Swallowed Star 2: Origin Continent: Volume 9: Chapter 4 (342): [Reaching Hunyuan City Alive?]

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Swallowed Star 2: Origin Continent
Volume 9: [Advancing Through the Darkness]
Chapter (342): [Reaching Hunyuan City Alive?]
(4th of Volume 9)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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Boxiu and Bai Yin exchanged a glance!

"What's wrong?" Luo Feng noticed something was off with his three friends.

"Brother Luo Feng," the red-robed youth said, "This time, you sold items worth an estimated 730 billion Hunyuan Crystals, yet you've only spent a small portion on treasures. The rest- over 700 billion crystals- you must be planning to bring it to the large Hunyuan Hall in Hunyuan City, right?"

Luo Feng nodded.

"All the true treasures of the Dark Holy Realm are in the large Hunyuan Hall! That ancient hall contains countless different kinds of treasures- which even surpasses infinite space. One can exchange for an entire city, various bloodlines, treasures like the Eye of Life and Death, and even more precious secret treasures. One can even exchange for living Hunyuan prisoners. Naturally, I intend to use these crystals in the Hunyuan Hall," Luo Feng said.

Boxiu gently shook his head.

"Do you think you can reach Hunyuan City alive?"

On the side, God Emperor Bai Yin poured wine for Luo Feng.

"Brother Luo Feng, the Dark Holy Realm is named for its darkness. It's chaotic- don't you know that?"

"I've heard of it," Luo Feng nodded.

Bai Yin continued, "Currently, the two strongest individuals in the Dark Holy Realm are Long Jiu Daojun and God Emperor Ji Ke. Individually, they're only comparable to the three of us combined. So here, unless you're an invincible existence, individual power just isn't enough."

Luo Feng pondered.

"In this city of Chengfeng, only three major factions have the power to buy your goods. These are also the three most influential factions in the city," Boxiu explained.

"First is the group led by the City Lord and 29 peak-level experts. They're tightly knit, and the actual leader is Long Jiu Daojun. However, since Long Jiu resides in the large Hunyuan Hall in Hunyuan City, the City Lord is left in charge."

"Second is the faction led by God Emperor Mixu. He commands 15 peak-level experts and ranks among the top three in formation mastery across the Dark Holy Realm. When combined with the strength of his followers, they're terrifying."

"Third are the Tianlang Bayou(Eight Heavenly Wolf Companions)- a faction of eight peak-level beings. Though seemingly the weakest, they once followed an invincible existence, Heavenly Wolf Guest(Tianlang Ke)."

"Heavenly Wolf Guest rose rapidly and became invincible. Though we never saw him, we've heard the tales. It's said he has already transcended the cage."

Boxiu and Bai Yin both looked at Luo Feng.

They were already inclined to follow Luo Feng, believing he had the potential to become an invincible existence. Once one becomes truly invincible, they're taken away and no longer need followers. So choosing to follow early is crucial.

The Eight Heavenly Wolf Companions were like that. They followed the Heavenly Wolf Guest early on. When he transcended, he rewarded them slightly, and now the eight of them hold unique status in the Dark Holy Realm.

"Indeed, practitioners in the Dark Holy Realm who have ties to transcendent existences tend to fare better," Luo Feng realized.

For example, Elder Xing Yi of Yulan City was a disciple of an invincible being.

The Dark Holy Realm is the core of surrounding realms. It has a deep history and traces left by several invincible beings and their disciples and friends.

"Over 700 billion Hunyuan Crystals," Boxiu said quietly. "You're planning to carry them out of Chengfeng City? Even if the three of us help you, we won't be able to protect you."

"The City Lord's faction is somewhat lenient, so you might have a 50% chance. But the other two factions-it's almost certain they'll make a move," the red-robed youth Chi yan said.

"God Emperor Mixu's group desperately needs resources and will most likely act."
"As for the Eight Heavenly Wolf Companions- they aren't lacking resources, but ever since receiving a gift from Heavenly Wolf Guest, they've possibly suffered soul contamination. Their temperaments changed- they became extremely greedy and vicious!"

In the Dark Holy Realm, the most dangerous threats aren't individuals but groups. Peak-level beings aren't vastly different in power.

Boxiu looked at Luo Feng.

"Any of those factions working together- if you're not an invincible existence, you can't resist."

Luo Feng nodded slightly.

"So my suggestion: buy everything you can now, and have the sellers deliver the treasures directly to the Transmission of Holy Mountain," Boxiu advised.

"Arrange for one of your clones to receive them there, then return directly to your Origin World."

"Only relatively common treasures can be bought with Hunyuan Crystals. Everything else requires military merits. Once they're exchanged for military merits and recorded under your name, no one can take them!" Boxiu shared all his advice.

"We peak-level beings usually accumulate only a few billion Hunyuan Crystals over long epochs. Most of it gets converted into military merits. Your sum is equivalent to the total wealth of dozens of peak-level experts- and it's all in raw Hunyuan Crystals. Who wouldn't be tempted to steal it?" Boxiu added.

All three of them had already decided to follow Luo Feng, which helped them suppress their greed. But 700 billion Hunyuan Crystals? That's a massive trove of resources.

"Thank you, all of you!" Luo Feng said gratefully.

After some thought, he said, "I heard that High-level Hunyuan bloodlines focused on the dao of life and death can be bought with Hunyuan Crystals in the large Hunyuan Hall. I need those."

"Yes, have the City Lord's faction purchase them for you," Boxiu nodded.

The price set by Senior Yuan and others for these bloodlines wasn't too high- generally under 10 billion Hunyuan Crystals each.

"I've collected data on all the life-and-death-based High-level Hunyuan bloodlines available at the large Hunyuan Hall," God Emperor Bai Yin said. "There are 73 types requiring a total of 533 billion Hunyuan Crystals."

"Then that's what I'll buy," Luo Feng said.

"Have the City Lord's faction send all the bloodlines and cultivation aids to the Transmission of Holy Mountain."

At this time, Luo Feng's distant clone on the Origin Continent had already split off another clone and was travelling through valleys and lakes via teleportation toward the Dark Holy Realm.

"Please also have the City Lord's faction help me buy 30 million military merits with the remaining Hunyuan Crystals," he said.

"Urgently or not?" Boxiu asked.

"What's the difference?" Luo Feng asked.

"If you're not in a rush, the City Lord's faction can gather them slowly-it might take a billion epoch to collect 30 million military merits," Boxiu said.

For many practitioners, waiting a billion epoch is acceptable. Gradually gathering the military merits, each one costs 110,000 Hunyuan Crystals.

Luo Feng nodded.

In places like the Nine Rivers Holy Realm, cities usually buy military merits at 100,000 crystals each. But factoring in effort from various factions, Luo Feng would naturally have to pay a bit more.

"So it takes a billion epoch? What about an urgent purchase?" Luo Feng asked.

"For an urgent buy, 30 million military merits would still take ten thousand epochs. Each merit would cost 130,000 Hunyuan Crystals," Boxiu said.

This was already considered a bargain after competitive pricing among the factions in the Dark Holy Realm.

"Still too slow. Can it go any faster?" Luo Feng asked.

"If you offer a higher price, many military merits centered around the Dark Holy Realm and other worlds... they'll prioritize you!" Boxiu replied.

"I'll offer 130,000 Hunyuan Crystals per unit of military merit. How long will it take to gather them?" Luo Feng asked.

"A 30% profit margin is already high. It'll take thousands of epochs to gather them all!" Boxiu said.

"After all, you're asking for too many military merits. Gathering ten million military merits in a short time really requires collection from multiple worlds."

Luo Feng nodded.

"Deliver every ten million military merits once they're ready."

Given his strength and the environment of the Dark Holy Realm, once he left Chengfeng City, he couldn't rely on the city's laws to protect him. Luo Feng couldn't be certain of surviving a siege from peak-level beings!

Indeed, it was better to convert as much into military merits under his name as possible.

"I still need some powerful secret treasures!" Luo Feng said.

"We can talk about any powerful secret treasures related to Life and Destruction!"

"Those are relatively rare. Even in all of Chengfeng City, there aren't many willing to sell secret treasures of the Life and Destruction type!" Boxiu said.

"I'm willing to pay a high price!" Luo Feng smiled.

Secret treasures like the Immortal Heart and Palm Realm are possessed even by the founding ancestors of the two ancient nations. Semi-Hunyuan-level powerhouses typically had several of them!

Even Lord Weiyang's clone in Yulan City had two. Peak-level existences usually owned even more. Some might even possess treasures on the level of the Eye of Life and Death, but such treasures were impossible to sell or even bring out of the Origin World!

"If you're offering a high price, then that makes things easier!" Boxiu laughed.

"Such powerful secret treasures are more common in the Dark Holy Realm. Powerhouses from the Origin World usually hold two or three each!"

Chengfeng City Lord's Mansion.

The city lord Fengqiao has a towering figure, like a giant made of stone, with golden eyes scanning the surroundings.

He is a peak-level existence and the lord of Chengfeng City, one of the five major cities of the Dark Holy Realm, and also the most trusted junior brother of Dao Lord Longjiu.

He commands 28 other peak-level existences- a force so powerful that it is renowned throughout the entire Dark Holy Realm!

"730 billion Hunyuan Crystals- this Luo Feng God Emperor is ruthless! Intelligence shows his strength is extremely high. He alone suppressed four ultra-limit level beings, but didn't hold the city. He let four low-leve Hunyuan life army corps enter the city. When they reached the core area, he 'coincidentally' completed the formation setup!

With the formation in place and the enemy forces too deep, he struck them down one by one during their retreat- ultimately annihilating 90% of them!"

"I think it was all part of his scheme- to let the city fall on purpose, lure the enemy deep, and finally harvest the entire operation. He captured nearly half of the Nine Rivers Holy Realm's Low-level Hunyuan life core crystals. That's why his gains are so huge!"

"Such brilliant calculation! He only arrived in Yulan City just over 2,000 epochs ago. I suspect the weak strength he previously showed was just a disguise! He may have discovered an ultra-limit level Heart-Bewitching Worm, and used that to plan a trap in the weakest Yulan City, waiting patiently for Low-level Hunyuan beings to come."

All the peak-level existences present sat scattered around. They had only just started investigating Luo Feng's background because of this large trade.

The investigation stunned them. They had reason to believe that everything was deliberately orchestrated by the God Emperor Luo Feng!

As for Luo Feng's origin from the Origin Continent, they hadn't uncovered it yet.

Palace Master Yuanxiang had found out only because he had been the city lord of Yulan City at the time, and knew Luo Feng's connection to Di Qing, who in turn was connected to the YanFeng Ancestor. That led him to trace the truth back step by step.

"He's also buying some bloodlines with Life and Destruction affinity, even some high-level Hunyuan bloodlines? Plus a number of auxiliary cultivation treasures? Count it all as 688 billion Hunyuan Crystals."

"Prepare everything and deliver it to the Transmission of Holy Mountain- to his clone directly!" Fengqiao the City Lord instructed indifferently.

A transaction involving over 600 billion Hunyuan Crystals in Low-level Hunyuan life was insignificant to the forces under his command!

"He also wants to purchase 30 million military merits, and is willing to pay 130,000 Hunyuan Crystals per unit of military merit!" Fengqiao smiled.

"Move all the Low-level Hunyuan life corpses we can access now- give them all to the God Emperor Luo Feng, and first confirm his military merits!"

"We can pull together about 8 million military merits from our stockpile and those of nearby forces in a short time!" said a black-robed elder.

"Earn as much as we can while we can!" Fengqiao was clearly satisfied with the deal.

Processing 730 billion Hunyuan Crystals worth of Low-level Hunyuan life corpses would bring hard-earned wages to the lower ranks, and at the top, they could easily profit over 2 billion Hunyuan Crystals.

And Luo Feng's military merit purchase alone, with the scale and urgency, would bring over 5 billion in pure profit- all without fighting or taking risks. Of course they were pleased!

"City Lord, are we really not going to act?" a seductive woman asked. Her scaly tail flicked slightly- clearly, she was excited!

"If the battle at Yulan City was truly his carefully orchestrated plan, do you think such a practitioner would give you any opportunity or opening?" Fengqiao replied, "If it wasn't a plan and he's truly that monstrously talented, then it's even less suitable to rob him!"

Fengqiao, with his high status and abundant resources, prioritized maintaining power over taking reckless risks.

Several peak-level existences present were clearly reluctant to let it go, but Fengqiao's influence was too great. Without his support, it was hard to take any action.

In a massive cave mansion in Chengfeng City, deep in a vast chamber where space itself warped, fifteen vague figures sat scattered.

"Even when we offered 722 billion, we didn't get it. The price must've been even higher!" a sharp voice sounded.

"If we could rob Luo Feng, each of us could get several billion Hunyuan Crystals. That's a massive deal!" came the voice of a black spherical being.

Running a faction to earn resources was too slow- this wealth was just too huge!

They fifteen had long been suppressed by the city lord's faction and lagged behind in resource acquisition.

"We can't act inside the city!" a thin man sitting cross-legged said. His very presence carried the essence of the Origin World, subtly altering the formation of the entire chamber.

"We must wait patiently for an opportunity to appear!"

"So much wealth- and he wants to convert it all into military merits. But how many can he really convert? That means he has to carry a massive amount of Hunyuan Crystals, and he must go to a major Hunyuan Hall."

"So much military merit, so much wealth- to turn it into power, he has to go to a major Hunyuan Hall. And that would be our chance!"

They weren't afraid of danger. In the entire Dark Holy Realm, the fifteen of them together had never feared anyone!

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END OF CHAPTER

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