Swallowed Star 2: Origin Continent: Volume 8: Chapter 3 (308): [The Lord of the Insect Nest]

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Swallowed Star 2: Origin Continent
Volume 8: [The Battle of Yulan City]
Chapter (308): [The Lord of the Insect Nest]
(3rd of Volume 8)
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Luo Feng's Eye of Life and Death at the center of his brow slowly opened. The complete bloodline, burning with black flames, unfolded before his gaze in layers.

Each layer was interwoven with countless intricate runes, and as these layers fused seamlessly, they formed a singular, flawless whole- a bloodline that was born to transcend all limits and eventually break free from the cage.

"By combining them this way... Can one truly break free from the cage?" Luo Feng was utterly mesmerized, his mind engulfed in awe.

Even though this was merely a low-level Hunyuan lifeform bloodline of the Early God Emperor Stage, it had already begun to unveil the secrets of transcending the cage right before his eyes.

"Some of my previous completion methods had too many flaws," Luo Feng reflected.

"Back on Earth, a teacher once told me- learn from the ways of nature! Now, as I study the bloodlines of innate Hunyuan Lifeforms, isn't this also a form of learning from nature?" Luo Feng's heart was filled with deep reverence.

"Forget about fully integrating life and death- even just the method of fusion are countless."

"I need to extract and refine each of them."

First fusion method...

Second fusion methods...

One by one, Luo Feng studied the different methods of fusion.

Extracting each fusion method and refine them is not an easy task- it requires a deep understanding of the essence of underlying patterns and principles. He had to refine them from scattered, intricate patterns into a universal fusion method.

During his comprehension, Luo Feng also consumed special cultivation treasures that enhanced his thinking process.

After all, even with a God Emperor-Level consciousness, deciphering these mysteries of breaking free from the cage was still too overwhelming.

Even with such enhancements, it took him over one fully epoch to fully comprehend just this one early-stage God Emperor Hunyuan lifeform bloodline- Nihuo Serpent Bloodline.

"Although I have extracted and refined many ways for the fusion of 'Life and Death', I still lack the ultimate, flawless 'perfect fusion'!" Luo Feng realized. "Only a perfect fusion can truly break free from the cage."

This is the weakest Hunyuan lifeform that had break free from the cage, yet I still struggled to grasp its core essence. He sighed inwardly.

Among the innate Hunyuan Lifeforms, the strength of the Early-stage God Emperor is indeed the weakest.

"I have gained a lot from this Hunyuan bloodline!" Luo Feng was satisfied.

"From just this one bloodline, I've already refined nineteen distinct methods of life and death fusion. If I apply them to my cultivation path, my strength will undoubtedly surge."

"No need to rush into fusion of Life and Death- first, I must build a solid foundation!"

Next, Luo Feng turned his attention to the second bloodline 'Shadow Hunter Bloodline' of the Early God Emperor Realm.

He had previously attempted to reconstruct it using twelve fragmented materials, but his approach had been flawed.

With his newfound knowledge of the nineteen life-and-death fusion methods, he embarked on a new completion process.

It took an astonishing one million days, but when he finally finished, Luo Feng was satisfied.

Using the Eye of Life and Death, he carefully examined the early-stage God Emperor Realm 'Shadow Hunter Bloodline'.

"It's about 60-70% similar with his reconstruction." Luo Feng's face lit up with joy.

"If my first attempt of bloodline completion was crude and filled with flaws, then this second attempt is already taking shape as a near-perfect prototype!" Luo Feng thought.

"The direction is correct!"

Excited, he studied the Shadow Hunter Bloodline even more carefully.

With abundant cultivation resources at his disposal, Luo Feng could feel himself advancing steadily.

Now, the only limiting factor was his comprehension speed. Even as a God Emperor, his comprehension speed was still too slow.

Compared to High-level Hunyuan beings, who could comprehend things thousands of times faster, he was at a clear disadvantage.

"No matter. I'll take my time." Luo Feng reassured himself.

"Even if I'm slow, I just need to take more time!"

At this moment, he felt a deep sense of gratitude toward the Lord of the Yuanxiang Hall for gifting him 5 billion Hunyuan Crystals.

The wealth had significantly accelerated his progress, and Luo Feng suspected that the Lord had anticipated this.

As long as he spent wisely, this immense fortune was more than enough to sustain him and further his cultivation as a God Emperor.

Luo Feng glanced at the numerous bloodlines arranged before him.

In total, there were 323 types of early-stage God Emperor bloodlines and 257 types of mid-stage God Emperor bloodlines.

Meanwhile, the late-stage God Emperor realm only contained 15 distinct bloodlines.

The first three bloodlines alone seemed like a significant investment, but with Luo Feng's vast wealth, the cost was barely a concern. Altogether, he had spent 830 million Hunyuan Crystals on them.

For six types of perfection God Emperor bloodlines, he had spent a total of 1.92 billion Hunyuan Crystals.

These were particularly valuable to him because they represented the absolute limit of low-level Hunyuan lifeforms, where the bloodline's profound mysteries had been explored to their fullest.

Since Perfection Stage God Emperor low-level Hunyuan life forms that embodied the essence of life and death were extremely rare in the Jiuhe Holy Realm, Elder Xing Yi had specially acquired a batch from the Dark Holy Realm.

Each bloodline was accompanied by more than ten sets of corresponding materials, ensuring Luo Feng had ample resources for his research.

To complete his collection, he also purchased additional missing materials, bringing his total expenditure to 2.83 billion Hunyuan Crystals- even after Elder Xing Yi worked hard to negotiate lower prices.

"Fortunately, a low-level Hunyuan life corpse can still provide a significant amount of bloodline essence... The cost is manageable," Luo Feng mused.

In the Origin Continent, the Hunyuan bloodline creatures cultivated by the ancestors of the two ancient nations had not yet broken free from the cage.

In terms of vitality and other characteristics, they were still far inferior to those who have already transcended the cage.

Moreover, the bloodline extraction methods of the two ancient nation's ancestors was relatively inefficient. Typically, only a few bloodlines could be extracted from a single creature.

In contrast, the Jiuhe Holy Realm had perfected the utilization of low-level Hunyuan life corpses to an extreme degree.

Every fragment of a corpse had value- wasting even a small portion was considered a loss of precious Hunyuan Crystals.

From a single corpse, at least ten complete bloodlines could be extracted, sometimes even more.

Even the bones and heavier remains could be repurposed- whether for weapon forging, alchemy, or puppet crafting.

"Whether it's the Jiuhe Holy Realm or the Dark Holy Realm, powerful beings are everywhere. The level of trade competition is ruthless, pushing all refining and extraction methods to near perfection," Luo Feng thought.

Ultimately, the biggest factor affecting treasure prices wasn't production but raw material costs.

For example:

:- A standard God Emperor-level weapon required only about 1 million Hunyuan Crystals if crafted from common materials.

:- A more complex God Emperor warship would start at 3 million Hunyuan Crystals.

:- A large, movable formation typically exceeded 5 million Hunyuan Crystals.

In the Dark Holy Realm, where countless powerhouses who have attained enlightenment at the semi-Hunyuan level resides, these types of weapons and treasures were relatively inexpensive compared to truly rare artifacts.

However, some secret treasures- such as those obtained from the Infinite Space Treasury- are far more valuable. One such example is the Immortal Heart, an exceptionally rare item.

Materials like world-class Hunyuan lifeform are impossible to hunt, making them extraordinarily expensive.

Any treasure that requires over 100,000 reward points in Infinite Space Treasury is considered priceless- such as the legendary Eye of Life-and-Death, which could aid in breaking free from the cage.

Even the predecessors and senior Yuan who mastered these treasures could only refine a limited number of them. Some are so invaluable that they are strictly forbidden from being taken outside the Origin World.

Moreover, when a practitioner perished, these rare artifacts were automatically reclaimed by Infinite Space Treasury.

The Eye of Life and Death, for instance, had passed through the hands of many users before Luo Feng.

Jiuhe Holy Realm, Yulan City

Deep within a vast cavern, a colossal, spherical creature was lurking in the shadows.

Its surface constantly morphs, revealing shifting faces of fury, madness, slumber, and eerie laughter- a nightmarish spectacle that distorts reality around it. The weaker Hunyuan lifeforms in the vicinity are deeply affected by this presence.

Many intruders have dared to infiltrate the city, but none have ever ventured near this massive lair- this is the feared Insect Nest.

A strange and formidable lifeform, relying solely on its own strength, has dared to challenge the Three Palace Masters directly!

The Insect Nest is covered with countless holes, and from its depths, powerful practitioners frequently emerge, spreading its influence throughout Yulan City.

"Master, our elixir sales have dropped by nearly half this past month!" an elder reported respectfully.

Seated before him, a strikingly beautiful woman raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"How could it drop so drastically?"

For countless years, her cultivation had been sustained through multiple sources- the Insect Nest faction's operations, theft, plunder, and trade. All profits ultimately flowed into her hands.

Although a temporary decline in elixir sales wasn't alarming, if this trend continued, even she would start feeling the effects.

"The Dan Tower has significantly increased its supply recently," the elder continued. "Their pills of the same grade are cheaper than ours. Many factions in the city have started buying in bulk from Dan Tower, reducing our sales."

The woman's expression darkened.

"The Changqing Tower Master dares to challenge me?" she mused coldly. "Who gave him such audacity?"

The elder hesitated before delivering more crucial news.

"During your seclusion, a new elder-level expert arrived in Yulan City- Luo Feng. He has already joined the Dan Tower."

The woman's gaze flickered as she quickly scanned the latest intelligence reports.

When she finished reading, a cold smile curved her lips.

"A newly risen elder level powerhouse who dares to meddle in this conflict, capable of suppressing Tianhe?"

He knew the Dan Tower and the Insect Nest are at odds, yet this Luo Feng still chose to step in?

"No need for drastic action," she commanded. "Continue with regular business. Do not engage. Dismissed."

"Yes, Master!" The elder bowed and exited.

The woman remained seated, her gaze fixed on the distant Dan Tower.

"It's not appropriate to make a move in the city directly... but I can still send my spiritual clone to meet the God Emperor Luo Feng."

Without moving a muscle, an invisible surge of spiritual power flowed out from the massive Insect Nest.

As the energy projection left, the nest itself became eerily still- the grotesque faces on its surface faded into silence.

This ethereal presence took the form of a woman, gracefully floating through the skies of Yulan City.

To ordinary eyes, she was imperceptible. But the city's defense systems- maintained by the ruling elders- immediately registered the anomaly.

"That presence... is it the Insect Lord?"

"How did she send out a spiritual clone without disrupting the city's balance?"

Despite detecting the Insect Lord's spiritual clone, the three overseeing elders chose not to interfere.

After all, she was still a recognized elder-level entity within Yulan City, operating within the limits of authority.

In the blink of an eye, the Insect Lord's spiritual clone arrived before the towering building of the Dan Tower.

Her gaze swept over the cluster of ancient pill halls, radiating an almost tangible pressure.

Inside, two elders were present- the Changqing Tower Master and Luo Feng.

At that moment, Luo Feng was deeply immersed in studying the grand formation protecting the Dan Tower.

The Thirty-Six Reincarnation and Extinction Formations- a fusion of life and death principles- were created by different practitioners over the ages. Luo Feng observed their intricate design, contemplating their complexities.

"Some aspects are still beyond my understanding..." he mused.

Yet, ever since he had comprehended the Hunyuan Bloodline, his comprehension of life and death energy had deepened.

"These formations.. while complex, they are still crude in some ways."

While predecessors had their own insights, none had possessed the Eye of Life and Death.

Even if they had obtained Hunyuan Bloodlines, they could only glimpse fragments of its true nature, forcing them to rely on inference and comprehension rather than direct observation.

Suddenly, Luo Feng felt a strange and sinister energy fluctuation.

Though weak, the mere touch of this aura sent a wave of great terror through his consciousness.

At the same time, his Lie yuan technique instinctively activated, forming a natural resistance against the invasive force.

"Who...?"

In an instant, his mind reacted.

The thirty-six-layer formation surged to full power, defensive mechanisms clicking into place.

And then- his bionic Eye of Destruction detected the source.

A spiritual woman, standing at the main entrance of the Dan Tower, gazing at him in silence.

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END OF CHAPTER

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