âWho are the intruders? Where are they now?â
Shengguang Baimei, Shengguang Shishen, and everyone present started to prepare themselves for battle. They scanned their surroundings nervously.
It couldnât be helped. The words of those elders were simply too unnerving.
The Holy Monarch was currently in closed-door training, and disrupting him at this juncture could render his efforts futile. Unless the Holy Valley was truly in a desperate position, no one would dare to call him.
Elders who were tasked with the important responsibility of guarding the Holy Valleyâs protective barrier were naturally powerful in their own rights, be it in terms of cultivation of spirit power.
They, too, knew that they shouldnât disrupt the Holy Monarch unless necessary, yet they still insisted on doing so. This meant that the intruder was not someone whom Shenggaung Baimei and Shenggaung Shishen could deal with.
âLord Baimei, Lord Shishen, we donât know who or where the intruder is,â the elders replied.
âWhat nonsense are you spouting? You donât know who or where the intruder is, but you claim that a powerful enemy has infiltrated our Holy Valley and even want us to inform the Holy Monarch? Are you out of your mind?â
Shengguang Baimei flew into a state of fury. He felt that the elders were messing around with him.
âLord Baimei, Lord Shishen, we dare not joke around with something as grave as this! Please, follow me!â the elders said.
âLead the way,â Shengguang Baimei said.
The elders of the protective barrier quickly led Shengguang Baimei, Shengguang Shishen, and the others toward an ancient golden tower. This tower looked like it was forged out of gold, and it emanated an incredibly powerful aura. It clearly harnessed a great amount of spirit power.
The interior of the tower was filled with complicated formations.
âLord Baimei, Lord Shishen, Lord Buyu, please take a look. Itâs not that weâre trying to make a fool out of you, but someone really did infiltrate our Holy Valley. The person wields means so great that I fear that no one other than Lord Holy Monarch will be able to deal with him!â
An elder of the protective barrier pointed to one of the complicated formations on the wall and said.
This formation contained records about the functioning of the protective barrier.
âThe intruder has infiltrated our Holy Valley for quite some time now. Why are you only reporting it now?â Shengguang Buyu asked with a chilling tone.
He was known to be one of the more amiable elders, but his voice showed that he was truly angry at the moment.
The formation was complicated, but he was still able to read the details within moments.
âLord Buyu, itâs our fault. We have gotten careless. We thought that the formation would give out warnings if someone were to infiltrate the barrier, so we didnât constantly keep an eye on the records. We never thought that there would be someone so powerful as to circumvent the alarm system of the formation. If not for the records, we wouldnât even have known about his existence,â the elders quickly kneeled to the floor and explained.
âElder Buyu, whatâs going on? Did someone really infiltrate our Holy Valley?â Shengguang Baimei asked.
He wasnât as well-versed in world spiritist techniques, so he could only look to Shengguang Buyu to explain things to him. Perhaps out of diffidence, he even chose to address Shengguang Buyu with honorifics despite usually calling him directly by his name.
âThatâs right. Given the means the intruder has displayed, I fear that it would be hard for anyone other than Lord Holy Monarch to deal with him. However, itâs weird that the intruder hasnât shown himself thus far. It could mean that he doesnât bear any ill will. I have some guesses in mind at the moment, and Iâm in the midst of verifying them,â Shengguang Buyu said as he continued studying the formation.
The elders of the protective barrier also began scrutinizing the formation with Shengguang Buyu.
Hu!
A while later, Shengguang Buyu finally retracted his gaze and exhaled deeply. There was still a worried frown on his forehead, but it had visibly loosened from earlier on.
âElder Buyu, did you notice something?â Shengguang Baimei and Shengguang Shishen asked.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
âElder Baimei, Lord Shishen is right. You have gotten yourself into trouble,â Shengguang Buyu said.
âMe? What does this have to do with me?â Shengguang Baimei asked in confusion.
âTake a closer look here. This is the time at which the intruder infiltrated the barrier. It coincides with the time that you brought Chu Feng back with you. This piece of evidence hints that the intruder has entered the Holy Valley together with you and Chu Feng,â Shengguang Buyu said.
âYou mean to say that someone has been protecting Chu Feng all this while, and that he has entered the Holy Valley because he saw me taking Chu Feng away with me?â Shengguang Baimei asked in astonishment.
âThat would be my deduction, yes,â Shengguang Buyu replied.
âWhat deduction? Thatâs obviously the truth. Iâve met the person protecting Chu Feng myself! Shengguang Baimei, I think that you should just apologize and ask the person for forgiveness. Donât bring unnecessary trouble to our Holy Valley due to your lapse in judgment,â Shengguang Shishen said.
Shengguang Baimeiâs complexion had turned incredibly awful. Beads of cold sweat had started forming on his face.
âIs that really the case? Elder Buyu, how certain are you of this matter? Did that intruder really enter the Holy Valley at the same time as me and Chu Feng?â Shengguang Baimei asked.
âIâm absolutely certain about it.â
Shengguang Buyu turned to the elders guarding the protective barrier and sought their confirmation, âWhat about the rest of you?â
âElder Buyu, Iâm not as sharp as you when it comes to reading formations, but I have also arrived at the same result as well. The intruder did enter the barrier at the same time as Lord Baimei,â one of the elders replied.
âThis is really bad. I have brought trouble to the Holy Valley this time around.â
The horrified Shengguang Baimei staggered backward and nearly fell to the ground.
âLord Shishen, you shouldnât scare Lord Baimei any further,â Shengguang Buyu said.
He couldnât bear to see Shengguang Baimei in such a devastated state. They were members of the same clan, and this was the first time he had seen such an expression on Shengguang Baimeiâs face.
He could tell that Shengguang Baimei wasnât worried about his own safety. Rather, he was worried that his decisions might have harmed the Holy Valley.
âLord Baimei, you need not worry about it. If that intruder wishes to make a move, he would have long done so. The fact that heâs still biding his time shows that he doesnât intend to blow up this matter. In my view, as long as you apologize to him, we should be able to resolve this problem without a hitch,â Shengguang Buyu said.
âItâs too late, itâs too late! Thereâs no turning back now. I have really brought trouble to the Holy Valley this time around.â
Yet, Shengguang Baimei still maintained a look of despair. He looked out of the tower and shouted, âThis is my fault. If you wish to exact vengeance, just come at me! Please donât implicate the Holy Valley into this!â
This sight baffled everyone present.
âLord Baimei, whatâs going on? Could it be that... you did something to Chu Feng?â
Shengguang Buyu was the first one to grasp the situation.
âI sent a voice transmission to Shengguang Haoxuan earlier, telling him to get rid of Chu Feng in the Saint Lotus Tree. Itâs unlikely that Chu Feng will be able to escape with his life,â Shengguang Baimei said with a voice filled with remorse.
âYou!!! How could you be this foolish?!â
Shengguang Buyu was enraged to hear those words. If not for the fact that the other party was Shengguang Baimei, he would have really threw a slap onto his face.
âShengguang Baimei, you foolish old thing! Are you intending to have our Holy Valley destroyed?! If the intruder is really the same person I met, he definitely has the means to massacre every single person in the Holy Valley!â Shengguang Shishen bellowed.
The rest of the crowd stood in a daze.
They were all respected figures in the Holy Valley. Even Shengguang Xuanye would have to lower his head respectfully to any single one of them, not daring to show the slightest disrespect. Yet, fear could be seen on their faces.
Every single piece of evidence here pointed to the intruder being someone extremely powerful, such that only the Holy Monarch would stand a chance against him.
In fact, Shengguang Shishen even went as far as to say that even the Holy Monarch might not be a match for the intruder.
How could they possibly not be frightened?
...
Meanwhile, in the Saint Lotus Tree, the juniors of the Holy Valley were trembling with frightened looks on their faces.
Just a moment ago, they witnessed with their own eyes Chu Feng tossing Shengguang Haoxuan and Shengguang Xintian into that fecal yellow lake... and that was after Shengguang Xintian divulged her identity as Shengguang Baimeiâs granddaughter.
This left them all horrified.
The juniors of the Holy Valley had met with outsiders before, but these outsiders had always revered them as if they were gods. They had never met someone who dared to blatantly make a move on them like Chu Feng.
The name of the Holy Valley couldnât intimidate Chu Feng. There was nothing that Chu Feng wouldnât dare to do to them.
The notion that they were really helpless against Chu Feng here frightened them.
âDonât look at me like this. I am not an unreasonable person. As long as you obediently listen to me, I have no intention of making things difficult or hurt anyone here. We can continue our alliance and benefit from this cultivation realm together,â Chu Feng said with a harmless smile.
However, all of the juniors present knew that Chu Feng wasnât as innocent as he appeared to be. It was just moments ago that they had just been deceived by him.