Chapter 287: The Seventh Volume: Seven Hundred Cycles in Yulan City

Time flowed endlessly.

A black flying vessel had already begun its return journey, heading toward Yulan City.

In the front cabin of the vessel, Di Qing piloted it while sensing the surroundings. Luo Feng sat beside him, his simulated Life-Death Eye open, observing the vast expanse in all directions, yet feeling a quiet sigh.

“It’s been seven hundred cycles since I arrived in Yulan City—this is my third hunt with Di Qing, yet my Life-Death Dao still hasn’t broken through to the Divine Emperor Early Stage.” Luo Feng sighed inwardly.

Seven hundred cycles was a long time.

On the Origin Continent, Luo Feng had risen from a Perpetual True God to one capable of slaying Emperor Yuan, all within five hundred cycles.

“For the Paths of Life and Destruction, even slight cultivation brought me to the Divine Emperor Early Stage. But merging them… is far too difficult.” Luo Feng shook his head lightly. He had consumed auxiliary cultivation treasures, observed vast quantities of low-grade Primordial Life materials with his Life-Death Eye, and been aided by the Undying Heart, the Life-Death Eye, and the Star Tower—his cultivation had been nothing short of meteoric.

Yet the Life-Death Dao was too vast.

“Luo Feng, I thought that after my breakthrough to Divine Emperor Mid-Stage in this third hunt, I’d match your strength.” Di Qing, beside him, still stirred with emotion. “Who knew your power had advanced even further since the last hunt!”

“I merely devised a body cultivation art.” Luo Feng said.

“That body art of yours is terrifying.” Di Qing marveled. “I just reached Divine Emperor Mid-Stage, yet when we teamed up, I never imagined we could kill a low-grade Primordial Life of Divine Emperor Mid-Stage.”

Luo Feng smiled.

Yes.

In this third hunt, they had slain seven low-grade Primordial Lives of Divine Emperor Early Stage and one of Divine Emperor Mid-Stage.

“You faced the Flame Yizheng Beast head-on with your body, dominating the fight. I merely provided support—and you still crushed that Divine Emperor Mid-Stage Flame Yizheng Beast.” Di Qing still remembered the scene clearly.

Luo Feng revealed his powerful body art: his entire body was sheathed in crimson scales, possessing terrifying defensive power. The Flame Yizheng Beast’s furious assaults left only minor cracks on the scales, which healed instantly.

Yet every strike Luo Feng landed tore massive wounds into the Flame Yizheng Beast. With one hand dragging and the other striking relentlessly, waves of blood surged around, leaving the beast no escape.

Di Qing merely assisted with his sword array, adding a few devastating blows—Luo Feng finished the beast off outright.

“My body is only comparable to that of a low-grade Primordial Life of Divine Emperor Mid-Stage,” Luo Feng chuckled.

Indeed, only comparable.

Luo Feng’s combat and defensive techniques were far more subtle, aided by two great treasures, allowing him to fully suppress the Flame Yizheng Beast.

“To match the body of a Divine Emperor Mid-Stage low-grade Primordial Life is terrifying enough,” Di Qing remarked. “Their advantage is their body. Ours is our realm. With your realm, wielding such a body… you can kill a Divine Emperor Mid-Stage low-grade Primordial Life one-on-one.”

“Typical Divine Emperor Mid-Stage hunting teams consist of three to seven experienced Dao-seekers,” Di Qing said. “Your current strength places you among the strongest even among Divine Emperor Mid-Stage Dao-seekers.”

Di Qing praised him, his emotions complex.

He had thought his breakthrough to Divine Emperor Mid-Stage meant he deserved a fifty-fifty split of the spoils.

“By the way, let’s split the spoils three-seven this time,” Di Qing said.

“Didn’t we agree on fifty-fifty?” Luo Feng looked at him.

That had been the arrangement before departure.

At the time, Luo Feng had borrowed some Primordial Crystals from Di Qing to buy a secret array diagram to aid this body art.

“I never expected you could kill a Divine Emperor Mid-Stage low-grade Primordial Life alone,” Di Qing said. “I took advantage last time—this time, I won’t. Three-seven is enough.”

If it were two-eight, Di Qing wouldn’t have deserved only one-fifth of the spoils based on merit.

Three-seven—taking three-tenths—Di Qing felt it was fair.

Luo Feng saw Di Qing’s expression and understood his thoughts. He smiled and nodded. “Fine. Three-seven it is.”

Having spent seven hundred cycles in Yulan City, though his Life-Death Dao had yet to reach Divine Emperor Early Stage, Luo Feng’s accumulation had deepened considerably, and he had devised several secret techniques combining Life and Death.

The strongest of these was based on the crimson scales of the Star Tower, drawing upon the profound combat body mysteries of the Undying Heart, culminating in this body secret art.

It was called the Undying Blood Sea Body! This art was Luo Feng’s greatest achievement on his current cultivation path.

Purely through his body, he could rival a low-grade Primordial Life of Divine Emperor Mid-Stage!

“I’ve only uncovered a fraction of the mysteries within the Star Tower’s crimson scales and the Undying Heart, yet I’ve created this art,” Luo Feng knew well. “When my realm advances further, this body art can still be refined.”

Past body arts relied on formless, shapeless transformations.

Now, every aspect of his body had to be cultivated through his own insight. The Path of Life had already granted him deep understanding in this area, so his comprehension came naturally.

“Luo Feng’s growth rate is truly terrifying,” Di Qing, as his teammate, felt it clearly. “In just seven hundred cycles since arriving in Yulan City, he went from slightly weaker than me to now being among the strongest even among Divine Emperor Mid-Stage Dao-seekers. If he advances further, won’t he become a Divine Emperor Late-Stage Dao-seeker?”

The founding ancestors of the two nations were merely at this level.

“Is this the talent of the absolute elite among countless worlds?” Di Qing sighed inwardly. On the Origin Continent, he had been dazzling—but compared to the countless powerful beings across the Source Worlds and myriad worlds, he was merely one in ten thousand.

Within a single cycle of the Nine Rivers Sacred Realm, Di Qing had become a Divine Emperor Mid-Stage Dao-seeker—remarkable indeed. In Yulan City, only several ten thousand possessed such strength, including many who had cultivated for eons.

“In the Nine Rivers Sacred Realm, I was one in ten thousand. This Luo Feng? At least one in a hundred million.” Di Qing thought.

…

The black flying vessel continued its flight. After Di Qing reached Divine Emperor Mid-Stage in the Void Dao, his ability to perceive space had greatly improved.

“Hmm?” Di Qing carefully sensed the surroundings. The heavens and earth appeared normal; distant clouds churned, and dust swirled across the land.

“We’ve entered a formation.” Di Qing whispered to Luo Feng.

Luo Feng’s expression remained calm, but his mind grew alert.

“I sensed no danger,” Luo Feng’s simulated Life-Death Eye also scanned.

“It’s an advanced Void technique—its transition is perfectly natural. I only noticed once we were trapped. I’m turning back now—full speed escape.” Di Qing whispered.

The enemy had not moved yet, patiently waiting for them to venture deeper into the formation.

But if they turned to flee, the enemy would strike immediately.

“Shhh!”

The black flying vessel suddenly reversed direction and shot away at supersonic speed.

Nothing was out of place!

“Hum.” A vast array’s shadow appeared around the vessel, coating its surface with swordlight. The swordlight wrapped the vessel, accelerating its escape dramatically.

“Did they notice?”

“They’re quite perceptive.”

A massive painting emerged from the void, its scope immense—Luo Feng and Di Qing’s black vessel was but a tiny black dot within it.

“You entered my treasure and still think you can escape?” A cold laugh echoed from all directions.

“Rip!”

Above the black vessel, a pair of enormous hands coalesced.

These hands erupted with the mysteries of Life and Death, tearing a gap directly through the vast painting. The black vessel shot through the fissure and escaped the painting.

“Hmm?” Five figures stood at different positions, watching the escaping vessel.

“So you’re from the Deception Guild.”

The black vessel vanished; Luo Feng and Di Qing appeared, bowing politely.

Luo Feng observed the five figures at a distance: the first group to attempt stealing his treasures had been the Insect Nest; the last raiding party he’d encountered was the Ten Thousand Shadow Pavilion; now it was the Deception Guild.

He had now dealt with all three major raiding factions.

“The leader of the Deception Guild cultivates in a peculiar way—he calls himself the Lord of Deception Realm—and his methods are extremely ruthless. His subordinates are much the same.” Luo Feng knew some general information about the Deception Guild.

“Your sword array, and that hand that just escaped the treasure painting… it seems both of you have reached Divine Emperor Mid-Stage.” The five figures regarded Luo Feng and Di Qing.

“Gentlemen, shall we follow the rules?” Di Qing spoke.

Having escaped the ambush was proof of their strength.

By the rules, they would pay a fee as compensation for the raiders’ efforts.

“Dealing with these two won’t be easy,” a tall figure whispered. “Take a fee and let them go.”

“According to intelligence, both Di Qing and Luo Feng were previously Divine Emperor Early Stage. Even if they’ve broken through, it’s recent—they lack depth,” said a cold-eyed man with a crimson vertical mark on his forehead. “We five are all Divine Emperor Mid-Stage, have trained together for ages, and possess vast experience. Together, we have a high chance of defeating them.”

“They’re from the Source Worlds. Even if we kill them, they may have avatars.”

“Those from the Source Worlds sometimes carry extraordinary treasures. If we seize even one, we’ll profit immensely,” the cold-eyed man whispered.

At these words, the other four were tempted.

Yes.

Compared to the countless worlds, where cultivators were merely farmed, Source World cultivators received far greater resources—special life remains, innate secret treasures, and even items from the Infinite Space Exchange—all coveted by cultivators from the myriad worlds.

Luo Feng and Di Qing were on high alert.

“Rules?”

“Outside Yulan City, there are no rules!” the cold-eyed man sneered. “Today, you both die!”

No sooner had the words left his lips.

Black rain appeared, covering an infinite expanse. Within this region, the massive painting reappeared, once again engulfing Luo Feng and Di Qing.

“They’re trying to kill us!” Di Qing’s face paled, his eyes filled with madness.

Not all raiders followed the rules.

Once they abandoned the rules, it was pure jungle law!

“Di Qing, I’ll handle four—you take one!” Luo Feng’s eyes glinted with cold killing intent.

(End of Chapter)