Swallowed Star 2: Origin Continent: Volume 7: Chapter 17(289): [The Death of Kumo]

Subscribe: MTL WORLD (@mtlworld1) YouTube Channel
***********************************
Swallowed Star 2: Origin Continent
Volume 7: [Nine Rivers Holy Realm]
Chapter 17(289): [The Death of Kumo]
(17th of Volume 7)
***********************************

From a distance, Di Qing heard Luo Feng's words, and his blood surged with excitement. Laughing heartily, he declared, "That's right! As a formidable being from the Origin World, I have never feared making enemies!"

Upon hearing this, the four powerful figures o
from the Guifang felt an unease creeping into their hearts.

The powerful beings from the Origin World typically acted with caution, striving to maintain a stable cultivation environment.

However, if conflicts escalated beyond reconciliation, it would inevitably turn into a battle of life and death.

Even if they lost treasures, they still possessed a crucial advantage- they could endlessly send clones from their homeland.

"At first, I assumed it wouldn't be easy to eliminate two mid-stage God Emperors. I thought it might be wiser to strike a deal and let them go. But Kumo insisted on doing it. In this endless sea of blood, we couldn't find the place where Kumo is imprisoned, and we have no means to save him either."

The four powerful figures from the Guifang felt a deep sense of helplessness, their minds burdened with frustration.

Suddenly-

"Quick! Help me think of a way! He's refining me- I can't hold on much longer!" The imprisoned, cold-hearted man sent a desperate telepathic plea.

"My body has already been refined by twenty percent!"

"Beg for mercy, negotiate- do whatever it takes, just save me!"

"If you can rescue me, I'll offer each of you ten million Hunyuan Crystals!" The cold man frantically transmitted his plea, his desperation palpable.

The four powerful figures from Guifang were momentarily stunned upon hearing this.

"Refined by two-tenths..." They knew that all naturally born Hunyuan life forms possessed a core of life, but for cultivators, there were no vital weak points- either their souls were utterly obliterated, or their bodies were completely destroyed.

"If Kumo dies, this endless sea of blood might trap one of us next, taking us down one by one," an ice-like creature warned its three companions from afar.

The moment these words were spoken, the other three figures were struck by realization.

They had all joined the Guifang, but there was no true camaraderie between them.

"Let's go."

"Hurry, we need to leave now."

In an instant, the four came to an agreement.

The shadow that had been locked in combat with Di Qing flickered away, swiftly regrouping with its three companions.

"Kumo, we will inform your master. He will find a way to save you."

After exchanging hurried messages, the four combined their powers, forming a faint, glowing light.

That light pierced through all obstacles, fleeing desperately into the distance.

If the battle continued, neither side would be able to claim victory in a short time. Luo Feng, though powerful, would have to fight and eliminate them one by one, requiring significant effort.

However, if they chose to escape at full speed, even Luo Feng's Endless Sea of Blood would struggle to stop them.

"Whoosh!"

The faint glow streaked across the sky at an astonishing speed. In just two breaths, it vanished beyond the horizon.

As the vast Endless Sea of Blood receded, it condensed into the figure of a man clad in black robes- Luo Feng.

"They're gone."

Di Qing flew over to Luo Feng's side, his gaze following the retreating enemies. Smiling, he remarked, "Who would have thought? The two of us stood against five of them. We took one down, and the other four turned tail and ran away."

"These raiding forces... what deep bonds could they possibly have?" Luo Feng smirked coldly.

Di Qing turned to him and asked, "By the way, the God Emperor you've imprisoned- do you have a way to kill him?"

"It will only take a moment," Luo Feng replied confidently.

Di Qing let out a hearty laugh. "Refreshing! If they want to kill us, we should kill them first. And if we take down that God Emperor, the spoils might be even greater than this hunt."

Luo Feng's thoughts stirred.

"Many powerful beings across the countless worlds don't have clones, meaning the treasures they've accumulated are always with them," Di Qing explained with a grin.

Luo Feng immediately understood.

Some rare auxiliary treasures or inheritances might have been lost over time, but the weapons, valuables, and cultivation materials a warrior relied on were usually carried at all times.

"In case they return with reinforcements, we should leave here first," Luo Feng said, fully focused on refining the imprisoned Kumo.

"Let's go."

Without hesitation, Di Qing and Luo Feng boarded the black flying boat and swiftly departed.

Within Luo Feng's body, inside the "Eye of the Blood Sea"- the heart of the Undying Blood Sea Body- a spatial prison crafted by the secret treasure formation diagram held it's captive.

"Squeak, squeak, squeak …"

The life-and-death chains, forged by the formation's immense power, constricted around Kumo's body, relentlessly eroding and strangling his body.

"This decayed body… it's nothing more than a manifestation of countless toxic rule-based substances."

A clone of Luo Feng appeared within the prison, his Bionic Eye of Destruction keenly analyzing Kumo's form. His entire body resembled an endless mass of black sludge, its composition shifting constantly.

Even if shattered, Kumo would disperse into countless venomous particles, making him nearly indestructible.

But this time, Luo Feng had taken a decisive step- his Endless Sea of Blood had surged forth, imprisoning every last particle of Kumo's toxic essence, ensuring that he had no chance of escape.

"Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle…"

The life-and-death formation whirred with full force, refining and relentlessly devouring Kumo's rule-based poison, piece by piece.

"They escaped..."

Kumo seethed with frustration, but he soon resigned himself to his fate.

In all of Yulan City, only his master truly cared for him- who else would genuinely concern themselves with his survival?

"What a terrifying formation..."

Bound within the relentless prison, Kumo felt the crushing power of the life-and-death formation, its strangling force sending waves of fear through him.

Close combat never frightened him- but this time, he had made the fatal mistake of underestimating Luo Feng. He had been the first to attach himself to Luo Feng, attempting to invade his body.

Yet, to his horror, Luo Feng's physical strength was even greater than his own.

"My 'Mysterious Poison Body' allows me to engage in close combat with low-level Hunyuan life forms, even at the mid-stage of the God Emperor realm. I can corrode them, wound them... but even my Mysterious Poison Body cannot withstand the power of this Life-and-Death Formation."

Kumo's withered form began to contort, his body slowly dissolving into an ever-growing mass of black sludge. Only his head retained in it's original shape, while the rest of him was being continuously refined and devoured.

"Luo Feng."

Kumo's gaze locked onto Luo Feng, his voice strained but steady.

Not far away, Luo Feng stood motionless, his Bionic Eye of Destruction coldly analyzing Kumo's deteriorating state.

"What would it take for you to let me go?" Kumo asked, his eyes filled with the desperate will to survive.

Luo Feng remained impassive. "Is this how much you want to live?"

"I want to live," Kumo nodded fervently.

Luo Feng's expression remained calm as he spoke, "Since you want to live, then why did you act so ruthlessly? I gave you a sum of Hunyuan Crystal, and you still chose to attack me." He paused before continuing, "When you made that choice, you should have accepted the consequences. Now that you've fallen into my hands, there will be no second chance."

Kumo was silent for a moment before a faint, eerie smile crept onto his face. "I've killed too many lives on my path… and now, it's finally my turn to die."

With those final words, Kumo slowly closed his eyes, accepting his fate.

At this moment- this final moment-

Kumo's thoughts drifted back to the life he had lived.

He was born into a world where the Great Dao itself was toxic. The deeper he cultivated, the closer he edged toward death. Every calamity that arrived threatened to consume him entirely, forcing him to break through to the next realm just to survive.

He had journeyed across more than three hundred worlds, witnessing the collapse of nineteen worlds with his own eyes- three of which had perished by his own hands.

Three times, he had ascended, each time barely surviving. It was only when the final "Great Dao Death Tribulation" loomed over him that he forcibly pushed himself to the level of a God Emperor, mastering a branch of the Great Dao- the only way to escape the cycle of inevitable demise.

With time, he delved even deeper, fully mastering the Poisonous Dao.

When he arrived in Yulan City, he found resonance in the Guifang's inheritance. It was there that he cultivated the "Ghost Poison Body".

For Kumo, killing and plundering had become second nature, as natural as breathing. He had long abandoned the notion of mercy- he would not even flinch if an entire world crumbled before him.

"I became a God Emperor only to escape the "Great Dao's Death Tribulation". But over the long years... I had already grown accustomed to killing, to plundering. It had become second nature, deeply ingrained in my soul."

And now, only at the brink of death did he truly understand.

From his weakest days to his ascension as a God Emperor, the countless tribulations brought upon him by the Great Dao Death Tribulation had shaped him in ways he had never realized.

For the first time, Kumo saw himself clearly.

"Huh."

A soft exhale escaped his lips.

Kumo's body had nearly been completely refined, with only a small fragment remaining.

Desperately, he attempted to reach out to his companions, but the vast distance made it impossible. The Nine Rivers Holy Realm was heavily suppressed in all aspects, and even the range of communication treasures was significantly limited.

"No response..."

At this moment, only one person came to Kumo's mind- his master.

His master's talent far surpassed his own. Every step Kumo had taken to escape death, every breakthrough he had achieved, was only possible because of his master's guidance.

"Master...don't seek revenge for me," Kumo murmured. "I didn't die at the hands of another cultivator- I died to the Great Dao's death tribulation."

And then-

Swoosh.

The final remnants of his black sludge body were completely refined. Every last trace of Kumo vanished, leaving nothing behind.

But in death, his treasures and belongings were finally revealed.

Luo Feng, watching the entire process unfold, couldn't help but acknowledge the reality- any cultivator who had reached the level of a mid-stage God Emperor had undoubtedly walked a legendary path. The struggles, the trials, the countless hardships- he understood them well.

He also knew that predecessors like senior Yuan and others had spent immense effort cultivating powerful practitioners, allowing them to grow stronger. That was why, in Yulan City, Luo Feng had always remained low-key, avoiding unnecessary conflicts.

But if someone tried to kill him-

He would show no mercy.

"You are the first God Emperor I killed." Luo Feng said softly, As he waved his hand, he gathered the spoils of battle left behind by Ku Mo.

Among them were:

:- The "Illusion Realm Labyrinth", a storage artifact containing many of Ku Mo's possessions.

:- The "Evil Poison" treasure, one of Ku Mo's prized toxic weapons.

:- A vast number of Hunyuan life materials, primarily aligned with poison cultivation, but also some miscellaneous treasures obtained from plundering.

Inside the Illusion Realm Labyrinth, there were three particularly valuable items stored.

Luo Feng analyzed them carefully. "Many cultivators must have died at his hands," he thought.

The materials Ku Mo had acquired were top-tier, vastly different from Luo Feng's past, where he had to be extremely frugal. Ku Mo, on the other hand, had spent lavishly, particularly on materials to refine poisons.

"These materials and treasures are estimated to be worth around 80 million Hunyuan Crystals."

Despite being aware that most of a cultivator's wealth is eventually consumed-either through acquiring rare auxiliary treasures or purchasing powerful inheritances- this was still a significant gain.

What I carry with me are just some common items for cultivation, their value is relatively limited.

"80 million Hunyuan Crystals... that's quite a fortune." Luo Feng was very satisfied.

The return journey went smoothly- no bandits, no interruptions. The black spaceship flew swiftly, carrying Luo Feng and Di Qing back to Yulan City.

As they arrived, Di Qing smirked.

"Brother Luo Feng, news of you killing Ku Mo will spread fast."

Luo Feng had always been low-key, with many in Yulan City believing he was only an early-stage God Emperor.

But now? After fighting four mid-stage God Emperors and even killing Ku Mo? His true strength had been revealed.

"With this battle alone, you'll rank among the top two thousand in Yulan City."

With great strength comes great recognition- and, inevitably, trouble.

"Even if you don't seek conflict, trouble will find you."

Luo Feng nodded in agreement.

Di Qing continued, his expression slightly more serious.

"According to intelligence, the only true friend Ku Mo had in Yulan City is his master- Yu Yong." Di Qing said. "His master Yu Yong is much more difficult to deal with."

But Luo Feng only chuckled.

"I'm just a clone here in the Nine Rivers Holy Realm- what's there to fear?"

If Yu Yong made a move, he would be attacking a clone. Luo Feng's real body remained safe elsewhere. The one who should be panicking was Yu Yong, not him.

"Whoosh!"

With that, the black flying ship soared above Yulan City, racing towards the Hunyuan Palace.

_________________________

END OF CHAPTER

Subscribe: MTL WORLD (@mtlworld1) YouTube Channel
***********************************