Chapter 421: The Damaged Realm

That cold snort not only sent the Dark Lord, who was so powerful that Ye Feng felt he was invincible, flying backward but also made all the skeletons within Ye Feng’s sight crawl to the ground, trembling in fear.
Ye Feng’s breathing grew heavier as he looked up at the sky.
A towering figure slowly descended from the sky and stood not far from Ye Feng.
Ye Feng focused on the man’s face, trying to determine from his expression whether he was an enemy or an ally. It was a rugged face with sharply defined features. Compared to Ye Feng’s handsomeness, this man exuded a more heroic appearance. His face suited his height, which was half a head taller than Ye Feng’s, and his robust build even better.
“Third brother, this is the first time we’ve met,” the burly man said slowly as he walked toward Ye Feng. “Oh, I forgot to tell you my name—I’m Wu Kuang!”
“You’re… Second Brother?” Ye Feng took some time to realize it.
“You brat, it took you so long to figure it out?” Wu Kuang stepped up to Ye Feng. “Actually, I’ve been out of seclusion for some time now. Just a few days after that kid, Nian Cangsheng, was revived, I broke free from my seclusion. After that, since Father said I could only meet you once until your strength improved, I observed you for quite some time, looking for a more appropriate time to see you again. I even asked one of my friends to predict when you might encounter trouble. He calculated that this incident would happen here, which is why I’m here now.”
“You said you’ve been observing me for some time—since when?” Ye Feng frowned slightly.
“Since you entered that secret realm ten years ago. I was worried something might happen to you there, so I kept an eye on you for the first two years of those ten years. After your army took shape, I knew you’d be fine, so I stopped paying attention. I thought keeping watch constantly wasn’t right, so I asked my friend to help predict what might happen. He told me your next crisis would occur here, so ever since you entered, I’ve been monitoring your movements again. Until just now, I could no longer hold back.”
“What’s the matter? That guy just wanted to take me as his disciple,” Ye Feng asked, puzzled.

“That guy earlier initially wanted to kill you because he needed flesh and blood to replenish the damage to his own body. At first, he just wanted to torture you before killing you, deriving pleasure from your suffering. But later, he realized your talent and physical potential far exceeded his expectations. So, he decided to take you as his disciple,” Wu Kuang analyzed the situation.

“But have you ever thought about why he wants to take you as his disciple?” Wu Kuang asked in return.

“Because of my high talent and great potential?” Ye Feng asked uncertainly.

“That’s the superficial reason… I can only say you’re too naive,” Wu Kuang shook his head. “Think about it—he’s originally a war fanatic. Now trapped in this place, what’s the point of teaching a disciple? Anyway, the disciple can’t leave this space.”

Ye Feng shook his head in confusion.

“He just wants your body!”

As soon as Wu Kuang said this, Ye Feng immediately understood. “You mean he wants me to train to a level where my body can accommodate his soul, so he can take over?”

“That’s right!” Wu Kuang nodded. “Eliminate your soul and take over your body—that’s his ultimate goal.”

“Really cunning. I almost mistook him for my father,” Ye Feng thought to himself, relieved.

“What do you plan to do to that guy?” Wu Kuang asked, his gaze falling on the silent mound in the distance—where the Dark Lord had fallen.

Wu Kuang stretched out a hand, and a limp body was sucked into the air and flew toward them.

“What happened to him?” Ye Feng couldn’t help but ask as the man with a pained expression appeared before him, limp and motionless.

“Nothing much. I just broke all his bones,” Wu Kuang said nonchalantly. To him, it seemed like no big deal. “Just tell me what you want to do to him.”

Looking at the man, who though fearful still refused to surrender, Ye Feng asked, “What’s your name?”

“My name is Mo Xing…” Faced with Wu Kuang’s threatening gaze, he chose to answer honestly.

“The reason you wanted to take me as your disciple earlier was to take over my body?” Although Ye Feng already knew the answer, he still wanted to hear it from the man himself.

“That’s right…” After hesitating for a moment, he nodded helplessly. “Since I’ve become your prisoner, do with me as you will—kill me or torture me. If you’re going to act, do it soon and spare the words. I’ve had no freedom here for so long; perhaps dying is a good option after all.”
“Forget it, let him go!” Ye Feng glanced at Wu Kuang beside him and shook his head.
“It’s up to you. I don’t care,” Wu Kuang seemed utterly indifferent.
“It’s all over now. Killing you won’t mean much,” Ye Feng’s eyes gleamed as he continued, “Of course, letting you go comes with conditions.”
“What are they?” Although Mo Xing had spoken toughly, saying it didn’t matter if he died, the mere chance of survival made him unable to resist asking.
“The treasures you’ve gathered over the years…” Ye Feng wore a cunning smile. “I won’t take them all—that wouldn’t be fair. Ninety percent, then. I’ll leave ten percent as a memento for you.”
“Aren’t you a bit too ruthless?” Mo Xing’s face turned pale at once.
“Go back and get ready. Don’t even think about hiding any treasures,” Wu Kuang’s icy voice sent shivers down Mo Xing’s spine.
Not daring to say more, Mo Xing’s limp body flew away into the distance.
“Second brother, you really know how to keep face!” Ye Feng couldn’t help but laugh as he watched Mo Xing suffer a setback.
“This can also be considered part of my welcome gift!” Wu Kuang looked at Ye Feng and took out a few items from his ring.
“These three seeds—this dark green one is for physical defense, the sky blue one for mental defense. And this black one is quite rare. I originally planned to give it to our father. Even if he came, it wouldn’t be of much use, but it could still be kept as a collection. But after thinking it over, I think it’ll be better if I give it to you—you can make the most of it. I obtained these seeds from a special secret realm; there were only two, and I got both. They’re attack-type plants that can transform into any shape—swords, blades, staffs, guns, whips…”
“That sounds great!” Ye Feng’s eyes lit up. He really needed such a powerful weapon. After all, Xiao Lan in his sea of consciousness had to divert her energy to take care of those two female worms and the blue dragon. Now, only six leaves were left, and as more species were bred in the future, fewer and fewer leaves would be available for attack.
Wu Kuang tossed the three seeds into Ye Feng’s hands and then took out another item from his ring—a palm-sized, pitch-black cauldron.

“Let this cauldron be yours too! Back then, when I saw that mischievous kid who cared about the people and could craft pills and weapons, I couldn’t help but want to learn as well. My father casually made this fake virtual treasure cauldron for me. After practicing for a while, I realized I lacked the talent, so I had no choice but to give up. It’s of little use to me anyway, so I’m giving it to you.” Wu Kuang said as he threw the cauldron over. “I saw you collecting those scraps of metal before; I guess you wanted to melt them into something. This cauldron will be perfect for you.”
“Thank you, second brother!” Ye Feng only had a superficial understanding of pill and weapon crafting, but he was still interested in it. So when Wu Kuang threw the cauldron to him, he was happy to accept it.
“That’s about all I can give you,” Wu Kuang laughed. “I’ve always believed that on the path of cultivation, people are far more important than things. I focus more on my own cultivation rather than external possessions. You shouldn’t rely too much on external things either; striving to improve yourself is the right way.”
“Mm.” Ye Feng nodded firmly. He knew that aside from his own equipment, Wu Kuang had hardly any other wealth.
“Come on, let’s go and plunder those few treasures we’ve accumulated…” Wu Kuang patted Ye Feng and flew in a certain direction at a speed Ye Feng could keep up with…
It took them about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea to reach the locations of the three Dark Lords and seize 90% of their treasures. Although the amount wasn’t large, those items were top-quality in the Holy Realm, including many space fragments.
“Well, it’s time for me to leave.” After helping Ye Feng plunder, Wu Kuang prepared to go. “But before I go, let me give you one last gift!”
Wu Kuang said as he stretched out a hand, which slowly clenched as if grasping something.
At that moment, Ye Feng suddenly noticed that the entire space began to tremble violently. He thought it might be related to Wu Kuang’s action.
After a while, a pitch-black bead appeared in Wu Kuang’s hand. He opened his hand and handed it to Ye Feng. “Take it and claim it as yours.”
“What is this?” Ye Feng looked at Wu Kuang in confusion.
“That’s this damaged space,” Wu Kuang said, seemingly unwilling to explain further. “Claim it first.”
Ye Feng did as Wu Kuang asked, dropping blood on the black bead to claim it, after which a mysterious feeling arose. It seemed as though he knew everything that happened in this space.

“This thing is called a Realm. It evolves from a domain after one has reached a certain level of understanding of the rules,” Wu Kuang explained. “However, though this Realm is powerful, it is incomplete—only one-fifth the size of a full Realm. What happens next depends on you; I can only help you this far. Also, with your current strength, you’re not yet able to control it and can only enter and exit it yourself. Only when your strength reaches a certain level will you be able to bring others in or release them. Until then, you can only observe, not use it.”
“Okay…” He had thought he had obtained something valuable, but after Wu Kuang’s explanation, his excitement was instantly dampened.
“I’m leaving. I look forward to meeting you again soon…” Wu Kuang’s voice echoed in the air, but he himself had already disappeared.