Chapter 217: Invincible Technique

The Yellow Ox warned him not to lose it, saying the item was highly significant, possibly a legacy recording ancient martial arts techniques, breathing rhythms, and more.

Chu Feng was astonished. Martial arts techniques and breathing rhythms from such an ancient period, carved into a jade block—it truly could be called an ancient mythological text!

The Yellow Ox suspected it might be a rare treasure, similar to a legacy left by a certain lineage it knew of. It was already preparing to set off for Shuntian immediately.

Chu Feng asked no more questions. The situation wasn't right, and to avoid Qi Honglin discovering anything, he put away his communicator.

Despite his advanced age, Qi Honglin treated Chu Feng as an equal, calling him "little brother" very naturally, without any hint of awkwardness.

"This thing is inscrutable; it just looks like an ordinary piece of ancient jade," Chu Feng said.

Then, he smiled calmly and asked if the Pre-Qin Research Institute had other rare items he could help appraise, to see their origins.

Qi Honglin was speechless. He had used similar polite words when presenting the item, asking Chu Feng to appraise it, which provided an honorable way out for himself. But now Chu Feng was using the same polite language, clearly setting up a demand for an even greater "lion's share."

"Brother Chu Feng, this jade is of immense importance, truly a rare treasure. Although we can't fully understand it, we sense its extraordinary nature. We're giving it to you to forge a good relationship," Qi Honglin said with a sincere expression.

Chu Feng remained unmoved. These old figures from the financial elite might appear amiable, but when it came to ruthless action, each was more brutal than the last, drawing blood with every move.

He was in a position of power now, simply because of his strength. Otherwise, the Pre-Qin Research Institute would have likely devoured him long ago.

Since he had already started demanding a "lion's share," there was no way he would stop abruptly. As far as the other party was concerned, it was extortion anyway, so he might as well go all the way.

"You call this jade a mythical ancient book, but who knows? I can't figure it out or see through it; it holds no meaning for me."

"In that case, please return the jade book to me. I'll exchange it for another antique for you later," Qi Honglin sighed.

Chu Feng felt a headache coming on. This old man was deliberately trying to manipulate him, clearly guessing he wouldn't return the jade book.

"If you can find a few more ancient artifacts similar to this jade block, then this matter will be completely settled," Chu Feng stated.

In his opinion, the Pre-Qin Research Institute, constantly studying historical truths, excavating underground ruins, and researching myths and legends, should possess similar items.

In fact, it could be argued that no other major power in the world today could compare to this conglomerate in terms of rare and precious ancient artifacts.

Qi Honglin smiled and said, "Not to mention the Pre-Qin Research Institute, but even if you search the whole world, you wouldn't find three to five of these jade blocks. This is a legendary mythical text; it's truly remarkable."

"Then it's settled. Give me five jade books!" Chu Feng declared.

Qi Honglin was stunned and felt a pang in his stomach. He had just said that the entire world might not have three to five of them, and this young man immediately latched onto the maximum number?

"No!" he flatly refused. He couldn't possibly give away that many.

"Elder Qi, you just said there should be three to five of them in this world. Don't hold back now," Chu Feng insisted, firmly demanding them.

Qi Honglin shook his head, reiterating that this gift was meant to foster goodwill and was why he had presented the most precious jade book. He claimed the Pre-Qin Research Institute had no other such piece.

"This time, I nearly died at the hands of a sea race expert. Elder Qi, do you really think a small, chopstick-sized spear and a broken stone can compensate me?" Chu Feng asked.

Qi Honglin cast a sidelong glance. This young man had an incredibly thick skin; how could he shamelessly claim he almost died at the hands of the sea race? He had clearly devoured them! Furthermore, how could the value of that silver spear be measured by its size? It was a treasure comparable to legendary flying swords. If it were truly made public, many major conglomerates would fight tooth and nail for it.

After some bargaining, Qi Honglin revealed that he did know the location of another jade block, but only on the condition that Chu Feng could uncover the secrets of the current one.

Chu Feng's expression changed. He had always felt that the other party's refusal wasn't entirely firm, and now the truth was revealed: they wanted him to decipher the secret.

But why would the Pre-Qin Research Institute believe he would still cooperate with them after gaining insight into the jade block's secrets?

Did this old man have a strong card to play? Chu Feng found it very strange.

"Brother Chu, I came with sincerity. This ancient jade heavenly book is yours. If you can fully comprehend it, you're welcome to come to the Pre-Qin Research Institute to enlighten us. Perhaps we truly can find a second jade block together."

In the end, Qi Honglin's smile faded, and he stated this very directly.

He repeatedly expressed his sincere desire for a win-win situation. However, this caused Chu Feng to subtly furrow his brow, and in an instant, many thoughts crossed his mind.

"If your Pre-Qin Research Institute manages to conquer a famous mountain, and you allow me to cultivate there for a period, then further cooperation could be considered. My time on the mountain wouldn't be long; ten days to half a month would be enough," Chu Feng finally proposed this condition.

He wanted to "borrow a hen to lay an egg," using the rare and precious soil from a famous mountain to plant the seeds from his stone box.

Qi Honglin pondered and decided there was no harm. He would simply inform Demon King Chu after they had harvested the most important sacred fruits, so he nodded in agreement.

Finally, they discussed the sea race again. Qi Honglin revealed that the land might soon descend into chaos, as some powerful sea race individuals were certainly going to come ashore.

This was only part of the information his grandson, Qi Sheng, had learned from the White Dragon; the situation was likely even more severe.

As the two men conversed, deep within the East Sea, a small mountain moved rapidly, cutting through the waves, stirring up towering sprays and agitating the vast ocean.

Upon closer inspection, it was a colossal sea turtle, hundreds of meters long, resembling an island. Its immense size was terrifying, and as it paddled, foamy white waves surged around it.

Eventually, it reached the East Coast. On top of the mountain-like turtle, several powerful individuals flew hundreds of meters through the air, descending onto the shore.

Among them, the leader was a woman with waist-length, flowing, smooth, aqua-blue hair, from which crystalline "small protrusions" emerged.

This woman possessed ice-like skin and jade-like bones, with a beauty capable of toppling cities. She flew through the air for over a thousand meters without falling, still advancing, surpassing those behind her.

Her beauty was almost ethereal; her robes fluttered as if a fairy from the Guanghan Palace had descended to the mortal world, arriving through the air.

After traversing a considerable distance through the void, she finally landed, gazing at the vast land. Her eyes shone with brilliant light as she softly murmured, "Daoist ancestral lands, Buddhist ancestral grounds, Kunlun, the Fengshan sacrificial sites... it's time to choose."

Her voice was gentle, yet those who caught up behind her all showed reverence. With her as their leader, they were about to begin their conquest of the world's famous mountains!

Meanwhile, in the South Sea, enormous waves surged. A tall man with wheat-colored skin, clear and luminous, with flowing black hair, was striding rapidly atop waves dozens of meters high.

He could control the vast ocean, and the surging waves carried him swiftly towards the distant coast.

The man had a robust physique and a single horn amidst his long black hair. He was handsome, with radiant pupils, and at that moment, he burst into laughter, exclaiming, "Am I the first to land? I'm going to ascend the best famous mountain! Mount Longhu and the Great Leiyin Temple are both excellent choices!"

In fact, the depths of the ocean were far from calm everywhere. Strange phenomena were occurring; in some places, giant beasts appeared, while in others, "divine beings" emerged from the sea.

Furthermore, in a certain area of the Atlantic Ocean, waves churned, then the water parted, and a silver disc, an astonishing high-tech product, shot up, heading towards the land.

Shuntian, Yuangu Club.

Qi Honglin stood up and personally escorted Chu Feng out. He was very polite, chatting with Chu Feng as they walked. When they parted ways, he reiterated that the Pre-Qin Research Institute was very willing to cooperate with him to conquer a famous mountain.

As Chu Feng walked away, he pondered deeply, sensing that the Pre-Qin Research Institute was far from simple.

He returned directly home and began to study the jade. He tried everything, using his powerful mental energy to investigate it multiple times, but consistently found nothing.

He grew suspicious for a moment. Could it be a fake?

But why did the ethereal dragon inside give him such a peculiar feeling? It was purely an intuition, but he believed this jade block must be extraordinary.

Three days later, the Yellow Ox arrived, having flown from the west to Shuntian, clearly weary from travel and in a great hurry.

The Big Black Ox also came along. He was still dressed in his usual manner: a slicked-back hairstyle, large sunglasses, and a cigar as thick as a carrot dangling from his mouth. This appearance, like a common ruffian, made passersby stare.

If it weren't for the Yellow Ox's stunning beauty, which somewhat offset his thuggish demeanor when they walked together, passersby would likely have avoided them, not daring to come close.

"That bastard Zhou Yitian must be in Shuntian, right? This time, I'm going to beat him senseless, until even his own mother wouldn't recognize him!" the Big Black Ox muttered, cigar in mouth. He was furious about being rumored to be secretly in love with the White Snake.

Finally, they arrived outside the Jade Void Palace. The Big Black Ox's appearance nearly caused the espers there to sound an alarm, shouting about an enemy attack.

This was because, in both appearance and speech, he did not seem like a good person.

Chu Feng received the Yellow Ox's message and immediately rushed out, leading them inside. However, he didn't dare bring them into his own home, fearing the Big Black Ox's nonsensical remarks.

Just moments before, this fellow had seen Lu Tong and, to the old man's pained grimace, had clapped him on the shoulder and jovially called him "big brother."

If the Big Black Ox went to their home and called Wang Jing "big sister-in-law," Chu Feng would be mortified. After all, that guy was capable of any outrageous behavior.

The Yellow Ox could barely wait. As soon as they entered a sealed training room in the Jade Void Palace, its eyes lit up, and it urged Chu Feng to quickly take out the jade block.

Chu Feng was invigorated. He knew how discerning the Yellow Ox was, and the fact that even it valued the jade block was enough to prove its extraordinary nature.

"Hmm, good stuff!" the Yellow Ox declared immediately, its hand stroking the jade.

According to it, this ancient jade was most suitable for carving a legacy. Two golden lines shot from its pupils as it gazed at the ethereal dragon in the jade block.

Finally, the Yellow Ox exclaimed excitedly, "Just as I imagined, we might be able to complete the Invincible Art!"