Swallowed Star 2: Origin Continent: Volume 8: Chapter 9 (314): [Attention]

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Swallowed Star 2: Origin Continent
Volume 8: [The Battle of Yulan City]
Chapter (314): [Attention]
(9th of Volume 8)
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The headquarters of the Insect Nest, inside the Huge, spherical creature.

A stunningly beautiful woman lay motionless, as if in a deep slumber.

A distant message reached her consciousness.

"Hmm?" Her eyes fluttered open, a hint of confusion in them. "Elder Saluo, what's the matter?"

Despite her status, she still regarded the seven elders of the Insect Nest with a measure of respect.

"Lord of the Nest!" Elder Saluo's voice echoed through the transmission. "I am trapped inside the Dan Tower by Luo Feng. He refuses to let me leave and is demanding 100 million Hunyuan Crystals in exchange for releasing me!"

The beautiful woman raised an eyebrow. "How did you provoke Luo Feng?"

"An alchemist from Dan Tower poisoned and killed two of my subordinates. I've sent you the full intelligence report." Elder Saluo transmitted the data, and the woman quickly grasped the situation.

"I personally came to Dan Tower to capture that alchemist, Gu Qingyuan," Elder Saluo explained helplessly.

"Who would have thought that Luo Feng will act so unreasonably- he trapped me with a formation, forced me to apologize, and acted as if he doesn't even acknowledge your authority."

The woman's expression remained calm. "His formation is strong enough to imprison and prevent you from escaping?"

"Yes," Elder Saluo admitted. "The formation's power is overwhelming. It completely suppresses me- I can't break free."

If he could have resisted the formation and broke out, he wouldn't have remained trapped for so long.

"Even worse, the formation is draining my life force. The longer I stay, the weaker I become," he added grimly. "Master, Luo Feng is openly humiliating the Insect Nest. We cannot let this stand!"

"Why not?" the woman responded indifferently. "When faced with a powerful enemy, patience is necessary."

Elder Saluo was startled.

A powerful enemy?

In the eyes of the Lord of the Insect Nest, Luo Feng is a formidable threat.

"As for the 100 million Hunyuan Crystals, don't pay him," the woman continued. "You have multiple clones. Just abandon the one that's trapped."

Elder Saluo hesitated. "I came personally to capture Gu Qingyuan and brought my full set of secret treasures, worth more than 100 million Hunyuan Crystals. If it were an ordinary clone, I could simply discard it, but these treasures are most suitable for me. Losing them isn't an option."

"Then apologize," she said flatly.

"If we submit, then our Insect Nest will suffer great humiliation," Elder Saluo reminded her. "Luo Feng is trampling on our reputation!"

"Then let him trample on it," she replied, cutting off the communication without hesitation. Such matters didn't concern her.

"First, he came to my own cave to provoke me. Now, he is openly challenging me?" Her gaze darkened. "Is he trying to force me to fight?"

She is well aware of a simple truth- the more an enemy tries to push a certain outcome, the more she must resist giving them what they want.

"Intelligence about me has long been circulating in Yulan City. Luo Feng even clashed with my spiritual clone's will before," she mused. "He understands my background, yet still dares to pressure me. That means he must have something up his sleeve."

"Does he possess an even stronger mental technique? Or an unknown trump card?"

Her best response was simple- endurance. Time would eventually reveal Luo Feng's true nature.

"As long as he continues to grow in strength, his secrets will surface on their own. By then, we will truly understand his capabilities." Her patience was unwavering.

The moment the Dan Tower's formation was activated, forcibly imprisoning Elder Saluo and demanding his apology, it sent shockwaves through the city.

A mere alchemist organization like Dan Tower- daring to provoke one of the three major plundering factions, the Insect Nest?

Among the lawless forces that thrived on plundering, the Insect Nest was a behemoth, boasting the fearsome Lord of the Insect Nest, seven elder-level powerhouses, and a staggering number of Mid-stage God Emperor experts.

"Are we really going to keep Elder Saluo trapped like this?" The Changqing Tower Master asked hesitantly, a trace of unease in his voice.

Luo Feng's expression remained calm.

"I'll handle this matter. You don't need to worry about it."

The Changqing Tower Master, clearly uneasy, swallowed hard. His own strength wasn't enough to stand against the Insect Nest, and the pressure of facing them head-on was overwhelming.

"I just hope Luo Feng doesn't drag me into trouble," he thought anxiously.

Meanwhile, Elder Saluo, still trapped within the formation, remained silent for a long moment before finally speaking. His tone was notably subdued.

"Luo Feng, I was wrong to come to the Dan Tower uninvited. Please, let me leave."

The words stunned everyone. The Owner of the Changqing Tower widened his eyes, and the surrounding members of Dan Tower were equally shocked.

"Did he actually just concede?"

Luo Feng, however, remained indifferent. "I told you- hand over 100 million Hunyuan Crystals as compensation, and I will naturally let you go."

Elder Saluo clenched his fists. Despite being a formidable existence from the Origin World, with countless clones at his disposal, he had hoped an apology would be enough to waive the payment.

"Luo Feng, I only came here for Gu Qingyuan, not to provoke you. Yet you're demanding such a hefty sum?" he asked, suppressing his frustration.

"If you had come for me, a mere 100 million Hunyuan Crystals wouldn't have been enough to settle this." Luo Feng's eyes sharpened. If they had been outside the city, Elder Saluo would have already been crushed.

Elder Saluo knew he had no choice but to endure. Moments later, another of his clones arrived, carrying the demanded payment.

"This is 100 million Hunyuan Crystals as compensation," he said, offering a spatial bag.

Luo Feng took it without hesitation.

"You may leave."

Elder Saluo shot Luo Feng one last glance before stepping away.

"Brother Luo Feng, I must admit- I admire you."

Without another word, he vanished, retreating under the watchful eyes of the many spectators gathered outside.

"Did he really just apologize?" One of the Dan Tower members murmured in disbelief.

An elder, forced to submit? Such figures often had multiple clones and would rather let one perish than bow their heads. Yet here, Elder Saluo had chosen to endure the humiliation rather than escalate the conflict.

The Dan Tower members didn't realize that the true decision to yield had come from the Lord of the Insect Nest.

Elder Salo, sensing something unusual, had decided to suppress his pride, avoid summoning reinforcements, and settle the matter with a formal apology.

Gu Qingyuan, the alchemist at the heart of the conflict, bowed deeply toward Luo Feng. "Senior Luo Feng, thank you for saving my life."

Without Luo Feng's intervention, Gu Qingyuan would have been doomed. Even if he had fled after poisoning his targets, the Insect Nest's forces would have eventually tracked him down.

"You needn't worry," Luo Feng reassured him. "Saluo won't trouble you again. You're safe in Dan Tower."

"Yes, Senior. I am deeply grateful."

"Alright, Everyone disperse." With the situation resolved, the owner of Changqing Tower dismissed the onlookers. Then, turning to Luo Feng, he spoke with barely contained excitement.

"Brother Luo Feng, this was incredible. You openly humiliated the Insect Nest, and yet Saluo still paid the compensation without resistance. That means the Lord of the Insect Nest chose to retreat, not Saluo himself. But why?"

Luo Feng chuckled, deep in thought. "Perhaps the last time I fought the Lord of the Insect Nest, I injured her severely. He may be wary of engaging me again."

As Luo Feng's cultivation advanced, the power of the Lie Yuan Technique had become increasingly terrifying. Of course, his strongest ability was now his Palm Realm under the assistance of Immortal Heart, a technique even the three great Palace masters had to fear.

"But there's no need to overthink it," he added with a small smile. "No matter what tricks they pull, I'll handle it."

With that, Luo Feng returned to his residence, continuing his cultivation.

Even without actively merging the profound concepts of life and death, Luo Feng was only a step away from reaching the late-stage God Emperor realm.

Through steady accumulation, he would naturally attain mastery over the Dao of Life and Death, bringing him to the threshold of the Dark Holy Realm.

"When my mastery reaches the late God Emperor stage, I will finally be able to enter the Dark Holy Realm."

He planned to leave an clone in Yulan City to repay the kindness of the Lord of the Yuanxiang Hall, but his main focus would be exploring the Dark Holy Realm.

Deep in the core of Yulan City, within a massive cavern, a towering structure loomed. Inside, tens of thousands of powerful beings resided- each radiating a terrifying God Emperor aura.

"Hm? Luo Feng showed no respect to the Insect Nest, yet they endured such humiliation?"

"Strange. Very strange."

"The Lord of the Insect Nest is ruthless. If she backed down, there can only be one reason- she's afraid."

"She, afraid?"

Tens of thousands of beings within Wan Ying Pavilion were bewildered.

Wan Ying Pavilion is an enigmatic force. No one had ever seen its true master, because the beings within the pavilion were all merely parts of a single entity- "The Wan Ying Pavilion Master".

Countless other parts of the owner of the Wan Ying Pavilion are in the Dark Holy Realm and other places...

This is a being with countless incarnations.

[T/N: Ten Thousand Shadows Pavilion or Wan Ying Pavilion]

This entity is one of the Three major Plundering forces- alongside the Master of the Guifang and the Master of the Insect Nest.

Each of them led a faction built on plundering and deception, making them feared across the realms.

And yet, Luo Feng had crushed the Insect Nest's pride, forcing Elder Saluo to obediently pay 100 million Hunyuan Crystals in compensation.

Within Yulan City, Elder Xing Yi stood calmly. His status was beyond question- as the direct disciple of an invincible being from the Dark Holy Realm, even the Three Palace Masters of Yulan City had to show him respect.

He observed the latest developments with mild amusement.

"Luo Feng... He was just a newcomer, sharing quarters with Di Qing, only hunting low-level Hunyuan lifeforms in the early God Emperor stage. And now, in such a short time, he has made the Lord of the Insect Nest afraid?"

"That's quite like my master..."

Elder Xing Yi thought of his master, a being so powerful that even the most dazzling figures of the Dark Holy Realm seemed insignificant in comparison.

Meanwhile, in the largest cave dwelling in Yulan City, Lord Weiyang sat in silence. His sharp gaze flickered as he read the latest intelligence reports.

He was deeply attuned to the power shifts within the city.

More importantly, he was well aware that Lord Yuanyang's influence was waning. Soon, he would position himself to take over as the true lord of Yulan City.

"Luo Feng?"

Lord Weiyang furrowed his brow as he scanned the intelligence report.

"He's growing this fast?"

Previously, the Lord of the Guifang had suggested recruiting Luo Feng, but Lord Weiyang had refused.

Why?

Because he had sensed something dangerous about Luo Feng.

Now, that intuition seemed to be proving correct.

He sent a direct transmission to Chongchao, the Lord of the Insect Nest.

"Chongchao, why did you tolerate Luo Feng's arrogance?"

[T/N: Chongchao another same name for Insect Nest.]

The response came swiftly.

"His willpower techniques are formidable. He engaged me in a mental battle. I would rather not provoke him further."

"Just a mental battle?"

"Yes. If I had a treasure capable of protecting my mind, I would have gladly taught Luo Feng a lesson." The Lord of Insect Nest responded.

Lord Weiyang didn't press further.

A moment later, he turned to one of his subordinates.

"Palace Master, where should we rank Luo Feng among the God Emperors?"

Palace Master Weiyang considered briefly, then said, "Let's place him at rank 33."

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END OF CHAPTER

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