Chapter 307: Dreamt-Of Treasure

The weather was extremely harsh, with heavy snow falling. In some areas, temperatures plummeted to tens of degrees below zero, and the biting cold was unbearable. However, the travel of extraordinary individuals remained unaffected.

The entrance to the Jade Pure Temple was bustling. People constantly came to visit, all hoping to meet Chu Feng, unaware of his condition. Lu Tong came forward and subtly informed them that Chu Feng was in the crucial stages of comprehending an ancient boxing manual and found it difficult to interrupt his study to receive guests.

"It's alright, we can wait. Please forgive our presumptuous disturbance," a white-haired, white-bearded old demon said politely, bowing with a smile before leaving.

"Did I see that right? That's the old monster from Changbai Mountain; he's here too. He's the King of the Northeast, having long since broken free from the six shackles, and rarely leaves the Northeast region." Someone whispered, recognizing the old man as an unparalleled master. Few knew his true form, only that his cultivation was profound. Many people gathered in front of the Jade Pure Temple, most wishing to visit Chu Feng. They were deeply surprised that even the old monster from Changbai had arrived.

Despite the freezing weather, which made it difficult for ordinary people to go out, the Jade Pure Temple entrance was remarkably busy with constant traffic over the past two days. From all corners of the world, many demon kings arrived. Some wealthy corporations, learning that Chu Feng was diligently studying martial arts, directly sent priceless personal notes and insights from accomplished martial artists of the past.

Standing by the window, Chu Feng sighed, wondering if people would change their attitudes and reclaim those martial arts manuals and notes once they learned of his current condition. He was keenly aware of how fickle human nature could be. People currently valued his combat prowess; if he lost it, what reason would they have to visit him?

He had already spoken with the Yellow Ox, and both oxen were very anxious. The Yellow Ox told him not to worry, saying there might still be a turn for the better. It had been collecting various king-level blood samples in Kunlun Mountains for the past two days and would soon rush to Shuntian to cleanse his body and purify his spirit using a secret method.

Chu Feng was truly unwilling to give up. He once again activated his breathing technique, allowing spiritual energy to merge with his blood, starting from his heart and spreading throughout his body. Eventually, his blood turned black, and most alarmingly, his heart pulsed with a dark glow, no longer vibrant red and crystalline.

"My heart has turned black," Chu Feng self-mockingly remarked, finding the situation deeply ironic.

Lu Tong arrived and informed Chu Feng that the nation's top human potential laboratory had been contacted and would conduct a thorough examination to see if the black substance could be eradicated. The Master of the Jade Pure Temple was also present and assured Chu Feng that he would accompany him to assist the laboratory staff with his diagnosis and treatment.

Chu Feng frowned. It wasn't that he distrusted science, but in this era, various creatures were evolving, and medical diagnostics hadn't kept pace with this evolution. Nevertheless, he eventually went, not wanting to disappoint Lu Tong's good intentions.

They embarked secretly for a renowned laboratory, the same one where some king-level flesh and blood samples had previously been sent for analysis and research. Chu Feng lay there as various advanced instruments, almost like something out of science fiction, lit up and scanned his entire body. He felt like an object being scrutinized from the inside out. He had blood drawn multiple times as they continuously tried to detect the black substance within his body.

When the data came in, the laboratory staff were surprised and perplexed. Chu Feng's physical quality was extraordinary; he didn't resemble a human at all, but rather a god or demon! If this information got out, it would certainly cause a massive sensation. However, they had no solution for the black substance. They couldn't extract it. When they tried to refine it from his blood, the substance would evaporate into a wisp of dark mist before completion, re-entering Chu Feng's body.

Finally, Chu Feng was placed inside a sealed spherical instrument where he underwent automatic scanning and blood collection. Soon after, the laboratory personnel injected him with a refined elixir made from exotic fruits to enhance his bodily activity and conduct further tests. The elixir proved ineffective, being directly expelled through his pores. His constitution possessed astonishing resistance and an anti-evolutionary force.

After numerous tests, the head of the laboratory, sweating profusely, informed Lu Tong and the Master of the Jade Pure Temple that the black substance reversed evolution, proving lethal to both extraordinary creatures and individuals. At the very least, their current methods were utterly incapable of dealing with it. Lu Tong sat motionless, his face ashen white, head bowed, not uttering a word.

Just then, the Master of the Jade Pure Temple received news from the Master of the Eight Sceneries Palace, gaining a deeper understanding of the black substance. For the past two days, the three Palace Masters had instructed people to scour various ancient texts, from Daoist canons and secret manuscripts left by eminent Buddhist monks to various rare ancient documents.

"It's a rare substance from the depths of the universe, refined by a Demon Saint. Its value is inestimable; you might not even acquire it by trading a secret Daoist scripture for it." The Master of the Jade Pure Temple was astonished. Although Chu Feng had briefly mentioned the black substance's miraculous effects on evolvers of the Golden Arhat and Divine Knight levels, he hadn't realized it was so incredibly precious.

Soon after, the Master of the Eight Sceneries Palace provided more information, all compiled from ancient documents. Piecing together various clues, they concluded that this black substance was a treasure coveted by evolvers!

Who had the most extensive collection at present? Naturally, the state. The Eight Sceneries Palace, Jade Pure Temple, and Biyou Palace were the three major organizations of extraordinary individuals in the country. All relevant ancient documents, rare Daoist classics, and other texts were accessible to them. In just two days, many people, following orders, had reviewed various rare editions and consulted numerous secret texts, actually unearthing numerous clues. Furthermore, while cataloging ancient texts, they even discovered the personal notes of an ancient Celestial Master evolver, which contained this powerful being's high praise for the black substance.

That Celestial Master once stated that one *qian* of dark matter was worth more than a gourd of Dragon-Tiger Golden Elixir! In ancient times, one *jin* was equivalent to sixteen *liang*, and one *qian* was merely one-tenth of a *liang*, a very small amount. The Dragon-Tiger Golden Elixir, on the other hand, was the most renowned divine elixir of ancient times, hailed as a priceless miraculous medicine. Zhang Daoling, the patriarch of Dragon-Tiger Mountain, evolved to his peak state precisely because he successfully refined a batch of this elixir. Celestial Masters from other eras found it very difficult to refine the Dragon-Tiger Golden Elixir. For a powerful ancient evolver, a Celestial Master, to hold such high regard for it, claiming that even a gourd of Dragon-Tiger Golden Elixir couldn't buy one *qian* of the black substance, was truly astounding.

Both the Master of the Eight Sceneries Palace and the Master of the Jade Pure Temple were shaken by this astonishing revelation gleaned from the Celestial Master's notes. Of course, they also learned that the dark matter had extremely high requirements for evolvers; one had to reach a certain level, otherwise, it would act as a poison.

"According to ancient Daoist secret texts, Chu Feng is ruined, his evolutionary path has been reversed, and there's little hope," said the Master of the Eight Sceneries Palace, who had also arrived. The Master of the Jade Pure Temple instructed the laboratory staff to find a way to extract the black substance, regardless of the method or cost, emphasizing the need for success.

"This is a bit difficult," the laboratory head explained. "We've already drawn many blood samples, but before we can separate it, the black substance dissipates and returns directly into the patient's body." The laboratory head explained that it didn't even work when sealed in containers; the black substance was so peculiar that it could penetrate all materials, including glass vessels and steel tanks.

"Take some blood and inject it into other organisms to see if the black substance can be retained," the Master of the Jade Pure Temple instructed.

"But that's Chu Feng! Is it really appropriate to take his blood like that?" The laboratory head, sweating on his forehead, mused that this was no ordinary test subject; would Chu Feng consent if they dared to do this?

"This concerns a great secret on the path of evolution. If Chu Feng were to know, I believe he wouldn't object. We lack supreme experts on our side, and he needs to contribute," the Master of the Jade Pure Temple stated.

A day later, Chu Feng became enraged. What did this laboratory think he was, a guinea pig? In just over twenty hours, they had drawn an unknown amount of blood. With a bang, he kicked apart the experimental equipment, shattered a steel plate, and walked out of the sealed laboratory, his face extremely grim.

Upon receiving the news, Lu Tong immediately appeared. After understanding the situation, he was furious, kicking the laboratory head flying and pointing at his nose, yelling, "Old Li, I've sent you so many king-level biological blood samples in the past, giving you strong support. But have you become addicted to experiments, disregarding all relations and completely forgetting your origins, daring to target Chu Feng like this?!"

Feeling in the wrong, the laboratory head stood there, opening his mouth to speak but ultimately only stating that he couldn't resolve the issue of the black substance for now.

"Old Li, do you think Chu Feng's illness is incurable and he won't get better, which is why you dare to act so recklessly?" Lu Tong continued to scold him, while also trying to appease Chu Feng's anger.

The Master of the Jade Pure Temple arrived, took one look, said nothing, and turned to leave.

"You should know that even with ten times Old Li's courage, he wouldn't dare treat me like this," Chu Feng said calmly. Lu Tong fell silent, then sighed, "The Palace Master probably didn't mean any harm; he's just a bit radical, eager to unlock the great secret of the evolutionary path." Chu Feng said nothing and followed Lu Tong back to the Jade Pure Temple.

Soon after, the Master of the Jade Pure Temple appeared and apologized to Chu Feng, saying, "The world's environment is harsh, and we lack supreme masters on our side. I was a bit anxious, trying to find solutions, but... I went too far. I'm sorry, please don't mind it." He then asked Chu Feng if he had contacted Kunlun Mountain, and Chu Feng nodded affirmatively.

The Master of the Jade Pure Temple informed him, "The situation is not good. Rumors are already circulating outside that you've had an accident and have lost the chance to evolve, even that you will gradually weaken and become an ordinary person."

Chu Feng remained calm and said, "What's meant to come will eventually come; there's no hiding it." The Master of the Jade Pure Temple nodded, patted his shoulder, and then departed. Chu Feng frowned, watching the Master of the Jade Pure Temple's retreating back. He didn't believe the Yellow Ox would be so careless; this matter should not have leaked from Kunlun.

Not long after, the Yellow Ox contacted Chu Feng, telling him not to rush and to wait patiently. It was searching for an old lama whose blood was extremely precious, imbued with Buddhist nature, and had miraculous effects on purifying flesh and blood. However, the old lama was wandering in the Tibetan region, trying to find some legendary Buddhist weapons to enter an ancient temple in the Great Snow Mountains. Currently, the Yellow Ox had collected blood from all the major demon kings in Kunlun Mountain, an arduous task, as otherwise, who would willingly reveal the secrets of their blood? The more evolvers learned about such matters, the more protective they became.

"It definitely didn't leak from Kunlun. I think it came from the Jade Pure Temple. I've told Old Hei and the others to set off first to look after you. Now, you must be careful yourself," the Yellow Ox warned Chu Feng, sounding alert.

After the call, Chu Feng thought for a moment, then found Lu Tong and told him to invite everyone who had sent a visiting card; he wanted to host a banquet for them.

"Are you worried this place will become a cage? That won't happen!" Lu Tong sighed softly but turned and left to do as Chu Feng instructed.

Chu Feng muttered to himself, "Since someone has leaked the secret, I'll go ahead and fully disclose it myself, and host a banquet for everyone. Perhaps this can create a new balance."

That day, a highly impactful rumor caused a sensation: Chu Feng's evolutionary path had reached its end. The news spread like wildfire! All parties paid close attention, and the world was in an uproar. At first, no one believed it, considering it a ridiculous joke. However, some people believed it might not be false, as it had started circulating the previous day, albeit within a small circle.

Soon after, the news was confirmed: everything was true, because Chu Feng was hosting a banquet for various factions, openly admitting that he had encountered a problem. The Jade Pure Temple's entrance was thronged with people—demon kings from various regions and executives from wealthy corporations, all making formal visits.

The atmosphere at the banquet was strange. No one had expected Chu Feng, who was at the height of his power, to openly admit that he might decline into an ordinary person.

"Brother Chu, say no more. I admire you as a person, and regardless of whether you've encountered problems, I've decided you're my friend," said the white-haired, white-bearded old demon from Changbai Mountain, standing up, raising a cup of wine to Chu Feng, and downing it in one gulp. This was an unparalleled master who had broken free from the six shackles, renowned in the Northeast. Those who recognized him showed expressions of astonishment.

"There's no telling what fortune or misfortune may befall us. It's nothing major; I believe Brother Chu can pull through," another great demon king said, rising to his feet. Following this, executives from various corporations also presented valuable gifts, comforting Chu Feng and saying there was no obstacle he couldn't overcome. Whether sincere or feigned, at least no shallow-minded individuals appeared at the banquet; everyone was very courteous, and no one offended Chu Feng. Finally, the group took their leave, leaving behind a pile of valuable gifts.

However, changes did occur from that day forward. Outside, the news was astonishing. Everyone found it unbelievable, yet had to accept the fact that Chu Feng, who had risen rapidly like a comet with dazzling and intimidating achievements, had suffered an accident at his peak and would henceforth fade into obscurity, completely withdrawing from the path of evolution. He would become just like everyone else! This was the sigh of pity people uttered for him.

In fact, changes within the Jade Pure Temple were also perceptible, and Chu Feng could genuinely feel them. Some people watched him from a distance, displaying strange looks. Among them, several bright young boys and girls had been particularly diligent over the past two days, constantly running errands and helping Chu Feng with various tasks. They were all around fifteen or sixteen years old. The two boys were handsome, and the three girls were exceptionally beautiful, intelligent, and nimble. Though young, they were all extraordinary individuals with considerable strength.

"Brother Chu, I'd like to ask you to take me as your disciple," a beautiful girl said finally, blinking her large eyes. The others, either shy or boldly eager, also expressed their desire for Chu Feng to teach them martial arts. Chu Feng sighed, wondering if these children had shrewdly come on their own, or if someone had instructed them. Learning martial arts was secondary; they most likely wanted him to impart his breathing technique.