Chapter 1397: Contesting in the Gossip Furnace

Within the immortal stone furnace of the Supreme Eight Trigrams, vibrant immortal mists glowed, auspicious light surged forth, and steam billowed.

Most terrifyingly, as the furnace fire blazed, lightning flashed and thunder roared. Chaotic electric arcs shot forth intermittently, and divine chains of order intensely interwoven, transforming the area into a deadly zone.

This place had become perhaps the most terrifying cursed land in existence. Not to mention God Kings, even a Heavenly Venerate would be burned to death if they entered and stood in the wrong area.

No matter how extraordinary one's talent, they would be reduced to black ash, with no possibility of survival.

Chu Feng endured immense agony. Half of his body was charred black, his flesh withered and peeling, while the other half was enveloped by life energy, nourished until it glowed with a crystalline translucence.

This was not a stroke of fortune, but a tearing, agonizing torment.

He was on the verge of being split in two, cleaved by tangible golden chains of order and burned by the furnace fire. A terrible fissure extended downwards from his brow, causing half of his body to near death, while the other half surged with vibrant life.

The stone jar had unexpectedly fallen to the side, and the Vajra Yaksha floated within the flames, unable to protect him.

"There's something to this," one remarked. "Sitting on the dividing line between life and death, neither alive nor dead, in a delicate state of balance. He truly almost achieved evolution."

Five individuals arrived, one speaking with a faint smile.

Their steps were steady. The special armor they wore emitted dazzling runes and shimmering streaks of light that caused the void itself to collapse, revealing fragments of the Great Dao.

These were treasured armors left by their ancestors, imbued with the blood of true Buddhas, celestial immortals, and divine beasts. Refined for hundreds of thousands, even millions of years, their origin was unimaginably profound.

Consequently, they remained unharmed for a short period, moving unhindered through this perilous zone.

"Our time is limited," a woman with long golden hair stated. "Once the spiritual essence of the Buddha and immortal blood in these five armors is completely refined away, our lives will be in danger. We must hurry."

As she spoke, her dark pupils brightened, turning golden and releasing terrifying symbols.

A Great God King!

At this moment, the ancient armors on the five powerful individuals revived, merging with them. As they strode forward, the entire stone furnace trembled slightly.

Chu Feng suddenly opened his eyes. Even amidst this life-and-death struggle, a state of being neither alive nor dead, he still sensed a profound crisis approaching.

This startled him. From within the mist, amidst the trembling divine chains of order, five tall figures emerged. Clad in ancient black armor, they resembled five demon gods from the era of creation, exuding an invisible murderous intent directed at him.

However, his current state was indeed perilous.

He dared not act rashly, knowing that breaking the delicate balance might not be beneficial. Even if he could instantly shift to a region rich in life energy, he would likely suffer a backlash.

He had come to understand this cursed land: once the balance was disrupted, a powerful eruption would ensue.

He needed time.

"Hmm, what is this stone jar?" a silver-haired man among them said, his eyes revealing surprise. "It's unharmed in the flames; that's unusual."

He stared at the stone jar, guided by an instinctive feeling that it might possess an unimaginable origin.

"And a bracelet, too," another added, "which appears to be... refined from legendary primordial mother gold, already evolved into a thirty-three-layered nascent heavy artifact?!"

All five were stunned. They had consecutively discovered two unfathomable artifacts: one they couldn't discern, and the other a priceless, growth-capable secret weapon.

"Truly extraordinary," one of them, with snow-white hair and long eyebrows, laughed coldly. His silver eyes gleamed with divine light, and his sharp, straight nose and chiseled features gave him a striking presence, yet his smile was cruel. "Today will bring immense gains. Not only will we undergo transformation here, but we will also unexpectedly obtain mysterious supreme treasures!"

"Why say more?" a golden-haired woman interjected, even more ruthless. Her slender, originally graceful figure now moved with the agility of a female leopard as she lunged forward. "Kill him!"

A hint of cruelty marred her exquisite, luminous face, revealing pure murderous intent. She was the first of the five to strike, unleashing a powerful punch.

The golden-haired woman was decisive and direct, intending to end Chu Feng's life immediately.

In his precarious state, such a sudden, powerful punch rendered Chu Feng extremely vulnerable, almost trapping him in a deadly predicament. He couldn't make a significant move while maintaining his delicate balance.

However, passively waiting for death was unacceptable. His right hand slowly rose, taking the punch with difficulty and in a reactive manner.

The outcome was dire, for he had to ensure his body remained precisely on the life-and-death dividing line. He had long realized this was a field of life and death, where Yin and Yang energies surged, and the delicate balance could not be lost.

Yet, the sudden punch was incredibly domineering. Though delivered by a woman, her status as a Great God King meant her fist-print was terrifyingly potent, capable of shattering the very cosmos!

"Boom!"

The woman's snow-white, delicate fist unleashed thousands of dazzlingly bright, utterly destructive light beams, each carrying strands of divine chains of order.

The void twisted and roared; sonic booms were a feeble comparison. This was akin to a light-speed punch, erupting with sky-piercing radiance, as if the heavens and earth were undergoing a colossal explosion!

Under normal circumstances, Chu Feng could have blocked a Great God King's punch. But his current state was compromised; not only was he severely injured, but he also had to forcibly conserve energy to maintain his delicate stability.

The outcome of this clash was predictable: with a "puff," he coughed blood, spitting out three mouthfuls consecutively. His upper body swayed uncontrollably, and he was nearly sent flying.

Chu Feng suffered severe injuries. Responding so passively, he was constrained, utterly unable to fight with full strength, leaving his face pale and utterly grim.

"You're too weak," the golden-haired woman taunted, a faint smile on her face. As she stood upright, her murderous intent intensified, and she prepared to strike again.

"Do you dare let me stand for a fair fight?" Chu Feng challenged.

"Heh, if I don't kill you now, should I wait until you successfully complete your Nirvana? What a joke," the woman scoffed, smiling, her golden hair fluttering, her pupils emitting brilliant golden beams. "If I can kill you in two punches, why would I give you a chance to stand up?!"

With a "boom," her fair, delicate fist struck out again. The fist print unleashed a sky-full of runes, accompanied by the divine sound of the Great Dao, its power shaking the heavens!

Chu Feng grunted, continuously coughing blood. This was utterly passive; unable to stand, restricted to the life-and-death dividing line, he was trapped in a desperate situation.

"This isn't working," another of the five commented with a smile, preparing to strike. "One more punch will probably finish him off."

The golden-haired woman, with a cold smile, raised her fair right hand and began to form a sword seal, preparing to powerfully and domineeringly slay the man who had entered the furnace first with a sky-piercing sword light.

Chu Feng's body swayed. After being forced to take two consecutive punches, his balance, though barely holding, came at a great cost. Half of his body was completely submerged in the flames, flesh burning, vitality withering, and death energy rising.

The bones on that half of his body were visible, charred black in the intense flames—a veritable death trap.

"Boom!"

At this critical moment, Chu Feng activated the field.

He detected a subtle anomaly: the fire at the bottom of the furnace was undergoing further revival. Various field symbols covered the area in front and behind him, and he mobilized the power of the field.

He intended to activate the local runes, targeting the five intruders.

"Hmm?!"

In an instant, an unexpected event occurred: the flame of life shifted to the opposite side, and the deadly flames burning him also moved, exchanging places with the flame of life.

Boom!

Flames surged skyward, and death energy roiled.

The five individuals swiftly dodged, moving away from Chu Feng.

Chu Feng's body experienced a sudden reversal, as if undergoing both ice and fire.

The half of his body that had been burned to the bone and withered was now enveloped by the flame of life, and vigorous life energy flowed with the fire into his form.

Conversely, his crystalline flesh and blood on the other side were now covered by the flame of death, undergoing intense burning.

This immortal stone furnace was truly peculiar; the flame of life and the flame of death had actually swapped places.

With a hum, Chu Feng's dying half-body began to revive. Blood flowing from his other half-body helped it burst forth with vigorous vitality.

His body was being reshaped, flesh and blood regenerating.

However, there was also a downside: the originally intact half of his body began to burn, rapidly shriveling, skin cracking, and bones exposing.

Everything had flipped; life and death transformed, and the circumstances of his left and right halves rapidly inverted.

"Oh, so that's how it works," a silver-haired woman said with a shallow, joyful, and excited smile. "How interesting! This Supreme Eight Trigrams Furnace is indeed unfathomable, with its life and death exchange. If this boy hadn't arrived first and revealed this truth to us, we might have missed it."

"Retrieve!"

One of the five softly shouted, intending to retrieve the stone jar that was unharmed by the flames.

Veins pulsed on Chu Feng's forehead. Under no circumstances could he lose the stone jar; it was far too important.

He exerted all his might, urging his soul light to lift the stone jar and draw it towards him.

"Still trying to act rashly? This is mine now, it no longer belongs to you!" a silver-haired man declared with a cruel expression, fully channeling his Great God King energy to snatch the stone jar.

Chu Feng was in a difficult position. At this life-and-death juncture, it was incredibly challenging for him to spare enough energy to contend with the five for the artifact.

"So, you wanted to undergo Nirvana here," the silver-haired man continued. "Too bad you ran into us. Thank you for scouting the way for us. We're not only taking your good fortune, 'picking the peach halfway,' but also seizing your artifact."

The silver-haired man reached out, intending to snatch the stone jar hovering in mid-air.

"You can die now!" The golden-haired woman who had attacked earlier struck again. After forming a sword seal, she unleashed a blinding light that stung the eyes. The sword light exploded like a galaxy, immensely dazzling, and cleaved towards Chu Feng.

"Buzz!"

At the critical moment, the stone jar shifted, causing the silver-haired man attempting to seize it to miss. He let out a soft exclamation of surprise, realizing the man suffering in the flames had snatched it back.

With a clang, the sword light struck the stone jar. Its brilliant runes and unmatched sword energy immediately dissipated, blocked by the stone jar.

Chu Feng coughed blood, his body nearly flying sideways. The cost of expending all his energy to snatch back the stone jar was considerable.

"Rise!"

Chu Feng shouted, fully exerting himself to activate the field of this place, further energizing the entire stone furnace.

With a boom, the bottom of the furnace violently trembled, like a volcano poised to erupt, sending up dazzling beams of light: colorful flames accompanied by chaotic energy.

Moreover, thunder and lightning erupted, as if recreating the heavens and earth. Endless destructive power and exceptionally rich life energy roared and violently shook within the stone furnace.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

All five retreated immediately. This area was too terrifying, truly a cursed land, a place of slaughter for living beings. Even their armors clanged, sparks flying. Being hit by any electric arc or touched by the colorful flames would cause the absorbed true Buddha blood and celestial immortal blood to dim and lose some of their spiritual essence.

"How is this possible?!"

The five were greatly surprised. They saw that at the very center, there was a Bagua diagram with a Yin-Yang dividing line. Chu Feng sat directly on that line on the ground, where it was most peaceful. Aside from the flickering flames of life and death, all thunder and lightning were repelled from that spot.

This meant Chu Feng's predicament had not further deteriorated.

On the contrary, the five of them seemed to be isolated and kept out.

"We offered sacrifices, yet he's occupying that spot to further his Nirvana!" the golden-haired woman roared. "No, we must eliminate him quickly!"

At this moment, Chu Feng's gaze was like lightning, coldly watching them. He remained seated, enduring immense pain.

While it was said there were no more terrifying changes, the flames had clearly intensified many times over.

But Chu Feng did not attempt to stand. He remained seated in that delicate balance, experiencing the torment of life and death.

He had realized that the so-called Nirvana, the so-called transformation, required not only the scorching of the flame of life but also the calcination of his true body by the flame of death.

Wandering between life and death, a physique refined by these two distinct flames would be the strongest body.

He was already experiencing different sensations: his reshaped flesh and muscles felt stronger and more powerful. If this cycle of life and death were to continue many times, he believed he would certainly undergo a leap in life level.

Boom!

The flame of life and the flame of death converted once more, and Chu Feng's body again experienced the agony of both ice and fire. His shriveled half-body revived, while his vital half-body began to endure the erosion of the flame of death.

"Time is precious; we can't waste it," one of them urged. "These five armors are meant to protect our Nirvana here, not to squander their spiritual essence. Kill him."

The five stepped forward, sparks flying around them. At this moment, braving chaotic electric arcs and colorful, special light-flames, they advanced towards Chu Feng's location on the Bagua diagram.

Suddenly, Chu Feng stood up tall, no longer seated cross-legged. He had resolved the balance problem himself; he was now standing.

As a field researcher, his attainments were exceptionally high; he possessed more talent in this area than in cultivation. He could truly be called a rare genius of ancient times.

After all this time, through deduction, he had finally understood some of the mysteries within the life-and-death flames, fully grasping the true meaning of many runes and orders in the Bagua area.

Now, he had broken free and coldly faced the figures before him.

Buzz!

He attacked immediately, with the stone jar suspended above his head and the summoned Vajra Yaksha in his hand, charging forward.

The sky seemed to be pierced and collapsing, and the roar was deafening.

Chu Feng, holding the Vajra Yaksha, actively attacked, striking directly at the golden-haired woman who had attacked him earlier.

A massive roar and endless divine light erupted. The area seemed to reverberate with the explosion of billions of thunderbolts, and the entire stone furnace shook violently.

Chu Feng retreated a few steps, standing firm with the Vajra Yaksha.

In front of him, the golden-haired woman's face was filled with utter shock and pallor. She stumbled backward, letting out a cry, and spat out a large mouthful of blood.

She had not expected the man to be able to stand, let alone charge so quickly and exchange blows with her.

Her armor even had dents in its plates, and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth—all from the impact of the Vajra Yaksha!

Chu Feng was surprised. He had thought that striking with the Vajra Yaksha would be enough to obliterate the woman, never expecting her to merely cough blood.

Within the stone furnace, runes of order flowed and flames danced.

Within the golden-haired woman's armor, Buddha blood spread. Vaguely, great Buddhas appeared one after another behind her, chanting scriptures and suppressing the flames.

Her aura surged by more than severalfold!

"So that's it!" Chu Feng's pupils contracted, as he further understood how terrifying her armor truly was.

"However, you will all still die!" Chu Feng declared coldly, facing five Great God Kings alone.

"You are the one who will die!" the group retorted. "Today, you are destined to serve our purpose. After scouting the way for us, you can only become a living sacrifice!"

The five shouted and advanced together.

These were five Great God Kings, attacking as one. Instantly, the Buddha blood, celestial immortal blood, and other essences within their respective armors activated, glowing vibrantly and dazzlingly. Great Buddhas and celestial immortals appeared vaguely behind them, their presence utterly terrifying.