Chapter 277: Theft and Anti-Theft

The businesses in Yulan City were primarily located in the inner city. A short while after leaving his cave dwelling, Luo Feng arrived at a nearby merchant establishment.

The merchant establishment itself was vast, containing numerous independent spaces, each displaying the remains of low-level Primal Chaos lifeforms.

“Distinguished guest,” a server greeted him proactively. “I’ll just look around first,” Luo Feng replied, not rushing to buy anything. He intended to explore the entire city before making any purchases.

The server smiled and said, “Distinguished guest, our establishment specializes in the remains of low-level Primal Chaos lifeforms. These remains can be used for cultivation insights. Some larger remains can also be used for crafting artifacts, refining medicine, tempering the body, or even extracting complete Primal Chaos bloodlines.”

“Quite a lot of remains,” Luo Feng observed, looking at the densely packed independent spaces. Over ten servers waited at various locations, and array formations were also active.

“We have a total of 11,341 types of remains, all from low-level Primal Chaos lifeforms,” the server continued. “We’ve collected at least seventy percent of the low-level Primal Chaos races from the Nine Rivers Holy Realm.”

Luo Feng had already opened the ‘Eye of Annihilation Simulation’ on his brow, carefully observing each piece of remains. Cultivators in Yulan City used various observation methods, and as long as they didn’t break the 'independent space' to grab the remains, the servers wouldn't mind any form of inspection. Luo Feng observed, “This innate Primal Chaos lifeform, the ‘Black Cloud Devouring Beast,’ is relatively weak, only at the early God-Emperor stage.”

Here, 12 parts of the Black Cloud Devouring Beast were for sale. Items like a scale, a bone, or a vial of blood were suitable for cultivation insights, with prices ranging from 100 to 500 Primal Chaos Crystals per piece. Larger items, such as a massive, complete claw or a great whale with a claw piercing its entire body, or a refined complete bloodline, all cost 20,000 Primal Chaos Crystals each.

The most valuable item was its complete life core, which cost 100,000 Primal Chaos Crystals.

“This innate Primal Chaos lifeform’s life core is actually intact,” Luo Feng noted with surprise. Innate Primal Chaos lifeforms possess life cores, much like how Origin Worlds have their core regions. This life core functions as the core of an 'innate origin lifeform.' Once destroyed, they perish, which is the most common method of killing them. It is quite rare to kill one while its life core remains intact.

“Such an innate Primal Chaos lifeform was dissected and sold,” Luo Feng thought, sighing to himself. “Its parts are used for various purposes: bloodline extraction, refining medicine, crafting artifacts… It’s quite normal, though. Cultivators grope their way through the darkness of practice, and to break free from their confines, the best way is to study these innate Primal Chaos lifeforms, who have already transcended those confines.”

Luo Feng strolled from one establishment to another. Regardless of which one he visited, the servers were extremely enthusiastic due to his aura as an early God-Emperor stage lifeform.

“Weapon Secret Treasures,” Luo Feng also noted the prices of various secret treasures. Secret treasures for the 'early God-Emperor stage' were generally used by peak God-Kings. However, a casual strike from Luo Feng was far more powerful than any of these treasures, which typically started at 2,000 Primal Chaos Crystals.

The prices of weapon secret treasures for mid, late, and peak God-Emperors naturally surged. Innate secret treasures, for example, were even more expensive.

“So I am quite wealthy,” Luo Feng thought, surprised by the prices of innate secret treasures and realizing how expensive his Palm-sized World innate secret treasure was. Of course, this treasure was partly for protecting the Blade River Sect, and partly because his own strength was still too weak to bring it with him.

“In the Nine Rivers Holy Realm, every city experiences killing, plundering, and theft.”

A server explained, “This spatial secret treasure, the Mirage Labyrinth, can be integrated into the body. Treasures stored inside are virtually impossible to steal in the Nine Rivers Holy Realm; most powerful God-Emperors possess one.” “Mirage Labyrinth,” Luo Feng mused.

Luo Feng looked at the secret treasure and asked, “What’s the price?”

“It’s not expensive, 100,000 Primal Chaos Crystals per piece, a standard price throughout the Nine Rivers Holy Realm,” the server replied with a smile.

Luo Feng turned and walked away. While moderately wealthy God-Emperors could afford it, Luo Feng had just arrived in the Nine Rivers Holy Realm, and his 100,000 Primal Chaos Crystals were borrowed from Di Qing. He certainly wouldn't spend it on a spatial storage item just to prevent theft.

“So many auxiliary cultivation treasures,” Luo Feng thought, looking at the various rare items. The rare treasures of the Nine Rivers Holy Realm were essences extracted from the bodies of innate Primal Chaos lifeforms. Consuming them aided cultivation, with effects far surpassing those of Primal Chaos Crystals. However, the better the rare item, the higher the price.

“This secret treasure is called ‘Formless Divine Weapon,’” the server enthusiastically explained. “It can engrave any secret script. As long as the engraving is precise, it can immediately mimic any secret treasure. With it, you can try engraving various secret treasures and change them at will. It’s suitable for both combat and verifying cultivation insights.”

Luo Feng was intrigued. He could try engraving some of his insights into the Eye of Annihilation of the Star Tower and deep secret patterns.

“What’s the price?” Luo Feng asked.

“50 million Primal Chaos Crystals?” the server grinned, revealing a figure that made Luo Feng’s heart tremble.

“That’s more expensive than many innate secret treasures,” Luo Feng couldn’t help but exclaim. “Many peak God-Emperor level secret treasures only cost a few million. This price could buy a complete set of peak God-Emperor level secret treasures!”

The server smiled and said, “Many powerful God-Emperors possess ‘world-level Primal Chaos lifeform remains.’ By comprehending the mysteries of these remains and imprinting them into the Formless Divine Weapon, they can verify their insights. This is something a mere set of peak God-Emperor level secret treasures cannot compare to.” Luo Feng sighed inwardly.

There were too many temptations.

Luo Feng saw many auxiliary rare treasures, innate Primal Chaos lifeform remains suitable for life, destruction, or even the fusion of life and destruction, and various other suitable secret treasures.

But he was too poor. “No rush,” he thought, “I’ll just explore Yulan City on the first day and make my moves tomorrow.” Luo Feng was patient; one day wouldn't make a difference.

He discovered that highly renowned secret treasures like the Formless Divine Weapon and the Mirage Labyrinth had a uniform price across many merchants. However, for some remains, prices varied between establishments, with some willing to sell at lower rates.

Luo Feng had to consider how to acquire enough cultivation resources suitable for him at a lower price. “Poor... I’m too poor. Forget 100,000 Primal Chaos Crystals; even 100 million wouldn’t be enough.”

As Luo Feng flew within Yulan City, he could see a large number of cultivators around him.

Luo Feng didn’t notice a short figure in the distance. When the short figure saw Luo Feng, he couldn't help but chuckle.

“Luo Feng? A new early God-Emperor?” The short figure’s mind stirred, and he made his move.

Luo Feng flew above the inner city. The inner city area was home to many powerful experts, including hundreds of elders who constantly maintained Yulan City’s defense system. The operation of these various defense systems made Luo Feng feel a certain pressure. *Buzz*.

It was as if a gust of wind brushed past Luo Feng.

“What was that?” Luo Feng paused, bewildered.

It seemed like just a gust of wind, but Luo Feng vaguely felt that something was amiss. “It’s as if someone attacked me, yet also as if no one did.”

Luo Feng himself wasn’t sure. He frowned slightly, looking around, becoming even more vigilant.

The short figure in the distance was quite surprised. “This newcomer, he doesn’t seem like a traditional enlightened being. He has a bit of the feel of a low-level Primal Chaos lifeform, having cultivated his body into a world-body, secretly harboring a world within, with all his treasures hidden inside that world?” While Primal Chaos bloodline cultivators might have stronger burst combat power and formidable physical bodies, their control over themselves wasn't as perfect.

Luo Feng’s body felt like a complete and vast world to him. Although his secret technique, while remaining concealed, swept across Luo Feng, it couldn’t forcibly penetrate a world within his entire body.

“He thinks I can’t do anything if it’s hidden in a world?” the short figure sneered, opening his mouth. A crimson worm flew out. “Good treasure, go to his world and seize all his valuables.” With a single thought, the short figure controlled the crimson worm, which struck again.

The covert theft had failed.

“Then, it’s forceful theft!” *Whoosh*, the crimson worm instantly vanished, ignoring the physical resistance of Luo Feng’s body and drilling into his inner world.

“Hmm?” Luo Feng, who was vigilantly on guard in the distant mid-air, immediately sensed something.

On his home continent, Origin Continent, he had refined nine Primal Chaos bloodline lifeform forms. He had chosen five of these to serve as his avatars for navigating various dangerous situations in the Nine Rivers Holy Realm. The one normally manifested externally was the 'World Avatar' among these five.

This avatar was thick-skinned and tough, possessing immense strength and tenacious vitality, capable of handling numerous harsh conditions.

This avatar had an inner world and was most similar to his original World Lifeform lineage. The more energy it had, the stronger its power, so the World Avatar had a hundred times the energy reserve of a perfect body. The other four avatars did not have particularly high energy reserves.

*Hiss*, an invisible fluctuation instantly pierced into the inner world, which naturally sensed it.

The stronger the World Avatar, the more stable its inner world. “It’s quite stable, but unfortunately, my treasure excels at devouring space,” the crimson worm thought. It instantly erupted, a wave of fluctuations sweeping across the entire inner world, intending to seize all treasures within it.

Within the inner world, the other four avatars were seated cross-legged. All four resembled Luo Feng, differing only in the color of their robes.

“Hmph,” the Heavenly Emperor Avatar snorted coldly. Instantly, the Heavenly Emperor Avatar completely dispersed and merged with the entire inner world.

Merging with the heavens and earth!

The world membrane was like the flesh and skin of the Heavenly Emperor Avatar. The mysteries of the Heavenly Emperor Avatar perfectly merged with the Heavenly Emperor World, causing its power to surge dramatically. “This…” the crimson worm felt the already terrifying inner world suddenly increase its pressure and restrictive force by more than tenfold.

For it, moving freely in a current had previously been easy, but now it felt as if it had fallen into glue, completely trapped.

“His inner world also has no treasures?” The crimson worm used its secret technique to sweep through the entire inner world, only to find it still empty. “He wants to steal,” the remaining three avatars within the inner world thought, watching it.

The 5,000 Primal Chaos Crystals were carried by the Time Avatar! The Time Avatar existed simultaneously in the past, present, and future, and the 5,000 Primal Chaos Crystals were stored within the Time Avatar’s future body. “My 5,000 Primal Chaos Crystals are hidden in my inner world, safeguarded by my Time Avatar, specifically within its future self, and the inner world is also guarded by my Heavenly Emperor Avatar. If they can still be stolen like this, I’d have nothing to say; I’d just consider it tuition fee.”

Luo Feng had been warned earlier, so he was naturally very careful and vigilant. “Who said he was a traditional enlightened being?” Seeing the unfavorable situation, the crimson worm instantly concealed itself and vanished.

“Bang.” It slammed against the inner world’s membrane but couldn’t break through.

After the inner world and the Heavenly Emperor Avatar merged, the world membrane’s durability increased more than tenfold. “Oh no, I got in, but I can’t get out!” The crimson worm immediately realized it was in trouble.

(End of Chapter)