The Sacred Ruins
chapter-126

The time was past midnight, and the distant night was shrouded by complete darkness .

Only at this location, a silvery light could be seen flowing about .

With the gentle caress of the night breeze, the crystalline leaves jingled excitedly with an ear pleasing melody .

Chu Feng sat amidst this delightful concert, calm as the void in both body and mind, reaching a state of epiphany .

Chu Feng felt greatly astonished . The melodious chime of silvery leaves awakened him to a great emptiness from deep within . It was a surreal feeling of detachment .

It was as if the music of a great dao was being sung .

He hesitated for but a moment before circulating the Thunderous Breathing Technique, attempting to use it to temper his body .

Within an instant, Chu Feng felt his whole body, bones and joints constantly emit sounds—not the clattering sounds one would expect, but a clear and melodious sound, akin to the collision of metal .

Suddenly, he felt his bones go limp with numbness, and this feeling spread towards his four limbs .

Following that, his five viscera were also resonating rhythmically with the thunderous beats, refining them and covering them with a layer of translucent energy .

Chu Feng was greatly surprised . It appears that the Thunderous Breathing Technique today was several times more efficient, to the point of him being able to sense the empowering changes taking place . What could be the reason behind this?

He gazed at the tree, wondering if it was due to the chime of those silvery leaves .

After he had finished practicing the Thunderous Breathing Technique, he felt light and agile . He couldn’t help but notice the presence of a type of sweat-like liquid stuck on his body . It seems to have originated from within this flesh and blood, expelled due to the great pressure within .

Chu Feng was certain that he was at the peak of the ninth level of the Awakened Realm . He had a sufficiently solid foundation that would be of help to him during his imminent breakthrough .

He was yet to use the breathing technique that Yellow Ox had taught him . He was waiting for the right time, for the flowers on the silver tree to burst into bloom .

He sat there fully prepared .

With the gradual flow of time, the tree stopped growing when it was close to two meters tall . Nonetheless, it remained exuberant as its roots dug deeper and its silver leaves grew abundant .

The vicinity had turned into a field of argent white as silvery light poured down torrentially .

Additionally, the trunk was growing increasingly thick and vigorous, completely unlike a young tree that had grown overnight, but akin to an ancient tree that had seen the passage of several hundred years . Its bark was cracked and uneven, revealing the silvery halo within .

Chu Feng examined the tree with his hands and couldn’t help but notice the pulse of life from within . It was as if it was a coagulation of vigor and vitality .

Suddenly, its life force burst forth, showering the surrounding with silver light as a spot appeared at the very apex of the tree, where an astonishing agglomeration of vitality could be found .

Within the blink of an eye, that spot was akin to the blossom of a small sun—a small bud was taking form, gradually being nurtured into being .

Chu Feng could hardly wait for the moment of truth . He had waited long and hard for this seed to gestate and bloom .

Not betraying his expectations, the bud was completely formed shortly—about an inch in size, small and delicate .

As silvery light rained down from the tree, the whole area had turned into a field of white . An aura of sanctity hung in the air, as if one were in a mythical realm where gods sat in meditation under the treasure tree .

Chu Feng remained silent as his gaze remained unshifting upon the bud .

Suddenly, he felt a slight fluctuation off in the distance that caused him to frown .

Within a different patch of the bewildering mist, some life forms were approaching quietly .

Isolated by the bewildering mist, Chu Feng’s divine instinct was greatly limited, but his sense of hearing, however, was largely unaffected . He was able to hear minute sounds inaudible to normal people .

What he feared the most was such a scenario—he wanted to wait for the flower to bloom in peace and quiet .

To that end, he had walked far and wide before finding this remote corner of the bewildering mist, within which even beast kings could lose their way . Unexpectedly, there was someone who did not fear death and wandered to where he was .

That lifeform was extremely cautious . It treaded lightly and circled around behind Chu Feng . Only after observing for seven or eight minutes did it pounce forward for the kill .

Its foot long claws were visible through the darkness as it came tearing at Chu Feng’s throat with a sinister gleam .

What came into view was a large cloud panther . Its whole body decorated with dense patterns and emitted an aura of danger . It opened its bloody maw, revealing its long fangs, which was truly a terrifying sight .

It wanted to kill with a single decisive strike .

This was a truly powerful beast . It saw the extraordinary silver tree on the verge of budding and realized there was great fortune to be found here .

The beast and the human races were able to exist in a state of ceasefire in this region, given that no astonishing opportunities appeared . However, once a fortuitous encounter presented itself, casualties cannot be avoided .

Peng!

Chu Feng swiftly turned his body and let loose a kick which landed on the beast’s claws . With a cracking sound, the claws were snapped .

The cloud pather was greatly shocked . All hair stood on end as it realized that it had kicked a steel plate . It opened its jaws, about to let out a roar!

Peng!

Chu Feng would not give it such an opportunity . He lept through the air with all his might and before the panther could react, a kick had landed on its forehead, splitting the skull completely .

Plop!

The cloud panther collapsed with its mouth open wide . No sound came out, only a constant flow of fresh blood .

Chu Feng no longer looked that way . He was thoughtful . Even though he had come so deep into the bewildering mist, he was still met with trouble .

What would he do if there were disturbances like this when the flower blossomed .

He was slightly anxious . Even though this place was the ideal place for the seed to sprout, it was also a troublesome location with enemies possibly lurking in every corner .

"I can only hope for a smooth breakthrough!"

Following that, the bud on the silver tree grew into the size of a fist but didn’t stop there .

However, the speed with which it was maturing seems to have slowed down substantially .

"At this rate, the sun is going to rise!" Chu Feng complained . Looking at his watch, he noted that the time was past midnight .

Why did it slow down? This puzzled him quite a bit since initially, the tree had grown at a rapid pace to reach nearly two meters in height .

Nonetheless, time flowed on through the quiet night .

Fortunately, no other beasts approached his location, and even the wind had stilled .

Finally, close to dawn, the trunk had shown no changes, but the resplendent buds had grown to the size of bowls, with silvery light shifting around them .

A vague fragrance permeated the air .

At this moment, Chu Feng was truly nervous, because the critical moment had arrived .

Sounds of hurried footsteps could be heard from a distance . It appears someone was running for his life . Eventually, the sounds faded towards another direction .

Following that, he heard the cry of eagles . The ear piercing sound was akin to the grinding of metal plates . It was a terrifying life form, apparently flying through the bewildering mist, unaware of Chu Feng .

"Don’t come near!" Chu Feng silently prayed, or else it would be quite troublesome .

"Pop!"

With the arrival of dawn, a fissure appeared on the surface of the flower bud as streams of misty light shot out as a clear fragrance diffused into the air .

However, the flower stopped blooming after this point—even the fragrance had dissipated somewhat .

"Why is it taking so long to bloom? It’s taking so much longer than last time," Chu Feng pondered with doubt .

This lasted until the faintest color of white could be discerned in the East, the sign of imminent sunrise!

A great distance away, the sound of brutal killing could be heard . Normally inaudible, the sounds were picked up by the extraordinary senses possessed by Chu Feng—it was probably a quasi-beast king!

The sound of activity was too powerful!

The cry of eagles pierced the ear, and one could feel the terrifying aura wandering within the bewildering mist .

Chu Feng sighed in his heart . He had the bad luck to encounter quasi beast kings in melee, even though he came to such a remote area .

Pop!

At this moment, the flower bud on the silvery tree released one of its petals .

Right at this moment, the first rays of sunlight burst through the morning mist and pierced through the bewildering haze, showering onto the silver tree .

In the blink of an eye, the tree grew incomparably resplendent . Its silver color turned to a golden yellow, a truly drastic change .

Similar changes took place for the bowl-sized flower buds as they took on a brass colored hue .

The rain of sunlight was like a catalyst, instantly transforming the silver tree into a splendorous golden tree .

Following these changes, golden light spilled forth from the flowers as the buds burst into full bloom at the same time . The golden mist poured into the vicinity, covering Chu Feng .

In great amazement, he concluded that the slow growth of the tree during the latter phases was possibly to wait for the first rays of the sun .

The most bizarre thing about it was probably the golden mist from within the flower buds, which was now enshrouding Chu Feng .

Armed with prior experience, he was able to keep his composure . He calmly circulated the special breathing technique and took in the mysterious pollen .

He had long since come prepared, readily taking off his jacket and putting it to one side to expose himself .

Almost immediately, he felt all his pores relax as the mist swiftly entered his body through them . His nose and mouth were filled with fragrant golden mist .

He felt greatly intoxicated, almost to the point of being drunk . It was easy to lose oneself in this enchanting fragrance, producing a feeling of unable to break free .

As he circulated the special breathing technique, he sensed a mysterious energy wandering around within his body . It felt extremely warm and comfortable .

Chu Feng almost felt the illusion of undergoing ascension, to become an immortal .

The fragrance of the flowers penetrated deep into the heart and soul . It reached the marrows, organs and even blood, and disseminated throughout one’s whole being, nourishing everything it encompassed .

This was especially the case while circulating the special breathing technique, which accelerated the intake of golden mist . Chu Feng trembled as he felt the evident changes in his body—his body was being strengthened at an astonishing speed . He was rapidly evolving!

Later on, he felt his joints and viscera resonating thunderously, akin to the collision of metals .

His body was covered in a sticky secretion that was expelled from within .

Beneath the sticky substance, Chu Feng’s body was as if it was cast from divine metal, possessing astonishing power and it was still evolving .

It was just like the last time . After the blooming, the fragrance did not propagate very far, but instead formed a gold mist which enshrouded Chu Feng .

This type of mysterious pollen did not propagate . Its range was limited to within a few feet .

Thump, thump, thump . . .

Chu Feng’s heartbeat was like loud drum beats as his blood rushed towards all his bones and limbs .

Later on, his heartbeat grew even louder, and under the effects of the special breathing technique, his whole body was undergoing astonishing changes, appearing increasingly crystalline and luminescent .

His hair also grew at an explosive speed, hanging down to his waist with a glowing radiance .

His bones were continuously grinding as if they were producing more blood and undergoing reconstruction .

Chu Feng discovered within him a power which greatly exceeded his previous strength . During this phase of empowerment, his whole body was like a divine furnace, containing immeasurable energy within .

Eventually, his whole body was painted a light golden hue and even his hair started to gain a yellow glow to it .

Thump! Thump! Thump!

At this moment, his heart beat was even more terrifying, full of vigorous energy . Any onlooker would, no doubt, be shocked at this scene .

However, Chu Feng was feeling comfortable with the changes taking place . His pupils would occasionally shoot out strands of golden light, an indication that he was breaking through to the Shackled Realm . He would soon be able to rival beast kings!

Boom!

Chu Feng’s body shook acutely as if some sort of connection had been established . Momentarily, he felt his senses increase sharply, and even this bewildering mist could no longer blind his divine instinct—it was even more powerful than before!