281: The storm has come, and the people have left

After a long while, the light dissipated.

The destructive black-blue sun finally extinguished completely, leaving behind an even larger, terrifying deep pit with completely glazed edges, where magma still gurgled and bubbled, emitting a heart-palpitating residual heat.

“Pfft!”

A mouthful of golden blood spurted from the mouth of a scorched figure at the edge of the pit.

Xu Tian stood unsteadily, the golden ancient bell floating in front of him now dim, its body covered in spiderweb-like cracks, its spirituality greatly diminished, clearly on the verge of being abandoned.

“Damn it!”

He let out a beast-like growl, his handsome face contorted with anger and humiliation.

This time, he was prepared, sacrificing his Lifebound Spirit Treasure for full defense, avoiding the Physical Body collapse he experienced last time.

Yet, the result was still a miserable defeat.

His Lifebound Spirit Treasure was damaged, and his Divine Soul also suffered a violent shock, adding injury upon injury.

“What kind of flame was that?”

He stared fixedly in the direction Lin Feng disappeared, the venom in his eyes almost materializing.

“How can a Soul Transformation Cultivator possess such strength!”

He couldn't comprehend it.

That black-blue flame was domineering, pure, and filled with the will to destroy everything.

Such power should not appear on a Soul Transformation Cultivator.

Unless… a thought flashed through his mind, causing his heart to tremble violently.

“Could it be that he is a Prodigy secretly nurtured by a great clan in the Spirit Realm?”

Only this explanation could account for how the opponent, with a Soul Transformation body, could contend equally with him, a Void Refining Middle Stage Spirit Race Prodigy, in both Physical Body and magical power.

The more Xu Tian thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.

He even felt that, from beginning to end, the opponent seemed to be toying with them, never truly exerting his full strength.

That ease, that cat-and-mouse posture, humiliated him more than any severe injury.

This trip to the Tomb of the Setting Sun, Xu Tian's Spirit Race team not only lost several Soul Transformation clansmen, including Shi Yan, but he himself was also severely injured, and he didn't even get a single treasure.

It could be said that he lost both his wife and his army, suffering a complete defeat.

He suddenly turned his head, a venomous gaze sweeping into the distance.

It was empty there.

Huan Tianqi and Spirit Lord Huang Liang, those two cunning fellows, had already slipped away the moment they saw the black-blue firebird appear, running faster than anyone.

“Two pieces of trash!”

Xu Tian gnashed his teeth and cursed.

Rage surged in his chest, and he desperately wanted to chase after them now and tear those two bystanders to shreds.

But reason ultimately overcame his anger.

He glanced at his cracked ancient bell, feeling the unstable spiritual power within his body, and finally gave up on the idea.

The most pressing matter was to immediately return to his clan and report everything that had happened here, especially the intelligence on that mysterious Human Race Cultivator, truthfully.

This person would definitely become a major hidden danger for the Spirit Race in the future!

“Hmph!”

Xu Tian let out a cold snort, no longer lingering, and transformed into a faint golden light, dragging his severely injured body, disappearing at the other end of the tomb passage.

Long after he left.

Two figures cautiously emerged from the shadows in the distance; it was Huan Tianqi and Spirit Lord Huang Liang.

Both looked at the battlefield before them, which seemed to have been swept by a natural disaster, their faces filled with undisguised shock and lingering fear.

“If… if that mysterious Soul Transformation Cultivator's final strike had been aimed at the two of us…” Spirit Lord Huang Liang's thin voice was a little dry, his rat-like eyes filled with relief.

He had no doubt that if he had taken that blow head-on, even if he didn't die, he would definitely lose half his life.

Huan Tianqi's face was ashen, and he slowly exhaled a turbid breath.

“This person's strength can no longer be measured by Realm.”

He looked at the huge glazed deep pit and said in a deep voice, “I have Cultivated for three thousand years and have never seen such a Prodigy among Soul Transformation Cultivators. His Physical Body is comparable to a Void Refining Demon King, his magical power is so vast that he can contend with a Spirit Race Prodigy, not to mention that bizarre flame secret art…”

“Brother Huan also noticed it, didn't you?” Spirit Lord Huang Liang leaned over, lowering his voice, “That person held back at the end, only attacking Xu Tian. Perhaps… he is a Prodigy Cultivator of our Human Race or Yao Race?”

“Hard to say.” Huan Tianqi shook his head, “He acts mysteriously, both righteous and evil, but letting us go in the end is a good thing. It’s just, why has such a person never been heard of among the Human and Yao Races?”

The two exchanged glances, both seeing deep confusion and apprehension in each other's eyes.

They sighed, knowing that it was not advisable to stay here long.

Although, like Xu Tian, they had gained nothing from this trip, at least they suffered no losses themselves, which was fortunate.

“City Lord Lan of Tianyuan City also died here. It seems we will have to choose someone new to guard this place,” Spirit Lord Huang Liang sighed.

“Let's go back first.”

Huan Tianqi took one last look at the ravaged battlefield, then, along with Spirit Lord Huang Liang, transformed into streams of light and left the Tomb of the Setting Sun.

Not long after they left, an astonishing rumor spread like wildfire through Tianyuan City.

The rumor said that three high-ranking Void Refining grand powerful beings fought fiercely in the Tomb of the Setting Sun over a divine object, causing heaven and earth to collapse.

Ultimately, a mysterious Soul Transformation Cultivator who happened to pass by swept away all the treasures right under the noses of the three grand powerful beings and left triumphantly.

This rumor was treated as a drunken joke by countless Cultivators; no one believed it.

After all, a Soul Transformation Cultivator snatching food from the jaws of Void Refining grand powerful beings?

This was even more outrageous than the stories told by storytellers… And Lin Feng, who had long since fled, knew nothing of all this.

Within his Inner Universe, there was a profound silence.

Lin Feng sat cross-legged, the ancient, all-black small bottle suspended before him.

The stopper opened, and a drop of blood, as clear and transparent as a ruby, yet containing a majestic life force, slowly drifted out.

It was that divine blood.

Lin Feng opened his mouth and inhaled, and the divine blood transformed into a red thread, which he swallowed into his abdomen.

Boom!

An indescribably vast energy instantly exploded within his body.

It was not violent spiritual power, but a higher-level life source energy.

Lin Feng's body, from every cell, every inch of muscle and bone, to the deepest part of his Soul, let out excited cheers and exultation under the flushing of this energy.

He dared not delay, immediately activated his Cultivation Technique, guiding this energy to begin refining his Physical Body.

At the same time, with a thought, he quickly operated the System interface.

“System, exchange for [Spirit Refining Art Improved Version].”

“Exchange for [Heaven-Opening Divine Body].”

His original Da Yan Cultivation Method and Luo Hou Divine Body had both been Cultivated to the peak of their current Realms, making further progress difficult.

These two new Cultivation Techniques, provided by the System Mall, were more powerful methods that could perfectly connect to subsequent Cultivation.

As the exchange was completed, two immense torrents of information instantly poured into his mind.

[Spirit Refining Art], an Immortal Realm Divine Sense secret method, improved, with no hidden dangers in Cultivation.

[Heaven-Opening Divine Body], draws Chaos Qi from heaven and earth into the body to forge an indestructible Divine Body. When Cultivated to its extreme, the Physical Body becomes a Universe, and every gesture possesses the power to create heaven and earth.

Days and months passed unnoticed in the Immortal Cave, winter ending without him knowing the year.

When Lin Feng opened his eyes again, a year had already passed.

The energy of that drop of divine blood had been completely absorbed and refined by him.

His Physical Body, under the dual effect of the divine blood and the [Heaven-Opening Divine Body], underwent a world-shaking transformation.

On the surface of his skin, a jade-like luster faintly flowed, seemingly ordinary, yet its strength was several times greater than before.

And the [Spirit Refining Art] had also successfully Cultivated to the first introductory layer. With a sweep of his Divine Thought, every rustle of grass and leaf in the entire Tianyuan City was clearly reflected in his mind, in minute detail.

Just then, outside the Immortal Cave, a respectful voice came.

“Captain Qinglian, Qianyu has something to report.”

It was Xu Qianyu.

Lin Feng's thought moved, and the Immortal Cave door opened silently.

Xu Qianyu, dressed in an elegant long skirt, walked in slowly and respectfully bowed.

“Captain, Tianyuan City's century-old Myriad Treasures Auction will be held in three days.”

“Auction?”

As Lin Feng's eyes opened and closed, it was as if galaxies flowed within them, so profound that people dared not look directly.

His heart stirred, and he stopped his Cultivation.

Counting the time, it was almost time.

His Lifebound Treasure still lacked the most crucial water-attribute Material, the scales of a Qilin.

This item was extremely rare, nowhere to be found in ordinary places, and only at an auction of this scale was it possible for it to appear.

“I understand.”

Lin Feng slowly got up, his joints emitting a series of crisp crackling sounds.

He felt the power within his body, which was more than a level stronger than a year ago, his eyes calm and profound.

Now, whether it was his Physical Body, magical power, or Divine Soul, he had reached the true peak of the Soul Transformation Late Stage.

He only needed his Lifebound Treasure to be successfully refined and merge with his own Qi.

At that time, his strength would be truly at Perfection.

Once his Lifebound Treasure was unleashed, even a Void Refining Perfection could be easily killed!