C16 Jiang Ruoyun's Secret

Chapter Sixteen: The Secrets of Jiang Ruoyun

Jiang Caiyun was taken aback by the aura that Lu Feng exuded, feeling a twinge of envy and emotion stirring within her. To think that such a man would willingly serve as a slave deepened her resentment and jealousy towards Jiang Ruoyun.

"I suggest you stay away from Jiang Ruoyun, or you'll meet a terrible end," Jiang Caiyun spat out bitterly, turning on her heel and leading the other youths away.

Once they were a good distance away, Jiang Ruoyun turned to Lu Feng and questioned, "Why did you stop me from teaching her a lesson?"

Lu Feng gave a languid smile and replied, "Why bother with the mad babble of those who don't matter? If I can't withstand their petty slanders, how could I possibly handle the weight of future glories?" His voice turned icy as he added, "If it ever comes to crossing my bottom line, then killing will be the answer."

Jiang Ruoyun was taken aback. She had initially thought Lu Feng was simply too timid, but now she realized that his serene demeanor stemmed from the fact that his bottom line hadn't been crossed. He simply didn't deem it worthy to act.

Curiosity piqued, she wondered what it would look like if someone truly did cross his bottom line. Was he actually a coward, or did he genuinely not consider those people worth his attention?

Stealing a glance at Lu Feng's calm expression and the familiar attire he wore, Jiang Ruoyun felt momentarily lost in a daydream, almost seeing the towering figure from her memories.

In a moment of reverie, Jiang Ruoyun found herself trusting Lu Feng deeply and couldn't resist asking, "Could you do me a favor?" Her voice carried an unexpected note of earnestness.

"What do you need?" Lu Feng inquired, a hint of curiosity in his tone.

"What level of cultivation have you reached?"

Realizing her forwardness, Jiang Ruoyun hesitated but didn't voice her request for help.

"One-soul Stage," Lu Feng answered promptly.

"Oh," Jiang Ruoyun murmured, feeling a wave of disappointment. She chided herself for her earlier presumption. Why had she thought to seek his assistance?

"What's the matter? Is my level much lower than yours?" Lu Feng sensed Jiang Ruoyun's mood dip. He found her cultivation level enigmatic, as if shrouded in a protective mist. However, based on the force she had shown when whipping Jiang Ren, she possessed the strength of at least fifty Stone Power, nearing the prowess of the Five-soul Stage.

"I've only recently advanced to the Two-soul Stage," Jiang Ruoyun said with a smile.

Lu Feng's face registered surprise. "Two-soul Stage? How can someone at the Two-soul Stage have strength nearly equivalent to fifty Stone Power?"

Clearly, this "bargain master" had her share of secrets.

Jiang Ruoyun shifted slightly, a hint of regret in her voice. "Neither of us is strong enough yet. You'd need to reach at least the Three-soul Stage before you could help me."

"Then I shall strive for the Three-soul Stage," Lu Feng replied with a smile. Upon awakening, he had sensed a loosening in the Two-soul Formation within his Life Soul, which greatly bolstered his confidence in connecting the Seven Souls.

Jiang Ruoyun offered a gentle smile in response to Lu Feng's nonchalant reply. The path of the Soul Cultivation Dao was far from simple.

While Lu Feng was aware of Jiang Ruoyun's history, she was oblivious to his. Unaware of his severe injuries and complete loss of cultivation, it was no surprise she assessed him with a mundane perspective.

Jiang Ruoyun's talent, having connected the Seven Souls at just twelve, was already impressive. Without any regression, her innate ability for cultivation could have easily carved a name for her in the world. However, Lu Feng's talents were undeniably even more extraordinary.

"Xiaorou, please fetch me a fresh set of bedding," Jiang Ruoyun instructed, as she had lent her own bedding to Lu Feng the previous night.

Xiaorou nodded and complied. Having spent the previous night in the same room as her mistress, her sleep had been restless. She promptly took some money and departed.

To Lu Feng, Xiaorou's sudden departure seemed abrupt, as if Jiang Ruoyun had intentionally sent her away.

His intuition was confirmed by Jiang Ruoyun's next words.

"I trust you more than Xiaorou. Perhaps it's the bond of the Contract Array, or maybe because you're an outsider with no ties to Jiang Mansion," Jiang Ruoyun explained. Lu Feng could sense a surprising lack of trust in her towards Xiaorou.

Indeed, in an environment where everyone else was ridiculing and shunning her, the sudden devotion of a maidservant who attended to her every need could understandably breed suspicion.

"Actually, it's not that my Seven Souls have regressed; rather, due to some complications, I had no choice but to go through the process of connecting with them all over again," Jiang Ruoyun stated earnestly. She kept some details hidden, as there was no immediate need to share them with Lu Feng.

Lu Feng wasn't overly shocked. In a world as vast and mysterious as this one, his own experiences were far more extraordinary.

Jiang Ruoyun added, "This isn't a pointless repetition of cultivation. It actually enables me to lay a stronger foundation. I've spent nearly six years understanding this cultivation system. Now, each time I achieve the One-soul stage, the strength I gain is roughly three times that of an average person."

Her revelation left Lu Feng astonished, followed by a wry smile.

He had only gained a third of an ordinary person's strength when he reached the One-soul stage, whereas Jiang Ruoyun's strength was threefold that of an average person. The disparity was not as simple as multiplying by three; Lu Feng was acutely aware of the frightening difference.

If she were to cultivate to the utmost limit, the power Jiang Ruoyun possessed would be too terrifying for words.

This woman was nothing short of a monstrous being. How could she ever be considered the notorious failure of Jiang Mansion?

Lu Feng suddenly felt a sense of relief for those young men and women who had only reached the Four-soul Stage. If it came to a fight, Jiang Ruoyun could probably blast them away with a single punch.

"But was it worth it, spending six years just to cultivate the One-soul?" Lu Feng inquired. While a solid foundation is crucial, spending six years for just one stage seemed somewhat inefficient, considering the precious cultivation time that was lost.

"No, no, no," Jiang Ruoyun corrected, shaking her head. "As I mentioned, I spent the first six years in deep contemplation. Once I had the epiphany, it took me just over a month to truly cultivate and break through to the Two-soul."

"Just over a month? To not only achieve the One-soul but also to triple your strength?" Lu Feng marveled inwardly. Such talent was indeed frightening. Although Jiang Ruoyun was now eighteen, she hadn't missed the prime period for cultivation.

On the Tianxuan Continent, there were two widely acknowledged yet unwritten truths: First, if a person hasn't awakened their Life Soul by the age of eighteen, they're unlikely to achieve greatness; second, if someone hasn't cultivated the Seven Souls by the end of the First Era, their prospects for success are similarly slim.

Just as there are four seasons in a year, a lifetime can be divided into four eras. The average lifespan of a person is about a hundred years, and these eras are segmented into periods of twenty-five years each. This means that the period up to the age of twenty-five is the golden age for cultivation.

Clearly, neither Lu Feng nor Jiang Ruoyun had missed this prime time for harnessing their potential, and both still had endless possibilities to grow stronger.

Lu Feng couldn't help but think slyly how the Jiang Mansion was about to cast out a woman of such exceptional talent. He could almost see the regret that would be written on their faces later.

"What type of Soul Dao are you practicing?" Jiang Ruoyun asked, her gaze resting on Lu Feng's somewhat slender figure.

"Array Dao," Lu Feng replied without any concealment.

At his response, Jiang Ruoyun chuckled and teased, "Array Dao is generally practiced by women. You're still at the One-soul Stage, so it's not too late to switch. How about learning martial arts with me instead?" she offered.

Lu Feng shook his head, "Once I've chosen Array Dao, I'm sticking with it."

Had it been three years earlier, when Lu Feng was new to Array Dao, he might have been tempted. But after three years of recognizing its strength, he had never once wavered.

"Well, if you're set on Array Dao, then I guess it'll be up to me to protect you," Jiang Ruoyun declared with a playful and endearing seriousness, patting her chest that was just beginning to show its form.

Watching her youthful and innocent demeanor, Lu Feng laughed and playfully retorted, "Does this mean I'll be under your watchful eye forever?"

Jiang Ruoyun blushed, her mind racing with thoughts as she quickly diverted the conversation, "Anyway, what about your weapon? I use a long whip. What's your choice?"

She spoke while flourishing her light pink whip with a flick of her wrist.

Lu Feng appeared momentarily caught off guard. Array Masters typically specialized in creating formations and seldom relied on weapons. Yet, the vision of Huo Gen drawing a bow and notching an arrow came to mind, along with the Nether Bow.

A sudden shiver ran through Lu Feng, and he promptly inspected the Qilin Ring on his wrist, searching among the ninety-nine gems for the storage space. At last, in the far corner of the final compartment, he found the items he had been seeking.

The Nether Bow lay there quietly, yet the Nether Beast Core was conspicuously absent. In its place were several books, and upon closer inspection, he discovered they were the original rubbings of the Archery patterns from the stone chamber.

"What's going on here?"

"Wasn't Carefree Village supposed to be a settlement from a hundred years ago? How do we explain all this?"

Lu Feng was at a loss. Was this reality or an illusion? If it were an illusion, the bow and arrow seemed convincingly real. But if it were real, why did Carefree Village appear to be from a century past?

"What's on your mind?"

Jiang Ruoyun interrupted, then suddenly chuckled at herself, a touch of embarrassment in her voice. "I forgot, Array Masters don't typically wield weapons..."

"Bow and arrow!" Lu Feng interjected abruptly.

"Bow and arrow?" Jiang Ruoyun echoed, puzzled. "Aren't those for hunting? Who uses them as a weapon? And in combat, how many arrows can you realistically fire off?"

Her lack of understanding led to a significant misconception about the bow and arrow. In Jiang Ruoyun's mind, it was not a combat weapon but merely a tool, a sentiment echoed by many in this world.

But was this truly the case? Were bows and arrows really unsuitable for battle?

Lu Feng simply smiled and nodded. Though the mystery of Carefree Village remained unsolved, he was certain that the Archery skills he had acquired were genuine.

After a moment's hesitation, Jiang Ruoyun offered, "I could find you a knife, spear, or club, but for a bow and arrow, we'd probably need to hit the shops. As it happens, I'm planning to go into town tomorrow. Why don't you join me?"