Heavenly Rebellion: The Human Race's Rise to Prominence
Chapter 54: Thoughts (2 - s)

Chapter 54: Thoughts (2 Chapters)

After parting ways with Elena, Feng found himself in a sour mood.

Who wouldn’t be, after having to leave a girl as stunning as her? But he was also a realist.

Once his emotions settled and he had put enough distance between them, he pulled out the golden medallion she had given him, deep in thought.

It’s just a medallion, but the spiritual energy it releases is no joke.

Judging from this alone, that girl’s background is far from ordinary.

Feng narrowed his eyes.

It had been clear from the start that she came from a well-off family or clan, but this was on another level entirely.

There were plenty of signs pointing to it.

First, she was already at the ninth level of Qi Condensation, an incredible feat for someone who basically the same age as him.

But that wasn’t all—she was no sheltered young lady.

The killing intent she had unleashed when they first met made that much clear.

I’ll probably figure out who she is once I learn what faction this symbol belongs to.

Feng thought to himself as he continued walking, the damp forest floor and the smell of the surrounding greenery making him feel a lot more calm

There’s also the issue of my lack of knowledge about the nearby factions. I only know three—the Yao Family, Brightshore Academy under the governor’s rule, and the Church of Heaven.

"I need to gather information once I reach Silverpine," Feng muttered.

"There’s bound to be a way to buy some intel. If I sell these Black Blood Komodo Dragon scales, I should be able to fetch a hefty price."

A pit of regret formed in his stomach.

"I really should’ve taken some of the cultivation resources scattered around Senior Blackwood’s house..." He sighed, realizing his mistake.

Honestly, he could just turn back and ask for them—but for some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

It felt embarrassing.

A man’s pride is the root of all mistakes.

Feng sighed to himself.

Fixing this problem would be easy enough, but after going through that whole farewell, it just felt wrong to turn back and ask Senior Blackwood for resources.

Pushing those thoughts aside, he decided to take stock of what he already had as he reached into his bag of holding.

"All right, let’s see what that brat had in here." Feng muttered as he began sorting through the things he had in hand.

"First, spirit stones. I’ve got around a thousand of them," he noted, staring at the glowing, circular pieces of green jade in his palm.

Each spirit stone contained a standard amount of spiritual energy, making them not just currency but also a direct cultivation resource, he could absorb the spiritual energy inside, growing his spirit sea.

"Though that’s probably a bad idea for someone in my situation... since I’m basically broke."

Once he confirmed the exact number, he put them away and turned to his collection of cultivation materials.

The first thing he pulled out was a set of three glowing red pills, each radiating a decent amount of spiritual energy.

"These are Qi Condensation Pills," Feng muttered, inspecting the glowing red pills.

"They’re one of the most common pills cultivators at the Qi Condensation Stage consume if they feel like they’re cultivation is slowing down, or they’re at a bottleneck, I guess Ren really was valued by the village if they gave him three of these."

Although he didn’t know their exact market value, he could make a rough estimate—about 100 spirit stones per pill.

That meant all three were worth around 300 spirit stones.

Next, he took out a small bottle containing a shimmering blue liquid that radiated faint rainbow hues.

The moment he realized what it was, his eyes widened in shock.

This was one of Raincloud Village’s most prized natural products—one of its primary sources of income.

"Rainlight Liquid," Feng whistled in amazement.

This rare substance was used to purify impurities within a cultivator’s body, clearing the qi pathways and making spiritual energy flow more efficiently.

It worked similarly to what the Blackwood Ruler had done for him—except at a fraction of the effectiveness, about a hundred times worse in comparison.

If I hadn’t received that purification from Senior Blackwood, I probably would’ve used this myself.

"This alone is probably worth around 1000 spirit stones," he mused, feeling both pleased and frustrated.

On one hand, he was glad—he could easily sell it in Silverpine or Brightshore for much-needed cultivation resources.

But at the same time, he couldn’t help but feel bitter at the stark contrast between the treatment Ren had received and what he had been given.

The difference between a Broken Soul and a Genius was like the difference between Heaven and Earth.

Feng sighed.

No matter how much time passed, he still couldn’t fully move on from his experiences in Raincloud Village—the suffering he endured simply because he had been unable to form a Heaven’s Pact and cultivate beyond the third level of Qi Condensation.

Can humans really not cultivate without a Heaven’s Pact?

This question had lingered in his mind ever since he absorbed the Heaven’s Pact from the Blackwood wolves he had slain.

Spiritual beasts had their own way of cultivating, separate from humans, but from what he understood, they didn’t seem to need a Heaven’s Pact at all.

They simply grew stronger through their own instincts and nature.

Although I don’t fully understand how spiritual beasts cultivate, the fact that they can do so without relying on the Heavens means that, in some ways, they’re superior to us. Primarily because...

"Every spiritual beast is born with the innate ability to grow stronger, to cultivate.

Humans, on the other hand, must ask permission from the Heavenly Dao before they’re granted the right to do the same."

Feng shook his head.

At his current level, he wasn’t in a position to dwell on such things.

He didn’t know why not all humans were born with the ability to cultivate, and even if he did uncover the reason, what could he do about it?

I should just focus on what I can control.

Chapter 54.1

After walking for about an hour, Feng finally saw it—the last few trees of the Blackwood Forest. Just a couple more steps, and he’d finally be out.

It took a long time, but I’m finally leaving

Feng thought as he stepped beyond the treeline. Sunlight struck his face, almost blinding him. He raised a hand to shield his eyes, squinting as they adjusted to the sudden brightness.

Before him stretched a wide, open road, its dirt path well-trodden and winding toward the distant horizon. On either side, fields of tall, golden grass rippled like waves in the breeze as the sky above was an endless expanse of blue.

I didn’t think it would be this beautiful, Feng thought as he took in the scene. He understood why the village restricted those below a certain level from leaving, but it still felt strange that in all his fifteen years, he had never once stepped beyond its borders.

I guess that’s what happens when you’re weak in this world—you get left behind.

The reason was simple. Without a Heaven’s Pact, he had little interaction with others in the village. Because of this, he never truly understood Raincloud Village’s place in the wider world, aside from knowing they sold Rainlight Liquid.

Ah, whatever. If I ever come back to this place, it’ll only be for Senior Blackwood.

Feng shook his head and looked into the distance. At the end of the road, he saw the towering walls of a city, standing strong against the sky. It was built high on a massive mountain, its presence imposing.

A thick fog surrounded the mountain, drifting around the walls and hiding much of the city from view. The mist moved with the wind, making the city seem even more distant. However, what truly caught his eye were the towering pine trees scattered along the mountainside, their silver-colored leaves shimmering faintly in the light. They stood out against the mist, giving the city a striking, almost otherworldly beauty.

When Feng saw the tall Silverpine trees in the distance, he quickly realized the name of this place. These trees were rare, their silver-hued foliage known to grow only in one region.

"This must be Silverpine City," he murmured to himself.

This was the first stop on his journey to Brightshore City. He didn’t know exactly what awaited him inside, but he had a few general plans.

Feng felt a spark of excitement as he started walking forward, admiring the view along the way. As he passed by people tending to the crops in the fields, an idea suddenly came to him. He approached one of the farmers.

"Excuse me! Can I ask a question? Is there a place where I can rent a horse carriage to Silverpine City?"

The farmer turned to him with a strange expression, his gaze lingering on Feng. It was clear that he had noticed where Feng had come from—the Blackwood Forest. Without answering, the man quickly asked his own question.

"Are you from one of the villages inside the forest?" the farmer, Chen Li, asked. His tone made it clear that he was trying to figure something out from Feng’s response.

"Yes, I came from inside the forest," Feng replied. He wasn’t sure why this farmer was asking, but he didn’t see a reason to hide anything and answered simply.

"Alone?" Chen Li’s expression slowly shifted from normal to shocked. It was clear he hadn’t expected this answer. His surprise grew as he realized Feng had made it out of the forest by himself, without anyone to help him fight off the spiritual beasts that roamed the area.

"Yes, I came out alone." When Feng noticed the strange look on Chen Li’s face, he started to feel uneasy. He didn’t understand why such a simple question had gotten such a strong reaction, especially from someone he had never met before.

Is it weird that I came out alone? Do people usually leave the villages in groups?

A nervous feeling crept up on him. If these people thought he was some kind of runaway criminal, would they report him to the village and send people to chase him down again?

Crap, I should’ve thought this through before randomly approaching someone.

Noticing Feng’s sudden shift in expression, Chen Li quickly shook his head and spoke up.

"Hey, I’m just surprised you made it out of the Blackwood Forest on your own. Everyone from the nearby towns knows that the forest belongs to the Blackwood Ruler. If an outsider wanders in without knowing what they’re doing, they might as well be dead."

Chen Li’s shock quickly turned into admiration as he realized Feng was probably much stronger than he had first assumed.

When Feng realized what Chen Li meant, he let out a quiet sigh of relief as the nervousness in his chest eased.

"I’m actually heading to Silverpine City soon," Chen Li said. "I’m about to sell my crops to the merchants there. Why don’t we go together?" He gestured toward a nearby area where several farmers were working in the fields. A short distance away, a row of horse-drawn carriages stood ready, each one loaded with crops bound for Silverpine City.

Hearing this, Feng’s excitement grew. "Thank you! I have no idea how long it would take me to get there if I had to walk alone," he said eagerly.

Chen Li laughed, his voice full of warmth, showing his good-natured demeanor. "Hey, for someone as strong as you, I doubt it would’ve taken as long as you think to reach Silverpine City anyway. A little help in exchange for a favor from a powerful cultivator—what’s there to lose?"

Feng smiled at Chen Li’s words and thanked him again before stepping forward to help. Noticing the heavy sack of crops on Chen Li’s back, he lifted it off him without hesitation and said, "Here, let me help you with that. It’s the least I can do since you’re helping me out."