Chapter 146: Defeating Jiang Feng

After uttering these words, he dissolved into a cluster of energy and vanished into the heavens and earth, leaving Lin Qiu filled with deep emotion. He had never expected that the senior he had met only a short while ago would perish because of these matters.

However, Lin Qiu understood that since he had inherited the cultivation base from the Crimson-Eyed Golden Ape, he must also shoulder the karmic burden that came with it: to protect the dragon vein of Mount Zhongnan. He held no great affection for the denizens of the Primordial Realm. Just as he was about to step into the teleportation array, a flicker of hesitation crossed his face, triggered by a message he had received from Prime Minister Turtle.

The news of the alliance between the twenty-eight ancient cities was no small matter. After a moment of hesitation, he ultimately entered the array. As for the affairs of the ocean, Lin Qiu trusted that Prime Minister Turtle could handle them well; after all, through their time together, he had gained a certain appreciation for the Prime Minister's capabilities.

Soon, the scenery before Lin Qiu underwent a drastic transformation, and he arrived at Mount Zhongnan. The mountain was currently shrouded in a vast, snowy expanse, blanketed in white. Having inherited the cultivation of the Crimson-Eyed Golden Ape, Lin Qiu felt an innate affinity for the dragon vein beneath the mountain, and he could even faintly hear the sound of a dragon’s roar.

At that moment, a group of people emerged from the nearby wind and snow. Leading them was Jiang Feng, the very man who had troubled Lin Qiu back at the Investigation Bureau. Fortunately, the members he brought were not from the Bureau, and Wang Xiaomeng and the others were not among them, which allowed Lin Qiu to breathe a sigh of relief.

When Jiang Feng saw Lin Qiu standing nearby, the expression on his face shifted. Clearly, he had not expected to encounter Lin Qiu on Mount Zhongnan, especially given his knowledge of the poor relationship between Lin Qiu and the Primordial Realm. Furthermore, knowing Lin Qiu’s strength well, Jiang Feng preferred not to engage him unless absolutely necessary. He spoke up: "Do me a favor—pretend you haven't seen us, and do not attempt to stop us."

Lin Qiu listened to Jiang Feng’s words with a look of disdain. He conjured a sword of wind and snow in his hand, his stance clear: anyone wishing to touch the dragon vein of Mount Zhongnan would have to pass through him first.

The group accompanying Jiang Feng hesitated upon seeing Lin Qiu’s actions. It was evident that they were well aware of his prowess, and none of them wished to engage in a battle they were likely to lose. Jiang Feng’s face turned grim, but he knew the mission was of paramount importance; his standing in the Primordial Realm depended entirely on its success. If it were any other task, he might have yielded, but he could not afford to retreat this time. He drew a long spear, and his followers followed suit, summoning their own weapons.

Their cultivation levels were not weak; the leader, Jiang Feng, possessed fifth-tier strength, while the weakest among the others were at the third tier. This demonstrated the vast disparity between the Primordial Realm and Earth—a random squad could be composed of members at the third tier or higher. Such a thing was impossible on Earth, and it was no wonder the Primordial Realm sought to sacrifice the planet to bolster their own strength.

Lin Qiu remained unmoved. His sword of wind and snow trembled, and a violent sword intent radiated from his body, with the phantom of a snowy dragon manifesting behind him. This extreme pressure suppressed the entire group, leaving only Jiang Feng barely able to withstand it. Without further ado, Lin Qiu charged.

The two clashed immediately. Where their weapons met, energy erupted, sending shockwaves across the peak of Mount Zhongnan that kept the third and fourth-tier members at bay. Had any ordinary person been present, they would have been obliterated in seconds. With his current peak fifth-tier cultivation, suppressing Jiang Feng was an easy task for Lin Qiu. He had no intention of killing him; after all, Jiang Feng still held the title of Bureau Chief. Killing him would offend major factions, which would not aid Lin Qiu’s future plans.

Instead, Lin Qiu shattered Jiang Feng’s spear and activated the system to begin devouring. He controlled the force with precision, draining only Jiang Feng’s cultivation while sparing his life. However, the evolution points gained were minimal, likely due to the system’s previous warning: as he was currently classified as a marine lifeform, the points gained from consuming land-based beings were significantly reduced.

With their leader incapacitated, the rest of the group was no match for Lin Qiu and was quickly dealt with. After driving them away, Lin Qiu did not rush back to the ocean. Instead, he set up several arrays around the dragon vein. These formations were related to the Crimson-Eyed Golden Ape, who, during the transmission of power, had also passed on his memories to Lin Qiu.

For Lin Qiu, these memories were more valuable than the cultivation itself, as they provided insight into the various factions of the world and their significance. Lin Qiu did not lack cultivation, but he lacked experience. He could gain power through consumption, but not wisdom. Once the arrays were secured, Lin Qiu returned to the ocean.

Upon his return, he immediately sensed that something was amiss in the Royal City of the Other Shore. The streets were deserted, and there were no marine creatures to be seen in the vicinity of the city. Given that many had sought refuge there following recent events, this was highly unusual.

Lin Qiu did not venture out immediately; he summoned the Ancient City Stele. During his absence, the stele had recorded the events within the ocean. Through it, he finally realized that his inheritance process had taken over ten days. In that time, much had occurred, including the formation of an opposition alliance by the twenty-eight ancient cities and the trap laid to suppress Prime Minister Turtle when he went to confront them alone.