Chapter 337: Dark Saint Realm

This ancient and unadorned warship traversed the void for another half-day before the city of Rain Ripple came into view. "A true cultivation city," the old man murmured, his gaze penetrating the myriad arrays protecting Rain Ripple City. Only the most inconspicuous, Chaos Primordial Array, emanated a pressure that gave him pause. "No wonder Luo Feng was able to turn the tide. This array alone speaks volumes of his extraordinary nature."

The winged woman and the crimson-robed youth also noticed the Chaos Primordial Array, each sensing its latent power and the threat it posed.

"Let's go in and take a look," the old man proposed.

The trio retracted their warship and entered the city gates. The city guards remained oblivious to their presence, and even Rain Ripple City's array systems failed to detect them.

"Having just weathered a war, Rain Ripple City has recovered remarkably quickly," the winged woman observed.

"Indeed, it suggests the city didn't suffer substantial losses," the crimson-robed youth agreed. The three of them flew through the city, observing with great interest.

Suddenly, two figures emerged from a tear in the fabric of space, materializing before them. One was Hall Master Yuan Xiang, and the other was naturally Luo Feng.

"Brother Bo Xiu, you've arrived without a word. We should have prepared a proper welcome," Hall Master Yuan Xiang greeted with a smile.

"Yuan Xiang," the old man replied, his face equally radiant, pleased to see his old friend. His gaze shifted to the black-robed, dark-haired man beside Hall Master Yuan Xiang. Luo Feng's aura had grown increasingly profound and enigmatic, each strand imbued with the Daoist intent of creation and destruction.

Such was the way of cultivation: the more profound one's understanding, the more one's being permeated the essence of the Dao they cultivated. Even a mere image of them contained the mysteries of the Dao.

"Brother Luo Feng," Hall Master Yuan Xiang said with a smile, "allow me to introduce you. This is Brother Bo Xiu, a cultivator of the True Witch lineage. His strength surpasses even my peak, and he's been something of a mentor to me."

"Yuan Xiang, we learn from each other," the old man corrected with a smile. When they teamed up for trials, they naturally exchanged knowledge, furthering the refinement of their respective cultivation systems.

"This is Divine Emperor Bai," Hall Master Yuan Xiang continued, introducing the winged woman.

The winged woman offered Luo Feng a slight nod and a gentle smile. In the Dark Sacred Realm, such a scene would have shocked many cultivators. Divine Emperor Bai was renowned for her aloofness, and few cultivators could elicit a smile from her, not even those of equal stature, save for her closest confidants.

"And this is Divine Emperor Chi," Hall Master Yuan Xiang chuckled, introducing the crimson-robed youth. "In close-quarters combat, Chi Zheng can slay a low-tier Limitless lifeform with his bare hands."

The crimson-robed youth chuckled softly, "I couldn't possibly achieve what you have, defeating four Limitless lifeforms single-handedly."

The three of them held Luo Feng in high regard.

"It is my pleasure to meet you all," Luo Feng replied courteously. "You've traveled far. Shall we proceed to the Elders' Hall?"

"Please lead the way," the old man and his companions said, eager to accept.

Soon, guided by Luo Feng and Hall Master Yuan Xiang, the three cultivators arrived at the Elders' Hall.

As the core of Rain Ripple City, welcoming guests there was a mark of the utmost respect.

"I hear Brother Luo Feng has already slain the Bewitching Mind Worm?" the old man asked as he sat down. "We accepted the mission, after all, and we'd like to confirm the corpse of the Bewitching Mind Worm."

Luo Feng nodded and, with a wave of his hand, the corpse of the Bewitching Mind Worm appeared, suspended in the air.

The old man, the winged woman, and the crimson-robed youth scrutinized the corpse, swiftly examining its every aspect.

They also detected the cracked life core, confirming the completion of the task.

"Brother Luo Feng, you may retrieve the corpse," the old man said with a smile. "We obtained half the merit points with remarkable ease."

"Given the Bewitching Mind Worm's cunning, by the time we arrived, its mother worm and offspring would have scattered to many dangerous places within the Nine Rivers Sacred Realm. A pursuit would have been no easy task," the crimson-robed youth added.

Luo Feng's swift action spared them considerable trouble.

"Brother Luo Feng has acquired a vast number of low-tier Limitless lifeform corpses," the old man remarked. "In the Nine Rivers Sacred Realm, no one can afford to purchase such a quantity."

"In Rain Ripple City, even an organization capable of buying a Limitless lifeform corpse is rare," Hall Master Yuan Xiang concurred.

A single Limitless lifeform corpse had numerous uses, and even a small piece of its flesh was expensive. A complete corpse was worth roughly ten billion Primordial Crystals. An organization capable of affording such a purchase was exceedingly rare.

"But in the Dark Sacred Realm, even if Brother Luo Feng's spoils were tenfold greater, countless forces could afford to buy them," the crimson-robed youth chuckled. "Moreover, the Dark Sacred Realm is where one can acquire the most suitable resources."

Luo Feng acknowledged this.

His recent acquisitions were indeed vast and constituted a considerable fortune. Within the Nine Rivers Sacred Realm, his purchasing options were already limited.

Treasured secret treasures suited to his needs, such as the Undying Heart and World in a Palm, were scarce. He could find no others.

"I've heard of a grand Primordial Hall in the Dark Sacred Realm?" Luo Feng inquired.

"Indeed," the winged woman, Bai, replied. "The grand Primordial Hall in the Dark Sacred Realm is even larger than Rain Ripple City. Within its halls, anything is possible! There are countless corpses of high-tier Limitless lifeforms, and even seven complete corpses of World-level Limitless lifeforms. Many living high-tier Limitless lifeforms are also imprisoned within the Primordial Hall."

"We can observe these imprisoned high-tier Limitless lifeforms up close."

"Furthermore, with enough merit points, one can exchange for a Primordial Prisoner—a high-tier Limitless lifeform whose strength has been completely sealed," the winged woman added.

"Their strength must be completely sealed, or they could easily kill cultivators," the old man cautioned. "I've always wanted to exchange for a Primordial Prisoner for research, but alas, they are too expensive."

The winged woman continued, "The Primordial Hall also contains countless complete bloodlines. Limitless-level bloodlines are insignificant within the Primordial Hall! Anyone with aspirations generally exchanges for 'high-tier Limitless lifeform bloodlines' or even 'World-level Limitless bloodlines.' In the Dark Sacred Realm, we know of two individuals who successfully exchanged for World-level Limitless bloodlines."

"Countless bloodlines, various secret treasures, diverse legacies, and opportunities for cultivation—everything is exchangeable."

"In the Primordial Hall, merit points can buy everything! Primordial Crystals can only purchase a small fraction of the available items."

Luo Feng listened, filled with longing.

His path of cultivation involved studying various bloodlines.

Only in the Dark Sacred Realm could he gather enough Limitless-level bloodlines and even pursue higher-level bloodlines.

"Brother Luo Feng, with your strength, you can venture into the Dark Sacred Realm," the old man suggested. "The Nine Rivers Sacred Realm poses no threat to you, but the Dark Sacred Realm is far more dangerous and offers far greater resources. You've achieved such strength without visiting the Dark Sacred Realm; once you venture there, you might advance further and reach the Invincible level."

"Invincible?" Luo Feng inquired. "I've heard that Invincible-level experts are rarely seen in the Dark Sacred Realm."

"They've been guided away," the crimson-robed youth replied with envy. "Once one reaches the Invincible level, Senior Yuan and the others will appear and guide them away."

"Those who are guided away mostly escape the cage," the winged woman added, her heart filled with longing.

"Escape the cage," Luo Feng repeated, holding his breath.

He yearned for that, of course.

Without transcending the cage, one was destined to live within source worlds, myriad worlds, and other such realms.

Only by escaping the cage, by undergoing a transformation of the essence of life, could one truly roam the vast and limitless Primordial Space.

"What exactly is this so-called Invincible level?" Luo Feng asked.

The old man, his companions, and Hall Master Yuan Xiang hesitated at the question.

"Mastering two and a half Primordial Daos is considered the peak level in the Dark Sacred Realm," the old man explained. "If one's strength surpasses even the peak level by a significant margin, they can be considered Invincible."

"Achieving Invincibility is difficult," the winged woman said. "Even those with extraordinary talent who master three and a half Primordial Daos struggle to undergo a qualitative transformation in strength and cannot be considered Invincible. Some even exchange for World-level Limitless bloodlines to unlock deeper layers of bloodline power, but they cannot confidently claim to have reached the Invincible level."

Hall Master Yuan Xiang added, "Luo Feng, in the Dark Sacred Realm, the two Dao Comprehenders who exchanged for World-level Limitless bloodlines were 'Divine Emperor Ji Ke,' whose strength is only slightly greater than ours, and a senior named 'Mo Jia,' who delved deeper into the power of his bloodline and was guided away by Senior Yuan and the others. It is said that he has already escaped the cage."

"There are three commonly recognized paths to reach the Invincible level," the old man explained. "The first is for one's spirit and will to break free of the cage! With terrifying willpower alone, one can become invincible. We would be helpless against them."

"The second is to advance further by leveraging the power of bloodlines."

"The third is to merge the two half-Primordial Daos we cultivate into one! This can also lead to a qualitative transformation."

"Each of these paths becomes increasingly difficult," the old man said.

The crimson-robed youth added, "In the history of the Dark Sacred Realm, those who have reached Invincibility have generally done so by freeing their spirit and will from the cage. We know of only one who achieved it through bloodline power. As for the third path? We've never heard of it in the Dark Sacred Realm."

"It likely exists in other world clusters," the winged woman said. "It is a method clearly recorded in the Primordial Hall. For Dao Comprehenders, the third path is the most difficult but also the path with the highest upper limit."

The old man nodded in agreement, "The deeper the foundation of the Great Dao, the higher the upper limit. This third path is the path to building a solid foundation."

"Thank you for your guidance," Luo Feng said, gaining valuable insights.

These four were experts at the peak level in the Dark Sacred Realm, and their vast knowledge gave Luo Feng a deeper understanding of his future path.

His Path of Creation and Destruction had already reached the late stage of Divine Emperor and the power that it expressed was a bit more excellent compared to cultivators who mastered two and a half primordial Daos, but in general was at the same level. But if the Path of Creation and Destruction reached the half-Primordial level? That would likely be a qualitative transformation, a sign of Invincibility.

"Brother Luo Feng, now that we've completed our mission, we'll stay in Rain Ripple City for a few days before returning," the old man said. "Do you plan to return with us? We can introduce you to some fellow travelers."

"There's no need," Luo Feng replied, shaking his head. "I've just broken through and need to spend some time in secluded cultivation before venturing into the Dark Sacred Realm."

He had only taken the Hundred Tribulation Marrow one day prior and needed to wait for its effects to fully manifest and his strength to solidify before exploring the Dark Sacred Realm.