Chu Feng remained oblivious to the happenings in the shadows.
Those people were far beyond his reach, not just in terms of their cultivation but the treasures they possessed too. After all, these were people whom even Ningyu Shangren was unable to sense.
The following day, Long Xiaoxiao visited Chu Feng together with Ningyu Shangren.
It turned out that Ningyu Shangren was going to leave with Long Xiaoxiao, and she wanted to invite Chu Feng over for a visit.
Chu Feng had previously wanted to meet Ningyu Shangren because he was worried about Long Xiaoxiao. Cheng Tianchan and Zhao Yunmoâs vile personalities had left him doubtful about Ningyu Shangrenâs true nature, but now that he had met Ningyu Shangren, he could tell that the latter was sincere about grooming Long Xiaoxiao.
It just so happened that he still had matters to attend to, so he turned down Ningyu Shangrenâs invitation.
Right before exchanging farewells, Chu Feng asked Ningyu Shangren about the Ancient Realmâs Invitation Letter.
âAncient Realmâs Invitation Letter?â Ningyu Shangren was intrigued to hear the question. âYoung friend Chu Feng, have you heard of the Sacred Heavenly Temple?â
âI am aware of the Sacred Heavenly Temple. I have even been there before, but it was when my cultivation level was much lower,â Chu Feng replied.
âIf thatâs the case, you should know that Sacred Temple Beads are required to enter the Sacred Heavenly Palace. However, Sacred Temple Beads beyond Exalted level are nigh impossible to find,â Ningyu Shangren said.
âI have heard about that,â Chu Feng replied.
Back when he was still in the valley, the mysterious woman had told him about how there was an intense competition over the Sacred Temple Beads back in the Ancient Era, to the point where those who obtained them would use them right away.
As a result, very few high-level Sacred Temple Beads were left in the world.
âThe Ancient Realm is a mysterious entity in the Totem Galaxy. Every year, cultivators would be invited to the Ancient Realm and gifted Exalted level Sacred Temple Beads. These cultivators would get an opportunity to compete for Martial Exalted level and even Half-God level Sacred Temple Beads. You ought to know that Half-God level Sacred Temple Beads are so rare in the current world of cultivation that it is no exaggeration to say that they are priceless treasures!
âFor that reason, anyone who obtained the Ancient Realmâs Invitation Letter would never allow this opportunity to slip past their fingers. After all, they were guaranteed rewards as long as they headed over,â Ningyu Shangren said.
âThis is perplexing. Why would that white-haired woman give the Ancient Realmâs Invitation Letter to you if itâs that valuable?â Eggy asked.
Chu Feng was intrigued too. He asked Ningyu Shangren, âHow does the Ancient Realm generally invite others?â
âThere are two types of Ancient Realm Invitation Lettersâspecific invitations and open invitations. Specific invitations are addressed to specific individuals, and only these individuals are able to use them. On the other hand, the open invitation can be used by anyone who manages to get their hand on them,â Ningyu Shangren said. âYoung friend Chu Feng, may I know why youâre suddenly asking about this?â
In truth, she could already fathom a guess why Chu Feng was asking about this.
Chu Feng took out his Ancient Realmâs Invitation Letter he had received from the white-haired woman and showed it to Ningyu Shangren.
âChu Feng, why are you showing the invitation letter to her? Arenât you afraid that sheâll snatch it from you?â Eggy was worried because she knew that Chu Fengâs invitation letter was likely to be an open invitation.
After all, the Ancient Realmâs Invitation Letter represented a fortuitous encounter.
âI donât think that sheâll do that, but even if she makes a move on us, thatâd also be a blessing in disguise. That would mean that sheâs not a good person. Naturally, I wouldnât allow Long Xiaoxiao to go with her then,â Chu Feng said.
He was aware of Eggyâs concern, but he thought that this was a good opportunity to ascertain Ningyu Shangrenâs nature.
Ningyu Shangren was drawn to the bamboo slip Chu Feng had brought out. She carefully unfurled and examined the bamboo slip before asking, âYoung friend Chu Feng, where did you obtain this from?â
âI received it from a friend, but she didnât explain anything to me. Thatâs why I didnât know the significance of this invitation letter,â Chu Feng replied.
âYour friend gave you the invitation letter but didnât explain its significance? Thatâs intriguing,â Ningyu Shangren remarked.
âIt sure is,â Chu Feng replied with a chuckle.
âAnd thereâs only a month to go before the Ancient Realm opens. Your friend really isnât worried at all that you might let this opportunity go to waste?â Ningyu Shangren asked.
âElder, is my invitation letter an open invitation?â Chu Feng asked.
âYes, your invitation letter is an open invitation. Anyone with your letter will be able to enter the Ancient Realm. I donât think I have to explain how valuable it is. Make sure you donât tell anyone about the invitation letter, or else it might invite trouble,â Ningyu Shangren advised.
âIâll take note of it,â Chu Feng replied.
âYour friend sure is a weird one.â
Ningyu Shangren couldnât understand why someone would give out something as valuable as this without explaining its origin. She noticed that Long Xiaoxiao was staring at Chu Feng with a look that suggested that she had things to say.
âIâll head out first. You two have a good chat.â
Ningyu Shangren tactfully left the room.
âDid you receive the invitation from a woman?â Long Xiaoxiao asked.
âIt was from that white-haired woman,â Chu Feng replied.
âHer? When?â Long Xiaoxiao was baffled. She couldnât imagine that the cold white-haired woman was giving out something as valuable as this.
âLast night,â Chu Feng replied.
âShe paid you a visit?â Long Xiaoxiao was even more astounded.
âYou can say so,â Chu Feng replied with a chuckle.
âWhat a headache. Why do you keep getting involved with more women?â Long Xiaoxiao grumbled in jealousy, but she didnât dare to express it too blatantly. She didnât have the right to be jealous since they were only friends.
âDo I?â
Chu Feng couldnât understand the rationale behind the white-haired womanâs action either, but he didnât think that she was romantically interested in him. His guess was that the white-haired woman was expressing goodwill to him to solicit his help on another matter.
âYou donât have to worry about me, Chu Feng. My master treats me really well. You should work hard too lest I leave you in the dust,â Long Xiaoxiao said with a mischievous smile.
âYouâll have to work really hard if you wish to surpass me,â Chu Feng replied.
Following that, Long Xiaoxiao and Ningyu Shangren took their leave.
Chu Feng also began making his way back to the True Dragon Starfield to continue his vengeance on the Situ World Spiritist Clan. Now that he had the strongest token as an additional layer of insurance, he could act even more fearlessly than before.
While he was traveling through a spatial passageway on a boat, he took out the Dragon Inner Pill and constructed a formation around it.
âChu Feng, how much will you be able to assimilate from the Dragon Inner Pill?â Eggy asked.
Back then, the elder from the Totem Dragon Clan had told Chu Feng that while he could consume the Dragon Inner Pill, the amount of energy he could assimilate was limited because he wasnât a member of the Dragon Clan.
âOnce I fully refine the Dragon Inner Pill with my formation, Iâll be able to fully assimilate its energy,â Chu Feng replied.
âOh? Howâs the energy inside the Dragon Inner Pill then?â Eggy asked.
âItâs formidable. It lives up to its reputation,â Chu Feng replied.
âWill it be enough for you to reach Half-God level?â Eggy asked.
âItâll be difficult.â Chu Feng shook his head.
âIs it that difficult for you to reach Half-God level?â Eggy asked.
âYes, itâll be a tall hurdle for me. I have accumulated quite a bit of martial power inside my body, but Iâm still far from a breakthrough. Just assimilating the energy inside the Dragon Inner Pill wonât be enough for me. I also donât understand why itâs so difficult for me to reach Half-God level. It might have something to do with the Divine Punishment Mysterious Technique or my bloodline,â Chu Feng said.
He could feel a great force impeding him from reaching Half-God level, but he wasnât deterred in the least. He knew that the effort he put in would pay off in the future, just that he would see it only when he stepped into Half-God level.
The teleportation formations in the Totem Galaxy were much faster than those in the Eastern Region. It didnât take long for Chu Feng to return to the True Dragon Starfield.
The first thing he did upon returning was gather intelligence. What he heard infuriated him.
He learned that the Situ World Spiritist Clanâs Clan Chief had come out of his closed-door training, and the latter summoned all of the Situ World Spiritist Clansmen back to their headquarters.
This meant that Chu Feng couldnât go around massacring Situ World Spiritist Clansmen anymore.
Had that been all, Chu Feng wouldnât have been infuriated.
What enraged him was that the Situ World Spiritist Clan had actually stowed away the remains of the deceased members of the Golden Dragon Flame Sect, and they were now hanging those remains in front of their Situ World Spiritist Clanâs headquarters.
This was an insult not just to Chu Feng but to the deceased members of the Golden Dragon Flame Sect as well!