Chapter 208: Memory

Inside the Star Tower, on the first level.

"Its value rivals treasures beyond the God-King level," Luo Feng thought, gazing at the warm scale in his palm. In the Infinite Space Vault, the cheapest treasures exceeding the God-King level cost 12,500 points, a value almost identical to the Scale of Destruction.

"This scale..."

Luo Feng was patient. Instead of using it immediately, he observed it meticulously.

The scale was predominantly black, its edges gradually turning transparent and tinged with blue. Magnified billions of times, one could discern mysterious patterns etched onto its surface. These countless inscribed patterns completely sealed the scale's aura.

When Luo Feng's consciousness attempted to touch it, he immediately felt an incredibly terrifying will to slaughter.

"Kill, kill, kill!" This horrific will assailed Luo Feng's mind. Only a God-King at the Ultimate Realm of Will could maintain clarity under such an impact.

"Just a single scale, and a refined one at that, yet it retains such a terrifying will to slaughter," Luo Feng mused in surprise. "How truly formidable must the original being of this scale have been?"

"The ability to refine these scales, allowing even weaker God-Kings to acquire the destructive physique of the Demon Race's creators, is simply unfathomable," Luo Feng pondered.

The more he learned, the more he grasped his own insignificance. Whether through the fragmented information from the special inheritance or items like the Scale of Destruction, Luo Feng caught glimpses of a far higher realm.

"Yuan could establish numerous treasure lands and leave behind such abundant resources in these vaults. It was evident that outside the Origin World, Yuan's status must be exceptionally high, far exceeding that of the ancestors of the two great ancient kingdoms," Luo Feng considered.

Luo Feng meticulously observed the Scale of Destruction for three full days, even recording some of the secret patterns he could discern, before finally beginning to integrate it into his body.

From his perfect divine body, Luo Feng separated a clone containing ninety-nine percent of his divine power reserves. The small remaining portion of his perfect divine body immediately began to frantically absorb energy from his miniature universe, slowly commencing its recovery.

"I'll use this to modify this vast clone," Luo Feng decided. He held the black scale and pressed it directly against his chest. The scale rapidly merged into his skin. Luo Feng had already received detailed instructions on how to use the Scale of Destruction when he exchanged for it.

"Kill!" "Destroy!"

A terrifying will to slaughter swept through his mind, yet Luo Feng's expression remained serene as he calmly observed the transformations within his body. Once the Scale of Destruction merged with his skin, its inherent power erupted, beginning to infiltrate his entire being. His skin, flesh, and bones all spontaneously began to change! The speed of this transformation was astonishingly fast. Even though this clone of Luo Feng possessed more energy reserves than a World Lifeform, its body was completely reformed in just over ten breaths.

The instant the transformation was complete, the Scale of Destruction naturally disintegrated, and its former will to slaughter vanished, no longer having any influence.

"Even the most minute components of my body have changed!" Luo Feng meticulously examined his 'Destroyer Demon Race clone'. This massive body was entirely covered in scales similar to the Scale of Destruction, which even extended over Luo Feng's face. However, these scales were light blue and their aura was significantly weaker than that of the original Scale of Destruction.

His eyes glowed golden, a tail naturally emerged, and six curved horns sprouted from his head. These six horns bore a slight resemblance to one of the manifestations of the 'Origin Dao of Destruction'.

"In terms of raw power, this Destroyer Demon Race clone is quite ordinary," Luo Feng mused, shaking his head gently. "Even though I used an incredibly vast divine body for the transformation, it barely reaches the threshold of a God-King's Second Realm. It's far inferior to my World Lifeform clone."

"However, it is truly a favored being of the Origin Dao of Destruction," Luo Feng acknowledged. He extended his right claw and gently waved it. *Whoosh!*

The mysteries of the Origin Dao of Destruction were effortlessly manipulated. Luo Feng felt as though his body had become an integral part of the Origin Dao of Destruction, enabling him to perceive and comprehend it with his physical form.

Naturally, this body's perception of other Daos was quite blurred.

"I once consumed the Five-Colored Treasure Medicine," Luo Feng recalled. "That medicine allowed both my body and soul to align with the Origin Dao of Destruction, a state that lasted for approximately three eras.

In contrast, the Scale of Destruction only modifies the body; it doesn't affect the soul. Yet, the body's compatibility with the Origin Dao of Destruction is even stronger than with the Five-Colored Treasure Medicine.

"Overall, the Scale of Destruction provides about seventy to eighty percent of the Five-Colored Treasure Medicine's benefits," Luo Feng concluded. "The crucial point, though, is that this state is permanent." He was highly pleased with this outcome.

A single dose of Five-Colored Treasure Medicine was valued at ten million contribution points!

The Destroyer Demon Race physique, capable of permanently maintaining roughly seventy to eighty percent of the 'Five-Colored Treasure Medicine' state, was thus invaluable.

"My cultivation of the Origin Dao of Destruction is poised to completely outpace that of the Origin Dao of Life," Luo Feng realized. Ever since Molosa could manifest the complete Dao of Destruction, the cultivation speeds of the two paths had been nearly identical.

However, now, the Origin Dao of Destruction was progressing at an accelerated pace.

The Infinite Space Vault also contained the 'Lotus Core Seed,' which could grant one favored status with the Origin Dao of Life, but it was prohibitively expensive.

Eras passed by.

Although he had become a favored being of the Origin Dao of Destruction, he still required considerable time to accumulate his own strength. Compared to the ancient existences on the Origin Continent, Luo Feng was exceptionally young. Within one of the deeper spaces of the Dream Realm,

This area was obscure and unpredictable, countless subterranean passages forming a labyrinthine world. In one particular cavern, Luo Feng, transformed into a large stone, was practicing the Great Annihilation Heart Refinement Method.

The 'Lie Yuan Art,' a will inheritance left by Yuan, included the "Great Annihilation Heart Refinement Method" for cultivating one's will. As Luo Feng's Origin Dao of Destruction steadily advanced, the effects of this method became increasingly pronounced.

*Rumble!* In the center of an endless chaotic void, Luo Feng's mind had transformed into a blurred human figure, faintly discernible as his own likeness.

This mental figure sat cross-legged, simultaneously resisting the continuous infiltration and erosion from the deeper layers of the Dream Realm and the attrition caused by the Great Annihilation Heart Refinement Method.

"It's been over 150 eras since I arrived in the Dream Realm," Luo Feng mused. "I feel my mind is constantly transforming, yet the strength of my mental will consistently fails to break through the bottleneck of the God-King Ultimate Realm." He found this path immensely challenging.

Cultivating in the Dream Realm was a torturous process. Each time, Luo Feng pushed himself to his absolute limits, continuing his practice until he completely succumbed, falling into the Dream Realm's illusions.

Naturally, as soon as he entered a dream, he would cease the Great Annihilation Heart Refinement Method and quickly awaken. In the span of 150 eras, Luo Feng had succumbed to these dreams dozens of times.

The advancement of his Daos and the creation of new ones enhanced Luo Feng's comprehension of the Great Daos, which in turn naturally elevated his mental will.

The repeated obliteration of mental beings in the Infinite Space also benefited his mind. The Great Annihilation Heart Refinement Method, which he had persistently practiced, showed even more pronounced effects after he acquired the Destroyer Demon Race clone.

"I can feel myself transforming," he thought, "but I just can't break through."

"It's no wonder that on the Origin Continent, aside from Emperor Ming, everyone else's mental will only surpassed the God-King level *after* comprehending a complete Origin Dao." At this moment, Luo Feng felt profound admiration for Emperor Ming.

Emperor Ming, in terms of soul foundation, was certainly not superior to Luo Feng with his perfect divine body. Yet, he managed to elevate his mental will beyond the God-King level *before* comprehending a complete Dao!

Of course, as a royal God-King of the Yanfeng Ancient Kingdom, Emperor Ming's rise was incredibly brilliant, and he undoubtedly received far more resources than Luo Feng. The resources Luo Feng, as a wandering God-King, acquired were likely just a mere fraction of what the core members of the two great royal families possessed.

Even while enduring the dual tempering of the deep Dream Realm's invasion and the Great Annihilation Heart Refinement Method, Luo Feng could still manage other tasks, though he couldn't fully focus on cultivation in such a state.

As time wore on, Luo Feng gradually grew more exhausted, reaching a point where he couldn't even multitask. All his external clones temporarily entered seclusion.

*Buzz.*

Luo Feng did not stop. Instead, he persisted, pushing himself to his absolute limits until he finally succumbed to the dream. Over the preceding 150 eras, Luo Feng had fallen into dreams dozens of times, and each time he awoke, he would reflect on the experience.

Luo Feng would forget most of the dream content, but a small portion he could still recall.

The recalled fragments were chaotic and even contradictory at times. Yet, some scenes, Luo Feng felt, had vastly exceeded the scope of the Origin World.

"...The Ancestor summons you..."

A voice resonated.

Luo Feng had forgotten who he was. In this moment, his form was immense, as if he possessed inconceivable power.

Yet, he stood there with utmost reverence, patiently waiting.

"I've performed a great service this time, even earning a summons from the Ancestor. I wonder what reward the Ancestor will bestow upon me." A surge of joy welled within him.

"When will the Ancestor summon me again? I've waited for so long..." A feeling of weariness surfaced.

"How will the Ancestor punish me?" A sense of fear began to brew.

The dream was utterly chaotic. It felt as though there had been numerous instances of visiting the Ancestor, and he had been perpetually waiting for the Ancestor's summons.

Finally—

A gigantic eye appeared! Luo Feng gazed at it with profound reverence. "Ancestor!"

This so-called 'Ancestor' was veiled by endless Great Daos, obscuring its true form. Luo Feng, within the dream, could only perceive that single colossal eye. It was an eye that seemed to imprint itself directly onto Luo Feng's soul, filling him with terror and extinguishing any thought of resistance.

*Buzz, buzz, buzz~* The entire dream realm trembled. After Luo Feng had ceased the Great Annihilation Heart Refinement Method, his mental will was already striving to break free from the dream.

The instant he saw the gigantic eye, Luo Feng's mental will instinctively recoiled with immense force, and the entire dream began to shatter.

It shattered completely, and everything vanished.

Luo Feng regained consciousness.

"This..." Luo Feng's true form emerged, his eyes wide with terror. "Why is this memory so vivid this time?" In the past, he would forget most of what he experienced in dreams, and the few memories he retained held no lingering effect.

But this time!

That eye! Luo Feng still remembered it clearly after awakening! Although slightly blurred, that eye continued to fill his heart with boundless terror; even his supreme mental will could not suppress this dread.

Fear. He trembled with fear, utterly beyond his control.

Only thoughts of fear and submission remained.

"How could this be?" Luo Feng instantly dispersed this clone, causing it to self-annihilate.

In Huyang City, within the Star Tower.

Luo Feng's perfect divine body, Destroyer Demon Race clone, and World Lifeform clone all displayed expressions of shock and fury.

"I cannot forget it; I cannot erase it."

Luo Feng attempted to obliterate that memory, but it was impossible! This memory had already permeated and integrated itself into his entire soul. Even if he were to destroy all his other memories, leaving his mind blank, this memory would still resurface.

"Erase it!" he commanded.

Luo Feng activated the Great Annihilation Heart Refinement Method, which worked to eliminate mental impurities and suppress these terrifying thoughts.

"This is better," he acknowledged. By continuously maintaining the Great Annihilation Heart Refinement Method, any thoughts of fear or submission that surfaced were immediately purged. Luo Feng felt his mind becoming much clearer and more ethereal.

"It's still rooted in my soul," Luo Feng realized. The Great Annihilation Heart Refinement Method could only eliminate distracting thoughts and make his mind sufficiently clear.

However, it couldn't destroy the root cause.

"I've heard that when cultivating the Hunyuan bloodline, the residual will within it can contaminate one's mind," Luo Feng recalled. "Even if someone like Emperor Fu reincarnated, the will contamination might disappear, but a 'memory contamination' would still persist. Memory contamination can only be managed through self-control; it's incredibly difficult to eradicate."

Memory contamination, while milder than will contamination, was still a form of corruption.

Emperor Fu had carried this burden all along. And now, Luo Feng too was afflicted with memory contamination.

End of chapter.