Chapter 409: Wind Gathering at Laoshan

Lush trees covered the not-very-high mountains. The occasional calls of birds only emphasized the profound quietude of the hills.

Chu Feng performed a backflip, landing perfectly, a physical manifestation of his excitement. He had grasped a deeper understanding of the domain and immediately began to set up arrangements in the area to test his new insights.

His spatial bottle contained a vast supply of magnets, more than enough for his experiments.

A small river, like a winding jade ribbon, flowed past the foot of the mountain and into the distance. However, a massive explosion soon ripped through the area, causing the ground to collapse and the river to vanish, swallowed by the newly formed underground chasm.

Following this, two small mountains vanished completely.

Chu Feng emerged from a distant fissure in the ground, covered in dust and his clothes in tatters, looking utterly disheveled. Yet, his face glowed with satisfaction. He had successfully set up a rudimentary killing domain, and its initial effects were extraordinary!

His mastery of domains had reached a new level, a significant leap forward. This advancement was not only beneficial for the current combat situation but even more so for exploring renowned mountains.

Deep within Mount Lao, ancient, wild forests grew dense and thorny. Meanwhile, a grim and austere atmosphere pervaded the folded space.

Prince Xia Yu of Great Qi was highly displeased. The news had leaked before he even crossed realms, causing him considerable annoyance. Several individuals from the old Qilin Nest, feeling a slight unease, came forward to apologize.

Some of the information had been divulged by them, and now they offered their protection, hoping to atone for their lapse.

“Patrol the area around Mount Lao,” a commander in the folded space instructed, “and report any disturbance immediately!” He then dismissed the group.

“It may not have been an accidental leak,” said an old man carrying a medicine basket, his expression grave.

Prince Xia Yu of Great Qi nodded, his eyes gleaming as he gazed at the area outside the folded space. “There might be adversaries from our own planet,” he mused.

“They are likely unworthy adversaries, probably just cannon fodder who arrived twenty-two years ago,” a commander stated, his voice laced with killing intent. He turned to Prince Xia Yu, requesting permission to go ahead and clear a safe path, preventing any interference during their crossing.

Xia Yu’s metallic battle armor gleamed, but he shook his head in disagreement. “The more powerful the being,” he stated, “the more dangerous it is to set foot on this star. If you attempt to cross on your own, you will certainly perish.”

They had thoroughly researched the matter: only as Earth revived would the paths from other galaxies into this realm gradually become safe.

It was as if the planet protected its native life forms; overly powerful beings could not cross. Only as Earth continued its revival, and the evolvers on this ancient land grew stronger, would more formidable extraterrestrial beings be permitted to descend.

“Extraterrestrial experts far superior to Earth’s natives are not absolutely barred,” a knight seated atop a fierce beast interjected, “but the cost is immense. Some might survive, yet they could be permanently crippled.”

Whether in the Primordial Magnetic Immortal Cave in the Arctic or the old Qilin Nest in Heze, many of the aliens slumbering within them were a result of their forceful crossing of realms in the past.

Though they miraculously survived, they paid a terrible price, relying on prolonged slumber for recuperation and recovery.

Naturally, far more descenders simply perished, incinerated into ash!

“For the sake of caution, we, your subordinates, are willing to brave death and cross first into Earth’s space to protect Your Highness!”

At that moment, a group of knights dismounted, including two commanders, and knelt on one knee, requesting permission to cross first to prevent any unforeseen complications when Xia Yu himself made the transition.

“No, this is suicide!” the Great Qi Prince refused.

The individuals he had brought possessed high levels of strength. For optimal safety, it would be best to wait until Earth underwent rapid evolution and some Free-Realm experts emerged on the planet; only then would their descent be relatively secure.

“Your Highness,” insisted some of them, “we have deliberately suppressed our cultivation to remain in the Shackle Realm specifically for entering this star. Please, allow us to go!”

Several persisted, offering valid reasons.

“Indeed, Your Highness,” another added, “entering this star sooner would be more reassuring, allowing us to seize the initiative and also to retrieve the sacred weapon left behind by the Great Qi Dynasty’s saint.”

Xia Yu’s eyes flickered with uncertainty upon hearing this.

He knew that on the planet of Great Qi, others coveted his ancestors’ sacred artifacts, seeking to intercept and seize them. Indeed, an earlier departure was preferable.

Furthermore, the Great Qi Dynasty had come here in the past to secure an even more terrifying fortune, but had failed. He wished to fulfill his ancestors’ last wish, to retrieve something hidden beneath a certain stretch of land and mountains, perhaps even achieving sainthood directly on this planet.

Ultimately, he agreed. He walked over, patted the shoulders of the determined few, and then embraced them tightly.

“Should any misfortune befall you,” Xia Yu declared, “your families will be cared for by Great Qi, forever free from worry!”

“Thank you, Your Highness!”

“We are willing to fight for Your Highness, fearless even in the face of death!”

Five knights stepped forward, all death-defying warriors whose armor gleamed with a cold, faint light. They began their perilous crossing one after another.

The very instant the first individual charged forth, they were torn asunder and then engulfed by a fiery blast. They had no time to even scream before being reduced to a pile of ash.

Everyone’s faces darkened at the sight.

“The protective sacred text was expended when we sent Mu Qing through,” someone sighed, “and the remaining passages are insufficient now.”

They had consumed many divine artifacts along the way, and supplies were now somewhat scarce.

The second person’s fate was even swifter: the moment they stepped across, their body and spirit were utterly annihilated by the emerging domain patterns.

“This star is mysterious and complex, with ancient arrangements laid by predecessors, and its planetary will isn’t completely dead; it’s instinctively protecting itself,” the Great Qi Prince stated, his expression grim.

These were his trusted retainers, many of whom had already perished on the journey. Those remaining were individuals of immense potential, yet they fell here, so close to Earth’s space.

“Ultimately,” a commander stated coldly, his gaze frigid, “these natives evolve too slowly, and their level is too low. Otherwise, the planetary will would have permitted our entry long ago!” His knuckles were white from clenching, two knights having just fallen.

The third individual attempted the crossing. With a whoosh, they surprisingly burst through, albeit with scorched skin and having been crushed by domain patterns. Yet, they endured and survived.

“Haha… excellent!”

Behind them, a cheer erupted from the group, all profoundly excited and joyful.

The man stumbled but eventually stood, his injuries not severe. He then leaped into the air, soaring two to three thousand meters high, a clear expression of his elation.

Upon landing, he knelt on one knee and declared, “I am willing to serve as Your Highness’s protector! Should those inferior natives or any other ill-intentioned descenders dare to act recklessly, they will all be slaughtered!”

“Good!”

Within the folded space, many were invigorated. One Mu Qing was clearly insufficient; with another knight successfully crossing, it would be stable, and unforeseen incidents could be prevented!

Blaze! Blaze!

The fourth and fifth knights attempted the crossing in succession, but both perished, incinerated into ash after being enveloped in a blaze of light.

This outcome wasn’t solely dependent on bloodline, foundation, or evolution level, but also on sheer luck. The knight who had successfully crossed into Earth’s space himself couldn’t explain why he had succeeded.

“Your Highness, I shall go and explore briefly; I will return soon!” With these words, the knight Yang Heng, who had successfully crossed out of the folded space, turned and departed.

He then transformed into a streak of silver lightning, moving at extreme speed. This individual was a formidable master of the Shackle Realm, and he began patrolling the entire Mount Lao region.

Soon after, he spotted the earlier group, the defectors from the Qilin Nest, and bypassed them directly.

Moments later, he observed another group of figures lurking in the shadows, whispering and plotting something.

“There truly are some ignorant pawns!” Knight Yang Heng scoffed coldly. Then, like a supersonic bomber, he plunged violently from a mountain peak.

Swoosh!

In an instant, the silver saber in his right hand swept like a bolt of silk, cleaving through massive rocks, slicing apart hills, and devastating the entire forest with an unparalleled, dazzling light.

Someone immediately screamed, cut in half at the waist.

Clang, clang, clang…

A fierce battle erupted there. Moments later, four of the five beings from the old Qilin Nest were annihilated, with the remaining one captured alive and directly hoisted up by Yang Heng.

“With your meager strength, you dare oppose an Evolution Dynasty?” Yang Heng sneered, still holding the sole living captive. “Even when your masters truly descend, they stand no chance; all will be obliterated!” He then departed, carrying the prisoner.

Not long after, he returned to the folded space, threw the captive onto the ground, and specialists immediately stepped forward for interrogation.

“Did you see Mu Qing?” the Great Qi Prince inquired.

“Yes, I have,” Yang Heng replied. “Thanks to Your Highness’s divine medicine, Mu Qing’s severed limb has regenerated, and he has largely recovered. He has been with Miss Lin these past few days.”

He then revealed an indescribable excitement, whispering a secret report: “According to Mu Qing’s careful observation, the energy tower within Miss Lin’s body may be a remnant of a Five-Star Evolution Dynasty, or perhaps even more mysterious!”

“What?!” At that moment, not only the knights and commanders, but even Prince Xia Yu of Great Qi himself was astonished. This was truly a shocking piece of news.

A Five-Star Evolution Dynasty was a behemoth even in the vast cosmos, a lineage with incredibly profound foundations and terrifyingly boundless inheritances.

If they truly obtained the energy tower’s legacy, it would be entirely possible to recreate another Great Qi Dynasty.

Furthermore, an imperial energy tower of this caliber on Earth could potentially be activated once a year to open a safe passage, allowing them to usher in a grand army.

“Congratulations, Your Highness, you are destined to achieve sainthood on this planet and return with unparalleled glory!”

“The stage for glory has been set; it seems Your Highness is the chosen one—who can possibly contend with you?!”

Meanwhile, Chu Feng had emerged from his seclusion, having grasped another crucial aspect of the killing domain. He could now set up a simplified killing field, and for the current situation, its destructive power seemed sufficient.

In truth, he couldn’t afford to continue his deep study; progress in this field required both inspiration and extensive contemplation, and he simply lacked the time to linger.

The old Grandmaster of Wudang Mountain, the old Lama from Kunlun, and a group of others arrived, converging with him.

Chu Feng produced a few silver pills and handed them directly to the strongest individuals, informing them that these pills could enable super-evolution, allowing them to break the eighth shackle.

The recipients were astonished; they hadn’t even had the opportunity to break their seventh shackle, yet here they were, receiving such priceless elixirs. It felt like a dream.

Ultimately, Old Grandmaster Wu Qifeng and the old Lama both broke through, becoming masters of the eighth shackle stage, their strength surging dramatically!

As for the others, unfortunately, they couldn’t cross the chasm, only managing to break the seventh shackle and advancing just one stage.

Afterward, Chu Feng, the old Lama, and the old Grandmaster collaborated to snap the silver chain around the Mastiff King’s neck, allowing him to fully recover.

Upon consuming a silver pill, the Mastiff King also broke through, becoming a master of the eighth shackle stage!

At Mount Lao, Mu Qing smiled, a genuine smile from the heart. As she personally touched the energy tower, her soul vibrated, overwhelmed by an ancient, magnificent aura that made her tremble with excitement.

“You allowed me to touch it, to feel the supreme crystallization of that ancient Evolution Dynasty—I am incredibly honored!” she exclaimed, bowing deeply to Lin Nuoyi with genuine reverence and heartfelt joy, not mere politeness.

Lin Nuoyi, serene and calm, nodded slightly and said, “The safe passage can be constructed now.”