Chapter 304: Prosperity Followed by Decline

“So, seize this chance to become a peerless master. Otherwise, if you someday stumble into another world and can't even qualify as a minor demon, that would be truly regrettable.”

The Yellow Ox patted the Northeast Tiger's shoulder and knocked on the Big Black Ox's horn.

In worlds teeming with powerful energy, not only are the mountains and rivers unyielding, but the cosmic order is also perfectly established. Beings capable of uprooting mountains or cleaving seas on Earth would find themselves completely suppressed there, stripped of their power. In those formidable worlds, only a minor demon can truly be carefree.

The Yellow Ox, the Big Black Ox, and a few others departed, heading west towards Kunlun Mountain, braving the ice and snow. They were eyeing an ancient temple in the Himalayas, hoping to obtain the Great Thunderclap Breathing Technique, which might be found there.

In this current era, no one knows what will happen, nor what this world will become. Will a great prosperity follow this ice and snow? While the orthodoxies from beyond this realm find it difficult to descend, some of their disciples and followers will eventually overcome the perilous barriers and arrive; it's only a matter of time. Is this ice and snow a choice by heaven and earth to usher in an era of gods and demons, or is it a method employed by the orthodoxies from beyond this realm?

Everything remains unknown, even to the Yellow Ox. Their goal was to find a way to grow stronger. A supreme breathing technique, if discoverable on Earth, was absolutely not to be missed!

“I’ll join you in a few days!” Chu Feng agreed. After spending a few days with his parents at Dalin Temple, he too would head west, joining forces with the old lama and others to explore the ancient monastery where the thunderous sounds resonated.

On Mount Song, temples dotted the landscape. Standing there, gazing into the distance, the world was a vast expanse of white, covered entirely in wind and snow. Chu Feng frowned, genuinely wondering when this heavy snow would cease.

The old ape appeared silently. With his keen senses, he stood on the peak and sighed, “The will of heaven is unfathomable.”

“Great prosperity only follows great destruction. Elder Ape, I’ll stay here with you, quietly awaiting the full recovery of the Vajra Bodhi Sacred Tree,” Chu Feng said with a smile.

The old ape's face instantly darkened. The Vajra Bodhi tree was in terrible shape; its leaves had first shriveled into buds, then withered and fallen, leaving it completely bare. Even though they had used heated greenhouses to shield it from the ice and snow and fire basins to raise the temperature, it was still useless.

Chu Zhiyuan and Wang Jing had long become extraordinary beings. Though facing severe cold, they were unharmed here, which completely put Chu Feng's mind at ease.

News of Chu Feng's arrival at Dalin Temple spread like wildfire, and people continuously ascended the mountain to visit him. This was mainly due to the immense prestige he had gained from the battle at Dragon-Tiger Mountain. The wind and snow had limited impact on powerful evolutionaries, and many were even braving the weather to linger near famous mountains, checking for any changes.

“Uncle Chu, King Black Wolf invites you to a banquet.”

Chu Feng had just seen off a group of visitors when a small monkey reported that someone was inviting him out, and it was a wolf king no less.

“Alright, I’ll go take a look,” Chu Feng agreed. With the mountain sealed by heavy snow, he had nothing else to do, and interacting with these variant kings would be beneficial.

At the foot of the mountain, a crimson-bodied variant bird awaited. This was a mutated tit, now several dozen meters long, carrying a small palace on its back, waiting to transport Chu Feng to the banquet.

King Black Wolf’s cave abode was on Baiyun Mountain in Henan, a place originally renowned for its beautiful scenery, praised as an earthly paradise and a famous mountain of the Central Plains. However, now only pristine white snow could be seen, the mountains and rivers completely covered. King Black Wolf’s abode was spacious and opulently decorated inside. It was said that what was once merely a wild wolf’s den had been transformed into something magnificent.

The interior was elaborate, featuring pavilions, stone arch bridges, splashing fountains, and various exotic plants. Even amidst the icy world outside, the cave abode was as warm as spring. Chu Feng was momentarily speechless, thinking that this place, once a common wolf’s den, now possessed such grandeur, truly unpredictable.

“King Chu, although I am of the wolf tribe, I have absolutely no connection to King Azure Wolf.” King Black Wolf quickly clarified upon meeting, fearing Chu Feng might make an association.

Chu Feng let out a wry chuckle, simply nodding and saying that matters should be kept separate, and he would never implicate the innocent.

King Black Wolf clapped his hands, and immediately, several partially transformed variant beings brought out rare delicacies and held wine jars, placing them on a jade table. Next, a group of female enchantresses appeared. Clearly transformed variants, they were all alluring, strikingly beautiful and pretty, though some retained furry cat ears, and others had fluffy tails that swayed back and forth. The group of female variants was extremely charming, singing and dancing to entertain them as they drank.

“Brother Chu, something major has happened,” King Black Wolf said, raising his wine cup to Chu Feng, speaking mysteriously and lowering his voice.

“What is it?” Chu Feng set down his wine cup. He had actually come here to get a sense of the ground and understand the current situation of the variant beings. Could he be about to hear a secret?

“I’ve heard a piece of news: is this ice and snow related to disturbances in the sea?” King Black Wolf informed him.

“Oh?”

“It’s rumored that some powerful sea creatures discovered a mysterious sea eye. There were ruins and altars there, and their sacrifices led to a great calamity, bringing about widespread ice and snow.”

Chu Feng was instantly dumbfounded. Such a thing was possible?

King Black Wolf continued, “Some powerful sea creatures also say it’s because someone in the deep sea colluded with beings from beyond this realm, trying to help them descend by following their instructions, which intensified the world’s anomalies and brought on the blizzards.”

Chu Feng frowned. This cold wave had indeed spread from the sea. Could it truly be related to the sea race? But wouldn’t that be inviting trouble into their own home?

“Don’t worry, it’s said that several supreme experts in the deep sea grew furious, stopped everything, and are now hunting down those involved in this incident. The wind and snow will surely cease eventually.”

Chu Feng couldn’t confirm the truth of this news, but he felt it wasn’t baseless; this trip had been worthwhile.

Finally, as Chu Feng felt the alcohol taking effect, King Black Wolf enthusiastically gestured to the female enchantresses, signaling them to take Chu Feng to rest.

“Never mind, I’m still busy. Heavenly Maidens and Saintesses from powerful worlds are about to descend, and I need to prepare to ‘collect’ them,” Chu Feng interrupted, saying with a laugh. These female enchantresses were too enthusiastic, and he genuinely couldn’t handle them, so he quickly departed.

Chu Feng didn’t refuse any subsequent banquet invitations; he would attend if the inviting kings weren’t too far away. What made him feel most awkward was the invitation from the Fox Fairy. She was truly a stunner—perhaps not a peerless beauty, but captivating and alluring, so enthusiastic that Chu Feng simply fled. This was because the cave abode was filled with female enchantresses, scantily clad, revealing swathes of pale skin. Serving wine was one thing, but they even served food, not to mention massaging shoulders and legs. The atmosphere was excessively seductive, their gazes scorching, and Chu Feng only stayed for a moment before fleeing.

This was the first time a variant king had made him flee without a fight, and in such a discomfited state. He broke into a sweat, and even after fleeing, standing in the icy wilderness for a long time, his blood was still boiling. The news leaked, and it became a laughingstock; no one expected the Great Demon King Chu to ever get cold feet.

“Brother, are you capable? What was there to run from?” Even the Northeast Tiger, far away in Kunlun Mountain, had heard about it and openly scorned him.

Chu Feng was so furious he almost fumed. He desperately wanted to confront the Fox Fairy for revenge. How could she spread such a thing?

“Hey, Chu Feng, I hear you’re, well, lacking in vigor?” Even Jiang Luoshen sent him a malicious text message, aiming to strike him down. Mainly, their previous inexplicable shared night, sleeping in the same bed, had left her displeased. No matter how one looked at it, she had suffered a great disadvantage, yet afterward, he acted as if nothing had happened, offering no apology, and recently, even contact had ceased.

“Dare to utter another word, and I’ll personally wreak havoc on Putuo Mountain and take care of you!” Chu Feng threatened with a darkened face.

“Boss, we’ve acquired a thousand-year-old Polygonum multiflorum root!” Ouyang Qing, Ear of the Wind, contacted him.

“What do you mean?” Chu Feng was puzzled.

“Apparently, it can cure kidney deficiency.”

“Get lost, you jerk!” Chu Feng furiously ended the call, wishing he could immediately go and wipe out that den of foxes.

Over the past few days, the wind and snow had been intermittent, sometimes strong, sometimes lighter, but thankfully not continuously raging—a blessing in disguise. It was clear that after the battle at Dragon-Tiger Mountain, Chu Feng’s status had soared dramatically. The kings of the variant beings were sending out invitations, clearly trying their best to show goodwill. Even clans that previously had grudges against him, relatively unfriendly, were now seeking mediators and completely bowing their heads, afraid that he might one day become displeased and come to their doors.

In Jiangxi, most of the variant kings who had once besieged Chu Feng in the dead of night had been eliminated, with only two remaining alive: a monkey king and a bird king. Now, these two kings proactively contacted Chu Feng, bowing in submission and stating that if he spared their lives, they would follow him and obey his commands. Chu Feng was surprised, profoundly realizing the immense impact of the Dragon-Tiger Mountain battle. Evidently, those two kings had been living in fear recently and could no longer bear it.

Subsequently, people from financial groups came to his door, bringing rare and precious gifts, including martial arts manuals and ancient weapons, still worried that Chu Feng might settle accounts later.

After several days of recuperation, the Jade Pure Palace Master’s heart had healed, and his injuries were completely recovered, mainly thanks to the miraculous properties of the stone fruit.

“Chu Feng, thank you for saving the Palace Master,” Lu Tong said to Chu Feng over the phone, expressing his gratitude. Furthermore, he told Chu Feng that he could visit Jade Pure Palace, where there was an exotic treasure whose purpose no one could discern. This was something the Jade Pure Palace Master had obtained on Dragon-Tiger Mountain. It had once glowed brilliantly but eventually dimmed, becoming completely still. Many people had been invited to examine it, but none could grasp its depth. The Jade Pure Palace Master had Lu Tong convey a message that Chu Feng was welcome to come and see it if he was interested.

“Chu Feng, we’ll be setting off for the Himalayas in a few days. You can come over now!” the Yellow Ox told Chu Feng, indicating they were about to depart.

“Alright, I’ll make a trip to Shuntian first, and then head west,” Chu Feng said.

From Mount Song to Shuntian was seven or eight thousand kilometers, which for the current Chu Feng was no problem at all. Even with the wind and snow obstructing him, he was astonishingly fast. Piercing through snow mist, crossing mountains and ridges, stopping and going—even so, he arrived in less than two hours.

At this time, someone contacted him—it was the old mountain turtle, the head of the Kongtong Sect. He informed Chu Feng that he had performed a divination, revealing that just like biological evolution, heaven and earth also experience cycles of flourishing and decline, destruction and resurgence. Chu Feng found this baffling. Hadn’t meteorologists and biologists already said these things, that this time there might be a great destruction followed by prosperity?

He entered Jade Pure Palace and met Lu Tong, who was very welcoming. This time, the Jade Pure Palace Master also personally appeared to greet him, expressing gratitude, saying that without Chu Feng’s rescue, he would have died on Dragon-Tiger Mountain. Afterward, he handed the exotic treasure to Chu Feng.

“Hmm?! This is—” Chu Feng’s pupils contracted!