Chapter 564: Awakening in Silence

High in the sky, a vivid red palm, forming a magical seal, descended, enveloping the vast land as if to annihilate the entire living planet.

However, as it pierced the atmosphere and rapidly descended, it contracted, losing its immense and majestic size.

At the same time, intricate patterns materialized in the void, quickly glowing brightly like molten iron flowing along unique pathways, forming a formidable energy field with an overwhelming aura of destruction.

Boom! The palm, formed from the essence of a saint's blood, met with incredibly fierce resistance, erupting with blinding light in the sky.

Then, with a whoosh, the entire palm ignited, transforming into a raging inferno, its crimson essence blazing within the energy field.

It was a wondrous sight, yet also a terrifying release of saint-level power, fully unleashed. In any other location, this energy would have been devastating, causing immense catastrophe.

However, Earth is unique. Its energy field runes are exceptionally robust, preventing even the formidable power of a saint's essence blood—capable of tearing apart stars—from penetrating.

The crimson magical seal failed to breach the runes' obstruction and was ultimately ground down, fading away.

'All thunder and no rain?' Chu Feng wondered, his brow furrowed with suspicion.

Then, a jolt of horror struck him. Around him, glistening droplets of blood materialized, suspended in mid-air and clinging to the vegetation, appearing vividly red and almost dripping.

Saint blood! When had it appeared, and how had it gotten so close? Chu Feng felt a chill run down his spine, realizing the immense danger.

Instantly, he thrust the God-Locking Spear, with Luo Hong pinned to it, into his spatial bottle, also tossing Luo Yi inside, fearing they would be seized by the external saints.

Simultaneously, a snow-white Vajra Bangle materialized in Chu Feng's hand. He shook it vigorously and hurled it outward, before quickly ducking into the spatial bottle himself.

Chu Feng had previously tested the jade purification bottle, finding it exceptionally sturdy and resilient. Even when subjected to the intense heat of Solar and Lunar Fire Essence, it would not be destroyed instantly.

With a thunderous boom, the Vajra Bangle unleashed its power, completely discharging the black Lunar Fire Essence stored within. This high-tier energy surged forth, engulfing the entire area.

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle! Almost simultaneously, the crimson blood droplets surged and swirled, transforming into countless destructive red flying swords. They sliced through the mountainous terrain and twisted off several peaks with irresistible force.

This was saint blood, imbued with a terrifying murderous aura. Once activated, even a single drop could penetrate a contemplation-level evolutionist, making it incredibly daunting.

Eventually, a massive explosion rocked the area, tearing apart the mountains and creating a devastating crater, a direct result of the collision between the saint blood and the Lunar Fire Essence.

Fortunately, the dense energy field symbols on the surface suppressed the saint blood. Otherwise, a hundred-mile radius would likely have collapsed, numerous mountain peaks would have melted, and the area would have become a barren wasteland.

The emergence of the energy field symbols caused the vivid red blood droplets to be entirely consumed.

'You're remarkably resilient.' In the darkness of outer space, the saint Luo Hong's golden pupils glowed faintly, an unsettling cold light emanating from them in fine strands, truly intimidating.

By then, he had already risen, his golden hair whipping wildly without a breeze, his entire being exuding an exceptionally terrifying aura. He was rapidly retreating, as if traversing the river of time and tearing through the void, yet he was still a step too late, suffering a terrible backlash.

Behind him, vast swathes of symbols materialized, plummeting towards him and illuminating the dark expanse of cosmic space.

Even a formidable saint like him, despite having prepared, still sustained a heavy blow, as if a colossal palm had struck him, inflicting severe damage.

With a dull thud, the impact reverberated through the starry sky. Numerous massive meteorites floating nearby instantly disintegrated into cosmic dust, all shattering at that very spot.

Luo Hong grunted in pain, his chest nearly pierced. Blood stained the corners of his mouth as he stumbled backward repeatedly.

'What a humiliation; I can't even contend with an energy field left by someone whose fate is unknown. Saint Master, you truly are shrouded in mystery! Could it be that your ancient teachings genuinely originate from beyond this cosmos?'

Luo Hong, however, did not give up. He made one last attempt, launching a segment of a broken blade, as black as ink, which tore through the starry sky and hurtled towards Earth. He remained relentless.

This was a damaged weapon once wielded by a past saint from Earth. This time, Luo Hong had specifically retrieved a piece of it from the Celestial God Race's armory and brought it with him.

He hoped that using a weapon from Earth's past would be effective in bypassing the defenses.

Concurrently, he moved his hands, attempting to intervene from countless miles away in the outer domain, hoping to silently eliminate Chu Feng on the ground.

Unfortunately, both attempts failed. The moment the dark broken blade entered the atmosphere, it was enveloped by the energy field and drowned in astonishing, vibrant symbols. With a hum, the remnant blade trembled, then, with a sharp crack, it began to fracture, its blade energy recoiling.

'Mirroring Art within the energy field!'

Luo Hong's hair stood on end. Even as a saint, he felt a tremor of fear. With a raise of his hand, he tore through cosmic space and fled without hesitation.

This time, he completely lost hope. Even Earth's ancient weapons were rendered ineffective, leaving him no alternative, and he sensed that a heavy price was likely imminent.

Indeed, in that very instant, he found himself unable to evade. The moment he attacked Earth, a simultaneous flash of blade light struck him, as if reflecting his own assault.

Blood splattered as Luo Hong cried out. Despite being a saint, his body was cleaved in two, holy blood gushing forth and staining the starry sky crimson.

This sight... chilled everyone to the bone, drawing gasps of shock across the universe!

Experts from all races were stunned, each scarcely able to believe their own eyes.

Silently, Luo Hong's two severed body halves floated, then reconnected, the wound rapidly healing. His face was ashen, contorted in extreme displeasure.

As a revered saint, accustomed to looking down upon all creation, it had been countless years since he had experienced such a thing. To have his body cleaved in two was an utterly profound humiliation.

'Haha... Saint Luo Hong of the Celestial God Race, aren't you shameless? Trying to silence me? You've truly shot yourself in the foot!'

In Kunlun, Chu Feng burst into laughter.

Through the heated discussions on the Primeval Beast Platform, he had learned that the attacking saint was Luo Hong, an ancient saint of the Celestial God Race.

A boundless chill resided deep within Luo Hong's eyes. Cold and ruthless, he pondered what secret Chu Feng possessed that had allowed him to defeat even a fragment of his divine soul.

Silently, he activated a divine ability, causing tendrils of blood to seep out and re-enter Earth's primary space.

Then, at Kunlun Mountain, these tendrils of blood coalesced, forming a tiny, crimson eyeball that reflected everything about Chu Feng.

'Hm?!' Chu Feng immediately sensed it. Even though it was a saint's technique, he detected it because Luo Hong was manipulating it from an immense distance, and Earth's energy field was acting as an obstruction, making it impossible to remain completely undetectable.

With a crash, Chu Feng decisively hurled the Vajra Bangle he held directly at it.

The eyeball flickered and dodged away.

Behind it, the colossal mountain, struck by the Vajra Bangle, collapsed with a thunderous roar, sending massive clouds of dust soaring into the sky.

'His evolutionary foundation is cracking?' Luo Hong murmured from beyond the domain. To his surprise, this was the first thing he detected when observing Chu Feng.

In his estimation, this young native was extraordinary and destined to become a powerful figure once he fully matured.

However, he hadn't anticipated that the young man who had just suppressed a fragment of his divine soul was in dire internal condition, his foundation riddled with cracks and on the verge of collapse.

This revelation caused a flicker of surprise in his expression.

Suddenly, a surge of silver light engulfed Chu Feng, as Earth's energy field reactivated, incinerating the saint blood.

This was because, just moments before, Luo Hong had attempted to use a form of blood sacrifice, targeting Chu Feng again by leveraging the tendrils of blood he had deposited in Kunlun.

This resulted in a retaliatory surge from Earth's energy field!

He grunted in frustration, his expression growing increasingly grim. He simply couldn't overcome that native!

'Luo Hong, have you no shame? As a saint-level powerhouse, you stooped to attack me, disregarding your status, only to repeatedly fail! You shameless old man!'

Chu Feng spoke, immediately beginning to expose Luo Hong's shameful conduct.

He pulled Luo Yi from the spatial bottle and cast him onto the ground. Simultaneously, he held the black God-Locking Spear in his right hand, impaling a humanoid mass of spiritual energy.

'Everyone, look closely. Not long ago, Luo Hong dispatched a divine soul fragment to inhabit Luo Yi's body and challenge me to a decisive battle. I captured it.'

This revelation caused an uproar.

Not only ordinary evolutionists but even members of the top ten major factions were startled, turning their attention and closely monitoring the situation.

'Native of a declining world, you've grown overconfident. Is defeating a descendant of my lineage not glorious enough for you to utter such preposterous claims?'

Luo Hong, of course, would never admit it and immediately denied the claim.

Fury simmered within him. This native dared to expose such a vulnerability, causing him deep concern. If proven true, his reputation would be utterly ruined, making him a laughingstock.

'How is that possible? How could a contemplation-level youth suppress a saint's divine soul fragment?'

Even without Luo Hong needing to speak further, doubts had already begun to arise.

'It's not entirely impossible. Although Luo Hong is powerful, what descended was merely a contemplation-level spiritual fragment; it's conceivable it could have been overthrown.'

This sparked a fervent discussion across the starry heavens.

Chu Feng used the black God-Locking Spear to hoist Luo Hong's divine soul fragment high towards the sky, declaring, 'If you want to verify if this is Luo Hong, there are many ways, and I believe you all know them.'

Indeed, it was not difficult.

Across the starry heavens, countless sects, academies, and research institutions exist. It's not just about directly capturing a divine soul fragment; even a single strand of hundred-thousand-year-old hair or a trace of blood dried for tens of thousands of years could easily and simply be used to identify its owner.

With just a little time, Luo Hong's misconduct could naturally be fully exposed.

Luo Hong spoke coldly, 'You ignorant native, you truly stoop to any means for fame. I am a saint; how dare you slander me? Such claims are laughable. If I were to truly act, even a hundred of you would not be enough to kill.'

'Bah, you're utterly shameless! You clearly attacked, I captured you, and now you feign innocence? Do you really think your contemplation-level power could kill me?' Chu Feng scoffed, then directly challenged him: 'If it wasn't you, why were you so eager to silence me just now?'

Upon hearing these words, the starry heavens erupted in an uproar.

'You insolent wretch, taking liberties and repeatedly insulting me—enough!' Luo Hong declared with a look of disdain. 'Forget you, I've slaughtered many of your ancestors, even two exceptionally gifted saints fell by my hand. What are you? Your contemplation stage isn't even complete; you've only just begun. How dare you dream of contending with a saint's divine soul fragment?!'

This infuriated Chu Feng. Luo Hong was truly despicable, even at such a critical juncture, he couldn't resist bringing up past achievements, intentionally reopening ancient Earth's wounds.

After Luo Hong uttered those words, everyone was taken aback.

Indeed, a saint's divine soul fragment would undoubtedly be perfected, nearly invincible in the contemplation realm, as their youthful Dao fruit would have been flawlessly 'nourished' through eons of refinement.

'Little wretch, if you're unconvinced, you can challenge me on the Primeval Beast Platform.'

Just then, words audible only to Chu Feng resonated—a wisp of spiritual fluctuation originating from beyond the domain, belonging to Luo Hong.

'Old man, do you dare accept the challenge? If I make a move, I will surely slay a saint!' Chu Feng was exceptionally assertive, his eyes gleaming with fierce, burning resolve.

'Very well, but I have no time to waste unless we begin immediately.' Luo Hong still transmitted his voice secretly.

This was because he had just used the crimson eyeball to perceive Chu Feng's true current condition: his foundation had cracks, and while he could still fight intensely, it wouldn't last long.

The so-called 'foundation,' or evolutionary root, was vaguely discernible yet intangible—a dual-layered wound affecting both his physical body and spirit.

Luo Hong believed that if they were to fight immediately, it could cause Chu Feng's foundation to collapse, leading to the most brutal outcome: the destruction of his path of evolution.

In fact, Chu Feng had always been aware of the cracks in his evolutionary foundation and knew that the issue could be entirely resolved once the Six Paths Reincarnation Pill arrived.

Simultaneously, he believed that despite the cracks in his evolutionary foundation, he was still capable of fighting, and it wouldn't fully shatter in the short term.

'Bring it on. I can't wait to slay a saint!' Chu Feng whispered.

Luo Hong continued to transmit his voice, saying, 'Hm, a decisive battle in a virtual network environment would be too dull. Let's connect our spiritual networks via the Thousand Star Vines for a true life-or-death battle. Yes, we can even fight at the same cultivation level!'

The Thousand Star Vines, rooted and interconnected across the cosmic expanse, can link thousands of living planets via wormholes. This species can proliferate to an unimaginable, vast extent.

Some Thousand Star Vine clusters can blanket an entire starfield, a true miracle of life.

This unique species can cover inter-stellar networks and even form divine spiritual realms, capable of constructing authentic life-and-death battle platforms for consciousness-based combat.

Luo Hong was aware of Chu Feng's physical condition and was now subtly enticing him, step by step, to engage in a genuine life-or-death battle, hoping to kill him in the process.

'Where are these Thousand Star Vines?' Chu Feng asked him.

'It's simple,' Luo Hong stated calmly. 'Just have the Primeval Beast Platform deploy them. This plant already exists within the Solar System's wormhole; otherwise, how would there be inter-stellar network coverage here?'

He believed that once they entered the battle platform, Chu Feng's fate would be entirely in his hands. He could even then split off another spiritual fragment to control Chu Feng, rendering the so-called scandal irrelevant. Afterwards, he could simply make the puppet Chu Feng recant.

Subsequently, the two ceased their covert dialogue and publicly declared their intention to engage in a life-or-death battle of equal cultivation levels within the spiritual world.

This instantly created a sensation.

Luo Hong declared, 'Youngster, you're utterly ignorant of your place. I already told you, your ancestors were no match for us back then; I personally slew two of their saints. Do you truly think you're worthy of a decisive battle against me? However, I will agree, because you publicly slandered me earlier, and even a saint can feel rage. I will make you realize how utterly insignificant you are. In a true battle at my level, you are nothing but an insect.'

His words struck Chu Feng as utterly shameless and hypocritical. Luo Hong had clearly initiated this, yet he continued to project an air of lofty disdain.

'Summon the Thousand Star Vines!' Luo Hong commanded. As a saint of the Celestial God Race, wielding immense power, he could naturally arrange for them to be prepared with ease.

In the Solar System, Thousand Star Vines already existed, rooted within a wormhole.

Now, a new wormhole opened, linking to that location. From it, lush plants rapidly sprouted, radiating vibrant life and a crystalline shimmer.

This sent tremors across the starry heavens.

Many prominent races were alerted, and even the young disciples and renowned elders of the top ten major factions were surprised, paying close attention to the unfolding events.

'I don't entirely trust the Thousand Star Vines you've summoned,' Chu Feng stated.

'Hmph, you are but a tiny insect. Are you truly worth my meticulous planning? You are utterly insignificant in my eyes.' Luo Hong put on yet another performance, clearly intending to kill Chu Feng and eliminate the hidden threat, yet portraying himself with such haughty disdain.

Amidst a rustling sound, a radiant glow emanated from the Kunlun Mountains. Within a mountain range, plants were growing at an incredibly rapid pace, soaring directly towards the heavens.

'What is this...?' Big Black Ox, Northeast Tiger, Ouyang Feng, Yellow Ox, and the others all exclaimed in unison.

It was a dark golden vine, growing with astonishing speed, shooting skyward with shocking suddenness.

'Good heavens, could this be the ancient Heavenly Vine of Earth? In the past, Princess Yaoyao used it to construct a spiritual platform for battles against various cosmic prodigies. In this era... has it reappeared?!'

This triggered a massive commotion. The starry heavens first echoed with surprised whispers of doubt, then erupted into a fervent buzz.

At Dragon and Tiger Mountain, within a speck of Longevity Gold, a woman of peerless grace awoke from a death-like slumber. She then softly murmured to herself, 'The Heavenly Vine has revived, and so I awaken.'

This was none other than Yaoyao. Even she was stirred, now wishing to observe the battle.