Chapter 105: Leng Feng of Peerless Island

Just as Wen Renying and Zhou Yi reunited to pass on the latter part of the "Backer Arts" manual to their disciples, news reached Leng Feng on Peerless Island that the martial arts world had failed to hunt the pair down and had even been locked out of their own mountain gates.

Upon hearing this, Leng Feng was seated at a stone table, brewing tea over a small red-clay stove.

"Though I knew you would not be easily defeated, I never imagined you would achieve such a feat!" At these words, Leng Feng lifted his teacup, pressed it to his lips, and took a delicate sip.

"Hah!" He exhaled a wisp of white steam, a smile playing on his lips as he gazed toward the direction of Zhou Yi and his companion, as if he could see them clearly. "It was meant to be only a small test. Since you have completed it so brilliantly, I am even more thrilled!"

As he spoke, Leng Feng’s body trembled—a tremor born of excitement. The mere thought of their talent sent an irrepressible surge of ecstasy through his heart.

"Truly... I am so filled with anticipation!" His smile grew more intense, the frantic excitement in his eyes impossible to suppress.

"Prey... oh, prey... what perfect prey you are!" A crimson flush bloomed on his face, the sign of blood boiling with anticipation. "If I were to strip away your talents, perhaps... no, it is a certainty!"

"With your inclusion, I will surely reach the sixth stage of the False Core. Even the legendary Golden Core—that, too, is not beyond my reach!"

"Ha ha ha ha ha!"

The more he thought, the more excited he became; the more excited he grew, the more he lost control of his emotions, until he finally threw his head back and laughed toward the heavens!

After a long while, his fervor gradually subsided. Though still stirred, he was able to regain his composure.

"The martial arts world? Hmph!" After his laughter died down, he looked toward the realm of the jianghu, a cold sneer crossing his face as a sharp glint flashed in his eyes. "It is nothing more than a pit of venomous insects!"

"A pit of worms cannot raise a true dragon, nor can a true dragon ever emerge from one!" His gaze grew icy, and a look of mockery appeared on his face. "Insects are merely insects; they should just dutifully play their part. To think otherwise is futile."

"How utterly delusional!" He sneered, as if witnessing the events unfolding in the martial arts world, filled with disdain.

"Now, it is nearly time to move the true dragons out of the pit!" With that, his eyes filled with excitement once more, his gaze fixed on the pair.

"Once I bring these two true dragons to Peerless Island, the cultivation phase will begin. Once they are fully matured..." At this thought, he lost control of his excitement once again, trembling uncontrollably.

He envisioned the moment these dragons reached maturity, when he would harvest the fruits of his labor. The thought of the immense benefits he would reap made his entire body shake with sheer fervor.

Leng Feng’s face wore a look of twisted delight. In his agitation, he turned his focus inward, casting his gaze into his own dantian.

Within the dantian, there was only chaos and pitch-black darkness. Leng Feng descended into it, walking with familiar ease until he reached the center and stopped.

After a moment, as his eyes adjusted to the gloom, a long figure emerged from the darkness.

As the shape became clearer, its appearance was revealed: it was a winding, massive creature that seemed to occupy his entire field of vision.

Leng Feng’s lips curled. He vanished and reappeared high above, looking down from a vantage point to take in the full scope of the creature. It was a massive, seemingly endless worm, resembling a silkworm—fat, undulating, and rhythmic in its movements. It almost looked adorable.

"No matter how many times I see you, you are truly magnificent!" High above, Leng Feng’s eyes shimmered with a twisted, manic excitement.

The God-Swallowing Gu—that was the name of the creature, and it was Leng Feng’s greatest trump card.

Leng Feng’s own talent was decent, but by no means exceptional—at least, not compared to the likes of Zhou Yi. Yet, he was the master of Peerless Island. He had defeated countless opponents to reach this status, many of whom possessed far greater natural talent than he. In the end, he was the only one left standing, all thanks to the God-Swallowing Gu.

The God-Swallowing Gu had the power to transfer a person’s talent to another. It had only this one function, but that was more than enough.

Leng Feng had used the Gu to siphon the talents of his defeated foes, which had allowed him to rise to his current position. However, while the Gu was heaven-defying, it was not absolute. It could transfer talent, but not in its entirety.

A person’s talent is defined by how much of it is actually utilized. For example, if someone had a gift for singing but only ever studied dance, their singing talent remained untapped. In such a case, even if the Gu absorbed it, it would yield nothing, as the practical application was zero. The Gu could only transfer the portion of talent that had been actualized.

The God-Swallowing Gu could transfer ten percent of that utilized talent. If a person had a talent level of eighty and utilized fifty, the Gu could transfer ten percent of that fifty—which was five. If the person utilized their full potential of eighty, the Gu would transfer eight.

Leng Feng held Zhou Yi and Song Hai in high regard; the moment he saw them, he had marked them as his own. His current strength was at the fifth stage of the False Core, utilizing the Aperture Growth Method, but he had been unable to reach the sixth stage due to the limitations of his own talent.

Talent is not a matter of simple numerical addition, but a qualitative change. The higher one goes, the more precious high-quality talent becomes. Ordinary geniuses no longer provided any benefit to him; after years of accumulation, his own talent had reached a bottleneck.

He desperately needed higher-quality talent to break through. This was the root of his current emotional instability. He had been stuck at the fifth stage for so many years that it had warped his mind. He had nearly given up, or resigned himself to a path of slow, agonizing refinement that would take an unimaginable amount of time.

The appearance of Zhou Yi and Song Hai was like a ray of hope, instantly illuminating his heart, washing away the dust of despair, and making him feel young again.

The extraordinary talent they displayed made Leng Feng ecstatic. He was certain that once he absorbed their gifts, he would break through.