âChu Feng, congratulations,â Protector Zhao said with a smile.
âThank you, Lord Protector.â
Chu Feng walked up and bowed respectfully to Protector Zhao.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Were it not for the other party intervening earlier, he would have likely suffered a defeat in Xia Ranâs hands as his cultivation hadnât recovered then.
Shoosh!
Protector Zhao suddenly took out an evaluation rock and threw it over by Chu Fengâs feet.
âLord Protector, this is...â
Chu Feng looked at Protector Zhao in confusion.
âSince you were able to break Lord Dugu Lingtianâs record, it wouldnât come as a surprise that you possess god aptitude. This evaluation rock I have definitely hasnât been tampered with. Give it a try. If youâre able to invoke the god aptitude phenomenon, Iâll redress the grievances you suffered earlier,â Protector Zhao said.
âThank you for your concern, Lord Protector.â
Without any hesitation, Chu Feng stepped on top of the evaluation rock.
Soon enough, the wondrous phenomenon of multiple dragons soaring into the sky shone from the evaluation rock, just that it was witnessed by everyone present this time around.
âIt really is the phenomenon for god aptitude! How breathtaking it is...â
While most people had guessed that Chu Feng possessed god aptitude, it was still a different matter altogether to witness it in person.
âFor forging an evaluation rock and slandering your fellow peers, Xia Ran, what do you have to say for yourself?â Protector Zhao turned to Xia Ran and asked coldly.
âLord Protector, I... I donât know whatâs going on too!â Xia Ran tried to argue his way out.
âStill unwilling to admit your mistakes, huh?â Protector Zhang flung his sleeves grandly, and a token manifested in his hand. The word âEnforcementâ was written on the token.
A brilliant light shone out of the âEnforcementâ word, spurring the formation of a spirit formation gate. This spirit formation gate was transparent, allowing one to view what was on the other side.
It was a blood-red valley filled with all sorts of terrifying monsters. Sorrowful wailings could be heard here and there, making it look like a living hell.
âSkypeak Hell?â
Looks of horror appeared on the faces of the disciples when they saw the spirit formation gate, and they hurriedly backed away fearfully.
âLord Protector, I know my mistake now! Iâll repent, Iâll repent!â
Xia Ran hurriedly got to his knees and begged for mercy. He was so afraid that his body wouldnât stop trembling.
âXia Ran has used despicable means to slander his own peers. If it had happened anywhere else, I wouldnât have bothered to intervene. However, since you boldly did it on my Snowy Heavenly Peak, I canât just turn a blind eye to it.
âFor your deeds, Iâll sentence you to two hours in Skypeak Hell!â
The spirit formation gate suddenly released a powerful suction force that pulled Xia Ran in. Upon seeing this sight, the crowd gulped fearfully.
They had long heard of what kind of place Skypeak Hell was.
There was once a disciple who was sentenced into there by a protector for four hours, but he ended up losing his mind as a result of that. There was also another case where a disciple was sentenced for six hours, and he ended up crawling out of the spirit formation gate as a cripple.
While Xia Ran was only sentenced there for two hours, there was no doubt that he would suffer greatly in there as well.
Protector Zhao wasnât one to get involved in such matters, so the crowd couldnât help but link this matter to Chu Feng.
As such, two pieces of news began spreading like wildfire throughout the Hidden Dragon Martial Sect. One, Chu Fengâs feat of breaking Lord Dugu Lingtianâs record, and two, Zhao Yushu, the protector of the Snowy Heavenly Peak, favored Chu Feng greatly.
In fact, some even started speculating that Zhao Yushu was interested in taking Chu Feng in as his disciple.
Of course, those were just speculations.
After punishing Xia Ran, Protector Zhao evicted Chu Feng and the others away from the Snowy Heavenly Peak, and nothing else happened afterward. So, Chu Feng returned back to his residence to rest.
Chu Fengâs feat of breaking Dugu Lingtianâs record caused a huge commotion, such that everyone in the four halls began discussing it. However, the ones who were most affected by the matter was no other than those from the South Vermilion Hall.
...
Nightfall, five elders of high standing gathered in a grand palace inside the South Vermilion Hall. There was also a junior amidst their group, and he was no other than Xia Ran.
Xia Ranâs skin had turned purple, seemingly having been poisoned. There were glaring wounds all over his body, as if he had been chowed on by a ferocious beast. He even lost one of his limbs. There was no one who could deny that he was in a miserable state.
He lay fainted on the ground, and four of the elders were currently treating him.
âHow useless. Back in my earlier years, I entered the Skypeak Hell for six hours but still fared just fine, but how did he end up in such a state just by spending two hours in there?â
The one yellow-haired elder who wasnât treating Xia Ran in the hall remarked with a displeased voice.
âLord Tuoba, youâre an extraordinarily talented cultivator. Even back then, your talents still towered over the others. Thereâs no way Xia Ran could compete with you.â
Even though the other four elders were busy treating Xia Ran, they didnât neglect to fawn on this Elder Tuoba.
The yellow-haired elder was no other than Tuoba Jianshu, one of the leading elders of the South Vermilion Hall. He was a Martial Exalted level cultivator, making him a force to be reckoned with.
âUseless!â
Tuoba Jianshu eyed Xia Ran with an incredibly discontented look on his face.
âLord Tuoba, Zhao Yushu noticed that the evaluation rock is fake. Do you think that heâll look into the matter? If he does...â
The other elders were nervous about this, for they were the ones who had tampered with the evaluation rock. It was precisely due to their intervention that Chu Feng failed to notice anything amiss with the evaluation rock. In fact, they were the ones who had sent Xia Ran to deal with Chu Feng in the first place.
Thus, they were afraid that they would be implicated if a thorough investigation were to be made on this matter.
âDonât worry, Zhao Yushu isnât the type to meddle in matters that donât concern him. Heâs just warning us through Xia Ran, but he wonât really make a move on us,â Tuoba Jianshu replied.
âLord Tuoba, does this mean that weâve no choice but to watch as Chu Feng mature? Itâs one thing for him to possess god aptitude, but he was actually able to break even Lord Dugu Lingtianâs record too! Are we going to watch as Lord Dugu Lingtianâs legend slowly unravels due to him? If so, our South Vermilion Hallâs standing will fall in the Hidden Dragon Martial Sect!â
The other four elders were worried about this.
âDonât worry, I have my own plans in mind,â Tuoba Jianshu replied.
It was then that the doors to the palace opened, and another elder rushed in.
âLord Tuoba. Iâve already looked into the matter carefully, and Lord Zhao Yushu is still in the Snowy Heavenly Peak. He didnât head for the North Tortoise Hall to protect Chu Feng. If need be, I can head to the North Tortoise Hall right now to kill Chu Feng,â the elder reported.
The other elders in the room glanced at one another. They could guess what Tuoba Jianshuâs plan was. He wanted to sever the problem at its root, killing Chu Feng outright.
âWe canât guarantee success if you go. Iâll be the one to do it. As long as Zhao Yushu doesnât intervene, thereâs no one in the North Tortoise Hall who can stop me,â Tuoba Jianshu said.
âLord Tuoba, isnât that a little too dangerous? If word gets out... our South Vermilion Hallâs reputation will fall to tatters.â
Two of the elders present tried to dissuade Tuoba Jianshu from it.
âAre you questioning my competency here?â Tuoba Jianshu looked at the two elders with chilling eyes.
The two elders immediately lowered their heads humbly.
âIâm doing this for our South Vermilion Hall. If Chu Feng continues to grow, our South Vermilion Hall will become the weakest hall of the Hidden Dragon Martial Sect. I donât know what the rest of you think about it, but I, Tuoba Jianshu, cannot allow that to happen.â
A ferocious glint flickered across the eyes of Tuoba Jianshu.
âAlso, you need not worry about it. Iâll accomplish this matter discreetly.â
As he spoke, Tuoba Jianshu took out a transparent pearl. Despite its transparent quality, it emanated an incredibly formidable aura.
âThis is... Soulelusive Pearl?â
The other elders felt more reassured upon seeing the pearl. Some of them even broke out in smiles. They were familiar with just how formidable the Soulelusive Pearl was.
Anyone who consumed the Soulelusive Pearl would be able to conceal their body and presence completely, such that they would even be able to bypass most powerful formations. This was an incredibly valuable treasure, often used to free one from a dire situation or assassinate a target.
...
Tuoba Jianshu wasnât one to drag things out. He swallowed the Soulelusive Pearl and quickly headed out. With the power of the pearl, he managed to infiltrate the North Tortoise Hall and enter Chu Fengâs residence without any issues.
One must know that Chu Feng was always a careful one. He made sure to construct a formation around his own residence for protection.
However, this formation was completely ineffective on Tuoba Jianshu, who was under the effects of the Soulelusive Pearl.
Once Tuoba Jianshu was inside the residence, he saw Chu Feng sitting in the middle of the room with his legs crossed, focused on his cultivation.
Chu Feng was completely unaware that someone had already infiltrated his residence, and he was oblivious to how close danger was lurking around him.
As soon as Tuoba Jianshu caught sight of Chu Feng, he raised his hand to blast Chu Feng into bits.
Pah!
A palm suddenly appeared out of nowhere to grab Tuoba Jianshuâs wrist. Tuoba Jianshu suddenly found his surroundings distorting beyond his control. By the time he finally regained his balance, he noticed that he was already out of Chu Fengâs residence and was currently standing in a remote clearing in the midst of the North Tortoise Hall.
âWho is it?â Tuoba Jianshu shouted in alarm.
He had already consumed the Soulelusive Pearl, so it should have been impossible for someone to notice him. To make things worse, he couldnât sense any presence around him at all. In other words, he had no idea who was the one who brought him here!
âIâll let you off today. If you dare to touch Chu Feng once more, Iâll take your life!â
While Tuoba Jianshu was still flustering over the unexpected situation, a voice filled with murderous intent sounded.