Chapter 213: Spiritual Transformation (Part 2)

Inside a majestic palace, in a quiet room, the God King Jiu Ye revealed his true form: a colossal flying creature. Its feathers emanated a dense, ink-like mist, a streak of blood-red marked its head, and its cold eyes appeared half-closed.

Born in a primal universe, he journeyed through a reincarnation passage to reach the Origin Continent.

In the primal universe, he was a unique life form, born a ferocious avian beast. He delighted in devouring living creatures, becoming a nightmarish presence in that universe.

He annihilated tribe after tribe.

He ultimately became the most terrifying entity in the regions surrounding that primal universe, having devoured all living beings within it. Only after his departure through reincarnation did the newly emerging life forms in that area find respite.

Yet, upon arriving at the Origin Continent, his power continued to grow. He later even gained control over his home primal universe, where his divine power avatars freely devoured living beings.

“On the Origin Continent, I’m still not strong enough; I must restrain myself.” God King Jiu Ye, who inherently enjoyed devouring living creatures, could now only slightly "whet his appetite" within his own dominion.

The children he nurtured on the Origin Continent, possessing extraordinary bloodlines and born powerful, largely shared his taste for devouring living beings. “When I become truly invincible on the Origin Continent,” God King Jiu Ye mused, his cold eyes gleaming with anticipation, “I can turn the entire continent into my hunting ground. That would be true delight, true freedom.”

Suddenly, an invisible attack descended.

God King Jiu Ye silently transformed into nothingness.

As if erased, he simply vanished.

His weapons, secret treasures, and other items, however, fell to the side, completely untouched.

“Hmm?”

In this quiet room, Luo Feng in black appeared.

“He was too weak,” Luo Feng murmured, shaking his head. “My 'Great Annihilation Style' had barely penetrated before he vanished.” The Great Annihilation Style, forged from the fusion of six branches of the 'Great Path of Life and Death,' possesses a curse-killing property capable of affecting all of an opponent's avatars. Of course, God King Jiu Ye had no avatars; at the moment of his death, his resurrection vessel was simultaneously struck.

A resurrection vessel, be it a drop of blood or a single feather, offers significantly less resistance than an avatar. Under the Great Annihilation Style, it naturally perishes instantly.

Because he died too quickly, God King Jiu Ye didn't even have time to use his reincarnation secret technique.

“You are the first God King to fall to the Great Annihilation Style.” Luo Feng was highly satisfied with the move’s power, deeming it worthy of a technique he had spent over thirty epochs developing, referencing dream memory images.

“Perish.” With a thought, Luo Feng sent a wisp of black smoke across a vast distance, instantly enveloping God King Jiu Ye’s seven children. Excluding one daughter who detested devouring living beings and had apprenticed herself to another God King, the other seven, like God King Jiu Ye, reveled in continuously consuming countless creatures.

The moment God King Jiu Ye died, the primal universe he controlled also regained its freedom.

“Buzz.” Outside the primal universe, a slightly smaller, massive mini-universe began to collapse. “The Sacred Land is collapsing? The Ancestor is dead?”

“Impossible, how could the Ancestor die?”

Some descendants of God King Jiu Ye within this mini-universe were filled with terror.

Meanwhile, in the primal universe, powerful beings from countless mini-universes erupted in cheers! For epoch after epoch of reincarnation, creatures had lived under the shadow of God King Jiu Ye, with even the primal universe itself under his control.

In the past, they were merely God King Jiu Ye’s prey, chosen and devoured at will, utterly incapable of resistance. Until this day, with God King Jiu Ye’s demise, they finally achieved ultimate liberation!

While God King Jiu Ye’s death drew some attention from factions on the Origin Continent, most parties didn’t give it much thought.

After all, it is common for ordinary God Kings of the first realm to perish. Even if their weaker power leads to their destruction, they typically have enough time to reincarnate. Avoiding disaster through reincarnation is a common practice among ordinary God Kings.

Although God King Jiu Ye was weak, Luo Feng, before he comprehended the 'Great Annihilation Style,' could not prevent God King Jiu Ye from reincarnating.

The power of the Undying Light of the Chaotic Cavern couldn't instantly destroy God King Jiu Ye and his resurrection vessel.

Even a God King's ultimate realm will, when combined with the Array Element Technique, offered no guarantee of completely eradicating God King Jiu Ye. After all, Jiu Ye had ascended through a primal universe, unlike God Kings externally created, such as those from the Shadow Heavens.

Whoosh.

After Luo Feng sent his disciple An Fengya back to Huyang City, he continued to travel the Origin Continent himself.

The Arctic Ice Plain had a harsh environment, becoming colder the deeper one went.

“Here…” Luo Feng, however, found himself in a vast, warm, and comfortable territory. No wind or snow was visible, countless plants grew lushly, and numerous tribes dwelled in the wilderness.

The pleasant environment fostered a significant increase in cultivators. “This is the Fire Ancestor Realm.”

The Fire Ancestor, long residing in Fire Ancestor City, commanded an immensely vast surrounding territory. This expansive region became warm and habitable due to his very presence.

This area, occupying less than one-tenth of the Arctic Ice Plain, housed more than half of the living beings there.

“There are five unaligned cultivators with Emperor-level strength, all at the God King Second Realm. Among them, Empress Feng Du and the Fire Ancestor are particularly transcendent.”

“The reason for their transcendence is that they do not contend.”

The Fire Ancestor resided in the remote Arctic Ice Plain, unaffiliated with any faction. His presence was rarely seen in any treasured lands, yet his power was immense.

The two great ancient kingdoms also favored such powerful individuals!

“He does not contend, yet he protects over half the living beings in the Arctic Ice Plain.” As Luo Feng traveled, he witnessed the prosperity of the Fire Ancestor Realm, where countless beings profoundly revered the Fire Ancestor.

Luo Feng also saw Fire Ancestor City in the distance.

Fire Ancestor City appeared as a source of warmth, with invisible rules operating that naturally influenced the vast surrounding territory.

“Though he does not contend, he protects countless beings to the best of his ability.” “I admire that.”

Luo Feng also felt respect; he rarely admired the powerful beings of the Origin Continent, but the Fire Ancestor was one of them.

Luo Feng continued his journey.

“Luo He?” From within Fire Ancestor City, a plainly dressed, red-haired figure observed Luo Feng from a distance and smiled. “Another formidable entity is about to emerge on the Origin Continent.”

As long as one entered the Fire Ancestor Realm, the Fire Ancestor could sense it.

The Fire Ancestor then closed his eyes; his mind seemed to meld with the myriad flames throughout heaven and earth—flames used for cooking food, refining elixirs, or forging artifacts. His consciousness was one with all of them.

Luo Feng also arrived at the Eastern Extremity Domain, the most remote and desolate area of the Origin Continent.

“The Ancestor of the Eastern Extremity Domain protects this place, and Empress Feng Du also hails from here.” As Luo Feng traversed this vast territory, he noticed that the power of heaven and earth was considerably thinner, and rare treasures were scarce.

However, the environment here was comfortable, and various fruits were common.

These indigenous beings were generally robust and large in stature. They rarely used intricate weapons or secret treasures, instead casually wielding simple stone or wooden clubs. Their diet was also basic, comprising common fruits.

They revered heaven and earth; many indigenous beings spent their time observing and comprehending the world. When they engaged in conflict, they were equally ruthless and savage.

“Indigenous beings care not for external possessions, but rather for internal essence.”

“Yet, many God King-level beings, and even those on par with Empress Feng Du, have emerged among them. Who can say their path is wrong?” Luo Feng understood their philosophy.

Discarding all external attachments, focusing solely on oneself and on the Great Dao—this was the path of the indigenous beings.

Luo Feng walked to the end of the Origin Continent, looking ahead at the endless cosmic sea. Chaotic currents surged, dark and boundless, with no end in sight.

“Whether it is the primal universe or the Origin Continent, this world is truly magnificent.” Luo Feng sat cross-legged at the continent’s edge, gazing at the cosmic sea. “Yet, many ancient God Kings treat countless living beings as mere resources for their cultivation.”

“They each possess immense wisdom and have discerned some of the mysteries concerning the Great Dao’s operation.”

“However, they are indifferent to the joys and sorrows of ordinary beings. What truly matters to them is their own power—whether they can achieve the ultimate realm, whether they can transcend the source world.”

Thus, those ancient beings meticulously plotted. “Perhaps this is merely a part of the operating rules of heaven and earth,” Luo Feng mused, understanding this point.

The operation of heaven and earth is composed of nine complete Great Paths.

The law of the jungle… is inherently one facet, driving countless beings to compete and strive. Emotional resonance… this is a characteristic of living beings, and Luo Feng understood that his compassion for the weak stemmed from the 'compassion' aspect of his own emotions.

The workings of heaven and earth—survival of the fittest, emotions, order, destructive cleansing, hope—all these aspects intertwine to facilitate the world's operation.

“All things have their path, and each has its own destiny.” “However… I have my own path!”

“A cultivator, with his own strength, triumphs over heaven and earth!”

“With my own path, I shall surpass the path of heaven and earth, utterly transcending the source world.” Luo Feng’s gaze was serene. “At that point, I will determine how all things operate! So-called order and destiny will be decided by me!”

“This is cultivation!”

To follow the heavens is for the mediocre.

To triumph over heaven and earth through one's own strength is the cultivator's true pursuit. It is also the aspiration of the supreme rules that nurture countless beings: that the very life they foster… can transcend them!

At this moment, Luo Feng's mind transformed once more.

Having spent over two hundred epochs as a God King, possessing a strong soul foundation, cultivating in the dream realm and infinite space, aided by treasures such as the Five-Colored Treasure Medicine's Destruction Scales, directly confronting dream memories to create the 'Great Annihilation Style,' and refining his mind through the seven emotions while traversing the Origin Continent…

Through countless gradual transformations, at this very moment, a quantitative accumulation finally brought about a qualitative leap.

“Strength can triumph over heaven!”

Luo Feng's mental will formed a clear human figure, with a face identical to his own.

The distinct human figure enveloped Luo Feng, his terrifying will entirely condensed, surveying all directions with dreadful might.

“A Mental Body?”

His mental will was so powerful that it could now detach from his physical body and form an illusory body.

“I feel that this Mental Body… is even more powerful than my physical body.” A mental will surpassing the God King level was overwhelmingly potent; any God King’s will would be suppressed, even destroyed, in its presence.

From God King level will to a will that surpasses it—the breakthrough of this particular bottleneck was the most challenging on Luo Feng’s path of mental will.

This bottleneck also trapped many God Kings.

On the Origin Continent, those who could achieve this step were few and far between. And now, Luo Feng was one of them.