Chapter 226: Shaohua's Tears, the Fall of All Realms (Breaking the Cycle of Darkness!)

Chapter 226: Shaohua’s Tears, the Fall of All Realms (Breaking the Cycle of Darkness!)

Chu Feng took out a stone box, intending to use it to store the Mutagenic Soil and Seed. After all, the three Seeds were originally kept in this box.

The stone box was three inches high, square, and perfectly regular. Inside, there was only a shallow groove. He held the black short sword, preparing to dig and expand the space specifically for storing the Mutagenic Soil.

However, the middle part of the stone box was later filled with a rare soil mixed with secret blood, as confirmed by Yellow Bull. The essence had dissipated, and the soil had solidified into a stone block, fusing with the stone box.

The true material of the stone box was mysterious, and the short sword could not scratch it at all. Even when Yellow Bull struck it with full force, the box flew out but remained unscathed.

Seeing that neither Chu Feng nor Yellow Bull could make any progress, Shaohua picked up the stone box and decided to try her hand. She raised a palm and slapped it.

Chu Feng and Yellow Bull instantly widened their eyes as the stone box actually reacted!

The seemingly ordinary and ancient stone box trembled in her hand and emitted a faint glow.

"Hmm!"

Shaohua let out a soft exclamation, noticing that one corner of the stone box had a crystalline sheen. Upon closer inspection, she detected some hidden details.

The crystalline sheen was actually a dense network of intricate patterns. Focusing, she could see what looked like a swarm of tiny tadpoles swimming, very vivid and mysterious.

She seemed to be stimulated by something, closing her eyes for a moment before suddenly opening them. Her eyes shone like starry rivers, radiating a brilliant light that fell on the stone box, allowing her to see the true nature of the patterns, which resembled some ancient script.

The crystalline patterns spread from that corner, and the entire stone box began to glow, becoming translucent. It also emitted a rumbling sound, faintly accompanied by the sound of chanting.

Shaohua felt a deep resonance. This was not a vague sound of the Dao but a genuine scripture, a profound Breathing Technique. The beginning of this scripture seemed similar to what Yellow Bull had taught.

She was not particularly interested in this, so she lifted the stone box and noticed golden symbols appearing on one of its sides, along with a series of intricate patterns.

These patterns depicted a series of special landscapes, showcasing magnificent mountains and rivers.

"Hmm?!"

The next moment, she furrowed her brows, seeing all the landscapes turn bloody, with imperial figures appearing within.

Imperial figures bathed in blood, as if in a fall of emperors?

"That’s..."

Suddenly, Shaohua’s breathing quickened. What did she see?

A figure, slender and graceful, clad in bloodstained robes, with disheveled gray hair, stood on a secluded plateau, exuding an aura of supreme arrogance and malevolence. It was clear that this was a major antagonist, but why did it look so much like her?

Streams of bloodlike light flowed like crimson clouds, and all realms fell into darkness. Imperial figures continued to fall, and the last era was buried by that person!

Her heart pounded, and her soul trembled, wanting to see clearly what was happening. However, the landscapes on the stone box became blurry, shrouded in mist, obscuring everything.

"Is that me? No! Impossible, I can’t be an antagonist!"

Shaohua firmly denied it. She was clearly a good person. Anyone who dared call her an antagonist would be beaten to death!

"What did you see, sis?" Chu Feng and Yellow Bull watched the stone box glow, noticing her changing expression and her muttering to herself. They couldn’t help but ask, but they didn’t dare to disturb her, pacing anxiously beside her.

Shaohua ignored them, her eyes radiating even more brilliant light. Mysterious patterns intertwined and evolved, like two star rivers flying out and striking the forefront of the terrifying landscape on the stone box.

This was an instinctive reaction, as if she possessed some inherent ability to pierce through illusions and discern the essence of all things, even the stone box could not hinder her.

However, the figure that resembled her vanished.

It seemed that this extraordinary stone box only offered a fleeting glimpse, or perhaps even the stone box could not fully capture that figure.

Still, she saw some other scenes.

A towering man, facing away from the world, battling in blood, eventually falling on a broken bell and descending into the netherworld.

Another figure, like a celestial emperor, standing on a tripod, swinging golden fists with immense power, but also falling.

She also saw a woman in a snow-white robe, like a supreme empress floating in the air, suppressing the ages, her beauty and grace stunning the past, present, and future.

But even such a breathtaking empress shed tears in the end.

"Celestial Emperor... fallen!"

Someone cried out, their voice filled with sorrow.

Then, all living beings mourned, countless cries of anguish echoing from various realms, the world in deep sorrow.

This was the true Era of the Fall of Emperors, where even the great celestial emperors fell, leaving the world devoid of hope, to be consumed by darkness.

Shaohua stood there, as if made of clay, her eyes glistening with tears, droplets quietly sliding down her flawless face.

Tears formed and reflected her solitary visage, her heart shattered like jade, unable to speak.

Life went east, death went west, a world apart, forever separated.

Through countless eons, everything became a thing of the past. Even the most glorious eras would come to an end, buried in the dust of time, the fall of all realms, a sorrowful lament!

After a long while, Shaohua slowly came to her senses and gave a forced, apologetic smile to Chu Feng and Yellow Bull, who were standing by her side.

"You’re okay!" Both Chu Feng and Yellow Bull let out a long sigh of relief.

After spending so many days together under the same roof, their relationship had grown closer. After all, who wouldn’t like a celestial maiden with a captivating appearance, a gentle demeanor, and a heart of gold despite her sharp tongue?

"I’m fine. You can keep this for now." Shaohua handed the stone box to Chu Feng. She didn’t feel like handling it anymore recently.

She had seen what she needed to see; holding it further would be pointless.

More importantly, certain scenes made her heart ache, and she couldn’t help but shed tears. If she cried again, it would be too embarrassing.

Chu Feng fumbled to catch the stone box, and Yellow Bull instinctively tried to snatch it, but seeing Shaohua’s despondent expression, it suppressed its urge.

Could it admit that it was mainly afraid of being slapped upside the head?

Chu Feng placed the Mutagenic Soil in the stone box and planted the last Seed in it for easier carrying.

"Hmm?!"

Suddenly, something surprising happened. After placing the Seed and Mutagenic Soil in the stone box, a rich life essence emanated, and a green light rose.

"What’s going on?"

The green light shone on Chu Feng’s head, and he exclaimed in shock. He was... being "greened"!

"Moo!" Yellow Bull couldn’t hold back a grin.

Even Shaohua couldn’t help but giggle, covering her mouth.

Laughing aside, Chu Feng carefully placed the stone box on the table, and both he and Yellow Bull leaned in to observe closely.

Inside the stone box, they could see the Seed buried in the Mutagenic Soil. The Mutagenic Soil was like many jade particles stuck together, making it very transparent.

Shaohua saw clearly that the Seed, now plump, glowed with a greenish light. After a moment, it stopped pulsing but remained more crystalline in the Mutagenic Soil, radiating a hazy glow.

The vitality of the Seed was growing, concealed by the Stone Box, which locked in the burgeoning energy, preventing it from leaking out.

"It seems there are indeed signs of rooting and sprouting. Perhaps it’s not just the Mutagenic Soil that’s needed; the Stone Box is also an essential part of the process", Shaohua said.

Chu Feng's expression was serious as he carefully put away the Stone Box. He had specially sewn a leather pouch to store it.

Previously, the Black Divine Ape had left behind two finger bones and a piece of its toughest hide. Chu Feng had already made two leather clothes from the hide, using the long hairs for stitching, turning the original materials into something practical.

Although the work was a bit rough, the hide itself was extraordinary.

There was still plenty of leftover hide, so making a pouch was no problem.

Shaohua spent a long time talking to the willow tree in the courtyard before finally convincing it to stay.

This tree had a spirit, though it hadn’t fully awakened. It was very close to and dependent on her.

"Xiao Chu, Xiao Huang, let’s go!" She waved her hand, a faint smile returning to her beautiful face, as if she had forgotten what had just happened.

Chu Feng’s face turned a bit awkward. He didn’t mind being called "Xiao Chu", considering the other party was a celestial being from an ancient era, a figure of reverence.

But being paired with "Xiao Huang" felt off.

Xiao Huang? Isn’t that usually a dog’s name?!

Chu Feng’s lips twitched as he put on the leather coat, unfolded the map he had copied earlier, and set off toward the depths of the mountains.

The locations marked on the map were all within the original Taihang Mountain, not involving the newly arrived primordial mountains.

The journey went smoothly. They visited several marked spots and found mutated plants, but the fruits had already been picked, leaving only the plants, in the hope that they would bear fruit again.

Unfortunately, the people from Heavenly God Biotech didn’t know that ordinary plants, once mutated, only bore fruit once. Their hopes were destined to be dashed.

"Moo!" Yellow Bull called out, starting to chew on a few mutant plants, finally acting more like a cow after eating meat all the time.

Chu Feng collected the Mutagenic Soil wrapped in the roots of the mutant plants.

"It seems the place marked with a skull on the map is likely where the rumored mutant tree is located. It has already borne fruit, but it hasn’t ripened yet. I bet many mutants are already heading there, and a fight is inevitable."

It was said that the Mutagenic Fruit from this tree had effects far surpassing ordinary mutant fruits, capable of creating top-tier experts. People like the Silver-Winged Celestial and Vajra had gained their formidable powers by eating the fruit from this tree.

"Actually, the White Snake Ridge?!" As they got closer, Chu Feng’s face showed a hint of surprise.

"What’s so special about it?" Shaohua asked casually.

At some point, her outfit had changed from jeans and a T-shirt to a set of outdoor gear: a windbreaker, work pants, her long hair tied up high, and thick-soled boots, making her look like a spirited jungle hunter.

Chu Feng’s eyes lit up. He hadn’t expected Sister Guang to change her style, but it was true that a beautiful person looked good in anything. This was the only skill he had seen that resembled a divine power.

Mutants had all sorts of strange abilities, but none of them could change their clothes with a click.

After a moment’s thought, he said, "The White Snake Ridge is a mysterious area in the Taihang Mountains. It’s said that a white snake lives here, having lived for who knows how long. Some elders claim to have seen it, and it’s at least a hundred meters long!"

A creature a hundred meters long wasn’t new to Chu Feng. The Black Divine Ape, whose skull he had blown off, was one such example, and its hide was now on his body.

But the Black Divine Ape was a wild beast from the primordial mountains. The legend of the white snake had been around for hundreds or even thousands of years. Could a native creature really live that long?

He didn’t believe it, at least not yet.

"Do you think the white snake really exists?" Shaohua gazed into the distance, blinking. Her perspective shifted, revealing the demonic aura that lay hidden in the mountains, the largest of which resembled a long, coiling snake.

"Of course... Uh, it can’t be real, right?" Chu Feng almost blurted out but then paused, realizing that asking the question itself was an admission.

He didn’t think Shaohua would ask without reason. If she did, then the legendary white snake might very well be real.

"How could a thousand-year-old snake have survived? If it’s real, so many mutants entering the mountains... scary", Chu Feng thought, feeling a deep sense of dread.

Was it humans fighting for the Mutagenic Fruit, or beasts hunting humans?

"Don’t worry, I’m here." Shaohua waved her hand.

"Right, just a mere white snake. With the Queen Mother of Heaven and the Heavenly Weaver here, a little snake demon wouldn’t dare to act rashly!" Chu Feng’s heart steadied at her words.

"Moo!" Yellow Bull called out, spotting a mutant guarding the mountain pass, a familiar face.

Zuo Jun, the one who had trespassed into a house and was the first to be ‘petted’ by Shaohua, was also from Heavenly God Biotech.

"It seems the mutant tree is here!" Chu Feng concluded.

The White Snake Ridge was heavily guarded, with mutants stationed at every crucial path. Some people tried to climb the cliffs, but they were blown to pieces by rocket launchers.

But a vast mountain range couldn’t be fully sealed off. As long as they were willing, there were always ways to sneak in.

Shaohua found this method of infiltration intriguing, moving stealthily through the forest.

In the midst of the mountain, there was an open area with gentle slopes and sparse ancient trees. Among a few old ginkgo trees stood a small pine tree, no more than a meter tall, glowing with a vibrant light. Even from a distance, one could feel its vibrant vitality.

The tree bore a pine cone, a pineapple-like fruit, which was the coveted Mutagenic Fruit.

Most of the pine cone was a purplish-gold, resembling metal, while a small part remained green, looking rather ordinary.

"Not ripe yet, what a pity", Shaohua muttered softly.

If it were ripe, she wouldn’t hesitate to take it; no one could stop her.

"It looks like it will be ripe in a few days. Why don’t we dig up the soil first?" Compared to the fruit, Chu Feng was more interested in the Mutagenic Soil beneath the tree.

Yellow Bull had told him that evolving through pollen was the best method, not the fruit.

Without special means, eating Mutagenic Fruit to enhance one’s cultivation could lead to problems in the later stages, ultimately being more harmful than beneficial.

However, Yellow Bull’s eyes were fixed on the small pine tree, longing to eat it whole, returning to its bovine instincts.

It had a special mechanism inside its body that could purify the absorbed Mutagenic Fruit, refine the mottled energy impurities, and strengthen its body, allowing it to eat Mutagenic Fruit without worrying about future consequences.

"Can we dig up the entire tree and transplant it elsewhere?"

Chu Feng wasn’t giving up. He didn’t believe they would leave empty-handed, but he also knew that many people coveted this place. If someone else took part of it, they would be at a loss.

"Transplanting it before it ripens would cause the fruit to wither."

Yellow Bull wrote this on the ground, then seemed to remember something and erased it, writing, "Maybe the willow tree can..."

It left the sentence unfinished, shook its head, and erased it again.

The willow tree was mysterious, but whether it could protect the Mutagenic Fruit was uncertain.

"Don’t worry, I’m here. No accidents!" Shaohua smiled confidently, making a guarantee.

Her recent mood hadn’t been great, and she didn’t mind coming here to vent and relax, giving a few ‘pettings’ and opening a few cans of worms.

Oh, and one more thing: she didn’t eat pine nuts!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end