Chapter 399: West Hunting Obtains the Qilin

Chu Feng's eyes were a pale gold, burning with fierce intensity as he prepared to visit the old Qilin lair.

Before setting off, he cleared the battle traces from the scene.

"Everything is fake these days, even holy maidens," Chu Feng complained. "What 'sweet sixteen,' 'stunning beauty,' or 'slender waist you can grasp with one hand'? Their real age must be at least fifty or more."

He felt that Huang Weiyue merely maintained herself well. Having arrived on Earth twenty-two years ago, she could potentially be of grandmotherly age.

The thought of his initial intention to hunt celestial and divine maidens—and his boast about capturing them to warm his bed—made him shiver involuntarily.

A holy maiden in her fifties or sixties? Forget it, he thought, no thank you. If they were all of that generation, he wouldn't hunt them even if it killed him; he'd just run away.

"I'm just exposing fakes!"

After dealing with the scene, Chu Feng, carrying the gleaming Diamond Bodhi Bracelet, returned to the mountains that bred the Solar Essence to absorb the special energy rich in Yang qi.

This high-grade rare energy had shown astonishing effects in today's battle, making it worthwhile to prepare more.

Afterward, he set off!

The current Chu Feng truly possessed divine speed. Running at full tilt, he could effortlessly cover vast distances, relying solely on his two feet.

In ancient times, he would have been considered an immortal on land.

Although he couldn't fly, he could traverse a continent and cross oceans in a single day.

Chu Feng left the Jiangning territory, heading north toward the old Qilin lair!

Not long ago, the humanoid man with the silver horn on his head didn't reveal much information. Having realized Chu Feng was determined to kill him, he became defiant in his final moments.

His mention of Mount Laoshan wasn't a leak; his true purpose was to send Chu Feng to his death, as he firmly believed the exceptionally talented Prince would smash Chu Feng to pieces!

In his view, that was an irreversible gap; individuals from the Evolution Imperial Dynasty possessed terrifying talent and could achieve the most formidable super-evolution.

On the way, Chu Feng sped like lightning, traveling north toward a certain location in Shandong.

He judged the Qilin lair to be there.

In his final moments, the creature was evasive when mentioning the Qilin lair, not revealing everything, clearly intending to trap Chu Feng.

"A false lair likely contains traps and dangers, and the true lair must be a den of dragons and tigers," he thought.

Some time ago, Chu Feng had studied domains and read various documents. Out of curiosity, he had researched ancient Chinese legends such as the Dragon's Lair in the sea, the Qilin's Lair on land, and the Phoenix's Nest in the Wutong trees.

Therefore, he had already made some deductions.

Now, combining the partial information revealed by that creature, he could accurately determine the location of the old Qilin lair.

The Records of the Grand Historian contain a record: "In the spring of the fourteenth year of Duke Ai of Lu, a western hunt took place in Daye. The charioteer of the Shusun clan captured a creature, deeming it inauspicious. Confucius observed it and said, 'It is a Qilin!'"

"In this event, there was an emperor, a Qilin, and a sage," Chu Feng muttered to himself. "The terrifying hidden implications are evident."

Similar records are also found in the Zuo Zhuan.

Unfortunately, despite being an auspicious beast, it died in that event. The Spring and Autumn Annals once stated: "A dead Qilin was obtained in the western hunt."

From these accounts, Chu Feng gleaned the ancient haunts of Qilin. Combined with the partial information he obtained from the recent arrival, he could naturally confirm it without error.

The location mentioned in the Records of the Grand Historian regarding the "western hunt in Daye" was Dayeze, also known as Juyeze.

It is located within Shandong province, which is present-day Heze.

"This location was also the birthplace of the strongest ancient tribes," Chu Feng mused. "This vast marshland had given birth to mythical tribes, and it made sense for Qilin to reside nearby, as it was a totem for the early inhabitants."

Chu Feng's speed was astonishing; as he traversed, it was virtually explosive. If he touched rocks, vegetation, or anything else, those materials would shatter.

After the world changed, Jiangning was over six thousand kilometers from Heze in Shandong, yet Chu Feng covered the distance in little more than half an hour by running at full speed.

Such divine speed and relentless sprinting, if witnessed or known by others, would leave everyone dumbfounded and a little frightened.

The exact location was north of Juye in Heze.

When Chu Feng arrived, the terrain had completely changed, unlike anything in the past. He had visited this place before the world changed, and seeing it again, he looked astonished.

Here was a pristine landscape with ancient trees reaching the sky, and a vast marsh steaming with water vapor, stretching boundlessly.

"How strange!" he thought. The topography of this place had changed too thoroughly.

Chu Feng proceeded cautiously, recalling the various legends about this place and daring not to be careless.

"There's a saying that the 'sea' mentioned in the Classic of Mountains and Seas, where Emperor Yan's daughter Jingwei carried stones to fill it, refers to Dayeze," he mused, pausing there.

Ahead was a vast lake, misty and boundless.

On the shore, old vines entwined, and fierce beasts roared. Primitive ferocious birds flew across the sky, with one gigantic bird even seen carrying a long-nosed elephant into the distance; it was wild and terrifying.

Chu Feng suspected he had gone to the wrong place and inadvertently entered another realm.

Unlike folded spaces in other places, which had a transitional phase beginning with large mountains, this area was entirely different, directly revealing an ancient land and boundless marshland.

Chu Feng moved lightly but quickly, walking along the lake and searching this ancient land where the strongest tribes had once originated.

Fortunately, he was fast. Otherwise, an ordinary person could walk for months in such a vast place without reaching its end and would only be able to circle near the great marsh.

While Chu Feng was searching for the old Qilin lair, the outside world was not calm.

Purple Gold Mountain had bled, and Chu the Demon King was suspected of fighting there, raising questions about who he had ultimately trapped.

"Extra! Extra! Chu Feng has reportedly killed another alien!"

When they heard such words, everyone was speechless. The word "another" indicated just how brutal he was.

"I knew he was a harbinger of bad luck; you can't associate with him," exclaimed a voice. "Death follows him wherever he goes. Anyone who approaches him with ill intent is sure to suffer greatly!"

A member of a consortium sighed, calling it a lesson learned through blood and tears. Even though they hadn't opposed him last time and had cooperated amiably, Chu Feng had led them to the Qinling Mountains, through Mount Zhongnan, and into Mount Huang, and many people had died along the way.

In Mount Laoshan, someone reported to Mu Qing, "It seems there's been some unusual activity in Jiangning."

"No hurry," Mu Qing said. She was calmly drinking tea, composed and steady, unlike a typical maidservant. Her face was beautiful, her eyes profound, and she sat by a stone table in a bamboo grove, serene and peaceful.

At this moment, the affable smile she usually wore was gone, replaced by a slightly indifferent expression. She finally put down her teacup and said, "Whether they are natives or current arrivals, they are all insignificant in the eyes of the Prince."

By the great marsh, Chu Feng searched and found some clues.

As a domain researcher, he could observe mountain formations and explore earth qi, accurately pinpointing areas with high energy concentration or greater spiritual essence. He continuously corrected his path, advancing along the correct route.

After crossing a marshland and passing through an area of stone forest covered with giant vines, he finally arrived at a plain!

Chu Feng knew he had come to the right place and was already close to the old Qilin lair.

On the plain, white mist diffused—the fabled immortal mist of ancient legends. In reality, it was an energy substance extremely beneficial to living beings.

Living permanently in an environment with this energy substance and residing in such a place could naturally prolong life, and for evolutionists, it could greatly enhance their physical strength.

"No wonder it's called an old lair; the Qilin must have abandoned this place long ago," Chu Feng mused with a frown. "A devastating war once broke out here, destroying this area and leaving only fragmented ruins."

If that were the case, this place certainly wouldn't be as extraordinary as the true Dragon's Lair beneath the East Sea Eye. Otherwise, it would be another astonishing place of creation.

"Hmm, no, that's not right; it wasn't completely destroyed," he corrected himself. "It's covered by an ancient domain; this place isn't simple."

Chu Feng was very cautious, tensing his body and closing his pores to prevent any trace of his aura from leaking out. He entered the white mist, approaching the pure land within the plain.

Here lay an ancient tribal ruin, with huge piles of ash, fallen earthen ramparts, and numerous beast bones, all speaking of the barbaric years of the past.

However, in that era of living off raw meat and blood, there were quite a few highly evolved beings, some almost like gods or demons!

"Hmm, I was careless!"

Chu Feng's heart sank. He hadn't even approached the old Qilin lair; he was just traversing this ruin when he was discovered by a stone man.

It had been silent and still, with no mental energy emanating from it, like a dead object.

Even with Chu Feng's powerful divine senses, he hadn't detected that it was a living being and had overlooked it.

Now, it suddenly opened its eyes, its stony eyelids flipping open to reveal two incredibly bright silver beams of light, and a terrifying aura of energy instantly burst forth.

"Dare to trespass on the Qilin holy land? You seek death!"

This was an extremely formidable creature, also an arrival. Because it could remain motionless for years and blend perfectly with nature, it was responsible for guarding the outer passage to the old Qilin lair.

Don't assume that because it resided permanently in the outer region, its status was low; in fact, it was higher than many aliens.

On normal days, if there were any opportunities or good fortune, it would surely get its share; this was a strong individual.

Chu Feng's heart tightened. The dusty gray stone man, with its ancient stony texture, soared into the air and lunged at him, opening its mouth to roar and sound an alarm.

Chu Feng reacted extremely fast, leaping up and pouncing forward as if committing suicide, meeting the powerful, more than ten-foot-tall stone man.

The next moment, both of them vanished. Chu Feng had pulled the stone man into the Jade Bottle, fearing it would alarm the creatures within the Qilin lair.

*Bang, bang, bang...*

A fierce battle erupted. This stone man was incredibly powerful, having broken nine shackles. Besides its stony exterior, its body surged with qi and blood; it possessed internal organs, blood, and even a mental magnetic field.

This type of life form was very unique and powerful. Its individual combat strength was greater than that of Han Wenze and Huang Weiyue combined.

As it roared, qi and blood surged. Had it not been inside the spatial bottle, its power would have soared sky-high, enough to shatter a mountain and obliterate entire forests.

Its strength was extraordinary!

However, Chu Feng had already broken eight shackles by this time, and his astonishing strength after this further evolution was evident, making him seem like a prehistoric savage beast.

*Bang, bang, bang...*

He fiercely clashed with the stone man, continuously exchanging blows, directly engaging him in a head-on battle and ultimately suppressing this special life form!

Finally, he shattered the stone man, which instantly emitted astonishing energy and blood qi, causing the spatial bottle to shake and roll violently—an utterly terrifying sight.

The Jade Bottle's robustness was sufficient to withstand it; Chu Feng had conducted some experiments previously, so he wasn't worried.

After two refinements in the Grand Supreme Eight Trigrams Furnace, the spatial bottle now seemed to have some of its seals unlocked, with its internal space reaching over a thousand cubic meters.

With a flash of his figure, Chu Feng appeared on the ancient ruins.

"Hmm?!" He was startled. Not far away, a lizard-like monster with a pair of fleshy wings flapped a fierce wind, penetrating the mist as it flew quickly, seemingly sensing something unusual there.

It looked like a Western dragon, but it definitely wasn't. It exuded heavy malevolence and quickly swooped down to investigate the area.

This was another sentinel nearby, guarding the path to and from the old Qilin lair.

Chu Feng hunched over and exerted his full strength. An energy spear, truly terrifying and irresistible, flew out from his back.

This was a special ability granted to him by tearing open the spinal shackle; a golden energy spear, also resembling a dragon-snake, was nurtured there.

To end the battle quickly, this was the first time Chu Feng had used this trump card in actual combat.

He had briefly tested it on the way, and its power was astonishing.

It was too fast. The dragon-snake soared, and the divine spear was unparalleled. Flying out so suddenly, it directly pierced the creature's lower jaw, then went through its skull, splattering blood. This powerful alien creature with chilling eyes and terrifying malevolence instantly perished and fell.

With a whoosh, Chu Feng rushed over, caught it with the Jade Bottle, and collected it.

Killed in one hit, the ambush was successful!

Chu Feng was very satisfied with the effect of this evolution; after tearing open eight shackles, his strength had surged, and killing aliens was not very difficult.

Therefore, he yearned to evolve again.

Traversing this area, he saw the Qilin lair ruins in the depths of the plain, enveloped in white mist with huge boulders scattered about.

Moreover, just outside the Qilin lair, he saw an old tree bearing several golden fruits that were not yet fully ripe, but their medicinal fragrance already permeated the air.

"Exotic fruit that can help one break six shackles!" he exclaimed in surprise, realizing this was still only the periphery.

Chu Feng believed that there must be even more astonishing exotic trees in the depths of the Qilin lair, and he was very much looking forward to it.