Chapter 186: Divine Seed Evolves Again

"That old scoundrel, Schiller, is coming too! I'll smash him to pieces!" The big black ox snorted white smoke from his nostrils. Upon reflection, everything that happened in the Vatican was the work of that old knight; he was responsible for the demise of so many kings and almost led to the big black ox and his companions suffering the same fate.

"Can you even beat him?" The yellow ox's single question instantly deflated his bravado.

Schiller was a peerless expert who had broken six shackles, a formidable individual only the likes of the Mastiff King could contend with. Even though the big black ox had broken five shackles and was very powerful, he was still no match.

The sixth shackle was incredibly difficult to break, making everyone at that level exceptionally powerful. They stood far above others; a single individual at this level was enough to look down upon all other kings!

Chu Feng paid them no mind. He was focused on adjusting his own state, preparing to plant the seed and then evolve!

"I will do it inside the Ox King Palace," Chu Feng said. The seed in the stone box was of immense importance; its existence could not be revealed under any circumstances, not even to the kings of Kunlun Mountain.

Otherwise, a great disaster would surely follow, unleashing a storm of blood and chaos!

Inside the Ox King Palace, the roof of one of the grand halls had been pierced, and its tiles removed, allowing the starlight to pour in from above.

This was because, based on previous experiences, the seed's rooting, sprouting, and eventual blossoming might be connected to starlight, moonlight, or even the morning glow.

Chu Feng took a deep breath, adjusting himself to his peak state. His entire body was luminous, and his vitality surged like a vast ocean, dormant within him. He felt incredibly powerful!

A deep pit had already been dug in the floor of this grand hall, exposing the soil. Chu Feng unfastened a beast-hide sack taller than himself and poured all the red crystals into the pit.

Immediately, a crimson glow erupted, and a surging red light filled the space, illuminating the entire hall due to the dazzling brilliance of the crystals.

From a distance, it looked as if flames were rising from the open roof, a vivid crimson.

The big black ox stood guard outside the grand palace, while the yellow ox remained inside, acting as Chu Feng's guardians to prevent any external interference. Both oxen stood ready, on high alert!

Chu Feng took out the stone box from his robe. Inside were three seeds. Two of them were as before: shriveled, wrinkled, and lifeless. Only one was vibrant and full of life.

Moreover, this particular seed was very special. It was entirely golden, shaped like a small sword, and an inch long. When he held it, it felt surprisingly heavy, even heavier than most metals!

No one would believe it if he told them that it was actually a seed!

Even Chu Feng was somewhat speechless. Every time this seed evolved, it transformed differently, but its transformation into a sword-like form still surprised him greatly.

"Could it be used as a flying sword?" He had entertained such thoughts many times but had never dared to try, fearing the seed would shatter and destroy this rare treasure!

Now, as he was about to plant this seed to make it root and sprout again, he estimated that if all went well and it grew successfully, the seed would likely undergo another transformation.

This meant the small sword would disappear, transforming into another unknown form.

Chu Feng was genuinely curious and wanted to try it out. Now that he had mastered mental martial arts, he was confident he could control its power.

A brilliant golden light erupted, and the entire hall was permeated with sword energy. This seed was astonishing and perfectly suited for sword control techniques. If Chu Feng hadn't already known it was a seed, he would have believed it was a sword embryo, albeit a tiny one!

The yellow ox, who was still inside the Ox King Palace, sensed something amiss and quickly appeared. He arrived just in time to witness this scene and couldn't help but be stunned.

As Chu Feng wielded it, the one-inch golden seed hummed. It emitted powerful golden light beams, displaying an invincible sharpness that could actually slice through the hall with ease!

Chu Feng was greatly astonished. He felt this small sword was far too mysterious. How could this be a seed? It clearly resembled a divine weapon!

He had a feeling that this seemed even more suitable for control than his crimson flying sword. It felt as if it was specifically designed for mental martial arts.

The yellow ox's eyes widened, staring at the seed as he muttered, "How is this possible?!"

Chu Feng took a risk and tried it: the sword-shaped golden seed pierced straight through a pillar in the grand hall. It was important to note that this pillar, crafted by the Iron Sect Master, was adorned with carvings of dragons and phoenixes and supported the grand hall.

Yet, the inch-long miniature sword pierced clean through it and shot out the other side, proving incredibly hard and sharp!

With a whoosh and a flash of golden light, the miniature sword landed in Chu Feng's palm. Upon close inspection, its luster was warm and bright, without the slightest damage.

"This thing is extraordinary!" The yellow ox rushed over, his expression serious. He took the seed and examined it carefully.

"Do you know anything about its origin?" Chu Feng asked.

"I've heard rumors of another weapon, though it doesn't belong to our world," the yellow ox said, his expression serious. "It's from another terrifying grand world. It's rumored that an ultimate weapon there grew from a plant, capable of suppressing and slaying all enemies!"

According to him, that weapon was boundlessly terrifying, containing unfathomable power. It was the foundational weapon of a certain holy land, passed down for hundreds of thousands of years.

That world, after all, was not the one the yellow ox came from, so he had only heard rumors. He didn't know the specific details.

Chu Feng and the yellow ox studied the seed together. They discovered that the seed was well-suited for mental martial arts; each time mental energy was channeled into it during its use, it felt comfortable and caused no drain.

Eventually, Chu Feng became a little reluctant to plant it, as this convenient weapon would surely disappear once planted.

"Never mind, I'll plant it," Chu Feng decided, no longer hesitating. He knew that no external object was as important as one's own strength; ultimately, he had to rely on himself.

"It's not an ultimate weapon anyway, so there's nothing to regret," the yellow ox said. "Next time, it might evolve into something even rarer."

Chu Feng buried the seed along with the stone box. The red crystals glowed, creating a vibrant crimson scene, as if the setting sun had dyed the entire hall.

Next, he needed to wait patiently. The yellow ox retreated.

This time, however, it took a long time. The seed did not root, sprout, or grow throughout the entire night, which made Chu Feng uneasy.

But it was clear that the crimson glow emanating from the red crystals was contained, all of it converging towards the stone box. This indicated that it was working and the seed was absorbing the crystals' energy.

Both the big black ox and the yellow ox came to watch. Like Chu Feng, they were also nervous, hoping everything would go smoothly.

The two oxen had gained more benefits than Chu Feng during their time in the Vatican. This time, they hoped Chu Feng would evolve successfully and break another shackle within his body.

Finally, as the sun rose and the morning glow unfurled, the seed began to change.

In fact, the morning light hadn't actually reached the hall, blocked by the walls. Yet, at that very moment, a soft sound came from within the red crystals. A glimmer of golden light appeared, and a tender sprout emerged!

"It roots and sprouts at specific moments, not necessarily requiring starlight, moonlight, or sunlight," Chu Feng suddenly realized.

Suddenly, a sharp aura erupted, and a golden light beam shot upwards. From within the pile of red crystals, the seed had indeed sprouted, finally revealing a golden sword-like tip!

"Is this still a plant?" Chu Feng was stunned. This time it was too bizarre.

He looked closely and clearly. The tender sprout was indistinguishable from a sword blade, incredibly sharp and gleaming golden; it simply broke through the earth.

Both the big black ox and the yellow ox were startled. They ran in and marveled in amazement.

Subsequently, the sword tip began to rise and grow, from one inch to three inches, then to three feet. It simply formed into a sword blade, peerlessly sharp!

The sword shimmered with brilliant light. Its hilt was the root, complete with root tendrils, while above, the blade was dazzlingly bright and lustrous. Anyone who saw it would think it was a divine weapon or a sharp blade.

Chu Feng tried it out. He pulled off a strand of hair, placed it on the sword's edge, and gently blew on it. The strand of hair immediately snapped.

"What an excellent weapon!" The big black ox had never seen this seed sprout before, let alone grow into a sword embryo.

The yellow ox was also lost in thought for a moment, completely unable to fathom it.

A tremor ran through the three-foot sword blade, and suddenly, several branches sprouted from its sides. Over the next few hours, the entire structure continued to grow, reaching a human's height within two hours.

Its appearance was bizarre. Its main trunk was golden, and it finally resembled a tree. However, all the leaves on its extending branches had transformed into sword blades.

The tree was covered in miniature swords, all gleaming golden and dazzling to the eyes. Faintly, streaks of sword energy flew out one after another, quite terrifying.

"This looks a bit like the 'Sword Tree' of Shushan Sword Palace!" the big black ox exclaimed, but then shook his head. "No, it's not quite the same."

When the Shushan Sword Palace opened, its legacy was inherited by two white cranes. Besides that, its most precious treasure was the Sword Tree, whose blossoms were shaped like sword blades, clanged crisply, and emitted a metallic hum.

The sun had risen high, yet this tree was still undergoing its transformation.

It had now grown to a height of one zhang, and all its leaves were like sword blades. When it swayed gently, it clanged and permeated the air with sword energy!

Meanwhile, outside, events were tumultuous.

Rumors were spreading in both the East and West that peerless masters who had broken six shackles were gathering on Kunlun Mountain, and a grand decisive battle was imminent!

The world watched with bated breath!

Indeed, everyone was paying attention, as this was the first grand showdown between East and West!

No one could guess which side would ultimately prevail.

The atmosphere was tense. Kunlun Mountain had drawn the attention of the entire world, and everyone was awaiting the outbreak of the battle.

Meanwhile, other rumors were flying around.

For instance, some claimed that Chu Feng was still alive and located on Kunlun Mountain, which caused a stir. However, with the grand decisive battle imminent, such unsubstantiated rumors were quickly drowned out, and many people simply didn't believe them.

"What a majestic mountain range! Standing nearby, one can feel a majestic aura capable of encompassing the entire world. Truly worthy of being Kunlun Mountain!"

At this moment, a fair-skinned middle-aged man, bald and resembling a monk, stood at the foot of Kunlun Mountain, observing. It was Fan Lin, the ancient yoga master from India.

The Black Dragon King was also present, personally accompanying him.

Not far away, an old man with golden hair and golden eyes approached, exuding immense power. With every step, the very ground trembled. He was the Old Lion King.

This was not intentional on his part; he genuinely possessed such terrifying power, and it was currently unrestrained, naturally emanating from him!

"Haha, the Land of Ten Thousand Gods in the deepest part of Kunlun belongs to us! We will become gods there!" another old man with golden hair and blue eyes declared as he approached. He looked like an old gentleman, but he was actually the Vampire King.

Behind them were large numbers of powerful experts, gathered outside Kunlun Mountain, ready to attack at any moment!

"Schiller has arrived and is currently resting. Once he's ready, we can join forces and assault Kunlun Mountain!"

The great battle could erupt at any moment!

Inside the mountain, within the Ox King Palace.

The golden tree had grown to a height of one zhang. Its bark had cracked, resembling golden dragon scales flexing open and shut. The entire tree was covered in sword-shaped leaves, emitting countless rays of sword light.

Just then, the flower buds finally emerged.

This was not only Chu Feng's opportunity for evolution but also the seed's next evolution!

And this time, the flower buds were quite unique!