Swallowed Star 2: Origin Continent-Chapter 306 : Choice

Chapter 306: Choice

Since Heavenly Crane Elder had given it, Luo Feng naturally accepted it.

“These twelve invitations.” Luo Feng sat in the courtyard, looking at the night scenery of Rainlan City, frowning slightly. “The other eleven invitations can all be set aside. The most important one is… the invitation from Hall Master Yuan Xiang.”

“Among the three Hall Masters, only Hall Master Yuan Xiang invited me?”

Luo Feng felt somewhat puzzled.

This did not match the intelligence he knew.

Among the three Hall Masters, Hall Master Gai Tao needed no explanation—he focused on weapon refinement, and the elders around him were all interested in refining weapons. Naturally, he would not take the initiative to invite Luo Feng.

However, the fact that Hall Master Wei Yang did not invite him was rather strange.

“Hall Master Wei Yang is the one who most enjoys recruiting elders! Although he joined Rainlan City later, he has recruited the largest number of elder-level existences in the entire city. Normally, any newly promoted elder-level powerhouse would receive his invitation.” Luo Feng pondered. “But he didn’t invite me!”

Among those with elder-level strength, there were over 700 in the city. Among them, 327 had passed the Elder Trial and officially obtained the status of elder.

Because Hall Master Wei Yang enthusiastically recruited many elder-level powerhouses, he possessed the strongest influence in the entire city.

“Coincidentally, I don’t like Hall Master Wei Yang’s style of doing things anyway,” Luo Feng thought.

The theft and raiding factions were all under Hall Master Wei Yang’s command.

“I’ll go meet Hall Master Yuan Xiang tomorrow.” Luo Feng was somewhat curious about him. After all, the other party was the City Founder of Rainlan City.

…

As the builder of Rainlan City, Hall Master Yuan Xiang’s Cave Dwelling had originally been the largest in the entire city. Later, however, Hall Master Wei Yang occupied multiple Cave Dwellings and merged them into one, forcefully making his residence much larger than Hall Master Yuan Xiang’s.

Luo Feng arrived at the main entrance of the Cave Dwelling.

“God Emperor Luo Feng?” The main gate opened wide. A thin man stood there, looking at Luo Feng with a smile. “The Hall Master has long been waiting for you, God Emperor Luo Feng. Please follow me.”

This thin man wore loose robes, yet the hair on his body was rather thick.

“Many thanks, General Di San.” Luo Feng replied politely.

Under Hall Master Yuan Xiang were three puppets. Each puppet possessed strength comparable to a Complete God Emperor Realm low-rank Primordial Lifeform. In other words, if these three puppets were ranked among the God Emperors of Rainlan City, they would all place within the top fifty. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

“As expected of the one who built Rainlan City. His foundation is truly deep—even his servants possess such strength.” Luo Feng thought to himself. Compared with this, the foundation of the Ancestors of the Two Kingdoms from the Origin Continent was far inferior.

Walking through the Cave Dwelling, after a short while Luo Feng entered a garden. From afar, he saw a figure sitting cross-legged on the ground, smiling as he looked over.

“Luo Feng, come. Sit.”

Although Luo Feng had already received intelligence about him, this was the first time he had seen Hall Master Yuan Xiang’s true appearance.

Hall Master Yuan Xiang’s appearance was not exceptionally handsome, yet he naturally carried an endless charm. When Luo Feng saw him, he could not help but feel a sense of goodwill.

“Hall Master, this subordinate will withdraw.” General Di San said respectfully.

Hall Master Yuan Xiang smiled and nodded.

Only then did Luo Feng walk over and sit opposite him.

“This Hall Master Yuan Xiang… his aura is indeed very weak.” Seeing him at close range, Luo Feng could sense it clearly. Even while sitting cross-legged, Hall Master Yuan Xiang carried a faint sense of fatigue.

To feel fatigue after reaching such a level of cultivation was something extremely unbelievable.

Luo Feng could even sense that the flame of the other party’s life was struggling to continue burning.

“An old problem.” Hall Master Yuan Xiang personally poured wine for Luo Feng and said with a smile. “Back then, some friends and I went hunting a Limit-Breaking Class low-rank Primordial Lifeform. We were used to hunting them normally. But who would have thought that one of those Limit-Breaking Class Primordial Lifeforms would break through and become a high-rank Primordial Lifeform!”

“Encountering a high-rank Primordial Lifeform at close range left me like this.” Hall Master Yuan Xiang sighed.

“Is there no way to resolve the contamination?” Luo Feng asked.

Hall Master Yuan Xiang looked at Luo Feng with a smile. “According to the experience recorded in the Dark Holy Realm, the only way to remove such contamination is for one’s mental will to escape the Prison Cage. That is the sole method.”

When facing a high-rank Primordial Lifeform, they had died on the spot.

As Source World experts, their clones in their home Source Worlds shared memories—and those memories were also contaminated. Clearly, that high-rank Primordial Lifeform had extremely strong killing intent and intended to completely wipe out those cultivators.

Hall Master Yuan Xiang was fortunate to have the protection of his Source World, as well as secret techniques guarding his mental will. Only then did he barely manage to survive.

“Since then, I could only devote myself entirely to studying the cultivation of mental will.” Hall Master Yuan Xiang smiled. “And because I was too bored, I exchanged my war merits and applied in the Jiugang Holy Realm to establish a city—this Rainlan City.”

Luo Feng listened quietly.

The war merits required to build a city were extremely high. Hall Master Yuan Xiang had clearly once been extremely powerful and had accumulated vast war merits. Even after being contaminated, during the process of building the city the strength he displayed was still slightly stronger than Hall Master Wei Yang’s.

The reason he ranked second within the city was that under the effects of contamination, simply maintaining his own clarity was already difficult. Naturally, unless necessary, he would not take action. Nor did he care about competing for power or profit.

On one side was Hall Master Yuan Xiang, who did not fight for authority and rarely took action.

On the other side was Hall Master Wei Yang, who recruited powerhouses from all directions and frequently made moves. Naturally, Hall Master Wei Yang possessed greater influence.

“I heard that Hall Master Yuan Xiang rarely invites God Emperors,” Luo Feng said. “Why did the Hall Master invite me this time?”

“You are different.”

Hall Master Yuan Xiang looked at Luo Feng.

“After you defeated Heavenly Crane Elder yesterday, I asked the two God Emperors from your Origin Continent about you in the Dark Holy Realm.”

Luo Feng was startled.

He asked the two God Emperors of the Origin Continent? The Ancestors of the Two Kingdoms?

“Although my strength has declined, I still have some reputation.” Hall Master Yuan Xiang smiled. “When I found them, they simply told me a bit about you.”

“Over a thousand eras—from Eternal True God-level to Early-Stage God Emperor.”

“Another thousand eras—from Early-Stage God Emperor to Late-Stage God Emperor. You even suppressed Heavenly Crane Elder.” Hall Master Yuan Xiang looked at Luo Feng. “You are much stronger than I was in my youth.”

Luo Feng was secretly shocked.

The other party knew all his information.

“I have no hostility.” Hall Master Yuan Xiang said with a smile. “Now I am merely lingering on. Breaking through the Prison Cage with my mental will is extremely difficult—I don’t even know whether I have any hope in this lifetime.”

“But Rainlan City was built by my own hands. I can feel that the infiltration of the low-rank Primordial Lifeform tribes into Rainlan City is growing stronger.” Hall Master Yuan Xiang looked at Luo Feng. “I worry that one day Rainlan City will be breached. When that happens, the hundreds of millions of cultivators in the city will face a terrible catastrophe.”

Luo Feng nodded.

Cities could be built—but they could also be destroyed.

“I know Wei Yang’s personality well. He is extremely selfish.” Hall Master Yuan Xiang shook his head. “He came to Rainlan City only to earn resources. Once the situation turns unfavorable, he will only flee to save himself.”

“This city was built by me. The hundreds of millions of cultivators who came here also share karmic ties with me.” Hall Master Yuan Xiang said. “I do not wish to see hundreds of millions of cultivators die under a catastrophe.”

“That is why I invited you here.”

Hall Master Yuan Xiang looked at Luo Feng.

“Your talent is not something Wei Yang and the others can compare with! Once you grow up, your individual strength will surpass the combined power of all the elders!”

“As long as your strength is sufficient, I can transfer the greatest authority of the ‘City Founder’ to you.” Hall Master Yuan Xiang looked at Luo Feng.

“The authority of the City Founder?” Luo Feng was surprised.

“Yes. The rules within the city were set by me.” Hall Master Yuan Xiang looked at Luo Feng. “Right now, I give Hall Master Wei Yang more benefits in order to bind him. I can also choose to reduce those benefits.”

“Of course, your strength must surpass Wei Yang and Gai Tao.”

“What level of strength would count as surpassing them?” Luo Feng asked.

“They are both Seekers at the Half-Primordial Level, and they have accumulated deeply, possessing many treasures.” Hall Master Yuan Xiang smiled. “To completely surpass them, you must cultivate two paths simultaneously and bring both paths to the Half-Primordial Level. At that point… I can hand over the authority of the City Founder to you.”

Two paths reaching the Half-Primordial Level?

At present, Luo Feng’s Origin Path of Life and Origin Path of Destruction were only at the Mid-Stage God Emperor. His Path of Life and Death was merely at the Early-Stage God Emperor.

“I’m still quite far away,” Luo Feng said.

“With your talent, it won’t take long.” Hall Master Yuan Xiang smiled. “Geniuses like you—I’ve seen them before in the Dark Holy Realm. I believe within ten thousand eras, you will reach that step.”

When his strength had been intact, Hall Master Yuan Xiang had already been a world-shaking supreme powerhouse in the Dark Holy Realm.

If the Ancestors of the Two Kingdoms were considered at the bottom of the Dark Holy Realm…

Then Hall Master Yuan Xiang had stood among the upper ranks.

“The Hall Master truly has faith in me,” Luo Feng said.

Hall Master Yuan Xiang flipped his hand and handed Luo Feng a spatial bracelet with a smile.

“This is our first meeting. A small gift.”

The spatial bracelet had no owner. With a single thought, Luo Feng could probe it.

When he did—

Luo Feng was stunned.

Inside the bracelet were mountains of Primordial Crystals. They were not individual crystals but large cut blocks. A single block like this was worth ten thousand Primordial Crystals.

“Five billion Primordial Crystals?” Luo Feng was dazed.

“Just a small gift.” Hall Master Yuan Xiang smiled. “Not worth mentioning.”

After thinking for a moment, Luo Feng still reached out and accepted it.

This gift was extremely heavy.

By accepting it, he owed a huge favor. But for his current situation, these five billion Primordial Crystals were extremely important.

Seeing Luo Feng accept it, Hall Master Yuan Xiang nodded with a smile.

“For now, you only need to cultivate with peace of mind. There is no need to involve yourself too much in the other affairs of the city.”

Luo Feng nodded. “Thank you, Hall Master.”

…

After watching Luo Feng leave, Hall Master Yuan Xiang’s emotions were complicated.

“The contamination keeps infiltrating and tormenting me. Its influence grows deeper and deeper. I don’t know when I will completely collapse and my consciousness will be annihilated.” Hall Master Yuan Xiang felt rather powerless. “Before I die, I should at least do something for the hundreds of millions of cultivators.”

Having lived in Rainlan City for so long, he had developed feelings for it.

He knew a city could hardly exist forever. But he hoped Rainlan City could last as long as possible.

And in Luo Feng, he saw hope.

“Hall Master, in Outer City District Yun Nine, Cave Dwelling 331297, the cultivator ‘God Emperor Qufeng’ is suspected of being controlled by a low-rank Primordial Lifeform.” A voice sounded beside Hall Master Yuan Xiang.

“Monitor all movements of this ‘God Emperor Qufeng’ within the city, including everyone he interacts with,” Hall Master Yuan Xiang ordered. “Try to uncover more infiltrators.”

“Yes.” The voice responded respectfully.

Hall Master Yuan Xiang felt extremely weary.

The low-rank Primordial Lifeform tribes possessed all kinds of strange talents. Even though he tried everything possible, he could not prevent some of them from infiltrating.

Those who entered and started slaughtering immediately did not worry him.

What truly worried him were those who remained hidden without acting. Once such infiltrators erupted simultaneously, the consequences would be disastrous.

…

At this moment, Luo Feng was also returning to his own Cave Dwelling.

“After accepting this gift, among the three Hall Masters of Rainlan City, I’ve effectively chosen a side.” Luo Feng looked at the spatial bracelet on his wrist and smiled slightly. Based on the intelligence he knew, he had already been more inclined toward Hall Master Yuan Xiang.

“To reach that level within ten thousand eras? The Hall Master thinks that highly of me?”

Luo Feng smiled as he flew into his Cave Dwelling.

(End of Volume Seven)

Tomorrow there will be a break. The next volume begins the day after tomorrow.