âElders and friends, you may come along with me if you wish to explore the Darknight Sacred River,â Chu Feng said.
He cast his gaze all around, but his words were directed toward those whom he was on good terms with.
Upon hearing Chu Fengâs words, Long Daozhi and the others quickly headed over to his side. Feeling countless envious eyes on them, they couldnât help but feel swelling pride. In particular, Kong Tianhui was practically strutting like a peacock.
Now that Chu Feng had made it big, those whom he was close with naturally gained the respect of others too. What glory it was to walk alongside a god!
Truth be told, Gong Mingyue wasnât the only one who regretted snubbing Chu Feng back then. Many others shared her sentiments too.
They had their chance to get on good terms with Chu Feng, but their short-sightedness robbed them of this perfect opportunity to rise through the ranks. There were even those like Song Yunfei who maintained a hostile attitude to Chu Feng. If it was possible, they would have beat some sense into their old selves.
After Long Daozhi and the others came into Chu Fengâs vicinity, the first thing they did was to bow to Shengguang Baimei and the others.
It couldnât be helped since Shengguang Baimei and the others were lofty figures that they dared not to offend.
Shengguang Baimei looked down on these people, but he still welcomed them with a smile on Chu Fengâs account.
Kong Tianhui walked up to Chu Feng, wanting to ask him a question. However, a beautiful woman beat him to it.
âLittle brother Chu Feng, have you really reached Half-God level?â
She was Li Ruochu from the Li Heavenly Clan.
âBig sister Ruochu, it has been a while,â Chu Feng greeted her with a smile.
âAs expected of my little brother Chu Feng. Had it been anyone else, they would have pretended that they didnât know me upon achieving such heights,â Li Ruochu said jokingly.
âThereâs no way I would do that,â Chu Feng replied as he waved at Li Yueâer, who was standing behind Li Ruochu.
Li Yueâer flashed him a shy smile. Her eyes gleamed with excitement even though she wasnât saying a word.
âHurry up and tell us! Have you really reached Half-God level?â Li Ruochu urged.
The previously noisy surroundings quietened down. Everyone was waiting for Chu Fengâs answer.
âI havenât reached Half-God level yet. Iâm currently at rank eight Martial Exalted level,â Chu Feng replied.
âHow do you explain the earlier burst of strength then?â Li Ruochu asked.
âIâm borrowing the power from an esteemed World Spirit,â Chu Feng replied.
âIs the esteemed World Spirit you spoke of at Half-God level?â Li Ruochu asked.
âYes,â Chu Feng replied with a nod.
âMy gosh! Even a Half-God level World Spirit has submitted to you? Youâre incredible! Are you sure that youâre a human and not a monster in disguise?
âAlso, you said that youâre already at rank eight Martial Exalted level? That means that you arenât that far away from Half-God anymore. How in the world are you able to cultivate that quickly?
âThe rest of us spend thousands of years just to advance a single cultivation rank, but you leaped through multiple cultivation levels within mere years! I knew that thereâs a gap between us, but I never thought that it would be to such an extent!â Li Ruochu exclaimed.
Despite her overly exaggerated motions, she still looked as gorgeous as ever.
The remaining crowd was amazed too. Even if Chu Feng was relying on his World Spirit for power, who was to say that his World Spirit was not a part of his strength?
âThatâs enough, big sister Ruochu. You can slowly praise me later on. For now, letâs head in first. The Darknight Sacred River waits for no one,â Chu Feng said.
âRight right right! Letâs head in first!â
The crowd agreed with him.
Chu Feng wrapped his martial power around his friends before leaping into the Darknight Sacred River together with them. It was already clear at this point that there was more to the Darknight Sacred River than what they could see, so he wanted to travel together with his friends so as to protect them.
Upon plunging into the Darknight Sacred River, Chu Feng began to dive downward. Based on what he had observed previously, he should be able to find the treasure inside the river as long as he dived deep enough.
âThis is bad!â
Chu Fengâs heart suddenly tightened.
Everything was still fine at the start, but at some point in time, he suddenly realized that everyone who was still following him earlier had vanished into thin air. Some sort of energy had divided them from one another, and it was already too late to turn around.
He was no longer in the Darknight Sacred River but a spirit formation gateâs passageway.
âDid I underestimate this place?â
Chu Feng had previously inspected the river and verified that he would be able to dive straight into its depths straightaway. He hadnât noticed any formations at all, which was why he invited the others with him.
A formation had separated them from one another, but what was done was done. It was already too late for Chu Feng to do anything about it. He could only venture deeper into the spirit formation passageway.
Fortunately, he didnât encounter any danger along the way.
While spirit power would occasionally gush across the spirit formation passageway, it wasnât threatening at all. On the contrary, it cleansed his body.
Why would this formation cleanse my body?
Chu Feng was confused as to what was going on, but he continued advancing ahead while warily scanning his surroundings.
Soon, he found a spirit formation gate hidden along the passageway. It was just that the spirit formation gate wasnât accessible until one comprehended its nature. Needless to say, that didnât pose a problem to Chu Feng.
So, Chu Feng slowed down his speed of advancement and focused his attention on comprehending the spirit formation gate. It took him an hour to comprehend the way to open the spirit formation gate.
Without any hesitation, he opened the spirit formation gate and entered it. Based on his past experience, such obscure hidden places usually brought about special benefits.
Weng!
Beyond the spirit formation gate was an ancient hall filled with the aura of the Ancient Era.
âCould it be that the Darknight Sacred River originates from the Ancient Era?â
As Chu Feng scanned his surroundings, he started to feel a little uneasy. He couldnât help but notice that the hall he was in had no exits, and the area resembled a sacrificial altar.
If his guess was on the mark, as the only living being on the altar, it would mean that he was going to be the tribute here.
Creak!
While Chu Feng was starting to panic, he suddenly heard a creak from the wall. A door opened up right before his eyes, much to his bewilderment. He had checked that area and confirmed that there were no doors around. Where did the door appear from?
An old man walked in from the newly-opened door.
The old man had a decrepit appearance, looking to be at least ten thousand years of age. It looked like he was already nearing the limit of his lifespan. However, this old man wasnât a powerful cultivator at all, being only at Martial Immortal level.
What caught Chu Fengâs attention more wasnât the old man but the sack he was carrying.
Something unusual seemed to be inside the sack. It was emanating the aura of the Ancient Era and moving ever so slightly. It appeared to be a living thing.
The old man was startled to see Chu Feng. He hollered at him, âAudacious! How dare you run in here? Which family are you from?â
âElder, where is this place?â Chu Feng asked out of curiosity.
âYou donât even know what this place is? Are you a fool?â
The old man looked at Chu Feng in bewilderment.
âMy apologies, elder. I have only just entered the Darknight Sacred River and donât know this place well,â Chu Feng replied.
âYou have just entered the Darknight Sacred River? How dare you lie to me! I have been in the Darknight Sacred River for 15,000 years now, so how could I possibly know where the entrance is? Speak! Whatâs your name and which family are you from? Iâll have your parents punish you harshly for your impudence!â the old man roared.
âElder, I have indeed just entered this place through the Darknight Sacred River. My name is Chu Feng,â Chu Feng said.
âChu Feng?â
The old man frowned upon hearing that name. There wasnât any family who went by the surname of âChuâ in the Darknight Sacred River.
âBrat, youâre still lying to me? Tell me who your father is!â the old man roared.
âMy father is Chu Xuanyuan,â Chu Feng replied.
âWhat? Chu Xuanyuan is your father?â
The old manâs eyes visibly widened upon hearing the name âChu Xuanyuanâ. His reaction alerted Chu Feng to the possibility that the old man was acquainted with his father. But before he could ask about it, the old man suddenly said something else that confused him.
âDo you know who Chu Xuanyuan is?â the old man asked.