Chapter 303: Current Truth

Chu Feng and Yellow Ox were in a small town in Henan province. Every breath they exhaled turned into white mist, even forming ice shards.

Chu Feng had originally planned to take them to Mount Song and the Great Forest Temple, but the Black Ox flatly refused, not wanting to encounter the monkey that had previously beaten it.

"Has this damn sky gone mad? Is it leaving no way for ordinary people to live?" complained the Siberian Tiger, which was usually the most cold-resistant and accustomed to icy, snowy environments.

Yet, even it felt uncomfortable now, so one could only imagine the plight of other creatures.

Despite the harsh weather, they were currently enjoying a hot pot meal. The steaming, delicious, and refreshing king-level ingredients, along with a pot of aged wine, made for a very comfortable experience in the freezing cold.

They did have one regret: Chu Feng had killed many sea beasts on Dragon Tiger Mountain but had no time to collect them, so they were left behind.

Chu Feng frowned. While they were mostly unaffected by the severe cold, he wondered how long ordinary people could endure such conditions. If this continued, it would undoubtedly become a major disaster.

Even the ocean had frozen over; how terrifying was that? The cold was now spreading across the land, and with the ongoing blizzards, the weather conditions were extremely harsh.

"I can't help but feel like the heavens are trying to wipe out the world, leaving only extraordinary beings and creatures while eliminating the ordinary ones," said the Black Ox.

"That makes sense; this must be the dawn of a new era for gods and demons!" The Donkey King nodded, his large teeth bared, a grave expression on his face after transforming into human form.

Even Chu Feng and Yellow Ox were startled. The situation truly felt mystical and eerie. For ordinary people, this was nothing short of an apocalypse, signaling their end.

At this rate, if the conditions persisted for more than half a month, not just bungalows but even multi-story buildings would be buried under deep snow.

With power outages and food shortages gradually setting in, how many living beings would survive after a prolonged period of hardship?

"This is unscientific!" Yellow Ox exclaimed, leaving Chu Feng utterly speechless.

"Ever since you showed up, the world I live in hasn't been scientific," Chu Feng couldn't help but retort.

Yellow Ox, equally speechless, gazed through the window at the snow-covered town and the vast, snowy sky, blinking its large eyes and pondering intently.

"Could an invisible hand be interfering with evolution?" Yellow Ox muttered.

"Do you know something?" Chu Feng pressed.

Yellow Ox sighed softly, "I'm concerned that sacred lands from other worlds might be trying to forcefully descend and send their disciples here using forbidden methods, thereby affecting the celestial phenomena."

"Do they need to go through all this trouble? Can't they just descend directly?" Chu Feng asked, surprised.

"Earth is not a simple place. As I've said before, some of its mountains are stained with sacred blood, it houses the abodes of supreme orthodoxies, and it possesses sacred trees that draw envy from sects across other realms."

Yellow Ox reiterated what it had previously told Chu Feng.

"This place was once incredibly glorious. Monster Saints shed their blood here, and the patriarchs of eternal orthodoxies achieved nirvana here. Can you even imagine?" Yellow Ox shook its head.

Just those few words were enough to highlight the Earth's unique nature.

"It's not that those great sects don't want to enter; it's that they can't. Even in its decline, Earth remains profoundly mysterious, and they must adhere to its rules."

Yellow Ox explained that this withered ancient land possessed many peculiar characteristics.

"As you've witnessed, even creatures from Earth's folded spaces must undergo perilous trials to cross over, facing near-certain death. One misstep and they are incinerated," Yellow Ox sighed.

Once glorious, now in decline—such was the current state of Earth.

Yet, opportunities still abounded here. Even sacred tree roots, withered and buried for hundreds of thousands or even millions of years, could still sprout and revive.

Should these plants fully revive, even the sacred lands across the cosmos would be green with envy.

Currently, these remains unowned.

Furthermore, various major orthodoxies from beyond this realm seek relics hidden beneath the mountains stained by sacred blood.

"So, if Earth fully revives, it could absolutely give rise to several sacred lands. Remember, sacred trees in other worlds are all owned by major orthodoxies, but here, it's still an undeveloped land."

They conversed for a long time, covering many topics.

Finally, Chu Feng brought up the woman from Dragon Tiger Mountain and asked Yellow Ox about her true cultivation realm.

Yellow Ox shook its head, admitting it didn't know. It couldn't see through the woman, only perceiving an extraordinary and almost supernatural power.

"Didn't you say that it would be incredible for any being on Earth to reach the Free and Unfettered realm? Is she not within that category?" The Siberian Tiger asked, wide-eyed.

Yellow Ox's small face tightened with seriousness. "I was referring to the current state of Earth, not its past, nor its future when it fully recovers and its sacred trees flourish again. That woman is clearly an ancient evolutionist, not a being that evolved in the present environment."

Chu Feng's expression also turned serious. He wanted Yellow Ox to elaborate, explaining what realms existed beyond the Free and Unfettered stage.

The Black Ox and the Siberian Tiger also looked on with anticipation.

"I didn't mention it earlier because I didn't want to discourage you, but since you've all reached the 'Chains' realm, it's probably good to explain a bit, lest you become complacent," Yellow Ox said.

"Earth is withered and its energy depleted. For eons, it has been unsuitable for cultivation; even its soil has lost its spiritual essence, becoming as fragile as rotten wood." This was Yellow Ox's very low assessment of Earth's current state.

"In contrast, other worlds possess spiritually imbued and remarkably sturdy soil. Their entire environments are vibrant and teeming with astonishing energy, naturally giving rise to exceptionally powerful beings." Yellow Ox's subsequent words became increasingly astounding, leaving them all dumbfounded.

By the end, Chu Feng and the others felt a sense of helplessness and deep frustration.

This was because, in some powerful worlds, even a creature as small as a palm-sized mouse could kill an ordinary human upon arriving on Earth. The disparity was simply astounding.

This revelation was a significant blow to the self-esteem of Earth's inhabitants, leaving Chu Feng and his companions speechless.

"Stop being so discouraging! Just tell me, what state would the strongest possible being on Earth, one at the peak Free and Unfettered realm, be in if they went to a powerful world?" the Siberian Tiger asked, huffing.

Yellow Ox had previously stated that on the current Earth, three realms encompassed all evolved beings: Awakening, Chains, and Free and Unfettered.

Of these, the Free and Unfettered realm was currently unattainable.

"'Free and Unfettered' is also 'little demon'," Yellow Ox replied very seriously, explaining it was a homonym in Chinese.

"Impossible!" the Black Ox immediately exclaimed, agitated.

They were currently hailed as kings, residing in the Chains realm, already considered among the most powerful beings on Earth. Yet, in other worlds, they wouldn't even qualify as a 'little demon'?

The Siberian Tiger also grew anxious, genuinely disheartened, exclaiming, "Doesn't 'Free and Unfettered' mean soaring through the skies and dominating the four seas? How can true freedom and ease equate to being a 'little demon'?!"

"On Earth, it is indeed considered 'Free and Unfettered'," Yellow Ox said calmly. "In fact, there are many worlds similar to the current Earth. If you were to go there, beings in the Free and Unfettered realm would still enjoy great freedom and ease, and you, too, would naturally be considered great masters."

They were all left speechless, finding this truly disheartening.

"How can the difference be so vast... I don't believe it," the Donkey King muttered resentfully.

"As I said, Earth is dilapidated and its energy withered, like a piece of rotten wood that crumbles with the slightest touch. Powerful worlds, however, are like sturdy, hard tree stumps, or even solid metal and stone, incredibly robust and rich in energy."

Yellow Ox patiently explained, not wanting to further discourage them.

According to Yellow Ox, a Free and Unfettered realm being could fly and traverse underground on Earth, but in some extremely powerful worlds, they might not even be able to get off the ground.

"This is because in those formidable worlds, the Great Dao permeates the heavens, and the ground is solid and imbued with spiritual essence. While the Free and Unfettered realm is powerful here, there, they would struggle to even shatter a mountaintop."

Yellow Ox then used Chu Feng as an example: he currently possessed five and a half times the speed of sound, but in those powerful worlds, it was obvious he wouldn't even break the sound barrier, let alone achieve Mach 1.

"Don't tell me that in such a world, I wouldn't even be able to lift a stone weighing ten thousand jin," Chu Feng said, staring at Yellow Ox. He was now accustomed to effortlessly tossing objects weighing tens of thousands of jin.

Yellow Ox offered a sympathetic look and confirmed, "You wouldn't be able to lift it."

"Damn it, this isn't just frustrating; it's utterly soul-crushing," the Siberian Tiger lamented with a dramatic flair.

After all, it was a king and overlord here, dominating its domain. If it went to some powerful worlds, it wouldn't even be considered a mere 'little demon'?

"That's why you always asked me, but I never dared to tell you; it truly is disheartening," Yellow Ox explained.

However, it added that with Earth's revival, abundant opportunities would arise, allowing them to ascend with the planet. This unowned land offered so many fortunes that they could grow rapidly, where one year of cultivation here could be equivalent to ten or even a hundred years elsewhere.

While Earth was indeed decayed and fragile like rotten wood, the existence of sacred trees was undeniable.

"From 'little demon' to 'Monster Saint', how many realms are there in between? And from 'little demon' to 'Bodhisattva' among evolutionists, how many realms are there?" the Black Ox inquired.

"Not many," Yellow Ox replied. However, despite their persistent inquiries, it refused to disclose the exact number of realms, leaving everyone speechless.

They understood that Yellow Ox was hesitant to demoralize them further.

"There really aren't many, but the difference between each realm is quite significant, so I'd rather not say," Yellow Ox explained with a shy smile.

To them, it felt more like a devil's smile, inflicting a subtle wound.

"Then tell us, is your world considered very powerful?" Chu Feng inquired.

Yellow Ox replied humbly, "It's not among the most powerful ones. I'd say it's mid-tier. Compared to many worlds, it could be considered glorious, but it's incomparable to the legendary, truly stronger worlds."

According to Yellow Ox, the energy levels varied across different worlds, leading to inherent differences in strength among the beings born within them. With countless worlds, there were myriad tiers of strength.

"You mentioned that in some worlds, an adult mouse could kill an ordinary adult human if it came to Earth. What about you, are you an adult?" The Siberian Tiger probed Yellow Ox, seeking more information.

"I'm five by traditional Chinese reckoning, but a little over three and a half, almost four, by Western count," Yellow Ox replied shyly.

"You're doing this on purpose, intentionally trying to demoralize us?!" The Siberian Tiger's eyes widened, its expression turning hostile.

Chu Feng waved his hand to calm the tiger and then asked Yellow Ox how powerful those sacred lands truly were.

"Worlds have varying strengths, and naturally, the orthodoxies rooted within them show clear distinctions," Yellow Ox briefly explained, wanting to avoid revealing too much. "The most powerful orthodoxies are certainly established on the strongest planets in the most formidable worlds, though they also maintain branches in other realms."

For those were colossal entities, and to them, looking up at such beings was like a humble ant on the ground gazing at a divine dragon in the sky.

"How strong are the strongest worlds?" the Black Ox persisted, unwilling to give up.

"I haven't been there myself; I've only heard rumors," Yellow Ox admitted. "In the strongest of those worlds, even the soil contains traces of primal chaos energy, making it indestructible. Creatures from other worlds would find it impossible to even dent their mountains and rivers. An ant from such a place—assuming ants exist there—could come to Earth and reign as king."

"I don't want to live anymore!" the Black Ox exclaimed, wishing it could just roll on the ground.

Yellow Ox offered comfort: "There's no need to be disheartened. As I've said, Earth holds opportunities for one to become a saint or an ancestor. If we find them, we'll all have the chance to stand as equals with the legendary Monster Saints."

"How strong was Earth in the past?" Chu Feng inquired.

"Very strong," Yellow Ox replied seriously. "At its most glorious, it might have ranked among the top hundred worlds."

The Siberian Tiger, unsatisfied, asked, "It never reached the absolute strongest?"

"The top ten in the universe have remained constant throughout history," Yellow Ox stated solemnly.

Chu Feng felt a touch of concern for the future. Many worlds were as decayed as Earth, their spiritual energy depleted. While creatures from such worlds might pose no threat, how could they possibly defend against beings from more powerful realms?

"Earth is very peculiar. Monster Saints have shed their blood here, so there's a reason for it," Yellow Ox said, unfazed. "I've told you before that the stronger a being currently is, the more difficult it is for them to cross over; the difficulty of inter-realm travel increases exponentially."

At the very least, this situation would not change in the short term.

"Creatures are evolving, and Earth is evolving too. Worlds vary in strength, but Earth is now beginning its recovery," Yellow Ox stated.

"Don't overthink anything. For now, just focus on becoming a 'little demon'! As a 'little demon', you could then try to charm celestial maidens and saintesses, and even suppress divine sons. Alas, the difficulty is immense!"

Chu Feng, the Black Ox, the Siberian Tiger, and the others all got thoroughly drunk. Having grasped the current reality, they realized they had only just begun their journey, and the path of evolution stretched endlessly before them.

This month is passing so quickly.