Chapter 123: Quasi-Emperor Lianxing and the Star Origin Liquid
Crimson light illuminated the sky, setting half the heavens ablaze.
A streak of fiery radiance shot out from the Cave Dwelling engulfed in flames.
Equipped with the Sacred Jade Talisman, Chen Feng was escorted by the Burning Heaven True Saint. Even without the protective auras of Tuoba Wuxiang and Wang Yuandao, he no longer felt as though he might melt or turn to ashes at any moment.
In fact, it was even more comfortable than being shielded by the two of them.
Previously, under their protection, he had always sensed an overwhelming crisis, but now that feeling had completely vanished.
"Chen Feng, mortals cannot face a Saint directly."
"By 'mortals,' I mean those below the Transcendent Realm. The difference in life hierarchy makes it impossible for them to withstand the presence of a Saint," the Burning Heaven True Saint explained casually as they soared through the void. "The Sacred Jade Talisman isolates the natural life force field emitted by a Saint, preventing it from causing your life force to collapse."
Chen Feng was both enlightened and deeply shaken.
Mortals cannot face a Saint directly!
"Facing directly" referred to being in close proximity, and anyone below the Transcendent Realm was considered a mortal. The might of a Saint was truly terrifying to such an extent.
"Supreme Elder, how are the Saint Realm's levels divided?" Chen Feng asked curiously.
"The False Saint Realm, Minor Saint Realm, Middle Saint Realm, Major Saint Realm, True Saint Realm, Earth Saint Realm, Heaven Saint Realm, Saint King Realm, and Saint Lord Realm—these are the nine major realms of the Saint Realm. Each realm is further divided into initial, minor mastery, major mastery, and perfection stages," the Burning Heaven True Saint replied without hesitation. "However, the Saint Realm is still far beyond your current level. It's enough to know this much—no need to delve deeper, nor should you."
"This disciple will remember," Chen Feng said, not stubbornly insisting on pressing further.
"Supreme Elder, is the Lianxing Ancestor at the Saint Lord Realm?" A new question arose.
"Yes and no."
"The Lianxing Ancestor is a Quasi-Emperor, with strength surpassing that of a Saint Lord," the Burning Heaven True Saint answered, his tone filled with reverence and admiration.
Chen Feng's heart trembled uncontrollably.
Even though he had just begun forging his Invincible Heart, hearing the words "Quasi-Emperor" still evoked an indescribable sense of awe.
Above the Transcendent Realm was the Dao Integration Realm, and above that were the seven major Saint Realms. Only then came the Quasi-Emperor Realm.
The Saint Realm was already far beyond his current reach, let alone the Quasi-Emperor Realm.
"Supreme Elder, if our Huntian Sect still has Saints and even a Quasi-Emperor, why have we been continuously suppressed by the Tianyuan Sacred Land, declining over time?" Chen Feng couldn't help but ask.
"The Tianyuan Sacred Land also has Saints and Quasi-Emperors—no fewer than our Huntian Sect, if not more," the Burning Heaven True Saint replied with a faint smile. "The suppression is merely superficial. We can endure it for now unless they truly cross our bottom line, but the Tianyuan Sacred Land wouldn't dare to do so."
"Moreover, whether Saints or Quasi-Emperors, their lifespans are finite. Our Huntian Sect hasn't produced a new Saint in several thousand years, nor a Quasi-Emperor in over ten thousand. The remaining Saints and Quasi-Emperors are gradually exhausting their lifespans, so they avoid acting unless absolutely necessary, resorting to hibernation to slow the passage of time."
Chen Feng understood.
Sometimes, the most effective deterrence was letting others know of your power without revealing it outright.
If the Huntian Sect were to go all-out against the Tianyuan Sacred Land, the result would be annihilation—but the Tianyuan Sacred Land would also suffer significant losses.
The Eastern Wasteland had more than one Sacred Land, including the Nangong Imperial Clan and the Zhenwu Sacred Land.
If the Tianyuan Sacred Land suffers significant losses, would the Nangong Imperial Clan and the Zhenwu Sacred Land seize the opportunity to strike?
This is precisely the concern of the Tianyuan Sacred Land.
The complex situation has formed a delicate balance. Unless one possesses absolute strength, no one dares to rashly disrupt it.
After a brief exchange, the Burning Heaven True Saint brought Chen Feng to the entrance of a Cave Dwelling enveloped in layers of starlight divine radiance.
(To be continued...)
"Lianxing Ancestor, Burning Heaven has urgent matters to discuss."
The Burning Heaven True Saint landed before the Cave Dwelling shrouded in starlight divine radiance, bowing respectfully as he spoke in a clear voice.
After roughly a dozen breaths, the Cave Dwelling trembled slightly. The surrounding starlight divine radiance rippled like swirling star vortices, revealing a circular portal.
The Burning Heaven True Saint then led Chen Feng inside.
In that instant, Chen Feng once again felt as though he had crossed into another realm.
It no longer seemed like a Cave Dwelling but rather a vast expanse of starry sky.
Tiny specks of starlight floated and revolved around them, while in the distance, clusters of stars loomed, radiating layers of resplendent light.
"Burning Heaven, what urgent matter brings you here?" An ancient voice, seemingly emanating from all directions, rang out.
"Ancestor, please examine these first." The Burning Heaven True Saint immediately produced two jade slips.
The jade slips vanished in an instant.
After roughly three breaths, Chen Feng involuntarily shuddered, his soul and heart trembling as well. An indescribable sensation surged through his entire body, even causing his Invincible Heart to quiver as if on the verge of collapse.
Then, a colossal figure, a hundred meters tall, materialized within the dark void. Countless rays of divine radiance converged around it, with stars orbiting its form, exuding a majestic, profound, and boundless aura akin to a star deity.
As the towering figure appeared, the trembling sensation abruptly ceased.
Chen Feng realized he couldn't perceive even the slightest trace of the figure's aura.
"This technique and secret method are extraordinary beyond measure," the vast and ancient voice resounded once more.
"Indeed, Lianxing Ancestor..." The Burning Heaven True Saint promptly recounted the entire sequence of events.
"A wisp of the War Emperor Ancestor's true spirit... Could it be that the War Emperor Ancestor has not truly perished...?" The voice trembled with excitement as its gaze settled on Chen Feng. Chen Feng's body instinctively tensed, feeling as though he had been laid bare—except for the Divine Talisman Of Creation, which remained undetected.
"Qi and blood resembling a dragon, a body like glass, with three hundred and sixty acupoints opened, each as resilient as a spiritual weapon..."
"This child is extraordinary..."
The voice, brimming with excitement, now carried a hint of joy.
"Young one, recount your experience in detail," the Lianxing Ancestor said eagerly. Chen Feng had no choice but to meticulously describe his two challenges against the Huntian War Emperor's phantom within the Huntian Battle Tower.
"Young one, the next time you encounter the War Emperor Ancestor, you must ask him where he is," the Lianxing Ancestor instructed.
"As you command," Chen Feng replied respectfully.
"Since you are willing to dedicate such techniques and secret methods to the sect, the sect will not fail to reward you," the Lianxing Ancestor declared. "You are currently cultivating the Great Zhou Heaven Star Aperture Refining Technique, which requires the power of stars. In that case, I shall refine a few stars for you."
With those words, the towering figure vanished without a trace.
Chen Feng was left utterly bewildered.
Refine a few stars?
What did that mean?
Each word made sense, but strung together, they became incomprehensible.
Could it be...?
Chen Feng couldn't help but shake his head, thinking it impossible. Those were stars, after all.
"Chen Feng, the Lianxing Ancestor holds you in high regard," the Burning Heaven True Saint said with a laugh.
"Huh?" Chen Feng still didn’t quite understand.
"The Lianxing Ancestor must have gone into the starry sky to find suitable stars to refine and extract Star Origin Liquid. When the time comes, you’ll cultivate the Great Zhou Heaven Star Aperture Refining Technique using this liquid, and the effects will far surpass directly absorbing starlight," the Burning Heaven True Saint explained.
Chen Feng’s mind reeled.
It was true… he really went to refine stars. It was unbelievable.
The cultivation of the Great Zhou Heaven Star Aperture Refining Technique involved absorbing the power of stars, but in reality, it was only the radiance emitted by the stars—a difference of a thousandfold compared to the true power of a star.
After all, the power of stars was immense. Even those in the Return to Origin Realm couldn’t withstand it directly.
Chen Feng’s thoughts wandered.
"Could it be… that the Lianxing Ancestor earned his title precisely because he can refine stars?"
After waiting for nearly a day, the towering figure reappeared.
"Time is limited. I only refined a few planets to extract one bottle of Star Origin Liquid," the ancient, profound voice spoke again. Then, a jade bottle shimmering with starlight appeared before Chen Feng, its aura so potent and pure it was indescribable, like a tiny star itself.
When Chen Feng caught it, his arm nearly buckled under the weight—the bottle felt as heavy as 5,000 kilograms, forcing him to hold it with both hands.
"This Star Origin Liquid contains ten drops. You may consume and refine one drop each month."
"By the time you finish refining this bottle, you should have initially mastered the Star Aperture."
"At that point, you will have laid the foundation for an unparalleled Qi cultivation, and perhaps even have a chance to unlock the Human Body's Hidden Treasure and grasp Destiny Power by the Qi Sea Realm."
The Lianxing Ancestor’s ancient voice continued.
Chen Feng was once again baffled.
In this short time, it felt as though all the knowledge he had accumulated from over a year of cultivation in the Huntian Sect had been overturned.
"Ancestor, I already unlocked the Human Body's Hidden Treasure and grasped Destiny Power during the Body Forging Realm," Chen Feng couldn’t help but respond.
"Hahaha!"
Laughter erupted, shaking the surroundings. Stars trembled, and starlight cascaded like rain, a breathtakingly beautiful sight.
"Chen Feng, we unanimously believe that the human body possesses three Hidden Treasures: the Body's Hidden Treasure, the Qi's Hidden Treasure, and the Spirit's Hidden Treasure. The one unlocked during the Body Forging Realm is the Body's Hidden Treasure," the Burning Heaven True Saint explained. "By cultivating the Aperture Opening, Meridian Forging, and Qi Sea Realms to their limits and laying an unparalleled foundation, one may unlock the Qi's Hidden Treasure. Similarly, mastering the Divine Wheel Realm to its peak offers a chance to unlock the Spirit's Hidden Treasure."
Chen Feng suddenly understood.
All this time, he had thought there was only one Human Body's Hidden Treasure.
The reason the outside world only spoke of the Human Body's Hidden Treasure was because it referred to the Body's Hidden Treasure—the easiest to unlock.
As for the Qi's Hidden Treasure and the Spirit's Hidden Treasure, their difficulty was ten times greater. The challenge was so immense that no one in the history of the Huntian Sect, or even the entire Eastern Wasteland, had ever unlocked them—not even the Huntian War Emperor himself.
Over time, they had been forgotten.
Learning all this, Chen Feng’s heart burned with fervor.
"Ancestor, Supreme Elder, what would happen if one were to unlock all Three Great Human Body's Hidden Treasures?" Chen Feng couldn't help but ask in return.
"We don't know for certain. Throughout the history of the Eastern Wasteland and even the Linghuang Domain, no one has ever unlocked the Qi's Hidden Treasure or the Spirit's Hidden Treasure," the Burning Heaven True Saint replied.
"Based on speculation, if one could unlock all Three Great Human Body's Hidden Treasures, not only would they become truly invincible in the same realm, but they would also tap into the body's greatest potential. There may even be other benefits. At that point, breaking through to realms like the Quasi-Emperor or even the Emperor realm would become far easier," the Lianxing Ancestor said.
However, it was all conjecture.
But having already unlocked the Body's Hidden Treasure, Chen Feng was well aware of its benefits.
If he could also unlock the Qi's Hidden Treasure and the Spirit's Hidden Treasure...
Chen Feng silently resolved himself—no matter what, he would definitely unlock both the Qi's Hidden Treasure and the Spirit's Hidden Treasure.
Only then could he truly forge an unparalleled foundation.