Chapter 711: Piercing the Sky

Originally, I intended to write two chapters together, but seeing the time, I couldn't delay any longer. Alright, consider this one a very long chapter; I'll write another one later.

The high platform was spacious. A three-legged golden toad stood with its belly puffed out, cheeks bulging, eyes wide, staring at the crowd, clearly displeased.

It was considered an auspicious beast, possessing extraordinary abilities. It could spit out golden coins, causing secret treasures and weapons to drop from people, and its strength was considerable.

It assumed that when the toad came up, he would, like the old donkey and the Northeast Tiger, rely on their similar appearances to its own kind, come up to spout nonsense, and drive up prices.

“I am different from you. I am an auspicious beast. Our species is rare in the universe. Whoever takes me must treat me as a revered offering.”

The three-legged golden toad puffed out its cheeks, widened its eyes, and spoke with an angry, cold sneer, full of self-importance.

Indeed, in large-scale wars among cultivators, these creatures were often invited to the front lines. Once combat began, terrifying saint-level three-legged golden toads would inevitably spit out a sky full of golden coins, forcibly confiscating the weapons of the enemy's cultivator army.

Due to the extreme rarity of this creature, even without forming a cultivation sect, they held high status and were valued by all races.

Thus, the three-legged golden toad was not worried at all; on the contrary, it was arrogant, sulking, and glaring disdainfully at Ouyang Feng, looking incredibly conceited.

However, it was mistaken.

After Ouyang Feng ascended the stage, his face, covered in golden patterns, looked somewhat grim. Without a word, he began kicking the three-legged golden toad wildly, then lifted it up and beat it savagely.

“You good-for-nothing! I’ll make you a captive! Damn it, how dare you eye me disdainfully? Seeing your cowardly self enrages me! I’ll make you golden, I’ll make you have a golden toad body—isn’t this ruining my reputation? You think you’re of my kin, you coward? I’ll beat you to death!”

Ouyang the Toad kicked and pummeled, making the three-legged golden toad shriek in pain. It couldn't take it anymore and was completely bewildered. It had expected Ouyang Feng to praise it profusely and inflate its price, but this was the outcome.

“Oh my! What’s going on?”

The crowd stared in bewilderment. This time, it wasn't about price inflation; why was it a brutal beating?

All the guests were speechless. Some speculated that this was the latest method of price-raising, an unconventional approach.

Then, someone started to egg them on.

“Even if you kick the three-legged golden toad a couple more times, the price will be the same!”

Bang, bang, bang…

On the high platform, the three-legged golden toad was black and blue, its entire golden glow dimmed from the beating. It twitched all over, sobbing uncontrollably, and begged for mercy.

“Stop hitting me! We’re all toads; we’re born from the same root, why are you persecuting me so fiercely?!”

The three-legged golden toad was beaten until it foamed at the mouth, shrieking loudly, and one by one, golden coins formed from energy, known as Treasure-Dropping Coins, scattered all over the ground.

Ouyang Feng didn't stop, saying, “Still spouting literary phrases? I’ll beat you to death, you dead toad! I’ll make you transform into my appearance? Let me tell you, your grandpa here is a divine beast, not a monster from your lineage. I’m only temporarily in this state!”

“I’m crying! This is my true form!” The three-legged golden toad cried loudly, then decisively transformed into a human.

Comparatively, its destructive power was insufficient, so it hadn’t been restrained with divine chains piercing its shoulder blades.

At this moment, he became a young man whose face was covered in golden coin-shaped markings, looking aggrieved and silently enduring Ouyang Feng's old fists.

Everyone watched, utterly speechless, especially the Holy Sons and Holy Maidens waiting to be auctioned next. They felt that transforming had its risks and stepping onto the stage required caution.

“Alright, brother, a crowd on the Primal Beast Platform is praising you and giving you thumbs-up. Hurry and stop!” The Black Ox quickly tried to dissuade him, worried that if the three-legged golden toad was crippled, it couldn't be sold.

The Northeast Tiger and the old donkey immediately became displeased, grumbling loudly.

“What kind of sense does this make? I merely sold a cat and was cursed to death, but Brother Ouyang beats a toad and people praise him!”

“Ah, ah, ah, how unfair! Grandpa Donkey just sold a mule, and those brats on the Primal Beast Platform are shouting for my head, saying I have donkey eyes that can’t recognize gold-inlaid jade. Achoo!”

The reason was simple: in the wars of cultivators, the three-legged golden toads played a significant role, which made them consistently arrogant. Wherever they went, they were revered, ordering people around, and frequently puffing out their bellies, bulging their cheeks, and looking down on others.

Therefore, seeing someone severely beating a genius of this race naturally drew cheers from the crowd. Of course, if a sect actually managed to bid for it and take it back, their attitude would be entirely different.

With a whoosh, Ouyang Feng jumped off the stage.

Ultimately, the three-legged golden toad was sold for the same price as the Pegasus Holy Son. The old ape from Daling Temple finalized the deal after three strikes of his staff!

“We’re rich! I never thought these goods would be so expensive. If only Brother Chu Feng had been more merciful back then and burned fewer Holy Sons to death—these are all Six Path Reincarnation Pills!”

However, the next few auctioned items were not as sought-after, and their成交 prices were not high.

“Hey, you two-headed golden lion! You look so mighty, and your strength isn’t weak at all, yet you didn’t even earn back one Six Path Reincarnation Pill. Why are you so cheap?!” the old donkey shouted.

Zhou Quan, Old Bear King, and others also expressed their incomprehension, saying that the bidders were pushing down prices.

The Golden Lion King suddenly felt an urge to cry. Being captured and auctioned was already humiliating enough, but now it was even being criticized for being cheap.

It truly wished it could bite that donkey to death and slap that four-horned humanoid monster to death.

That night, the East Sea was full of surging waves, with a bright moon hanging high, reflecting on the sea surface, constantly shattered by the waves into countless fragments of silver.

Lights blazed on the mountain-sized great ship, and the auction proceeded in an orderly manner.

Chu Feng walked out. He had just chatted with Vajra and also unexpectedly encountered the Silver-winged Celestial, one of the Four Strangers, with whom he had a long conversation.

The Silver-winged Celestial mentioned Lin Yaoyi, asking Chu Feng if he knew her whereabouts. Since Lin Yaoyi's disappearance, Divine General Biology had been steadily declining. Let alone comparing it to extraterrestrial cultivators, it was now at the bottom even among the syndicates.

After their conversation, Chu Feng left and stood alone on the deck, looking up at the starry sky, frowning, a hint of melancholy in his heart.

Lin Yaoyi had been gone for a long time, and recently he had almost forgotten her, but when he truly remembered, he sighed again.

Because he somewhat doubted whether Lin Yaoyi was still in this star sea. Recalling it now, what she possessed was an super-stellar legacy tower.

That tower was very special; it could actually split into two halves, like the opposition of Yin and Yang.

For this reason, he had asked Yao Yao and Uncle Ming about it. It was one of the most important energy towers from Earth's ancient era, and it was said to have been studied for a long time without being fully understood.

Furthermore, a certain significant figure had even dedicated many years to comprehending it.

It wasn't until Chu Feng discovered Yao Yao's grandfather's secret beneath Mount Zijin and spoke with Uncle Ming again that Uncle Ming revealed the mysterious significant figure who had studied the super-stellar tower was indeed Yao Yao's grandfather.

The Yin-Yang energy tower, which could split into two halves, unexpectedly acquired and studied for a long time by Yao Yao's grandfather, was definitely no ordinary item!

Chu Feng felt that for Lin Yaoyi to have unexpectedly obtained the legacy from it, some factor must have been triggered; otherwise, it would have been difficult to gain anything.

Moreover, he even suspected that Lin Yaoyi might not be in this universe anymore; perhaps she was in the shattered cosmos within the chaos? He couldn't help but let his mind wander.

Because everything Yao Yao's grandfather studied was related to the Yang Realm—he wanted to fight his way back to the Yang Realm!

Then, Chu Feng spotted Ying Zhexian of the Sub-Immortal Race, holding her sister's hand, also coming to the other side of the deck to view the revived Earth's seascape.

Evidently, they weren't merely appreciating the beautiful scenery. An old woman accompanied them, gazing at the East Sea under the night sky, observing the density of spiritual energy.

“Hmm, there were quite a few underwater cave dwellings back then. It’s estimated that the most famous ones will take some time to emerge.”

The old woman’s lips moved, but no sound was produced. However, Chu Feng, with his Fiery Golden Eyes, saw clearly and could understand the universal language through her gestures.

“Ah, Chu Feng, the Great Devil, you’re here too! You know, startling people can scare them to death.” Ying Xiaoxiao exclaimed when they spotted Chu Feng.

Chu Feng naturally walked over, trying to curry favor and build a relationship. He would soon enter the starry sky again, and if he could avoid it, he didn't want to make enemies of the entire world.

Having one Celestial Race among the top ten was already enough to keep him busy.

“Chu Feng, you plundered us and stole my snacks!” the silver-haired loli cried out, bringing up an awkward topic.

The next second, Chu Feng, as if by magic, stuffed her mouth with some kind of snack, making her utter muffled sounds, unable to speak.

Then, Chu Feng began conversing with Ying Zhexian, acting as if they were old friends who regretted not meeting sooner, showing immense enthusiasm.

The old woman nearby was quite staid, standing there expressionless, until she repeatedly looked at Chu Feng, appearing as if she were guarding against a big bad wolf.

This left Chu Feng utterly speechless!

“Chu Feng, you untied my sister’s belt. Where’s that secret treasure?!” the silver-haired loli mumbled, yelling while eating.

“This one, here you go,” Chu Feng said, rummaging through his spatial bracelet. Then, he broke into a slight cold sweat, as there were several belts inside, and he couldn’t remember which one belonged to the third most beautiful woman under the starry sky.

The silver-haired loli, quick with her hands and eyes, snatched them all out at once, yelping, “So many! They’re all women’s waistbands! You pervert, you’ve done so many bad things!”

Just then, Vermilion Bird Fairy happened to walk out, coming directly towards Chu Feng, and spotted her own belt at a glance.

Behind her was Yuan Yuan of the Primordial Demon Race.

Both of these women had great backgrounds and were highly-ranked beauties, and they both stared intently at Chu Feng!

“I have something else to attend to, let’s talk later!” Chu Feng snatched back the special belts, which were made from spirit-binding ropes, stuffed them into his spatial bracelet, and turned to run.

He wasn’t prepared to deal with several women at once. Even if it was to bury the hatchet and resolve misunderstandings, it had to be done slowly, one-on-one. If they all ganged up on him, something might go wrong, and he might be collectively assailed.

“Brother, for the Heaven’s Edge Within Reach, Divine Foot Teleportation, and Shrinking the Ground to an Inch techniques you wanted, people have provided the first three volumes for each!” The Black Ox saw him and transmitted a message with a smile.

Chu Feng was immediately overjoyed. He already had the first two volumes of Heaven’s Edge Within Reach, and he had also seized the first volume of Shrinking the Ground to an Inch from other Holy Sons. These were some of the most famous speed-related profound arts in the starry sky, and each one, if complete, could be called a divine skill!

He wanted to study them all, find opportunities to cross-reference them, and hoped to extract the essence of several of these profound arts.

At this moment, a divine light flickered in Chu Feng’s eyes as he scanned all the guests. He had been on guard, preventing any extraterrestrials from entering and causing chaos, leading to unnecessary casualties.

Because among the people who came this time were some truly top-tier young masters, such as Yuan Shicheng, Ying Wudi, Heavenly Destined Immortal Body, Undying Silkworm Young Master, and Ji Cheng of the Peacock Race.

These were just the obvious ones; not to mention those whose identities were hidden.

“Hmm?!” With his Fiery Golden Eyes, which could see through all illusions, he frowned. Was something truly about to happen?

He sensed that the energy signatures of a few individuals were very strange. On the surface, they appeared ordinary, but with his Fiery Golden Eyes, he could clearly see that their bodies were like large fireballs, or even suns, incredibly radiant and concealing terrifying energy!

Once the auction entered its heated phase, Chu Feng found an opportunity and turned his back to them, giving them a perfect chance to make their move.

Meanwhile, secretly, he held the treasured Divine Magnetic Mountain Seal, which he had seized from the Primordial Magnetic Holy Body, ready to strike at any moment.

This item was extraordinarily rare and precious, primarily composed of divine magnetism, and also contained magnetic marrow. For a domain researcher, it was equivalent to the sharpest weapon, capable of controlling and enhancing domains, and boosting primordial magnetic energy!

He had long ago laid out a large number of primordial magnetic stones on this great ship and had modified its hull, specifically to guard against extraterrestrials causing trouble!

“Heavens, it’s actually a Celestial Sarira!” someone exclaimed.

The auction was entering its climax. The essential bone beads left behind after the demise of a Celestial Race Saint were called Celestial Sarira, and one was actually brought out for auction.

“Unfortunately, the essence within this Celestial Sarira has long been absorbed, rendering it of little use to us. However, for the Celestial Race, it holds significant commemorative value, as Celestial Sarira are typically left behind only by the demise of peak Saints.”

At this point, the Black Ox spoke, saying, “This useless bead is something we found on the corpse of an old Celestial Race geezer while clearing the battlefield; it’s just a memento. Who wants to bid? It’s very cheap, the starting price is only eight Six Path Reincarnation Pills.”

Everyone was speechless, secretly cursing. They knew this was a base price set specifically to trick the Celestial Race!

The Black Ox said, “No one wants it? What a pity. Then it’ll be unsold. Later, I’ll embed it in my battle boots; what a shiny bead, it’d look so good.”

What does that have to do with looking good? The crowd grumbled inwardly. How many peak Saints could a single race produce throughout history? Their sarira were equivalent to the saint’s bones.

How could a lineage like the Celestial Race tolerate such humiliation from outsiders, especially the descendants of opponents they had once annihilated and conquered?

“This old man will participate in the bidding!”

Ultimately, someone from the Celestial Race on the interstellar network made an offer of eight Six Path Reincarnation Pills. This was absolutely an offer made through gritted teeth and bleeding hearts.

This immediately caused a sensation!

It was at this moment, as the auction spurred high emotions among various factions, that Chu Feng sensed three of the individuals behind him had made their move!

Some of them moved silently, like hunters in the night, closing in on Chu Feng!

Others, like other bidders, showed intense emotional fluctuations, shouting loudly, but had inadvertently approached Chu Feng!

Another person accidentally spilled some red wine from their hand, pretending to tidy their appearance, but in fact taking out a deadly weapon—a pile of amethyst heavenly thunder, ready to blast towards Chu Feng!

In an instant, the great ship shook!

Domain symbols proliferated, isolating those individuals. A golden furnace appeared, entirely composed of golden symbols, encasing the three.

Then, they instantly ascended, and the golden furnace, along with them, floated into the night sky, hovering far above the great ship.

The three were stunned, their bodies rigid, trapped within the divine furnace constructed from domain symbols, unable to escape. Most terrifyingly, one of the amethyst heavenly thunder orbs in one person’s hand detonated.

The next moment, a massive explosion occurred in the sky!

“Ah…” The three shrieked in agony as several amethyst heavenly thunder orbs successively detonated. Trapped within the confined domain of the golden furnace, they had nowhere to escape and were engulfed by terrifying energy.

Eventually, even the golden furnace disintegrated, showing the immense power of the energy!

The three were instantly reduced to fragmented flesh and mangled corpses, all blasted to death.

“What happened? What’s going on?!”

Many people screamed, and panic spread.

“Chu Feng, the Great Devil, is attacking us! Everyone, quickly fight back! Let’s escape together!” Someone shouted amidst the chaos, trying to incite panic.

Chu Feng understood clearly: it was the other two individuals from the group he had targeted who were stirring up trouble, wanting to incite everyone to attack together.

After all, there were still top-tier young powerhouses here like Ying Wudi, Yuan Shicheng, and Heavenly Destined Immortal Body. If they truly fought to the death, it wasn't impossible to eliminate Chu Feng!

Chu Feng spoke, his voice shaking the East Sea, saying, “Everyone, do not panic! They are just a few small fry, trying to disrupt the auction. Now they want to cause trouble amidst the chaos. Do not be surprised; please all sit down. I will take care of them!”

Just then, people saw a fiery red divine furnace emerge, enveloping a man and a woman, carrying them high into the sky.

At this moment, Chu Feng held the Divine Magnetic Mountain Seal, his face cold, as he stared into the sky and declared, “You are courting death!”

He employed all his methods, using the domain to refine the two individuals in the sky. The woman screamed and instantly turned into ashes on the spot.

Everyone was horrified because they sensed that she was a master of the Cloud Consuming Realm, yet she couldn't even withstand it for a moment before being annihilated.

Immediately, everyone became incredibly wary of Chu Feng!

Within the fiery red furnace constructed from domain symbols, there was still a black-robed young man. At this moment, he roared, his head thrown back, as a pair of black wings appeared behind him. He flapped them powerfully, unleashing billowing black mist, like a fallen angel, erupting with immeasurable power.

“He’s close to the Golden Body Realm; this person is terrifying!”

“That’s…” Someone was shocked, seeing the emblem on the black-robed man’s sleeve: a black long spear piercing through the sky.

“Heavens, he’s a Hunter of the Sky Piercers!” someone cried out in shock.

As soon as this was said, everyone was awestruck and felt a chill down their spines.

The Sky Piercers were an assassination organization in the universe, an incredibly powerful and ancient terrifying lineage whose members were all assassins, calling themselves Hunters.

They typically accepted various bounties to assassinate targets, using it to hone themselves.

Their terror was known to everyone across the entire starry sky!

Because they dared to accept missions to assassinate even Saints—they dared to kill Saints!

And they succeeded, having decapitated Saints. Such battle records truly terrified all major powers; who wouldn't be wary, who wouldn't be afraid?

Now, Chu Feng was targeted by them. Someone had come to hunt him. And it seemed this was led by a seed-level Hunter.

Indeed, this person was incredibly powerful. Within the fiery red furnace, he had not died; he was still resisting, trying to break out, his eyes cold as he stared at Chu Feng.

However, after several attempts, he failed each time, unable to break through.

Then, he raised his hand and displayed a bronze plate, shaking it at Chu Feng. The character for “Exemption” was engraved on it.

Many people gasped in cold air!

“What does that mean?” The Black Ox, not understanding its significance, couldn't help but ask.

“This is a seed-level Hunter from the Sky Piercers. That is a divine plate bestowed by a great power of their race. If they are captured, they can present this plate to save their lives.”

“Damn it! They come to assassinate us, and they still expect to save their lives with a flimsy plate? What a pipe dream!” The Black Ox, Ouyang Feng, the old donkey, and others were enraged.

“A great power of the Sky Piercers is one of the most terrifying existences in the universe. They can hunt sub-Saints and assassinate Saints!” someone whispered.

“Upon seeing this plate, one should release them, as a sign of respect for the great power of the Sky Piercers…” someone began to say.

Just then, the seed-level Hunter trapped within the fiery red furnace once again shook the bronze plate in his hand, his eyes chillingly cold.

Chu Feng spoke, saying, “After trying to assassinate me, you’re still so aloof and noble, not saying a word, and repeatedly shaking that bronze plate at me. Are you ordering me, or demanding something from me? To be so disrespectful, are you courting death? Or are you courting death?! What can the Sky Piercers do?!”