High Martial Arts: Liver Becomes the Master of the Universe

Chapter 388 Ascending to Heaven in One Step, a Chessboard of Life and Death! One step, one life or death!

The moment Qin Feng stepped into the second level, he was like a drop of ink falling into a clear pool, quickly spreading his influence in this world dominated by high temperatures and laws.

Unlike other newcomers who either cautiously sought out the safe zone on the edge or traveled in groups for self-protection, he did not.

He didn't even immediately go looking for those legendary "top-grade crystal mines" that contained rare laws.

He hovered in the void at the entrance, letting the raging heat waves of the laws wash over his body.

His [Limited Body] operates automatically, every pore transforming into a greedy black hole, devouring the surrounding free-floating law particles.

"too slow."

After a moment, Qin Feng frowned slightly.

Although the concentration of laws here is hundreds or thousands of times that of the outside world, this passive absorption method is still incredibly inefficient for him now.

His origin is like a vast ocean that has been dry for hundreds of millions of years; this "drizzle" cannot even moisten the ground.

His gaze pierced through the layers of heat waves and the mist of laws, landing on the "law crystal belt" floating in the void in the distance.

There, tens of thousands of challengers are busy at work.

They mostly gathered in groups of three or five, carefully cutting and excavating around huge law crystal mines, using various king-level or even quasi-emperor-level secret treasures.

Each strike was accompanied by the scattering of sparks of law and the rebound of energy.

Even for those at the pinnacle of their cultivation, breaking off a fragment from these highly condensed crystals of laws often requires several days or even months of effort.

This is a delicate craft, and even more so, a meticulous and painstaking effort.

But Qin Feng didn't like this approach.

With a swift movement, he transformed into a black streak of light and plunged into the crystal ore zone.

His chosen target was a giant crystal mine with a diameter of over a thousand miles, its entire body a dark purple color, radiating a terrifying aura of thunder.

Around this crystal mine, three different factions are entrenched, with a total of more than thirty peak-level kings.

They were in a delicate standoff, each clearly wanting to monopolize this treasure land containing the high-level "Purple Heaven Divine Thunder" law, yet they dared not act rashly because they were wary of each other's strength.

"It's Purple Cloud Thunder Ore! A real find!"

"If I could refine even one percent of it, my lightning technique would be perfected!"

"Hmph, that depends on whether you're alive to take it!"

Just as tensions were running high and a conflict was about to erupt among the three parties.

A dark shadow, like a falling meteorite, crashed down above the mine.

There was no fluff, no preamble.

Qin Feng stood in mid-air, his right arm raised high, his five fingers clenched into a fist.

At that moment, the blood and qi within his body roared like a dragon's cry, and the power of the [Limited Body] was pushed to its limit. His fist was not attached to any laws or divine abilities, but was simply pure force to the extreme!

The ultimate power to break through and shatter everything!

"Go away."

A low shout, as loud as a thunderclap.

Before the thirty-odd kings below could react, Qin Feng's fist had already slammed heavily into the Purple Cloud Thunder Mine, which was a thousand miles in diameter.

"Boom——!!!"

A terrifyingly loud bang, enough to shatter eardrums, instantly resounded for millions of miles around.

Before the horrified eyes of all the kings, the Purple Cloud Thunder Ore, whose hardness rivaled that of a royal-grade divine weapon and which had rendered them helpless, actually…

Blasted!

It didn't just crack, it shattered completely!
Qin Feng's punch not only shattered the physical structure of the crystal ore, but also, with an overwhelming and unparalleled shock force, broke and scattered all the originally solidified chains of lightning laws inside!
Purple crystal shards rained down from the sky like a torrential downpour.

Along with this, an extremely terrifying storm of thunderous laws erupted.

"No! Retreat now!"

"A madman! This guy is a madman!"

"He detonated the mine!"

The thirty-odd kings who had been surrounding the area were terrified by this sudden turn of events and fled frantically.

Even so, seven or eight unlucky souls were still struck by the raging thunderstorm and turned into charred remains on the spot, screaming in agony.

Qin Feng, who was at the center of the storm, seemed to be bathed in a spring breeze.

Faced with the storm of laws powerful enough to annihilate a king, he simply opened his mouth and inhaled sharply.

"Devouring the Heavens".

call--

A huge black vortex formed in front of his mouth.

The sky full of purple crystal fragments, the raging lightning laws, and the scattered energy, like rivers flowing into the sea, were all swallowed up by that terrifying vortex!

Just ten breaths.

The storm subsides.

That enormous Purple Heaven Thunder Ore, along with the vast thunder laws it contained, completely vanished.

Only Qin Feng remained, suspended in the empty void. He let out a burp, and a faint purple arc of electricity flickered on his body, but it vanished in an instant, completely absorbed by his perfect body.

"The taste is acceptable," Qin Feng commented, then turned his gaze to another piece of "Mysterious Nether Ice" crystal ore not far away, which was emitting an icy blue light.

The whole place was dead silent.

Those survivors and the onlookers in the distance all gaped, their eyes practically bulging out of their sockets.

They worked hard mining for decades, only to get a fragment the size of a thumb.

This monster... punched a mine to pieces, and then... ate it in one bite?
"He... who is he?"

"This kind of physical strength... could it be the legendary Titan royal family?"

"No! He's human! I remember that face! He's the 'gatekeeper' who's been entrenched in the first level for hundreds of thousands of years!"

"What?! That god of death has arrived at the second level?!"

Panic spread instantly throughout the crystal mining area.

Qin Feng didn't care about the reactions of these ants at all.

He was like a Tyrannosaurus Rex that had stumbled into a china shop, beginning his unbridled "feeding" journey.

Over the next few thousand years, the outer region of the second gate was struck by an unprecedented catastrophe.

Wherever Qin Feng went, all the large and small law crystal mines, whether they contained the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, or the different kinds of laws of wind, thunder, light, and darkness, could not escape the fate of being "crushed with a punch and swallowed in one gulp".

He doesn't need to try to understand it at all.

His "Way of Limits" inherently possesses the characteristic of being all-encompassing; it accepts all forms of energy and laws without discrimination, forcibly forging them.

In just three thousand years.

Qin Feng single-handedly swept away thousands of the most precious top-grade crystal mines in the outer area.

With the accumulation of these massive resources, his strength has once again steadily increased.

The infamous reputation of the "Crystal Crusher" resounded throughout the second level.

All the challengers knew one thing:

Once you see that man in black, no matter how long you've been mining, run immediately, run as far away as possible!

……

Three thousand years later.

Qin Feng stood in the void, looking around.

The once abundant and rare crystal mines are now reduced to a few scattered fragments.

Those ordinary crystal ores were like chicken bones to him, tasteless and useless.

"The external resources are no longer sufficient to support my progress."

Qin Feng turned his gaze to something deeper.

There, countless rivers of laws surged and roared, ultimately converging on that majestic furnace of all laws.

The laws there are more violent, more pure, and more dangerous.

That place is the territory of the prodigies of the Divine Path.

"It's time for a change of pace."

Qin Feng moved swiftly, abandoning the outer area and flying towards the middle layer of the "Ten Thousand Rivers Domain".

As they went deeper, the surrounding temperature rose sharply, and the pressure from the laws increased exponentially.

Once you get here, it's hard for ordinary peak-level kings to gain a foothold. Only those who have touched the edge of the divine path or possess top-tier life-saving treasures dare to stay here.

A river, thousands of miles wide and entirely dark red, stretched out before Qin Feng.

What flows in the river is a liquid "law of slaughter".

Every drop of river water seemed to contain the screams and resentments of millions of living beings, radiating a terrifying killing intent that could instantly drive a normal person to a mental breakdown.

On the bank of this river, a divine prodigy sat cross-legged.

He was a powerful Asura, with three heads and six arms, and his body was enveloped in a dense aura of blood.

He was carefully drawing a sliver of river water, attempting to refine it into his Asura Battle Blade.

Sensing someone approaching, the Asura Prodigy suddenly opened his eyes, his six blood-red eyes fixed on Qin Feng, his killing intent boiling.

"Get out! This river is now mine!"

This is the rule in the Wanhe territory.

The strong control the river, while the weak must detour.

Qin Feng stopped and glanced at the Asura prodigy, then at the surging river of slaughter.

"You've taken it?" Qin Feng retorted.

"Indeed! I am..."

"Since you've taken over, why do you only dare to linger on the shore?" Qin Feng interrupted him, his tone tinged with contempt. "True occupation should be like this."

Before he finished speaking, Qin Feng took a step forward.

To the astonishment of the Asura prodigy, he actually... jumped directly into that river of slaughter!
"Pfft!"

The figure disappeared into the blood-red river water in an instant.

"You're insane! You're asking for it!"

The Asura Prodigy sneered, "The concentration of this river of slaughter is so high that even I dare not enter it with my physical body. You, a mere human..."

However, his smile quickly froze.

Because that rushing river suddenly came to a standstill.

Immediately afterwards, a huge whirlpool appeared in the center of the river.

The river level has begun to drop at a visible rate!

At the center of the vortex, Qin Feng sat cross-legged, letting the liquid killing laws that were enough to corrode the soul wash over his body.

A faint black-gold divine light appeared on the surface of his skin, blocking all the killing intent and corrosiveness from his body, and forcibly extracting the essence of the laws within it and integrating it into his own body.

He wasn't refining anything, he was... taking a bath!
Take a bath using the laws of slaughter!
"This...how is this possible?!"

The three heads of the Asura Prodigy simultaneously showed expressions of utter disbelief.

His prized Asura Battle Body would collapse in less than fifteen minutes in this river.

But the other person seemed as comfortable as if they were back home.

"This concentration is not enough."

In the river, Qin Feng shook his head.

He suddenly spread his arms wide, and the [Limited Domain] instantly expanded, covering the entire long river.

"Give me... Condensate!"

boom!
The entire river instantly erupted, and then, under Qin Feng's domineering will, it was forcibly compressed and collapsed.

The river, which was originally tens of thousands of miles wide, was compressed into a dark red sphere of light with a diameter of no more than a hundred feet. The concentration of the killing law contained within it increased more than ten thousand times!
Then, Qin Feng opened his mouth and swallowed the ball of light into his stomach.

"belch--"

With that soft sound, the Asura prodigy watched helplessly as the "territory" he had guarded for hundreds of years vanished completely.

In the void, only the man in black remained. His aura became even deeper, carrying a chillingly bloody scent, but it was instantly assimilated by his vast origin and returned to calm.

Qin Feng turned his head and looked at the Asura Prodigy who was already dumbfounded.

"Do you still want to occupy it?"

"No... I wouldn't dare... disturb you!"

The Asura Prodigy trembled, and without saying a word, he burned his source energy, transforming into a streak of blood light, and fled from the place as if his life depended on it.

He didn't even dare to utter a harsh word, fearing that if he ran too slow, he would be swallowed whole by the other party.

After shooing away a fly, Qin Feng did not linger.

He continued deeper.

Over the next ten thousand years, the Wanhe Realm welcomed a lawless "River Terminator".

River of Flames? Swallowed.

A river of ice? Swallowed it.

Qin Feng was like a gluttonous beast that could never be full, running rampant in this ocean of laws.

He was no longer satisfied with a single law, but began to try to forcibly merge different rivers of laws and then devour them.

Water and fire coexist, light and darkness mingle in the dust.

Each time he devours something, his [Ultimate Body] undergoes a cycle of destruction and rebirth.

His body was torn apart and shattered by countless violent laws, but then, supported by the Seven-Colored Bodhi Tree Seed and his own immense life force, it rapidly reassembled and healed.

With each reorganization, his physical structure is optimized, and his resistance to the laws is doubled.

Later on, he stopped choosing altogether.

As long as it is a river of laws that he encounters, no matter who occupies it or what its attributes are, he will accept it all without hesitation.

The prodigies of the Divine Path began to unite in an attempt to resist this "robber" who broke the rules.

"Gentlemen! This man is far too domineering! If we let him swallow us whole, what chance will we have left?"

"Join forces! Kill him!"

Beside a vast "river of the Five Elements Laws," seven prodigies from different races laid an ambush.

They set up an unparalleled killing formation and unleashed several quasi-royal level secret treasures, intending to join forces to kill Qin Feng.

However, the result was disastrous.

The moment Qin Feng stepped into the encirclement, he didn't even use any supernatural powers.

He simply activated his complete [Limited Form], allowing the seven prodigies to bombard him relentlessly.

Sword light, thunder, poisonous fire, curses... all the attacks that landed on him only sparked a few sparks, without even breaking his skin.

Qin Feng's physical strength has now reached an unbelievable level.

He himself is a "fortress of laws" built from billions of laws.

"Have you beaten enough?"

Qin Feng patted the dust off his shoulders and asked casually.

Then he made his move.

Simple, direct, and brutal.

One punch at a time.

After seven punches, the seven prodigies on the path to divinity had their physical bodies shattered and their divine souls crushed, becoming his "nourishment" supplement.

This battle solidified his unparalleled ferocity in the second stage.

No one dared to lay a hand on him anymore, and no one dared to stop him.

All the challengers, upon sensing that familiar aura from afar, would flee in a frenzy as if avoiding a plague.

Qin Feng became the true and only overlord of this land.

……

Thirty thousand years later.

Qin Feng finally crossed the Myriad Rivers Domain and arrived at the true core of this world—the Furnace of Myriad Laws.

Only by standing here can one truly feel the grandeur and terror of this furnace.

It blocked out all vision, as if the entire universe was filled with it.

The light and heat emanating from the furnace are no longer just temperature, but an ultimate force capable of "melting" cause and effect and "evaporating" concepts.

Here, even space no longer exists; it has been twisted into a mess by the extreme heat.

Time itself lost its meaning and became chaotic.

Apart from Qin Feng, no other living being can set foot in this place.

Even the most outstanding geniuses on the Divine Path only dare to watch from afar, hundreds of millions of miles away from the furnace, using the residual heat to temper themselves.

One step closer and you will be annihilated, body and soul.

But Qin Feng walked step by step toward the furnace.

His black clothes had long since turned to ashes, revealing a body that could be described as perfect.

His skin had a strange texture; it was no longer flesh and blood, but rather seemed to be composed of some unknown crystal that contained all the colors of the world yet ultimately returned to chaos.

That was the new form that the [Limited Body] evolved into after devouring billions of laws—the [Primordial Limited Body].

"This is where I truly belong."

Qin Feng stared at the churning fire in front of him, a hint of fascination flashing in his eyes.

Without the slightest hesitation, he leaped into the Furnace of Myriad Laws!

"boom--!!!"

The oven vibrated, as if angered by the action.

Endless flames of law instantly engulfed Qin Feng.

This is no longer a single law, but rather the "chaotic fire" formed after all laws converge into one.

It intends to completely melt down this arrogant invader and turn him into fuel for itself.

pain.

Unimaginable pain.

Even the evolved [Primordial Limit Body] began to show signs of melting under the scorching heat of this chaotic fire.

Qin Feng's skin cracked, his flesh melted away, and even his bones groaned in agony from the unbearable strain.

But he did not back down; instead, he burst into hearty laughter.

"Come on! Burn it even harder!"

He sat cross-legged in the center of the furnace, abandoning all defenses, and actively guided the chaotic fires to penetrate his body, reach deep into his marrow, and scorch his soul.

He believes in the principle of "no destruction, no construction!"
He wanted to use the strongest furnace fire in the world to carry out the final and most thorough "purification" and "forging" of his body, which was built up from countless laws.

Remove the dross and keep the essence; refine it through repeated tempering.

He wanted to melt all those chaotic laws into a single, pure... limit!
The years are long.

This seclusion lasted for a full 60,000 years.

For 60,000 years, the Wanfa Furnace has been in a state of abnormal turmoil, with the fire churning and the roaring constantly occurring.

The challengers from the outside world were terrified, thinking that the rules of the second level had changed, and they all fled.

No one knows what kind of monster is being gestated inside that terrifying furnace.

……

Qin Feng's consciousness gradually entered a state of ethereal clarity amidst the endless burning.

He forgot about time, forgot about space, and even forgot who he was.

In his perception, everything in the world had disappeared, leaving only two paths.

One principle is "all laws return to one".

That is to merge all the laws into a single origin, encompassing and evolving everything.

This is the ultimate pursuit of the Great Way, the pinnacle of "breadth".

The other is "one method can overcome all methods".

That is to cultivate one's own path to its ultimate limit, so that even a blade of grass or a grain of dust can sever galaxies and cut off the passage of time.

This is the ultimate in "depth".

And he was standing at the intersection of these two roads.

His "way to the limit" requires both breadth and depth.

He wants to encompass all laws, yet also to rise above them.

This is a paradox, a task that is almost impossible to complete.

But he succeeded after being tempered in the furnace for 60,000 years.

Under the pressure of the Chaos Fire, the billions of laws within his body finally broke down their barriers and completely merged into one.

They are no longer independent entities, but have transformed into nutrients, nourishing the seed at the very center—[the Limit].

The seed sprouted.

A completely new power, never before seen in the universe, was born from Qin Feng's body.

That is not spiritual power, not divine power, and not the power of laws.

That is a kind of... "boundary" power.

Qin Feng slowly opened his eyes.

At this moment, he was at the very center of the Furnace of All Laws, and the chaotic fire around him, which was powerful enough to melt away cause and effect, could no longer cause him even the slightest harm.

Even when his gaze swept over them, the flames seemed to encounter a king, automatically separating and obediently lowering their heads.

His body had returned to normal, looking no different from an ordinary person, with no more divine light flowing through it, and no more aura leaking out.

Back to Basics.

This is his current state.

Qin Feng raised his hand and looked at his palm.

If he so desires, he can immediately invoke the origin of the universe and instantly attain sainthood.

His accumulated experience is already sufficient.

His path has already taken shape.

In terms of strength, a single finger of his now would be enough to crush his past self from 100,000 years ago.

In terms of realm, he has already reached the pinnacle of emperorhood, with one foot already stepping into that sacred domain.

The so-called "invincible under the emperor" has become a joke to him.

Because even an ordinary saint would probably not last three moves against him.

but……

Qin Feng clenched his fist, a resolute glint in his eyes.

"not enough."

He could sense that although his power had reached its peak, it was still lacking the final touch of "spirituality".

That is the key to turning "inanimate objects" into "living objects".

His path, though all-encompassing and incomparably powerful, still revolves within the existing framework of the universe.

He hasn't yet stepped out of the chessboard and become the player.

What he lacks is precisely what the Lord of Limits spoke of—[uniqueness].

That which allows him to truly transcend the "path of limits" and truly possess infinite possibilities... [Primordial Fire].

Only by obtaining the Primordial Flame and integrating it into his own origin can he truly achieve perfection and forge that unparalleled... Ultimate Sacred Path!
"Just one last step."

Qin Feng muttered to himself softly.

He did not choose to force a breakthrough.

Because he knew that if he broke through now, he could at most become a powerful saint, and would never be able to reach the supreme divine throne.

What he wants is perfection.

That is the true limit.

"The furnace of all methods is no longer of any use to me."

Qin Feng stood up.

As he moved, the enormous Myriad Laws Furnace trembled violently.

The countless laws of the universe are all flowing backward!

All the law-based crystals trembled simultaneously!
It was as if they were seeing off this supreme overlord.

Qin Feng took a step forward, and his figure instantly passed through the barrier of the furnace, appearing in the void outside.

He didn't linger; his gaze was fixed directly on the end of the second level.

There, there is a portal leading to the third level.

At this moment, a number of prodigies gathered near the gate of light, preparing to proceed to the next level.

When Qin Feng appeared, everyone instinctively held their breath.

Although Qin Feng looks ordinary now and has no imposing presence.

But their instincts told them that the man approaching them was a million times more dangerous than the most terrifying beast in the world.

The crowd parted automatically, making way for a wide avenue.

Qin Feng kept his eyes straight ahead and walked directly towards the portal.

He paused briefly as he passed a human king.

The prince was so frightened he almost knelt down on the spot.

"Tell me... what year and month is it now?" Qin Feng asked.

"Reporting to Your Excellency, it has been... it has been 170,000 years since the opening of the Divine Gate."

"The king stammered in response."

"Seventeen thousand years..."

Qin Feng nodded slightly.

The first stage takes 100,000 years, and the second stage takes 70,000 years (10,000 years of travel + 60,000 years of seclusion).

Time flies so fast.

"Where is the main force?" he asked again.

"It is said...it is said that the most outstanding geniuses on the Divine Path, such as the 'Heavenly Revelation Holy Son' of the God Clan and the 'Abyss Demon Son' of the Demon Clan, have already reached...the nineteenth level."

"Nineteen levels?" Qin Feng's lips curled up slightly. "You're pretty fast."

But it doesn't matter.

The Great Pass is not a race. Running fast doesn't guarantee you'll have the last laugh.

Only those who laugh last are the winners.

"Thank you."

Qin Feng left a message and then stepped into the portal of light.

The light flickers.

His figure disappeared.

Only the group of geniuses behind him collapsed to the ground with a sigh of relief, panting heavily, grateful that they had survived another day.

……

The third level.

When the dizziness from the teleportation subsided, Qin Feng opened his eyes and saw neither skeletons nor flames.

Instead, it was... absolute darkness.

There was no light, no sound, no matter.

Even the laws of nature become extremely thin here, almost non-existent.

This is a truly desolate sea of ​​stars.

"This is the third level?"

Qin Feng frowned slightly.

Compared to the obvious danger and opportunity of the first two levels, this one seems particularly eerie.

Just then, a cold, mechanical voice rang out directly in his mind.

Welcome to the third level: The Inner Demon's Cage.

[Rule: There is no exit in this level.]

The only way out is in your heart.

Only by overcoming your greatest fear can you depart.

"Heart demon?"

Qin Feng was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.

If it were a different kind of test, perhaps it would make him take it a little more seriously.

But what about inner demons?
For someone who possesses the Seven-Colored Bodhi Tree Seed, whose Daoist heart has been hardened by countless life-and-death trials, and who has seen through the essence of "corruption" in the very first trial...

This is practically a free point question.

Is it the most terrifying existence?

Qin Feng closed his eyes, as if waiting for something.

Sure enough, the next moment, darkness surged.

A figure slowly materialized before him.

That figure wore the same black clothes as him, had the same face, and possessed the same aura.

That was... another "Qin Feng".

“I am your inner demon, I am your deepest fear of losing control of your power, I am…”

The "Qin Feng" slowly opened his mouth, his voice full of seduction.

However, his words were not finished yet.

The real Qin Feng has already opened his eyes.

His eyes held only indifference.

"You're a fake."

The words fell.

Qin Feng raised his hand and slapped him across the face.

"Snapped!"

The crisp sound of a slap echoed loudly in the deathly darkness.

That so-called "inner demon," the embodiment of what was said to be his deepest fear, was directly slapped away...

The fan exploded.

It turned into a sky full of black mist and vanished without a trace.

"fear?"

Qin Feng withdrew his hand, stood with his hands behind his back, looked at the endless darkness, and said calmly:
"Throughout my life, I have only feared that the path will not be followed, and that I will stop here."

"As for losing control of power? That's the excuse of the weak."

"Since I control the limits, I control everything."

"Let me... open it!"

boom!
A vast, emperor-like will erupted from his body, instantly breaking through this so-called "prison of inner demons."

click-

The darkness shattered, collapsing like a mirror.

Light has returned.

An exit leading to the fourth level appeared beneath his feet.

"Boring."

Qin Feng shook his head and stepped inside.

……

In the days that followed, Qin Feng began a true "speedrun" mode.

The first two stages were for accumulation and to solidify the foundation, so he spent a lot of time searching and accumulating knowledge.

But now, his foundation is in place and his strength has reached its limit, so ordinary challenges are no longer of any significance to him.

The fourth level, "Gravity Abyss"?
Qin Feng directly activated his [Limited Body], ignoring the trillions of times gravity that could crush a neutron star, and cleared the level in half a day as if walking on flat ground.

The fifth level, "The Swamp of Ten Thousand Poisons"?
Qin Feng absorbed all the poisonous gas in the swamp in one breath, refining it into a wisp of "Calamity Poison Light," and cleared the level in one day.

The sixth level, "Puppet Maze"?
Qin Feng, too lazy to solve the puzzle, punched through the maze wall and marched straight ahead, obliterating all the god-level puppets in his path.

……

He was like a ruthless level-clearing machine.

Those difficult obstacles that had hindered countless geniuses for hundreds or thousands of years were like ordinary steps under his feet, which he easily crossed one by one.

He's getting faster and faster.

Level 10... Level 15... Level 20...

His ranking was also skyrocketing at an astonishing rate on some kind of invisible list.

It took less than a hundred years.

He then rushed from the second level all the way to... the thirty-sixth level!

We caught up with the tail of the main group!
Meanwhile, those prodigies at the forefront of the Divine Path were racking their brains for a way to break the deadlock in front of the thirty-sixth level, the "Chessboard of Life and Death".

They don't know yet.

That terrifying shadow that had lingered in the first level for hundreds of thousands of years.

That legend that they consider "past tense".

He already possessed invincible power enough to crush an entire era.

They've caught up.

……

When Qin Feng's figure emerged from the teleportation portal of the thirty-fifth level, a solemn aura, completely different from the previous dozens of levels, swept over him.

Previously, he had been advancing with unstoppable momentum, and those so-called dangerous passes were as easy as flat ground for him. But here, the continuous sense of oppression that permeated the entire void made him stop in his tracks.

Before me, there was no longer an abyss, a swamp, or a labyrinth.

Instead, it was a... starry sky.

But this starry sky was forcibly refined, cut, and reassembled by someone with supreme power, transforming it into a giant chessboard that stretches across the center of the universe.

This is the thirty-sixth level—[The Chessboard of Life and Death]

It is also the first natural barrier among the seventy-two divine passes, existing as a "watershed".

Qin Feng stood at the edge of the chessboard, the starting position. Looking around, the chessboard was incredibly large. Each "chess square" was formed from a broken continental plate, floating in the void, and was tens of thousands of miles in circumference.

The black and white chess pieces intertwine, stretching to the horizon and disappearing into the chaotic mist.

A quick glance reveals that this chessboard has at least 3,600 squares in each direction.

Meanwhile, on the relatively safe "preparation zone" at the starting edge of the chessboard, the continent was already packed with people.

The "main force" that Qin Feng had been chasing was right here.

Hundreds of thousands of prodigies from various races gathered here. But strangely, there was no lively atmosphere of challenging the trials; instead, a sense of despair, suspicion, brutality, and... a strong stench of blood permeated the air.

The crowd was clearly divided into two classes.

A tiny minority occupied the highest platform with the best view and the densest spiritual energy. Each of them possessed a terrifying aura and was surrounded by divine light; they were clearly the top geniuses on the path of the gods, standing at the pinnacle of the pyramid, or extremely powerful peak-level kings.

The vast majority of the challengers crowded onto the wasteland below. Their faces were filled with terror, they huddled together, their eyes filled with wariness and... hatred towards the powerful figures above.

Qin Feng concealed his aura and blended into the edge of the crowd, attracting little attention. His gaze pierced through the crowd and landed on the enormous chessboard, where he began to analyze the rules.

Soon, through the discussions of those around him and through a "challenge" he witnessed firsthand, he learned the cruel truth behind this "life-and-death chessboard".

The rules here can be summed up in just eight words:
One step leads to life, one step leads to death.

There are 3,600 moves on the chessboard.

Each time you step into a square, whether it's black or white, the "Guardian Shadow" effect within that square will be immediately triggered.

These "Shadow Fiends" are not fixed monsters, but rather "mirror copies" generated in real time based on the strength of the challengers.

If that were all there was to it, defeating oneself would not be difficult for these exceptional talents.

But this damn chessboard has a despair-inducing "amplification mechanism".

In the first step, Shadow Fiend's strength is 10% of the challenger's.

The tenth step: Shadow Fiend's strength is 100% of the challenger's.

At the hundredth step, Shadow Fiend's strength... will reach 200% of the challenger's!

And so on, the further along the path, the more terrifying the Shadow Fiend's power becomes.

This is almost a dead end.

A peerless genius is already finding it difficult to defeat an opponent of equal strength. To defeat someone two, three, or even ten times stronger than himself would be even more difficult.
That's simply impossible.

This completely contradicts the logic of spiritual practice.

If it's a dead end, why would anyone try to break through it?

Qin Feng's gaze turned slightly cold as he looked at a certain spot on the chessboard.

There, a powerful god-race warrior with wings on his back stood at the thirty-fifth square.

Before him, a shadow demon emanating overwhelming divine power materialized.

The Shadow Demon's strength has reached 1.3 times that of this powerful god!
Under normal circumstances, this Protoss would undoubtedly lose.

However, just as Shadow Fiend launched his attack, a cruel, sinister smile appeared on the face of the powerful god.

He suddenly waved his hand and pulled out a...living person from his personal space!
It was a demon with only the strength of an ordinary king, whose cultivation had been suppressed, screaming in despair.

"go with!"

Without hesitation, the powerful god used the demon as a shield and threw it at Shadow Fiend's attack.

"puff--!"

The demon's body exploded instantly under the Shadow Demon's terrifying attack, turning into a sky full of blood mist.

But at the very moment the blood mist filled the air, a bizarre scene unfolded.

The patterns on the chessboard lit up, absorbing the flesh and soul of the demon race.

Immediately afterwards, the Shadow Demon, whose power was originally terrifying, seemed to have been "bribed" or "sacrificed" by some kind of rule, and the aura on its body plummeted instantly!
It plummeted from 1.3 times to... 30%!

"Hahaha! Thank you for saving my life and helping me get through this!"

The powerful god laughed wildly, shattering the weakened Shadow Fiend with a single punch, and successfully stepped into the thirty-sixth level.

Upon seeing this, Qin Feng's pupils contracted slightly.

It turned out to be the case.

This is what Caesar called "corruption".

This is the "backdoor" left by the evil god.

This so-called "life-or-death chessboard," ostensibly a test of the challenger's limits, is in reality forcing them to... eat people.

Don't you want to die? You can't beat a mirror image that's stronger than you?

It's ok.

As long as you sacrifice a life and shed enough blood on this chessboard, the rules will "give you the green light" and weaken your opponent's strength.

The stronger the life sacrificed, the greater the weakening effect.

This isn't a chessboard, it's clearly a gigantic... altar!
It blatantly lures these elites: to capture the weak, to enslave their companions, to treat them as disposable commodities, as "pawns" to pass levels.

If you are ruthless enough and have a dark enough hand, you can survive and move on to the next level.

Qin Feng turned his head to look at the "preparation zone".

No wonder the atmosphere here is so eerie.

The reason why those high-ranking geniuses on the Divine Path are hesitant to move is not because they can't get through, but because they are... "hoarding supplies".

They are waiting for more unsuspecting newcomers to enter this thirty-sixth level, turning them into their "chess pieces."

Those ordinary geniuses who huddled together below were lambs to the slaughter. They wanted to resist, but they discovered in despair that their retreat was cut off and their path forward was blocked.

This is a purgatory of humanity.

"These rules are... absolutely disgusting."

A hint of disgust flashed in Qin Feng's eyes.

This evil god's methods are indeed ingenious. This kind of rule will strip away all the pride and bottom line in a strong person's heart, layer by layer.

When you get used to using other people's lives to pave your own way, when you get used to treating your fellow human beings as "consumables".

So, at the moment you finally become a god.

You are no longer a "god" with an independent personality, but a cold, selfish, profit-driven "demon" who perfectly fits the aesthetic of an evil god.

"boom--!"

Just then, a commotion arose on the high platform.

Several terrifying auras erupted, belonging to several prodigies from the Divine Path who had been entrenched here. It seemed they had finally "gathered" enough pieces to make their move.

"Everyone hiding over there, get out here!"

A domineering voice sounded.

The speaker was a burly man whose body was crackling with lightning and who wielded a purple lightning hammer. His name was "Thunderstorm King," and he was one of the most formidable prodigies on the Divine Path during this trial.

Behind him followed hundreds of kings from various tribes, their eyes glazed over, their minds clearly controlled.

That was his "chess piece".

But clearly, he felt it wasn't enough.

His gaze swept over the edge area where Qin Feng was located.

"There are still a few who escaped! Go and bring them here!"

Thunderstorm King casually pointed in the direction of Qin Feng and gave orders to his followers.

In his eyes, people like Qin Feng, who had concealed their aura and stood in the corner, were the best "pathfinders" and "damage mitigation charms".

Several followers with peak King-level strength immediately grinned and surrounded Qin Feng.

"Kid, you're lucky to have been chosen by Lord Thunderstorm King to become a stepping stone on his path to godhood. This is an honor you've earned over several lifetimes!"

One of them reached out and grabbed Qin Feng's shoulder.

Qin Feng stood still, without moving.

He simply watched the outstretched hand quietly, then looked up at the huge, bloody chessboard in the distance.

"Rules are meant to be broken."

He whispered to himself.

"Since this chessboard requires capturing someone to move..."

"Then I'll let it see who eats whom."

next moment.

The hand that was reaching for Qin Feng stopped in mid-air.

It wasn't because the other party had a change of heart.

Rather, it was because... that hand, along with that person's body, vanished in an instant, without warning.

It's like a piece of a painting being gently erased by an eraser.

Along with the soul, along with the imprint of life, all return to nothingness.

The crowd that had been preparing to watch the show suddenly fell silent.

Qin Feng slowly raised his head, his dark eyes looking at Thunder King on the high platform and the geniuses of the Divine Path who were choosing "chess pieces".

A cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"You're blocking the way."

Dead silence.

The once noisy, desperate, and wailing preparation area fell into a deathly silence because of this sudden scene.

The Thunderstorm King's followers, who had been so aggressive and ready to capture Qin Feng as a "pawn," were now frozen in place, still in their forward-charging posture, but no longer daring to move an inch.

Just now, right under their noses.

Their companion, a true peak-level King, just like that... is gone?
There were no energy fluctuations, no supernatural lights or shadows.

Vanished into thin air.

This unknown terror made their very souls tremble.

On the high platform, Thunder King's previously arrogant expression froze instantly. He tightened his grip on the thunder hammer, his eyes fixed on the seemingly ordinary young man in black below.

"who are you?"

Thunderstorm King's voice carried an unprecedented solemnity.

As a prodigy on the path to godhood, his perception far surpassed that of ordinary people. In that instant, he actually sensed a terrifying aura... aura that even made the quasi-royal-level weapon in his hand groan.

Qin Feng ignored him.

He didn't even glance at Thunderstorm King.

To him now, the so-called "prodigies of the Divine Path" were nothing more than a bunch of larger ants. He had killed so many prodigies of the Divine Path in the first and second trials that he couldn't count them on two hands.

He strode straight ahead, passing through the stunned followers, and walked towards the [Chessboard of Life and Death] that stretched across the void.

The crowd parted automatically, as if fleeing from a plague, or as if welcoming a king.

"What is he going to do?"

"Does he intend to attempt the challenge alone?"

"Are you crazy? Without 'chess pieces,' even if he's a prodigy on the Divine Path, he couldn't possibly withstand the terrifying Shadow Fiend amplification in the later stages!"

Under the gaze of countless shocked and puzzled eyes, Qin Feng walked to the edge of the chessboard.

He gazed at the three thousand six hundred squares stretching to the edge of the void and commented calmly:
"Boring game."

Then he took a step forward.

"Om-"

The instant his foot landed on the first black square.

The entire chessboard suddenly trembled!
A surge of black energy instantly condensed in front of Qin Feng, forming a "Shadow Fiend" that looked exactly like him.

According to the rules, the Shadow Demon in the first slot should have a strength of 10% of the challenger's.

However, a strange scene happened.

This shadow demon, which had just taken shape and hadn't even had a chance to assume an attack stance, actually... the moment it saw Qin Feng...

It started to tremble!
Yes, it was a mirror image composed of pure chessboard rules and energy, which should have no emotions and only know how to kill.

But at this moment, it seemed to possess sentience, displaying extreme fear towards Qin Feng, and then...

"puff!"

It actually exploded on its own!
Intentional crash!

It seemed... it simply couldn't bear the consequences of replicating Qin Feng's existence!
"This……"

The jaws of everyone watching from behind dropped to the ground.

"Cheating! This is cheating, isn't it?"

"Shadow Sha...committed suicide?"

Before they could even react...

Qin Feng has already taken the second step, the third step... the tenth step.

Each chess square will condense a shadow demon.

But each Shadow Demon either collapses the moment it takes shape, or it kneels down and dissipates after surrendering.

Qin Feng strolled leisurely, as if he were taking a walk in his own backyard, with his hands behind his back and not even lifting his hand.

Those chess pieces that are like life-or-death gates for others are not even stumbling blocks for him.

"That's the hundredth grid!"

"Even the most talented prodigies on the Divine Path face twice as many enemies upon reaching the hundredth square, and must sacrifice a chess piece to advance! Yet he... he actually made it through?"

An incredulous gasp erupted from the crowd.

Thunderstorm King's face had turned ashen.

He understood.

It's not that the rules have become invalid.

Rather... this person's level of existence is too high! So high that even this divine artifact crafted by an evil god cannot perfectly "copy" it!

It's like trying to wrap a fire in a piece of paper; the only result is that the paper burns to ashes.

The reason those Shadow Fiends collapsed was because they simply couldn't withstand Qin Feng's terrifying "Ultimate Dao"!
"What...what kind of monster is he?"

"boom!"

Just as Qin Feng stepped onto the first thousandth grid.

The entire chessboard of life and death finally succumbed to its burden and let out a mournful cry that shook the heavens and the earth.

It seems that they were angered by Qin Feng's "bug-exploiting" behavior, or perhaps the rules' self-protection mechanism was triggered.

Suddenly, all the squares in front of us lit up!

The Shadow Fiends, which should have appeared one by one, have now defied the rules and merged together!
The power of the remaining two thousand six hundred chess pieces converged into a... towering, ten-thousand-foot-tall pitch-black giant!
This giant, with its blurred face, exuded... the aura of a true emperor!
Moreover, it is not an ordinary emperor, but a world-destroying emperor with the rudimentary form of "limit" and a combat power amplification of more than a hundred times!
This is the ultimate counterattack of the rules of chess!
"Roar--!!!"

The giant roared, and the sound wave shattered several abandoned continental plates in the vicinity.

The mere pressure alone caused the hundreds of thousands of geniuses in the preparation area to cough up blood and collapse to the ground.

"It's over... This is definitely a death trap!"

"This is the manifestation of the chessboard's will! Even if a true emperor were to arrive, he would surely perish!"

Everyone was in despair.

However, they were faced with this terrifying giant capable of destroying galaxies.

Qin Feng finally stopped.

He slowly raised his head, looking at the giant. Far from showing fear, a hint of...

excited.

"Finally, this is getting interesting."

He smiled.

This was the first time he had smiled since entering the thirty-sixth level.

"Since you want to play big, then I'll play along with you."

Qin Feng slowly extended his right hand, his five fingers spread, towards the giant.

"I've swallowed all the furnaces of magic."

"You, a mere spirit of the chessboard, dare to stop me?"

[Limited Form] · [Complete Liberation]

"boom--!!!"

An aura a million times more terrifying than that of the giant suddenly erupted from Qin Feng's tiny body!

That was the supreme foundation he forged by spending 60,000 years in seclusion in the Furnace of Myriad Laws, refining countless laws!
That is... the [Primordial Chaos Limit]!
Faced with this aura, the once majestic black giant froze instantly, like a mudfish encountering a real dragon.

"Give me... pieces!"

Qin Feng clenched his fist suddenly.

click-

A crisp cracking sound echoed throughout the universe.

That towering, ten-thousand-foot-tall royal-level giant, imbued with the power of two thousand six hundred grids of rules, couldn't even offer a resistance under Qin Feng's grasp, and was directly...

Collapsed!
It's like a sand sculpture that disintegrates instantly when gently slapped by a wave.

The sky was filled with countless fragments of black rules, like black snowflakes, falling in a flurry.

Qin Feng, bathed in the black snow, took a step forward.

This step directly skipped the remaining 2,600 squares.

This step takes you straight to the heavens!

He stood at the end of the chessboard.

He turned around and glanced at the hundreds of thousands of beings who were already stunned, as well as the ashen-faced prodigies on the Divine Path.

"I have come to the end of my journey."

"As for you..."

Qin Feng's voice echoed in the void, carrying a hint of mockery.

"Keep playing house."

After saying that, he turned around and stepped into the portal leading to the thirty-seventh level.

Only one figure remains... a silhouette that would make all the geniuses of this generation despair and look up to them.

Level 36, the Chessboard of Life and Death.

break!
(End of this chapter)