The Sacred Ruins

Thunderstruck wood was jet black in color and looked like ink jade. Additionally, there was a lightly colored line upon it with a number of leaves.

The leaves were still verdant and jade green with lingering vitality despite the passage of the years.

At the same time, the buzz of a lightning would surge out from time to time. This was due to the destructive power it had suffered when it was struck by lightning. Later on, this plant didn’t die and instead continued to grow under the nourishment of electricity.

The Thunderstruck Wood contained inherent vitality.

A miraculous aspect of this item was that destruction and rebirth coexisted within.

This type of wood was too rare because thunderstruck trees would usually die directly. How could it grow? It would be difficult to find a couple of them even after combing through the famed mountains and great rivers.

At least Chu Feng couldn’t find it after searching far and wide.

But here in the ruins near the true dragon’s lair, there were piles of them. Thousands and thousands of them. This was unimaginable!

The closest one was just nearby but Chu Feng didn’t dare act rashly because this was a land inhabited by an ancient dragon. The geography was extraordinary and the remnant domains were truly terrifying!

"True dragon’s lair, here I come!" The toad Ouyang Feng bulged out its belly and let out a loud croak. This fellow was actually so bold as to release its aura and walk forward.

"Behave!" Chu Feng grabbed at it.

"Don’t move. I’m a true dragon prince and this is my home ground. I’ll let all of you see what it means for the destined to return!" the toad cried out.

That was because it did, indeed, feel quite special. It was as if there were something in the dragon’s lair calling out to it.

Currently, it wanted to walk forth according to intuition and blend in with that energy. It was hoping to step into the true dragon’s cave.

Seeing that Chu Feng was no longer pulling it back, the toad rushed into the ruins with a swoosh. The runes underneath its foot lit up but as its blood energy seeped out, the originally excited ancient ground immediately calmed down. No danger occurred.

The people behind were all shocked. Chu Feng was especially puzzled to see that the domain runes were ineffective against the toad.

He frowned but realized the reason behind this. Certain seals could be carved into some astonishing domains. For instance, a certain animal’s blood energy seal or a spiritual energy seal.

This signified that a certain race could deploy the domains specifically aimed at a different race.

Apparently, the domain grandmaster who had built these domains was extremely heaven-defying. To the dragon race, this place was just a level road without any threat.

"Haha..." Ouyang Feng the toad couldn’t stop laughing loudly. It turned back to look askance at Chu Feng and said, "This grandpa is going in to snatch some fortunes. When I come back as a carefree realm expert, I accept you as my mount!"

Chu Feng’s expression momentarily turned dark. This bastard had been dissatisfied with its status all this time. Saying that he would take Chu Feng as a mount? That was simply asking for a beating!

"Little tadpole, stop acting so smug and go pick some Dragon Blood Grass and toss out some thunderstruck wood while you’re at it!" the Manchurian Tiger shouted. Its eyes were full of thief-like radiance and anticipation.

In truth, this outcome had exceeded everyone’s expectations. Even the black yak seemed as if he had seen a ghost. This annoying toad was actually able to walk into the dragon’s lair just like that?

Boom?

At this time, the toad let out a miserable cry as an explosion occurred. It had been charred black and was scuttling away, running for dear life.

"Ah, save me!"

At this moment, its intuition was screaming that it was done for. The earlier resonance had disappeared and the land became incomparably dangerous once more.

"Bang! Bang! Bang..."

The toad was quite miserable and was blasted all the way out of the domain. Its flesh was mangled and one of its legs had almost fallen off. It cried wretchedly in pain.

This caused everyone’s expression to change. This was an astonishing development.

Chu Feng quickly tossed out some magnetic stones with runes already carved upon them. They landed within the ruins in order to draw out the toad and help it escape danger.

"Oww!" the toad cried out loudly.

It was fortunate that it hadn’t gone too far inside or else it would’ve died without a doubt.

After coming out, the toad was emitting the scent of charred meat—its resilient body was full of wounds and one of its legs had been fractured, coming quite close to being torn off.

Ouyang Feng was so sullen that it wanted to bang its head on the ground. It possessed keen intuition as a divine beast and some decisions were based solely on such inherent divine instincts.

But today, it was going well at first but everything changed rapidly later on.

"We’re all family! It’s too inappropriate to harm one’s own!" the toad shouted at the lair furiously.

"Stop shouting. You do have some dragon blood in you, but it’s not pure enough. That’s why you were attacked in the end!" said Chu Feng.

There used to be astonishing domains in this place. Chu Feng judged that these domains would only allow those with pure dragon blood to enter safely. Others wouldn’t be allowed.

Apart from this, they would only have to rely on breaking through the domains.

Chu Feng walked over and helped the toad to reconnect his fractured bones.

Ouyang Feng was immediately filled with tears and said, "Oh, thank you very much."

But soon, it cried out in misery. "Oww! Are you trying to kill me? Let me go! My leg is broken. Ah, I submit. Let me go. I won’t dare to say that I’ll make you my mount ever again!"

Chu Feng patted his hands clean and stood up. At the same time, he let the toad stand back while he himself approached the border of the ruins to observe.

This was fairly time-consuming because he needed to continuously deduce the domains. Finally, Chu Feng made his move—he entered the ruins with the intention of bringing out a piece of Thunderstruck Wood. The others followed him in and helped him by throwing out magnetic crystals as per his instructions.

But they were left in a miserable condition in the end. Before long, dark energy surged up and the group was forced to run away with charred faces and bloody wounds.

"Goddammit, this evil thunder! How malicious. That dog sh*t domain grandmaster is definitely doing this to harm people!"

The group was dissatisfied.

All of them were wounded and their mouths were full of bloody froth.

It wasn’t that Chu Feng was lacking but the domain grandmaster’s methods were too high level. The difference between them was too great.

They could only feel fortunate not to have been utterly destroyed. Otherwise, they might’ve died in there.

Chu Feng felt quite helpless. He recalled the stone carvings the Dragoness had given him. There was once a great domain master who had come here hoping to deploy domains around the dragon’s lair and borrow its power to be reborn.

But that great domain master also failed and left behind a pile of stone carvings upon his death.

Chu Feng had long since memorized all of his notes. Now, he began to form some new ideas after thinking back on them for a long period.

He wanted to try again, but everyone cried out wretchedly.

"Ah, no! It’s too painful. I’m not going to take this risk again!"

"Brother, a small mistake this time will make roast beef out of this old ox. That extreme yang fire you drew out almost burned off one of my horns!"

"Hee-haw, hee-haw, hee..."

"Goddammit donkey, stop crying out and taking advantage of everyone. I’ll beat you to death."

...

It could be said that the whole place was in chaos as Chu Feng experimented continuously. But one time after another, he was tortured to the brink of death by the domain runes.

"We can always throw the toad inside if nothing works. After all, it can walk safely part of the way. We can use it to probe the path." The black yak brought up such a suggestion.

Boom!

More explosions followed. Everyone was wounded badly and coughed up blood. Even the Dragoness was now torn and tattered with charred patches showing on jer white skin.

"Handsome Big Brother Chu Feng, I’m not going in again. My back is about to break!" The problem lady propped up her little waist in misery. Her body was full of lightning marks and her little face appeared anxious.

But Chu Feng was fully devoted as he gained more and more insight. Later on, he let everyone else withdraw while he himself stayed behind to study.

In the end, he entered successfully and obtained a piece of thunderstruck wood.

Additionally, he pulled out a number of Dragon Blood Grass, but unfortunately, the grasses were badly ruined during the explosions.

"The effects won’t be good if directly ingested. I’ll take all of them and refine them into medicine!" said Chu Feng. He put the damaged Dragon Blood Grasses and Thunderstruck Wood into his Pristine Jade Bottle.

"Let’s go. The level of this place is too high. The residence of a saint isn’t something we can explore at our level. Wait until I become a grandmaster and we can definitely enter that dragon lair. We’ll dig out those Reverse Scale Flowers and Dragon Embryo Trees!"

Those things were effective even for evolved beings at the Golden Arhat level, to speak nothing of them. They might become the most powerful experts on earth if they ate them.

Everyone else felt regretful. They found an unguarded treasure trove but didn’t manage to obtain the greatest fortunes. For instance, the Dragon Blood Grass was growing in large patches right in front of the dragon’s lair but they were unable to get their hands on it.

Spiritual energy and telekinetic abilities were all rendered ineffective in this place. The power of the domain was present everywhere here.

"What a fraudulent dragon’s lair!" Ouyang Feng was dissatisfied.

"Let’s leave quickly. Our movements just now caused a great commotion and had activated part of the domains in the ruins. I feel that it’ll become very dangerous. A great calamity will descend if we provoke it a little bit more." Chu Feng’s expression was solemn.

He stared fixedly at the gigantic bronze pillar within the ruins and discovered that it was lustrous and brilliant. The tattered piece of cloth, that half-remaining flag, was actually beginning to sway in the wind.

"How odd! The dragon war flag is moving," Yellow Ox mumbled to itself.

"Go, we can’t stay here anymore!" said Chu Feng. "This place is extremely suitable for trapping people. If we encounter extraterrestrials in the future, we can lure them here.

Chu Feng and the others had just left the ruins and arrived outside when they found their path blocked.

"Oh, not bad. You guys are quite capable. I like it." A figure appeared. It was a middle-aged man wearing a long silver robe and smiling coldly.

His strength was extremely vast and the aura he was emitting was exceptionally terrifying. It seemed he had already severed his ninth shackle!

"Who are you!?" Chu Feng asked.

"Southern Sea Dragon King, you’re overstepping your bounds!" the Dragoness spoke. Her expression changed because she recognized the other party’s identity.

"Southern Sea Dragon King?!" Chu Feng was shocked.

"No, I’m his sworn brother and I’m called Long Ze." The silver-robed man smiled lightly. He appeared mighty and divine. One could see, at a glance, that the man was an extraordinary expert exuding great power and confidence.

Even the creatures behind his back weren’t weak. All of them were emitting astonishing levels of energy.

Long Ze smiled towards the Dragoness and said, "Niece, your father has the Elder Dragon King of the Southern Sea entangled for fear that he will come to the sea eye, but I’m free to do so."

"Long Ze has severed his ninth shackle and is the number two character in the Southern Sea Dragon Palace," the Dragoness informed Chu Feng.

This shook Chu Feng greatly. The existences within the ocean were indeed frightening. They had actually produced an entity at such a level. They had far surpassed the continent.

But then he recalled the continuous appearance of the Dragon Blood Grass, the Fusang Tree, and about how some people had obtained its branches—he found an explanation to his questions.

Only the immortal peach of Mount Kunlun might be able to compete with the Fusang Tree of the ocean.

"So, you’re the Chu Feng who killed both my nephews?" Long Ze had his hands behind his back and smiled indifferently. He was cold and slightly cruel.

Hei Teng was killed by Chu Feng on Mount Sanqing, while the second black dragon prince was burned to death on Mount Zhijin. Both of them were extremely dear to the Elder Dragon King.

Now that the Elder Dragon King’s sworn brother, another Southern Sea flood serpent had appeared, he would naturally be antagonistic towards him.

"What did you obtain from the dragon’s lair just now. Hand it all over," Long Ze said with a smile.

"Quit dreaming!" said Chu Feng. That was because negotiations wouldn’t work here. The enmity between him and the Southern Sea Dragon Race was too deep.

Apparently, Long Ze had long since arrived and blocked their way out. He was waiting for them to bring out the fortunes.

"Heh, heh, I can spare your lives, but I have a condition. You’ll hand over everything you just obtained and you’ll also enter the dragon’s lair again to help me obtain more Dragon’s Blood Grass," said Long Ze.

He was clearly using them as a tool and sending them to their deaths in order to help him obtain medicine for evolution.

The Dragoness spoke, "Uncle Long Ze, you’ve overstepped your bounds. This is our Eastern Sea Dragon Races area and Chu Feng is a guest of our race. It’s highly inappropriate for you to come and cause trouble in our sea eye."

"Niece, I won’t cause trouble for you today. Stand aside." Long Ze then glanced at Chu Feng and said, "What? Are you not satisfied? You seem more powerful than others. I know you’re strong and have already severed your seventh shackle, but so what? I’m not like those extraterrestrials who can’t use their true powers. I have you in my hands today—either you submit and pick Dragon Blood Grass for me or die!"

Long Ze was using strength to suppress people. His expression was cold and overflowing with killing intent.

Those behind him also revealed killing intent as they stared at Chu Feng.

"You’re too overbearing!" Chu Feng glared at Long Ze.

"Yes, I am bullying you. What can you do?!" Long Ze laughed tyrannically as if he was extremely confident.

"Uncle Yaksha, please send off these guests!" the Dragoness spoke at this moment.

"Yes!" A certain figure flickered in the distance as a person walked over. It was a golden sea patrolling yaksha possessing great strength.

He had actually severed his ninth shackle and was one of the top-grade experts of the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace, second only to the Eastern Sea Dragon King.

The golden yaksha’s skin seemed to be made of metal. He walked over slowly and stared fixedly at Long Ze. "Long Ze, please leave."

"Aren’t you in the Southern Sea? You’ve actually come back." Long Ze smiled coldly. "I’ve already come so I don’t want to go back. I insist on killing this Chu Feng!"

Afterwards, he relaxed his expression and said to the old Yaksha, "Brother Yaksha, this brat’s attainments in the field of domains is extraordinary. Let’s make him enter the dragon lair and risk his life. Perhaps he might be able to pick some Dragon’s Blood Grass for us."

The Dragoness’ expression sank. "Do you think our Eastern Sea people are the same as your Southern Sea’s? Chu Feng is our guest. How can Uncle Yaksha treat him this way?"

Long Ze smiled lightly and didn’t spare the Dragoness a glance. "What say you, brother?"

At this moment, a certain figure appeared in the distance. "The Southern Sea Dragon Race is so impressive!"

This was a middle-aged man. Most importantly, he was a human with eight severed shackles and not a marine life form.

At this moment, both Chu Feng and the others were surprised—the underwater world was indeed extraordinary. Three great experts had appeared in close succession. This was far superior to the continent.

"A human expert. How surprising! But you’re still one level short to meddle in our business. You might be swept in if you insist on doing so," Long Ze said indifferently.

At the same time, he was also somewhat surprised. Where did this human with eight severed shackles emerge from?

"Does this mean that you’re hell-bent on making Chu Feng enter the dragon’s lair to pick Dragon’s Blood Grass?" this middle-aged man asked.

He looked 30 to 40 years old and was wearing a purple ancient-styled robe. He possessed a medium build but his aura was extremely vigorous.

"So what if I am?!" Long Ze revealed a mocking expression. He was prepared to take down this rude human.

"One must heed the owner’s face when beating a dog. Do you dare touch a person whom our Penglai Immortal Island wants to protect?" The man revealed a cold smile and added, "Even if he’s really made to enter the dragon’s lair to pick Dragon’s Blood Grass, it won’t be your Southern Sea Dragon Race’s turn to reap the benefits."

Penglai Immortal Island? Both the old Yaksha and Long Ze’s expressions changed after hearing this name.

Chu Feng, Yellow Ox, and the Manchurian Tiger weren’t calm in their hearts either.

At first, Chu Feng still had a good impression of him as someone of the human race who helped to defend him. But his expression turned ugly after hearing the words which followed.

That was because this man’s words were simply too unpleasant to hear. Heed the owner when beating the dog? Such words weren’t appropriate at all.

At this time, the middle-aged man said to Chu Feng, "Can you enter and pick some Dragon’s Blood Grass for me? I have a use for it."

"I can’t go in," Chu Feng replied.

The middle-aged man’s expression momentarily sank. He then waved his hand towards Long Ze gesturing for him to leave as if he was feeling impatient.

Although he had only severed eight shackles, his origin, the Penglai Immortal Island, caused Long Ze to feel rather apprehensive. He was hesitating and almost wanted to leave right away.

Chu Feng was upset. What did these people think he was?

He could let Long Ze be because they were destined to be enemies. The feud between him and the southern sea dragon race was simply too deep.

But this human had spoken such inappropriate words just now. Additionally, he wanted to drive Long Ze away and have Chu Feng stay behind. Wasn’t it to force him to enter the dragon’s lair?

Chu Feng felt that he should send this smug man who was so full of himself on his way and have him understand why the flowers were so resplendent!