Chapter 273: Qiantian Cosmic Country, Disciple of the Human Race Holy Academy! Peerless

Chapter 273: The Qian Tian Cosmic Nation, Disciples of the Human Holy Academy! Peerless Prodigies! The Bloody Battle Descends!

The deep space of the universe is not an eternal, dead silence and darkness.

Far out in the starry expanse beyond the Scarlet Feather Pass, a supreme array deployed by the myriad races lay directly ahead of Qin Feng.

Starlight here was torn into chaotic ribbons of color, and rampant storms of spiritual energy crisscrossed like billions of furious dragons, sufficient to reduce any unauthorized starship into fine powder in an instant.

At this moment, in the center of this chaotic force field, a formation far larger than any planet was silently operating.

It resembled a colossal web spanning several light-years, with bound stars serving as its nodes, upon which profound and sinister runes were engraved.

These runes flickered with a dark light, greedily absorbing stellar energy, completely sealing off the entire pass area and turning it into a land of absolute execution.

The core of the grand array was a stable space carved out by the formation's power.

Black Hole level warriors from five different cosmic nations, clad in varied royal robes and wearing crowns, stood with their hands lowered in solemn respect, resembling the lowliest of ministers.

The hundred or so Black Hole level experts behind them were also completely silent, abandoning all their usual dominance and majesty.

In the nations they prided themselves on, they were supreme sovereigns whose words were law, but here, they were merely helpless pawns upon a chessboard.

Their gazes turned toward the center of the space with a mixture of reverence and complexity.

There, several figures with auras as deep and boundless as the sea caused the surrounding space to solidify by their mere presence.

Ye Luo, the son of the Stone Emperor, had a sinister expression, his body surrounded by faint purple flames.

His fists were tightly clenched, his eyes churning with unwillingness.

This time, he was here not only to complete his imperial father's mission, but to wash away the humiliation of being defeated by Qin Feng with a single spear strike.

Beside Ye Luo, the Black Hole expert of the Crystal Race, Hei Yu, was shaped like a work of art carved from perfect black crystal, his entire body radiant yet emitting an extreme, biting cold.

His existence seemed capable of freezing even light itself.

Behind him stood another Peak Black Hole of the Crystal Race.

On the other side, Tucker, a Black Hole expert of the Golden Armored Behemoth clan, was shaped like a mountain, crouching there, each breath causing a dull rumble of thunder to echo through space.

In his massive single eye flickered a pure, unvarnished desire for destruction, and behind him also stood a Peak Black Hole of the Golden Armored Behemoth clan.

In addition, a Peak Black Hole level stone man under the command of the Stone Emperor stood silently, like a sculpture unchanged since antiquity, yet none dared to underestimate the terrifying power contained within his body.

Six Peak Black Hole level beings and over a hundred expert-level Black Holes made for a terrifying lineup, sufficient to erase a medium cosmic nation entirely from the star chart in an instant.

Yet at this moment, this terrifying force capable of overturning galaxies submitted entirely to a single will.

The eyes of all the experts ultimately converged on the foremost figure.

That was a humanoid being with the head of a jackal, tall in stature and with knotted muscles, looking as if he were cast from the toughest divine metal.

He wore ancient battle armor engraved with countless lost souls and cursed runes, his hand tightly gripping a scepter inset with a grey eyeball at its tip.

He was Setir, a Peak Black Hole level expert renowned among the Demon Race for his cunning and resourcefulness.

Even among Peak Black Holes, there was a difference as vast as clouds and mud.

Battle records were the sole metric to measure their strength.

Setir's record was enough to make any Peak Black Hole present feel a tremor in their heart.

He had once, by his own power on the frontal battlefield, completely hunted down a formidable enemy who was also a Peak Black Hole, refining that enemy's divine soul into an eternally wailing ornament upon his scepter.

This achievement represented not just formidable strength, but an incomparable ruthlessness and deep calculation.

Therefore, within this vast net woven by many top factions, he, Setir, was the sole chess player.

"Report—"

A black stream of light shot rapidly from the edge of the formation, transforming into a kneeling Black Hole level Demon scout, his voice bearing a hint of irrepressible excitement.

"Lord Setir, the auction of the Scarlet Feather Chamber of Commerce has ended.

According to precise intelligence, the 'Fiend God' Qin Feng took action publicly in the auction hall, completely erasing Li You, the Third General of the Li He Cosmic Nation and an expert-level Black Hole being, with a single strike.

Throughout the entire process, the Sovereign of the Scarlet Feather Cosmic Nation did not appear, nor did any Domain Lord level aura leak out."

As these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the area instantly became subtle.

A flash of greed and fervor passed through the eyes of the sovereigns of the five cosmic nations.

Something had truly happened to the Scarlet Feather Sovereign!

To them, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for expansion.

In Ye Luo's eyes, killing intent erupted even more fiercely!

"Lord, Qin Feng has revealed his whereabouts. Shall we activate the array immediately to suppress and kill him before the Scarlet Feather Pass?"

An expert-level Black Hole asked in a muffled voice.

However, Setir did not give the order immediately. Deep within his eerie green eyes, a profound and cold light of wisdom flickered.

He slowly raised the scepter in his hand, and the grey eyeball turned.

The entire space fell dead silent, everyone awaiting his decision.

After a long time, Setir's deep and raspy voice rang out, sounding like sandpaper rubbing against decaying wood: "No, continue to wait."

"Wait?"

Ye Luo frowned, a hint of questioning in his tone, "Setir, what do you mean by this? Qin Feng is right before our eyes, yet you want us to hold our ground? Are you afraid?"

Setir slowly turned his head, his eerie green eyes devoid of any emotion as they locked onto Ye Luo.

In an instant, Ye Luo felt a bone-chilling killing intent completely envelop him, as if with a single thought from the other party, his own divine soul would be sucked away by the eyeball on the scepter.

His heart shivered, and he forced himself to swallow his remaining words.

Only then did Setir withdraw his gaze, explaining calmly: "Li You's death proves absolutely nothing.

An expert-level Black Hole is no different from an ant before the current Qin Feng.

He kills them like crushing a bug; it cannot test whether the Scarlet Feather Sovereign is present or not."

He paused, tapping the void lightly with his scepter, producing dull thuds that seemed to knock against everyone's hearts.

"You seem to have forgotten the most important thing. Qin Feng is no fool. The fact that he has survived to this day under the pursuit of the myriad races, and that his strength has advanced rather than regressed, proves his mind is just as terrifying as his power.

Right now, after slaying Li You, instead of fleeing far away immediately, he stays outside the Scarlet Feather Pass in a grand manner, adopting a posture of waiting for us to attack. Do you think this is normal?"

Setir's gaze swept across the field, particularly focusing on those impatient cosmic sovereigns.

"There are only two possibilities for this."

His voice grew colder and colder, "First, he is at the end of his rope, feigning composure to scare us away with this bluff. But this possibility is infinitesimally small."

"Then, only the second possibility remains—this is a trap."

"A trap co-laid by Qin Feng and that Scarlet Feather Sovereign who may not have met with disaster!"

Setir said, emphasizing every word, "They want to lure us into the Scarlet Feather Pass. Once all of us enter that dead land and a Domain Lord level power suddenly descends, have you thought about what the consequences would be?"

As his voice fell, a deathly silence gripped the area.

Domain Lord!

These two words were like a heavy mountain pressing upon the hearts of all the Black Hole level experts.

They were well aware of the agreement between the myriad races and the human high council. The [Path of Finality] targeting Qin Feng only permitted intervention from forces below the Domain Lord level. This was both a restriction and a rule.

Yet within the rules, variables existed.

If a "wild" Domain Lord, one who belonged to no top-tier faction and was not directly bound by the agreement, was determined to shield Qin Feng, then their seemingly formidable coalition would become an utter joke.

Before the might of a Domain Lord, even a Limit Black Hole was merely a slightly stronger ant.

"Lord Redfeather is an ancient Domain Lord who has existed for tens of millions of years. No one can guarantee he has no hidden trump cards."

Setir continued, "Thus, we must wait. Wait until our intelligence network has fully confirmed that Lord Redfeather is indeed compromised—whether trapped in some perilous place or already fallen.

In short, we must have absolute certainty that he cannot possibly appear in the Redfeather Cosmos within a short time!"

"Hmph, such a simple baiting tactic, and you think it can fool my eyes?"

Setir let out a cold laugh, brimming with intellectual superiority. "Let him wait. When it comes to patience, our demon race has never lost."

His words were like a bucket of cold water, dousing everyone's rashness and greed.

Though Night Luo's heart still burned with fury, he could not refute Setir's logic.

He could only suppress his murderous intent for now, piercing the endless void with his icy gaze toward the region where Qin Feng might be.

Thus, a "heaven-spanning net" capable of shredding any Limit Black Hole fell into an eerie silence, just one step away from its target.

...

Meanwhile, beyond the Redfeather Pass, in the shadow of a meteorite belt.

Qin Feng sat cross-legged, his aura perfectly merging with the cosmic background radiation. Had it not been for direct sight, even a Limit Black Hole-level mental scan would struggle to detect him.

He had been waiting here for seven days.

His battle intent, like a volcano about to erupt, had already peaked.

The [Eternal Singularity] rotated slowly within him, releasing boundless energy;

His gold-red mental power surged like a tide, ready to sweep forth at any moment;

The terrifying amplification from the [Nine Spirit Origin Diagram]'s second spirit realm filled every inch of his flesh with explosive power.

He had made all preparations to welcome an unprecedented great battle.

Yet three days passed, and the anticipated thunderous strike never came.

The massive formation net coiled near the Redfeather Pass still hung silently, its energy fluctuations steady and restrained, showing no sign of activation.

"Strange."

Qin Feng opened his eyes, frowning slightly.

His mental power, like invisible tendrils, carefully probed the distant great formation.

He could clearly sense that within that formation lurked an astonishing number of Black Hole-level experts, including several auras no weaker than "Golden Wing."

With such a formidable lineup, why had they not acted?

Qin Feng began to analyze calmly.

"What are they afraid of? Afraid of me? Impossible. Even if I fought Golden Wing to a standstill and climbed to third on the Hidden Dragon List, I could never single-handedly contend with a coalition of this scale."

"Then, they must be wary of the possible 'external force' behind me... the ruler of the Redfeather Cosmos?"

A thought instantly crystallized in Qin Feng's mind.

"..."

He couldn't help but chuckle wryly. "These fellows are indeed cautious enough."

He understood now: the enemy was waiting, waiting for an absolutely certain moment.

"You want to drag this out? Then I'll play along."

A glint of light flashed in Qin Feng's eyes. "I need time too."

With a thought, he slowly closed his eyes.

The energy within him began to circulate in a new, more complex and profound pattern.

The cultivation method for the third spirit realm of the [Nine Spirit Origin Diagram] quietly flowed through his mind.

The second spirit realm granted a twofold boost to base attributes.

The third spirit realm would grant a threefold boost!

By then, how unimaginably high would his base stats reach?

Perhaps ordinary Limit Black Hole beings would truly find it hard to survive before him.

This prolonged standoff was no longer meaningless waiting for him, but an excellent secluded training ground for another leap in strength.

Thus, time began its most relentless passage in this bizarre stalemate.

One year...

Five years...

Ten years...

Fifty years...

Fifty years of time, for mortals, was half a lifetime.

But for these cosmic powerhouses, whose lifespans were measured in tens of thousands of years, it was but a snap of the fingers.

The massive formation before the Redfeather Pass remained like a dormant ancient beast, utterly motionless, its patience beyond imagination.

And Qin Feng in the meteorite belt sat like an eternal sculpture, devoid of any aura, as if completely assimilated into the cold cosmos.

The cultivation of the [Nine Spirit Origin Diagram] within him was steadily and irreversibly advancing toward the third spirit realm.

Both sides were waiting.

One waited for the enemy to reveal a flaw; the other waited to become stronger.

...

Fifty years later, deep within the imperial palace of the Redfeather Cosmos's capital.

The entire palace was shrouded in a heavy, oppressive atmosphere.

The once-glorious halls now seemed somewhat dim and lifeless.

News from the front lines gnawed like a clinging bone, daily eroding the people's confidence.

The fact that the five-nation coalition and alien experts had amassed at the border could no longer be hidden.

Inside the Artifact Refining Hall, the Limit Black Hole being, Master Lone Swan, sat quietly on a meditation cushion.

The massive furnace beside him, capable of melting stars, was now cold and dead, devoid of any flame.

His aura was somewhat disordered; clearly, this fifty-year ordeal had been a tremendous mental drain for this master refiner.

Across from him stood Vice President Lin and Phantom Fox, their faces etched with exhaustion and worry.

Just then, a surge of energy rippled urgently outside the hall.

A burly figure, wielding a spear crackling with purple lightning, strode in with long steps.

Behind him followed a youth of equally steady bearing and resolute countenance, none other than "Lei," once one of the five leading figures of Blue Star.

The newcomer was precisely the second disciple of the Crimson Feather Sovereign, a formidable Black Hole-level warrior.

"Second!"

Master Lone Swan suddenly opened his eyes, and a glimmer of hope burst forth from his once-clouded gaze. "You're back! How did it go? The Divine Millet Sanctuary... are they willing to lend a hand?"

The lightning warrior, called "Second," looked at his senior brother's hopeful eyes, his face twisting with deep bitterness and guilt.

He opened his mouth, but in the end, only a heavy sigh escaped.

"No."

Those two words, like twin hammers, struck hard against the hearts of Lone Swan, Phantom Fox, and Vice President Lin, shattering the last flicker of hope.

"The Divine Millet Sanctuary..."

Second's voice was filled with helplessness and resentment. "That place is the sanctuary for all rogue cultivators in Sector 1300, and even a King-level supreme being resides there. To join and gain their protection, the threshold is unimaginably high."

He glanced at his disciple Lei and continued, "Lei's talent is top-tier in ordinary cosmic nations, but in a place like the Divine Millet Sanctuary, which gathers prodigies from countless galaxies, it falls short.

As for me... they said I'm too old, my potential exhausted, and I don't meet their admission standards."

The hall fell into dead silence.

The last hope was shattered.

"The allied forces of five nations, along with those alien experts of unknown origin, are all entrenched outside Crimson Feather Pass..."

Master Lone Swan's voice was parched. "I don't know what they're waiting for, but these fifty years of peace hang like a sword over our heads, ready to fall at any moment.

Once Crimson Feather Pass is breached and the capital falls, the countless trillions of beings in our Crimson Feather Cosmic Nation, and the myriad life-bearing star systems, will be slaughtered under the iron hooves of the aliens."

He closed his eyes, his face twisted with deep anguish.

"Now... we can only hope that Third can bring reinforcements from the Qian Tian Cosmic Nation. But the chances are slim..."

"Mm."

Second nodded heavily. He knew that although Qian Tian was on good terms with Crimson Feather, their national strength was comparable. Facing such a terrifying enemy, they could barely defend themselves—why would they risk their entire nation for Crimson Feather?

The atmosphere in the hall was suffocatingly oppressive.

After a long silence, Master Lone Swan opened his eyes again, this time filled with resolve. "We can't wait any longer."

He looked at Second, then swept his gaze over Vice President Lin, Phantom Fox, and Lei, speaking in a tone that brooked no dissent: "Second, listen. Lin Dongsheng, Phantom Fox, and your disciple Lei—these three are the last embers of our Crimson Feather Cosmic Nation, and of our lineage.

Now, take them and leave immediately! Go as far as you can, and never return!

Your mission is to survive, and then, in the vast ocean of the cosmos, seek out our master's whereabouts!"

These words struck like thunderclaps in their ears.

"No!"

Second refused without a second thought. The lightning spear in his hand crackled with blinding sparks from his agitation. "Senior Brother! I will not leave! Crimson Feather Cosmic Nation is my home. If I must die, I will die here!"

Tears glistened in his tiger-like eyes. "If not for Master giving me a meal on that garbage planet and bringing me back, I would have starved to death long ago. How could I have reached my current cultivation? I haven't repaid even a fraction of that great kindness—how can I flee in the face of battle!"

"Fool!"

Master Lone Swan suddenly stood up, his voice sharp. "What can you change by staying? One more Black Hole-level corpse?!

What you should do now is leave with hope!

With your talent, given enough time and resources, you might still have a chance to break through to Domain Lord!

Once you become a Domain Lord, you can truly seek out Master—or even rescue him!"

"Then you should be the one to leave, Senior Brother!"

Second retorted with equal fervor. "Your cultivation is at the peak of Black Hole, only a step away from Domain Lord. You have more hope than I do! You should take the embers and go!"

"I cannot leave!"

Master Lone Swan shook his head, a note of desolation in his voice. "All I have learned is in artifact forging. Even if the nation falls, the aliens might spare my life for my forging skills. I can still maneuver. But you—your combat prowess makes you their prime target!"

"I won't go!"

Second's stance was unyielding. He struck his spear against the ground with a resounding clang.

"We won't go either!"

Phantom Fox, Lei, and the silent Vice President Lin all stepped forward in unison, speaking as one, their eyes devoid of any fear.

Looking at these loved ones and disciples who would rather die than retreat, Master Lone Swan felt a wave of helplessness wash over him.

He closed his eyes in pain. If only Third, who was decisive and unbound by trivialities, had returned instead, this scene of hesitation might not have occurred.

"Ah..."

A long sigh, filled with endless sorrow and resignation.

"That treasure map..."

Master Lone Swan murmured, his voice barely audible. "If not for guarding it, what harm would there be in abandoning this foundation..."

No one except Lone Swan and the other two direct disciples of the Crimson Feather Sovereign knew that deep beneath the imperial capital lay a Domain Lord-level treasure tied to the Sovereign's very life.

It was a mysterious starry treasure map, the Sovereign's lifebound artifact, intimately linked to his soul.

As long as the map remained intact, even if the Sovereign fell elsewhere, he could rely on it to be reborn after eons.

But if the capital fell and the map fell into enemy hands...

Then the Crimson Feather Sovereign, trapped in some unknown peril, would be cut off from all hope of survival, plunging into true and utter doom.

This was the real reason Lone Swan refused to retreat.

...

Deep within the Qian Tian Cosmic Nation's palace.

The entire palace was not built on a solid planet but floated at the center of a stable, radiant nebula.

The light of countless stars was drawn by an invisible force, cascading like a waterfall of flowing colors over the palace's glazed tiles and jade steps, showcasing the Sovereign Qian Tian's vast power over the stars.

Inside the hall, the atmosphere was solemn and dignified.

The third disciple of the Crimson Feather Sovereign, along with "Tian Ji," one of the leading figures of Blue Star, had just departed, carrying a heavy weight of hope and boundless gratitude, escorted by the Sovereign Qian Tian's personal guards.

Their figures had barely vanished into the light of the teleportation array when the calm atmosphere in the hall rippled like a lake struck by a boulder.

Dozens of royal elders, seated on either side of the throne, were all deep Black Hole-level experts—the true core of power in the Qian Tian Cosmic Nation.

Now, their gazes converged on the figure on the throne, seemingly aged but radiating a life force as vast as an abyss—the Sovereign Qian Tian.

Unlike the Crimson Feather Cosmic Nation's system of master-disciple inheritance and rule by the strong, Qian Tian was a colossal family-based nation.

Sovereign Qian Tian, a peak Black Hole-level being who had lived for millions of years, had once cultivated a peculiar secret art that greatly enhanced his reproductive capacity.

Over the long ages, his bloodline spread far and wide, his offspring numbering in the trillions.

Through generations of reproduction and ruthless internal selection, only the most talented and powerful descendants were allowed to remain in the royal clan, becoming the elders in this hall.

A grand elder with white hair and a robe embroidered with gold threads stepped forward. He too was a peak Black Hole-level existence, a descendant countless generations removed from Sovereign Qian Tian, but due to his long cultivation and immense strength, he held the highest status.

"Sovereign,"

The voice of the First Elder was deep and powerful, resonating through the grand hall, "You have just granted the request of the Red Feather Sovereign's third disciple, but I wonder... how many troops should our Qiantian Cosmic Nation dispatch? And under what pretext should we intervene?"

His question instantly ignited a fire of discussion among all the elders.

"The First Elder speaks with absolute truth."

A burly elder with a rugged countenance spoke in a muffled, booming voice, "The current situation of the Red Feather Cosmic Nation is already as precarious as a pile of eggs. According to our intelligence, entrenched outside the Red Feather Pass are not only the allied forces of five surrounding cosmic nations, but also powerhouses from numerous peak cosmic races who have intervened. These waters run too deep!"

"I agree with the Third Elder's view."

Another elder, with a soft and effeminate face, chimed in, "Our relationship with Red Feather is merely based on an old friendship from Your Majesty’s youth.

Is it truly worth sacrificing the lives of countless Qiantian disciples for the sake of this old sentiment?

Moreover, the target of those peak races is said to be the newly ascended third place on the Hidden Dragon List, the 'Fiend' Qin Feng.

The karma of such an existence is something we cannot afford to touch!"

"Foolish!"

A fiery-tempered elder immediately countered, "Do you not understand that when the lips are gone, the teeth will freeze? The Red Feather Cosmic Nation is the most critical buffer between our Qiantian and the outside world. Once Red Feather is breached, who will be the next target for those rapacious forces? Must we wait until their armies are at our city gates before making plans? By then, regret will come too late!"

"We must dispatch troops, we absolutely must! But how we do so is the real question. We cannot be the main force, or we will surely suffer heavy losses. It would be best to act as a hidden surprise force, entering at the critical moment, which will both secure Red Feather's gratitude and minimize our losses."

Within the grand hall, voices rose in a clamor, the debate raging without pause.

Some advocated for self-preservation, watching the tigers fight from the safety of the mountain; others urged a full-force mobilization to honor the alliance; while the majority advocated for cautious action, seeking to maximize their own interests.

Upon the imperial throne, the Sovereign of Qiantian kept his eyes closed the entire time, resting his spirit, seemingly deaf to the arguments echoing in the hall.

His finger tapped gently against the armrest, each strike containing a unique rhythm that caused the noisy hall to quiet down involuntarily.

After a long while, he slowly opened his eyes.

Those were eyes that had looked through the rise and fall of millions of years, deep, serene, yet containing an unquestionable majesty.

"Are you all finished speaking?"

His voice was not loud, yet it entered the ears of every single elder with perfect clarity.

The elders all bowed in unison: "We await Your Majesty's decree."

The Qiantian Sovereign stood up, pacing before his throne, his gaze sweeping over every descendant below.

"What you all have said makes sense. As a ruler, one must cherish old sentiments and keep alliances, but one must also be responsible for the survival of the nation and the lives of trillions of citizens."

He paused, then continued: "In the past, Red Feather and I roamed the Cosmic Sea together, establishing an alliance between life and death. Today he is in trouble; if I sit idly by, my Dao heart will not tolerate it. This Qiantian Cosmic Nation would also have no honor or righteousness left to speak of."

"However,"

He shifted his tone

Within the Crimson Plume Cosmos Kingdom, Grandmaster Guhong and the others waited in vain for news of the third brother's return, their anxiety and unease mounting with each passing day like a colossal boulder weighing heavily upon every soul.

Time, in this suffocating standoff and agonizing wait, slipped slowly away.

One year, five years, ten years...

In the blink of an eye, fifty years of time evaporated, nothing more than a drop in the ocean on a cosmic scale.

For the garrison stationed within the Crimson Plume Pass, each day was a slow torment.

Yet for Qin Feng, positioned far beyond the borders of the pass, these fifty years of tranquility proved to be an unexpected feast of cultivation.

He sat cross-legged in the void, several astronomical units away from the pass, his body enveloped in a faint, golden-red aura of spiritual energy that shielded him from all external scrutiny.

Initially, he too had been filled with doubt regarding the enemy's complete lack of movement.

He had prepared himself for a bloody battle, sharpening his condition to its absolute peak, only to find that while the celestial dragnet bristled with murderous intent, it never advanced a single step toward him.

After a brief moment of reflection, Qin Feng discerned their true intention—caution.

These powerful beings from the pinnacle clans were evidently apprehensive of something.

Perhaps they feared the deterrent power of his dying counterattack, or perhaps they suspected the hand of the human race's top brass behind the scenes, such as a Domain Lord lurking in the shadows.

Since the enemy chose not to attack, Qin Feng was more than happy to enjoy the peace.

He cast aside all stray thoughts, submerging his entire mind into the comprehension of the Nine Spirit Primal Diagram.

The Nine Spirit Primal Diagram, a supreme secret technique governing both soul and flesh, was divided into nine layers; with each layer mastered, his base attributes would double. The first spirit realm had granted him the leverage to clash head-on with a Limit Black Hole.

The second spirit realm had bestowed upon him the terrifying strength to obliterate a Powerful Black Hole in a single strike.

Now, the realm he sought to breach was the third spirit!

His consciousness sank into the depths of his soul, where that mysterious, profound scroll slowly unfurled.

Compared to the first two layers, the scroll of the third layer was undoubtedly thousands of times more complex.

Countless dao runes intertwined, constructing a divine dharma idol that was far more majestic and lifelike. The movement of every single rune resonated deeply with his soul source and physical potential.

Time lost all meaning within the focus of his cultivation.

Another century of years quietly slipped away.

Adding the initial year of waiting, the year of seclusion, and the century spent in transit, a total of two hundred and fifty-two years had passed since Qin Feng left the Twin Rivers.

And the enemy still made no move whatsoever.

This brought a sense of disbelief even to Qin Feng himself.

"What exactly are these fellows waiting for?"

Awakening from his deep meditative trance, he felt the power within his body—now several times stronger than it had been two centuries ago—and a strange thought could not help but surface in his mind.

"If they don't act soon, by the time I cultivate the Nine Spirit Primal Diagram to the ninth layer and achieve a ninefold amplification, who else could oppose me short of a Domain Lord?"

He shook his head and plunged back into his cultivation.

He discovered that the difficulty of cultivating the Nine Spirit Primal Diagram increased exponentially.

To master the first spirit, he had taken one hundred and thirty years.

Mastering the second spirit took a similar length of time.

Yet for this third spirit, he had spent nearly two hundred years of time just to barely touch the barrier of a breakthrough.

According to this trend, the time required for subsequent layers would only grow more terrifying.

It was on the very day that Qin Feng rallied his strength to completely break through into the third layer.

Far across hundreds of millions of miles, within that war fortress constructed from countless array formations and runes, the Demon Race powerhouse Cetir, who had been resting with his eyes closed, finally opened his cold, vertical pupils.

An encrypted message, spanning the endless sea of stars, arrived in his hands.

The contents were simple—the Lord of Crimson Plume is trapped in the Demon Abyss.

(End of Chapter)