Chapter 78: Secret Species Growth

The seed had rooted and sprouted, brimming with vitality, glowing in the night.

Inside the stone box, the green sprout, like a translucent agate, pierced through the unusual soil, emitting a powerful aura of life.

Chu Feng, who had been exhausted, felt his entire body relax after taking a deep breath.

He had been running all day and fighting Chen Hai at night, expending a tremendous amount of energy. Yet, a mere tender sprout had dispelled his fatigue, leaving him feeling completely refreshed.

It was a clear green, as if carved from jade, and was growing visibly. From breaking through the soil as a tender shoot to reaching half a foot in height, its growth occurred entirely under Chu Feng's watchful eye.

In an instant, it had already grown four leaves.

It resembled both a tree and a plant, its exact nature unclear for now. As it continued to grow, green light emanated from it, cascading downwards.

Chu Feng took deep breaths, feeling his strength return. He began to increase his running speed, heading towards the more dangerous regions within the primordial mountains.

He needed time to temporarily evade Chen Hai, as he could not be found at this critical moment!

The mysterious plant continued to grow, its speed slightly slowing, but becoming even more extraordinary. A faint mist permeated the air, shrouding the green light and making the entire plant appear hazy.

Chu Feng was intimately familiar with such mountains, having trained there multiple times with the Yellow Ox, battling various fierce beasts and predatory birds. He knew their habits like the back of his hand.

This was an advantage he had long considered, planning to use it against Chen Hai.

A sulfurous swamp lay ahead. Chu Feng glanced at it and immediately knew that fire crocodiles were likely hidden within.

He weaved through the marsh, carefully choosing his steps, then passed through it like a gust of wind.

He understood the creatures' habits and could roughly pinpoint their hiding spots by the smell of sulfur and the distribution of wet and dry areas in the swamp.

"This is a formidable creature," Chu Feng thought, "I hope it causes Chen Hai some trouble!" He had encountered them before and knew their power firsthand.

He moved incredibly fast, traversing the swamp and crossing mountain ridges, deliberately choosing the most dangerous areas. By utilizing his knowledge of the unique creatures, he effectively avoided them.

As for Chen Hai, who was behind him, he wouldn't be able to pass through so easily.

Chu Feng was certain that if Chen Hai wanted to catch up, it would require significant effort, and he might even get injured.

Ahead, between two mountains, the miasma was dense.

Chu Feng stopped. He sniffed the air and detected a familiar scent of blood. He quickly found a plant in a thorny bush, crushed it, and smeared it on his body, which emitted a very strange odor.

Then, he sped through the misty area between the two mountains.

A colossal, snow-white creature on the mountain looked down, watched him go, and paid him no further mind.

Chu Feng traveled straight through dangerous zones. Several times, he himself nearly encountered crises but passed through with a fright and no harm.

The forest grew increasingly primeval, filled with prehistoric beasts. Some of these monsters were so powerful that if Chu Feng were to encounter them directly, he would have no choice but to flee, as he couldn't possibly fight them.

The deeper he went, the more terrifying it became, with hidden overlord-level creatures.

Chu Feng knew he couldn't continue like this. If he blindly sought out dangerous areas, even with his knowledge of the creatures' habits, he would likely lose his life.

Ahead, mountains stood in clusters, none of them very high.

Chu Feng subtly infiltrated the area. There were many similar peaks here, and a rash intrusion into the dense miasma could easily lead to getting lost.

"That should be enough!"

Chu Feng felt he must have shaken off Chen Hai and had gained enough time to stop.

This was because the plant in the stone box was growing even faster, swaying in the wind. He was worried that continuing to run at such high speed might accidentally break it.

Now, it was over a meter tall, vibrant green all over, pouring forth an unparalleled life force, emitting a halo, and becoming increasingly extraordinary.

Chu Feng chose a favorable position, sat down to rest, and placed the stone box on the ground.

Ancient trees towered over this mountainous area, and constant beast roars echoed in the distance.

"Is this a vine or a tree?" he wondered in surprise.

It was definitely not grass; its main stem was as thick as a thumb, extending upward to over a meter in height, branching out along the way like tree limbs or possibly tendrils.

Resembling both a tree and a vine, it stood upright but was slightly soft and curved, as if seeking something to entwine around.

Both its leaves and its stem were a single color: tender green, so fresh it seemed to drip, and constantly radiating a vigorous aura.

Its leaves were peculiar, shaped exactly like human hands, glowing green. When the night wind blew, the entire plant seemed to move like a thousand-armed deity.

There were patterns on the leaves, which upon closer inspection, resembled the mysterious markings on the original seed.

The main stem also had these patterns, which were even clearer and more deeply etched.

From a distance, a fresh green light enveloped the plant, appearing slightly hazy within the miasma, tranquil, peaceful, and incredibly mysterious.

The stone box remained unchanged throughout, still ancient and perfectly still.

"Huh?!" Chu Feng exclaimed in surprise, as the plant exhibited another anomaly.

It grew taller against the wind, reaching about 1.5 meters, and its roots rapidly extended from the stone box, embedding themselves into the surrounding soil.

These roots were also green and remarkably translucent.

Many rootlets continuously pierced the soil, absorbing the nutrients the plant needed.

Soon, the stone box was covered and buried by shimmering green roots.

Chu Feng's eyes sparkled as he stared intently at its transformation.

Ever since the seed began its transformation in the stone box, he had known it would likely sprout within a few days. He hadn't expected it to be even faster, growing out tonight.

He was filled with anticipation, a sense of joy akin to a successful harvest.

In this area, the miasma gradually dispersed, and moonlight began to fall.

Beneath the bright moon, the plant became even more translucent and exquisitely green, captivating to the eye.

Ultimately, it stopped growing when it reached a man's height.

Though it looked like a green vine, it didn't need to wrap around other objects; it could stand upright. It had several branches, adorned with many jade-green, hand-shaped leaves.

Wisps of mist emanated from it, and soft green light flowed, making the whole plant appear incredibly miraculous.

Suddenly, the tip of the green vine emitted an exceptionally brilliant light, accompanied by an unparalleled surge of life force, dozens of times more potent than before!

Chu Feng was astonished, his gaze fixed on the spot.

At the vine's tip, a dazzling green light bloomed, somewhat blinding. A green bud emerged there; upon closer inspection, it was a flower bud, growing from small to large!

Chu Feng watched nervously, yet also with great excitement.

All of this was incredible; the seed, once dormant, had awakened and was growing at an astonishing, almost unbelievable, speed.

The green light flowed, cascading down from the vine's tip, becoming even softer.

The bright moon shone, its silvery light illuminating the vine on the ground, making it appear even more extraordinary and brilliantly luminous.

Elsewhere, Chen Hai's face was cold. He moved through the mountains like a beast, tracking Chu Feng.

Since entering the forest, he had killed countless fierce birds and wild beasts, his body covered in blood.

He could silence an entire mountain forest, leaving various land beasts and exotic birds trembling in fear, but upon entering the next area, he would be attacked again.

He clearly felt that the monsters he encountered were becoming increasingly powerful.

Boom!

As he entered a swamp, the silence was shattered. The previously stagnant, wet ground suddenly erupted with mud, and a fiery red crocodile burst forth.

Its entire body was covered in scarlet scales, and when it opened its mouth, a stream of flames erupted, illuminating the entire swamp. The heat was immense, as if the very air was about to collapse from the inferno.

"Samadhi True Fire?!" Chen Hai was startled and quickly retreated.

The flames surged, drying up the swamp, destroying all surrounding trees, and causing lava to flow.

The transformation from swamp to lava field happened in an instant, utterly abrupt.

Chen Hai moved like lightning, retreating over a hundred meters. His martial arts practice had reached a divine level; his strength was terrifying, his movements incredibly agile, and his speed astonishing.

Having retreated far enough, Chen Hai's expression was grim. The increasingly powerful monsters were costing him too much time.

"Just a bit of Samadhi True Fire, and I actually thought you could incinerate everything in the world. Die!" he said coldly, striking down anything that blocked his path with a single punch.

Rumble!

The area vibrated violently, the lava field boiled, and the fire crocodile, surprisingly, could fly, having grown wings.

However, Chen Hai was like a great demon, his fist prints invincible, quickly shattering the flames.

Poof!

With one punch, he exploded the fire crocodile's head. The fifteen-meter-long corpse crashed to the ground, shaking the earth.

However, Chen Hai also sustained minor injuries; one arm was slightly blackened by the flames. Although it wasn't serious, being wounded still angered him.

Whoosh!

He charged out, covering a hundred meters in a single leap.

Along the way, he consistently dealt fatal blows, leaving the areas he traversed drenched in blood. He annihilated any monster he encountered; he was a ruthless individual, and undeniably incredibly powerful.

Ahead, the miasma was very heavy, and there seemed to be danger lurking between the two mountains.

Chen Hai, being extremely powerful and having keen divine senses, detected something.

But he believed his speed was sufficient to charge through.

However, the unique beast here was too terrifying. When it caught the scent of an interesting prey, it descended from the sky, carrying a large net, which it cast towards Chen Hai.

"What is that thing?!" Even someone as strong as Chen Hai was startled.

It was a massive creature, twenty meters tall, entirely snow-white, resembling a spider with numerous legs, but its head was like a lion's, fierce and grotesque.

The monster spun silk, which formed white strands, intending to entangle Chen Hai.

"Get lost!" he roared in fury.

The spider silk, as thick as an arm, was terrifying; if it truly wrapped around his body, he would likely be in great trouble.

Chen Hai swiftly dodged and unleashed his most powerful fist techniques, continuously striking into the air.

Boom boom boom...

Between the two mountains, it felt as if a great earthquake had occurred. Chen Hai, enraged, continuously leaped, his force so great that he cracked the earth beneath him.

It took him a full fifteen minutes to break through, with some white spider silk still clinging to his body. His face was livid.

On his shoulder was a bleeding hole, almost completely pierced through, with blood flowing freely.

Although he had killed the monster, it had been a struggle. It was an overlord in the nearby region, exceptionally powerful. In its final moments, a snow-white spider leg, sharper than a war spear, had thrust out, almost piercing his body.

Nevertheless, Chen Hai was truly terrifying. Utilizing the true essence of Xingyi Fist, he utterly obliterated the twenty-meter-tall monster, its mangled remains scattering and leaving the area in ruins.

"You may understand the habits of the monsters in the primordial mountains, but do you truly think this can stop me, or even eliminate me?!" Chen Hai's expression was grim and cold.

He had guessed correctly; Chu Feng indeed intended to use the primeval forest against him.

Earlier, from a distance, Chen Hai had observed a strange, green object on Chu Feng.

Chu Feng realized Chen Hai's greed was immense when he stopped the woman from reporting. So, Chu Feng further provoked him by letting him see the stone box, which ultimately led Chen Hai to kill her to silence witnesses and relentlessly pursue Chu Feng into the mountains.

Chu Feng, understanding the habits of various monsters, planned to use their power to severely injure Chen Hai, then finish him off with a surprise attack.

His worst-case scenario was to consume the purple-gold pine nut, rapidly evolve, and then seek an opportunity to eliminate Chen Hai.

No information could leak, or there would certainly be major trouble!

"You're dead!" Chen Hai's face was dark, filled with intense killing intent. Like a demonic king, he strode through the forest, walking through blood.

Although he had been delayed significantly, he believed Chu Feng would not escape his grasp.

He had mastered the "way" of Xingyi Fist, possessing terrifying intuition, and could always find Chu Feng's tracks, following him relentlessly and slowly closing in.

Chen Hai felt that his opponent couldn't escape and was destined to be killed!

In the mountainous area, Chu Feng watched with immense joy as the wondrous vine produced a flower bud, which rapidly grew larger.

He let out a sigh of relief; he wouldn't need to consume the purple-gold pine nut to evolve. He could simply wait for the bud to bloom and absorb what the Yellow Ox had called the "catalyst."

To ordinary people, the purple-gold pine nut was priceless, a single one harder to find than ten thousand pieces of gold! After all, it could enable rapid evolution, making one immensely powerful and even extending lifespan.

But for Chu Feng, the choice was difficult.

If he simply wanted to be a very strong extraordinary person, there would be no problem in consuming it. However, he knew the truth and wished to go further.

After consuming exotic fruits, there would be drawbacks in the later stages!

Even though these "later stages" might be incredibly distant, Chu Feng remained extremely wary.

To ordinary people, the purple-gold pine nut was an invaluable treasure, but for him, it was a hot potato.

Hum!

Suddenly, the wondrous vine swayed, glowing jade green all over; it was about to bloom.

The entire plant was shimmering green, including the flower bud itself, which was now as large as a bowl. It was already releasing faint wisps of fragrance, on the verge of full bloom!