Accompanied by a resonant roar, the colossal beast before Xiao Heng slowly shrank, eventually returning to Ye Feipeng's original form.
The chubby youth cracked his neck, sending a barrage of crisp pops running through every bone in his body. "So, Little Xiao, what do you think of my skills?" Ye Feipeng asked, brimming with smug triumph.
Xiao Heng felt no discouragement over his defeat. Instead, he studied Ye Feipeng with curious eyes, flying over to poke and prod him all over. "Fatty, what method did you use to form your Golden Core? How can a human transform into a genuine strange beast? I thought sprouting wings from your back was already the limit, but you managed to take it an entire step further!"
Ye Feipeng did not stop Xiao Heng's poking hands. He held his head high, adopting an imperious posture.
Rather than answering directly, he cocked his head and said, "The might of the sacred beast Kunpeng is naturally not to be taken lightly. Well? Envious?"
"This time, I awakened another portion of my bloodline's power and comprehended another divine ability from ancient memories."
"[Bloodline Transfer]. It allows me to separate a portion of the surging, flourishing Kunpeng essence blood within me and transfer it to someone else. Once absorbed, they will inherit a part of the Kunpeng's divine abilities, all without diminishing my own strength in the slightest."
"Just like what that ancient Kunpeng did for my Ye family's ancestor." With an inviting tone, he urged, "Want to give it a try? With your current Four-Law Golden Core realm, if you also obtain Kunpeng essence blood, your strength will probably far outstrip mine in no time. Are you really not going to consider it?"
"The 'sacred beast' Kunpeng?" A flicker of doubt passed through Xiao Heng's eyes. Ye Feipeng had always referred to it as a "demon beast" or "strange beast" before. How had it become a "sacred beast" after not seeing him for a short while?
Measuring Ye Feipeng with a subtle glance, Xiao Heng casually declined with a chuckle. "Haha, no thanks, I'll pass. That fighting style of yours is far too brutal. My Method of Emptiness looks much more dashing, and it suits me better."
Seeing his reaction, Ye Feipeng stared at Xiao Heng for a long time, but ultimately did not press the matter.
"By the way, what do you make of Senior Skull's warning?" After a brief silence, Xiao Heng suddenly asked.
Not long ago, Senior Skull, who had been asleep for so long, had abruptly awakened. Yet, after leaving behind a single warning message—"Flee! Leave the Congyun Sea!"—he had plunged back into deep slumber.
This had left Xiao Heng thoroughly puzzled.
Though he did not know what Senior Skull had foreseen, out of trust in the senior, Xiao Heng still planned to lead everyone away from the Congyun Sea to seek shelter in the neighboring Shilin Province.
Ye Feipeng's eyes flickered, and he thought to himself, *Looks like that old relic really has some skill to actually sense the upcoming Crimson Flame Burning Sea. But...*
After only a moment's hesitation, the chubby youth's gaze turned resolute once more.
*The descent of the Crimson Flame is an apocalyptic disaster for ordinary people, but for me, it's an astronomical fortune.*
*I've waited bitterly for so many years just for this moment to arrive. How could I possibly give it up so easily?*
With that in mind, he replied calmly, "Senior Skull may possess unfathomable divine abilities, but after all, he is severely wounded, and his strength is greatly diminished. You shouldn't take everything he says as gospel. I think he's just being paranoid."
"We've lived in the Congyun Sea for so many years and everything has been perfectly fine. What major catastrophe could possibly happen?"
Watching Ye Feipeng's utterly dismissive demeanor, Xiao Heng felt his suspicions deepen.
Given how well Xiao Heng knew the chubby youth, in the past, whenever there was even an uncertain danger, Ye Feipeng would always err on the side of caution and run away as his first reaction.
He would never have acted so nonchalantly or disregarded a potential crisis like this.
Was it because he had grown stronger and his ego had inflated? Or was it the influence of the Kunpeng essence blood?
Sensing that something was amiss, Xiao Heng did not argue or try to dissuade him directly. Instead, he adopted an expression of "you make a lot of sense, let me think on it carefully."
The two chatted for a few more pleasantries before Xiao Heng hastily took his leave. Ye Feipeng watched Xiao Heng's receding silhouette with a somber, gloomy gaze.
"Forget it. It's merely a thread of mundane karma. Severing it early is fine too, saving me from having people say I forgot old friendships after my Dao Integration."
The chubby youth gave a cold snort and looked up at the sky, a streak of blood-red flashing across his eyes. "Heaven's mandate is mine; my Dao Integration will surely succeed!"
Pitch-black wings spread behind his back, and with a gentle flap, Ye Feipeng vanished from the spot in an instant.
Back on the deserted island, Xiao Heng was speaking with Su Changyu. Sensing Ye Feipeng's departure, he cast a glance into the distance, his expression unreadable.
"Since Senior Skull gave such a warning, it surely didn't come from nowhere. To be safe, we should withdraw from the Congyun Sea," Su Changyu said with a nod, agreeing with Xiao Heng's decision.
Back then, seven others had accompanied Xiao Heng and the rest from the Li Realm to this cultivation world. They had merely been chosen at random by Li Fan to keep up appearances. Over the past eighteen years, some had succumbed to illness and passed away.
Others had failed to purge the miasma from their bodies for the longest time, so they gave up on cultivation entirely; unable to endure the hardship of the deserted island, they begged repeatedly until Xiao Heng relocated them to nearby mortal islands to live out the rest of their days.
Of those seven, only one man and one woman ultimately remained, barely stepping into the Qi Condensation stage. Spending every day together over the years, feelings had blossomed between them, and they had become husband and wife.
Recently, they had given birth to a son named Han Wuyou. Together with the Yin sisters, that made up everyone currently on the deserted island.
The flying boat on the island was still barely functional, making relocation relatively convenient. However... Xiao Heng furrowed his brow.
"I don't know what those two young girls, Yueting and Yuzhen, have been busy with lately. They've been acting so secretive, and their replies to messages have been utterly perfunctory."
"I'll go check on them first and bring them over."
Fortunately, the sisters knew what was important and had provided their location in advance, so finding them was not difficult. They were not too far from the deserted island. Seven days later, Xiao Heng arrived before them.
To Xiao Heng's surprise, alongside the sisters was a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Bowing and scraping, his eyes darting about sneakily, he looked completely untrustworthy.
Yin Yueting was currently frowning in displeasure. "Zhao Erbao, just how many more do we have to collect before we can recreate that Dao charm you mentioned?"
"My sister and I went through so much trouble this time to gather a whole pile of antiques, yet you only picked out these few usable ones? You wouldn't be playing tricks on me, would you?"
Zhao Erbao hastily forced a bitter smile. "My little young miss, how would I dare? Antiques with Dao charm are inherently hard to come by! For the two of you to find so many in such a short time is already a miraculous feat!"
"Even if you gave me ten times the courage, I wouldn't dare deceive you!"
"Artifacts with Dao charm?" Hearing their exchange, Xiao Heng narrowed his eyes slightly.
It was the elder sister, Yin Yuzhen, who sent a voice transmission to explain the ins and outs of the whole situation to him.
Chapter 299