it for a long moment, then smiled slightly and handed it to Wang Jisheng with instructions: “Wang Jisheng, investigate the origin of this ring. Even if you have to dig to the ends of the earth, find its source. Also, pay special attention to Yunfeng Mountain—there may be unique ruins there. I have a hunch that the remaining millennial spiritual items are hidden there.”

“Yunfeng Mountain? Understood, Grandmaster Lin. I’ll get to the bottom of it,” Wang Jisheng promised solemnly, accepting the ring.

However, even with their tasks complete, neither Wang Jisheng nor his son showed any intention of leaving. Instead, they relaxed in the villa, savoring tea and basking in contentment. Though this Trinity Spirit Gathering Array was just a simplified version, it was immensely beneficial for ordinary people. Prolonged exposure could transform one’s constitution and even extend one’s lifespan.

Lin Feng didn’t mind their lingering. Instead, he calmly returned to his room to continue cultivating, letting them remain as long as they wished. In managing subordinates, one must be strict where necessary and gentle where possible. After ten thousand years of cultivation and experience, Lin Feng had long since mastered this balance.

An hour later, finally realizing they had overstayed their welcome, Wang Jisheng and his son quietly slipped out of the villa, treading softly as they left.