Chapter 524 - 521: Demigod Pursuit, Re-Entering the Netherworld
Qin Feng waved his hand, sending the Red Lotus Sword into the Netherworld Water within the Netherworld Treasure Pearl at the sixth level of the Demon Refining Pot, intending to refine the Red Lotus Sword with the Netherworld Water.
The moment the Red Lotus Sword entered the Netherworld, it sizzled and stirred up a sky full of water vapor in the Netherworld.
This water vapor gathered without dispersing, constantly changing forms: now showing a ferocious ghost face, now showing a phantom of a skull. The cries and howls of ghosts and gods emanated from the water in the Netherworld, as countless Dead Souls emerged, transforming into myriad illusions, hiding endless terror.
Shadows of ghosts rushed crazily towards the Red Lotus Sword, attempting to extinguish the flames on the red lotus petals.
However, these Dead Souls were like moths to a flame. As soon as they approached the lotus, they were consumed by the flames above, purified to nothingness.
There were also numerous Ghost Items that manipulated the Netherworld Water, attempting to drown the Red Lotus flames, which only provoked more water vapor to transform into a ghostly rain that fell again into the Netherworld.
Qin Feng was somewhat surprised; he hadn’t expected that the small stream of Netherworld Water within the Netherworld Space could harbor so many souls of Ghost Items.
Although the Netherworld Water was inside the Netherworld Treasure Pearl, he didn’t dare to easily probe into it with his Divine Sense because of the water’s properties, so he was genuinely unaware that this stream of water had its own hidden Qiankun – each drop seemingly concealing many souls, which was a great surprise to him.
However, now was not the time to focus on these things; he was more concerned about the situation of the Red Lotus Sword.
Upon closer observation, he discovered that neither the Netherworld nor the Evil Ghosts could damage the Red Lotus Sword. On the contrary, due to the scouring of the Netherworld Water and the assault by thousands of ghosts, the sword’s inherent Spiritual Nature was fully stimulated, causing more flames to rise from the lotus, countering the Evil Ghosts of the Netherworld.
Realizing that the sword was unharmed and that its Spiritual Nature was growing stronger, Qin Feng retracted his gaze and began to prepare to drag the huge Spirit Root in front of him into the Demon Refining Pot!
The integration of the Fire Origin into the Red Lotus Sword, including the absorption of the Holy Fire from the Giant Tribe and having the White Dragon and the Death Curse Crow expend Primordial Qi to spout Spiritual Fire into the Red Lotus Sword, were all completed in an extremely short period of time.
But Qin Feng knew that the previous sound of the horn must have drawn the attention of the giants in this Tribe, and even if the Demigod Realm giant warrior would prioritize defense against a Fire Lizard’s retaliation, he would still dispatch giants comparable to those in the Dharma Image Realm back to the valley, leaving him little time.
Although giants are different from Cultivators and not proficient in the various Flying Escape Techniques like Cultivators, their speed at such a high Realm is extremely fast. Moreover, giants also have their bloodline inheritance that enhances their running speed; they mustn’t be underestimated as bulky and simple beings.
First, he activated a Spell, placing a layer of Prohibition on the Spirit Vein.
This Prohibition wasn’t very powerful and could only temporarily prevent the eruption of the Fire Vein, so it wouldn’t affect him with the Spiritual Energy from the Fire Vein while he was collecting the Spirit Root.
After setting up the Prohibition, Qin Feng’s body surged, and he grew more than ten zhang tall once again.
With his current Cultivation and strength, this height was just right for him to wield his max strength, so even though he could grow larger, he did not do so, as being large and flimsy would be a waste of True Yuan.
“Rise!”
Qin Feng coursed True Yuan through the entire tree to maintain stability, then applied Anti-Gravity Divine Power onto the tree’s body to reduce its weight on the ground as much as possible. He then wrapped his arms around the main root in front of him, his muscles bulging as he emitted an immense Qi Blood Power like a furnace, causing a surge of warm Yang Harmony Qi that was distinct from the Fire Vein’s to spread through the ground.
Boom…
In the valley, the ground shook violently. To the astonishment of all the giants, they saw their Tribal Divine Tree suddenly sway from side to side and then tremblingly uproot from the ground. The Divine Tree rose higher and higher, carrying with it a great expanse of earth into the sky.
As the Divine Tree soared higher, surpassing the mountain’s peak, large clumps of earth and dust fell rustling from the roots, making the area below appear chaotic and hazy. One could barely make out a figure holding the roots below, lifting the Divine Tree off the ground.
This was awe-inspiring to them.
Even these giants, known for their immense strength, could not possibly lift such a massive Divine Tree, let alone the vast expanse of earth around the roots.
This kind of Divine Power, aside from the Demigod Realm Clan Leader, perhaps not even the most powerful of their warriors could achieve, right?
They did not know that Qin Feng was proficient in Gravity Divine Power, capable of using Anti-Gravity to greatly lighten the weight of the Divine Tree, which left them extremely shocked at Qin Feng’s strength.
The miraculous ascension of the Divine Tree not only dazzled the giants within and outside the valley, but it also attracted several giant warriors who were urgently rushing over from afar.
After hearing the horn, they were the first group of warriors to return to the tribe for assistance. The other giants did not want to return, but their earlier aggressive pursuit had generated immense hatred from the Fire Lizards.
Fire Lizards, although monstrous creatures, also possessed spiritual intelligence. They too heard the horn sounded by the old Giant and saw the Giants ceasing their attack and preparing to retreat upon hearing it. Under the command of a Demigod Realm Fire Lizard, the horde of lizards began to counterattack.
Even though retaliating against the Giants brought them no benefits, inflicting discomfort on the Giants was satisfaction enough.
Thus, despite the Giants’ desperate urgency, they were unable to withdraw completely at once; otherwise, if they were pursued by the Fire Lizards, it would undoubtedly cause them significant harm.
After all, this group of Fire Lizards was not weak, among them were monstrous creatures of the Demigod Realm that one could not afford to ignore.
The dozen or so Giants who left first hurried along while filled with anxious worry, not knowing what danger had befallen the Tribe that necessitated the sounding of a horn calling all Tribe members to return immediately for rescue.
Just as they were fretting, they suddenly saw a somewhat familiar red hue rising in the distance at the top of a hill, much like the treetops of the Divine Tree in their valley.
As one Giant was about to crack a joke, the treetops rose higher and higher, and his eyes widened in disbelief.
This was not just like their Tribe’s Divine Tree; it was the Divine Tree itself!
The Giants immediately cried out in shock. Although they didn’t know why the Divine Tree had suddenly soared into the sky, they were aware that the Tribe must have encountered a grave misfortune.
The two leading Dharma Image Realm Giants roared angrily, kicking fiercely into the ground with their long legs, causing the earth to crack and the mountains to crumble. The previously hard ground now bore deep footprints, and as they leaped high into the air, they could vault over a hill in a single bound, their speed astonishing. In the blink of an eye, they left the other ordinary Giants behind and made for the valley first.
In the valley, just as the Giants’ spirits wavered in confusion, they suddenly saw the Divine Tree seem to pass into another space and vanish abruptly.
Then, Qin Feng’s figure appeared on the spot.
Qin Feng called out in urgency, shrinking rapidly in size while also swiftly ascending into the sky.
The Spiritual Beasts that had been barring the valiant Giants outside the valley heard their master’s call and unleashed powerful spells to repel the few Giants, leaving them momentarily unable to pursue. Then they turned around and flew towards Qin Feng.
One after another, the Spiritual Beasts appeared beside Qin Feng and were drawn into the Demon Refining Pot. In the end, only Qingluan remained. Qin Feng leaped onto the Divine Bird’s back, signaling it to make a quick escape.
The two formidable Giants, comparable to those in the Dharma Image Realm, were fast approaching the valley, so he dared not pause for even a moment.
The reason he chose to keep Qingluan rather than the White Dragon was that after fusing with the Phoenix’s bloodline, its power and aura were more in tune with this Fire Kingdom. Here, where the Fire Spirit Energy was rich, it could perform its escape technique faster than the White Dragon.
“Roar…”
Behind them, the two Giants only saw the Divine Tree suddenly disappear, then a bird resembling the Phoenix flying off with a tiny figure out of the valley and escaping into the distance.
Though they did not understand precisely what had happened, they hastened their pace once more, expending energy to arrive at the Tribe’s valley encampment.
Before their heavy forms even touched ground after jumping from one hilltop into the valley, they saw the chaotic scene before them, and their hearts were filled with alarm.
Not only had the Stone Hall been reduced to rubble, but the Divine Tree, which their Tribe had guarded for who knows how many years, had also disappeared without a trace, leaving behind a vast pit as the only sign that the Divine Tree had once rooted there.
“What happened? What exactly transpired?”
One of the Giants tore off the webbing covering the cave entrance, which prevented the older Giants from coming out, and repeatedly demanded answers.
“Hurry, chase after that Human Clan thief! He has stolen the Tribe’s Divine Artifact Spear, snatched the Sacred Fire worshipped by the Tribe, and even dug out our ancestrally guarded Divine Tree!”
One of the elders urgently exclaimed, urging repeatedly.
“And he took my horn!”
On the ground, an old Giant who was nearly crushed to death by the White Dragon’s paw, weakly grunted.
“What?”
The two Giants exploded in rage upon hearing this, “A mere member of the Human Clan dares to steal our Tribe’s Divine Items?”
“No, how could the Human Clan have the ability to enter the Fire Kingdom?”
“Who cares how they got in, maybe that guy has divine blood and was commanded by All Gods!”
“That’s right, it must be Demigod bloodline, otherwise how could the Human Clan accomplish this feat on their own!”
In a few words, the two Giants concluded that the theft of Qin Feng’s treasure was surely a scheme by the Divine Clan; otherwise, according to the style of the Human Clan, they wouldn’t go through the trouble of delving into the lower spaces, passing through the perilous Undead Realm, and entering the even more dangerous Fire Kingdom to steal their Tribe’s treasure for no reason.
However, that Human of Demigod blood had carried out the crime so decisively, they certainly would not let this pass. In the future, they vowed to report to their Ancestor and seek revenge from All Gods!
Two powerful Giants chased after Qin Feng in the direction he had left.
They traversed mountains and ridges, bulldozing their way through, collapsing countless mountain tops, shattering innumerable rocks, and along the way, they startled a considerable number of monsters.
However, they didn’t care and relentlessly followed closely behind Qin Feng, intent on retrieving the pilfered treasure from the despicable Human thief.
The Qingluan spread its wings and raced forward, its speed was like lightning, yet it still couldn’t shake off the two Giants behind it.
Qin Feng stood on Qingluan’s back, occasionally glancing back.
At first, he was somewhat worried, but he gradually found that although the two Giants were fiercely pursuing, they were naturally not as fast as the Qingluan, a Divine Bird born with the gift of flight; they were merely keeping up by virtue of their greater strength.
Seeing this, Qin Feng breathed a sigh of relief.
Judging by the situation, although it was difficult to throw them off in the short term, he could ensure they wouldn’t catch up, as long as he could quickly reach the edge of the Fire Country and enter the Undead Realm, he wouldn’t fear these two fellows continuing their chase.
The Giant Tribe’s valley once again welcomed a formidable Giant.
“Clan Leader, you’re back?”
The Giants guarding the valley rejoiced as the strongest Clan Leader returned.
“Uh-huh!”
The Giant Clan Chief nodded.
After all, the Fire Lizards were no match for them, so as the Giants desperately fought and killed several Fire Lizards, the Fire Lizard species did not dare to restrain the Giants any longer, allowing them to retreat.
The Giant Clan Chief, strong and fierce, anxious about unforeseen incidents happening in the Tribe, had not followed his people but had returned in advance to the valley base.
He turned his head to observe the situation in the valley. Despite his raging anger, he still maintained the calm of a Clan Leader and did not reveal it in front of his Tribespeople. Instead, he asked, “What happened? How did it turn out like this?”
“Clan Leader, I suspect those Fire Lizards were lured here by someone; otherwise, it wouldn’t be such a coincidence that so many things happened!”
The old Giant lying on the ground struggled to stand up with the help of a cane and briefly recounted the events.
“Uh?”
The Giant Clan Chief’s face twitched for a moment, and his eyes showed a ferocious gleam, “Alright, I’ll chase after and take a look now. The rest of the Tribespeople will be back soon. You guard the Tribe and make sure we’re not attacked by monsters again.”
“Yes, Clan Leader!”
A group of Giants responded in unison, watching their Clan Leader’s massive body leap lightly onto the mountain peak like a flea, easily following the trail left by the other two Giants.
…
Qin Feng saw a hazy fog appear in the distance and immediately became resolute.
This indicated that he was nearing the boundary between the two great kingdoms, and he would soon not have to worry about being pursued by the Flame Giant.
Only, he had celebrated too soon.
When he looked back again, preparing to say a couple of witty remarks as a farewell to the two giants, he suddenly sensed a powerful presence coming from the distant rear.
“This is… the Demigod Realm Flame Giant!”
Qin Feng’s face changed; he hadn’t expected this creature to catch up so quickly.
Moreover, judging by the speed of the Giant Clan Chief, he was more than twice as fast as Qin Feng, not to mention the two Dharma Image Giants!
He immediately urged Qingluan beneath him to fly even faster.
Although Qingluan was already exerting its fullest effort, upon receiving Qin Feng’s command, it dared not disobey and desperately flapped its wings, regardless of the strain and consumption of its True Yuan, and managed to increase its speed a bit more.
Fortunately, the Demigod Realm Giant from behind was still very far away, and Qin Feng calculated that he should be able to escape into the Undead Realm before being caught.
In fact, this was the case. By the time Qin Feng escaped into the Undead Realm, the Giant Clan Chief had only just reached the boundary, still several tens of miles away.
“Ha ha… No need to see me off, gentlemen!”
Qin Feng waved his hand triumphantly, ready to disappear into the thick mist.
Behind him, the Giant Clan Chief roared furiously, speeding towards the border, his footsteps not pausing in the slightest as he followed Qin Feng’s figure into the Undead Realm.
“Uh…”
Qin Feng was shocked at this.
Had this creature lost its mind?
Entering the Undead Realm alone, wasn’t he afraid of being besieged by countless undead?
The Flame Giant was different from him. Once Qin Feng entered the Undead Realm and shook off his pursuers, he would immediately hide his aura, trying his best not to attract the attention of the powerful undead.
But the Flame Giant was different. Their unique bloodline made them shine like a human torch wherever they went, glowing and radiating heat. In the cold and silent Undead Realm, they were particularly conspicuous, and it was difficult not to attract the undead’s attention.
He didn’t realize how deeply the Giant Clan Chief hated Qin Feng.
After all, Qin Feng had not only outsmarted their tribe but also plundered the most important treasure of the clan.
That Divine Artifact Spear was a divine artifact passed down through their tribe for many years, possessing tremendous might. Usually, if they encountered an unbeatable monster, the tribe could allow their mightiest warrior to wield the artifact to resist.
Although the clan rules prevented the Clan Leader from directly owning the divine weapon, once he advanced to the Divine Level, he would be able to claim the artifact that had been passed down for tens of thousands of years as his own.
He had also planned to use the spear as his weapon to conquer all directions after advancing, but Qin Feng took it away, causing him to lose his most powerful weapon.
Moreover, not only had Qin Feng snatched the Divine Tree that the clan had guarded for years, but he also took away the Holy Fire that had been worshipped for countless years; this was intolerable.
The Holy Fire had been passed down for countless years in their tribe even before they had migrated here. It was a symbol of eternal life, the spiritual faith of their tribe, and the light of inheritance.
Thus, from any perspective, the Giant Clan Chief could not allow Qin Feng to escape; he had to retrieve the treasures of the clan at any cost.
Otherwise, losing these would not only severely demoralize his people but also lead to a decline in the tribe’s power.
And without the Holy Fire, it would be even harder for him to improve his strength and break through to the Divine Level!