Chapter 188: Rare Treasure

Inside the Ox King Palace, Chu Feng stared at the seed on the tree, watching it grow continuously. Three-colored light radiated from it, intertwined with wisps of mist.

The entire tree became increasingly vigorous and colorful. Its bark peeled open, resembling an ancient dragon holding a dragon pearl, with all its essence gathering towards that single gem.

This was an accurate depiction of the mysterious tree: all its vital essence was concentrating on the seed!

The ancient tree visibly dimmed, its branches lost their luster, and its leaves withered. All its vitality condensed towards the top of the tree, shrouded in misty threads.

Finally, with a soft pop, the ancient tree began to crack, and many sword-shaped leaves completely lost their vitality.

Chu Feng blew gently, and many leaves rustled down, automatically disintegrating into ashes in mid-air.

This was astonishing, considering that these leaves had previously been like forged metal, clanging and emitting dazzling sword-lights when they collided.

Yet now, they vanished into dust in an instant!

The entire tree was bare, leaving only its branches and the seed at its very top. The seed was now close to maturity, and its form was clearly visible.

It was a treasure vase!

Chu Feng was astonished. How could a mere seed grow into such a shape?

If it had been a flower bud, that would have been understandable, as there were indeed flowers with similar shapes. But for a seed to be so bizarrely shaped was truly unheard of.

Upon closer inspection, it was not a solid vase; it had an internal space, capable of holding water.

Chu Feng stared in disbelief; it was truly extraordinary.

The seed was over two inches long. Compared to previous instances, this one was significantly larger, measuring six or seven centimeters in length.

*Crack!*

The ancient tree appeared to have aged ten thousand years. It withered completely, its vibrant colors subdued, and countless cracks appeared on its surface. Its final essence transferred to the seed.

It was truly magical: transforming into a tree overnight, only to wither in an instant, as if vast eons had been compressed into a single day and night.

Finally, the entire ancient tree disintegrated, crumbling away without a trace of luster.

It was like an ancient dragon, reaching the end of its life, spitting out its dragon pearl to be passed down through generations, while its own body utterly perished.

Even its roots underwent complete disintegration.

With crisp, continuous sounds, the entire tree shattered into ashes, falling like snow. A single seed dropped, which Chu Feng nimbly caught in his hand.

It was entirely crystalline and translucent, displaying three colors. The vase body was primarily pure white, adorned with numerous golden and green spots arranged like constellations.

The more Chu Feng looked, the stranger it seemed. This exquisite, small treasure vase was indeed hollow and could hold objects. It was baffling that a seed could grow into such a form.

The bottom of the vase had originally been connected to the ancient tree, but after it detached, the spot was as smooth as jade, without any scars or traces of a stem where a plant had grown.

Chu Feng turned it over and over, examining it carefully. It resembled a magnificent work of art polished from crystal by a master, making it nearly impossible to find any flaws.

The vase body was two inches tall. On its pure white surface, celestial constellations appeared, with golden particles resembling suns in various galaxies and more numerous green particles like ordinary planets.

The more he observed it, the more extraordinary it seemed.

Chu Feng weighed it in his hand; it was heavier than ordinary metal. He squeezed it, finding it extremely hard.

A thought sparked in his mind, and he decided to try wielding it with his mental martial arts. Instantly, spiritual energy overflowed from his forehead, pulsing like a dancing flame.

The treasure vase flew up, lifted from his palm, and hovered in mid-air. When he forcefully channeled energy into it, the vase emitted a sword hum and then shot out a dazzling sword beam.

In an instant, it sliced through the palace wall—it was incredibly sharp!

"What's going on?" Chu Feng was startled. He had channeled energy as if performing a sword manipulation technique, and the treasure vase responded in this way!

It was a weapon!

Far from being a simple seed!

Of course, he didn't doubt that next time, it would likely grow something else.

Chu Feng tried again, finding that sword light burst from the vase's opening, with even greater power than his crimson flying sword. This object was truly formidable!

Then, with a thought, the crystalline treasure vase landed back in his palm. He activated his physical martial arts, his entire body glowing with brilliant radiance.

He channeled mysterious energy into the treasure vase—energy generated by his physical body and circulated through his breathing technique. It flowed into the vase without any obstruction.

Holding the treasure vase, Chu Feng unleashed an attack outwards, directly spewing forth a torrent of blazing light. It cascaded like a divine waterfall, piercing through the Ox King Palace wall and flying into the distance, its energy terrifying.

"This..."

Chu Feng was greatly astonished. Not only was it suitable for mental martial arts, but it could also be wielded with physical strength. This two-inch-tall, translucent vase was simply too mysterious.

A seed? Or a weapon? This was a rare treasure!

Two beams of light shot from Chu Feng's eyes as he gazed at the small and exquisite vase. He was extremely satisfied, determined not to lose this object.

He wanted to try channeling both mental and physical energy into the vase simultaneously to see its combined power, but circumstances didn't allow it. Several kings had arrived outside the Ox King Palace, and the two oxen were struggling to hold them off.

He placed the treasure vase and the two other seeds into a three-inch-tall stone box and put them away.

On the ground, the red crystal stones had either completely dimmed or shattered, with only a few remaining intact. Their internal energy had been mostly depleted.

Feeling the changes within himself, and a surge of vitality, Chu Feng exerted sudden force. He began to break through, attempting to shatter the fourth genetic lock within his body!

With a bang, it sounded like a metal chain being pulled taut and then suddenly snapping.

Indeed, when Chu Feng observed internally, he clearly saw a lightning-like chain around his left hand rupture, no longer able to restrict him.

A warm current and light, akin to a volcanic eruption, spread from his left hand throughout his entire arm, then surged to every part of his body.

In that instant, Chu Feng felt as though he had broken free from a mire once more. His body felt light and agile, completely unburdened and relaxed.

Tearing apart the genetic lock within him, his entire being became light and ethereal. Centered around his left hand, astonishing mysterious energy diffused outwards, spreading through all his limbs and bones.

This time, Chu Feng shattered the fourth genetic lock in his body in one go, without much difficulty. He instantly became immensely more powerful!

Each shattered lock granted a corresponding ability. Chu Feng raised his left hand, and in an instant, arcs of electricity spilled from his palm, then solidified into a lightning spear within his grasp!

Even he was shocked; this new ability was simply too astonishing!

He could feel how terrifying the spear in his left hand was. If thrown, it would likely inflict severe and dreadful damage upon enemies.

Finally, Chu Feng retracted the mysterious energy, and the electric light dissipated.

There were many people outside now, and he didn't want to reveal this ability casually in public. He preferred to save it for critical moments, to hurl a few spears at those who were "blind" to his power.

He stood rooted to the spot, his body crystalline, like the golden body of a Bodhisattva. His physical form was flawless, clear, and fragrant. He had advanced significantly further on the path to physical sanctification!

Chu Feng believed that with his current strength, if he were to face the Golden Lion again, he wouldn't need to struggle as he did last time, nor fight until he coughed blood to win.

Now, killing the Golden Lion would not be too difficult, and it would make the world understand what true invincibility among peers meant!

His entire body exuded a fresh fragrance and shimmered like white jade. Even his hair had suddenly grown long during the recent evolution, now reaching his waist.

This had also happened when he was on Mount Tai: after evolving, his body had become fragrant, and his long hair, shimmering strand by strand, had quickly grown to his waist.

Chu Feng stretched his limbs, every movement filled with boundless power. He was simply waiting for the great East-West decisive battle to erupt!

With this, Chu Feng had undergone a complete and perfect evolution. After this latest transformation, his strength had significantly increased!

"Grumble!"

His stomach rumbled. Chu Feng, who had been brimming with confidence moments ago, now made a pained face, looking miserable. He was incredibly hungry; the side effects had returned.

He was speechless. Not long ago, he had consumed so many king-level creatures, gaining immense replenishment. He had thought he wouldn't feel hungry this time, but to his surprise, it was just like before.

Chu Feng put on the clothes he had discarded on the ground for better absorption of the pollen mist, and walked outside.

Outside the Ox King Palace, a confrontation was underway.

Earlier, the two oxen had been overwhelmed, barely able to hold off several king-level creatures. However, with the arrival of uninvited guests, the conflict successfully shifted.

The powerful figures from Kunlun Mountain no longer mentioned entering the Ox King Palace. All of them wore strange expressions, looking at the newly arrived reinforcements, wanting to speak but then holding their tongues.

The uninvited guests were led by two individuals. One wore black and white robes, a faint smile on his face; he was the Magpie King, an avian creature who had evolved to this level.

The other had short golden hair. Though slender, he appeared very energetic, with a powerful surge of dormant vital energy within him. He was a master, the Golden Snub-nosed Monkey King.

"What, are you two angry? We merely said Chu Feng was dead. Is there a need to glare like that?" the Magpie King said with a cheerful laugh.

The Golden Snub-nosed Monkey King also chuckled, "Just a dead man, there's no need for you two to get so agitated. That so-called 'Demon King Chu' was arrogant and overbearing; it was long foreseen he wouldn't come to a good end."

They were at ease, smiling as they dug at the two oxen's "wounds," discussing Chu Feng's death in the West with barbed remarks.

If Chu Feng had indeed died, there was no doubt their words would have stung the two oxen. However, Chu Feng was still alive.

The two oxen merely glared, having no mind to explain anything to them. They simply wanted to stall for time, allowing Chu Feng to complete his evolution undisturbed.

"Well, actually, it's better that he died in the West. Otherwise, the Peacock King wouldn't have let him off either."

The Magpie King and the Golden Snub-nosed Monkey King pressed their advantage, mocking them.

The surrounding kings from Kunlun Mountain were speechless, finding it hard to bear. They wanted to warn them but felt the two new arrivals were being unkind, so they decided to just watch the show.

Just then, Chu Feng emerged. He had heard their conversation from a distance and, without a word, walked directly towards the Magpie King and the Golden Snub-nosed Monkey King.

"He was destined to die anyway; he just died a bit earlier," the Golden Snub-nosed Monkey King sighed.

"It's just that Lord Peacock King will be very regretful that he didn't get to kill him personally—" The Magpie King was speaking when his tongue suddenly tied, and he couldn't continue.

He stared in shock at the figure before him: a young man with long, flowing hair, his entire body crystalline, walking step by step, approaching their position.

"How is that possible?!" he cried out in alarm.

They had just been discussing how and what would happen if Chu Feng died, and now the man himself had simply walked out.

"This is..." The Golden Snub-nosed Monkey King also shrieked, dumbfounded and incredulous. How had Demon King Chu come back to life?

The two exchanged glances, their faces flushing red. They felt incredibly foolish, having spoken so confidently and gloated in front of everyone, who were likely watching them like a monkey show.

The Magpie King and the Golden Snub-nosed Monkey King felt a tightness in their chests, almost spitting out a mouthful of old blood. Those two oxen were truly despicable, just staring at them silently, apparently waiting for them to make even bigger fools of themselves.

*Bang! Bang!*

After Chu Feng walked over, he suddenly attacked, delivering a kick to each of them, sending them flying sideways and spitting blood.

"You..." Both were shocked and enraged.

"King Chu, calm your anger!"

"Brother Chu, don't fight! The great battle is imminent, and they are our reinforcements."

The king-level powerhouses from Kunlun Mountain quickly intervened.

"You curse me to die behind my back, and you expect me to speak kindly to you?" Chu Feng said coldly, advancing towards them.

At that moment, the Magpie King and the Golden Snub-nosed Monkey King felt a chill down their spines, realizing Chu Feng seemed to be wiping drool from his mouth, as if a prehistoric beast had targeted them.

"This is all a misunderstanding," they cried out, because at that moment, the two oxen also approached menacingly.

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

The next moment, both screamed in agony as they were brutally beaten by the two oxen and Chu Feng, sent flying like sandbags. If not for the intervention of other kings, they would surely have died.

Eventually, the two were dragged away. They couldn't be allowed to interact with Chu Feng and the two oxen any longer, or they would surely be crippled.

Chu Feng was quite disappointed. His stomach was growling, and he desperately wanted to find a king-level creature to fill it. He was so hungry he could barely stand it.

That day, Chu Feng ate a lot, but nothing worked; it didn't sate his hunger at all. He needed high-energy food to fill his stomach.

He had asked Yellow Ox and other kings how they dealt with this issue. Everyone sighed, saying they could only endure it and slowly replenish their energy.

However, no one else was as hungry as he was; being hungry to this extent was quite rare.

That night, Chu Feng paced back and forth outside the residences of the Magpie King and the Golden Snub-nosed Monkey King, making the two kings' fur stand on end. They didn't dare close their eyes all night.

Because they had already heard that Demon King Chu had just finished evolving and was now famished, with eyes reddened by hunger.

The next morning, Chu Feng's eyes glowed green with hunger. He truly wanted to attack the Golden Snub-nosed Monkey King and the others.

But just then, a long roar echoed from outside Kunlun Mountain—a warning!

"The great battle has begun!"

"Brothers, to the decisive battle!"

All the kings of Kunlun descended the mountain, and mysterious reinforcements also rushed out. The first great East-West decisive battle was about to erupt!

Chu Feng's eyes turned green, and his blood surged within him. He could no longer bear the hunger. He strode swiftly, charging out towards the mountain pass. He wanted to strike first, perhaps roast a king to eat, as he truly couldn't stand the hunger any longer!

At this moment, the entire world was focused on this great decisive battle, with all eyes watching!

Outside Kunlun Mountain, fearless intelligence agents from various countries had gathered, along with countless cameras. Many journalists from both East and West also risked their lives to film from a distance, intending to livestream this decisive battle.