Swallowed Star 2: Origin Continent: Volume 7: Chapter 14(286): [Individual Cultivation]

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Swallowed Star 2: Origin Continent
Volume 7: [Nine Rivers Holy Realm]
Chapter (286): [Individual Cultivation]
(14th of Volume 7)
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Luo Feng and Di Qing, carrying the spoils of their second hunt, piloted their black flying boat and began their journey back.

On their way home, they remained as cautious as ever.

"A flying boat is approaching. Stay alert," an invisible, vast energy fluctuation spread across the area, covering three concealed figures. Using their formation, they had already detected the approaching vessel.

"Let them proceed further into the formation's depths before we make our move."

The three hidden figures waited patiently, ready to strike at the right moment.

Suddenly, a shift occurred- one after another.

"Hmm."

Inside the black spacecraft, Luo Feng kept his bionic Eye of Destruction open on his forehead.

Since both his life and destruction daos have reached the early stage of the God Emperor realm, his Bionic Eye of Destruction has also evolved, sharpening its perception abilities.

"Something isn't right," Luo Feng immediately sent a message to Di Qing.
"Retreat at full speed, now!"

Though Di Qing didn't sense any immediate danger, he trusted Luo Feng's instincts.

Luo Feng hadn't identified any enemies, and everything in the surrounding void appeared normal.

However, his Bionic Eye of Destruction detected anomalies in the natural laws governing the area.

A shadow rule was subtly influencing the laws of heaven and earth, and the deeper they ventured, the stronger its effect became.

"Go!"

Without hesitation, the black spacecraft abruptly reversed course, accelerating at full speed along their original path of entry.

"Exposed."

"How did they discover me?"

"Trap them."

In an instant, an overwhelming shadow force engulfed the vast expanse, stretching across billions of kilometers and turning the surroundings into a murky gray void.

Luo Feng and his companions, still aboard their flying ship, found themselves trapped within this oppressive energy. However, they were close to the boundary- just within reach of escape.

But the dense shadow force was like a viscous net, completely restraining the ship, making movement almost impossible.

"Heaven and Earth as One."

"Open the Heavens, Create the Earth!"

A colossal figure emerged, seamlessly channeling the immense power of heaven and earth. His right hand, transformed into a massive axe, swung downward with immense force. The strike cleaved through space itself, splitting the very fabric of reality as if carving a path through an impenetrable barrier.

This was Luo Feng's ultimate forbidden technique, one he had perfected after reaching the early stage of the God Emperor realm. Harnessing the essence of his Heaven and Earth Clone, this move had the power to forcibly open up new realms.

As the devastating rift tore through space, even the thick, suffocating shadow force was momentarily disrupted, creating a massive gap.

"Whoosh!"

Without hesitation, the black flying ship surged forward, speeding through the opening with an explosive burst of momentum.

In an instant, it had broken free from the suffocating grasp of the shadow force. The towering figure, following the very path he had split open, also vanished into the distance.

Now beyond the vast reach of the oppressive shadow forces, Di Qing finally exhaled in relief.

"Brother Luo Feng, he must be a master from the Ten Thousand Shadows Pavilion," Di Qing transmitted.

"If we get trapped in their formation, it'll be a serious problem."

"This formation is incredibly strong. Even my Heaven and Earth Clone's forbidden move could only carve out a small gap," Luo Feng acknowledged, realizing the difficulty of the situation.

"Hahaha."

Suddenly, laughter echoed through the air.

Three distorted shadows materialized, gradually solidifying into humanoid forms.

Clad in gray robes and masks, they exuded an ominous, unseen force that spread through the surroundings.

"It's definitely the Ten Thousand Shadows Pavilion," Luo Feng and Di Qing confirmed.

Yulan City had long been plagued by three notorious factions specializing in theft and plunder: the Insect Nest, the Ten Thousand Shadows Pavilion, and the Trickster's Workshop(Guifang). All three operated under the rule of Lord Weiyang, whose influence dominated the city.

Within the Ten Thousand Shadows Pavilion, those involved in mere theft held relatively low status. The real power belonged to the looters-- mid-to-high-level warriors who concealed their identities. Unlike thieves, looters drew immense hatred, making anonymity essential.

"The ones responsible for plundering in the Ten Thousand Shadows Pavilion are usually mid-level God Emperors who have grasped the Dao," Di Qing transmitted to Luo Feng.

"The weak don't dare to loot, and the overly powerful won't lower themselves to do it either."

After their brief skirmish, Luo Feng had already assessed their opponents' general strength.

"Hahaha, Di Qing and Luo Feng."

The three gray-robed figures stared at them. One of them chuckled and said, "No wonder you two dare to hunt together- you do have some skill. But surely, you understand the rules of plundering?"

"Of course," Di Qing responded, "we're willing to offer a piece of Hunyuan Crystal."

The gray-robed leader nodded. "Leave behind no more than a single low-level Hunyuan life corpse, and we'll let you go."

Di Qing and Luo Feng exchanged glances.

"Alright." Di Qing agreed and casually waved his hand, releasing a low-level Hunyuan life corpse. It was the least valuable of their haul, worth roughly 800,000 Hunyuan Crystals.

"Straightforward. I like that." The gray-robed leader collected the corpse, and without another word, their three figures distorted and melted into the shadows, vanishing completely.

"Let's move."

Di Qing and Luo Feng immediately piloted their black flying boat away from the shadow formation's range, continuing their journey home.

Inside the spacecraft...

"When hunting outside, aside from dealing with low-level Hunyuan lifeforms, we also have to be wary of other cultivators," Di Qing remarked, shaking his head.

"We don't need to worry about average-strength raiders- we can easily fight back."

"But when we run into someone truly powerful, things get complicated."

"If we can escape, we should. If paying some Hunyuan Crystals gets us out of trouble, it's worth it." Di Qing sighed.

"But if the raiders aren't after Crystals and only want to kill and rob… then we'll have no choice but to fight to the death."

Luo Feng nodded in agreement.

From their brief encounter, it was clear that those three were mid-stage God Emperors- and likely veterans who had accumulated immense strength over time, fully equipped with rare treasures. Even with Di Qing's support, Luo Feng wasn't confident they could defeat them in direct combat.

"Huu."

After a long flight, the black airship finally reached Yulan City.

Di Qing chuckled. "Our luck has been pretty good. During our first hunt, we encountered a late-stage God Emperor-ranked Hunyuan lifeform but managed to escape. On our second hunt, we faced a robbery, but we got away by sacrificing a low-value Hunyuan life corpse."

"You call that good luck?" Luo Feng smirked.

"You'll understand after more hunts," Di Qing said.

"Sometimes, you might run into an unexpectedly strong low-level Hunyuan lifeform, and half your team could end up dead or seriously injured. Other times, on your way back, you might encounter ruthless raiders who don't follow the so-called 'rules' and simply kill and loot as they please."

Luo Feng nodded, taking in his words.

Di Qing sighed. "Back when we were just starting out as God Emperors in Yulan City, it was the same- fighting for our lives, always at risk of being robbed." He shook his head.

"Fortunately, I come from the Origin World and have the Clone Technique. Without it, my life would have been much harder."

"Cultivation in Yulan City is no easy feat," Di Qing remarked, casting a glance at Luo Feng.

"But of course, you're different. You already possess mid-level God Emperor strength. Once you acquire a few more suitable treasures and refine your techniques, you'll have no trouble joining any major force here."

He continued, "Yulan City is home to many factions, but mid-stage God Emperors form their core strength. High-ranking powerhouses are usually elders, and their numbers remain relatively small."

Luo Feng simply smiled.

In Yulan City, there were exactly 723 late-stage God Emperor Dao enlighteners.

Of these, 327 held the esteemed title of 'Elder', many of whom had their clones exploring the Dark Holy Realm. Their physical bodies rarely intervened in city affairs.

Whenever an Elder take action, it is a significant event that could shake the entire city.

This left the mid-stage God Emperors who have attained enlightenment as the backbone of most factions, responsible for maintaining influence and power within Yulan City.

Di Qing glanced at Luo Feng and asked, "Do you have any plans to join a faction?"

Luo Feng shook his head lightly. "No need."

Right now, his priority was to advance his Dao of Life and Death to the level of a God Emperor as quickly as possible.

"Makes sense. You haven't been in Yulan City for long, so focusing on cultivation is the right choice," Di Qing nodded.

"But if you ever get the chance, joining a major force as a high-ranking member comes with plenty of benefits."

Luo Feng simply smiled without responding further.

As they spoke, their black flying vessel approached the towering Hunyuan Palace.

"Let's sell our spoils first," Di Qing suggested.

Together, they headed toward Hunyuan Hall, where they exchanged their remaining eight low-level Hunyuan Life corpses, along with their accumulated military merits, for a total of 8.6 million Hunyuan Crystals, splitting the earnings evenly.

With their shares in hand, Luo Feng and Di Qing parted ways to make their own purchases.

Luo Feng's main goal this time was to acquire low-grade Hunyuan life materials suited for mid-stage God Emperors.

He meticulously browsed through various merchants in Yulan City, carefully comparing prices and negotiating for the best deals.

He spent an entire day haggling and analyzing the costs before finalizing his purchases.

In the end, he managed to acquire approximately 1,000 units of "mid-stage God Emperor-grade" low-level Hunyuan life materials, each costing around 3,300 Hunyuan Crystals.

Across the entire Nine Rivers Holy Realm, these materials accounted for at least 90% of all available "mid-stage God Emperor" low-level Hunyuan life materials suitable for his cultivation. The remaining ones were incredibly rare and difficult to obtain.

To further enhance his progress, Luo Feng also invested 900,000 Hunyuan Crystals in auxiliary cultivation pills and other supportive items.

Luo Feng was surprised. "What a coincidence, the official flying ship is about to arrive."

On the third day after finishing his procurement, one of his clones carried the stored treasure, Illusory Realm Maze, to deliver the acquired materials to the Origin Continent.

The Illusory Realm Maze was essential for every journey- Luo Feng couldn't afford to take risks when it came to theft, especially given the vast variety of cultivation systems. Some were incredibly hard to defend against.

"In the Origin Continent, my cultivation efficiency with the Eye of Life and Death is more than ten times higher than in Yulan City," Luo Feng mused.

He had already decided- after a few more hunts, he would make frequent trips to the Origin Continent whenever possible.

Once he accumulated enough wealth, he planned to visit regularly, especially after a few successful expeditions.

Meanwhile, back in their shared dwelling, Luo Feng and Di Qing didn't keep secrets from their companions, so Di Ming and Di Fu naturally learned of their latest hunt.

"Looks like they're doing well."

Sitting cross-legged in his cave, Di Ming's expression was complex.

"Since arriving in Yulan City, I've only participated in one hunt, and it was a disaster."

It was understandable- most seasoned hunting teams in Yulan City were reluctant to accept early-stage bloodline cultivators at the God Emperor level. Their contributions in battle were limited, and they often became liabilities rather than assets.

This time, however, Di Ming had gathered 32 early-stage God Emperor bloodline cultivators into a single team. They had studied various strategies extensively and coordinated their attacks in advance.

"And yet, what was the result?" Di Ming felt a deep sense of frustration.

Their team had set out aboard their spaceship, encountering what seemed like a stroke of good fortune- a low-level Hunyuan lifeform at the "Early-Stage of the God Emperor". Had they encountered something stronger, they might not have survived at all.

Despite their careful planning, their coordinated attack formations barely made a dent in the creature. Even though they executed seven consecutive siege tactics, their efforts only managed to slow the beast's counterattacks rather than subdue it.

The vitality and resilience of a low-level Hunyuan lifeform are simply overwhelming.

After enduring seven rounds of relentless attacks, the low-level Hunyuan lifeform, though gravely injured, still clung to life.

In a desperate counterattack at the brink of death, it managed to kill seven team members, severely wound over ten others, and force the remaining members to flee in panic.

"Thirty-two of us, yet we couldn't even slay a single low-level Hunyuan creature... No wonder the hunting teams reject us." Di Ming shook his head in frustration.

"We need to take advantage of Yulan City's resources, train diligently, and strengthen ourselves."

On the surface, he appeared to be struggling financially.

However, thanks to his Infinite Space Rewards, Di Ming is actually quite wealthy.

But with his current lack of strength and his inability to create clones, he had to be extremely cautious in how he used his wealth.

Meanwhile, at the Nine Rings Realm Tower, Di Fu was deeply immersed in his studies.

"The True Witch lineage is truly remarkable. As for the Void lineage, I've gained immense insights. I feel like I'm nearing mastery of the complete Space Dao."

Although he was only performing minor tasks and assisting with basic duties, he had already gained a wealth of knowledge.

While different cultivation systems varied in their methods, their ultimate essence was the same-- "Dao".

"If I can fully comprehend the Space Dao, I will have the qualifications to survive into the next era on the Origin Continent." Di Fu smiled, brimming with confidence in his future.

Remaining on the Origin Continent while stuck at a bottleneck was a dangerous gamble- one might never break through before the continent's inevitable great destruction.

However, upon arriving in Yulan City, he encountered countless cultivation systems and abundant resources, which made breakthroughs significantly easier.

"I came to the right place." Di Fu murmured, pleased.

With Luo Feng and Di Qing looking after him, he didn't need concern over his residence in the city, allowing him to focus entirely on his growth.

At the same time, Seated in his quiet chamber, Di Qing gazed at the jade bowl before him. Inside, an amber-like liquid shimmered.

"Brother Luo Feng has already reached the mid-stage God Emperor level and has surpassed me."

"But I've been stuck at this final bottleneck for far too long."

Determined to advance, he had sold countless treasures, exchanging them for Void Heart Essence- a rare and invaluable resource that cost him 80 million Hunyuan Crystals.

At first, he wasn't in a rush to use it, but the widening gap in strength within the team had forced his decision.

Decades of accumulated wealth had been poured into this single chance.

"This is it."

Opening his mouth, Di Qing allowed the golden liquid to rise from the bowl and flow into his body.

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END OF CHAPTER

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