Chapter 457: Slaughterer of Saints

The island lacked vitality. Even the trees were decayed, and any creatures seen moving were also rotten, their eyes dull and unmoving for long periods.

Chu Feng was thrilled. Yellow Ox, Big Black Ox, and Old Donkey had left him messages, confirming they were all still alive and would return eventually!

Seven towering mountains, shrouded in clouds and mist, formed the Silent Mountain, which was eerily quiet. Chu Feng smiled outside the mountain gate, a huge weight lifted from his heart. He had always worried about their safety, fearing they might die inside, but now he felt a little relieved.

However, he also gathered from the messages that the Silent Mountain was extremely dangerous. Currently, only Yellow Ox and Ouyang Feng had ventured deep inside, while the others remained on the periphery, not daring to set foot in the life-forbidden zone. For all, the depths of the Silent Mountain were a forbidden zone of life; ordinary creatures who entered would invariably turn into living dead.

Chu Feng observed his surroundings, noting that there were many living dead right outside the mountain gate. Nearby, ancient, rotten trees stood beside rocks. Numerous skeletal humanoid creatures roamed, their eyesockets often flickering with eerie phosphorescence, like those of unknown divine bird skeletons. There were also fist-sized ants, ten-meter-long grasshoppers, and all manner of other creatures. Though not truly dead, their spirits were withered.

These were all living dead, creatures who had once ventured deep into the Silent Mountain to attempt trials, hoping to rise and become demon saints. Yet, over countless ages, how many had succeeded? Millions of geniuses had been transformed into decaying monsters. It should be known that those selected to enter the Silent Mountain were mostly heaven-gifted talents, yet they ended up rotting in droves, forever imprisoned there, becoming members of a death army awaiting a summons!

"One day, we might break out and undergo trials on Earth?!" Chu Feng read Yellow Ox’s message, feeling both anticipation for their reunion and profound surprise. According to Yellow Ox, it was difficult for them to get out, only able to reach the area near the mountain gate. However, based on clues it had seen within the life-forbidden zone, it surmised that the entire Earth might eventually become their proving ground. This planet had been chosen by the Silent Mountain to temper them. At that time, it would be able to emerge and meet Chu Feng.

There was no doubt that when Yellow Ox and Ouyang Feng reappeared, their combat power would be astonishing. This was because the Silent Mountain was a place to cultivate demon saints. It didn't want mediocrities or merely decent talents; it only sought the strongest, those forged from the crucible of death itself! Otherwise, they would be transformed into living dead, forever confined within its bounds.

"Yellow Ox, you all must live!" Chu Feng declared. He then paused briefly to carve another message there.

Before leaving, Chu Feng chose several spots on the island to hide his most valuable possessions, such as the three seeds from the stone box and the silver box from the dilapidated energy tower in the Qinling Mountains, which he had never been able to open. These were items he considered extremely important but currently had no immediate use for. He didn't want to carry them on him, fearing exposure or accidental loss. In particular, individuals like Yang Xuan, Hu Qingcheng, and Qinglan from beyond Earth possessed crystals from the Heavenly Eye Channel Fruit, allowing them to monitor his every move. He worried about leaking secrets. Only supreme demon sacred lands like the Silent Mountain, or secret territories with exceptionally terrifying domain fields, could block the Heavenly Eye and prevent them from being spied upon.

Chu Feng was keenly aware that despite his apparent brilliance, glorious achievements, and promising future, he was actually facing an immense crisis. Should high-level divine sons, saintesses, or old monsters successfully escape from Penglai, a life-or-death predicament could very well await him! Therefore, he had to be prepared. In the unfortunate event of his death, he needed to ensure that several heaven-defying items fell into Yellow Ox's hands. Although he had been on a winning streak recently and appeared optimistic, Chu Feng had, in fact, long prepared for the worst.

Finally, he walked away from the island.

Chu Feng was unaware that a saint from beyond the realm was approaching, but he felt an instinctive unease. However, a small portion of people on Earth had already learned that a saint was drawing near, driving an ancient war chariot, long sealed by time, that had crushed its way through the starry void and entered the solar system. With many extraterrestrial visitors currently on Earth, there were naturally informants from beyond the realm who regularly transmitted information into space. It was they who had reported to a certain saint.

A dusty, gray stone chariot appeared at the edge of the solar system. Even its rolling wheels were made of stone, and the entire vehicle emanated an aura of primordial chaos. As it advanced, the starry sky trembled! It wasn't particularly large; compared to the boundless universe, it was as tiny as a speck of dust, insignificant even within the solar system. Yet, the aura it now emanated caused the entire region to tremble slightly, as if the celestial bodies were on the verge of exploding. It possessed a mysterious power capable of suppressing the very sea of stars.

An old horse, also dusty gray with coarse, dull fur, pulled this ancient war chariot that had not seen the light of day for countless eons. The stone war chariot bore cracks and fissures—marks left by axes, blades, and arrows from its past saintly adversaries, most of whom were now dead! Furthermore, the dilapidated stone chariot was stained with flecks of blood—some dark red, some with a faint golden sheen, others silvery white. Even though the blood had long since dried, it still glowed, emanating a palpable saintly aura! The blood of his foes remained! This stone chariot alone was enough to demonstrate the immense power of its occupant. Having slain saints, this was a being capable of slaughtering even the most formidable, truly an outstanding figure among those of his rank!

Ancient Saint Juntu, an ancient saint, had endured all battles throughout the long ages. His life had spanned the most terrifying eras, including the Great Primal Beast Destruction, the Black Blood Tide, and the Dimming of All Heavens, yet he had survived them all, even to this day. He had drunk the blood of saints and torn apart Golden-bodied Bodhisattvas without being annihilated by the Buddhist faction, ultimately even being pardoned for his sins. His life could truly be described as immensely glorious.

It was precisely such a being who had now arrived, nearing Earth, to act on behalf of his descendants. Perhaps due to his excessive slaughter and dazzling achievements—being one of the strongest among saints—his clan had been plagued by various misfortunes. This clan, already rare in number, was now on the verge of extinction, with an abnormally low reproduction rate. They were a race of sub-divine beasts, making it impossible for them to produce a large number of offspring; their clan members could be counted. The Star Core Tortoises, as their name implied, were nurtured within star cores and were exceedingly difficult to hatch. To this day, only a few pure-blooded individuals remained, and they were all aging. While their strength had grown increasingly terrifying, their fertility was declining geometrically. This issue wasn't limited to the Star Core Tortoises; other races faced the same predicament. The more powerful they became, the harder it was to reproduce. Most descendants were born from the strongest individuals during their younger years.

Currently, the Star Core Tortoise lineage had no young pure-blooded members at all. However, there were a few mixed-blooded individuals, two of whom had now embarked on the Star Path and arrived on Earth. One was known as the Silver Divine Son, and the other was his younger brother, Yin Hong. During the battle at Mount Putuo, Yin Hong had rammed Chu Feng, causing him to vomit blood. Later, Chu Feng captured him with a five-colored net, intending to eat him upon advancing to the Free-Willed Realm.

Neither the Silver Divine Son nor Yin Hong knew that they were descendants of Ancient Saint Juntu; otherwise, their prestige would have been far greater! This was because Ancient Saint Juntu had previously disdained mixed-blooded descendants, not considering them to be of the true lineage. However, an old Star River Tortoise recently reported to him that almost all clan members were aging. While their strength had deepened, nearly all of them had lost their fertility.

It was only at this moment that Juntu was greatly shaken. He immediately instructed his attending Dao Child to contact various places across the starry sky in search of his mixed-blooded descendants. The identities of the Silver Divine Son and his brother Yin Hong were naturally reported to him immediately. Juntu did not publicize this, but instead instructed the extraterrestrial visitors on Earth who were willing to transmit information to monitor them closely and report to his attendant at any time.

Therefore, upon learning that Yin Hong had been captured and that the native threatened to eat him, Juntu was enraged. His heart, which had been silent for countless ages, stirred with fury. Who was he? An ancient saint who had traversed eons, conquered myriad realms, and annihilated an unknown number of life-bearing planets. How dared someone declare his descendant as food? In his eyes, such an act warranted the extermination of nine generations! He believed his descendants could die in battle, but never become food. What made it worse was that he had once conquered this very planet. He was one of the saintly members then, considered a primary force, far beyond what any cosmic knight could achieve. He had participated in the extermination campaign and had even personally slaughtered a saint on this planet! Now, a native of this fallen planet intended to use his descendant as food—this he absolutely could not tolerate!

Juntu arrived, driving his ancient war chariot. Since the ancient battle that had annihilated the main forces on this planet, he had been gravely wounded and had not used this war chariot again. Yet now, revisiting familiar grounds, he once more drove the stone chariot, emanating a terrifying suppressive aura. Along its path, planets like Neptune, Jupiter, and Mars appeared to tremble, creating a terrifying spectacle! As for the warships within the solar system, they all froze, fixed in the starry void. A few individual warships, unaware of the situation, attempted to engage their full power, only to instantly disintegrate and turn into cosmic dust.

The old horse pulled the stone chariot to the vicinity of Earth, where Ancient Saint Juntu remained silent within. A pair of Dao Children, who had been sitting on the chariot shafts, now jumped down and stood silently by its side.

Outside Earth, Yang Xuan, Hu Qingcheng, and Qinglan felt as if heaven and earth were collapsing when they faced the war chariot. They perceived visions on the chaos-shrouded vehicle: saintly blood splattering, life-bearing planets exploding, and Golden-bodied Bodhisattvas being torn in half… The imagery was too terrifying! The three instantly collapsed, their bodies involuntarily kneeling and prostrating in worship. They knew these were the terrifying achievements of an ancient saint, events from bygone eras that made one tremble, capable of annihilating entire planets at will.

Next, a faint gaze swept through the chaos. The three found themselves unable to think, their thoughts frozen, and everything in their minds became an open book, thoroughly perceived by the ancient saint. Finally, when they regained their senses, their minds were filled with images of Chu Feng and his actions. They realized the saint had been examining everything about Chu Feng.

In that instant, two more beings arrived outside Earth. One was the sub-saint Yin Jiuque, whose power had plummeted. Before the ancient saint, it lacked its usual coldness and ferocity, bowing in silent deference. He was accompanied by another figure, shrouded in chaos, who greeted Juntu within the stone chariot before sitting cross-legged beside it. This was the Hundred Transformations Saint, Yuwen Chengkong.

"By the saint's decree, Chu Feng… shall die!"

At that moment, one of the Dao Children spoke. Although his face appeared youthful, the ancientness in his eyes betrayed his true age; this was an existence no weaker than a Golden-bodied Arhat! On Earth, the colossal voice reverberated like thunder across the sky or lightning dancing through the nine heavens, shaking every corner of the world! Everyone looked up in stunned horror, their hearts trembling. What kind of being was this? Delivering a saint's decree that directly ordered Chu Feng's death—this was utterly tyrannical!