Chapter 263: The Majesty of the Black Hole Level! A Thousand Years of Slaughter! Qin Feng's Fierce Name

Chapter 263: The Prestige of the Black Hole Level! A Millennium of Slaughter! Qin Feng’s Fearsome Reputation! Instant Kill of a Veteran Black Hole!

As Qin Feng’s figure once again merged into the vast, boundless stellar currents of the Twin River, a distinctly different sensation surged within him.

Previously, he had been a peak Galaxy-level being, an explorer with one foot across the threshold of the Black Hole level, and for this cosmic wonder, he felt more a sense of awe and caution born from the unknown.

Now, with the stable existence of the [Eternal Singularity] within the subspace, he was a true Black Hole-level powerhouse.

The entire Twin River, though still mysterious and unfathomable in his eyes, now carried less of a deadly pressure and more of a pattern that could be analyzed and exploited.

He did not act hastily but allowed his body to drift slowly with the colossal current that spanned hundreds of light-years.

Qin Feng’s mind was highly concentrated, half sinking into his body to perceive every subtle change in his physical form and spiritual power after the ascension, while the other half cautiously extended outward, constantly monitoring the piece of vitreous-colored strange metal stored deep within his subspace storage unit.

This was his first and most important verification after re-entering the Twin River.

Over the years, he had not merely buried himself in cultivation.

During the intervals of seclusion, he had expended considerable mental energy observing the myriad races entering and exiting the Twin River’s entrance.

He keenly noticed an interesting phenomenon: some beings that entered and exited multiple times remained unharmed, while others, even on their second entry, would suddenly and without warning explode into cosmic dust.

Combining his own experience with the core concept of “Twin,” Qin Feng boldly made a deduction: those who remained unharmed were likely, like him, having obtained their “other half” but not refined or used it, choosing instead to store it cautiously.

Thus, when they re-entered the Twin River, the rules of the cosmic wonder would deem them as already “possessing” their other half, and no new matching would occur.

As for those unfortunate beings who perished, they had probably, during their time away from the Twin River, succumbed to temptation and fully refined the treasure bound to their lives, making it their own.

They might have thought that once they left the Twin River’s range, this bizarre binding would cease.

However, the moment they stepped back into the river, the rules would judge them as being in an “unbound” state, immediately randomly matching them with a new “other half.”

Within the Twin River, every unclaimed resource could be snatched away by someone else in the next second, and such a rematch was almost tantamount to a sudden death sentence.

This deduction sounded reasonable and logically consistent.

But faced with the Twin River, a cosmic wonder beyond ordinary reason, any unverified deduction could be a fatal trap.

Qin Feng’s character dictated that he must witness the truth with his own eyes before he could fully set his mind at ease.

Just as he was deep in thought, a faint but unmistakably clear tremor came from the depths of his spiritual sea, precisely linking to the piece of vitreous metal quietly floating in his subspace storage unit.

That feeling was mysterious and profound, as if the metal were an extension of his body, another projection of his soul in the material world.

The connection still existed.

He had gambled correctly.

Qin Feng’s tense spirit suddenly relaxed, and he let out a long, turbid breath, which even created a brief vacuum in the stardust around him.

“Not bad, not bad.”

He murmured to himself, a hint of relief in his voice, “Fortunately, I was cautious enough back then and wasn’t blinded by greed to feed this rare metal directly to the Heavenly Evolution Soldier.

Otherwise, if a new ‘other half’ were to refresh now, who could guarantee it wouldn’t end up in some remote corner, picked up by some passing lucky fellow? That would be a death even more unjust than Chi Yan’s.”

Having gone through all this, Qin Feng’s understanding of the word “steadfast” had deepened by several levels.

In this perilous treasure-hunting ground, to survive, and even to ultimately seize the elusive Twin Mask, courage and strength were certainly important, but it was the step-by-step caution and reverence for the rules that were the fundamental guarantees for laughing last.

“The plan remains unchanged.”

Qin Feng quickly gathered his thoughts and set the tone for his next actions, “Start from the first node and go with the flow. My primary goal is no longer basic resources, but Black Hole-level secret arts that can rapidly enhance immediate combat power. If the Twin Masks suddenly appear simultaneously, I’ll use my trump card, enter the subspace through a Black Hole node, and seize them with lightning speed.”

Having made his decision, he completely relaxed his body and mind, like an inconspicuous meteorite, merging into the majestic river of stars.

Most of his mind was immersed in comprehending the [Guluo Hammer], a forging secret art inherited from the Feather Clan’s Enfeoffed King.

This secret art not only contained methods of forging but also many exquisite techniques for breaking prohibitions.

What he needed to do was, during this drifting journey lasting over two hundred years, fully refine the remaining prohibitions within the [Crimson Gold Wings], making this Black Hole-level secret treasure completely his own.

Time passed quietly in this monotonous and focused drifting and cultivation.

The journey of the Twin River was lonely and long.

Most of the time, all that could be seen were brilliant nebulae, burning stars, and cold planetary debris, which together formed the magnificent landscape of this cosmic river.

The Black Hole nodes did not spew treasures every moment; often, decades of silence would be followed by a brief eruption.

In the blink of an eye, forty years had passed.

For a being of Qin Feng’s level, forty years was but a snap of the fingers.

During this time, he had encountered almost no treasure worth his intervention, but that did not mean he had gained nothing.

On the contrary, he had experienced his first transformation in strength since ascending to the Black Hole level.

His core killing technique, the ninth-level [Kai Tian], had finally reached the “Perfection” realm through daily visualization and practice!

Boom!

At the moment [Kai Tian] reached perfection, an invisible domain silently unfolded around Qin Feng’s body.

This domain was not tangible, yet it was more terrifying than any physical barrier.

Centered on Qin Feng, it radiated outward for tens of thousands of kilometers. Within the domain, the fundamental rules of the universe seemed to undergo subtle distortions.

In this domain, Qin Feng felt he was the sole sovereign.

The enemy’s speed would be slowed by an invisible force, the flow of energy would become sluggish, and even their spiritual will would be intimidated by a grand pressure emanating from the Eternal Tower.

As for himself, he moved like a fish in water, each attack drawing upon the domain’s power for enhancement, his strength surging by several tenths out of thin air.

This was the qualitative change brought by a perfected killing technique—the domain!

“Excellent. With the domain, my conventional combat power has firmly stepped into the first tier of the Black Hole level.”

Qin Feng felt the powerful control brought by the domain, his heart filled with confidence.

On the third day after mastering the domain, the basin between the twelfth and thirteenth nodes, where the massive Black Hole serving as the node hub suddenly trembled violently.

A thick jet of matter, carrying a vast quantity of resources and treasures, erupted from the edge of the Black Hole’s event horizon, like a golden rainstorm sweeping across several astronomical units.

Countless beings drifting nearby were instantly ignited by greed at this sudden “opportunity.”

Qin Feng’s spiritual power locked onto this resource eruption at the first moment.

His gaze precisely fell upon a jade slip emitting a sharp golden light.

On the jade slip were engraved two ancient universal characters—[Cun Mang].

Black Hole-level secret art!

And a purely offensive killing secret art!

“That’s it!”

Qin Feng’s target was instantly clear.

Almost at the same time, thousands of Galaxy-level beings, along with a particularly deep and powerful Black Hole-level will, also locked onto this jade slip.

“Get lost! This belongs to me, the Shadow Demon Clan!”

A cold roar echoed through the void via spiritual power.

A Black Hole-level being, whose entire body was composed of twisted shadows, lunged at the jade slip with astonishing speed.

Wherever it passed, light was devoured, forming a trail of absolute darkness.

Behind him, those myriad beings of the galactic tier displayed their own divine arts, transforming into brilliant, multi-colored streaks of light in hot, unyielding pursuit.

Qin Feng let out a cold snort, leaving a fading afterimage where he stood; with a gentle flutter of the Scarlet Gold Wings, he seized the upper hand by moving last but arriving first, instantly traversing the immense distance to appear at the very center of the battlefield.

"A human?"

The black-hole-tier expert known as the Ghost Shadow Demon clearly recognized Qin Feng’s race, his tone dripping with disdain and murderous intent. "A mere newly ascended black-hole-tier dares contend with me? You court death!"

Before his voice could fade, the shadows behind him stretched infinitely, transforming into hundreds of pitch-black tentacles that swept toward Qin Feng, blanketing the sky.

Meanwhile, the myriad beings of the galactic tier, though terrified of the black-hole-tier pressure, were so enticed by the precious treasure that they bypassed the frontal battlefield, attempting to snatch the jade slip from the flanks.

"A swarm of ants."

Qin Feng’s eyes were indifferent; with a mere thought, the Sky-Cleaving Domain abruptly expanded!

In that instant, every galactic-tier being that rushed into the domain felt as though they had plunged into solidified amber.

Their thoughts were still spinning frantically, but their bodily movements became slower than a snail's pace, and the flow of energy within them choked to an absolute standstill.

"This is... a domain?! A ninth-tier perfect-grade killing method!"

The Ghost Shadow Demon’s horrified voice rang out.

But it was all too late.

Holding the Star-Swallowing Spear, Qin Feng remained motionless, casually thrusting it forward.

"Sky-Cleave."

A seemingly plain and unadorned spear-glow detached from the tip, instantly stretching and splitting within the domain to become hundreds of fine, golden threads that contained the supreme will of slaughter.

These threads ignored both distance and space, precisely slicing across the glabella of every single galactic-tier being.

There was no explosion, no roaring crash.

The beings touched by the threads saw their bodies turn to weathered sand sculptures, silently dissolving and annihilating in an instant, leaving not even a fragment of a soul to escape.

With a single strike, the field was cleared!

The Ghost Shadow Demon’s soul nearly departed his body from fright; without a second thought, he abandoned the secret technique jade slip that was within his grasp, turning instantly to flee into the shadows.

"Wanting to leave now?"

Qin Feng’s gaze locked onto him. "Too late."

The Star-Swallowing Spear pointed from afar at the Ghost Shadow Demon, and upon its tip, a point of ultimate light was condensing.

However, just as Qin Feng was about to unleash the fatal blow, the Ghost Shadow Demon let out a shrill screech, fiercely pulling a pitch-black, octahedral crystal from his robes and crushing it ruthlessly.

Hum!

A powerful spatial fluctuation erupted instantly, and the Ghost Shadow Demon’s silhouette grew blurred and indistinct amidst the violent spatial distortion before completely vanishing from the spot.

Only his venomous, resentful roar echoed behind:

"Qin Feng of the human race! Just you wait! The news that you possess the Heavenly Evolution Armament will soon spread across the entire Twin Rivers! Let us see how long you can survive!"

Qin Feng’s brow furrowed slightly, and he eventually dispersed the energy at the spear's tip.

The opponent’s secret treasure was a one-time spatial teleportation item, extremely precious, and once activated, it was difficult to stop.

He did not give chase; instead, he reached out with his hand, firmly drawing the Cunmang jade slip into his palm.

As his divine sense probed inside, a vast and exquisite stream of information flooded his mind, which was precisely the cultivation method for that black-hole-tier secret technique.

"It was exposed long ago, so it matters not."

Qin Feng stowed the jade slip into his storage unit, his expression calm. "From the moment I stepped onto the battlefield of the myriad races, I was destined to be a target for all. A few more enemies or a few less makes no fundamental difference."

He knew very well that the Ghost Shadow Demon’s threat was no empty boast.

The allure of the Heavenly Evolution Armament was simply too immense, enough to make many black-hole-tier experts who previously had no interest in him, or even some geniuses on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, turn their eyes his way.

However, those top-tier geniuses who had accepted the hostile missions of the Cosmic Will showed no movement at this moment.

Like Qin Feng, they were all engaged in a frantic "arms race."

Before the final decisive battle—when the Twin Masks would appear simultaneously—everyone was plundering resources and raising their strength at all costs, hoping to seize an advantage on the ultimate stage.

Deliberately expending effort now to find and surround Qin Feng was not only time-consuming and laborious, but it might also give other competitors the chance to surpass them, which was not worth the loss.

Qin Feng thought no more on it, continuing his drifting journey.

He once again entered a multi-tasking state of cultivation, comprehending the newly acquired Cunmang on one hand, while continuing to refine the restrictions of the Scarlet Gold Wings on the other, all while sparing a portion of his mind to constantly monitor every rustle of grass in the wind within the Twin Rivers, particularly any trace of the Twin Masks.

The secret technique of Cunmang emphasized condensing all will, vitality, and mental strength to a single point, bursting outward with ultimate speed to form an indestructible, incredibly swift light.

Its principle shared subtle similarities with Sky-Cleave, but it was purer, focusing more exclusively on "penetration" and "speed."

However, this secret technique could only be considered an ordinary one, not even reaching the advanced tier, and it was a far cry from the top-tier black-hole secret techniques; nevertheless, it was sufficient for Qin Feng's current use.

Under the extraordinary analytical capability brought by the Eternal Singularity, Qin Feng’s speed in learning this secret technique advanced by leaps and bounds.

Several decades passed, and when Qin Feng’s journey progressed to the waters between the forty-second and forty-third nodes, he had already successfully cultivated Cunmang to the "initiation" stage.

Now, with a casual point of his finger, a golden light as thin as a hair yet bright enough to pierce the soul would burst from his fingertip.

This light could easily pierce through a neutron star, its power utterly terrifying.

Qin Feng even had a sudden whim to transform the Star-Swallowing Heavenly Evolution Armament into hundreds of flying daggers as thin as a cicada's wing, driving them with the method of Cunmang.

The result showed that while the power was immense, because he had never systematically learned flying dagger killing methods, his accuracy and control left much to be desired, preventing him from unleashing its maximum might.

"It seems that to push the power of a secret technique to its limits, the relevant foundations cannot be neglected."

Qin Feng thought to himself. "When there is time, I must start learning from the force-exertion techniques of first-tier flying dagger methods. But given my current realm, by drawing analogies and teaching myself through creation, it will take a few months at most to enter the grand halls of mastery."

Just as he was pondering, the black hole node in the waters ahead welcomed yet another grand-scale eruption.

And among the treasures erupted this time, one piece was exceptionally eye-catching.

It was a hunk of metal the size of a small meteorite, its entire body a deep, dark purple, with silver-white electric arcs occasionally darting across its surface like spirit snakes, radiating a violent and pure aura of thunder.

"Thundercloud Divine Gold!"

Qin Feng’s breath caught instantly.

This was precisely one of the rare metals required for the Heavenly Evolution Armament to ascend to the black-hole tier—the favorite food of his weapon!

Moreover, a piece this massive was enough to allow either Star-Swallowing or Limit to directly complete its ascension!

Almost at the exact moment Qin Feng recognized this divine gold, several incredibly powerful black-hole-tier auras erupted simultaneously in the surrounding void, rushing frantically toward the Thundercloud Divine Gold from all directions.

One of the auras was particularly unique; unlike the violent or cold natures of the other beings, it was filled with a firm, heavy, and eternally indestructible flavor.

Qin Feng’s mental strength swept past, instantly locking onto a bizarre lifeform composed entirely of countless black crystalline facets.

The lifeform’s shape approached human form, but every inch of skin and every strand of hair was composed of the purest black crystal, shimmering with a deep luster.

"Hidden Dragon Ranking, Dark Jade!"

Information about this person instantly surfaced in Qin Feng’s mind.

A genius of the Crystal Race, long famous, ranked in the three-hundreds on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, renowned for his indestructible crystalline divine body and an endless array of secret techniques.

He had been steeped in the black-hole tier for over a hundred thousand years, and his foundation was so profound that the likes of the Ghost Shadow Demon could not even compare.

"This object has a destiny with my Crystal Race."

Hei Yu’s voice was flat and cold, utterly devoid of emotion.

He merely extended a crystalline, translucent palm, reaching across an immense distance toward the Thundercloud Divine Gold.

A colossal hand, formed entirely of black crystal, materialized in the void above the Thundercloud Divine Gold, blotting out the sky and radiating a terrifying aura of absolute suppression.

The other Black Hole-level powerhouses, witnessing this, roared in fury and launched their attacks. Torrents of energy in every color and secret art halos slammed violently against the giant crystal hand, but only stirred ripples across its surface, not even a single crack left behind.

“Such terrifying defense!”

Qin Feng’s pupils contracted.

Yet he showed no sign of retreat.

This Thundercloud Divine Gold—he was determined to claim it!

“Heaven-Splitting!”

Qin Feng merged man and spear into one, transforming into a golden rainbow that tore through the cosmos. His [Heaven-Splitting] domain expanded fully as he crashed fiercely into the giant crystal hand.

Clang—!!!

A deafening sound, enough to shatter souls, echoed outward.

The giant crystal hand trembled violently, and at last, a faint crack appeared upon its surface.

But Qin Feng stood unmoved.

His Eternal Singularity Dao Foundation allowed him, upon ascension, to rival powerhouses who had immersed themselves in the Black Hole level for hundreds of thousands of years.

“Hmm?”

On Hei Yu’s eternally unchanging crystalline face, a flicker of surprise seemed to pass. “A domain… Human, you are that Qin Feng?”

Clearly, the news spread by the Shadow Demon had reached his ears.

“It is I.”

Qin Feng steadied his stance, battle intent blazing in his eyes. “This Thundercloud Divine Gold—I want it.”

“Arrogant.”

Hei Yu commented coldly. Then, upon his massive crystalline divine body, thousands upon thousands of intricate runes lit up.

In an instant, his aura surged severalfold. Dozens of Black Hole-level secret arts of varying effects swirled around him like a domain.

Offense, defense, binding, illusion… everything was present, dazzling to behold.

Such was the foundation of a veteran powerhouse!

Yet, facing this nearly flawless matrix of secret arts, a meaningful curve tugged at the corner of Qin Feng’s mouth.

“Crystal Clan… your defense is indeed formidable. But do you know what the Heavenly Evolution Weapon most delights in devouring?”

Before his words faded, the Devouring Star spear in Qin Feng’s hand transformed abruptly.

It was no longer a spear of unmatched sharpness but became a rapidly spinning vortex composed of countless tiny golden particles.

What radiated from that vortex was no longer pure killing intent, but a craving and devouring will—originating from a higher level of life, primal in its hunger for energy and matter!

The moment Hei Yu saw that golden vortex, his usually placid crystal core quivered violently for the first time.

A fear, stemming from the depths of his bloodline, as if a natural predator had descended, surged uncontrollably within him.

From his inherited memories, he knew of a cosmic treasure that could turn all things into nourishment for its own growth.

And for beings like them, composed of pure energy and special crystals, the Heavenly Evolution Weapon was the deadliest nemesis!

“You…”

For the first time, Hei Yu’s voice wavered.

Qin Feng gave him no time to think.

He urged the golden vortex forward, advancing unhurriedly toward Hei Yu.

The reversed dynamic of “prey” and “predator” had already pressed upon Hei Yu with suffocating pressure.

He had no doubt that once that golden vortex touched him, his proud crystalline divine body would not be shattered—but absorbed, digested, becoming part of the other’s weapon!

This was a fate worse than death!

“Damn it!”

After less than a second of struggle, Hei Yu made the most rational, yet most humiliating decision.

He abruptly withdrew the giant crystal hand, his massive form turning into a streak of black light, fleeing headlong toward the distant reaches of the river basin.

“Qin Feng! I will remember this humiliation! Once I find a way to counter you, I will crush both you and your Heavenly Evolution Weapon!”

The roar faded into the starry distance.

Qin Feng did not pursue.

Scaring off Hei Yu had already achieved his strategic goal.

He immediately refocused on the Thundercloud Divine Gold, attacking and pressing forward, using his nearly savage physique and mental strength to drive back the other Black Hole-level powerhouses.

After a brief but fierce battle, Qin Feng succeeded in killing two of the stubborn resisters and seized this invaluable Thundercloud Divine Gold.

He immediately ordered “Devouring Star” to begin devouring.

The golden vortex enveloped the massive Thundercloud Divine Gold, which visibly melted and decomposed, turning into the purest energy and fragments of law, merging into the Devouring Star spear.

The aura of “Devouring Star” climbed steadily, and finally, with a clear hum, it broke through its bottleneck, officially entering the ranks of Black Hole-level treasures!

A surge of immense power flowed from the spear into Qin Feng’s hand. He could feel that now, when he executed “Inch Light,” its power would be at least fifty percent greater than before.

As for the “Limit” power armor, it had also absorbed some of the dissipated energy, only a step away from advancement.

Meanwhile, after a hundred years of relentless effort, his refinement of the prohibitions on the [Crimson Gold Wings] had finally reached the seventy-second layer.

He could clearly sense that when he activated the wings, his speed was faster, and the energy consumption lower.

“One hundred and eight prohibitions… if I can refine them all, my maximum speed might reach an astonishing ten times the speed of light!”

Qin Feng’s heart was filled with anticipation.

With a bountiful harvest, he continued his journey.

Yet fortune did not seem destined to favor him forever.

When his journey reached over ninety nodes, nearing the halfway point of the circuit, an unprecedented storm erupted within the Twin Rivers.

A peculiar alloy, no larger than a fist, yet radiating a primal aura that made the entire river basin tremble, was ejected from a Black Hole node.

Heavenly Evolution Alloy!

That was the core material for forging the Heavenly Evolution Weapon!

Even a fist-sized piece was enough to grant a top-tier Black Hole-level treasure the potential to evolve toward “Heavenly Evolution”!

Its value was immeasurable!

In an instant, the entire Twin Rivers boiled over.

Countless powerhouses, no matter where they were, converged like mad upon that river basin.

Qin Feng also arrived at the scene at the first moment, but the sight before him filled him with immense gravity.

On the battlefield, stars blazed brilliantly, and prodigies ran rampant like demons.

Tark of the Golden Armor Giant clan had already broken through to the Black Hole level.

He manifested his true form, spanning millions of kilometers, each scale like a continent. His mere existence made the surrounding space groan under the unbearable strain.

When he swung a claw, he did not merely tear space—he crushed it outright, reducing it to nothingness. Countless battle secrets inherited from the Star Beast clan flowed from his mind with effortless ease, savage and tyrannical.

The Wild of the Machine clan pushed their racial advantages to the extreme.

After advancing to the Black Hole level, he plundered a vast hoard of rare alloys within the Twin Rivers. Now, he was no longer alone but had transformed into a mobile interstellar fleet.

His body became the core hive, from which countless massive, grotesque mechanical beasts, warships, and planet-destroying cannons poured forth endlessly, forming a torrent of steel.

The deathly web of lasers and artillery fire forced many long-renowned prodigies to retreat from his onslaught.

But what made Qin Feng most wary was Neil of the Light clan.

After breaking through to the Black Hole level, Neil’s mastery of speed reached an unfathomable realm.

No longer needing secret treasures or complex rituals, he could casually tear space apart with his bare hands, performing short-range teleportation as naturally as breathing.

Neil’s figure flickered in and out of existence on the battlefield, each appearance accompanied by a beam of annihilation.

His speed was so extreme that even mental energy struggled to lock onto him, and Qin Feng instantly marked him as his primary threat.

Qin Feng floated silently outside the fray, observing everything with a cool head.

“So this is the foundation of the universe’s peak races?”

He murmured to himself, his gaze deep and penetrating.

He clearly saw the gap between himself and these top-tier prodigies.

This gap did not stem from their foundations or potential, but from the efficiency of their “inheritance.”

Beings like Tark and Neil, once they successfully advanced to the Black Hole level, seemed to unlock a massive “bloodline gift pack.”

Countless powerful secret arts, combat techniques, and insights into the laws of the universe, matching their new realm, surged directly from the depths of their bloodlines. This allowed them, in an extremely short time, to possess combat power far beyond ordinary Black Hole-level beings.

They were like “chosen ones” in a game, directly receiving enlightenment and being gifted full sets of divine equipment and skill books.

Take Neil of the Light clan, for instance. Upon breaking through to the Black Hole level, he could already tear space apart. This meant his understanding of spatial knowledge had reached an extraordinarily profound level, approaching the very laws themselves.

For Qin Feng to reach Neil’s level, he would have to learn step by step, starting from zero and delving deep into study.

As for humanity, though their inheritance was equally vast and boundless, every piece required one to learn and comprehend through their own efforts, step by step.

Qin Feng’s [Eternal Singularity] granted him unparalleled learning efficiency and decent immediate combat power, but learning still took time.

Of course, each approach had its pros and cons.

Human warriors did not receive such gift packs, but they had an ocean of databases to study at their own pace. Moreover, the number of human warriors was countless times greater than that of the myriad races.

For example, the Light clan seemed to have only a dozen or so young prodigies in this generation, while humanity numbered in the billions.

“Right now, I’m like a machine with top-tier hardware but software still being installed,”

Qin Feng analyzed calmly in his mind. “If we’re talking about strength, without using the ultimate trump card of the Guluo Bell fragment, facing these myriad-race prodigies who have already digested their ‘bloodline gift packs’ head-on, my chances of victory are about three in ten. I have three, they have seven.”

“However, if I can cultivate the newly acquired *Cun Mang* to a higher level, narrowing the gap to fifty-fifty, it’s not impossible.”

“More importantly…”

Qin Feng glanced at the crimson-gold wings vibrating slightly behind him, a trace of confidence curling at the corner of his mouth. “For now, no one here can kill me. Even if Neil can tear space apart, in a long-distance chase, he will never catch me.”

After a precise self-assessment, Qin Feng made his decision.

He slowly withdrew from this battlefield, which had already become a bloody millstone.

Though the Heaven-Evolution Alloy was tempting, forcing an entry now carried too much risk with disproportionate rewards. It was better to continue honing his strength, seizing every moment to improve.

His current power was enough to give him the capital to escape with the Twin Masks after seizing them.

But whether he could actually snatch both masks from these monsters would depend more on subsequent schemes, on-the-spot adaptability, and… that faint, elusive thread of luck.

…

“Stay steady, and victory becomes possible.”

Qin Feng set his tone.

His goal was clear: before the final battle arrived, do everything possible to push his own strength to a higher peak.

He did not rush to the later sections of the river, where the strong were denser and the conflicts more brutal.

Instead, he chose to start again from the first section, drifting slowly along the never-ending cosmic torrent.

This long journey, for him, was both a hunting ground and a place of cultivation.

He made a plan: unless a top-tier secret treasure or resource appeared that could qualitatively enhance his strength, he would not act rashly.

The rest of the time, he would devote himself wholeheartedly to tempering his own martial path.

Dividing his mind in two, he drifted with the current on one side, staying alert to his surroundings, while on the other, he sank into his consciousness, silently operating the ancient secret methods recorded in the *Guluo Hammer*, beginning to chip away bit by bit at the more complex and solid subsequent restrictions deep within the [Crimson-Gold Wings].

The battlefield of the Twin Rivers was far more turbulent and crowded than a thousand years ago.

Ever since the news of the cosmic artifact’s appearance had fully spread, this once-remote star region had become the storm’s eye of the universe.

Not only in Qin Feng’s 1300th war zone, but also in dozens of surrounding war zones, countless strong who had heard the news gathered endlessly, traveling through long interstellar voyages or spending fortunes to borrow the teleportation arrays of various cosmic nations.

Now, the total number of beings interweaving inside and outside the Twin Rivers had already surpassed the hundred million mark.

What a terrifying number that was.

Looking around, within the river, on every drifting meteor, within every floating nebula, the auras of living beings flickered.

Light and shadow intertwined, killing intent clashed with greed, and the detonations of energy and the collisions of laws almost never ceased.

The originally clear Twin River waters had long been stained a dark red, mixed with metal shards and flesh remnants.

The number of Black Hole-level beings had reached a hair-raising degree—hundreds of thousands.

On this battlefield, Black Hole-level experts, once enough to dominate an entire galaxy, had become as common as fish crossing a river, visible everywhere.

Some formed fragile alliances in groups of three or five; others wandered alone like lone wolves, struggling to survive in this bloody millstone through their skills and endless slaughter.

The prodigies on the Hidden Dragon List descended one after another.

Each was the strongest representative of their race at the Black Hole level, and their arrival often stirred up even greater storms of blood and carnage.

According to Qin Feng’s observations, the number of known prodigies on the list had already exceeded fifteen.

Outside the Twin Rivers, in the dead cosmic void, the threats were more tangible and oppressive.

Three massive metal moons, large enough to obscure stars, hung silently there.

They were the infamous war weapons of the Green-Skin Orc race—Battle Moons.

Each moon represented a complete orc expeditionary legion.

Like three greedy beasts, they watched with predatory eyes, and small landing craft continuously flew out, dropping batches of fanatical, war-hungry orc soldiers into the Twin Rivers, making this already chaotic battlefield even more bloody and savage.

The entire Twin Rivers had evolved into an unprecedented giant meat grinder.

And within this meat grinder, Qin Feng began his thousand-year drift and hunt.

He was like a silent reef, unmoved no matter how turbulent the surrounding waves became.

He had seen countless beings fight until brains splattered for an ordinary black-hole-level secret treasure, and witnessed a small legion of thousands reduced to ash in an instant under the domain of a prodigy on the Hidden Dragon List.

Time, in this eternal slaughter, lost all meaning.

In the blink of an eye, forty years slipped silently away.

For these forty years, Qin Feng spent most of his time drifting and cultivating in silence.

The Twin River seemed to have entered a calm period; the treasures spewed from black-hole nodes were mostly of low rank and failed to pique his interest.

Yet this forty-year sedimentation allowed his strength to grow in a restrained and solid manner.

He poured all his battle insights and energy into the final sprint for the ninth-level killing art, Heaven Cleaving.

Finally, on a certain day of the fortieth year, accompanied by a crisp hum within his sea of consciousness, the domain symbolizing Heaven Cleaving appeared, and Heaven Cleaving fully entered the realm of mastery!

Boom!

An invisible wave instantly radiated outward from him.

In the void around his body, a blurry domain quietly took shape.

Within the domain, the very "existence" of all matter seemed to become fragile, as if it could be torn apart by the power of "cleaving" at any moment and reduced to nothingness.

As for Qin Feng himself, he felt merged with this space; with a single thought, he could draw upon the power of heaven and earth to empower himself.

The Heaven Cleaving domain was complete!

This meant his offensive power had stepped into an entirely new level.

Not long after he mastered this killing art, a true opportunity finally descended.

At the confluence of the twelfth and thirteenth nodes, amid a violent eruption from a black hole, a jade slip emerged, breaking through the void—entirely emerald, radiating a vast life aura, and inscribed with countless profound knowledge runes.

"That is... the Scroll of All Things Germination!"

"One of the legendary supreme texts of pharmaceutical knowledge, the unparalleled secret treasure of the alchemist lineage!"

"Heavens, it's actually this item!"

The moment the jade slip appeared, powerful beings within several light-years were stirred.

Tens of thousands of galactic-level beings, along with over a hundred black-hole-level experts, instantly transformed into streaks of light, charging madly toward the jade slip.

Among the many black-hole-level experts, the fastest was an elder with hair as white as snow and a face as ruddy as a baby's, riding a vine flying boat woven from countless exotic flowers and herbs.

His aura was not violent but filled with gentle life force, yet wherever he passed, other black-hole-level experts showed signs of wariness and instinctively made way.

"It's the Medicine Sage! He actually came too!"

A black-hole-level being who had just arrived, upon seeing the elder's figure, let out an incredulous cry.

His companion, a strong being from the rock race, responded in a rumbling voice: "Which Medicine Sage?"

"Which else! The one from the Wood Elf clan, the grandmaster of alchemy who has been silent for nearly thirty thousand years without making a move—the Medicine Sage! They say his alchemical knowledge has reached a level of unfathomable mystery, able to concoct heaven-defying potions from all sorts of cosmic oddities, not only forcibly raising ranks but also granting beings all kinds of incredible abilities!"

"I remember now!"

Another being slapped his thigh, "Legend has it that when Blood Butcher Marquis was charging into the marquis realm, he failed several times, and his foundation nearly collapsed. It was the Medicine Sage who expended great effort to brew a vial of Immortal True Soul Liquid for him, allowing him to break through and ascend in one step! Blood Butcher Marquis owes at least half his current fame to the Medicine Sage!"

"Such an existence... Wasn't he always cultivating in seclusion in his herb garden? Why would he come to a killing ground like the Twin River?"

"What else? The temptation of the Scroll of All Things Germination for an alchemist like him! If he obtains this item, he might even uncover the secret to becoming a king!"

The crowd buzzed with discussion, their gazes at the Medicine Sage filled with both awe and greed.

But despite their greed, no one dared to approach easily.

A grandmaster who could help others ascend to domain lord status—his own means and connections were surely unfathomable.

The Medicine Sage seemed indifferent to everything around him; his eyes were fixed solely on that emerald jade slip.

He extended a withered hand, and green chains formed from life energy instantly crossed the void, wrapping around the jade slip.

The treasure was about to fall into his grasp.

Just then, a golden-red streak of light, without any warning, at a speed surpassing the comprehension of every being present, cut into the battlefield!

It was a beam of light, a razor-sharp edge so condensed it seemed capable of splitting time and space itself.

"Inch Light."

A cold voice echoed in the hearts of all beings.

Pfft!

Under the Medicine Sage's horrified gaze, that golden-red edge ignored the dozens of defensive force fields woven from secret treasures around him, and like a red-hot knife cutting through butter, effortlessly pierced through his brow.

The Medicine Sage's expression of certain victory instantly froze, turning into utter shock and disbelief.

He couldn't even mount any effective reaction; his proud guardian vines, capable of withstanding a black-hole-level expert's furious assault for days, were as fragile as paper before that edge.

Life force ebbed away like a tide.

The Medicine Sage's powerful body, comparable to a peak black-hole-level being, along with his soul and mental black hole, were completely decomposed and annihilated at the most fundamental level by the Heaven Cleaving domain contained in that single edge.

A grandmaster of alchemy, renowned for tens of thousands of years and possessing heaven-defying means, fell on the spot.

One strike, instant kill!

The entire scene fell into dead silence.

All the beings charging toward the jade slip froze as if struck by a paralysis spell, staring in terror at the owner of that golden-red streak of light.

It was a human warrior clad in black power armor, holding a dark-golden spear.

He hovered silently where the Medicine Sage had fallen, surrounded by a faint golden-red glow; the black hole formed from his mental power also displayed a noble and domineering golden-red hue.

His physical body, merely standing naturally, exuded a weight and indestructibility like that of a star.

"Instant... instant kill? The Medicine Sage... died just like that?"

The being who had cried out earlier, his voice trembled.

"Such terrifying strength! Which clan's prodigy is this? His mental power quality is golden-red! His foundation is absolutely legendary! And his physical toughness—it feels even more fearsome than those old monsters who've steeped in the black-hole level for hundreds of thousands of years!"

"One move... just one move! What killing art was that edge? I didn't even see its trajectory!"

"It's him! I remember now! That signature golden-red mental power, and that set of Celestial Derivative power armor! He's Qin Feng! The human prodigy Qin Feng, carrying several heavy treasures, wanted by all races!"

"It's him!!"

"He's already grown to this level!"

After a brief silence, an even greater uproar erupted.

The name Qin Feng had long spread across the star regions with the wanted notices.

But legends were legends; when everyone witnessed with their own eyes his thunderous strike that instantly killed a renowned expert like the Medicine Sage, the visual and spiritual impact was beyond any words to describe.

Qin Feng paid no heed to the surrounding shock. He calmly collected the Scroll of All Things Germination and also took the storage treasure left by the Medicine Sage, the whole process smooth and effortless, as if doing something trivial.

Then, his gaze swept across the entire scene.

Every being his eyes touched, whether galactic-level or black-hole-level, felt a chill in their hearts and instinctively stepped back half a step.

No one dared to meet his gaze, and even fewer dared to step forward to contend.

In the face of absolute power, any greed is but a path to death.

Qin Feng did not strike again. His form transformed into a streak of light, vanishing into the torrent of the Twin Rivers, leaving behind only a scene of shock and utter silence.

After this battle, the name Qin Feng was truly and thoroughly established among the top-tier power circles of the Twin Rivers.

He was no longer merely "a lucky one bearing a great treasure," but rather "a peerless fiend capable of instantly killing a renowned Black Hole-level powerhouse."

The following millennium was the forging history of this "peerless fiend's" reputation.

He encountered a Black Hole-level master skilled in formations, who had laid down a ninety-nine-layered chain killing array on the wreckage of a drifting giant planet, aiming to trap and slaughter all the powerhouses vying for a "Space Core" within.

Countless beings turned to ash within the formation, and even three Black Hole-level powerhouses fell.

But Qin Feng simply descended with his mastered "Creation" domain, striking out with his "Inch Light." Where the domain extended, the formation foundations shattered. The master's painstakingly constructed deadly trap, before Qin Feng's absolute power, crumbled like a sandcastle on the beach, swept away in an instant.

In the end, that formation master, in utter despair, was pierced through by Qin Feng's spear and pinned dead at his own main formation eye.

He also encountered a top-tier assassin from the Shadow Demon race, who possessed the ability to create seven substitute clones, moving with eerie stealth and being impossible to guard against. During a battle for "Shadow Divine Gold," this assassin had continuously slain several powerful competitors.

When he struck at Qin Feng, Qin Feng did not even seek out his true body. Instead, he directly expanded his "domain."

The golden-red domain completely sealed the entire space. Within the domain, countless fragments as fine as ox hair sped through, carrying out indiscriminate, devastating annihilation.

The Shadow Demon's seven substitute clones were instantly vaporized the moment the domain expanded. Its true body, in the despair of having nowhere to flee, was executed by a billion razor-sharp edges, sliced to death.

He also slew the Rock King, famed for his physical defense, whose body was said to be impervious to all techniques. Yet, Qin Feng, condensing all his life force and spiritual power into a single "Inch Light," touched him, and from the inside out, he exploded into a cloud of fine dust.

...

One after another, Black Hole-level powerhouses, long renowned in their respective fields, became stepping stones for Qin Feng's fearsome reputation.

Thus, a thousand years passed quietly.

Now, Qin Feng had become a terrifying existence that no one in the Twin Rivers could ignore.

The number of well-known, established Black Hole-level beings who had died by his hand had already exceeded fifty.

His fearsome reputation was forged through one overwhelming, crushing victory after another.

Now, even though everyone knew he possessed the Heavenly Evolution Weapon and the King-Sealing Secret Treasure, no one with any sense dared to actively pursue and kill him.

Because everyone understood a fact: unless one was among the top few existences on the Hidden Dragon List, provoking Qin Feng was no different from actively seeking death.

Escaping from his hands had become a luxury.

And after this millennium of high-intensity combat and tempering, Qin Feng's strength had once again undergone a comprehensive advancement.

His offensive secret technique, [Inch Light], through countless life-and-death battles, had been pushed to its perfect state.

Now, when he unleashed Inch Light, it was no longer just a single beam of light, but a complete domain.

Once the Inch Light domain was deployed, the Heavenly Evolution Weapon "Star Swallower" could instantly disintegrate into billions of sharp flying blade fragments, forming an indestructible metal storm within the domain, carrying out devastating annihilation against enemies within range.

Alternatively, he could condense all his power into a single point, forming a divine spear that pierced heaven and earth, unleashing an ultimate, all-penetrating force.

Its power was now more than a hundred times stronger than when he first entered the gate.

His speed treasure, [Crimson Gold Wings], after a millennium of uninterrupted refinement, had finally had its last seal completely broken.

All one hundred and eight seals were undone. On the wings, ancient runes flowed with golden divine radiance, perfectly resonating with his golden-red spiritual power.

Now, when he fully activated the Crimson Gold Wings, he could unleash a terrifying speed of exactly ten times the speed of light! This speed gave him the true capital to come and go freely across this vast battlefield.

Qin Feng once again reviewed his own strength.

He was well aware that the foundation of his power remained his golden-red spiritual power quality, far surpassing those of the same rank, and his formidable physical body, comparable to old monsters.

This was his "hard power."

And the perfected [Inch Light] displayed his hard power in the most efficient and deadly manner.

But he also understood his shortcomings.

When it came to those intricate, deeply laid schemes—such as formations, curses, causal secret arts, and so on—he was almost completely ignorant.

He had neither the time nor the opportunity to sit down calmly, like those old monsters who had lived for hundreds of thousands or millions of years, to slowly learn and accumulate such vast knowledge.

His path was to use brute force to overcome cunning. Before absolute power, all conspiracies and tricks were illusions.

In yet another fierce contest, under the siege of several Black Hole-level powerhouses, he forcibly snatched a rare "Void Divine Iron" and integrated it into his power armor, [Limit].

Hum—

With a low hum, light flowed over the [Limit] power armor, completing its final transformation and successfully advancing to become a Black Hole-level treasure.

Thus, his offensive and defensive equipment had all stepped into the Black Hole level.

And just as the power armor's upgrade was complete, and that powerful energy fluctuation subsided—

The entire Twin Rivers, whose torrent had been surging for billions of years, experienced a momentary pause.

All beings—those fighting, those fleeing, those cultivating—simultaneously stopped their actions at this moment, raising their heads to look in the same direction.

An indescribable aura, originating from the very essence of the universe, descended.

The center of the storm was in the seventy-third to seventy-fourth segment of the river!

There, originally, only a single ancient mask, radiating half light and half darkness, was being fiercely besieged by several Hidden Dragon List prodigies and tens of thousands of Black Hole-level powerhouses.

And at this very moment, above the Black Hole node of the seventy-third segment, boundless light erupted without warning! Within the light, another identical mask, yet radiating pure darkness and light, slowly emerged!

The Twin Masks!

After thousands of years of separation and pursuit, the two Twin Masks, guided by fate, had finally appeared in the same segment of the river!

The time had come!

"They've appeared!!!"

"Both masks are there!!!"

"Kill!"

Boom!!!!

After a brief silence came an unprecedented frenzy sweeping through the entire Twin Rivers!

Tens of millions of beings erupted into complete chaos at this moment.

Their eyes spewed undisguised greed and frenzy, and they charged recklessly toward the direction of the seventy-third segment.

Countless beings unhesitatingly chose the fastest and most dangerous path—they rushed directly toward the nearest Black Hole node, preparing to descend through subspace straight to the decisive battlefield!

At this moment, Qin Feng was in the twenty-third to twenty-fourth segment of the river.

He immediately sensed that primordial aura and also "saw" the two masks appearing simultaneously.

"Finally... it's here!"

His heart began to pound uncontrollably.

Flying from the twenty-third segment to the seventy-third segment, even at his current limit speed of ten times the speed of light, would take a long time.

By the time he arrived, everything would be cold.

Time was clearly insufficient.

Qin Feng's gaze instantly locked onto the twenty-third node Black Hole not far away, slowly rotating and devouring everything.

Without a moment's hesitation.

He urged his [Crimson Gold Wings] forward, his form transforming into a dazzling golden rainbow that tore through the universe, charging without hesitation into that subspace which represented absolute death and boundless peril.

(End of this chapter)