Chapter 290: The Seventh Chapter: Tianhe Elder and Yu Yong

On the first floor of Hunyuan Hall, Shop No. 3.

“Oh!” The chubby old man Bu You widened his eyes, observing the numerous low-grade Hunyuan life corpses stored in the storage pouch—among them, the massive, entirely crimson corpse stood out most prominently. “By its size and aura, this is a low-grade Hunyuan life at the Divine Emperor Mid-stage.”

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

In Yulan City, hunting a single ‘Divine Emperor Mid-stage’ low-grade Hunyuan life already proves a team’s strength.

“Hurry up and bid,” Di Qing urged.

“For this Yan Zheng corpse, I can offer up to 12.5 million Hunyuan Crystals,” Bu You said. “Add the ten combat merits, totaling 13.5 million Hunyuan Crystals.”

Luo Feng and Di Qing exchanged glances—this was the highest bid. The other two shops they’d visited had offered only 12 million and 12.2 million respectively, without counting combat merits.

“This Yan Zheng corpse is yours,” Di Qing smiled.

Bu You burst into laughter—he had been determined to secure this intact Yan Zheng corpse. Its central sinews were long sought after by his behind-the-scenes faction, and its other body parts could be used for forging weapons, medicinal elixirs, or constructing puppets.

Though it was merely a ‘Divine Emperor Mid-stage’ low-grade Hunyuan life corpse, that was only because these beings’ realms were too low to unleash their full potential. Born beyond the cage, their corpses remained uniquely valuable—when handled by cultivators, they could serve far greater purposes.

Even the smallest fragments could serve as materials for cultivators to contemplate and refine.

“Sold everything.”

Luo Feng and his companions visited the three most familiar shops on the first floor of Hunyuan Hall and sold off all suitable items.

“We sold one Divine Emperor Mid-stage and seven Divine Emperor Early-stage low-grade Hunyuan life corpses for a total of 19.5 million Hunyuan Crystals,” Luo Feng and Di Qing briefly divided the earnings.

Three-seven split: Di Qing took 5.85 million Hunyuan Crystals; the remaining 13.65 million went to Luo Feng.

Luo Feng had borrowed 300,000 Hunyuan Crystals from Di Qing to purchase the array diagram treasure and now repaid it.

“Don’t rush to dispose of the spoils from killing Ku Mo,” Di Qing said. “Look around Yulan City first.”

Luo Feng nodded.

The spoils were complicated to handle.

If you were lazy, you could sell them all here at Hunyuan Hall—but the discounts would be brutal.

Complete low-grade Hunyuan life corpses can be sold here, but many scattered materials—even many pre-prepared toxins and precious ingredients meant for poison refinement—must be sold to those who know their value.

“Take a few extra days to handle them,” Luo Feng was utterly calm. Such a massive haul of spoils deserved proper treatment.

“Be careful of Ku Mo’s master, Yu Yong, and the Weifang,” Di Qing warned before leaving.

Luo Feng also went to handle the spoils.

…

In Yulan City, only three factions consistently engaged in theft and plunder: the Insect Nest, the Ten Thousand Shadow Pavilion, and the Weifang!

Consider that the city housed 723 cultivators with Divine Emperor Late-stage Dao comprehension! These three dared to plunder so brazenly, unafraid of enraging enemies—clearly, they all possessed immense backing.

“Deputy Director, the Black Light team’s Ku Mo is dead.” The four elite members of that team had returned to Yulan City ahead of Luo Feng’s group and had already reported the news.

The Weifang had eight Deputy Directors, each possessing Divine Emperor Late-stage Dao comprehension. Five of them also held the position of ‘Elder’ in Yulan City.

These eight Deputy Directors were the true managers of the Weifang.

As for the Director?

The Director’s power was immense, nearly approaching the level of the three Hall Masters. He rarely appeared in person. His primary focus… was on his avatar in the Dark Sacred Realm. Maintaining the Weifang served only to extract sufficient benefits.

“Ku Mo is dead?” A handsome man clad in white robes sat calmly, his entire skin surface naturally shimmering with a thin aura—upon closer inspection, the aura consisted of thousands of layered protections.

The handsome man was one of the Weifang’s Deputy Directors—Tianhe Elder.

“I have only twenty teams under me. Losing one member from the Black Light team is a hassle to reorganize,” Tianhe Elder smiled faintly, his pale fingers like crystal jade as he leisurely poured wine. “How did he die?”

“Deputy Director, the full intelligence is here,” the golden-armored figure respectfully presented the data.

Tianhe Elder glanced over it.

The entire record of the previous battle unfolded before him.

“Luo Feng?”

Tianhe Elder murmured softly. “A cultivator who’s only been in Yulan City for seven hundred cycles. His body cultivation art has some interesting aspects.”

But he didn’t care much.

He was a powerful figure from the Source World, serving as Elder in Yulan City and Deputy Director in the Weifang—all merely to collect benefits along the way. His true focus remained in the Dark Sacred Realm.

As a Divine Emperor Late-stage Dao comprehender with eons of accumulated wealth, even in Yulan City he possessed a complete set of powerful treasures. Naturally, he paid no mind to Luo Feng.

“He killed one of my men—he must pay compensation,” Tianhe Elder glanced at the golden-armored figure. “Go to Luo Feng. Tell him… pay five million Hunyuan Crystals, and this matter is settled.”

“If he refuses to pay, don’t argue. Just come back,” Tianhe Elder ordered.

“Yes,” the golden-armored figure replied respectfully and departed immediately.

Tianhe Elder sipped his wine calmly, his mood undisturbed.

A subordinate died? He didn’t care.

His avatar in Yulan City existed solely to accumulate resources.

“Yulan City has been too dull for too long,” Tianhe Elder smiled faintly. “Luo Feng? I truly hope you refuse me—it would be entertaining.”

To extract lasting benefits in Yulan City, you need more than reputation—you need sufficient deterrence!

Deterrence is forged through killing!

“Hmph.”

Tianhe Elder’s eyes turned icy.

Compared to the brutality of the Dark Sacred Realm, life in the Nine Rivers Sacred Realm was pure relaxation for Tianhe Elder.

… In the most central district of Yulan City stood a cave mansion—its security and energy supply surpassed even Di Qing’s.

“Ku Mo is dead?”

Yu Yong received the news and the full battle record delivered by his four companions.

Yu Yong’s physique was far more imposing—he was not a Dao comprehender, but a Hunyuan Bloodline cultivator! His power had nearly pushed his bloodline to the ‘Semi-Hunyuan’ level.

Yet he still lacked a sliver.

True ‘Semi-Hunyuan’ bloodline cultivators held status equal to Divine Emperor Late-stage Dao comprehenders. Yu Yong’s current power might barely meet the minimum threshold to enter the Dark Sacred Realm—but he refused to try.

There, he’d be at the very bottom.

He preferred to remain in the Nine Rivers Sacred Realm, accumulating further—until he truly reached the Semi-Hunyuan level.

“Ku Mo,” Yu Yong sighed softly. “I told you long ago: life in the Nine Rivers Sacred Realm is rare and peaceful. There was no need to join the Weifang.”

Yu Yong and Ku Mo had climbed from the lowest rungs together.

!

Along the way, they’d had other companions—but only the two of them had made it to the Nine Rivers Sacred Realm.

For Source World cultivators, the path was far more arduous; becoming a Divine Emperor was unimaginably difficult. Yet the pressure in the Source World was less intense.

But Yu Yong and Ku Mo possessed abundant resources, making cultivation easier—yet danger lurked everywhere, death constantly looming, forcing them to grow stronger.

Weakness meant death.

“I once met Elder Jin. He said that if we could escape the cage, he would resurrect many of our fallen companions,” Yu Yong sighed. “For us, the most important thing is escaping the cage—not fighting other cultivators to the death.”

Yu Yong understood his disciple Ku Mo well.

Ku Mo had grown up entirely through killing. Even after becoming a Divine Emperor, he still habitually walked this path—it was the fastest way to gather resources.

“Before, the environment forced us to kill. But now, in the Nine Rivers Sacred Realm, no one forces us—we can slow down,” Yu Yong cherished this relatively tranquil time.

“Luo Feng?”

Yu Yong studied the battle record. “Perhaps Luo Feng was Ku Mo’s karmic reckoning.”

He held no animosity toward Luo Feng.

Ku Mo had initiated the plunder, had tried to kill him—his death was his own doing.

On the path of killing and growth, Yu Yong had witnessed too many companions die. He had long prepared himself for his own death. In the end, he and Ku Mo had been extraordinarily lucky—escaping their original world entirely and arriving in the Nine Rivers Sacred Realm.

Ku Mo’s death here didn’t surprise Yu Yong at all.

Choosing the path of plunder meant preparing for backlash.

“I won’t avenge you,” Yu Yong sighed softly. “I believe… Ku Mo, you’d expect no less.”

They understood each other too well.

Though master and disciple, decades of shared growth had made them life-and-death companions.

“My cultivation path has only one goal: escape the cage!” Yu Yong’s gaze was more resolute than ever. Only by escaping the cage could he make up for too many regrets.

…

Luo Feng wandered through various merchants in Yulan City, seeking the best way to dispose of his vast spoils—not necessarily the highest price, but close to it.

Night had fallen; the wind was strong.

As Luo Feng exited one shop, he saw a golden-armored figure ahead, fully clad in golden armor, his face cold as he stared at Luo Feng.

“Weifang, Qiu Yike,” Luo Feng immediately recognized him—he had purchased the city’s full Divine Emperor intelligence dossier. Though he hadn’t bought the latest update, Divine Emperor data changed little in a short time.

Qiu Yike was a Divine Emperor Mid-stage Dao comprehender of the Weifang.

“You’re here because of Ku Mo?” Luo Feng asked.

“Luo Feng.”

The golden-armored figure stared at him. “Ku Mo was under the command of our Deputy Director, Tianhe Elder. You killed him—the Deputy Director is furious. But since Ku Mo initiated the plunder against you, we offer you a chance to atone!”

“A chance to atone?” Luo Feng looked at him.

“Pay five million Hunyuan Crystals, and the Weifang will drop the matter,” the golden-armored figure said.

“Five million Hunyuan Crystals?”

Luo Feng laughed bitterly. “Your Weifang team ambushed me outside the city, tried to kill me—I killed one in self-defense, and now you demand I pay for atonement? Am I supposed to just let myself be slaughtered when attacked?”

“You may kill in self-defense—but you still must pay,” the golden-armored figure said. “Deliver five million Hunyuan Crystals to the Deputy Director within three days. Or you may refuse—but the consequences will be ones you won’t like.”

With that, the golden-armored figure turned and walked away.

Don’t wait three days.

Luo Feng spoke: “Go back and tell your master behind the scenes, Elder Tianhe, not even fifty million Hunyuan Crystals — not a single Hunyuan Crystal! Bring whatever tricks you have — go ahead and use them!”

The golden-armored figure glanced at Luo Feng and grinned: “Impressive!”

With that, he flew away.

——

Thank you to our new patrons, Mu Yibai Bu Bai and Jingcai! Also thank you to our returning patrons, Lao K and Elder Xu Xin!

(End of chapter)