Swallowed Star 2: Origin Continent: Volume 7: Chapter 15(287): [Yulan City's 700th Century]

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Swallowed Star 2: Origin Continent
Volume 7: [Nine Rivers Holy Realm]
Chapter (287): [Yulan City's 700th Century]
(15th of Volume 7)
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Time flows indefinitely.

A black flying boat has already started its return journey, heading for Yulan City.

Di Qing steered the flying ship from the main hall, while sensing the surroundings. Luo Feng sat alongside him, with the bionic Eye of Destruction on his forehead open, taking in the great expanse in all directions but also feeling a little nostalgic.

"It's been seven hundred centuries since I came to Yulan City, and this is also the third hunt with Emperor Qing, but my 'Dao of Life and Death' still hasn't broken through to the early stage of the God Emperor." Luo Feng pondered.

Seven hundred epochs is an incredibly long time. Back on Origin Continent, it had only taken him five hundred epochs to advance from an Eternal True God to the level where he could slay an Emperor Yuan.

The Daos of Life and Destruction had seemed relatively easy- just training in them had been enough to reach the early God Emperor stage.

But merging the two? That was an entirely different challenge, far more difficult than he had imagined!

Luo Feng gently shook his head. Despite consuming auxiliary cultivation treasures and using the Eye of Life and Death to study numerous low-level Hunyuan life materials, progress remained elusive.

Even with powerful treasures like the Immortal Heart, the Eye of Life and Death, and the Star Tower accelerating his growth significantly, the Great Dao of Life and Death remained boundless and difficult to grasp.

"Brother Luo Feng, I had thought that after my fourth hunt, I would have broken through to the mid-stage of the God Emperor realm and that my strength would finally match yours," Di Qing remarked, still feeling emotional.

With a sigh, he continued, "Who would have imagined that your strength had advanced so much since our last hunt!"

"It's just a physical body technique," Luo Feng replied calmly.

"But your physical body technique is truly fearsome," Di Qing exclaimed.

"I've only just reached the mid-stage of the God Emperor realm, yet even with both of us working together, I never expected we could take down a mid-stage God Emperor low-level Hunyuan lifeform!"

Luo Feng simply smiled.

Indeed, during their third hunt, they had managed to slay a total of seven early-stage God Emperor low-level Hunyuan lifeforms, along with one mid-stage God Emperor Hunyuan lifeform!

"You relied solely on your physical body to battle the Flame Beast head-on, completely overwhelming it. I was merely there to provide support, yet you still managed to slay that mid-stage God Emperor Flame Beast!" Di Qing recalled the scene vividly.

Luo Feng had revealed his formidable physical cultivation technique, his entire body encased in blood-red life scales, which possessed astonishing defensive power.

Despite the Flame Beast's frenzied onslaught, the attacks barely left cracks on the surface of Luo Feng's scales, which healed almost instantly!

But each of Luo Feng's attacks inflicted devastating wounds on the Flame Beast's body. He grabbed the creature with one hand while unleashing relentless attacks with the other. Blood gushed out as the beast struggled but was unable to escape.

Di Qing had only contributed a few sword formations to assist, while Luo Feng delivered the finishing blows, ultimately slaying the beast!

"My physical body is only on par with a mid-stage God Emperor low-level Hunyuan lifeform," Luo Feng admitted with a smile.

In truth, it was merely comparable. His mastery of combat techniques and defensive skills gave him the edge, and only with the aid of his second great treasure was he able to completely subdue the Flame Beast.

"Even reaching that level is already terrifying!" Di Qing sighed.

"Their strength lies in their physical bodies, whereas our advantage comes from our realm. With your current mastery, you can use your physical strength to hunt mid-stage God Emperor low-level Hunyuan lifeforms!"

"Normally, mid-stage God Emperor hunting teams consist of at least three experienced mid-stage God Emperor experts, sometimes even six or seven," Di Qing explained.

"But your strength is already exceptional among mid-stage God Emperors!" He couldn't help but feel a mix of admiration and complex emotions.

Di Qing had assumed that upon reaching the mid-stage God Emperor realm, he would be entitled to an even split of their spoils this time. However, he quickly reconsidered.

"Let's divide the loot 70-30 this time," Di Qing suddenly suggested.

"But didn't we agree on a 50-50 split?" Luo Feng asked, raising an eyebrow.

That was their arrangement before setting out.

Back then, Luo Feng had even borrowed some Hunyuan Crystals from Di Qing to purchase a secret treasure formation diagram to aid his physical cultivation.

"I didn't expect you to single-handedly take down a mid-stage God Emperor low-level Hunyuan lifeform at the time," Di Qing admitted.

"During our last hunt, I had the upper hand, but not this time. A 70-30 split is fair."

An 80-20 split would have been too much, but giving Di Qing 30% was reasonable.

Luo Feng studied Di Qing for a moment, then nodded with a smile. "Alright, 30-70 it is."

Though he had yet to reach the early stage of the God Emperor in the Dao of Life and Death after seven hundred epochs in Yulan City, his foundation had deepened significantly. He had also developed several secret techniques related to life and death.

The most formidable among them was inspired by the Blood-colored scales of the Star Tower and refined with elements of the Immortal Heart. This led to the creation of a powerful physical body cultivation technique—the 'Immortal Blood Sea Body.'

With this technique, his physical body alone could rival mid-stage God Emperor low-level Hunyuan lifeforms, marking a significant milestone in his cultivation journey.

"I've merely uncovered a fraction of the mysteries within the Blood-Red Scales and the Immortal Heart from the Star Tower to develop this technique," Luo Feng acknowledged.

He was well aware that once he reached a higher level, his physical cultivation could still be refined further.

Previous techniques relied on invincible and formless transformations, but now, his physical strength depended entirely on his own comprehension.

Since the dao of life is fundamentally about exploring this aspect, Luo Feng's understanding progressed rapidly.

"Luo Feng's growth rate is truly terrifying!"

As his close friend, Di Qing could clearly sense his astonishing progress. It had only been seven hundred epochs since their arrival in Yulan City, and at first, Luo Feng's strength had been slightly weaker than his own.

Now, Luo Feng is already considered a formidable figure among mid-stage God Emperors. If he advanced any further, he would step into the ranks of late-stage God Emperors who has attained enlightenment- a realm where even the founders of two ancient nations resided!

"Is this what it means to be among the most elite geniuses across countless worlds?" Di Qing sighed inwardly.

Back on Origin Continent, he had been dazzlingly brilliant, standing out among his peers. Yet, when compared to the vast number of formidable experts from the Origin Worlds and the billions of other worlds, he could only be considered one in ten thousand.

Within just a single cycle era of the Origin World, he had already reached the mid-stage of the God Emperor realm in his Dao comprehension- a remarkable feat by any standard!

In Yulan City, only tens of thousands of individuals possessed such strength, many of whom were ancient beings who had cultivated for endless ages.

"In the Nine Rivers Holy Realm, I am considered one in ten thousand… but Luo Feng? He is at least one in a hundred million!" Di Qing thought to himself, his admiration deepening.

Meanwhile, the black spacecraft continued its journey through the vastness of space.

Having reached the mid-stage of the God Emperor realm in Space Dao, Di Qing's ability to perceive the void had increased significantly.

Di Qing carefully scanned his surroundings, but everything appeared normal. In the distance, rolling clouds drifted by, and gusts of wind stirred up dust across the land.

"We've fallen into a formation!" Di Qing urgently transmitted the message to Luo Feng.

Outwardly, Luo Feng remained calm, but internally, he was fully on guard.

"I don't sense any danger," he responded while using his Bionic Eye of Destruction to survey the area.

"It's an incredibly advanced void technique," Di Qing explained.

"The distortion is so subtle that I only noticed it after we were already trapped! I'm turning us around and making a full-speed escape!"

The enemy wasn't acting immediately- they were waiting for their prey to move deeper into the trap.

However, if they tried to flee now, the attackers would likely strike right away!

With a sudden burst of speed, the black spacecraft veered sharply and accelerated at full power!

"Yu!"

A massive phantom array diagram materialized around the flying ship, coating its surface with a radiant layer of sword light. This shimmering barrier enveloped the vessel, drastically increasing its speed as it attempted to break free!

"Did they notice?"

"Quite sharp senses!"

From the void, an immense painting unfolded, stretching far and wide. Compared to its vast expanse, Luo Feng and the others-- aboard their flying ship-- were nothing more than a tiny black speck within the enormous artwork.

"You think you can enter my secret treasure and still escape?" A chilling laugh echoed from all directions.

"Rip!"

Suddenly, a pair of colossal hands materialized above the black flying boat! Harnessing the power of destruction, they forcefully tore open a gap in the massive painting. Without hesitation, the flying ship shot through the opening, slipping away from the trap!

"Hmm?" Five figures, positioned at various points, silently observed the escaping ship.

"Oh, so it's a few friends from the Guifang!"

As the black flying boat vanished, Luo Feng and Di Qing reappeared, maintaining a respectful demeanor.

Luo Feng carefully observed the five distant figures, each strategically positioned. He recalled the past encounters with the three major plundering forces.

The first time they attempted to seize his treasure, it was by the Insect Nest. The last time, they had run into the Ten Thousand Shadows Pavilion. And now, they encountered the Guifang!

"We've faced all three of the major plundering forces ourselves."

As for the leader of the Guifang, his cultivation techniques were highly distinctive. He called himself the Lord of the Mysterious Realm, known for his ruthless methods.

Many of his subordinates followed the same brutal path, making them a formidable force.

Luo Feng had already gathered some general intelligence on the Guifang and its operations.

Di Qing's sword formation and the colossal hand that had just torn through the treasure picture's trap indicated something clear-- both of them had reached the mid-stage of the God Emperor realm!

The five figures stood in silence, scrutinizing Luo Feng and his companion.

"Let's follow the rules!" Di Qing stated firmly.

Managing to break free from the ambush was already proof of their strength. As per the established rules, they had to pay a fee-- an acknowledgment of the raiding party's effort.

One of the figures, a towering presence, transmitted a message:

"These two aren't easy to handle. Take the payment and let them go!"

A cold-faced man with a blood-red vertical mark on his forehead transmitted his thoughts to the others.

"According to our intelligence, Di Qing and Luo Feng were both at the early stage of the God Emperor realm not long ago. Even if they recently advanced to the mid-stage, their foundation is still weak."

His tone was filled with certainty.

"The five of us are all experienced mid-stage God Emperors. If we work together, our chances of taking them down are high!"

Another voice chimed in.

"They're both from the Origin World. Even if we destroy them here, they might have clones elsewhere."

The cold-faced man remained unfazed.

"That may be true, but sometimes the treasures from the Origin World are special. If we seize one, we'll be set for life!"

His words ignited a spark of greed among the other four.

Yes!

Unlike the scattered resources of the myriad worlds, the experts from the Origin World possessed extraordinary treasures-- remnants of unique lifeforms, innate artifacts, and items exchanged from Infinite space. Such treasures were highly sought after, making this ambush a potentially lucrative opportunity.

Luo Feng and Di Qing, sensing the shift in atmosphere, immediately became more alert.

"Rules?"

The cold-faced man sneered.

"Outside Yulan City, there are no rules. Today, both of you will die-- end of discussion."

As he spoke, black rain began to fall, spreading across an endless expanse. Within this domain, the massive painting reappeared, closing in around Luo Feng and Di Qing like an inescapable prison.

Di Qing's expression darkened, his gaze turning ruthless.

"They're going for the kill."

When dealing with raiders, there was no middle ground-- it was either kill or be killed. If the so-called "rules" were discarded, then only the law of the jungle remained.

Luo Feng’s eyes flashed with murderous intent.

"Di Qing, I'll handle four. You take one."
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END OF CHAPTER

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