Chu Feng didnât enter the Hidden Dragon Prison right away after entering the spirit formation gate. He felt a special formation flowing into his body before swiftly receding.
It was only after the formation fully receded was he finally transported to another location.
By the time he knew it, he realized that he was already standing in the midst of a gigantic beastâs mouth. He could see the beastâs fangs and its moving tongue.
But what was the most unbearable of all was the nasty stench lingering in the area.
Even though he was in the mouth of a beast, it looked almost as if he was on flat ground because everything was simply too huge. He was no different from a speck of dust that had accidentally flown into the mouth of a giant.
He quickly used Heavenâs Eye to scan his surroundings.
He knew that the eleventh level of the Hidden Dragon Prison was filled with threats, so he needed to identify the dangers in the area first.
âChu Feng, are you still unable to open your World Spirit Space?â Yu Sha asked.
She was worried about Chu Feng and wanted to come out to protect him.
âAre you able to share your powers with me?â Chu Feng asked in return.
âNot yet. Iâm able to share your sense of sight and hearing, but Iâm unable to share my powers with you,â Yu Sha replied.
âItâs the Hidden Dragon Armor. Itâs preventing me from borrowing your power or summoning the World Spirit Space. It feels like itâs doing it on purpose. Iâm clearly able to use my spirit power, but it just wouldnât allow me to borrow your powers,â Chu Feng said with a bitter smile.
Yu Sha also felt helpless about that. It frustrated her that she was unable to lend a helping hand despite the danger Chu Feng was facing. She turned to look at Eggy, who had gone into closed-door cultivation, and she felt even more guilt-ridden.
She had promised Eggy to take care of Chu Feng, but it looked like she was already breaking her promise now.
âItâs coming...â Chu Feng remarked grimly.
He could sense danger coming from the distance. It was a heatwave that had arisen from somewhere and was swiftly coming his way. Even from a distance away, he could already see the distortions in space it was producing.
It enveloped him in the blink of an eye. It didnât burn away his clothes, but it seared both his body and his soul.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
It was unbearable. Chu Feng couldnât help but clench his fists tightly together and his face warped from pain.
But a moment later, a smile suddenly broke out on his face.
âI see... Yu Sha, you need not worry. It looks like I wonât die here,â Chu Feng said.
âAh? Did you notice something?â Yu Sha asked.
âI wonât be able to avoid suffering a bit here, but there was a formation to check my abilities prior to entering this place. The intensity of the punishment here changes according to the individualâs cultivation, so Iâll still be able to endure it,â Chu Feng said.
âIs that really so?â Yu Sha asked worriedly.
âIt wonât be a problem at all. I might be lacking in other aspects, but Iâve never met anyone who beats me in endurance.â
Despite the blazing heat searing his body and soul, Chu Feng still let out a chuckle.
However, Yu Sha felt even more pained upon hearing those words. His level of endurance only hinted at the countless suffering he had been put through along the way.
Chu Feng wasnât born with skin thicker than others. It was just that the suffering he had gone through had tempered his willpower to far surpass the others.
Once a cultivator reached a certain level, as long as their soul wasnât destroyed, they could swiftly recover their body. Due to that, it was not the body but the soul that was the most important to a cultivator.
As long as a cultivatorâs soul remained intact, he would be able to remain alive.
The resilience of oneâs soul tended to be related to oneâs willpower. The greater a cultivatorâs willpower was, the more resilient his soul was.
There were all sorts of talents that cultivators could be born with, but willpower was one aspect that could only be slowly tempered over time by undergoing suffering and trials.
âWhatâs that?â
However, Chu Feng soon realized that in the depths of the Hidden Dragon Prison, other than the heatwave, there was a bundle of seemingly sentient aura floating into appearance. He couldnât see through this mysterious bundle of aura using his Heavenâs Eye, but it glimmered with faint light and emanated an enticing scent.
Chu Feng tried to pull the mysterious bundle of aura toward his side using his martial power and spirit power, but it wasnât moving at all. This meant that he would have to approach it in order to take a closer look at it.
âGahh...â
But as soon as Chu Feng started moving, the heat ravaging his body and soul suddenly intensified to a level that was almost unbearable for him.
âChu Feng, whatâs wrong?â Yu Sha asked nervously.
âIâm fine. Itâs just think I have to obtain that object over there.â
Chu Feng gritted his teeth and tried advancing once more, but he was forced to stop not too long later. The further he walked, the more unbearable the heat became.
âWhat is that? Why do you have to obtain it?â Yu Sha asked worriedly.
She could sense that Chu Feng was getting weaker with every step he took. Even though Chu Feng didnât say a word, it was clear that he was paying a price for approaching the bundle of aura.
âI donât know what it is, but my instincts tell me that itâs something beneficial to me,â Chu Feng replied.
âInstincts? Chu Feng, could it be a trap? Donât forget the reason why youâre here. Itâll be better if you just bear with it. Your safety takes precedence over everything else,â Yu Sha advised.
âIn the first place, I wouldnât have tolerated that nonsense earlier on if not to save Zi Ling from this atrocious place. This is an opportunity for me, and thereâs no way Iâm going to miss it. Itâs my philosophy in life to grasp opportunities amidst risks.â
Chu Feng began pushing his way forward once more, but barely a few steps later, he was forced to step once more. This time around, he even had to quickly retreat back to his initial position.
âItâs indeed a valuable treasure.â
Chu Feng realized that the intensity of the heat had reduced back to its original level once he returned back to his initial spot.
It seemed like the intensity of the heat was really increasing the closer he got to the mysterious bundle of aura. This association convinced that the bundle of aura would bring him great benefits.
âChu Feng, are you certain thatâs a treasure?â Yu Sha asked.
âYes, Iâm certain,â Chu Feng replied.
âWhat kind of treasure is it?â Yu Sha asked.
âI canât tell yet,â Chu Feng replied.
â...â
Yu Sha didnât know how to respond to those words.
On the other hand, Chu Feng seemed to be getting more and more excited.
âDonât worry, Yu Sha. I know what Iâm doing. While I seek opportunities amidst risk, I know where my limit lies. Iâll back down right away if things get too dangerous. I wouldnât have been able to survive to this day if Iâm really that reckless,â Chu Feng replied.
Yu Sha knew that it would be impossible for her to talk Chu Feng out of it anymore, so she decided to give it a rest.
âBe careful,â she said.
Chu Feng rested for a moment before making his way toward the mysterious bundle of aura once more. His strategy was simple.
The closer he got to the mysterious bundle of aura, the greater the intensity of the heat. If so, all he had to do was to slowly adapt to the intense heat until he could finally approach the bundle of aura.