Chapter 242: Calm Progress

In the evening, the sun was a round, red orb. The sunset glow painted layers of clouds crimson and fringed them with golden edges. Even the mountainous landscape was bathed in a vibrant red.

Chu Feng was in high spirits. Looking at the setting sun again, he no longer saw it as a blinding, blood-red, and somber sight, as he had the past two days. Instead, he now found it vibrant and radiant.

His body was recovering well; his heart injury was almost healed, and his bones were nearly mended. He felt capable of engaging in a fierce battle, even if he were to encounter a powerful adversary now.

Golden light from the sunset glow stretched his shadow long. In the open mountainous terrain, the sparse trees were also tinged with a reddish-gold luster. Occasional bird calls only amplified the profound tranquility.

"Drawing a wisp of vitality from the sunset glow is even more beneficial for the body," Chu Feng murmured, walking with light steps through the serene and peaceful mountain landscape.

He knew he was within Hubei Province, but he couldn't pinpoint his exact location. After the world's dramatic changes, the terrain had undergone significant shifts, and the landscape of mountains and rivers was completely altered.

As he bathed in the sunset glow, inhaling and exhaling the vibrant red light, a faint golden radiance appeared around his nose and mouth. Soon, his entire body was enveloped in a misty aura, making him appear hazy and luminous.

Beneath the crimson glow, facing the red sun, he felt utterly relaxed. He strolled leisurely through the sparse woods, absorbing the sun's essence, feeling warmth spread through his entire being.

At this moment, his spirit merged with every inch of his flesh, breathing in sync with his physical body, creating an incredibly comfortable sensation.

The world was bathed in a deep crimson, and faint golden sunset glow swirled around his body. It was as if his spirit was also basking in the afterglow of the red sun on the horizon, feeling a profound warmth and the effervescence of Yang energy.

"According to Taoist theory, the spirit leans towards Yin, while vital energy leans towards Yang," he mused. "Now, my spirit is nourished by this vigorous Yang energy, making it more condensed and imbued with a masculine essence."

Chu Feng felt a profound sense of well-being, both mentally and physically—a natural outcome of his vibrant spirit and comfortable body. He felt that his current evolutionary state indeed aligned with concepts found in religious texts and myths.

Of course, not everything could be fully believed. For instance, the legendary art of sword riding was nowhere near as efficient as directly using mental energy for self-transportation.

The so-called "sword mastery" was simply one form of mental martial arts.

"Hoo..."

Chu Feng exhaled a breath of turbid air that surprisingly glowed. It shot from his mouth and nose like a sharp sword, producing a resounding pop as it sliced through the air.

Furthermore, that expelled breath cleaved a rock.

"Hmm, the turbid air I exhale now carries wisps of energy, granting it this power," Chu Feng noted with satisfaction.

He felt that even before his injuries were fully healed, his strength had significantly advanced. By merging his mental and physical energies, his power had grown considerably.

In the preceding days, he had fought life-or-death battles across Jiangxi—from Longhu Mountain to the airport, and then into the mountains. His adversaries ranged from Schiller to the Black Dragon Prince of the South Sea, and then to a host of other kings. It had been a continuous series of desperate struggles, his nerves constantly taut, without a moment of relaxation.

Now, everything felt completely different. He was clear-minded, his spirit invigorated, and his body glowed, emanating a peaceful aura as he leisurely wandered through the forest.

These were two completely distinct environments, and his perception of them naturally differed significantly.

A balance of tension and relaxation. On the path of evolution, alongside life and death, there was also serenity in the mundane. Though the scenery along the way varied, his state of mind, amidst its undulations, felt a consistent sense of peace.

Chu Feng increasingly felt he was in an excellent state. The growth rate of his bones had accelerated, and his mended fractures were nearing complete recovery.

He wasn't sure if this rapid recovery was due to the profound relaxation following his intense battles or the integration of mental energy into his physical form. A subtle radiance gradually enveloped his entire being.

At this moment, it appeared like a divine halo, enveloping him.

His breathing technique was in full operation, bringing his flesh and spirit into a state of profound peace and serenity. The power within his body surged, and his inherent vitality began to flourish, surpassing all previous levels.

"Perhaps it's also connected to having experienced a brush with death," Chu Feng speculated.

That battle had completely depleted his energy, pushing both his body and spirit to the brink of exhaustion. He had been like an oil lamp running out of fuel, on the verge of death.

Having survived such a drastic change, he felt that this experience might have stimulated his physical body and spiritual will, making them even more resilient after being forged and purified by the brink of death.

With no external enemies, his depleted body was now slowly recovering, filling with vitality and undergoing a further transformation, surpassing its previous state.

Under the setting sun, on a small hill ahead, a dilapidated temple was bathed in the sunset glow. Amidst the crimson, it held a golden radiance, making it appear somewhat sacred.

Chu Feng ascended the hill and approached. It was a small, ruined temple, long abandoned. Its courtyard walls had already collapsed, leaving it looking tattered in the setting sun.

Naturally, no one was there. Abandoned for years, and with the world's transformations making such wilderness even less frequented, everything seemed utterly lifeless and profoundly quiet.

However, within the collapsed hall, the golden Bodhisattva statue gleamed in the setting sun. Even with a layer of dust, it still reflected light.

In the past, he had felt indifferent to such sights, but today, as he gazed intently and activated his breathing technique, with both his body and spirit exuding vigorous vitality, he felt a distinct difference.

Bathing in the sunset, gazing at the dilapidated temple and the golden Bodhisattva, he found himself surprisingly at peace, and his mind grew increasingly clear.

"There must be a reason why people once loved, respected, and worshipped this," he murmured.

From an evolutionary perspective, Chu Feng mused, this figure must have been an outstanding ancient super-evolved being, a sacred golden body that manifested in the world and was remembered by people.

Across the ages, he felt as though he could still perceive the aura of such a powerful being. While the golden statue might only retain a hint of its divine presence, it was enough to convey its significance.

"There probably aren't many beings who have evolved to this level," he thought.

Chu Feng fell into a trance, recalling numerous religious allusions and mythological legends, such as Shakyamuni throwing an elephant.

Unconsciously, Chu Feng began to use the Great Thunder Sound Breathing Technique. Although incomplete, facing the golden Bodhisattva bathed in the sunset glow, it seemed to align with a particular state of mind, and it naturally activated.

Similarly, as he activated this technique, his mental energy merged with his physical energy. Consequently, as the thunderous sounds surged and his body vibrated, his spirit also underwent this tempering and purification.

Chu Feng had not originally planned to use this breathing technique for the past few days, as the Great Thunder Sound Breathing Technique was too overpowering and unsuitable while he was injured, risking further self-harm.

But now he found that when his state of mind was perfectly aligned, there was no such hidden danger. As the thunderous sounds reverberated and his body rumbled, he felt no overwhelming force. Instead, divine sounds swirled around his ears, like the resounding of a grand bell, allowing him to experience a completely different state of mind amidst profound peace.

"An inner saint with an outer demon?"

Chu Feng mused, associating it with evolution: was the intense and forceful nature of this breathing technique merely an external manifestation, while its true essence was internal peace?

"Perhaps it can be interpreted from another perspective, through the lens of Buddhist teachings," Chu Feng realized.

Buddhism emphasizes compassion and inner peace, yet it also possesses means to subdue evil. When it truly acts, it shows no mercy, employing powerful and diverse methods.

"Is the Great Thunder Sound Breathing Technique meant to be cultivated by aligning with one's state of mind in this way?"

In that instant, Chu Feng had an epiphany.

The Yellow Ox had once mentioned that many who practiced the incomplete Great Thunder Sound Breathing Technique, which circulated externally, frequently injured themselves, even training themselves to death.

Now, Chu Feng understood that there were too many intricacies involved.

In a short span, his understanding of both breathing techniques deepened. He realized that seemingly simple breathing rhythms contained a multitude of wonders and taboos.

Moreover, according to the Yellow Ox, only one veil of the breathing technique's mystery had been lifted, with even more astonishing manifestations yet to be revealed.

Boom!

Thunderous sounds echoed mightily within Chu Feng's body. His internal organs rumbled as if intertwined with lightning, and his bones vibrated, pristine white and crystalline, resonating with divine sounds.

He felt no pain; instead, he was incredibly comfortable. His spirit and body were simultaneously being cleansed and refined. His entire being felt like a grand bell, vibrating with surging power, bringing him to a profound self-awareness.

By the time Chu Feng stopped, the sun had long set.

He was astonished to find that his bones had fully mended, his fractures completely restored without a single crack. The last crimson lines on his healed heart wound had also vanished, as if he had never been injured.

As for the large cavity in his chest, it had been closed up earlier; now, only the skin remained overly red, but the wound itself had long since healed.

"So fast!" He was astonished by the speed of his recovery.

Of course, the breathing technique taught by the Yellow Ox played the primary role. The Great Thunder Sound Breathing Technique merely provided the finishing touch when his state of mind was perfectly aligned.

Nevertheless, he had already sensed the profundity of the Great Thunder Sound Breathing Technique. If he could acquire its complete inheritance, it could definitely rival the method passed down to him by the Yellow Ox.

In fact, the Yellow Ox had indeed mentioned that both breathing techniques had astonishing origins, and it would be incredibly difficult for outsiders to acquire them.

If those two orthodoxies ever learned about them, they would certainly try to "reclaim" them!

"Counting the days, three have passed. I wonder what's happening in Jiangxi," Chu Feng murmured, looking up and gazing into the distance.

Killing ten kings in a single night, he had created an earth-shattering commotion before completely disappearing. He could imagine the uproar it must have caused in the outside world.

"My body has fully recovered; I can now consider breaking the fifth genetic lock."

Chu Feng's eyes gleamed. Naturally, he wasn't in a rush to act. Having just recovered, he planned to rest for two more days, allowing his essence, qi, and spirit to ascend to a new peak before attempting the breakthrough.

In the evening, Chu Feng left the mountains and came to a small town. He purchased a communicator and contacted his family.

Now completely recovered, he was fearless, even if discovered!

"Mom, I'm doing great. These past two days, I've been thinking about which king-level creatures I should eat. The reason I didn't contact you earlier was that my communicator broke. I'm perfectly fine and full of life, absolutely nothing is wrong with me. Now, I just wanted to ask what you'd like to eat so I can focus on hunting them and bring them back to you. And don't worry about protected animals; those regulations aren't as strict anymore."

Chu Feng, smiling playfully, spoke with a lighthearted ease. When talking to his parents, he only shared good news, not daring to mention how close he had come to dying, for fear of causing them worry.

This time, he had truly experienced a brush with death, one many times more terrifying than any previous setback.

Afterwards, he contacted Lu Tong for an update on the situation, and what he learned astonished him.

He learned that old monsters of the marine race, prodigies of rare species, and others had successively come ashore, with many converging in Jiangxi.

"There's a three-eyed marine expert who claims he wants to kill me to avenge Hei Teng? Is he tired of living? What's his true form? Can I eat him?!"

Hearing Chu Feng's exclamations, Lu Tong was momentarily speechless.

"What, he might have a human form? Tell him to get lost; I'm not interested in him. If he actually shows up, I'll just kill him and toss him aside! Tell Hei Teng to emerge quickly; I'm eager to eat it! Last time I only got eighty catties of its meat—just a taste, not nearly enough to satisfy me, even though the flavor was absolutely delicious!"

Hearing these words, Lu Tong almost cursed. What kind of time was this? Jiangxi was in an uproar, with various powerhouses gathering and supreme experts clashing, yet Chu Feng was still preoccupied with eating.

"Don't worry, I'll be there in a few days. Not a single one of those bastards who ambushed me will escape; I'll wipe them all out. Tell the Jade Void Palace Lord to be careful when fighting and not to kill those who attacked me. I want to roast them one by one when I get back! Damn it, nobody gets away!" The more Chu Feng spoke, the angrier he became. His earlier peace and tranquility vanished; his eyes gleamed mischievously when he spoke of revenge and food.