Chapter 101: 境界

The plane roared as it flew south. This large passenger plane had clearly been modified, specifically equipped for awakened individuals heading into combat zones. Its interior was meticulously decorated.

Du Huaijin, known as "All-Seeing," his eyes occasionally flashed with golden light since he boarded the plane. He was indeed quite excited. The cabin was luxurious, featuring amenities like a conference room and a dining area, entirely unlike any plane he had boarded before. Furthermore, it was fully equipped with amenities such as a cinema, marble bathtubs, and lounges. There was also an arsenal stocked with various cold weapons and firearms they might need for their mission, all meticulously maintained by dedicated personnel.

They now entered the conference room. The spacious room, with its warm color scheme and faint golden conference table and sofas, exuded an air of luxury, almost like an aerial palace. Dedicated personnel were waiting there to brief Chu Feng and his four companions on the situation concerning the Azure Wolf King. While Chu Feng and his four companions were the primary focus of this mission, other accompanying staff were also present to assist them. For instance, a middle-aged man was currently setting up a projector to provide a detailed overview of the Azure Wolf King, including its peak combat capabilities and its health after weakening. He was highly professional, delivering his presentation clearly and methodically from beginning to end.

"It's regrettable that the Azure Wolf wasn't at the epicenter of the nuclear blast, thus narrowly escaping death. Nevertheless, it still lost most of its life." This was the most crucial factor allowing the Azure Wolf to survive. Additionally, it plunged headfirst into a fissure in the ground, frantically digging its way deeper underground to escape the terrifying temperatures that its body couldn't withstand. As for radiation and similar hazards, they had little effect on it. It remained hidden underground for several days, only daring to surface when it finally did. However, its emergence was captured by a detector positioned nearby, alerting the military.

"That old wolf is incredibly resilient!" Ouyang Qing, known as "Far-Hearing," exclaimed with a sigh. Two nuclear bombs were expended, yet neither managed to kill it; it even managed to struggle and escape into the primordial mountains. Its vitality was truly terrifying. What was somewhat reassuring, however, was that nuclear weapons could indeed kill a beast king; its survival was due to its location outside the nuclear blast's epicenter.

Next, a zoologist began to explain the habits of wolves. Even if this Azure Wolf seemed to have attained sentience and couldn't be viewed as an ordinary wild beast, it was still a wolf, and many of its innate behaviors were likely unchangeable.

Afterward, medical personnel arrived and distributed a crystal vial to each of them, containing a translucent purple liquid with fine misty wisps. "This is a life-saving elixir," they explained. "As long as vital organs like the heart and brain aren't severely damaged, drinking it can extend your life for several hours, giving time for rescue."

"Such a thing exists?" Du Huaijin asked in surprise, shamelessly requesting more vials, as its potent effect meant each additional one was akin to an extra life.

"I apologize," an elderly physician stated, "but the substances required to formulate this elixir are exceptionally rare. Only a small quantity has been produced thus far." Chu Feng and his team's mission was classified as high-priority, which was why they were provided with this elixir; it was simply not supplied for ordinary assignments.

Next, an expert on the climate and geography of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau briefed them on the local environment. By this point, Chu Feng, Ye Qingrou, Chen Luoyan, and the others were visibly impressed and felt reassured about joining the Jade Void Palace. The preparations were incredibly thorough. They were the focus of the entire plane, with impeccable service provided.

Furthermore, specialists taught them methods for poisoning the Azure Wolf King, ensuring all possible contingencies were covered. Finally, they were led into the arsenal to select appropriate weapons. The armory was fully stocked with a wide range of cold weapons, from daggers to spears, as well as portable rocket launchers and other items. Each of them selected their preferred weapons, which were then meticulously cleaned and inspected for flaws by dedicated personnel.

Upon returning to the forward cabin, Ouyang Qing, "Far-Hearing," whispered, "I just inquired, and that purple life-saving elixir would cost at least five million Jiuzhou coins if purchased." Like a miser, he clutched his chest where the crystal vial was hidden, vowing not to use it unless absolutely necessary.

Du Huaijin also spoke in a low voice, saying, "It's truly like a dream. I asked as well, and those weapons are forged from special metals that appeared only after the world underwent its great changes. They are frightfully expensive. I heard that a complete set of equipment for each of us would cost at least several million."

"There are metals like that?" Even Chu Feng was surprised. He truly wanted to test which was tougher and sharper: these new weapons or his own black short sword.

"I hope we all return safely!" Chen Luoyan said. The Jade Void Palace's extensive preparations suggested an incredibly challenging mission.

Unlike ordinary planes, this passenger jet allowed communication with the outside world, so several individuals took turns contacting their families. Chu Feng informed his parents that he would be going into seclusion to practice his boxing techniques and wouldn't be able to return home for several days.

"You brat, I know you too well! Something went wrong with your blind date, you offended Jiang Luoshen, and now you're hiding, afraid to come home, aren't you?" Wang Jing questioned him. Her voice wasn't quiet, and several people nearby overheard it. Ouyang Qing, "Far-Hearing," in particular, heard it distinctly and began winking mischievously. Even Ye Qingrou pursed her lips and let out a chuckle.

Chu Feng quickly ended the call, then summoned "All-Seeing" and "Far-Hearing," warning them not to use their special abilities to spy or eavesdrop on him in the future, or he would make them train boxing with him every day. Both wore long faces. They knew that the last time they had trained boxing with Chu Feng, it had nearly incapacitated them, and they understood it had been a deliberate lesson. And now they had been warned again!

Not far away, Ye Qingrou was smiling radiantly. Chen Luoyan remained composed, gazing out the window. From high altitude, the Earth still appeared unchanged, as if the ground below held few alterations. Yet, everyone knew this was impossible. Hidden folded spaces existed on the ground, and even the sky had become bizarre and unfathomable.

"Are we taking a detour?" Chu Feng asked, surprised.

"Yes," the logistics officer on board explained, "some areas appear to have clear skies, but are actually very dangerous. Rushing into them could lead to getting lost in mysterious folded spaces." Establishing this air route was extremely difficult and costly, requiring repeated drone flights for verification before a safe and reliable path was finally discovered. "The greatest danger is encountering fierce birds. However, we are now well-prepared, capable of early warning, and we have a fire net ready to lock onto targets." As long as they didn't encounter a Bird King, the situation wouldn't be too problematic.

"The sky is so dangerous," Chen Luoyan murmured, frowning.

"Sister Ye, if something truly happens, you'll have to protect us," Chu Feng joked, noting that she was the only one capable of flight.

Ye Qingrou smiled sweetly and enchantingly, blinking her large eyes. "No problem," she said, "I'll carry you all when we fly."

"All-Seeing" Du Huaijin's spirits immediately lifted. "If anything serious happens," he chimed in, "Boss will hold your waist, and we'll cling to your legs and arms as we all soar into the blue sky together."

"Go to hell!" Ye Qingrou exclaimed, kicking him so hard he flew backward and landed on a sofa.

That evening, they retired to their respective rooms. As soon as Chu Feng closed his door, he wanted to contact the Yellow Ox, but he felt a little uneasy. Even though the room was quite soundproof with the door closed, he still had to be cautious with "Far-Hearing" nearby. Chu Feng's solution to this problem was simple, crude, yet effective. With a smile, he knocked on Ouyang Qing's, "Far-Hearing"'s, door and walked inside.

"Boss, please, have a seat," Ouyang Qing said.

*Thump!*

Ouyang Qing's smile instantly froze. He rolled his eyes and promptly fainted. Chu Feng then gently placed him on the bed, covered him with a blanket, and left him to his dreams. It was a rather unfortunate dream for Ouyang Qing, as he continuously dreamt of being repeatedly struck on the head with an iron hammer.

"Now I can finally relax!" Chu Feng said, closing Ouyang Qing's door before returning to his own room. He immediately contacted the Yellow Ox, initiating a video call.

"Yellow Ox," Chu Feng began, "when I practice the special breathing technique at night, the cold black mist becomes increasingly dense. Afterward, I feel entirely comfortable, and my evolution is obvious. Does this mean I'm about to break through again?"

Upon hearing this, the Yellow Ox, on the other end of the communicator, extended a hoof in a gesture of disdain, knowing full well that Chu Feng was deliberately trying to provoke it again.

"I want to hunt down a beast king now," Chu Feng said. "Do you think I can succeed?"

"Seeking death!" the Yellow Ox simply replied with three words.

"Exactly how big is the gap between me and a beast king?" This was a question Chu Feng had long wanted to clarify.

"You're a whole major realm apart," the Yellow Ox typed, seriously cautioning him not to act recklessly.

Chu Feng's spirits immediately lifted. He eagerly and earnestly inquired about the exact number of realms and how they were divided. Having practiced breathing techniques for some time, he was very curious about how the Yellow Ox's world categorized powerful individuals. The Yellow Ox pondered for a moment, then decided to patiently explain, wanting to prevent Chu Feng from acting rashly, truly provoking a beast king without understanding the immense danger.

Awakening, Chains, and Freedom—these were the three major realms the Yellow Ox listed. Chu Feng stopped joking and earnestly asked the Yellow Ox to elaborate.

"Awakening," the Yellow Ox explained, simplifying its language to avoid being too profound, "this realm is exactly as its name suggests. Awakened individuals, like those you've seen, are initial awakeners who have roused a dormant mysterious factor within their bodies, thereby activating special abilities."

"Chains," the Yellow Ox continued, making the explanation even more accessible. "When you can literally see shackles appearing one after another on your physical body, then you are ready to contend with beast kings. The White Snake of Taihang Mountain, the Old Ape of Songshan, and the Immortal Crane of Shushan are all at this level."

"Freedom," the Yellow Ox said, shaking its head. "There are no such creatures on Earth. That realm is too advanced, terrifyingly boundless, and incredibly difficult to attain."

"Please elaborate on this final realm," Chu Feng requested, eager for details.

"Breaking free from shackles and wandering unhindered through the world — that's the simplest and most direct meaning of this realm," the Yellow Ox typed. "To truly grasp it, you can read Zhuangzi's essay, 'Wandering in Absolute Freedom'."

Chu Feng was somewhat speechless. Did he really need to read classical texts just to understand the third realm?

"It's an excellent piece, containing profound truths of the Great Dao, well worth reading." The Yellow Ox then proceeded to express its disdain, faulting Chu Feng for his lack of reading, especially as an Earthling who hadn't even read some useful ancient texts. Chu Feng felt like punching it. To be scorned as illiterate by an extraterrestrial ox was truly intolerable!

"I've read 'Wandering in Absolute Freedom'," Chu Feng retorted, "but I didn't find those profound truths of the Great Dao you're talking about!"

The Yellow Ox scoffed and quickly typed out a passage, an excerpt from Zhuangzi's "Wandering in Absolute Freedom":

"One who rides the rectitude of Heaven and Earth, and drives the transformations of the six elemental breaths, thus wandering in the infinite, what does he then depend on?"

Chu Feng asked it to explain. The Yellow Ox shook its head, as if to say he was beyond teaching. Finally, it offered the simplest interpretation: "The true meaning of freedom is to break free from shackles, transcend all things, rely on nothing, and achieve absolute liberty."

"Yellow Ox, when are you coming back?" Chu Feng asked. Constantly being scorned by an ox, he really wanted to spar with it.

"I have reached Kunlun Mountain," the Yellow Ox replied. "There are many mysterious small trees here, but all are occupied by powerful demons. I'll need to secure a mountain peak first."

"At my current level, I should be far superior to ordinary awakened individuals. Can I contend with a beast king?" Chu Feng inquired again, feeling significantly stronger than typical awakened ones. He felt that the three major realms—Awakening, Chains, and Freedom—were perhaps too broadly defined.

"Awakening is indeed a major realm. If we were to subdivide it further, we could use your Earth's Go ranks. Based on your description, you should currently be at the eighth or ninth dan of the Awakening realm."

Upon seeing this, Chu Feng felt a surge of confidence. He wasn't far from a beast king, perhaps even within striking distance! He pressed for further details, listing other awakened individuals for comparison.

"Most ordinary awakened individuals are only at the first or second dan of the Awakening realm," the Yellow Ox informed him. "As for someone at the Vajra level, they should be at the seventh or eighth dan of Awakening." A seventh or eighth dan in the Awakening realm undoubtedly signified a top-tier master among the awakened individuals born from this great transformation! After all, the Yellow Ox had only outlined three major realms, and individuals at the Vajra level would certainly have the opportunity to approach the beast king domain later on. Currently, beast kings in the Chains realm, such as the White Snake, the Old Ape, and the Immortal Crane, represented the peak. As for creatures in the Freedom realm, there were none on Earth!

"This time, I intend to hunt the Azure Wolf King," Chu Feng informed the Yellow Ox, seeking its advice on whether the hunt was feasible.

"Its body is broken, its claws are gone, its eyes are blind. Injured to that extent, it only retains about three percent of its combat power. It might be worth a try," the Yellow Ox typed. It then added, "The main reason is that this Azure Wolf has only just entered the Chains realm, barely becoming a beast king. It's not even as strong as Old Black. So, there's a chance to kill it."

Just as it typed this, a dark shadow appeared in the video feed. The Great Black Ox had silently positioned itself behind the Yellow Ox and then, with a loud thud, delivered a kick. The Yellow Ox immediately passed out.

"No respect! 'Old Black'?" the Great Black Ox chastised. "You should call me 'Uncle' or 'Elder'!" It then bared its gleaming white teeth at Chu Feng and declared, "Kid, I'm warning you, don't corrupt the Yellow Ox! If you ever call me 'Old Black' or 'Black Boss' again, I'll personally come to Shuntian City to settle things with you!" With that, it decisively ended the video call for the Yellow Ox.

Chu Feng stared blankly, having inexplicably been lectured by the Black Boss once more.

The following day, the plane landed at an airport near their destination. Chu Feng and his companions, fully geared up, were transported by an armored vehicle deep into the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, nearing the entrance of the primeval mountains.

"For awakened individuals, typical nuclear radiation isn't a significant issue; they can resist it sufficiently," explained a logistics officer. "However, to be safe, please put on these anti-radiation suits." The logistics personnel were well-prepared, providing them with combat suits made of special materials.

The ground was parched and barren, with not a blade of grass growing. The outer perimeter of the primeval mountains had been utterly transformed into a desolate wasteland, devoid of any signs of life. Chu Feng, Ye Qingrou, and their three companions ventured into the desolate land in search of the Azure Wolf King!