Chapter 677 - 671: Refining the Golden Apple, Forced to Undergo the Heavenly Tribulation
Deep in the depths of the sea, a flying boat over thirty feet long was entangled in dense branches, struggling in vain to break free.
Inside the flying boat, Qin Feng and Li Miaozhen looked up towards the outside.
Although this space magical treasure was of high grade and its defense was incredibly strong, if they couldn’t break free, its defenses would eventually be breached.
The two of them weren’t truly afraid of their opponent. After all, their cultivations had advanced by leaps and bounds, and their combat strength was much stronger than before. Even though they weren’t as formidable as divine spirits when fighting alone, the difference wasn’t too significant.
The key issue was that there were two divine spirits on the other side. The one called Adonis, a pretty boy, wasn’t much of a concern. Although he could manipulate the ancient tree to entangle them, his divine power wasn’t too strong, and they didn’t fear him.
If it were just him there, Qin Feng and her would definitely make him realize that no matter how handsome he was, if it wasn’t matched by strength, he was just a pretty vase waiting to be shattered.
But the other Sea Goddess, Amalthea, was a different story.
As a natural deity of the sea, not only was her divine power overwhelming, having reached the peak of lower god spirits and being just one step away from entering the realm of middle-rank god spirits, but now, being in the sea, they had fallen into her territory.
Fighting a sea goddess whose strength was far superior to their own while in the sea, without the advantage of their home ground, and further being entangled, immediately put them in grave danger.
Especially when Amalthea mobilized the endless seawater to extinguish the several kinds of flames on the ancient tree, which made Qin Feng feel even more troubled.
Admittedly, he was also proficient in the Water Element Principle, but how could his understanding compare to that of the Sea Goddess? If they didn’t find a way to break free, they would eventually have their defenses breached by the opponent and find it impossible to escape.
Outside, Adonis looked at the flying boat firmly bound by his branches and couldn’t help but reveal a happy smile.
Although he wasn’t very strong, his exquisite and handsome appearance easily obtained the admiration of other goddesses, so he was also quite successful among the gods. Even though he was not very powerful, he never suffered much since wherever he went, goddesses protected him.
Just like this time, when, riding on the Heavenly Empress’s wrath, he ordered the gods to hunt down the two demigods who had stolen the golden apples, he sneakily ran to the sea to frolic with Amalthea, and unexpectedly, he came across the flying boat in mid-air. Peering through the Spirit Light outside the boat, he saw Qin Feng and her features, and was overjoyed by this stroke of luck, not expecting to run into them.
Without a second word, he summoned the ancient tree that had nurtured him to intercept the flying boat.
For him, whether it was capturing the two and sending them back to the Divine Mountain or killing the two demigods and swallowing the golden apples, he would gain significant benefits.
However, he didn’t expect their attacks to be so sharp and strong. Not only did they sever many of his branches, but the several kinds of flames were also extremely agonizing for him. Had his lover, the Sea Goddess Amalthea, not been there, he feared that he wouldn’t just fail but might actually end up losing what he tried to steal, as their flames could have burnt the ancient tree that gave birth to him.
At that moment, looking at the flying boat trapped at the bottom of the sea, Adonis couldn’t help but laugh out loud, “Let’s see how you can escape this time. Hand over the golden apples obediently, and I’ll give you a quick end. Otherwise, I’ll send you to the Goddess of Dead Souls, Molinoe, and imprison your souls in the Netherworld to suffer eternally!”
He had already decided that, compared to sending the pair back to the Divine Mountain, swallowing the golden apples for his benefit was far more advantageous.
After all, what good would it do to hand them over to the Heavenly Empress Hera?
Would the Heavenly Empress Hera reward him with golden apples? Or would the Heavenly Empress allow him into the Divine Palace to have an affair with her?
Even if Hera were willing and it wasn’t out of the question given her high status, he wouldn’t dare.
Otherwise, if Zeus found out, he would surely be beaten to the point where his soul dispersed and he couldn’t even make it to the Netherworld!
Since that was the case, he wanted to maximize his benefits and retain the golden apples to enhance his own strength.
As a divine spirit, he naturally knew the benefits of strong divine power. Setting aside everything else, just the elevation of his status would bring him many benefits.
If he could become a top-level divine spirit, he was confident in pursuing the war and wisdom goddess Athena whom he had long desired but never won over.
Although Aphrodite was known as the most beautiful goddess on Mount Olympus, in comparison, the most beautiful of the three virgin goddesses, Athena, was the object of his admiration.
Athena simply didn’t think highly of him, deeming him nothing but a pretty vase, a worthless philanderer. She barely gave him a proper glance.
He might have resigned himself to a lack of opportunity to increase his strength before, but now, with the Golden Apple right before his eyes, how could he not be tempted?
Inside the Flying Boat, Qin Feng and Li Miaozhen breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.
Since this guy was so greedy and wanted to keep the Golden Apple for himself, it meant he hadn’t informed other divinities, especially not Heavenly Empress Hera, that they were here.
Otherwise, the two of them wouldn’t stand a chance of escaping from Heavenly Empress Hera, let alone withstand a few more divinities from Mount Olympus.
However, Qin Feng and Li Miaozhen were not easily trapped. Even though they were deep in enemy territory, they had a plan to free themselves.
Li Miaozhen’s slender, elegant fingers constantly weaved various spells, while her White Tiger Saber revealed its astonishingly sharp side as it ceaselessly severed the entangling branches.
Qin Feng blew forth a Ruyi Spiritual Golden Wind from his mouth.
The Golden Wind transformed into a tornado, scattering the branches wrapped around the Flying Boat and kicking up the seawater outside into a thousand-foot-high surge, revealing the azure sky from this vantage point.
Such a powerful Divine Wind shocked Adonis immensely, prompting him to extend a hand in summoning; the Ancient Tree that had tightly coiled around the Flying Boat instantly retracted all its branches and rapidly retreated towards him.
Qin Feng had held back before, but now, realizing the peril he was in, he went all out, immediately demonstrating the true might of his advanced cultivation, forcing Adonis, the god of plants, to beat a hasty retreat, unwilling to confront him head-on.
Adonis turned pale.
As a pretty boy who relied on looks to get by, he seldom engaged personally in combat or clashed with other divinities.
Even if some didn’t look kindly upon him, the other goddesses would step in to block any conflicts, so he rarely suffered any setbacks and naturally lacked combat experience.
The full-on effort from Qin Feng and Li Miaozhen had given Adonis quite the fright with their formidable war power.
He hadn’t expected such formidable strength from two demigods, no wonder they dared to enter the Divine Mountain and steal the Golden Apple right under Heavenly Empress Hera’s watch.
However, as he glanced at the Sea Goddess Amalthea next to him, he instantly calmed down.
Though he himself was not strong in battle, Amalthea was formidable, especially in her own domain, so there was no fear of them escaping.
Sure enough, Amalthea chuckled lightly, “These two do have some ability, no wonder they dared to steal the Golden Apple right under the Heavenly Empress’s nose.”
“Are you confident?”
Adonis asked.
“Don’t worry, with me here, they can’t escape!”
Amalthea looked at the exceedingly handsome face of the male god next to her and smiled gently, “Once they’re in the sea, it’s my home field. There’s no chance for them to flee.”
With a wave of her hand, a chillingly cold breath surged forth immediately.
Crack, crack, the Cold Ice spread across a hundred miles, freezing countless fish, shrimps, crabs within it, and even the swaying corals and seaweed were locked in their graceful shapes, doomed never to move again.
“Let’s freeze them here first, so they cannot break free. Their boat-shaped Divine Artifact may have a strong Defensive Shield, but it won’t be able to defend against the erosion of my icy chill indefinitely.”
Amalthea confidently continued, “Since these two demigods possess such strong Attack Power, there’s no need to confront them directly in battle. We just need to put them in a passive defensive state and gradually wear down their strength.”
“How could the power accumulated by two demigods compare to mine? Once their power is exhausted, they will be at our mercy, and we won’t even have to worry about them injuring our divine bodies in a final act of desperation!”
“Good!”
Adonis heard this and was overjoyed, he embraced the soft waist of the Sea Goddess with delight and said, “As expected from my favorite goddess, Amalthea, with you here, I am at ease. However, you’d better set up a prohibition, so as not to be seen by other members of the Water Clan in the sea area, in case they report to other gods, and we lose our chance at the Golden Apple.”
“Don’t worry, with me here, we won’t be discovered by other gods.”
With a wave of her hand, Amalthea summoned a barrier of azure Divine Power that enveloped hundreds of miles of the sea area, making it appear as a regular part of the ocean to any creatures outside, invisible to what was happening within.
Moreover, after sensing the presence of this Sea Goddess, none dared to force their way through, so even if a few members of the Water Clan noticed some strange fluctuations in this part of the sea area, they did not dare to investigate further and retreated.
Inside the Flying Boat.
Qin Feng furrowed his brow as he pushed the Flying Boat’s Defensive Shield to its limit. Feeling the encroaching Cold Ice outside, he took a moment to estimate and said, “With this Flying Boat’s own defense, at most, it can withstand three days before the cold breaks through our defenses. Even if I use the Cold Ice Principle to disperse the cold outside, along with other methods, it would only extend our time a bit, but sooner or later, the shield will be breached, and we fear we will end up trapped here!”
“Huh?”
Li Miao Zhen looked up at the Cold Ice outside, giving it some thought, then suddenly took out a Golden Apple.
Qin Feng was taken aback, then immediately surprised, and hastily asked, “Sister, you’re not thinking of…”
“Indeed.”
Li Miao Zhen nodded her head, “That goddess outside is quite strong. Since there’s no way to escape, trying this method isn’t a bad idea.”
“Isn’t this… a bit too dangerous?”
Qin Feng hesitated slightly.
“Do you have a better idea?”
Excitement flashed across Li Miao Zhen’s face, “As long as I refine this Golden Apple, my cultivation can break through the bottleneck and shatter the shackles, achieving Immortal Dao. By then, it will definitely attract the attacks of the Heavenly Dao of this world, bringing down heavenly lightning. Crossing the tribulation in this world is indeed dangerous, but if successful, there are benefits as well. Not only can we comprehend the Laws of this world amidst the tribulation, but upon returning to Biluo, we will also be rewarded by Heavenly Dao. It equates to twice the comprehension, which is immensely beneficial to us. Moreover, we can use the heavenly lightning to scatter the Cold Ice outside. As long as we survive the tribulation, given our foundational cultivation, who in the same realm would we fear, these two novice gods?”
Her words were full of indomitable spirit, but Qin Feng was not as optimistic: “This is a higher world, where Heavenly Dao is stringent, and the tribulation it brings will surely be powerful, not so easily overcome. If it were as you say, then all the cultivators of the Northern Domain might as well cross their tribulations in this world, each and every one would have great potential and swift future advancement.”
“It’s not the same!” Li Miao Zhen laughed, “Ordinary cultivators do not have enough accumulation and dare not cross their tribulations in this world. And they are not like us, the chosen of Qi Fortune from Biluo. Even if they return and reconnect with Heavenly Dao, their gains won’t be as significant as ours. Besides, the World Will has a memory. If it realizes that it did not kill us with this tribulation, the next time another cultivator from a different world attempts to cross, it will surely increase the power. Each tribulation will be stronger than the last, who would then dare take the risk?”
“So, picking up a bargain during the first tribulation is possible?”
Qin Feng pondered, “If it’s really possible to gain insights from the Heavenly Dao twice, then it’s indeed worth a try. The only concern is whether we can withstand the tribulations!”
“Don’t worry, with me here, I’ll ensure you come out unharmed!”
Li Miaozhen patted her towering chest and declared confidently, “I have a treasure on me. If we really can’t withstand the Heavenly Tribulation, we can just release it and hide inside. You’ll definitely be safe!”
“Oh?”
Qin Feng’s spirits lifted upon hearing this, “In that case, let’s do it!
Although this is a bit rushed and my accumulation of power is not as profound as my senior sister’s, with the Golden Apples, nothing is a problem!”
This was the confidence in his heart.
Without the Golden Apples, he would never dare to consider facing the tribulation alongside Li Miaozhen.
Qin Feng also took out a Golden Apple.
Previously, they had harvested twelve Golden Apples from the tree, with each person getting as many as six.
These were Spirit Fruit containing the origin of the Geng Metal Dao; ordinary cultivators could achieve the Immortal Dao and prove their longevity by refining just one.
It is said that in the Primordial Ancestor Realm there exist Flat Peach Immortal Fruit, consuming one could even grant life as long as the heavens and earth, though whether this is true or not is unknown.
However, considering the vast strength of the Primordial Ancestor Realm, it is very likely true, after all, a high-ranking world like this one has the existence of Golden Apples, so it’s not unusual for the Primordial Ancestor Realm to produce several Innate Spirit Roots.
He examined the Golden Apple in his hand, which shimmered with brilliant golden light, with skin incredibly hard; to call it Divine Gold would not be an exaggeration—it could be directly used as a material for Artifact Refining to make Immortal Artifacts.
Yet, surely no one would be willing to use the skin of a Golden Apple for Artifact Refining, after all, the Power of Laws within it could be refined.
Furthermore, the power sealed within the skin was extraordinarily pure.
A single Golden Apple could create an Immortal or a Divine entity. Qin Feng’s Cultivation had already reached the Primordial Spirit Realm, just one step away from Becoming an Immortal. If he refined the Golden Apple, achieving the Immortal Dao was naturally not an issue.
The only concern was that he cultivated multiple laws, if he proved his Dao as an Immortal solely with the Gold Element Principle, it would not align with his original plan. If he were to elevate other laws after Becoming an Immortal, it would be quite challenging.
Fortunately, he had already started on these Laws and even elevated them to Space, rather than like other Immortals or Divine beings who embark on new Dao after Becoming Immortal or God; of course, they could not achieve much in a new Dao.
Now he hesitated whether or not to face the tribulation with Li Miaozhen to Become an Immortal. Although receiving the insights twice was an invaluable opportunity for him, if the other Principles were too far behind the Gold Element Principle, it could make it more difficult for him to progress in the future and might even slow down his cultivation pace.
But he had no choice.
Because he was in the same area as Li Miaozhen, sealed in Cold Ice by the Sea Goddess, he could not escape. Thus the World Will would surely not miss him during Li Miaozhen’s tribulation.
Since he could not avoid it, he could only decide to refine the Golden Apple first. Regardless of whether or not he had to face the tribulation, he had to make all necessary preparations. Otherwise, it would be a pity if he was struck dead by the Heavenly Tribulation due to inadequate strength.
However, all these concerns disappeared as soon as he began refining the Golden Apple.
Because the effects of the Golden Apple far exceeded his expectations!