Chapter 654: Ice Skin and Jade Bones

Chu Feng was speechless. He had originally planned to escape, but the girl started screaming for her mother, terrified of ghosts, and was on the verge of closing the cabin door and fleeing. This left him utterly at a loss for words.

"Go away, go away, I want to return to the human world!" The girl was trembling with fear. The realization that the Netherworld truly existed, not just in legends, filled her with genuine terror.

"Heavenly Emperor Calendar, year 9,876,351, October. Xi, the most beautiful fairy in the world, accidentally entered the Netherworld and has encountered her first little ghost. This note is hereby recorded."

The girl was incredibly narcissistic, even boasting about herself while writing a journal entry before leaving. She had a habit of documenting her travels, and with a flash of divine thought, she carved her notes onto a piece of jade.

She then fled, murmuring about missing her mother and wanting to return to the human world and escape the Netherworld. With a whoosh, her metal sphere vanished from sight.

Chu Feng's expression was peculiar; he found the whole situation unsettling. If this girl was indeed from the Yang world, and such a realm truly existed, then what exactly was he?

He landed on this planet, much of whose surface was severely damaged. He felt the lingering hot aura, which stung his skin like countless needles when it seeped into his body.

"This is the energy signature of another world. Even these residual traces are so intensely hot. If an entire world is like this, who could possibly endure it?"

Chu Feng pondered whether he would spontaneously combust and turn into a pile of ashes if he were to enter such a world.

Soon, his expression darkened. A brief deduction led to a terrifying conclusion: he would likely melt away like ice and snow under a blazing sun.

His face grew even grimmer. Entering the Yang world, he might perish, unable to withstand its aura, and would simply turn into black ashes.

To him, it was akin to a ghost encountering the midday sun, unable to endure the potent Yang energy, and being burned alive. This realization brought a moment of profound silence.

Suddenly, Chu Feng activated the Breathing Technique, attempting to refine the residual aura.

*Swish, swish, swish...* The effect was astounding. Wisps of golden energy particles, like tiny flames, rose from the ground and merged into Chu Feng's body. Initially, he felt pain, but immediately afterward, he sensed a profound purification, as if he were being refined and nourished by a pure, potent flame, which proved beneficial to his physique.

"Huh?!" Chu Feng was filled with surprise and doubt, his thoughts racing in an instant.

He personally realized why the Celestial God Race sought this breathing technique: it possessed astonishing power when confronting Yang world auras. It was surprisingly adaptable, capable of refining Yang energy for one's own use!

This was truly defying the heavens!

However, Chu Feng also recognized that he needed to proceed gradually; he couldn't use this breathing technique to directly enter an area overflowing with Yang energy, or he would likely encounter trouble.

After Chu Feng finished refining the Yang energy in the area, he searched for the spatial teleportation field, only to be instantly dumbfounded. He then let out a wail towards the sky.

"You wretched girl! Give me back my star path! Fix it for me!"

He was truly incensed. The star path on this asteroid was destroyed, and the teleportation array was a complete wreck, disfigured, pitted by the erosion of Yang energy, with the magnets melted.

Chu Feng nearly spat out a mouthful of blood. Stranded in the middle of nowhere, with the path severed, where could he possibly go?

Chu Feng felt dizzy. After a month and a half of arduous travel, was he truly stranded here?

His green bamboo boat could traverse up to thirty thousand *li* in a single leap when fully energized. However, the starry sky was so vast that even risking his life wouldn't suffice!

Even with a million energy infusions, the green bamboo boat could only travel thirty billion *li*, or fifteen billion kilometers — a distance roughly equivalent to the entire solar system he had already departed.

In this vast sea of stars, the solar system was utterly insignificant.

Furthermore, after a million full-power energy infusions, Chu Feng would undoubtedly be utterly exhausted, his vital essence completely depleted.

Chu Feng was troubled. He had been tricked by a girl emanating extremely strong Yang energy, leaving him unable to continue his journey.

What kind of situation was this?!

He activated his light-brain. The signal was very weak, but at last, there was an interstellar network. For days, he had been isolated, as the star path he was on offered almost no connection to the outside world.

Relatively speaking, he was still fortunate; ninety percent of other star paths lacked any interstellar network signal from start to finish, making the entire journey monotonous and dull.

Chu Feng couldn't immediately think of a solution, so he logged onto the star network to check the news. He also wanted to try contacting interstellar explorers or even space pirates to get out of this cursed place.

For now, he wanted to check the news.

He had just witnessed a creature from the Yang world firsthand and experienced its intense, surging energy. He wondered what was happening in the outside world.

And then, he was stunned!

In just a few days of isolation, the world had been turned upside down, with various major events unfolding!

Within the chaos, earth-shattering Yang energy erupted once more, with some of it surging into this universe, leading to the destruction of planets. Furthermore, actual Yang world creatures had been sighted.

News reports indicated that some of the universe's most formidable experts had been alerted and were now taking action to thoroughly investigate the situation.

Soon, a critical piece of information sent tremors through all races across the starry sky: a powerful individual, who had already stepped into the realm of Reflecting the Heavens, had perished. Tragically, they became entangled and enveloped by a dense, mysterious mass of Yang energy that pulsed with life, ultimately exploding together, completely annihilated in body and spirit.

Reports indicated that all races were deploying their most powerful experts, eager to capture a creature from the Yang world.

"One resource planet for one Yang world creature!" This was a news headline from five days ago, and the exorbitant price left Chu Feng astonished.

"Ten resource planets for one Yang world creature!" This was from four days ago—a tenfold price increase in just one day!

Then, he saw today's most recent offer, which left Chu Feng utterly dumbfounded and speechless.

"One hundred resource planets for one Yang world creature, or ten habitable planets for one Yang world creature!"

Such an offer was simply insane!

Consequently, the entire universe erupted in a frenzy, astonishing all races and sparking widespread uproar.

Even Chu Feng now found it unbelievably crazy. Were creatures from the Yang world truly that valuable?

Soon, someone revealed the secret: Yang world creatures possess unique breathing techniques that allow them to adapt to the scorching, Yang-energy-rich environment of the human realm, enabling them to evolve and cultivate without being "burned."

Chu Feng was speechless upon reading this. Did even some of the most powerful figures in this world consider themselves ghosts?

As expected, others revealed that in the fragmented universe deep within the chaos, the Yang energy was so intense that ordinary cultivators could not withstand it.

It was further reported that the intense heat of the Yang world surpassed that of the fragmented transitional zone by more than ten or even a hundredfold. To cross over, one could only do so by mastering the breathing techniques of the Yang world.

"Some prominent figures, powerful experts at the Reflecting the Heavens level, don't merely wish to explore the fragmented universe. In fact, they aspire to be reincarnated and enter the true Yang world, to be reborn as genuine flesh-and-blood beings who fear no Yang energy, to truly live among humanity!"

Undeniably, this speculation, once it emerged, was explosive, threatening to cause a seismic upheaval across the entire cosmic starry sky with catastrophic consequences.

Therefore, as soon as this notion began to surface, it was decisively suppressed and collectively blocked by powerful factions to prevent its spread.

Otherwise, it would lead to extremely detrimental consequences, plunging the entire universe into utter chaos!

Chu Feng was able to access this restricted information thanks to the Yellow Ox, who had told him about a hidden forum. This forum was a gathering place for ruthless individuals: interstellar pirates, escaped convicts, and cosmic drifters, who used it to exchange intelligence.

When he first logged in, he was speechless. Someone asked if he had ever slain a saint. Another inquired if he had plundered any of the top ten resource-rich planets. Still another questioned which powerful races among the hundred strongest stars he had made enemies of.

Chu Feng was stunned. Who exactly were these people? They all seemed like ancient monsters, formidable figures. How had the Yellow Ox, just a kid, managed to infiltrate this group?

Initially, Chu Feng felt a bit apprehensive, but then he relaxed. He had slain saints, sold hundreds of divine scions and saintesses, and single-handedly confronted forces like the Celestial God Race and the Grand Dream Pure Land. He was, in his own right, a formidable figure of his generation, and his battle record on this forum would stand up against anyone's!

In fact, he now strongly suspected that a certain goddess in the starry sky might carry his bloodline, a detestable feat he was too embarrassed to mention.

Chu Feng exited the forum, lost in thought. Did the most powerful figures in this starry sky truly wish to enter the human realm and be reincarnated?!

"Little ghost of the Netherworld, what are you gaping at?!"

As Chu Feng pondered, he suddenly became alert, snapping his head up. Simultaneously, he sensed a mental transmission, and a metal sphere in the distance flew back into view.

Xi, the girl from the Yang world, had reappeared!

"Such a pretty little ghost is rare. She's a girl, but alas, she's a specter from the Netherworld."

The metal sphere hovered in mid-air, its hatch open. The girl shivered, feeling intensely cold. From within, she looked down at Chu Feng, carefully scrutinizing him and offering a judgment.

Chu Feng was utterly fed up. This brat had blocked his path, declared him a ghost, called him "little ghost," and, most infuriatingly, even called him a girl! This was simply too much!

"You brat! How dare you talk like that?! Get down here!" Chu Feng roared, trying to intimidate her, knowing she was particularly timid.

"Oh my heavens, even a little ghost is this fierce! Mommy... I want to go home, this Netherworld is terrifying! But how do I get back? No, I must hold on, overcome my fear. I need to catch a little ghost first to understand the Netherworld, and then find my way home!"

On the asteroid, Chu Feng was utterly speechless. This coward—how dare she come back to catch him?!

Then, his eyes gleamed with fervor. A single Yang world creature could be exchanged for a hundred resource planets or ten habitable planets—an astronomical price! Such a vast territory would be enough to support an entire grand lineage.

"Brat, where do you think you're going to run?!"

Chu Feng knew she was timid, so he deliberately adopted a harsh, menacing tone. He shot into the sky, wielding the Wheel of Samsara Blade, appearing intent on capturing her, hoping she would panic and make it easy for him to take her alive.

Even if not for the planets, he could learn about the Yang world from her, and perhaps even its cultivation methods!

"Ah! The little ghost from the Netherworld is so fierce! This is the first ghost I've encountered, and she doesn't seem very strong, yet she's coming to eat me!" The girl, Xi, shrieked in panic, even crying out for her mother, all while trying to flee.

However, the ultimate outcome left Chu Feng wanting to curse loudly because... he had capsized in a ditch and was abducted onto the spaceship.

He was enveloped by a mysterious energy field, pulled through the hatch, and isolated within a transparent compartment. Instantly, he found the overwhelmingly dense Yang energy unbearable; it was truly terrifying.

"I... I used the spaceship to catch a little ghost! It's so scary! He's baring his fangs at me! Even if a ghost from the Netherworld is beautiful and a girl, they're still so aggressive!" the girl cried out, her voice tinged with tears.

*Damn it!* Chu Feng cursed inwardly. He couldn't tell if he'd been fooled by the girl's theatrics or if this novice, this coward, had genuinely and accidentally abducted him onto the spaceship.

Chu Feng quickly activated the Breathing Technique; otherwise, he estimated he would be incinerated into ashes. He simply could not endure such an aura in the cabin.

"Little ghost, don't be scared. Stay in the cold storage room. I'll lower the temperature even more right away so you won't be burned to death by the Yang energy. I've read many ghost stories, all legends about the Netherworld. I can't believe I'm actually experiencing it today; there really *is* a Netherworld!"

Upon hearing this, Chu Feng was so infuriated his nose nearly twisted. He was truly caught by a rookie, and currently in the spaceship's cold storage room? It was utterly mortifying.

Soon after, Chu Feng was awestruck. He realized the girl's true power; it was incredibly formidable, terrifyingly so.

Or perhaps, it was the spaceship itself that was terrifying—a massive weapon.

In the distance, several creatures appeared: a swarm of ants. Some were entirely black, others blindingly golden, and some gleamed silvery white, appearing like fierce, hellish beings. These ants were enormous, with the smallest among them being as large as a calf.

A swarm of Underworld Ants!

Chu Feng was astonished. Even the Underworld Ants, a species that had been dormant for ages, had been mobilized, emerging from their terrifying forbidden zone into the outside world. Were they also here for the Yang world creatures?

"Over there!"

One of the Underworld Ants roared, its mental fluctuations intensely powerful. This particular ant was close to the Bodhisattva realm, and the dozen large ants under its command were all at the Golden Arhat level.

"Oh no, another group of ghosts is coming! They're so fierce, they want to kill me! Spaceship, blast them!" the girl, Xi, shrieked.

Then, Chu Feng watched as scorching Yang energy erupted, accompanied by terrifying energy fluctuations that engulfed everything ahead, causing the swarm of Underworld Ants—creatures capable of traversing the starry sky—to meet complete annihilation!

In the end, they were all dead!

What in the world was this level of spaceship?! Chu Feng was utterly stunned, his jaw dropped in disbelief!

The girl, Xi, comforted Chu Feng: "Little ghost, don't be afraid, I won't hurt you. This is my grandpa's treasure ship. If the legends are true and this truly is the Netherworld, then I'm sure this ship can easily kill even ghost saints."

Chu Feng immediately deduced that the girl had an extremely prominent background in the Yang world; she was likely the descendant of some incredibly powerful individual.

"Huh, the temperature in the cold storage room hasn't dropped much, yet you can still withstand it? That's not right. Aren't you a ghost? Aren't you afraid of Yang energy?" Xi asked, her voice laced with suspicion.

"I am human, from the Yang world!" Chu Feng declared, his mental fluctuations intense.

"Ah, how is that possible? Let me check your body temperature." The girl donned a special gold-threaded transparent glove that inexplicably bypassed the cabin door's barrier. Her small hand reached through and grasped Chu Feng's hand, showing no fear of his potential counterattack.

Clearly, that glove was extraordinary—a top-tier secret treasure!

"Your body temperature is so low; you're clearly a dead person, a little ghost," she stated skeptically.

"What 'little ghost'?! If I were a ghost, I would have long since been incinerated by the Yang energy here! I am a descendant of a True Immortal! Haven't you heard of 'ice skin and jade bones'? That's exactly what I have, and it means my temperature is naturally a bit low!" At this point, Chu Feng's shamelessness was so profound it could serve as armor.