Chapter 1624: Time Treasure

"That's true," Jiu Dao Yi nodded. "He's easily broken. Even though he became an Emperor's son, reality has beaten him black and blue, leaving his spirit riddled with holes. He really can't handle any more turmoil."

Chu Feng shot him a disapproving look. *'Given you knew how miserable he was, why were you just about to throw the new Emperor directly into this abyssal foreign pit, whose depths are unknown?'*

"I didn't think that far ahead," Jiu Dao Yi replied. "Someone like me, whose body is immune to all poisons, has been numbed by the passage of time. Close relatives, kin, parents—bad news about them constantly arrives, leaving me the sole survivor in the world. To live, to become stronger, I've even peeled off my own skin, pulled out my bones, and refined my soul. What is there left to fear? I've long grown accustomed to it."

"You're talking about pulling out tendons and peeling off skin," Chu Feng said, "that sounds quite gruesome. How about I pour you a cup of 'precious brew' to help you recover?"

"Get lost, you little devil!" Jiu Dao Yi's face immediately darkened, and he glared, "Quickly, change your expression!"

Chu Feng promptly fell silent. It was best not to provoke the old man, or he would certainly be the one to suffer.

Jiu Dao Yi stared at the entrance, gazing intently. Holding the Heaven-Burying Diagram, he was about to enter by himself.

Chu Feng was worried. If the old man were to perish inside, his conscience would trouble him for the rest of his life.

"Let's call Gu Qing over," he suggested. "You two can go in together."

"Didn't you say he's easily broken?" Jiu Dao Yi chuckled.

"He'll get used to breaking," Chu Feng replied, then added, "Aren't I just hoping you two can look out for each other?"

Eventually, Gu Qing arrived. After a careful observation, his expression flickered, but he took responsibility and decided to enter with the old man.

The desolate Great Dream Pure Land, once one of the most flourishing dao lineages in the Lesser Netherworld, had met such a fate, becoming a barren wasteland. It was truly regrettable.

Chu Feng inevitably thought of Qin Luoyin, the little Daoist, and all the events of the past.

"All right, we're ready to go in," Jiu Dao Yi said as they parted. "Boy, you're quite something, daring to command both of us at once. But if you manage to kill two Dao Ancestors right off the bat, that'll be a story for a lifetime."

This scruffy old man usually didn't seem imposing, not at all like a Dao Ancestor, but if he were to truly unleash his power, it would certainly mean big trouble.

The two vanished, entering the ominous foreign realm.

"Please don't let anything happen," Chu Feng muttered to himself. "If they both die in there, how will I explain it to their disciples and descendants?"

In fact, he wouldn't be able to explain it. Among their disciples, there were naturally Immortal Kings; he probably wouldn't even be able to escape if that happened.

"A-pfft!"

In just a moment, Jiu Dao Yi quickly reappeared. He poked his head out of the dark, eerily glowing cavern and spat out a mouthful of gray substance.

"That fast?" Chu Feng exclaimed, surprised.

"Fast, you say? Many days have passed already!" Jiu Dao Yi glared, dissatisfied. His hair was disheveled, his battle robes tattered and stained with blood, looking quite miserable.

Clearly, he had been in a fierce battle.

"Where's Gu Qing? The new Emperor didn't... break down, did he?" Chu Feng asked, as Gu Qing hadn't appeared.

And with Jiu Dao Yi in such a state, Chu Feng couldn't help but wonder.

Coincidentally, Gu Qing emerged from the cavern, spitting out several mouthfuls of dense gray substance, and happened to overhear Chu Feng's words.

Chu Feng was speechless.

Gu Qing's face was dark. He looked at Chu Feng, then looked again, wondering why he found the young man increasingly irritating. Was Chu Feng really so eager for him to break down?

Then, both of them took deep breaths at the cave entrance before turning and sinking back in.

"So there really is a major problem, a terrifying monster lurking inside?" Chu Feng wondered, suspicious. *'In the past, I wasn't strong enough, so I didn't provoke it into action?'*

Suddenly, something was thrown out of the cavern. Without a second thought, Chu Feng kicked forward defensively.

A shrill scream, like a wailing specter, echoed chillingly.

"It's you?" Chu Feng exclaimed in surprise.

It was a hunchback, looking terribly gaunt and indescribably horrifying, as if a ten-thousand-year-old corpse had returned to the light of day.

Chu Feng recognized him at a glance: this was the old man who used to send out talismans from the Ninth-Level Forbidden Zone of the foreign realm, and who had intimidated him more than once.

Though he hadn't directly attacked Chu Feng at the time, he had subtly threatened him on several occasions.

"You old bastard, you finally got what was coming to you, falling into my hands!?" Chu Feng was impulsive. He grabbed the hunchback and started beating him, regardless of his identity.

There was nothing to say; first, beat him half to death and vent some anger!

*Bang! Clang! Thump!*

The hunched old ghost growled and hissed, exuding waves of ominous energy, his eyes fixed venomously on Chu Feng. He was truly beaten to a pulp, his bones broken and tendons snapped.

"As expected, it's gray substance! You shameless old ghost, you dared to threaten me and scare me, laughing so chillingly back then. Today, Grandpa Chu will show you why flowers bloom so brightly and why your little face is so vibrantly red!"

Chu Feng delivered a flurry of blows, leaving the hunched old ghost's face a bloody mess, blood spattering from his shriveled, ghostly visage.

Chu Feng had already discerned back then that the old hunchback was formed from gray substance and was extremely terrifying.

Now, with his greatly increased strength, he could naturally see the old ghost's true nature more clearly: it was a Heavenly Venerate-level being, lurking in the foreign realm as a servant.

"You haven't made any progress all these years? Still at this level of cultivation?" Chu Feng asked.

The old ghost's eyes gleamed viciously. He truly should have strangled this little devil back then. He never imagined the other party would grow to such an extent, capable of obliterating him.

"Speak! What exactly is going on with this rotten foreign realm? Who are you serving as a servant in that forbidden zone, and what's inside?"

"Also, did you make those talismans? Certainly not. Most likely, you're merely occupying a magpie's nest!"

Chu Feng continued to press him with questions, but the old ghost said nothing, his eyes fixed on Chu Feng with venomous intent.

"Splat!"

Finally, Chu Feng slapped him apart, turning him into gray substance. As for the wisp of soul light that tried to escape, it was directly refined into kalpa ash by Chu Feng.

There was movement at the cave entrance again. Some tattered scriptures were thrown out. Chu Feng carefully leafed through them and studied them. They were all in the foreign realm's script, which he had long mastered from living in that world for a considerable time.

"The foreign realm was once very powerful, giving birth to a brilliant civilization, but it was still destroyed," Chu Feng sighed. These tattered scriptures recorded some special methods, unique paths of evolution that were worth learning from.

"No wonder it was destroyed," he mused. "Some of these methods involve utilizing bizarre energy."

Overall, these scriptures had reference value, and their essence was quite remarkable, but Chu Feng couldn't simply adopt them wholesale.

"Pah!"

Jiu Dao Yi and Gu Qing reappeared. The scriptures and the hunchback had been thrown out by them. Now, both were disheveled and looked even more wretched.

"Finally, it's done," Jiu Dao Yi declared. "Who would have thought there was a 'super-sized' living corpse in there!"

There was a monster inside that should have been dragged into battle and died alongside the foreign realm's Dao Ancestor back then. However, gray substance is too peculiar and strange; after a long period, as long as the substance remains, it can re-coalesce.

Thus, that ominous monster could be reborn. Jiu Dao Yi and Gu Qing had forced it to undergo an incomplete premature transformation, and then they completely eliminated it.

"That monstrosity must have been a peerless Dao Ancestor back then," Gu Qing said with a solemn expression. "If it had continued to evolve, it might have even comprehended its own path, pioneered a new system, and reached the End-of-Road realm!"

Jiu Dao Yi, however, shook his head. "From ancient times until now, quite a few Dao Ancestors have emerged, but how many End-of-Road beings are there? They are extremely difficult to produce."

Even a peak Dao Ancestor, just a hair's breadth from glimpsing the domain of an End-of-Road being, still faces a gap that is a gap. Trapped in the lower realms, they can never truly cross that chasm.

Some peerless Dao Ancestors, even after cultivating for many epochs, struggle to make any progress, unable to take that crucial step. This means they can never break through the ceiling in their lifetime.

"Are you sure the 'big one' inside is completely dead and thoroughly eradicated?" Chu Feng's eyes lit up as he asked the two powerhouses.

"Completely dead," Jiu Dao Yi affirmed. "Back then, the foreign realm's peak Dao Ancestor dragged it along to die, but such things are somewhat special; a tiny bit of its origin could allow it to revive after eons. This time, however, we thoroughly refined it into dregs and burned it to ashes!"

Chu Feng's eyes immediately gleamed. Now the foreign realm was a world without threats. Its time flow was different from the outside world, and if utilized well, it would be a treasure trove evolutionaries dreamed of.

"You're thinking too much," Jiu Dao Yi interjected. "This place is heavily contaminated. Few of the younger generation can endure it after entering."

"As for Immortal Kings and others, while they can endure it, this world offers them limited help. That's because, in ancient times, two peak Dao Ancestors battled here, shattering this world. The current realm is merely a partially recovered fragment, and for Immortal Kings, the Grand Dao here is incomplete."

"Even for the younger generation, after cultivating and gaining insights here, it's best to temper themselves in other complete Grand Universes or even more perilous chaotic worlds."

The two Dao Ancestors' pointers helped Chu Feng understand the situation here.

"That's not a problem!" Chu Feng truly didn't care much about the so-called gray contamination or the incomplete Grand Dao.

He needed this place simply to "cool down" his body. The greatest drawback of the Pollen Path was that after reaching a certain level of evolution, the body and soul's foundations and potential were squeezed dry, leaving the cultivator in an extremely unfavorable "fatigue period" that required prolonged endurance to recover from.

Chu Feng was now King Chu. Given his personality, he would naturally request Great Universe-level exotic soil and other strategic resources from the new Emperor, ensuring he wouldn't lack them in the future.

At the same time, he possessed rare pollen, and three astonishing seeds were hidden on his person!

Although he had broken through the so-called ceiling of the Pollen Path, it didn't mean abandoning it. This was still his main path, and he would stride forward with his head held high.

However, he would more comprehensively refine his evolution, elevating the transformation of the Pollen Path to a level beyond its limits.

He could evolve using the seeds outside, and then come to this foreign realm to "cool down" himself. For now, everything was perfect.

"Your descendants, disciples, and grand-disciples can cultivate with me in the foreign realm," Chu Feng offered. "I will help them resist and eliminate the gray substance."

"Think about it," he continued, "one day here might not equal a hundred years outside, but surely several years or even decades? This is truly a treasure of astonishing value. No wonder the Yuan Clan wanted to claim this world; it truly lives up to its name as a time treasure."

Chu Feng described the benefits of this secret realm to them, hoping the two old men would act as guardians and not let hostile races—such as the Four Tribulation Sparrows, Emperor Wu, or the Yuan Clan—enter freely.

Gu Qing was moved. His eldest disciple naturally didn't need this; for an Immortal King, this place was somewhat redundant.

However, he had descendants, disciples, and grand-disciples, and those young people desperately needed this time treasure.

Jiu Dao Yi said, "The Yuan Clan likely abandoned this place. I saw their handiwork; some of their members came here to cultivate, but their own origins became contaminated. They left behind final testaments saying that such an eerie world was better left untouched."

"Even better, saves us the trouble," Chu Feng nodded. Suddenly, he looked up and said, "Huh, someone's coming?"

As for the two Dao Ancestors, they had naturally sensed the situation long ago. They weren't particularly concerned; after the departure of that "black hand," no creature in the Lesser Netherworld could threaten them.

The newcomer had arrived at this star through a domain. He had flown for a distance before suddenly noticing Chu Feng and the two Dao Ancestors.

"You are... Chu Feng?!"

"You are... Uncle Ming?!" Both Chu Feng and the newcomer were startled, then they both burst into laughter, surprised to be reunited here.

Uncle Ming was an ancient Saint from Earth. Yaoyao called him Uncle Ming, and Chu Feng followed suit.

Back then, Uncle Ming fought to protect his homeland, engaging in a relentless struggle against races like the Celestial Race and the Xilin Race, enduring immense suffering and torture.

However, he eventually broke free and witnessed the rise of Yaoyao, Chu Feng, and others.

Although now, these seemed like disputes among lower-level evolutionaries, the grievances, emotions, and human nature involved were just as stirring, infuriating, and saddening.

"Uncle Ming, come with me," Chu Feng said. "Yaoyao is in the Greater Yang Realm now, almost an Immortal. And Saint Master Yi Chen is also there, he's become a Domain Heavenly Master. Come with me to the Greater Yang Realm!"

Chu Feng grabbed him. This old man had always protected Yaoyao and cherished this junior.

"What? Yaoyao... she's alive?" Uncle Ming immediately became agitated, stretching out trembling hands to grasp Chu Feng's shoulders, his voice choked with emotion, his old eyes welling up with hot tears.

"Heaven be merciful! I didn't take good care of Yaoyao back then, and yet she's still alive. Heaven has finally opened its eyes!"

Uncle Ming wept, his hair white, his eyes cloudy. He simply couldn't control his emotions.

Back then, almost everyone of their generation had died in battle, and even their descendants hadn't escaped harm.

Yaoyao herself was merely a wisp of a remnant soul, her physical body having fallen into the Great Abyss in ancient times, a truly tragic fate.

Later, when Yaoyao reappeared in the world, Uncle Ming, having escaped his predicament, found her immediately.

However, tragedy struck again. Yaoyao eventually had a decisive battle with Taiwu and fell into the Great Abyss once more.

Uncle Ming actually broke into convulsive sobs, unable to stop, and it took him a long time to calm his emotions.

"She's alive, and in excellent condition," Chu Feng quickly explained to reassure him. "She cultivates several evolutionary civilization systems. Back then, she entered the Greater Netherworld from the Great Abyss..."

"Good, good, good!" Uncle Ming's lips trembled, and old tears streamed down his face. "Come on, take me to see Yaoyao, and Saint Master too!"

With matters in the Lesser Netherworld concluded, Chu Feng and the Kings embarked on their return journey.

On their return, there were two additional people: Stone Fox and Uncle Ming.

"I say, seniors," Chu Feng said, looking at the Kings as he finally understood the situation. "With your esteemed statuses, you actually indulged in extorting local specialties and demanded things; even low-level cultivators were being blackmailed by you?"

In the starry sky, Chu Feng looked at the Kings. He had learned that these individuals had filled countless bottles and jars.

They took things like recipes from the Heavenly Emperor's banquet and the green stone the Heavenly Emperor once sat on. Some even wanted to cut off the peak of Mount Tai and take it with them.

However, in the end, no one dared to act recklessly, fearing they might incur significant karma.

Chu Feng continued, "The most outrageous thing is that you went around looking for female fierce beasts to milk, causing an uproar. Anyone unaware would think spring had arrived and all things were reviving."

An old monster spoke up, "Aren't we just preparing to let our clan's descendants taste the fierce beast milk that 'that person' once drank? After all, you're right: since Earth is in reincarnation, the milk produced by the descendants of those fierce beasts should have the same taste, coming from the original source."

"So, you went around the world milking fierce beasts?" Chu Feng retorted. "Earth is actually poor in resources. If 'that person' senses your wanton actions, they might be displeased. You should leave some opportunities for Earth as an equivalent exchange."

If Chu Feng's nonsense had been heard by the middle or younger generations, they would naturally have scoffed, paid little attention, and certainly not taken it seriously.

However, the expressions of the elder generation changed. At their level, they understood reverence more deeply and feared incurring karma even more.

In an instant, some old monsters' hands glowed, and they indeed unleashed divine rays, one after another, flying towards the blue star behind them.

In the Greater Yang Realm, Xia State, the Central Heavenly Emperor Palace floated in mid-air, grand and solemn, with divine radiance flowing and purple qi permeating.

The Kings had returned, and everything went back to normal.

Upon his return, Chu Feng directly requested evolution resources from the new Emperor, Gu Qing, not only for himself but also for the Yellow Ox, Dong Dahu, and others.

Currently, he was nominally King Chu and had repeatedly made great contributions, primarily in the clashes with the younger and middle generations of the Heavens, where he brought great prestige to the lower realm.

Moreover, he had indeed displayed astonishing and terrifying potential. Both publicly and privately, Gu Qing would not suppress him; he should be given the evolutionary resources he needed.

As expected, Gu Qing waved his hand, allowing Chu Feng to collect them from the treasury himself, without any hesitation.

"Wait a moment, kid," Jiu Dao Yi called out, stopping him. "Are you planning to evolve and then run off to the foreign realm?"

"Yes!" Chu Feng nodded. In such a grand environment, what other choice did he have? Naturally, he needed to rapidly enhance his strength.

"No rush," Jiu Dao Yi said. "I think we should first find you a few Dao companions, help you complete your marriage, and ideally, form alliances with all the major powerful clans through marriage."

"Huh?" Chu Feng was stunned. *'What's going on? What's this scruffy old man scheming?'*

"Do you know that once you reach the Heavenly Venerate realm, it becomes very difficult to have descendants? It requires the assistance of various divine medicines to even be possible. You're already at the Primordial realm, what ordinary people call a Great Power. If you advance another level, having offspring will become even more concerning."

Jiu Dao Yi reminded him with utmost seriousness.

"This..." Chu Feng was genuinely surprised.

"I will issue an imperial decree to select Dao companions for you and personally preside over your grand wedding!" Gu Qing also spoke, clearly holding Chu Feng in high regard.

Otherwise, beings at his and Jiu Dao Yi's level wouldn't even deign to meet cultivators at the Primordial realm, let alone true Immortals or even Immortal Kings could not necessarily have audiences frequently.

"Is it truly necessary?" Chu Feng asked Jiu Dao Yi.

"Of course," Jiu Dao Yi nodded, "unless you wish to cut off your lineage and, from now on, single-mindedly devote yourself to cultivation, never considering the issue of offspring."

"I already have a son!" Chu Feng whispered.

"Do you think your son is reliable?" Gu Qing joked. "He could merge with someone at any time and become an old monster. When that happens, will you call him your son, or will he want you to call him ancestor?"

Chu Feng shivered with disgust at the thought of the Corpse King.

"Then... I shall neither forsake my path nor my beloved," Chu Feng nodded solemnly. "I won't let down my women or my cultivation!"