Chapter 650 - 384: Underworld Torture
The clamor of battle gradually faded, a sign that Zou Feng was moving farther and farther from the heart of the conflict.
Although he wanted to take the opportunity to turn the tables and kill Luo Zhenzhen, Zou Feng didn’t dare let his guard down. He had to escape to a relatively safe place first before he could slowly lure her into his trap.
He’d expected that Luo Zhenzhen, burning with vengeance for her father’s death, would pursue him relentlessly, no matter the cost.
Who knew the girl’s resolve to avenge her father was so pitifully lacking? As Zou Feng fled, he realized Luo Zhenzhen was nowhere to be seen.
Zou Feng found this rather exasperating. He wasn’t sure if Luo Zhenzhen’s speed was just that pathetic, or if his own Drunken Immortal Moon Chasing Step had simply improved again...
"Drunken Immortal Moon Chasing Step (Extraordinary to Saint), Progress: 53%"
A single glance left Zou Feng astonished.
He hadn’t expected the skill to advance by such leaps and bounds under the effects of the *Yu Long Cang Ming Zui*.
’No, wait.’ The *Yu Long Cang Ming Zui* had certainly been a great help, but the "Queen Mother’s Murmurs"—and the drunken sensation they induced—had also played an indispensable role in advancing his Drunken Immortal Moon Chasing Step.
’Speaking of which, I probably won’t be able to drink any more *Yu Long Cang Ming Zui*. However, the "Queen Mother’s Murmurs," which flare up from time to time, could be used to continue my Cultivation of the Drunken Immortal Moon Chasing Step.’
Since the Cultivation progress of his Drunken Immortal Moon Chasing Step had surged, perhaps he couldn’t blame Luo Zhenzhen for being too weak.
’She really just couldn’t keep up.’
After all, using the Drunken Immortal Moon Chasing Step to escape wasn’t just a matter of pure speed.
The footwork constantly generated a mental influence, causing pursuers to hallucinate.
Before they knew it, they’d end up chasing shadows down some random gutter...
A moment later, Zou Feng stopped and glanced back cautiously.
The result was still a disappointment. Luo Zhenzhen had likely been so thoroughly bewildered by his Drunken Immortal Moon Chasing Step that her head was spinning and she couldn’t even tell east from west.
’In that case, I should hurry and begin the Refinement of the Dragon Poison I just got from Luo Gang!’
After all, simply running wasn’t a foolproof plan.
Even at full speed, or by riding a miniature Flying Celestial Ship, it would still take him over ten days to reach a Domain covered by the Celestial Dao Cauldron.
Those ten-plus days would be fraught with uncertainty.
Even with his significant boost in speed, there was no guarantee he wouldn’t run into a Tribulation Cultivator who happened to possess a Magical Treasure capable of closing the distance.
’And the ones hunting me might even include the likes of Judges and Immortal Officials...’
Zou Feng then found a secluded mountain ravine and focused on the Refinement of the Dragon Poison.
He really did need some rest. After that grueling battle, even consuming three External Pills hadn’t been enough to replenish his energy.
The moment his tense nerves relaxed, a powerful wave of fatigue washed over him.
However, once he completed the Refinement of a portion of the Dragon Poison, replenishing his energy would be no issue.
Before beginning the Refinement, Zou Feng checked the List of Gods again.
Just as he’d expected, many new, unfamiliar names had appeared.
It was clear that after the collapse of the Celestial Hearing Tower, Tribulation Cultivators had invaded en masse, and they were also looking to settle old scores.
Since he had been very active in hunting Tribulation Cultivators before, he had the most marks placed on him.
Therefore, with the defensive line broken, the Ninefold Celestial Court and the Yama Underworld had surely designated him a high-priority target to be eliminated at all costs.
As for Luo Gang’s name, it had vanished completely from the List of Gods.
Jiang Wanzhao had really come through for him. She had withstood the pressure from the Immortal Officials and Judges and completely crushed Luo Gang.
But even though Luo Gang was dead, since Yu Long Lake had dared to rebel, he couldn’t have been their only Golden Core Realm expert from the Demon Race...
The Refinement of the Dragon Poison had been underway for less than fifteen minutes when Zou Feng felt the poison he’d absorbed spring to life, beginning to riot within his body.
It made his blood feel as if it were boiling, threatening to transform into "blood dragons" and burst from his body.
This situation was quite similar to when he’d performed the Refinement on the Golden Core Realm wolf poison.
The only difference was that the Dragon Poison was far more domineering and suffused with a powerful pressure.
An ordinary Poison Cultivator attempting the Refinement of such a tyrannical Dragon Poison—one that could turn on its host at any moment—would need to make extensive preparations. Ideally, they would also need a completely trustworthy Cultivator of a higher Realm to act as a Guardian, helping to suppress any complications that arose.
But Zou Feng needed no such preparations. When dealing with these exceptionally domineering poisons, he always maintained the same attitude: ’Go ahead and be as wild as you want. I can take it.’
Everything was going smoothly until, unexpectedly, Zou Feng was suddenly pulled back into that gloomy courtroom.
And this time, there was an additional Judge staring down at him from the front.
Furthermore, the features of both Judges were becoming much clearer.
One had a long, full beard, and his eyes, which had no whites, were incredibly oppressive.
The other was handsome with a pale face, his features so exquisitely sculpted they seemed deliberate. At first glance, you might mistake him for a delicate, androgynous beauty.
But the longer one looked, the more unsettling his face—and the fake smile perpetually plastered on it—became.
’Tsk, another Judge desperate to get his hands on me.’
’And that’s not even counting the Immortal Officials from the Ninefold Celestial Court. In fact, the "Queen Mother’s Murmurs" have been flaring up more frequently precisely because I’m being targeted by an Immortal Official.’
’Before, with the Celestial Iron Tower to act as a shield, being targeted wouldn’t have mattered.’
’But now, I have to find a way back to the Pinnacle Celestial Immortal Sect while being hunted by all these powerful enemies...’
Zou Feng had assumed that, like before, being pulled into this illusionary scene was just an attempt to disrupt his state of mind and that it would soon disappear.
But after waiting a moment, the gloomy courtroom showed no sign of fading away.
"Zou Feng, do you know your crimes?!"
CRACK! The sharp sound of a gavel startled the unprepared Zou Feng.