Chapter 448: Putuo Grand Assembly

In the restaurant, soft music played as Chu Feng was engrossed in his meal. He had spent the past few days searching for exotic fruits in remote mountains and swamps. Sometimes, he wondered if such a life, completely detached from the city, still qualified him as a modern person.

During this time, he contacted the old lama, the Mastiff King, the old grandmaster from Wudang Mountain, and others. Reassured that they were all safe, he felt relieved. Afterward, he left Jiangning City and returned to the mountains and forests outside the city. Regardless of which city it once was, the areas outside them had now become primeval forests. The world had changed so much in about a year, and people were gradually adapting.

"Uncle Chu Feng, you must be careful! Powerful experts from the Free-and-Easy Realm are looking for you. They mean trouble and are full of killing intent." Xiong Kun and Hu Sheng, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, sent him this warning. Du Huaijin, Ouyang Qing, and others also contacted Chu Feng to inform him of the situation. "Boss, hurry and hide! Those monsters from the Free-and-Easy Realm are terrifying. They're actually looking for us, trying to trace us back to you. Luckily, we were smart and hid early."

During his brief return to the city, many acquaintances contacted Chu Feng, updating him on the situation of the past few days. Evolvers of the Free-and-Easy Realm had officially appeared, and their numbers were not small!

Chu Feng walked through the mountains outside the city, carving diligently on some lodestones as he went. He didn't use his spiritual power to directly engrave inside them; instead, he used a flying sword to carve. He was setting things up, making preparations. Many people were looking for him, undoubtedly intending to claim his head. A saint had issued a decree to kill him, and beings emerging from the star paths behind various famous mountains had responded, eager to claim his head in exchange for a saint's bronze medallion.

"It's not certain who will kill whom," Chu Feng muttered to himself. "Once I wipe out all those divine sons and saintesses, will those old guys from beyond be envious enough to recklessly reveal themselves?" His smile was slightly cold, but he had completely calmed down. He wanted to set up an offensive domain; if anyone dared to come, he would eliminate them completely. He was assessing the situation: if he used a famous mountain as a battlefield, those people might not dare to approach. For a decisive battle in ordinary mountainous terrain, he would need careful prior preparation and setup. "I'm just afraid these people won't take the bait." Chu Feng wanted to solve the problem once and for all by setting up a terrifying domain to capture them all in one fell swoop!

Since leaving Jiangning City, he had been contemplating where to stage a glorious battle, to kill divine sons and hunt saintesses! As he carved on the lodestones, he mused that Jiangning was actually a good place to cast a wide net, but as he feared, those people might not fall for it.

However, events often unfolded unexpectedly. The next day, a piece of news circulated: The Putuo Gathering was about to commence! The location was Mount Putuo, and participants included renowned native Earth evolvers, as well as beings who had emerged from the star paths behind the famous mountains of the world.

When Chu Feng received the news, he found it absurd. The Putuo Gathering was supposedly to discuss avoiding bloodshed and promoting harmony between native evolvers and extraterrestrial beings. To discuss cessation of hostilities and peaceful coexistence? Upon hearing this, Chu Feng truly looked as if he had seen a ghost! Because he, too, was invited to the Putuo Gathering. With him present, could there be harmony? Peace? No bloodshed? If he attended in person, some people would probably have their heads bashed in, and blood would splatter all over Mount Putuo. With him there, how could the Putuo Gathering possibly be peaceful and harmonious? Who would believe such a thing? He found it utterly ridiculous!

Chu Feng scoffed and ignored it. Old Man Lu Tong immediately contacted him, relaying some information. It was said that several divine sons and saintesses from various star paths held very high prestige, and they were the ones issuing orders to cease hostilities. Although he had left Jade Void Palace, the old man was still well-informed. A saint had issued a decree to kill Chu Feng, yet a portion of people were directly disobeying it? Regardless, Chu Feng didn't want to bother with it; he didn't want to go to Mount Putuo.

However, some Free-and-Easy Realm beings specifically requested to speak with him, inviting him there and sending messages through the financial groups. Chu Feng pondered, a cold smile finally appearing at the corner of his mouth. What was there to fear? Mount Putuo was a renowned Buddhist mountain, highly suitable for setting up a domain. Ultimately, Chu Feng decided to go, curious to see how powerful the beings of the Free-and-Easy Realm truly were.

Mount Putuo, known as the "Sacred Land of the South Sea" and "Buddhist Nation in the Sea and Sky," is one of the Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains, located in the eastern waters of the Zhoushan Archipelago. The Bodhi Gene headquarters was located here, occupying this famous mountain, but recently it had been very low-key, with rumors that they were even considering abandoning it. Chu Feng traveled slowly, carving on lodestones along the way. It took him over a day to arrive, which was remarkably slow for his pace.

The emerald sea lapped against the shore. After the world-altering changes, this island had grown many times larger than before. Stepping onto the beach, spiritual energy permeated the island, white mist curled upwards, and vast expanses of purple bamboo forests stretched as far as the eye could see. This gathering was not on the peak of Mount Putuo but at its foot. Chu Feng briefly wondered if someone feared him using the famous mountain to unleash an attack. The shimmering purple bamboo forest rustled in the wind, resembling carvings of amethyst. All the bamboo stalks glowed faintly, creating a truly beautiful scene. Many people had come. At the very least, Chu Feng saw many familiar faces, such as Qi Honglin from the Pre-Qin Research Institute and some old figures from Bodhi Gene. "Chu Feng really came?!" someone exclaimed on the way, somewhat in disbelief. Indeed, a saint had issued a kill order against him. How dared he show up under such circumstances? Especially since there were extraterrestrial beings from the Free-and-Easy Realm present today.

Chu Feng passed through a patch of purple bamboo forest. Ahead, the ground was flat and open, covered with lush green grass, a clear small lake, and a row of exquisite lodges. Many people were attending the gathering, and attendants moved through the crowd, serving fine wine. There were both non-humans and humans present, gathered in small groups, chatting. Occasionally, people would clink glasses, appearing quite harmonious. At least for now, everything was peaceful, and no one was making a loud ruckus.

However, the attendees' diverse attire made the scene somewhat peculiar. For instance, some wore formal suits, while others donned ancient clothing and held stemmed wine glasses, creating a strange visual. Chu Feng's expression shifted; he found it odd. For example, he saw a young man in retro attire with a wooden hairpin in his hair, holding red wine, happily conversing with Jiang Luoshen, who was wearing an evening gown. This scene was truly indescribably bizarre.

Chu Feng walked through the purple bamboo forest and formally stepped into the area, immediately causing a stir and attracting many gazes. "Brother Chu, you truly have courage, to actually come here," a white-clad man with an outstanding demeanor said. It was Xu Qing, the youngest grandmaster of Xingyi boxing. Chu Feng smiled upon seeing him, naturally remembering the incident where he ambushed this scholarly boxing grandmaster, knocked him unconscious, and took his Xingyi boxing manual. The matter was in the past, and he would never admit to it.

"Chu Feng, over here!" Jiang Luoshen called him over. She was as beautiful as ever, with her hair flowing loosely, eyes like black gemstones, long eyelashes, and sexy red lips. Her white long dress accentuated her figure, making her alluring and truly worthy of the title "National Goddess." Chu Feng walked over, having already noticed the young man beside her, dressed in ancient attire and holding red wine. "This is Saint Son Li Qing from Feathered Star," Jiang Luoshen introduced. Even she found it strange that a saint son from an extraterrestrial galaxy was standing between her and Chu Feng, two modern people. A Saint Son had already appeared?!

Chu Feng squinted slightly, greeting him and saying "nice to meet you" while carefully observing the man. Logically, an extraterrestrial Saint Son of this caliber should have immediately attacked him to claim his head and earn a saint's bronze medallion. However, Li Qing was very calm, showing no intention of attacking. He said, "Brother Chu truly came, full of courage." Then, with a slight smile, he added, "Aren't you afraid I'll suddenly attack? At such close range, it wouldn't be good for you."

Chu Feng was extremely calm. He had the "All Beings Are Equal" kasaya wrapped inside his clothes, so he truly wasn't worried. He would never let himself fall into a dangerous situation. "I trust Saint Son Li's character," he replied. "Whether you truly believe it or not, I and some others genuinely have no ill will towards Chu Feng. We wish to get acquainted, and ideally, become friends," Li Qing said. After a brief exchange, Li Qing excused himself, saying he was going to meet several other newly arrived individuals dressed in ancient attire, who evidently held significant status.

"You're too reckless. Why did you actually come?" Jiang Luoshen whispered to Chu Feng. "Isn't Mount Putuo your Bodhi Gene's headquarters? You can protect me then," Chu Feng said with a smile. Jiang Luoshen rolled her eyes. "How can you still smile at a time like this?" Then, she sighed softly, "We've decided to abandon Mount Putuo. We can't bear the burden." Chu Feng nodded. With Bodhi Gene's strength, they indeed couldn't hold this place. The two Buddhist disciples, Qianjia and Qianye, had a considerable gap compared to the extraterrestrials. Not to mention those two, even Chu Feng himself was desperately trying to catch up in evolution.

At this moment, many people were arriving. Chu Feng saw numerous individuals from extraterrestrial galaxies, all experts of the Free-and-Easy Realm! This made his heart sink slightly. So many experts had broken through the folded space? On the sea, a white elephant stepped through the waves, carrying a monk, and entered the island. Soon after, a silver figure flickered in the sky, and a gigantic creature descended. It was a silver dragon from the Western world, which landed on the island and transformed into human form. The atmosphere here was lively, with more and more experts arriving. Chu Feng noticed that many of the extraterrestrial visitors were secretly observing him. Some had fervent gazes, like hunters eyeing their prey, while others were calm and showed no particular expression. Nevertheless, no one made a move; they all restrained themselves well. It seemed that this group of Free-and-Easy Realm beings had, perhaps, reached a consensus today not to challenge him. This surprised Chu Feng. What was the reason? Of course, his intuition told him that if one person made a move, many others might not be able to resist and would join in to claim his head.

After Chu Feng parted ways with Jiang Luoshen, he leisurely wandered around, holding a glass of red wine, observing the crowd. Native evolvers were greatly surprised to see that he dared to come in person, showing varied expressions. Extraterrestrial powerhouses observed him in turn, occasionally speaking. In the process, Chu Feng saw many acquaintances, such as Wang Yuan, the young master of the Eight Extremes Gate, whom he had briefly interacted with when setting up the Weapon Nurturing Domain by Xuanwu Lake in Jiangning. Afterward, he saw Princess Lin. Beside her were other members from the Primordial Magnetic Immortal Cave. Their meeting was slightly awkward. In fact, Qi Lin was unsure how to face Chu Feng. The last time, on Mount Lu, she hadn't warned him beforehand and had witnessed Chu Feng's fight with Saint Son Yuwen Feng. At the time, she had thought Chu Feng and the Saint Son were not on the same level, but the outcome had left her stunned and shocked. "We meet again," Chu Feng said with an unconcerned smile, greeting her. "What extraordinary courage," an elder from the Primordial Magnetic Immortal Cave murmured, watching Chu Feng's retreating back. A saint had issued a kill order, yet Chu Feng dared to come to such a place. In their view, he was incredibly audacious.

Chu Feng circled the area, finding no signs of reproach from the extraterrestrial beings. However, his brow soon furrowed when he saw people from Penglai Immortal Island. Chen Sheng, with his severed arm, cast a cold, undisguised look of resentment at him from afar. Last time, this young master of the Chen family from Penglai had intended to ambush Chu Feng on Mount Lu. However, upon learning of Chu Feng's achievements there, he had fled in utter disarray and embarrassment, even having one of his arms blown off by Chu Feng. It had been a truly humiliating experience. Now, seeing Chu Feng, his eyes blazed with fury, wishing he could kill him on the spot.

Nevertheless, he ultimately turned away resentfully, no longer looking at Chu Feng, and instead caught up with Jiang Luoshen to converse with her. However, Chu Feng used his divine sense to listen in slightly, and his expression darkened. It was also clear that Jiang Luoshen was mortified and unwilling to engage with him.

"Miss Jiang, I am serious. I don't mind whatever past you had with that Chu fellow. I can take you to Penglai Immortal Island. Come with me in a bit." Chen Sheng spoke with a smile, glancing at Chu Feng's direction a few times. This was undoubtedly a deliberate provocation. In the past, there had been many rumors about Chu Feng and Jiang Luoshen. A little inquiry would reveal this. So, his domineering manner of speaking to Jiang Luoshen now was clearly aimed at Chu Feng.

"Excuse me, please move!" Jiang Luoshen turned and started to walk away. But Chen Sheng extended his lone arm, smiling, to block her path, saying, "Don't worry, I truly don't mind any of that. Besides, even if you still have some connection with him now, it doesn't matter. Just make him leave; he's not worthy of Miss Jiang." As he spoke, he glanced at Chu Feng's direction a few times, a faint smile on his face.

Chu Feng's eyes turned cold. This person was too obvious, deliberately provoking him. Regardless of Jiang Luoshen's past with him, Chen Sheng's actions were a blatant and arrogant humiliation. Chu Feng walked directly over and said, "Missing an arm, does it still not hurt?!"

Chen Sheng's eyes blazed with fury; he wished he could lunge at him. Finally, he snorted, "Chu Feng, you're too arrogant. What relationship does this woman have with you? None at all. A fair lady is sought by gentlemen; I'm merely pursuing her. What business is it of yours?!" Chu Feng felt like slapping him to death. Even if he had no relationship with Jiang Luoshen, Chen Sheng's demeanor was a deliberate insult. "Do you want to die?!" Chu Feng's killing intent spilled forth.

"Isn't the young man being too arrogant?!" At this moment, an elder spoke, stepping forward a few paces, his gaze sharp as he swept it over Chu Feng. Chu Feng had long seen through it: Chen Sheng's deliberate provocation was just an excuse to get this elder to act and kill him here. He suddenly felt a bit absurd. Today, the extraterrestrial group hadn't moved against him, but instead, a native person wanted to use this opportunity to kill him.

"Chu Feng, let's go!" Jiang Luoshen turned, grabbed Chu Feng's hand, and tried to leave immediately. She sensed the danger and didn't want Chu Feng to get entangled with them. "Where are you going?" the elder said indifferently, dressed in ancient attire, an arrogant look on his face. "You're too nosy," Chu Feng stated calmly. "Oh, I remember now. You're that Chu Feng, aren't you? You killed a demigod beast descendant from my Penglai Immortal Island. How will you compensate for that?" the elder said. Chu Feng ignored him and turned to leave with Jiang Luoshen. As for that unicorn, it was killed by Huang Tong and others. How dare Penglai try to pin that on him? Wasn't this just an excuse to attack him?!

"Stop," the elder said with a faint smile, blocking their path. "Don't act your age and lose your self-respect!" Chu Feng said coldly. "Heh, rumors outside say you're the chosen one. Don't take it seriously. Have you asked my Penglai Island?" The elder sneered, simultaneously releasing the terrifying aura unique to the Free-and-Easy Realm, intending to suppress Chu Feng. A chain appeared in his hand. "You killed a demigod beast descendant from my Penglai. You must compensate. If you can't, then you'll just have to come with us." As he spoke, he moved to wrap the chain around Chu Feng's neck.

Chu Feng's face immediately darkened, his eyes growing extremely cold. This was truly an outrageous insult. That chain was clearly for restraining livestock, and they dared to use it on him, to shackle him! Beside him, Chen Sheng smiled, barely concealing his excitement. "Let's go," the elder said indifferently, raising his hand to shackle Chu Feng with the chain.

"You old fool, you're looking for death!" At this moment, Chu Feng didn't hesitate in the slightest. The snow-white bracelet on his wrist instantly flew out. The commotion here had already attracted some attention; many people were watching. At that instant, with a deafening boom, a scorching light flared up. No one had expected Chu Feng to be so decisive and direct, acting with such lethal force. The Vajra Bracelet contained sun essence fire. At such close range, a torrent of flames instantly engulfed the elder. Even though he was a great master in the Free-and-Easy Realm, it was useless. "Ah..." The elder screamed tragically, turning into a human torch, thrashing and struggling violently. It was too sudden; no one had anticipated Chu Feng's decisiveness! There was no suspense. Even with his astonishing strength, the elder was no match now. Engulfed by such dense sun essence fire, he was directly incinerated, torn apart, disintegrated on the spot, and then completely exploded, turning into ashes!