Chapter 128: The Grand Ceremony of the Alliance Leader

Lin Feng smiled as he saw Gu Feng off. Most of the spiritual items he requested were rare wild treasures, which not only took a long time to grow but were also incredibly difficult to collect. By sparing himself this effort, he was also testing how much the Huaxia military valued him. If they could provide all the spiritual items and the Grandmaster-level experts, it would show the military's great determination—perhaps even a willingness to grant his every request—which would allow him more freedom in his future actions.

Lin Feng returned to the villa, sat cross-legged in meditation, and continued his cultivation until a rainy night ten days later. The weather forecast had predicted a clear, windless, and rainless night in Binhai City, yet by evening, the sky was filled with howling winds, torrential rain, and flashes of lightning. The Hualong Villa district, in particular, felt ominously heavy, as if the dark clouds were crushing down upon the city.

Lin Feng sat quietly inside the villa, his breathing steady and his inner energy flowing smoothly. Yet, beneath this calm, terrifying surges of power seemed to be radiating from his body. Suddenly, Lin Feng’s eyes snapped open, and he whispered, "It is time."

In an instant, the energy channels within his body roared like a tidal wave. Countless streams of spiritual energy from the Sanqing Spirit-Gathering Array converged upon him, making Lin Feng feel as though he were submerged in an ocean of energy. He became like a black hole, absorbing every bit of the incoming spiritual power. As the energy surged into his meridians, it began to batter against the blockages; his twelve primary meridians were already clear, leaving only the eight extraordinary vessels remaining.

Focusing his mind, Lin Feng channeled the massive volume of energy into the extraordinary vessels, striking the final bottleneck to becoming a First-Grade Meridian-Clearing Spiritual Master.

The Yangwei, Yinwei, Yinqiao, Yangqiao, Chong, Dai, Du, and Ren vessels—in less than half an hour, all eight were cleared one by one. Lin Feng felt a sense of profound clarity in his mind, as if he had plunged into a cool, refreshing ocean. Soon after, his body emitted a series of popping sounds like roasting beans, and impurities were expelled from his pores in the form of black sludge. Once again, Lin Feng felt the essence of his life leaping forward in evolution.

He spread his arms, looking up at the stormy night. A golden tribulation lightning, rolling like a dragon within the dark clouds, struck down the moment Lin Feng broke through.

"Boom—"

The golden lightning roared from the clouds, converging entirely onto Lin Feng. A sensation of numbness spread throughout his body, followed instantly by the searing pain of the tribulation. His head felt as if it were on fire, and he felt like a salted fish tossed into a deep fryer, being scorched until golden and crisp.

The tribulation lasted a full hour. When a lotus mark appeared on Lin Feng's forehead and a spiritual lotus shimmered in the air, the lightning finally ceased. Lin Feng had successfully transcended the tribulation and become a Second-Grade Foundation Establishment Master.

A Second-Grade Foundation Establishment Master cultivates the miraculous state of the "Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown." This state signifies the convergence of all "Essence," "Qi," and "Spirit" into the mysterious aperture—a sign of the perfection of the physical body in Daoist cultivation and the hallmark of a perfect foundation.

Lin Feng took off his tattered clothes and washed himself. His skin was as smooth and flawless as jade, not like that of a man, but like a newborn infant. Just as he finished tidying up, his phone rang. It was Wang Jisheng.

"Grandmaster Lin, the time and place for the Alliance Leader Ceremony have been set. Tomorrow night at eight o'clock, at the Tang family’s new mansion on Quanfeng Mountain."

"I understand. I will be there on time."

"Understood, Grandmaster Lin. I won't disturb you any further!"

The next day, at eight o'clock in the evening, outside the Tang family mansion on Quanfeng Mountain. Lin Feng arrived by taxi. The mansion was bustling with noise and excitement. This ceremony had attracted all the leading figures of the underground forces from the five coastal provinces. The parking lot was filled with luxury cars—not just Lincolns and Bentleys, but countless Porsches and Lamborghinis; a mere glance revealed dozens of high-end sports cars. Even more extravagant were the beautiful, elegant starlets accompanying the various bigwigs. While many were second or third-tier, there were even top-tier celebrities present.

If luxury cars and beauties were merely the status symbols of these powerful figures, the true measure of prestige was the weight of one's invitation. Old Master Tang had put great effort into this event. Second and third-rate factions could only sit in the outer perimeter, while only true first-rate powers could enter the VIP area to interact with Lin Feng. As a result, VIP invitations had reached astronomical prices on the black market, yet they remained impossible to obtain. Because so many people wanted to attend, even the massive new Tang mansion could only accommodate a few thousand guests, and every single spot had been bought with real money.

Just as Lin Feng was wondering how to enter, a familiar, scornful voice came from behind him.

"Oh, look who it is—Lin Feng! What’s the matter? Trying to hook another socialite to keep you as a pet? You really have no shame as a man!"

Lin Feng turned around to see Yao Xingye surrounded by a group of his cronies.

"Young Master Yao, is this the shameless live-in son-in-law you mentioned, Lin Feng?"

"Who else? He was just kicked out by Yao Qianqian, and now that she’s the Chairperson of the Yao Group, he’s been left with nothing!"

Yao Xingye had been nursing a grudge ever since Yao Qianqian took over the Yao Group, and he had never had a kind look for Lin Feng. Seeing him now, his anger flared, and he signaled his group to surround Lin Feng, intending to beat him up to vent his frustration.

"Young Master Yao, with his pathetic look, does he still want to live off Yao Qianqian for the rest of his life? Let’s cripple him right here and do those socialites a favor!"

"Exactly! Young Master Yao, today is the ceremony for Grandmaster Lin. How can we allow such filth at such a grand occasion? Let’s get rid of this trash together!"

Holding his VIP invitation, Yao Xingye was surrounded by young masters of third-rate Binhai families who didn't know the truth. They flattered him and prepared to beat Lin Feng. They had no idea that the man standing before them was the very protagonist of the ceremony—Grandmaster Lin himself.

"Young Master Yao, let me handle it, so you don't dirty your hands!"

A man in a blue Armani suit beside Yao Xingye gave a fawning smile, raised his hand, and prepared to slap Lin Feng.

"Listen up, brat, I’m Chen Fenghu! Next time you want to flirt with the socialites of Binhai, you’d better open your eyes!"

Chen Fenghu sneered, not taking Lin Feng seriously at all. As his palm was about to strike, Lin Feng stood tall, a cold smirk playing on his lips. It was laughable that even now, Yao Xingye still thought of him as a piece of trash that anyone could bully. Since that was the case, he would be sure to teach them a lesson they would never forget.