Chapter 2324: The Tenth Year's Vacation

Strength is always the goal of pursuit.

Cultivation knows no bounds!

Xiao Feng planned to go into secluded cultivation for several years.

This time he slew two controllers in a row, making three controllers dead by his hand; the Karmic Law Holy Sovereign is estimated to be furious to the point of explosion.

If he continues killing, he might provoke the opponent into coming out to fight.

Although Xiao Feng is no longer very afraid of star‑level controllers, considering that those around him might also be dragged in, he decided to rest for a while and temporarily stop hunting the great lords of various places.

After all, these cosmic spirit stones are enough to sustain him for a long time.

Moreover, his strength is still in a stage of rapid growth; if his chance of winning against a star‑level opponent today is thirty percent, then after another hundred years it will be at least forty percent!

Others' growth speed is not as fast as his; the later the battle occurs, the greater his advantage, and this edge should naturally be utilized.

In the following years, Xiao Feng went nowhere; he simply remained in place, cultivating in seclusion.

There were so many cosmic spirit stones that he used them directly to lay foundations and build houses, transforming his own mansion into a cave‑heaven blessed land, with cosmic energy so dense it could not dissipate.

As a result, not long afterward, the plants around the manor grew wildly, turning the original grassland and small flower garden into a primeval forest.

And in more distant places, what was once a wasteland has gradually become like an ancient forest.

In the ninth year of entering the Boundless Continent, Han Zichen entered the Super Brahma Valley Stage; his genes evolved, his strength greatly increased, his basic combat power rose from thirty‑forty to eighty‑ninety, and with the explosion of his cultivation battle techniques he could reach several hundred, enough to fight a Transcendent Peak.

However, they were all cultivating together with Xiao Feng nearby, and no danger arose in the vicinity.

There was hardly any opportunity to temper themselves through battle.

In the blink of an eye ten years passed; over a thousand elites selected from the game world have already survived the most difficult stage, settled in the Boundless Continent, and found their footing.

According to the statistics of Xiao Feng's and the Ultimate Darkness Vanguard's in‑game contact squad, by the end of the tenth year only 566 people remained alive.

That means more than half of them have died. The virtual universe is everywhere, so the chance of losing contact is tiny; only being killed would cause someone to stay offline for ten consecutive years without seeking others in the game.

However, with this ten‑year experience, the survival probability when facing life‑and‑death crises in future tempering should increase greatly.

Everyone now knows how to avoid danger, when to fight and when to flee, and has a clear sense of it.

In the tenth year, many people chose to take a leave of absence.

Including Xiao Feng and his friends.

For Xiao Feng, coming to the Boundless Continent this time means being away from home for ten years, but for Zhang Fan, Han Zichen and others who followed their master in cultivation, it has already been thirty years.

Most of them were ordinary people by birth; their initial understanding of life was only a little over a hundred years, so thirty years already feels very long.

So as soon as the time was up, the jade talisman could be used, and many people promptly used it to exchange for a year's vacation. Only a few who were originally cultivators were not that eager for a holiday; they wanted to keep the leave opportunity for self‑preservation, so they did not leave but stayed behind to continue holding sway over Crescent Moon City.

……

Xing Kong

Space fluctuations surged, and Xiao Feng's figure stepped out from within.

Not far away, there were also Zhang Fan, Li Li, and Han Zi.

completing Han Zichen's fellow team members, as well as acquaintances from the Ultimate Darkness Vanguard and Shen Chuo and other teams.

Over two hundred people, all of whom took leave immediately after the ten‑year period ended, and moreover space fluctuations kept appearing, with people continually being summoned out from the Boundless Continent.

The figure of the Extermination Slayer Venerable appeared in Xing Kong.

"Congratulations on surviving the first ten years," said the Extermination Slayer Venerable, with a hint of approval.

"Extermination Slayer Venerable, alas… many friends have died; this tempering is truly cruel," said a young woman with a sorrowful tone.

The Extermination Slayer Venerable said: "Tempering inherently carries risk; being wounded or dying in battle is commonplace. Do you know how much the data you've caused has changed over these ten years?"

"Data? What data?" everyone wondered.

The Extermination Slayer Venerable chuckled.

"In these ten years, 1,248 of you entered the Boundless Continent, altogether there were 498,802 battles, and the death toll was 670 people."

A single number immediately silenced everyone.

Xiao Feng reckoned: the 566 in contact, 666 dead—basically the same—only a 16‑person squad is missing in action.

"This is one aspect; there is another."

The Extermination Slayer Venerable continued: "In those 498,802 battles, you collectively killed 8,407,090 sentient beings of the Boundless Continent, among them 132 Transcendent Peaks and 1,504 Super Brahma Valley Stage cultivators… the total number of Transcendent beings exceeds one hundred thousand."

Xiao Feng's brows furrowed slightly.

This data is obviously wrong; in his battle at the Illuminating Holy City he killed far more sentient beings than this, and he has also slain controllers.

Obviously the Extermination Slayer Venerable has excised his battle record.

removed it, so as not to frighten the others.

Those 132 Transcendent Peaks were probably slain by the Ultimate Darkness Vanguard; others also have a few individuals capable of killing a Transcendent Peak, but not with such exaggerated efficiency.

"Putting it that way, we're actually rather ruthless…"

"Looking at the loss ratio, our situation is indeed much better."

"Alas, what's the use of saying this? Dead is dead; one or ten makes no difference—we've simply lost friends and comrades."

Many people felt somewhat depressed; instead of feeling proud of their excellent record, they felt even more sorrowful.

Seeing this, the Extermination Slayer Venerable said: "I tell you this to let you know that life is fragile; a strong one's rise is always accompanied by the withering of countless beings. You need not fear death, nor feel guilty for slaying enemies. In the universe, where there is life there is death, and this is inevitable. The dead will be reborn through the myriad cycles of all things; you who live must continue to temper yourselves, letting your lives shine with ever greater brilliance."

Everyone nodded upon hearing this.

"Yes, precisely because we can die, life appears precious."

"Extermination Slayer Senior, rest assured; we will not lose our fighting spirit, and will certainly become stronger and more radiant."

"Go home and rest for a year; from now on we must work even harder."

Some sighed with myriad feelings, while others' fighting spirit soared.

Life is an endless journey, and we are still far from its end.

Xiao Feng's face bore a faint smile.

The words of the Slaughter-Extermination Venerable carried the deepest warning for him; it was clear that this senior feared he had killed too much and left a psychological obstacle, so he deliberately reminded him.

「Senior, send us

「Let's go back, return to our hometown. 」 He said to the Slaughter-Extermination Venerable.

「Hmm. 」

The Slaughter-Extermination Venerable nodded, pointed to two void teleportation gates not far behind him, and said: "These two gates are a path opened by the Dao Ancestor for you. Taking the left one can return you to your hometown world to reunite with your family; taking the right one can return you to the world of cultivation to meet your masters. Choose where you want to go; after the holiday time arrives, the Dao Ancestor will send you back again."

「【Evening update】」