High Martial Arts: Liver Becomes the Master of the Universe

Chapter 348 News of Divine Gold! A feigned death to escape! Awaiting the Emperor's return!

For a life form of Qin Feng's caliber, three thousand years is merely a slightly longer period of seclusion, or a long journey undertaken for a specific goal.

After clarifying his next course of action on the planet "Heart of Emerald," Qin Feng once again transformed into the most inconspicuous ghost in the universe.

He concealed all detectable auras, the Dao Seal of the Primordial Furnace compressed his life fluctuations to almost nothing, and the profound array of the Silver-White Body allowed him to easily simulate various completely different energy reactions.

Over the course of three thousand years, he is no longer the "Ultimate Divine Marquis" who shook the world and topped the list of conferred titles.

Sometimes he is a lone mercenary struggling to survive in the desolate star system, taciturn, only accepting the most dangerous exploration missions, his footprints covering forgotten ancient ruins and broken civilization ruins, just to find a trace of divine metal from the remaining murals and ancient books.

Sometimes he is also a refined intelligence merchant known as "Mr. Wen" on the interstellar trade route, running an inconspicuous information exchange, exchanging some harmless secrets for ancient legends circulating in the dark side of the universe.

He had witnessed too much greed, betrayal, and lies, and from countless stories that were difficult to distinguish between truth and falsehood, he tried to sift out the only possible clue leading to the truth.

He even disguised himself as a venerable, decaying, and ancient peak-level Marquis, mingling in secret auctions and exchange meetings that only the oldest beings were qualified to participate in.

He had seen countless rare treasures that would make even ordinary kings envious, but the seventy-two kinds of primordial divine gold he sought remained like a mirage, never truly appearing.

Over three thousand years, he traversed hundreds of cosmic nations, explored nearly a thousand forbidden lands with harsh environments, and sifted through massive amounts of information amounting to tens of billions of terabytes.

Hope, which was ignited time and time again, was proven to be a false legend or an empty valley that had already been slain by others, and eventually fell silent.

This path was far more difficult than he had imagined.

The Seventy-Two Divine Metals are the cornerstones of the universe, and their rarity even surpasses that of some lower-ranking [Primordial Fire].

They are not simply "matter," but rather a manifestation of some fundamental law of the universe.

The birth of every piece of divine metal is inevitably accompanied by bloodshed and may even trigger a war between emperors.

If the tide of the Golden Age had not already begun to surge, and the constraints of the cosmic rules had not loosened slightly, he might not have heard a single true piece of news about divine gold even after another 300,000 years.

Even with Qin Feng's Dao heart as firm as divine iron, he couldn't help but feel a bit tired on this long, tedious, and endlessly disappointing path of seeking.

There are only seven thousand years left before Mount Eternal Life reopens.

There is not much time left for him.

……

The "Blood Axe" star system is a lawless planet known for its chaos, violence, and disorder among dozens of surrounding cosmic nations—"Bone Shatterer Star".

This is a gathering place for space pirates, bounty hunters, defectors, and all sorts of wanted criminals.

There are no unified laws on this planet; the only rule is "might makes right." Whoever has the biggest fist is the one who holds the truth.

A building called "Void Drifter's Tavern" is located in the center of "Rusty City", the largest underground city on Shattered Bones.

This tavern was transformed from the skull of a massive, unidentified cosmic beast, with its entrance right inside the beast's dark, menacing maw.

Inside the tavern, a motley crew of all sorts of people mingled, and the air was thick with a pungent odor, a mixture of cheap alcohol, the smell of other races, and a faint stench of blood.

Qin Feng sat alone in the darkest corner of the tavern.

At this moment, he transformed into a weathered human veteran with a missing arm, emanating the aura of someone who had just entered the Marquis Realm but whose essence was damaged and whose aura was weak.

This is an identity he has recently used: a loser who has lost everything on the battlefield and only wants to live a life of debauchery in the chaos.

Such characters are ubiquitous on Shattered Bone Star, making them the safest beneficiaries.

Before him sat a glass of the most murky energy beer, his gaze seemingly unfocused as he stared at the bubbles rising and falling within. In reality, his spiritual power, which had long since transformed into a pure black quality, enveloped the entire tavern like an invisible tide, taking in the conversations of every table of guests with crystal clarity.

"Hahaha! Have you heard? That woman 'Black Widow' has fallen! She led her fleet to plunder the 'Tianbao Merchant Guild's' transport ship, but she ran into a brick wall. There were actually two peak-level Marquis-level experts on board, and the entire fleet was reduced to cosmic dust!"

"Serves her right! That woman is too ruthless; she even swindled me out of 30 million in payment last time!"

"Things have been pretty unsettled lately... I heard that the fighting at 'Kurgan Star Abyss' is getting increasingly intense. Several renowned King-level experts have died there."

"Kurgan Star Abyss? That godforsaken place, not even a dog would go there! It's said to be the burial place of an ancient star beast called 'Star Devourer,' where the space is chaotic and the laws are broken. Going in is a matter of life and death."

Qin Feng paused slightly in his hand as he picked up the wine glass.

He had heard the name Kurgan Xingyuan more than once during his recent intelligence gathering.

It was a no-man's-land located on the edge of the "11123" war zone, known for its harsh environment and high danger.

He continued to listen calmly.

In the center of the tavern, a table of the noisiest customers caught his attention.

They were a group of space pirates, led by a burly man over five meters tall with the head of a bison, exuding a fierce aura of someone at the pinnacle of his power.

He was none other than the infamous leader of the "Crimson Blood Axe" pirate crew in this star system, the "Bull King" Guga.

At this moment, Guga was drunk, his face flushed, a huge hoof on the table, spitting as he boasted to his men.

"...Hiccup! You bunch of idiots, you only know that the Kurgan Star Abyss is dangerous, but you don't know that...a tremendous opportunity is hidden there!"

Guga let out a burp and said mysteriously.

One of his lieutenants, who had a lizard's head, sneered, "Boss, you've had too much to drink again, haven't you? That place is nothing but spatial storms and dimensional rifts. What kind of opportunities could there be? Last time, 'Iron Hook' and his gang didn't believe in such things and plunged in headfirst. They didn't even make a ripple before they were gone."

"You know nothing!"

Guga kicked the adjutant to the ground, which drew a burst of laughter.

He proudly shook his massive bull head, lowering his voice, but the volume was still loud enough for Qin Feng to hear clearly: "I'll tell you a secret. This secret, I got from a dying madman by spending a top-grade Marquis-level treasure!"

"That madman is the sole survivor of the 'Gravedigger' adventure group. Their entire group, over a hundred members, all died in the Kurgan Star Abyss. He's the only one who dragged himself out with half his life on his hands."

"He said...they saw something in the deepest part of the Star Abyss, at the location of the Star Devourer's enormous skeletal heart!"

A glint of greed and fanaticism gleamed in Guga's eyes.

"That thing... radiates a seven-colored divine light. Just a wisp of its aura was enough to stabilize the surrounding collapsing laws! It is indestructible; even a full-force attack from a peak-level King cannot leave a single mark on it!"

"That madman said he had seen a similar description in a tattered ancient book that he had dug out from some god's ruins..."

Gu Jia took a deep breath and, almost in a dreamlike voice, uttered the word that made Qin Feng's heart suddenly clench.

"That...it's very likely one of the legendary Seventy-Two Divine Metals that form the cornerstone of the universe!"

boom!
This word, like a thunderclap from the gods of creation, suddenly exploded in Qin Feng's mind.

His usually calm and unwavering Daoist heart was suddenly stirred into a raging storm.

Seventy-two Divine Metals!
The ultimate goal he had pursued for three thousand years, expending endless effort to achieve nothing, would actually... appear in this chaotic tavern, spoken by a space pirate?

Qin Feng's breathing froze for a moment.

But he quickly forced himself to calm down.

He has experienced too much misinformation and unfounded rumors, and knows all too well that the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.

The other pirates in the tavern clearly shared similar thoughts.

"Divine Metal? Boss, you're not kidding, are you?"

"Exactly! How could something like that, which is from a legend, possibly appear in a godforsaken place like Kurgan Star Abyss?"

"I think that madman is just having a final burst of lucidity before he dies, talking nonsense. Boss, you've been fooled!"

"That's right! Blood is flowing like rivers over Kurgan Star Abyss right now. Legions from several top races, along with countless adventurers and lone wolves, have all rushed there, fighting fiercely. If divine metal really existed, the news would have spread throughout the entire universe long ago. Would it even be our turn?"

Guga flew into a rage when faced with his subordinates' questions.

"A bunch of short-sighted idiots!"

He roared, "That's precisely our opportunity! Those who are going there now have only heard rumors and think some top-tier treasure has appeared! Who would have thought it would be divine metal!"

"Before he died, that madman gave me a fragmented star map, marking the weak point in the space they entered. If we can find that place before everyone else..."

Greed practically overflowed from Guga's bull-like eyes. "When the time comes, forget about being made a king, I might even be made an emperor! I have a chance!"

These words left the pirates looking at each other in bewilderment, their breathing gradually becoming heavy.

Although reason told them it was likely a scam, the allure of the words "divine gold" was too great for any desperate person to risk their life.

Qin Feng lowered his head and drank the last sip of ale in his glass.

He slowly rose, tossed aside a few worthless credits, and, hunched over, limped out of the tavern, disappearing into the dim alleyways of the Rusty City.

His inner world was far from as calm as he appeared on the surface.

This news is highly suspicious.

First, the source is a dying "madman," whose mental state and the authenticity of his words are questionable.

Secondly, Guga, the pirate captain, was crude and addicted to alcohol, and was likely exaggerating to show off.

Finally, and most importantly, Kurgan Star Abyss is now the eye of the storm, attracting countless powerful figures. If divine metal truly exists, why hasn't the news been confirmed by more authoritative channels?

but……

A resolute glint flashed in Qin Feng's eyes.

I would rather trust it to have it than to trust it to have nothing.

This was the only clue he had obtained in three thousand years that was so clearly directional.

Whether it's true or false, he has to verify it!

But he will not act rashly.

Before setting off for Kurgan Star Abyss, he needed to conduct a final, and most direct, confirmation of this intelligence.

three days later.

In the asteroid belt outside of Shattered Bone Star, the flagship of the "Crimson Blood Battle Axe" pirate crew, the "Bull," hovered silently.

Guga and his core subordinates were on the bridge, fiercely debating the best route into the Kurgan Abyss while looking at the incomplete star map.

Unbeknownst to them, a phantom, almost blending into the darkness of the universe, silently pierced through the tens-of-meters-thick energy shield and alloy armor of the "Bull," descending into the ship's interior like a ghost that never existed.

Qin Feng's figure slowly emerged in an empty maintenance passage.

He didn't alert anyone.

The pure black spiritual energy, like the most precise probe, instantly covered the entire flagship along the ship's energy pipelines and neural network.

The location of every crew member, the perspective of every monitoring probe, and the status of every defensive turret were all formed in his mind into a perfect three-dimensional image.

His target was clear—the pirate captain, Guga.

At this moment, Guga was alone in his private lounge, staring at the animal skin star map, chuckling to himself and fantasizing about ruling the universe after obtaining the divine gold.

Qin Feng's figure, like a phantom traversing different dimensions, flashed through the complex passages and arrived at the door of Gu Jia's rest room.

The door is a physical gate made of several ultra-high-strength alloys and equipped with a top-level energy combination lock.

But for Qin Feng, this was meaningless.

His palm gently pressed against the cold metal door.

There was no sound, no energy fluctuation.

The microscopic particles that make up the gate begin to undergo a wondrous displacement and recombination under his will. The solid alloy becomes as soft as flowing water where his palm touches it.

Qin Feng simply "walked" in, as if passing through a curtain of water.

The alloy gate behind him returned to its original state instantly after he passed through it, as if nothing had happened.

Inside the lounge, Guga was still lost in his daydream, completely unaware of the new figure that had appeared behind him.

Qin Feng did not make a move immediately.

He wanted more than just to confirm the authenticity of the intelligence. He also wanted to know the source of this intelligence.

He stood behind Guga, his pure black spiritual energy transforming into an invisible needle a billion times thinner than a hair, silently piercing Guga's massive bull head, which was filled with alcohol and lust.

For Qin Feng now, "soul searching" is a crude and low-level method.

What he used was a more sophisticated secret technique derived from the "Nine Tribulations Battle Canon" and the "Killing" section—[Memory Reading].

It will not cause any damage to the target's soul, nor will it trigger any soul-level defensive restrictions.

It is merely like a visitor with the highest authority, quietly "browsing" the other's memories, like watching a holographic movie.

hum...

Guga's body trembled violently, a look of confusion flashing in his bull eyes, as if he had suddenly lost consciousness for a second.

But he quickly shook his head, attributing the strangeness to drinking too much, and continued to grin foolishly at the star map.

Behind him, Qin Feng had already closed his eyes.

Images of Guga's memories flashed through his mind like a fast-forwarded film.

Bloody raids, sordid deals, endless slaughter and betrayal...

Qin Feng had no interest in any of this; his mental energy precisely locked onto all the memory fragments related to "Kurgan Star Abyss" and "Divine Gold".

Soon, he found it.

That was a memory from six months ago.

In the scene, Guga is leading his pirate crew in raiding a mining planet.

While counting their spoils, they discovered an elderly human man, barely alive, hiding deep inside a mine.

The old man was a member of the "Grave Diggers" adventure group that Guga had mentioned.

His condition was even more miserable than Guga had described.

His Dao seal had completely shattered, and the flame of his life was like a candle flickering in the wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment.

His mind was indeed in a state of extreme chaos and madness.

Under Guga's coercion and enticement, the mad old man, sometimes howling and sometimes laughing wildly, told a chilling story in fits and starts.

He recounted how they discovered a stable space deep within the Kurgan Star Abyss, a space isolated from the outside world, created by an ancient being with supreme power.

At the core of that space, the skeleton of the Star Devourer, as vast as a star field, floated.

And at the heart of the skeleton, they saw... light.

A beam of seven-colored divine light.

That light possessed incredible power; all matter that came near it would be decomposed, and all laws would be assimilated.

Their entire adventure team was wiped out in an instant by that terrifying power because they were too greedy and tried to force their way close to that divine light.

Only he, because he was at the very end of the group at the time, happened to trigger a one-time life-saving treasure, thus narrowly escaping death, but he also suffered fatal injuries and became delirious.

After recounting all of this, the old man handed the incomplete star map to Guga, and then, amidst wild laughter, turned completely to ashes.

Qin Feng carefully "observed" this memory, not missing a single detail.

He could clearly sense the old man's deep-seated, unmasked fear and fanaticism as he spoke.

He also confirmed that Guga was not lying.

What he said was indeed everything he had heard from the old man.

Memory retrieval has ended.

Qin Feng slowly opened his eyes, a complex expression flashing in them.

"hearsay……"

He was now 100% certain that the information Guga possessed was indeed secondhand. Its source was a madman on the verge of a mental breakdown.

The veracity of this information still cannot be guaranteed.

The old man may have been hallucinating before he died.

Or perhaps it was a trap, a deadly bait set up by some mastermind to lure cannon fodder.

but……

Qin Feng looked again at the scene in that memory where the old man described that "seven-colored divine light".

That power to suppress the laws of collapse, that indestructible fundamental characteristic...

From any perspective, it closely matches the description of the "Seventy-two Divine Metals" in ancient books!
Qin Feng's figure disappeared silently from the lounge, just as he had appeared.

He left the "Bull" and returned to the cold, desolate void of space.

He hovered in the shadow of the asteroid belt, gazing into the distance at the pirate ship about to set sail in pursuit of a fleeting, illusory dream, and faced with his final choice.

To go or not to go?

Going there means facing a bloodbath that has already turned into a carnage, countless powerful enemies lurking in the shadows, and a faint hope that is less than 10% real.

He might expose his identity there and be caught in an even more dangerous siege than outside the Seven Heavens Abyss.

If he doesn't go, he will lose the only clue he has found in three thousand years.

He could only continue his hopeless search in the vast universe, like a headless fly. And seven thousand years later, whether he was ready or not, the Golden Emperor would arrive as scheduled.

His plan to fake his death will be completely shelved due to the lack of the most crucial element.

Qin Feng's gaze gradually hardened.

"The path of martial arts is inherently a high-stakes gamble."

"The mediocre are those who fear risks and thus live mediocre lives."

"The strong, on the other hand, are those who, after seeing all the risks, still choose to embark on the most difficult, yet most likely, path to the top."

He has never been a person who fears risks.

From the rise of the Star of Enlightenment to the bloody battles of the Cosmic Genius War, and then to the one-man army on the Island of Death... every step he took was like dancing on the edge of a knife, a journey towards death and life.

This time, it is no exception.

"Kurgan Star Abyss..."

Qin Feng murmured the name, his eyes no longer showing the slightest hesitation, but instead igniting a fierce fighting spirit powerful enough to burn the stars.

Even if there's only a sliver of hope, he'll use his own hands to make it a reality!

He ignored the pirate ship and turned around, transforming into a streak of light too thin for the naked eye to see, heading resolutely towards the coordinates of the war zone marked as "extremely dangerous" in the depths of space.

(End of this chapter)