Chapter 74: The Yu Kingdom Monarch

Hu Yang City, Chaotic Armor Cave 913.

Luo Feng specially invited the Eternal True God “Black Butcher” to personally cook a lavish banquet to entertain Yu Shuitianyu, daughter of the Yu Kingdom’s monarch. Yu Shuitianyu was already of noble status and came as the representative of the Divine King, so Luo Feng naturally had to be sufficiently formal.

“The cuisine of Hu Yang City has its own unique flavor,” said Yu Shuitianyu, clad in armor, her already luxuriant hair braided into hundreds of plaits, as she devoured large chunks of meat—the Black Butcher’s specialty. “Marquis, I think the food here under Lord Luohe is better than what’s served in your own mansion.”

“Hahaha…” the Hu Yang City Marquis laughed. “The only one in all of Hu Yang City who reached Eternal True God status through culinary arts is the Black Butcher of Huojie Restaurant. Your Highness arrived at the mansion so suddenly, we had no time to summon him ahead.”

Luo Feng nodded: “The Black Butcher’s cooking is indeed excellent.”

“It suits my taste perfectly—eating it is especially satisfying,” said Yu Shuitianyu, looking at Luo Feng. “Lord Luohe, could you please summon the Black Butcher?”

“Of course.” Luo Feng nodded and immediately sent a mental message to the Black Butcher, who had just finished cooking and was resting inside the cave.

Inside the pavilion, only Luo Feng, Yu Shuitianyu, and the accompanying Hu Yang City Marquis were present. When the Black Butcher entered, he was somewhat nervous, for he knew full well the identity of today’s guest.

She was the daughter of the Yu Kingdom’s monarch!

The Yu Kingdom’s monarch had built a powerful nation entirely on his own, placing it among the second-tier states across the Origin Continent—undoubtedly formidable. In terms of individual strength, he was among the most powerful on the Origin Continent. His daughter’s status was comparable to the high-ranking elites of major clans in the Yan Feng Ancient Kingdom. Even some Chaotic Dominators would not dare to slight Princess Yu Shuitianyu.

“Greetings, all of you,” said the Black Butcher, bowing deeply.

“You’re the Black Butcher?” Yu Shuitianyu’s eyes sparkled. “Your cooking is exceptional—I love it. Would you be willing to come to the royal capital and serve as my personal chef?”

The Black Butcher froze.

He had merely come to cook one banquet for Lord Luohe—and now the daughter of the Yu Kingdom’s monarch was inviting him to the capital?

“Lord Luohe, I’m taking your chef—do you mind?” Yu Shuitianyu turned to Luo Feng.

“He runs Huojie Restaurant—he’s not my chef,” Luo Feng laughed. “If he goes to the capital, his future will be even brighter. That’s good for him. Why would I object?”

In recent times, Luo Feng had been immersed in cultivation and hadn’t visited Huojie Restaurant or Menghua Pavilion in a long while.

“My household currently has only one head chef—you’ll be my second,” said Yu Shuitianyu casually. “Rest assured, once you arrive, you’ll have your own cave dwelling, and your cultivation resources will far surpass what you had in Hu Yang City.” As the monarch’s daughter, everything her father casually bestowed upon her exceeded the imagination of most Eternal True Gods.

“To be invited by Your Highness is my honor—I accept,” said the Black Butcher, after a moment’s thought.

He had crossed the Wheel of Rebirth and come to the Origin Continent, struggling to survive until now.

Now that a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity lay before him, he had to seize it!

Moreover, as a border city, Hu Yang City had seen escalating conflict between the Food Kingdom and the Yu Kingdom; the Black Butcher had feared being caught in the crossfire. To have a chance to go to the capital—he naturally welcomed it.

“Congratulations, Black Butcher,” Luo Feng smiled.

“It’s thanks to Lord Luohe that I got this chance,” said the Black Butcher, deeply grateful. He knew full well the gap between himself and Lord Luohe—he had seized an opportunity to become the Princess’s chef, while Lord Luohe… had the Princess herself come to visit him.

Yu Shuitianyu laughed heartily: “You truly must thank Lord Luohe for introducing me to you, Black Butcher. Hurry and make arrangements—you’ll leave Hu Yang City for the capital at dawn.”

“Yes,” said the Black Butcher, bowing respectfully before withdrawing.

“Congratulations, Your Highness, for discovering such a master chef in Hu Yang City,” said the Hu Yang City Marquis.

“There are a few who’ve reached Eternal True God status through cooking, but few whose food suits my taste,” said Yu Shuitianyu, devouring meat with great satisfaction.

As for those even more exceptional—those who could become Chaotic Dominators through cooking? No such person would ever serve as a chef to a Princess. After all, any Chaotic Realm cultivator deserved a certain measure of respect from Divine Kings.

“Let’s get to the matter at hand,” said Yu Shuitianyu, looking at Luo Feng. “Lord Luohe, my father was delighted to hear of you—after all, such a promising Eternal True God has emerged within our Yu Kingdom’s borders. And you aided our kingdom by eliminating several Food Kingdom agents. My father has ordered me to present you with a gift.”

“Thank you, Your Highness. Please convey my gratitude to the Divine King,” said Luo Feng.

Yu Shuitianyu flipped her hand, producing a deep purple wooden box that floated to Luo Feng’s front.

“Open it and see,” said Yu Shui.

Luo Feng opened the box. Inside lay a pale green leaf, its surface crisscrossed with countless veins, its flesh glowing with a restrained luster. Even the surrounding void rippled and warped around it.

“Quickly close the box,” said Yu Shui. “This is a freshly matured leaf from the Void-Deriving Mother Tree. The box itself was specially crafted to prolong the leaf’s preservation. Left exposed, it would dry out completely and lose its function within a single eon. Inside this box, its lifespan extends dozens of times longer.”

“A leaf from the Void-Deriving Mother Tree?” Luo Feng’s heart stirred—he had learned of it from his Master’s intelligence and the Dongdonghe lineage’s records.

Of course, such a rarity was unobtainable—long since divided and claimed by the pinnacle beings of the Origin Continent.

“Whenever the Void-Deriving Mother Tree’s leaves mature, some are sent to my father,” said Yu Shuitianyu. “He bestows them upon Chaotic Dominators and his subordinates. This leaf was just harvested—it has the longest usable lifespan.”

“Lord Luohe, have you heard how it’s used?” asked Yu Shuitianyu.

“I’ve heard it relates to the Chaotic Layer—I don’t know much,” said Luo Feng.

Yu Shuitianyu explained: “Space is immensely dense—even powerful cultivators who can tear or cut space typically only slice its surface layer.”

“Space is layered, containing hundreds or thousands of strata. To completely break through all layers is to shatter the cage.” Yu Shui continued. “Among these layers, one is the Chaotic Layer.”

“The Chaotic Layer contains boundless Chaotic energy. The so-called ‘Chaotic Wastes’ is the interface between the Chaotic Layer and our normal realm,” said Yu Shui. Luo Feng listened intently.

“Simply carry the Void-Deriving Mother Tree leaf on your person, and you can travel backward through the Chaotic Wastes into the Chaotic Layer,” said Yu Shui. “Normal cultivators are repelled—but with this leaf, you may roam freely within the Chaotic Layer.”

“Cultivating there will greatly aid your comprehension of Chaotic Laws,” said Yu Shuitianyu with a smile. “Your foundations are already profound. With cultivation in the Chaotic Layer, you may even awaken the Chaotic Law.”

“Thank you, Your Highness, for your guidance,” said Luo Feng.

“This leaf is merely a token of my father’s appreciation for you—and a reward for eliminating the Food Kingdom’s agents,” said Yu Shui. “My father also wishes to take you as his disciple. If you’re willing, you may go to the capital and undergo trials. If you pass the three trials, you may become his student.”

“Congratulations, Lord Luohe—this is an extraordinary opportunity,” said the Hu Yang City Marquis immediately.

As peripheral branches of the royal family, their status paled beside that of the Yu Kingdom’s monarch’s direct disciples.

“My father accepts disciples only after they pass three trials,” said Yu Shui. “If you succeed, the resources you receive will far surpass this Void-Deriving Mother Tree leaf. Should you one day become a Chaotic Dominator, my father may even refine your divine body for you.”

Luo Feng listened.

Just as he had undergone three body refinements, body refinement was akin to forging divine weapons or treasures—if one trusted another deeply, one could allow them to refine one’s divine body. If the Yu Kingdom’s monarch himself did it, he could make the divine body extraordinarily powerful.

!.

“I need time to think,” said Luo Feng. “Thank you, Your Highness. Thank you, Divine King.”

Yu Shuitianyu frowned slightly, then smiled: “It seems Lord Luohe already has a Master.”

On the Origin Continent, the master-disciple bond was no less sacred than that of father and son.

After all, a Master taught lineage, provided resources, offered guidance—investing more care than a father ever could.

Likewise, a disciple must repay their Master! To betray one’s Master would provoke universal outrage and bring disgrace from all factions.

“Lord Luohe, don’t let this opportunity slip,” warned the Hu Yang City Marquis.

“No need to force it,” said Yu Shui. “My father merely admires talent. Whether he gains another disciple or not makes little difference to him.”

“Still, I must thank Your Highness,” said Luo Feng, raising his cup.

Yu Shuitianyu also raised her cup and drank, smiling. Even if they couldn’t become master and disciple, they could still be friends. For a cultivator of such immense potential, who knew—perhaps one day he would become a Chaotic Dominator. Yu Shuitianyu was willing to cultivate such a friendship.

After the banquet ended, Yu Shuitianyu and the Hu Yang City Marquis departed, and Luo Feng personally saw them off at the cave’s entrance.

“Becoming a disciple? That would bind me completely,” Luo Feng knew this well. The deputy director of the Yan Feng Pavilion had repeatedly warned him: never pledge allegiance to the Yu Kingdom, lest he be trapped and unable to leave.

Both the Yu Kingdom’s monarch’s recruitment and the Yan Feng Ancient Kingdom’s Di Chu lineage’s offer—anyone with even a little insight knew which to choose.

Almost every monarch would welcome a Chaotic Dominator. But a typical Chaotic Dominator could never become a guest advisor to the Di Chu lineage of the Yan Feng Ancient Kingdom.

“If I go to the Yu Kingdom’s capital, to the Yu Kingdom’s monarch, I am expendable.”

“But if I go to the Yan Feng Ancient Kingdom in the future, to Di Chu Yu, I will be a vital ally.”

Luo Feng looked at the wooden box in his hand.

“Still, I must thank the Yu Kingdom’s monarch,” Luo Feng was genuinely pleased—this Void-Deriving Mother Tree leaf would greatly aid him.

…

That night, Luo Feng left behind a divine energy avatar, entrusted Mo Luo Sa and Mo Yu Qingyan, then departed alone for the city lord’s mansion’s “Chaotic Wastes.”

“Lord Luohe, this is the Chaotic Wastes,” said the Hu Yang City Marquis, personally guiding him.

Luo Feng gazed ahead.

Before him, a twisted void rift spilled like a waterfall, pouring forth boundless Chaotic energy that naturally congealed into Chaotic Crystals, some seeping into surrounding soil and rock to form Chaotic Stones.

“The boundless Chaotic energy from the Chaotic Layer, once entering our normal realm, solidifies,” said the Hu Yang City Marquis. “Thus arise Chaotic Crystals and Chaotic Stones.”

Luo Feng nodded: “Indeed wondrous.”

Around the Chaotic Wastes, several Void True Gods were tasked with cutting the crystals into fixed sizes, stacking them into piles. They all noticed the Hu Yang City Marquis accompanying Lord Luohe.

“It’s Lord Luohe.”

“Lord Luohe has arrived.” These Void True Gods all knew: the most terrifying force in Hu Yang City today was Lord Luohe.

“Thank you, Marquis,” Luo Feng smiled. “I’ll enter the Chaotic Layer directly.”

“Remember the path—you can return the same way,” said the Hu Yang City Marquis with a smile. “I’ve already instructed them: you may enter the Chaotic Wastes anytime.”

“Thank you,” Luo Feng nodded, then flew straight toward the void rift, battling against the torrent of Chaotic energy as he ascended into the rift.

(End of Chapter)