Chapter 597: Proof of Perpetuity

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

Inside the Black Divine Temple.

Chen Fei stared at the skill panel where the Shadow Escape Technique had turned gray, his expression filled with disbelief.

All other techniques and skills were illuminated, except for the Shadow Escape Technique, which had undergone a change.

This gray state was typically seen only when Chen Fei first encountered a new technique, before mastering it.

Clearly, the Shadow Escape Technique, which was already nearing perfection, had now reverted to an unacquainted state?

Hence, after exchanging for the Purple Fire Spirit Pill, the Black Divine Temple directly extracted Chen Fei’s comprehension of the technique.

Despite Chen Fei having contributed points to obtain the pill, the Black Divine Temple silently and without negotiation took away his understanding of the technique.

If it weren’t for the skill panel recording information about the Shadow Escape Technique, Chen Fei would probably be unaware of his loss.

Due to his cultivation level being sealed and the loss of a particular technique, there was hardly any discernible change, which could easily be overlooked.

Only the subtle reminder from the Suppressing Dragon Elephant was sufficient for Chen Fei.

Glancing up at the statue, Chen Fei couldn’t help but find it extremely ironic to see the benevolent expression and the inviting aura emanating from it.

If exchanging goods would result in the extraction of techniques, then it should have been made clear beforehand, and perhaps many would have agreed. But accepting contributions in black stones while covertly extracting techniques…

Doing one task but receiving payment for two, even a dishonest merchant would feel ashamed of such actions.

Chen Fei lowered his head to look at the exchange list on the well’s surface, suddenly struck by a possibility.

Could it be that everything listed here was obtained by the Black Divine Temple from others or beasts? When someone exchanges an item, the temple accepts contribution points and immediately draws another item to replenish the list.

Moreover, delving deeper, could it be that anyone or any beast currently in the Black Divine Realm, everything they possess is actually listed in the exchange list?

As long as someone spends contribution points to exchange for an item, not only are the contribution points taken, but also something randomly taken from someone or some beast to fill the list, and they wouldn’t even know what has disappeared.

One exchange, the Black Divine Temple gains black stones while causing two individuals or beasts to lose something.

“Hiss!”

Realizing this, Chen Fei suddenly took in a sharp breath of cold air. This scheme was simply astonishing. Everyone and every beast in the Black Divine Realm were regarded as disposable tools by the temple.

The universe is unjust, and all things are not equal!

This was a saying heard when entering and leaving the Black Divine Realm. Now, it seemed that the realm had not lied.

In its eyes, whether human or beast, all were treated equally, merely tools for transporting black stones, without any differentiation.

The universe is heartless, regarding all things as mere fodder!

Chen Fei looked at the listing for the Celestial Azure Flower. So, could it be that this Celestial Azure Flower is actually the one from Chen Fei’s Qiankun Bag?

After all, during his stroll in the marketplace, the only vendor selling Celestial Azure Flowers was the one Chen Fei had encountered before.

Chen Fei took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly.

Only just now, when he exchanged three times to descend the mountain, did Chen Fei not incur any additional losses. Perhaps, in the eyes of the Black Divine Temple, such exchanges were sustainable, without it losing anything at all?

Furthermore, Chen Fei speculated that the lifespan required for the three times he exchanged to descend the mountain was directly drawn from others or beasts by the Black Divine Temple.

In the temple’s view, everything was fair game.

Chen Fei glanced at the panel and, with his mind, selected the Shadow Escape Technique. In an instant, the comprehension of the technique flooded back into his mind.

Once proven, always proven!

Long ago, Chen Fei realized that the panel not only recorded information but also stored comprehensions of techniques and skills.

Although Chen Fei’s personal understanding of the Shadow Escape Technique was taken away, the comprehension stored on the panel remained intact. At this moment, Chen Fei simply reapplied the comprehension stored on the panel.

Back when Chen Fei was in the Mysterious City, his understanding was devoured by the Evil, but at that time, his mind was clouded, and he even forgot about the panel.

Thus, he could only passively awaken the comprehensions recorded within the panel through simplified actions.

Chen Fei left the Black Divine Temple and once again saw those followers of the Black Divine. His eyes scanned them, eventually settling on one person.

Whether it was an illusion or not, Chen Fei couldn’t shake the feeling that this person’s countenance seemed to have aged a few years.

So, was it true that the lifespan deducted for his three descents from the mountain was actually extracted from others? Or perhaps, from these servants of the Black Divine?

Was the Black Divine not only deceiving others but also not sparing even its own followers?

Furthermore, was it more convenient to exploit their own people?

Chen Fei’s molars ached, unsure if his speculation was correct. But just the fact that the Shadow Escape Technique was taken away was enough to overturn all of Chen Fei’s impressions of the Black Divine.

As Chen Fei was about to leave, Gong Shiyan appeared once again in front of him.

In previous encounters, Gong Shiyan hadn’t stopped or paid attention to Chen Fei. Chen Fei wondered what was on his mind this time, as Gong Shiyan once again blocked his path.

“How do you feel about it?” Gong Shiyan’s expression was blank.

“My devotion is lacking, I’m afraid it might disappoint you,” Chen Fei murmured, casting a sidelong glance at the aging follower of the Black Divine in the distance.

Gong Shiyan’s brows furrowed slightly as he stared at Chen Fei. Eventually, without saying another word, he turned and walked back to his original position.

Seeing Gong Shiyan no longer obstructing him, Chen Fei flashed away from the Black Divine Temple.

Chen Fei returned to his stone hut and took out the exchanged Purple Fire Spirit Pill, examining it carefully.

The operations of the Black Divine Temple left Chen Fei feeling uneasy about the items he exchanged for.

As he walked, Chen Fei pondered. If the Black Divine Realm could do whatever it pleased with everyone, wouldn’t it be more convenient to directly control all people and beasts to mine black stones downhill?

This covert method of stealing during exchanges seemed unnecessary. Unless there were other forces limiting the Black Divine, forcing it to only act during transactions.

“Could this so-called Black Divine be sealed away?” A thought suddenly flashed through Chen Fei’s mind.

With this thought, all the observations Chen Fei had made previously involuntarily connected.

The terrain at the foot of the mountain, the patterns on the mountain walls, and even the subtle details on the mountain path—all seemed to form a powerful formation.

Previously, Chen Fei hadn’t thought much of it, assuming it was a means for the Black Divine Realm to restrict everyone.

But now, if these formations were meant to suppress something else, then it would be perfectly normal for the cultivation levels of outsiders like them to be sealed upon entering.

So, those black stones could possibly be part of the formation, and mining those black stones is gradually unraveling the seal here.

Chen Fei thought about the statue inside the Black Divine Temple, noticing some parts with slightly different colors. If the black stones were indeed part of the formation, then the formation would still be in a very intact state.

The greenish parts were still very limited.

Because the seal was still very much intact, the Black Divine could only quietly manipulate things for now. By using various methods, it compelled the people and beasts who entered here to help mine black stones, slowly unraveling the seal.

And all the irrationalities Chen Fei felt in the Black Divine Realm were the result of the Black Divine’s confrontation with the seal.

“Why do those strong individuals in the center of the Boundless Sea turn a blind eye to all this? Or perhaps, does the Boundless Sea itself have a force hoping for the Black Divine’s seal to be broken?”

Chen Fei thought about what the vendor had said, that the Black Divine Realm had actually appeared several years ago. Being in the midst of it all, Chen Fei couldn’t imagine those powerful individuals in the Mountain Sea Realm being unaware of these things.

“Could it be that someone is already laying down plans? Either to reseal or to destroy?”

Chen Fei stood up. Regardless of the situation, he was unwilling to stay in the Black Divine Realm for long. He decided to use up the three descents from the mountain opportunities and then leave the Black Divine Realm directly.

As for the Purple Fire Spirit Pill, Chen Fei wasn’t sure if the Black Divine had tampered with it, but given its covert practices, such manipulation was likely inevitable.

Perhaps those who weren’t trading by the well but were still randomly targeted for extraction might have been marked because they consumed something exchanged from the Black Divine.

Just like the voluntary servants of the Black Divine, judging by the patterns on their foreheads, this branding was not a matter of how deep it was.

It signified that they were the servants of the Black Divine, destined to be its sustenance even in death.

Chen Fei appeared at the city gate, observing the figures and beasts below.

People were constantly transporting black stones up the mountain. To Chen Fei, thirty black stones might seem insignificant, but this small amount could bring him substantial profits.

With a flash of his figure, Chen Fei swiftly descended the mountain.

He arrived at the foot of the mountain within moments without the weight of the black stones.

Although the Black Divine Realm didn’t allow people from the Mountain Sea Realm to enter, the spiritual treasures within the spatial grid couldn’t be taken out, or they would attract unwanted attention.

Finding an unnoticed spot, Chen Fei began stacking black stones. In just a short while, he had stacked them into a cubic shape and stored them in the spatial grid.

Then, Chen Fei hoisted a slightly smaller mountain stone and started ascending the mountain along the path.

At the foot of the mountain, within a ravine, there was a cave that had been dug out. Inside, an elderly man with wrinkles on his face and white hair was patiently carving patterns on the walls.

Each segment of these patterns emitted a faint light, resonating with the formations inside the black stones. Besides this man, there were seven others like him scattered around the foot of the mountain..