Swallowed Star 2: Origin Continent: Volume 7: Chapter 18(290): [Elder Tianhe and Yu Yong]

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Swallowed Star 2: Origin Continent
Volume 7: [Nine Rivers Holy Realm]
Chapter (290): [Elder Tianhe and Yu Yong]
(18th of Volume 7)
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Shop No. 3, first floor of Hunyuan Hall.

"Oh!" The chubby old man, Bu You, widened his eyes as he examined the low-level Hunyuan life forms stored in the storage bag.

Among them, the most striking was a massive corpse with a completely red body.

"Looking at it's size, and aura- this is a mid-stage God Emperor low-level Hunyuan life form."

Bu You glanced at Luo Feng and Di Qing in astonishment.

In Yulan City, successfully hunting a mid-stage God Emperor low-level Hunyuan life form was already a testament to the team's strength.

"Hurry up and make an offer," Di Qing urged.

Bu You nodded.

"The highest price I can offer for this corpse is 12.5 million Hunyuan Crystals." Bu you said. "And with its 10 military merits, the total value reaches 13.5 million Hunyuan crystals!"

Luo Feng and Di Qing exchanged knowing glances- this was already the best offer. The other two companies that had just left hadn't considered to have military merits for this corpse, so their highest bids were only 12 million and 12.2 million Hunyuan Crystals, respectively.

"This corpse is yours." Di Qing said with a smile.

Bu You burst into laughter upon hearing this. He had been determined to obtain this complete corpse. The core tendons of the Flame Beast were particularly valuable to the forces backing him, and the rest of its body could be used for forging, medicinal purposes, and even alchemy.

Despite being "only" a mid-level God Emperor Hunyuan life form, these creatures had unique qualities.

While their lower realm restricted them from fully utilizing their potential, their remains still possessed significant value.

In the hands of skilled practitioners, such corpses could serve an even greater purpose. Even the leftover fragments could be repurposed as cultivation materials!

With everything sold, Luo Feng and his team left the three familiar shops on the first floor of Hunyuan Hall, having successfully completed their transactions.

"We sold a mid-stage God Emperor and seven early-stage God Emperor low-level Hunyuan life forms from our recent hunt, earning a total of 19.5 million Hunyuan Crystals."

Luo Feng and Di Qing quickly divided the earnings.

Di Qing took 5.85 million Hunyuan Crystals, while the remaining 13.65 million went to Luo Feng.

To purchase the array diagram treasure, Luo Feng even borrowed 300,000 Hunyuan Crystals from Di Qing, which he repaid to him.

"Don't rush when dealing with the spoils from killing Kumo," Di Qing advised. "Take your time and explore Yulan City properly."

Luo Feng nodded in agreement.

Handling these spoils was going to be a bit tricky.

If he wanted a quick and easy sale, he could sell everything at Hunyuan Hall, but the discount would be too big- especially for complete low-level Hunyuan life corpses.

While the market here was an option, the materials were highly varied, with many modifications involved.

For rare poisons or precious materials refined from them, he would need to find buyers who truly understood their value.

"Taking a few extra days to handle it properly is worth it!" Luo Feng thought. He wasn’t in a hurry- such a massive haul needed to be sold wisely.

"You also need to be cautious of Kumo's master, Yu Yong, and the Guifang," Di Qing warned Luo Feng before finally departing.

With that, Luo Feng set out to deal with the spoils.

In Yulan City, only three long-standing factions engage in "theft and plunder" activities: the insect Nest, the Ten Thousand Shadows Pavilion(Wanying), and the Guifang.

It's important to note that the city is home to 723 late-stage God Emperor-level experts.

The fact that these three groups operate so openly without fear of making enemies is proof of their overwhelming confidence!

"Deputy Master, Kumo from the Blacklight team has been killed!"

Before Luo Feng and his team even returned to Yulan City, four members of the Blacklight team had already arrived and reported the news.

The Guifang organization has a total of eight deputy masters, all of whom are late-stage God Emperor who had attained enlightenment.

Among them, five also hold the esteemed position of elders in Yulan City.

These eight deputy masters are the ones who truly control Guifang's operations.

As for the Owner?

A formidable practitioner whose strength rivals that of the three great masters, he rarely makes a public appearance. Instead, most of his focus remains on his clone in the Dark Holy Realm.

The Guifang's den is simply a means for him to extract substantial benefits.

"Is Kumo really dead?"

A handsome man clad in a flowing white robe sat leisurely, his skin shimmering with a faint halo. Upon closer inspection, the glow was actually composed of countless protective layers.

This man was Tian He Yuan, one of Guifang's deputy masters.

With an amused chuckle, he mused, "I only have twenty teams in total. Losing a member from the Blacklight team makes reassigning forces quite the hassle."

With a slow, deliberate motion, his pale, jade-like fingers reached for a wine jug and gracefully poured himself a drink.

"How did he die?"

"Here is the full report, deputy master!" The armored figure respectfully handed over the documents.

Elder Tianhe scanned the surroundings before reviewing the report.

The intelligence detailed every aspect of the previous battle- nothing was left out.

"Luo Feng," Elder Tianhe murmured.

"Only seven hundred centuries since he arrived in Yulan City, and his physical cultivation techniques are somewhat intriguing."

However, he remained indifferent.

As a formidable figure from the Origin World, he held dual positions- an elder in Yulan City and a deputy master in Guifang- primarily to maximize his own benefits. His true focus lay on the Dark Holy Realm.

Having reached the late stage of the God Emperor long ago, he had steadily built a formidable presence in Yulan City over the years.

The Guifang had never considered Luo Feng a threat.

"He must compensate us for killing our men," Elder Tianhe said, glancing at the golden-armored figure.

"Go to Luo Feng and tell him... if he pays fifty million Hunyuan Crystals, we'll consider the matter settled."

"If he refuses to hand it over, there's no need to argue- just return!" Elder Tianhe ordered!"

"Understood!"

The golden-armored figure responded with respect and departed immediately.

Elder Tianhe continued sipping his drink leisurely, his expression unchanged.

The loss of a subordinate? It didn't bother him in the slightest.

His clone remained in Yulan City solely to gather resources. "This place has become dull," Elder Tianhe remarked.

"Luo Feng, huh? I hope you refuse me- that would be entertaining. To secure benefits in Yulan City, it's not just about reputation; real power comes from instilling fear. And fear is built through bloodshed. Heh!"

His eyes turned cold.

Compared to the ruthless Dark Holy Realm, the Nine Rivers Holy Realm was merely a retreat for Elder Tianhe.

In the very heart of Yulan City, a cave dwelling stood that surpassed even Di Qing's in security and energy reserves.

"Kumo is dead?"

Yu Yong received the news inside his cave, along with reports from the four who had witnessed the battle firsthand.

Yu Yong possessed a towering physique. He isn't a enlightener but a practitioner of the Hunyuan bloodline. His strength has nearly reached the "Semi-Hunyuan level," but he is still a step away from fully advancing.

Only those who have truly attained a Semi-Hunyuan bloodline could stand on equal footing with late-stage God Emperors in terms of status.

With his current power, Yu Yong might barely qualify to enter the Dark Holy Realm, but he had no desire to attempt it.

Even if he went, he would still be at the lowest tier.

Instead, he preferred to continue accumulating strength in the Nine Rivers Holy Realm until he fully reaches the semi-Hunyuan level.

"Ku Mo..." Yu Yong sighed.

"I told you before, life is much easier here in the Nine Rivers Holy Realm. There's no need to join that Guifang."

Yu Yong and Ku Mo had risen step by step from the very bottom.

Along the way, they had other companions, but in the end, only the two of them made it to the Nine Rivers Holy Realm together.

For practitioners in the Origin World, the path of cultivation is far more grueling, and achieving God Emperor status is an almost insurmountable challenge.

However, the pressure they faced within the Origin World was not as relentless.

Yu Yong and Ku Mo had access to valuable resources, which made cultivation somewhat easier, but danger was ever-present. Death loomed constantly, forcing them to grow stronger.

If you aren't strong, you will perish.

"I once met Senior Jin face-to-face," Yu Yong murmured. "He promised that if we could escape this cage, he would resurrect many of our fallen comrades."

For Yu Yong, the ultimate goal was breaking free from the cage- not endless battles with other cultivators.

He knew Ku Mo all too well.

Ku Mo had spent his entire life immersed in slaughter. Even after reaching the rank of a God Emperor, he continued down the same ruthless path. It was the fastest way to acquire resources.

In the past, they had no choice but to kill to survive, but here in the Nine Rivers Holy Realm, there is no such compulsion. Yu Yong treasured these relatively peaceful days.

"Luo Feng..." Yu Yong muttered as he reviewed the intelligence report. "Perhaps Luo Feng was Ku Mo's calamity. I hold no hostility toward him."

Taking the initiative to rob and kill, only to end up dead oneself- who else is there to blame?

On the path to sainthood, Yu Yong had witnessed the deaths of countless companions and had long accepted the possibility of his own demise at any moment.

Ultimately, both he and Ku Mo were fortunate enough to break free from their original world and reach the Nine Rivers Holy Realm. Ku Mo met his end here, and Yu Yong wasn’t the least bit surprised.

Choosing the path of plunder meant accepting the risk of retaliation.

"I won't avenge you," Yu Yong murmured.

"I know you wouldn't want that either, Ku Mo."

They understood each other too well.

It's often said that a master and disciple who walk together for years can become as close as companions, but they had long since become true life-and-death partners.

"My cultivation has only one goal- to escape this cage." Yu Yong's eyes burned with determination. "Only by breaking free can I make up for all these regrets!"

Meanwhile, Luo Feng roamed the bustling streets of Yulan City, searching for the best way to handle his recent spoils. He wasn't necessarily looking to sell at the absolute highest price, but he wanted to get as close to it as possible.

By now, night had fallen, and a strong wind swept through the city. As Luo Feng stepped out of a shop, his gaze landed on a golden-armored figure standing ahead.

The figure, encased in shimmering golden armor, regarded Luo Feng with an icy stare.

"From the Guifang?"

Luo Feng immediately recognized the man. He had long since purchased intelligence on the city's God Emperors.

While he hadn't bought the most recent updates, such information rarely changed drastically in a short period.

Qiu Yike- a mid-stage God Emperor enlightener and a member of the Guifang organization.

'Did he come because of the Ku Mo incident?' Luo Feng wondered as he met the man's gaze.

"Luo Feng!" The golden-armored figure spoke at last. "Ku Mo was under my command."

"You killed Kumo, and now the deputy master of the Guifang is furious! But considering that Kumo tried to rob you first, I'll give you a chance to atone for your sins!"

"Atonement?" Luo Feng looked directly at the figure before him.

"Compensate us with fifty million Hunyuan Crystals, and we'll drop the matter," demanded the golden-armored figure.

"Fifty million Hunyuan Crystals?"

Luo Feng let out a cold, furious laugh. "Your Guifang's men ambushed me outside the city, attempting to rob and kill me. I retaliated, and now you expect me to pay compensation? Am I supposed to just stand there and accept being slaughtered?"

"You had the right to fight back," the golden-armored figure replied indifferently. "But you still need to compensate. Deliver 50 million Hunyuan Crystals to the deputy master within three days."

"Of course, you could refuse," he added, his tone casual. "But I doubt you'd want to face the consequences."

With that, he turned and walked away.

"No need to wait three days!" Luo Feng's voice rang out.

"Go back and tell Elder Tianhe, the deputy master of the Guifang- forget fifty million, I won't even give a single Hunyuan Crystal."

"Go ahead and play whatever tricks you like."

The golden-armored figure turned to look at Luo Feng, a slight smile forming on his lips.

"Interesting."

With that, he took off into the sky and disappeared.
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END OF CHAPTER

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