Chapter 260: Crystal Jade Cosmic Country, Cosmic Wonder Twin Rivers! Triggering

Chapter 260: Crystal Jade Cosmic Kingdom, Cosmic Wonder Twin Rivers! Triggering the Cosmic Will Mission! Twin Masks!

In the depths of the universe, silence is the eternal theme.

The light of stars takes tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of years to cross vast distances and reach another starry sky.

On this boundless dark canvas, any glimmer of civilization stands out strikingly.

Qin Feng hovered in the void, surrounded by a naturally generated spiritual psychic energy field, shielding him from cosmic rays and extreme cold.

His gaze pierced through countless light-years, locking onto the radiant star domain ahead, shimmering with a hazy glow.

The structure of that star domain was extremely orderly, not like a naturally formed galaxy cluster, but more like a magnificent creation meticulously planned and built by intelligent life.

Countless stars were arranged like chess pieces, forming a massive array, with countless points of light shuttling back and forth, presenting a prosperous and orderly scene.

His psychic power had already extended like invisible tendrils, cautiously touching the edge of that civilization.

He could sense the vast psychic energy contained within, stable and peaceful, but beneath this peace lurked several powerful auras that even made his heart tremble.

"According to the information given by Sun Shantang, by the time I arrived at the Battlefield of Ten Thousand Races, the struggle for the cosmic artifact had already begun. It probably hasn't ended yet."

Qin Feng's consciousness raced through his mind, conducting a calm analysis.

More than a hundred years had passed since his escape from Thunder Elephant Mountain, and every second was precious to him.

"But it's almost over. Time is tight. If I take a detour, I might be too late."

Detouring around this unknown civilization would mean spending at least several decades in tedious jumps through barren cosmic routes.

For a treasure struggle that had already lasted thousands of years, the final decades often determined the ultimate ownership.

He could not afford to be late.

"But if I don't detour, if this is a cosmic kingdom, it's fine. But if it's a settlement of the Ten Thousand Races, it's even more dangerous."

Qin Feng's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Cosmic kingdoms were usually established by one or several powerful beings, adhering to relatively neutral and commercial rules, serving as transit points and supply stations for cosmic travelers.

As long as one followed the rules, safety was generally guaranteed.

But if it was a stronghold built by a peak race, like the human cosmic cities, or military bases of Star Beasts, Zerg, Light Race, etc., then entering would be like a lamb walking into a tiger's den, inviting endless pursuit.

"Unfortunately, the star map has no introduction to this area. Perhaps no one has ever explored it, or this kingdom was established after the star map was updated. After all, the star map I'm using is from a hundred thousand years ago."

A hundred thousand years was an unimaginably long time for mortals, but for cosmic powerhouses and civilizations that measured their lifespan in epochs, it was merely a short history.

A new cosmic kingdom rising during this time was entirely possible.

What he faced now was a life-or-death decision made under information asymmetry.

Should he gamble that the civilization ahead was a peaceful cosmic kingdom, take a shortcut, and save time?

Or should he choose the safest route, detour, and risk missing the opportunity?

Qin Feng's core character combined the caution and patience of a hunter with the decisiveness and boldness of a gambler.

He was accustomed to incorporating all information into his calculations before acting, deducing the highest success rate.

But now, lacking key information, he fell into brief hesitation.

Just then, an indescribably grand will descended without warning.

This will did not come from any direction—not front, back, left, right, up, or down.

It seemed to originate from the universe itself, from every inch of space, every particle, even from the depths of Qin Feng's own consciousness.

Time seemed to freeze at this moment. The light of distant stars solidified in the void. Qin Feng's mind could still function, but his body could not move.

He felt like a drop of water merging into the ocean, completely enveloped and scrutinized by a higher-dimensional existence.

This was—the Cosmic Will.

Beings roaming the Battlefield of Ten Thousand Races had a slim chance of being noticed by this supreme existence and triggering special events.

Qin Feng hadn't expected that, just after ending a spectacular chase and standing at a crossroads of choice, he would encounter the Cosmic Will again.

Then, before his eyes, in the endless void, faint blue light particles gathered and condensed out of nowhere, forming a huge, translucent virtual panel.

The text on the panel was not in any known racial language but a stream of information. When Qin Feng's consciousness touched it, its meaning directly and clearly appeared in his mind.

[You have triggered a random mission]

[Seize the cosmic artifact "Twin Masks" and follow the fixed route to reach the Thunder Legion]

[Mission Reward: Singularity evolves into "Terminal Singularity"]

[Mission Failure: No penalty]

[Note: After obtaining the Twin Masks, your location coordinates will be refreshed and exposed every Imperial Year. At the same time, you gain the ability to briefly tear space over a short distance once per Imperial Year.]

[Hostile mission has been issued...]

[Hostile mission recipients: Nightfall, Wild, Neil, Death Knell, Blazing Flame, Water Mo, Tucker, Black Jade, Poison Bee...]

[Route star map has been issued...]

[Mission Rating: Death Difficulty]

[Introduction:

Terminal Singularity: A Dao foundation surpassing the Eternal Singularity, bringing massive improvements in multiple dimensions: thinking ability, psychic quality, physical strength, structural efficiency, learning efficiency, psychic energy recovery efficiency...

The multi-dimensional enhancement is approximately a hundred times that of the Eternal Singularity.]

Qin Feng's pupils suddenly constricted. Even with his rock-solid state of mind, upon seeing all the content on the panel, a storm surged within him.

He was completely stunned, utterly shaken by this sudden random mission.

First, there was the incredible mission reward—the Terminal Singularity.

Qin Feng's goal, the supreme limit pursued by countless prodigies, was the "Eternal Singularity."

That was the unparalleled Dao foundation achieved only after forging an indestructible projection spanning millions of light-years. The cost was hundreds of times more resources during construction, hundreds of times harder to temper psychic power, and thousands or tens of thousands of times harder to compress into the Eternal Singularity!

Once accomplished, it meant having the most perfect foundation on the path to the Black Hole level, with explosive growth in the efficiency of learning and analyzing cosmic knowledge.

But now, the Cosmic Will had presented a concept he had never heard of, one even his master had never mentioned—the "Terminal Singularity."

Surpassing the Eternal Singularity!

The multi-dimensional enhancement was approximately a hundred times that of the Eternal Singularity!

Just these few words made Qin Feng feel suffocated.

A hundredfold difference—what a terrifying concept!

This was no longer a difference in quantity but a chasm in quality.

Every aspect of improvement mentioned in the introduction precisely targeted the core needs of powerhouses.

The reward was too immense.

In the entire history of the universe, beings possessing such a supreme Dao foundation were probably, as the introduction said, fewer than the fingers on one hand.

Each one must stand at the pinnacle of billions of beings, overlooking the cycles of epochs as supreme existences.

However, corresponding to this immense gain was a risk equally vast.

Looking at the mission content, it was even more perilous to the extreme.

First, he needed to seize the "Twin Masks."

This meant he had to intervene in a struggle that had already lasted for millennia, and amidst the watchful eyes of countless top prodigies, emerge as the final victor.

Second, and most fatal: after obtaining the mask, his coordinates would be exposed once every year.

This was nothing short of a death warrant!

It meant he would become a living target for all hostile mission acceptors, with no chance to lurk or bide his time.

Every year, his location would be precisely made public, drawing endless pursuers.

His only reliance was the annual "brief, short-range space-tearing ability."

This ability was undoubtedly a powerful trump card for survival, but the words "brief" and "short-range" imposed severe limitations.

On the vast scale of the cosmos, how much use a short-range teleport could be was entirely unknown.

What weighed even heavier on Qin Feng's heart was the list of hostile mission acceptors.

Ye Yun, Kuang Ye, Neil, Tucker... one familiar and powerful name after another, nearly encompassing all the top opponents he had encountered at the Bodhi Flower, the Ancient Luo King Ruins, and the Thunderous Mountain.

Each of these individuals was a peerless prodigy on the Hidden Dragon List, each possessing terrifying combat power to challenge higher realms, and backed by mighty races and forces.

Before long, their common goal would be—to hunt Qin Feng!

Add to that a fixed route, and Qin Feng faced not just pursuit, but also ambushes, encirclements, and blockades—nothing less. To escape alive and reach the territory of the Thunder Cosmic City... the difficulty was immense!

It could be said to be a near-certain death!

The grand will slowly receded, space resumed its flow, and the distant starlight began its journey anew.

That pale blue panel also transformed into a pure stream of information, merging into Qin Feng's sea of consciousness, containing an exceedingly detailed yet lethally dangerous route star chart.

Qin Feng hovered in place, motionless for a long time.

His mind was racing at a speed beyond light, analyzing this sudden life-or-death chess game.

Could he refuse?

From the way the mission was issued, it was not mandatory.

The cosmic will had merely presented a choice—a choice to gamble with life for a supreme future.

He could completely ignore it, turn around and leave, cultivate in peace and stability, relying on his current "Eternal Singularity" foundation, spend a great deal of time crossing the Black Hole level, and almost certainly become a Domain Lord, Marquis, or even King-level powerhouse in the future.

But who among those who become Domain Lords is not a prodigy?

Take the human race, for instance: seventy percent of those who ascend to the Domain Lord level are prodigies screened from various war legions, all possessing Eternal Singularity!

The cultivation methods of the myriad races differ, but they are largely similar.

By then, Qin Feng's advantages would be greatly diminished.

But...

If he obtained the Terminal Singularity, his physical constitution, spiritual quality, and everything else would be a hundred times that of his peers!

That was the posture of invincibility at the same level!

In Qin Feng's eyes, a spark of blazing fire was ignited.

Retreat? Safety?

That was not his martial path.

From a youth with a damaged foundation on the Star of Dawn to today's human prodigy renowned across the star sea, every step of his journey had been a dance on the blade's edge, a snatching of food from the tiger's mouth.

At Thunderous Mountain, facing the siege of dozens of top prodigies and Black Hole-level experts, he dared to lurk among them and ultimately snatch the prize.

At the Ancient Luo King Ruins, facing the combined strike of twelve prodigies, he dared to withstand it and seize the treasure.

The risks were immense, the odds of survival slim, the difficulties numerous—but the gains were equally great!

Such was his nature.

The temptation of the Terminal Singularity was irresistible to any powerhouse pursuing the pinnacle of martial arts.

He could not imagine what terrifying heights he would reach when he possessed the "Terminal Singularity," a foundation a hundred times stronger than the "Eternal Singularity."

Most crucially, after Qin Feng's analysis, he had a thirty percent chance of success—he was not without support.

"Backed by the human race..."

He murmured to himself.

His experiences at Thunderous Mountain and the Ancient Luo King Ruins had made it clear: the human high-ups had been watching over top geniuses like him.

The protection of Marquis Cloudbat, the guidance of his senior brother Marquis Firelin, and the tacit understanding at Thunderous Mountain that forbade high-level experts from entering—all showed he was not fighting alone.

The news that he was being openly hunted by the myriad races had likely already spread, and human powerhouses would not stand idly by.

Whether by dispatching experts or political maneuvering, they would surely take action.

As long as there was a glimmer of hope, Qin Feng would fight for it!

Qin Feng's gaze turned to the newly appeared star chart in his sea of consciousness.

The starting point of the star chart was a cosmic wonder called the "Twin Rivers," where the cosmic artifact "Twin Masks" was located.

The endpoint was an immensely vast, glowing sphere covering hundreds of billions of star systems, named "Thunder Cosmic City."

The mission required him to strictly follow a fixed route charted on the star map, from the Twin Rivers to the territory of Thunder Cosmic City.

Once he deviated from the route, the mission would be considered failed.

"In other words, my trajectory is fixed, and enemies can set up ambushes along the route in advance..."

Qin Feng instantly saw the insidiousness of this rule.

This was not just a chase; it was a prolonged gauntlet.

But at the same time, he also saw a glimmer of hope.

The good news was that the territory sphere of Thunder Cosmic City was extremely vast, encompassing billions of star systems. He did not need to precisely reach the cosmic city; as long as he broke into that sphere, he would succeed.

Another piece of good news was the annual short-range space teleportation.

"This ability is the key to breaking the deadlock."

Qin Feng carefully studied the description of this ability.

It could tear space in an instant, performing a jump that could not be tracked or locked by conventional means.

In a desperate situation of being surrounded on all sides, this was the only chance for survival.

He had to use each teleportation opportunity at the most critical moment.

Moreover, the route map was not entirely a death trap.

Along that long route, many large and small cosmic nations and civilizations were marked.

Most of these places had cross-galactic teleportation arrays.

"Short-range space teleportation, plus teleportation arrays..."

Qin Feng's thoughts gradually became clear. "As long as I plan properly, my movement speed will be extremely fast."

He could use teleportation arrays for long-range strategic repositioning, and at key nodes, employ spatial teleportation to shake off pursuers or bypass the most dangerous traps.

This combination allowed him to seize a sliver of initiative amidst a passive chase.

"I do have some chance."

Qin Feng began to calmly assess his odds of success.

"If I can successfully advance to the Black Hole level, with all my hidden cards, the success rate is thirty percent."

Thirty percent was an astonishingly high number for a "death-difficulty" mission.

The success or failure of this mission hinged on two key points.

First, whether he could seize the "Twin Masks" in the Twin River, surrounded by powerful enemies.

This was the prerequisite for everything.

If he failed, all subsequent plans would be empty talk.

Second, after advancing to the Black Hole level, whether he could continuously improve his strength during the long pursuit, and whether he could, following the most perfect plan, shake off the hunts of those myriad-race prodigies time and again.

"Along this road, there are many myriad-race forces. To carve out a bloody path, I must rely on hard strength to overcome obstacles and slay foes..."

Qin Feng took a deep breath, as if drawing the cold vacuum of space into his lungs.

In his eyes, all hesitation and doubt had vanished, replaced by a desperate resolve and soaring battle intent.

Then, he refocused his attention on the unknown civilization before him.

In the star map given by the universe's will, this region was also marked.

[Crystal Jade Cosmic Kingdom].

The introduction was simple: a neutral cosmic kingdom founded by the Black Hole-level crystal race being "Crystal Jade," whose purpose was to build a safe and efficient teleportation platform for traveling cosmic beings, sustaining its operation and development through teleportation resource fees.

"Crystal race... Black Hole-level powerhouse... neutral kingdom..."

Qin Feng understood instantly.

This ruler named Crystal Jade was clearly a powerhouse with a keen business sense.

He occupied a key transportation hub, not expanding or conquering, but running a "toll station" and "service area" business.

This model was not uncommon in the universe; in fact, it was quite prevalent.

The reason Qin Feng had taken so long to encounter the first one was entirely due to the immense scale of the universe. Even with his Crimson Gold Wings, his speed was still painfully slow on a stellar scale measured in tens of thousands of light-years.

Although this crystal race powerhouse was only at the Black Hole level, not top-tier on the grand stage of the myriad races, it was more than enough to shelter beings below the Black Hole level and maintain basic order within the kingdom.

Of course, if a more powerful existence, such as a Black Hole-level powerhouse or a Black Hole-level Chaos Demon, passed by, whether they would abide by his rules was another matter.

But at least for Qin Feng at the moment, it was safe here.

"I can use the crystal race's teleportation array to reach a star system near the Twin River, saving a lot of time."

Qin Feng made his judgment immediately.

Since the universe's will had already paved the way for him, his previous hesitation was meaningless.

The Crystal Jade Cosmic Kingdom before him was no longer an unknown risk, but the first stepping stone on his death mission.

Time was life.

The struggle for the Twin River had lasted for thousands of years; he had to arrive as quickly as possible to get a share in the final battle, or even... seize it all!

He must hurry!

With this thought, Qin Feng hesitated no longer.

Energy surged within him, the void behind him twisted slightly, and a pair of magnificent wings composed of countless crimson-gold divine feathers slowly unfurled.

Each feather was inscribed with profound runes, their radiance instantly illuminating the dark cosmic space.

Whoosh—!

With a gentle flap of his Crimson Gold Wings, Qin Feng's figure transformed into a golden streak piercing heaven and earth, darting at extreme speed toward the brilliant and bustling Crystal Jade Cosmic Kingdom ahead.

...

Qin Feng's figure, like an insignificant speck of dust, silently merged into the outer star regions of the Crystal Jade Cosmic Kingdom.

A hundred years had passed since the earth-shattering pursuit at Thunder Elephant Mountain.

This century of desperate flight had caused his once-sharp aura to become even more restrained, like a divine weapon sheathed in the deepest scabbard, revealing not a trace of cold light.

With a thought, the vast life force and crimson-gold mental energy within him, enough to shake stars, began to rapidly contract and settle, transforming from surging rivers and seas into a deep, ancient well, calm and unruffled.

He took out a black robe from his subspace storage unit.

It was no treasure, but something he had woven from plant fibers containing faint spiritual energy, gathered on a whim from a primitive planet he had passed.

Its style was simple, its texture rough—the most common attire of the lowly beings in the universe who had not yet reached the planetary level and struggled on the edge of survival.

When the black robe enveloped his body, Qin Feng's entire demeanor underwent a radical transformation.

He slightly hunched his frame, retracting the uprightness and confidence forged through countless battles, and the sharpness and depth in his eyes were replaced by a perfectly measured confusion and awe.

At this moment, he was no longer the empire's chief who could contend with myriad-race prodigies and draw the gaze of countless powerhouses, but rather a weak being leaving its home star for the first time, filled with fear and curiosity toward the vast cosmos.

This was a disguise ingrained in his very bones—a full-spectrum mimicry from form to expression, from life force field to mental energy fluctuation.

For Qin Feng, who had mastered the "Ten Complete Hands" to perfection and possessed an unimaginable degree of self-control, this was not difficult.

After suppressing all his "presence," Qin Feng piloted a dilapidated micro-warp ship, also seized from space pirates, and mingled with the endless stream of vessels, slowly approaching a massive teleportation platform on the outskirts of the Crystal Jade Cosmic Kingdom.

This platform was built on a modified giant asteroid, its surface pitted and scarred, covered with countless energy conduits and rune arrays, appearing rugged yet practical.

Countless ships of various shapes landed and took off here, and all sorts of bizarre cosmic races mingled together, their clamor filtered through energy shields into a humming background noise.

Clearly, this Black Hole-level empire founder named "Crystal Jade" was a powerhouse with considerable expertise in spatial knowledge.

Even on this remote outer platform, the energy fluctuations of the teleportation array were remarkably stable, its construction technology far surpassing the ordinary civilizations Qin Feng had seen during the Cosmic Genius Tournament.

Qin Feng disembarked from his ship, abandoned the wrecked vessel in a public berth, and merged into the bustling crowd of beings, heading toward the teleportation array.

But after a few steps, he paused slightly, his gaze caught by the content looping on the platform's public information screen.

It was a wanted poster, or rather, a bounty notice.

And at the very center of the notice was his own portrait.

The portrait was not static; it was composed of clips from battle footage, dynamically displaying his figure and face.

He held the spear "Star-Swallower," wore the power armor "Limit," and his crimson-gold mental energy blazed like fire, exuding unparalleled might.

Below the image was dense text.

[Wanted Target: Human Warrior, Qin Feng]

[Realm Assessment: Half-step Black Hole level, possibility of having broken through to Black Hole level]

[Distinctive Features: Mental energy quality is crimson-gold, top human prodigy, combat power far exceeds peers, extremely formidable]

[Carried Treasures Introduction:

1. Fragment of King-level Secret Treasure [Guluo Bell].

II. The Carrier of the Imperial-Level Legacy [Thunder Emperor Legacy].

III. Two Celestial Arms (a long spear and power armor).]

[Issuing Parties: The Light Clan, the Golden-Armored Giant Beast Clan, the Necromancer Clan, the Stone Clan, the Mechanical Clan… (dozens of races jointly signed).]

[Reward Details: Any living being who can provide precise traces of him, after verification as true information, may go to the territory of any of the above races with this information to receive a vast amount of cultivation resources. The value of the resources is enough to allow an ordinary galaxy-level powerhouse to break through to the black hole level!]

Qin Feng looked at his own image on the light screen, and at the bounty that would drive countless black hole-level powerhouses mad with desire, and couldn’t help but show a wry smile.

“It’s been exactly a hundred years since I fled from Thunder Phase Mountain with the Thunder Cocoon,” he murmured to himself. “I never expected my ‘fame’ to have reached such a level.”

This wanted poster, or rather bounty notice, was now likely plastered all over the 1300th Star Sector beyond the borders of the human race—on countless cosmic nations, countless life-bearing planets, and countless interstellar shipping hubs. It could be said that among the intelligent beings of the entire star sector, there were probably few who did not know the name Qin Feng.

Any one of the Celestial Arms, the King-Sealing Secret Treasure, or the Imperial Legacy would be enough to attract countless greedy gazes. With all three gathered on one person, the allure multiplied geometrically. In theory, such temptation would be enough to make Domain Lords, or even Marquis-level powerhouses, personally hunt him down.

Yet in reality, over the past century, aside from the earth-shattering pursuit at the very beginning, he had not encountered any interception by powerhouses above the black hole level. Now, the myriad races had only issued this kind of information bounty, which seemed grand in scale but was actually inefficient.

Qin Feng knew full well what this meant behind the scenes. “The upper echelons of the human race have already made their move.”

Whether it was his master, the Swallowing Heaven King, or his senior brother, the Fire Scale Marquis, or other human Kings, Emperors, and even higher-level Sages, or even Universe Lords… In short, the human race must have engaged in fierce political maneuvering with the myriad races at a higher level that he knew nothing about.

The final result was to forcibly limit the level of this conflict to the younger generation, or to the black hole level and below. This was both an understanding and a compromise. The myriad races could offer a bounty for his information and send their prodigies to besiege him, but if they dispatched older-generation powerhouses to bully the weak, then the human race would retaliate with bloody vengeance in the same manner.

“The speed at which the myriad races spread information is indeed astonishing,” Qin Feng mused as he walked toward the inspection checkpoint of the teleportation array. “Without the sub-space sanctuaries opened by an Emperor, they can only use that chaotic and dangerous ‘harmful sub-space,’ which is constantly under the gaze of evil gods. This also means that their sub-space network lacks any true ‘private domain,’ and information is, to some extent, shared and common. This is both an advantage and a disadvantage.”

The advantage lay in the extremely high efficiency of information transmission—a bounty notice could spread across countless star systems in a very short time. The disadvantage was that this network was filled with chaos, pollution, and the risk of being spied upon by Chaos, making it impossible to establish stable, secure, and efficient internal communications and virtual systems like the human race.

Ahead, the cosmic army of the Crystal Jade Cosmic Nation was conducting routine inspections of passing beings. Most of these soldiers were of the Crystal Clan, their bodies like carved crystals, emitting a faint glow. Their inspections were not particularly strict, especially for those who appeared to be of low strength.

A Crystal Clan soldier stopped Qin Feng, and the instrument in his hand emitted a soft light, scanning over him. The life force fluctuations and mental energy fluctuations reflected on the instrument were as faint as a dying candle, perfectly matching the standard of an ordinary being struggling to survive in the universe. The soldier’s gaze lingered for a moment on Qin Feng’s cheap black robe, a flicker of barely concealed contempt flashing in his eyes, before he impatiently waved his hand, signaling him to pass. Throughout the entire process, the other party didn’t even ask a single question.

Qin Feng slightly bowed, putting on a fearful and submissive posture, and quickly walked through the checkpoint without attracting anyone’s attention. He smoothly stepped into the enormous teleportation array. With a slight spatial fluctuation, a soft light enveloped him.

Qin Feng’s destination was the core of the Crystal Jade Cosmic Nation—its capital. Only there was there a giant teleportation array capable of ultra-long-distance star system transmission, which could send him directly to a star system coordinate closest to the “Twin Rivers.”

Light flickered, space twisted. When his vision cleared again, Qin Feng’s figure had vanished from the spot.

When he reappeared, he was already outside the gates of a cosmic city of unimaginable grandeur. Yet, even such a magnificent city, in Qin Feng’s eyes, was still filled with an indescribable sense of “crudeness.” This so-called capital was more like a conglomerate forcibly pieced together from countless planets, meteorites, and continental plates of varying sizes, connected by energy bridges and spatial passages. The building materials that made up the city’s main structure were mostly just the most ordinary planetary-grade metals and rocks, with sparse and low-grade runic formations inscribed on them, barely enough to maintain the most basic energy cycles and gravitational balance.

There was no unified planning, no exquisite design, and certainly no sense of majesty and order born from a civilization’s deep heritage. Everything seemed rough, chaotic, and steeped in pragmatism.

Qin Feng felt this way because he had seen real cosmic cities of top-tier civilizations. The Swallowing Heaven Cosmic City of the human race was a work of art suspended at the center of the universe, a perfect crystallization of power and wisdom. Any remote, inconspicuous corner of it had construction techniques, runic technology, and energy density that could crush this so-called “capital.”

But even so, this crude city was still the most spectacular sight many beings would ever see in their lifetimes. Qin Feng could clearly sense that many of the scattered cultivators who had been teleported alongside him were gazing up at the city with awe. Their auras were weak, their expressions carrying the fatigue of long journeys and the reverence of stepping into a bustling place. Feeling the undisguised powerful auras around them, they instinctively shrank back, appearing even more humble.

At the same time, Qin Feng keenly noticed that powerful auras were constantly descending upon the teleportation platform. Among them were not a few galaxy-level powerhouses, and even several faint but formidable auras that unmistakably reached the black hole level!

“It seems they’re all here for the Twin Rivers,” Qin Feng understood. The struggle for the cosmic artifact “Twin Mask” had been going on for thousands of years, and the news was no longer a secret. As the Crystal Jade Cosmic Nation was the closest to the Twin Rivers and a transit point with teleportation arrays directly to the surrounding star systems, it naturally attracted a large number of powerhouses who had heard the news.

After another perfunctory inspection, Qin Feng smoothly entered the interior of the cosmic city.

Walking through the chaotic and noisy streets, Qin Feng had originally planned to stock up on some resources before setting out. After all, the next task was a “death-level” escape, and the more trump cards and resources he had on hand, the better. However, a practical problem confronted him—he didn’t know how transactions were conducted among the myriad races.

He slowed his pace, pricking up his ears. His powerful mental energy allowed him to easily filter out the information he needed from the countless noisy voices. Soon, by eavesdropping on the conversations of the beings around him, he understood the transaction methods of the myriad races.

It was still the sub-space!

Similar to the human race, when powerhouses of the myriad races advanced to the planetary level and knocked on the door of the sub-space, they could also access the “sub-space network.” Most of their transactions were completed through the virtual trading houses on this network. But there was an essential difference. The human race’s sub-space network was a “pure land” opened under the protection of the Emperor—safe, stable, and pure. What the myriad races used was that chaotic, dangerous “harmful sub-space,” constantly spied upon by the evil gods of Chaos.

Qin Feng would never connect to that kind of network. Once linked, his special aura as humanity's "Chaos Bane" and his gold-crimson spiritual power might instantly be sensed by certain existences—a path to certain death.

Of course, the city was also home to many weak beings who couldn't access the subspace network through spiritual power.

They still relied on the most primitive form of trade—barter.

Even the cost of using the teleportation array could be offset by offering valuable items.

Qin Feng checked his storage unit.

A century of flight had drained his reserves to a dangerous level.

The precious materials he had left for barter had to be carefully budgeted, reserved for the teleportation array's activation fee.

Thus, the idea of resupply was completely dashed.

Qin Feng hesitated no longer. Abandoning the thought of wandering the city, he headed straight for the ultra-long-range teleportation array at the city center.

Along the way, discussions about the Twin Rivers rose and fell, constantly reaching his ears.

"The Twin Rivers have only been around for five thousand years, and they're already stained red... How tragic!"

"Tragic is an understatement! A friend who barely escaped told me that over these millennia, no fewer than eighty to a hundred thousand Black Hole-level beings have fallen in the Twin Rivers!

Yet even so, Black Hole-level powerhouses keep flooding in—it's madness!"

"Thankfully, the Twin Rivers have natural rule restrictions. Only Black Hole-level beings and below can enter the core region.

Otherwise, if news of this attracted those Domain Lords, Marquises, or even Kings and Emperors—the ancient monsters—one thought from them would reduce our little Crystal Jade Cosmic Nation to ashes."

"Yeah, I heard you have to ascend through the Twin Rivers. With luck, even a Planetary-level being can make it up. Even if you can't seize the Twin Mask, you can still gain plenty of resources."

"..."

"After all this talk, what exactly is the 'Twin Mask'? What kind of cosmic artifact is it, worth so many powerhouses risking their lives?"

"Who knows.

Cosmic artifacts are incredibly rare, with bizarre effects. The most common one we see is the 'Contract'—basically every powerhouse above a certain level has one.

As for the rest, most exist only in legends."

"The Twin Mask—from the name, I'd guess its effect has something to do with 'twin' or 'dual.'"

"Hard to say. It's called a mask, so maybe it's related to 'transformation' or 'disguise.'"

"..."

Qin Feng listened silently to this information, his steps unceasing as he walked toward the core area of the teleportation array.

These discussions confirmed some of his guesses and gave him a more vivid picture of the battlefield ahead—a bloody meat grinder built from the bones of tens of thousands of Black Hole-level powerhouses.

Just as he was about to reach the teleportation array, his spiritual power suddenly caught several familiar and powerful auras.

One aura was as cold as ten-thousand-year-old ice, carrying a deathly stillness—it was "Shui Mo" of the Water Clan.

Another aura blazed like a stellar explosion, filled with violent and destructive will—it was "Chi Yan" of the Holy Fire Clan.

And another, brimming with primal savagery and brutal killing intent—it was "Kuang Ye," the mechanical prodigy of the Hidden Dragon List.

These former rivals had now gathered here, their target clearly the Twin Rivers.

Qin Feng's mind remained utterly calm.

He maintained his humble, weak demeanor, mingling among a crowd of similarly ragged low-level beings, suppressing his life force and spiritual power fluctuations to the limit, like a roadside stone.

Prodigies like Shui Mo, Chi Yan, and Kuang Ye might have powerful perception, but their attention was fixed on beings of their own level.

For such arrogant geniuses, there were only three kinds of beings in their eyes: seniors, peers, and ants.

They would never notice an ant mixed in among other ants.

No one realized that the human chief Qin Feng, burdened with countless treasures and wanted by countless races, was brushing past them, silently heading toward the final teleportation array leading to the bloody battlefield.

After the three prodigies vanished through teleportation, Qin Feng followed his usual method, passing through the array to the teleportation base station in the Twin Rivers' surrounding star system!

Though Qin Feng appeared to be a weak Planetary-level being, he faced no scrutiny.

Countless Planetary-level beings, ignorant of their own limits, flocked to the Twin Rivers, hoping to seize endless resources or even the Twin Mask itself, leaping to greatness in one step!

Light flickered. Qin Feng entered the teleportation array. A full half-hour later, the array formally activated, and then Qin Feng's figure vanished from the spot.

(The chapter ends)