Chapter 265 : Rules

Chapter 265: Rules

The Flame Wind Ancestor, Emperor Qing, and the East Extremity Region Ancestor, Feng Xi, were still standing nearby, but the Thunder Ancestor had left alone. Everyone could tell that his mood was far from good.

“Under the power restriction, I only gained a slight advantage by relying on two supreme secret treasures?” Luo Feng felt no sense of pride—on the contrary, he became even more soberly aware of the immense gap between himself and the beings beyond the Source World. “After leaving the Origin Continent, I must be more cautious.”

These two secret treasures were designed solely to aid cultivation and could not be brought beyond the Origin Continent. Outside of it… he would have to rely on his own strength alone.

“Brother Milky Way,” Emperor Qing said with a smile, “I truly didn’t expect you to win this wager battle. You’ve really surprised us.”

The Flame Wind Ancestor, watching Luo Feng from the side, was also astonished.

He knew well that above the Divine King Realm, there were four stages.

The difference between the first stage—the Early God Emperor Realm—and the fourth—the Complete God Emperor Realm—was enormous! Even under restricted power, the disparity in realms remained vast. Though supreme secret treasures were exceptional, the Flame Wind Ancestor and the others had seen their like before.

“This Milky Way… perhaps he’s one of those dazzling beings who shine across billions of worlds,” thought the Flame Wind Ancestor. Beyond the Source World, both he and the Thunder Ancestor had encountered many such radiant existences.

Compared to those beings, the two of them were ordinary indeed.

“Milky Way, with your victory in this wager battle, the Origin Continent has gained a new rule—those guilty of great sin shall die without exception.” The East Extremity Region Ancestor also spoke with a smile, clearly pleased with the outcome.

Among the God Emperors, she was the most compassionate. Though she shared no bloodline with the native life of the Origin Continent, she still chose to protect them.

“This wager battle was a bit of luck,” Luo Feng said with emotion. Without the Eye of Life and Death, he could never have defeated the Thunder Ancestor relying solely on the Star Tower.

“When you have time, Milky Way, you should visit the East Extremity Region,” said the East Extremity Region Ancestor, Feng Xi, with a faint smile.

“Certainly.” Luo Feng nodded.

The East Extremity Region Ancestor then took her leave.

“Milky Way,” said the Flame Wind Ancestor, “why not come to my Ancient Flame Kingdom for a visit?”

“Alright.” Luo Feng agreed. When he had been weak, he had borrowed the guest elder identity of the Ancient Flame Kingdom to gain inheritance and access to the Infinite Space Treasury. With the help of his master, Emperor Chu, the Flame Wind Ancestor had indeed shown him great favor.

……

In the Ancient Flame Kingdom, atop a towering mountain.

The Flame Wind Ancestor, Emperor Qing, and Luo Feng sat together as puppet beings served them exquisite food and fine wine.

“This is my usual place of seclusion,” said the Flame Wind Ancestor, gazing at the endless mountain ranges. “Besides me, only these puppets dwell here. I enjoy its tranquility.”

He smiled at Luo Feng. “Milky Way, when you reach beyond the Source World, you’ll come to treasure the peace within the Origin Continent.”

“Oh?” Luo Feng had long grown accustomed to its calm.

Within the Origin Continent, none could threaten him.

“Outside the Source World, even while cultivating within your own cave dwelling, certain extraordinary Low-Rank Primordial Lifeforms may infiltrate and launch an ambush.” The Flame Wind Ancestor shook his head. “Death may descend at any moment.”

“For us who came from the Source World, it’s not so bad. Once we’ve cultivated clones, at least one remains within the Source World. But those who rise from the billions of worlds—they lack clone techniques. Their situation is far worse. To survive, they’ll do anything.”

Emperor Qing nodded. “Outside the Source World, our main foes are low-rank Primordial Lifeforms, but we must also beware of ambushes from other cultivators.”

“They lack clone techniques, so they’re bound to act more recklessly,” Luo Feng said, nodding.

“Cultivators within the Caged World are divided into two types,” the Flame Wind Ancestor explained. “One is the life born within the Source World—a vast, naturally formed world imbued with the Supreme Laws. The other consists of beings from the billions of worlds created by Senior Yuan. Many of those beings are born with Primordial Bloodlines, making cultivation far easier for them.”

“Born with Primordial Bloodlines?” Luo Feng was surprised.

“Just like the Primordial Bloodline creatures I cultivate,” said the Flame Wind Ancestor. “Mine possess low intelligence, but Senior Yuan and the others can fuse those bloodlines into intelligent lifeforms. Such beings not only possess wisdom and comprehension but also enjoy the advantage of a Primordial Bloodline. Thus, outside the Source World, the cultivators are mostly those powerful beings from the billions of created worlds.”

“Our starting point is low—most of us are merely True Gods at birth—and our cultivation is arduous, far harder than those born with Primordial Bloodlines. Yet our potential is greater, and we can train in clone techniques,” said the Flame Wind Ancestor.

Luo Feng now understood the two factions among cultivators.

One consisted of naturally born lifeforms.

The other, the beings born in the billions of worlds created by Senior Yuan.

“Outside the Source World, you’ll witness countless cultivation systems, hunt various low-rank Primordial Lifeforms, and exchange insights with the powerhouses of billions of worlds. In the darkness, one may find a clearer path forward,” said the Flame Wind Ancestor. “But when it comes to true treasures, competition beyond the Source World is too fierce.”

“Our best chance at acquiring treasures is still within the Origin Continent,” Emperor Qing agreed.

“Special Life Remnants?” Luo Feng asked.

“Yes.”

The Flame Wind Ancestor nodded. “In the dark region of the Dream Domain and the depths of the Heavenly Pillar Realm, one has a chance to obtain a portion of Special Life Remnants. But each area only allows one share per person.”

“Only one share?” Luo Feng had not known this.

“For instance, after painstakingly acquiring one Special Life Remnant in the Dream Domain’s dark region, you’ll be immediately expelled and never able to re-enter,” the Flame Wind Ancestor explained. “This is likely a rule set by Senior Yuan. Thus, between the Dream Domain and the Heavenly Pillar Realm, a lifeform may obtain at most two shares.”

“For those in the God Emperor Realm, acquiring them is not too difficult,” he added. “They’re the most important treasures to us God Emperors of the Origin Continent.”

“As for innate secret treasures or secret techniques—those depend on luck.”

He smiled. “Remember, don’t sell your Special Life Remnants lightly. If you truly wish to, you may ask me—I’ll offer a very good price.”

“Understood.” Luo Feng nodded, then asked, “By the way, what exactly are these Special Life Remnants?”

“The Dream Domain was likely formed from the corpse of a unique World-level Primordial Lifeform. Using its corpse as the foundation, countless Dream Domain spaces were born,” said the Flame Wind Ancestor. “The Heavenly Pillar Realm should also be the corpse of such a being.”

“The corpse of a World-level Primordial Lifeform is incomprehensibly vast. Just shaving off a sliver of its flesh, scale, or hair would yield hundreds of millions of fragments.”

He continued, “Senior Yuan hid those remnants in the most central places. With sufficient strength, one has the chance to claim them.”

“Within the Origin Continent, these two treasure lands are the most crucial. The others pale in comparison.” He added, “By the way, the Infinite Space is rather special—it connects to countless Source Worlds at once.”

Luo Feng understood.

All other treasure lands required the true body to enter.

Only the Infinite Space allowed a single strand of consciousness to descend remotely once granted the opportunity.

“To think that one Origin Continent used two World-level Primordial Life corpses… It seems Senior Yuan and his peers must have slain quite a number of them.” At that moment, Luo Feng realized that battles at higher levels must be unimaginably intense.

“Our greatest crisis lies in the invasions of the Innate Primordial Life Races,” said the Flame Wind Ancestor. “If one day they attack and devour the Origin Continent, then we are finished.”

“Does that happen often?” Luo Feng asked.

“Quite a few times.”

The Flame Wind Ancestor nodded. “Between the cultivator faction and the Innate Primordial Life faction, our side is on the losing end.”

“Not long ago,” said Emperor Qing, “an important world cluster, the Beigu World Cluster, which was used to cultivate God Emperors, went completely silent—most likely destroyed. The God Emperors nurtured there by the billions of worlds—all gone! Even the nearby Source Worlds may have perished.”

Luo Feng was shocked.

Were the two factions truly fighting that fiercely?

“Outside the Source World, opportunities and resources abound—but the environment is brutally harsh. That’s because our entire cultivator faction is at a disadvantage. We need more cultivators to escape the Caged World,” said the Flame Wind Ancestor. “Only by stepping beyond it can one participate in the war between the two factions.”

The Flame Wind Ancestor and Emperor Qing shared many secrets with Luo Feng, intending to support one another on their future paths.

“All that is still far from us. For now, what matters most is seizing the resources before us,” said Emperor Qing, transmitting a file to Luo Feng. “Here’s the information on the Dream Domain’s dark region and the depths of the Heavenly Pillar Realm. The Dream Domain keeps changing, so this data is just for reference. The Heavenly Pillar Realm, however, remains stable—you can study it carefully.”

“First, obtain the Special Life Remnants from these two places,” said Emperor Qing.

“Thank you.” Luo Feng felt their goodwill.

The wars beyond the Caged World between the two factions were far too distant for him—there was no need to dwell on them.

……

Thunder Mountain.

“The Ancestor was enraged and personally went to find that Lord of the Milky Way,” thought Monarch Lando in his cave dwelling. “Afterward, he even headed to the Universe Ocean region for a great battle. Unfortunately, I couldn’t glimpse that fight.”

Monarch Lando was thrilled.

If the Ancestor himself had intervened, perhaps the Lord of the Milky Way would change his attitude and no longer hinder his slaughter of beings.

“I wonder how that battle went.”

“With the Origin Continent’s power restriction, the Lord of the Milky Way surely survived, but before the Ancestor, he must have suffered greatly.” Monarch Lando had absolute faith in his Ancestor.

“Humph!”

Suddenly, a cold snort echoed within Monarch Lando’s consciousness.

In the next instant, terrifying thunder exploded within his soul—thunder so fearsome it could annihilate the spirit itself! Such was the horror of the Primordial Bloodline Path—even without understanding the Soul Path, one could unleash innate powers.

When Luo Feng had faced the Thunder Ancestor, both his body and soul had been attacked simultaneously, though he could withstand it with ease.

But for Monarch Lando—without the protection of Thunder Mountain—such thunder, capable of obliterating both soul and body, was impossible to endure.

“Ancestor!!!” In the instant of death, Monarch Lando knew who had slain him.

He was unwilling, he could not believe it.

Yet in that moment, his consciousness was already gone.

“From this day forth, any great sinner who devours billions of lives upon the Origin Continent shall be executed.”

The Thunder Ancestor’s voice echoed within the consciousness of every monarch across the Ancient Kingdoms.

With the successive deaths of White Demon and Lando, and with the simultaneous decrees of both the Thunder Ancestor and the Flame Wind Ancestor—

A great upheaval swept across the entire Origin Continent.

All forces understood: the order of the Origin Continent had changed. From this moment forth, a new rule had been established!

No one—be they Emperor, Monarch, or one at the Ultimate Realm—could ever defy it.