Chapter 137: Depletion
But Lin Feng didn't answer him. He was currently circulating his Inner Strength to recover from the energy he had expended during the acupuncture treatment.
This whole ordeal had cost Lin Feng a great deal of energy.
A full two hours passed before Lin Feng slowly withdrew his Inner Strength. He looked at Li Qing and said with a slight smile, "It's alright now. He's out of danger."
"Really? That's wonderful! Thank heavens, I knew you were a miracle doctor."
Li Qing excitedly grasped Lin Feng's hand in gratitude.
Lin Feng simply smiled and didn't say much. After all, he was only treating a patient and saving a life, not trying to show off. Besides, he was now extremely interested in the poison that had afflicted Li Yuan.
Heart-devouring Powder was considered a rare poison even in the Ancient Martial Realm, let alone in some corner of the Mortal Realm.
"Your son should wake up around tomorrow afternoon. I'll come back then to collect the Spirit Stone and the location where your son went."
After checking one more time and confirming there were no other issues, Lin Feng stood up and spoke calmly.
"Mr. Lin, please wait! I don't really have anything suitable to thank you with... There are five million in this card. Please, consider it part of your payment."
When Li Qing heard Lin Feng was leaving, he hurried after him.
"Oh?"
Lin Feng stopped and turned to look at the embarrassed Li Qing. He asked with a faint smile, "Elder Li, there's no need for this. We already agreed on my payment. I don't need this."
"This..."
Li Qing hesitated. After all, Lin Feng had cured his son of a stubborn affliction, and the payment he required was far lower than what others would have demanded.
He'd had some dealings with the Ancient Martial Realm, so he naturally knew just how rare a talent like Lin Feng was. Of course, he wanted to build a good relationship.
If he could secure Lin Feng's friendship with a bit of money, it would be an incredible bargain for him.
"If there's nothing else, I'll be going. I will come to collect my payment at two o'clock tomorrow afternoon."
Without another word, Lin Feng turned and left without the slightest hesitation.
...
'I can't believe I encountered such a bizarre poison in the Mortal Realm.'
After bidding farewell to Elder Li, Lin Feng drove back to his estate.
Sitting on the sofa, he mentally reviewed the day's events. Although he hadn't gained anything from it, he was still quite interested in the reason behind Li Yuan's poisoning.
'Heart-devouring Powder... It's an incredibly potent poison. Anyone who comes into contact with it is guaranteed to die. It seems that place Li Yuan went to is anything but simple.'
Lin Feng muttered to himself, taking out the low-grade Spirit Stone and idly turning it over in his hand.
'But no matter how dangerous it is, I'm determined to go.'
A sharp glint flashed in his eyes. Lin Feng closed his eyes and drew upon his Inner Strength, slowly mingling it with the Spirit Stone in his palm. Fine threads of pure energy flowed from the Spirit Stone into his body.
This energy was exceedingly gentle. It entered Lin Feng's Dantian, nourishing his meridians and cleansing his body as faint wisps of black vapor seeped from his pores.
In less than five minutes, Lin Feng opened his eyes, a flicker of pleasant surprise deep within them.
He hadn't expected the Spirit Stone to be so potent. After absorbing just one, Lin Feng felt that his strength at the Mid Stage of Innate had stabilized considerably.
'A shame the quality of this Spirit Stone is just too low.'
Lin Feng sighed softly. Otherwise, he might have been able to attempt a breakthrough to the Late Stage of Innate in a short amount of time.
Before this, he had only just reached the peak of the Mid Stage of Innate, with the next stage still some distance away.
However, Lin Feng wasn't overly concerned. After all, he was gradually recovering his former power, not building it from the ground up like other Cultivators.
'However, while the Spirit Stone's energy is plentiful, it doesn't boost my cultivation speed in the slightest. At most, it just cleansed some of the impurities from my body.'
After a careful self-examination, Lin Feng frowned and mumbled to himself. Although his realm had advanced to the Mid Stage of Innate, the actual boost to his combat power was very weak.
Lin Feng's fighting style relied on his fists, legs, and the yellow-grade Short Blade he wielded. Furthermore, his physical defense already far surpassed others at his level, so he wasn't in desperate need of a short-term power boost.
'Whatever. I'll worry about it when the time comes.'
Shaking his head, Lin Feng sat down cross-legged and began to recover the Inner Strength he had just consumed.
...
"The fuck did you just say?!"
Wu Tianxiang shot up from the leather sofa, glaring at the black-suited bodyguard before him. The killing intent in his voice was so thick it was almost palpable.
"Are you telling me Chen Wu still isn't back?!"
"That Lin Feng is just some arrogant, conceited Mortal Martial Artist! How could Chen Wu possibly not be his match?!"
Veins bulged on Wu Tianxiang's neck. He had paid a fortune to get Chen Wu on his side. To think he'd be lost on a single outing?!
"Young Master, this subordinate has failed. I beg for your forgiveness!"
The man in black wore a terrified expression. Having followed Wu Tianxiang for so long, he was well aware of the gravity of the situation.
Their men had vanished without a trace, which could only mean one thing: Chen Wu was most likely dead or worse. It was even possible Lin Feng had already finished him off.
"You fucking useless... Get out! Go find him for me, now! Report back the second you have a lead!"
After shouting the curse, Wu Tianxiang quickly dialed a number.
"Hey, Secretary Wang! Send some experts over, now! The faster, the better!"
After hanging up, Wu Tianxiang's forehead was slick with cold sweat. He had spent a fortune to recruit Chen Wu; if he had really been killed, the loss would be incalculable.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
There was a knock at the door. Wu Tianxiang quickly wiped away his cold sweat, composed himself, and then called out, "Come in."
The door opened and an ordinary-looking young man walked in. He was wearing a white shirt and black slacks, and he had a gentle, refined air about him.
"Young Master, you sent for me? Do you have instructions?"
The young man said respectfully, looking at Wu Tianxiang's grim expression.
"Yes."
Wu Tianxiang nodded and pointed to a box on the table. "Take this to Yun City," he said. "Give it to my father."
As he spoke, Wu Tianxiang handed over a wooden box. It felt like it weighed several dozen pounds; whatever was inside was clearly not light.
The young man's eyes lit up at his words, and he said excitedly, "Rest assured, Young Master. I guarantee I'll complete the mission!"
"Good. Be careful, and don't cause any unnecessary trouble."
Seeing the young man agree, Wu Tianxiang finally relaxed a little and added a word of caution.
"Yes, Young Master!"
With that, the young man took the wooden box and hurried away.