C61 Witch

Han Feng whispered to himself, "In just two or three more days, these two Human Origin Fruits will ripen, and then I'll have three of them."

"With three Human Origin Fruits, I should be able to advance to the late stages of the Human Rank, or possibly even reach its peak."

"To cultivate using Spirit Stones alone, I'd need at least Lower-grade Medium-grade ones for any substantial progress. And even then, it would take dozens to ascend to the peak of Human Rank."

"The Han family doesn't have many Lower-grade Medium-grade Spirit Stones to spare. It's unlikely they'd give me that many, even if they did."

With these thoughts, Han Feng's longing gaze intensified upon the Human Origin Fruits. Regrettably, he hadn't yet hit the Late Period of Mortal Rank's limit; otherwise, he'd surely refine the fruits and make a breakthrough to Human Rank without hesitation.

After some contemplation, Han Feng made his way to the fifth level.

In the past ten days, he had unlocked all seven levels of the Nine Flames Heavenly Fire Tower.

The fifth level housed the Beast Nurturing Space, which was only at level one, capable of sustaining just a single Devil Beast.

Han Feng refrained from hastily hunting Devil Beasts.

Once a Devil Beast was captured in the Beast Nurturing Space, there was no going back. If he settled for a beast with an inferior bloodline, its potential, even with origin fluid nourishment, would be capped. It made more sense to wait for the right moment to choose.

The sixth level was the Soulsearch Space, a place designated for punishing enemies, where they would face severe repercussions. The higher their rank, the harsher the punishment.

Moreover, by expending a certain amount of origin fluid, he could probe an enemy's soul and extract information from their mind.

Currently, the Soulsearch Space was limited to level one, suitable for delving into the souls of those at Mortal-rank and Human-rank, but no higher.

The seventh level contained the Storage Space.

Inside the City Lord's Mansion, Han Feng couldn't just put the Human Origin Fruits into the seventh-level Storage Space; it would be too conspicuous. If the City Lord caught on, it would spell trouble. Although the chance was slim—the City Lord might assume he'd simply used a Storage Bag—Han Feng wasn't willing to risk even that slight possibility.

Han Feng had managed to acquire an impressive Storage Belt. Currently, all of his possessions were neatly stored within the seventh layer of his Storage Space. After several days of diligent cultivation, he finally decided to step outside.

The origin fluid he had been using, derived from the petals of the Source Flower, had run out. In recent days, the fluid for his cultivation came from refining Lower-class Lower-grade Spirit Stones, which were clearly not as potent as the Source Flower's essence. Despite his efforts, Han Feng's progress was modest, barely surpassing fifty percent, inching close to sixty.

"My cultivation pace is somewhat sluggish," he mused. "The Lower-grade Medium-grade Spirit Stones provided by my family have all been allocated to nurturing the Human Origin Fruit."

"The Human Origin Fruit has ripened; there are three now, with two additional Spirit Fields recently acquired. Unfortunately, there's a shortage of origin fluid."

"Given my current needs, a substantial quantity of Lower-grade Medium-grade Spirit Stones, or even some Lower-grade Upper-grade ones, are essential to sustain both my cultivation and the growth of the Human Origin Fruit."

In a moment of clarity, Han Feng resolved to take action.

Leaving his seclusion behind, he made his way to the Han Family's gates, where he encountered Han Lin.

Han Lin greeted him with a wave. "How's your cultivation coming along?"

Without reservation, Han Feng shared, "I've advanced to the late period of Mortal Rank and have successfully condensed a significant amount of Attribute Genuine Qi." He chose not to disclose the exact amount.

Considering it had been less than a month since the Family Trials concluded, his progress from the seventh Main Bloodline to nearly sixty percent Attribute Genuine Qi was nothing short of astonishing. Chang Wenhua, a previous participant in the trials, had reached a similar level.

Han Lin's face fell. "I should never have asked. It's quite demoralizing. Sister Rou has only just managed to open eight Main Bloodlines."

Han Feng touched his nose awkwardly, at a loss for words.

Quickly regaining his composure, Han Lin asked with renewed interest, "Heading out?"

"Yes, that's right," Han Feng confirmed. "Is something bothering you?" He couldn't help but notice the troubled look on Han Lin's face.

Han Lin's face momentarily betrayed his terror before he quickly cautioned, "Han Feng, you can't go out these days. Rumor has it that a Witch has arrived in our Renzhong City."

"A Witch?" Han Feng looked utterly bewildered.

With an awkward grimace, Han Lin shared what he knew about the Witch. "They say she's from Xuanxing City, but her exact origins are unclear to me. All I know is that the Lin family, the most prominent in Xuanxing City, has put out a bounty for her capture."

"The Lin family holds sway as a Mystic Level power, boasting several Mystic Rank experts within their ranks. While I'm not sure about other profound grade cities, our Renzhong City, being merely a Human-level city, still needs to show them respect by joining in the manhunt."

"The Lin family's bounty stems from the Witch practicing a demonic technique that allows her to drain men's Yang energy for her Yin. Many Lin family men have fallen prey to her, and they've all ended up drained to death."

"Lately, there's been talk that the Witch is lurking near Renzhong City, and some Human Rank experts have already been sapped of their vital essence. We may be young, but our essence is at its purest, making us prime targets for the Witch."

Han Lin shivered as he spoke, his fear palpable.

Han Feng's mouth hung open, speechless.

But after a moment's thought, he dismissed the fear. This continent was home to all manner of strange and mysterious cultivation methods. Han Feng suspected there was more to the story than met the eye.

After all, wasn't this narrative spun by the Lin family themselves?

The truth, known only to the parties involved, remained shrouded in mystery.

Despite his limited experiences in his past life, Han Feng knew better than to take every piece of hearsay as gospel.

With a furrowed brow, Han Feng resolved to step out anyway. He was unlikely to cross paths with the Witch, surely.

Seeing his words fall on deaf ears, Han Lin implored with gravity, "Leave early and return quickly. And beware the Witch's grasp."

Han Feng nearly laughed at Han Lin's earnestness, feeling like a naive rabbit in a tale of wolves and witches.

"Alright, I won't be that unlucky. Don't worry, I'll make it back in one piece." With those words, Han Feng departed.

Once he had left Renzhong City, Han Feng made a beeline for the Jade Peak Mountain Range.

His plan was to hunt a Level Five Early Period Devil Beast in the mountain range.

Given his current abilities and the Profound Flame Chain, he could potentially take down some of the weaker Level Five Early Period Devil Beasts if they were caught off guard.

Typically, Devil Beasts of Level Five and higher possess Devil Cores.

And it was precisely these Devil Cores that Han Feng was after.

At the Chang family estate, Master Chang's eyes gleamed with malice as he questioned one of his men, "Is the intel from the scouts accurate? Did he really head to the Jade Peak Mountain Range?"

The man kneeling before him responded with a grave tone, "Yes, Family Head."

"Excellent!" Master Chang exclaimed with a sinister chuckle.