After slaying the Hidden Blood Cult's Cult Master, Chu Feng walked up to the altar and freed the group of poor children.
"Thank you, thank you."
The children, as sharp as they were, quickly realized that Chu Feng had saved them. After escaping the altar, aside from a small number who were too young and still crying in place, most of them crowded around Chu Feng, thanking him over and over while clutching tightly at his clothes — terrified of being cast back into the clutches of those demons.
Evil ran rampant in this vast world, and there were countless horrors Chu Feng simply could not involve himself in even if he wanted to. But having stumbled upon today's affair, he had to act. So after rescuing the children, he naturally did not leave them to fend for themselves — he escorted each and every one back to their families.
For the children whose memories were too faint to recall where they lived, Chu Feng even used a special technique to strengthen their memories until they remembered the way home, and then sent them back.
Moreover, every child Chu Feng returned home received a measure of financial support. It was a trivial gesture — barely worth mentioning for someone of his standing — yet it was more than enough to ensure those families would never want for food or clothing again, and might even become prominent households in their localities.
"Senior Luo, earlier I did not heed your words — you don't hold that against me, do you?" After seeing all the children home, Chu Feng returned with Grandpa Luo to the old man's current residence.
"Sigh, speaking of which fills me with shame. Earlier, I truly was too soft-hearted. Seeing the families' faces when they were reunited with their children — I regret nothing more than having wanted to let Lin Xingde go."
"Fortunately, young friend Chu Feng, your judgment surpassed mine and you did not listen to my foolish advice. Otherwise, I fear I would have brought about a terrible disaster and doomed who knows how many innocent families." Grandpa Luo's face was thick with remorse — it came straight from the heart.
"Grandpa Luo, please don't say that. A heart is flesh, after all, and you are such a kind soul — it was only natural you might be swayed by the Hidden Blood Cult Master's words." Chu Feng did not want the old man to feel too embarrassed, so he offered a reassuring smile.
"Alas." Grandpa Luo was experienced enough to know when he had been wrong. He let out a long sigh, dropped the subject, and asked, "Young friend Chu Feng, what do you intend to do now? Do you plan to join Green Wood Mountain?"
"Senior Luo, I won't hide it from you — my abilities are somewhat special, much like those of someone possessing an inherited bloodline. The speed at which my cultivation grows is inextricably linked to the resources I can obtain."
"So that treasure is far too important for me. I have to make the trip to Green Wood Mountain." Chu Feng did not keep anything from Grandpa Luo.
"Chu Feng, do you know anything about Green Wood Mountain?" Grandpa Luo asked.
"No." Chu Feng shook his head. Since arriving on the Martial Continent, he had only just heard of Green Wood Mountain. All he knew was that it was a power like the Cursed Earth Gate — ruled by a Martial Emperor — and, together with eight others, formed the Nine Powers, making it one of the most formidable forces on the entire continent.
"At Green Wood Mountain, there are over a billion Outer Sect disciples. Inner Sect disciples number in the tens of millions. Even the elite Core Disciples are said to number a full million."
"And those are only the disciples. Anyone within Green Wood Mountain who passes the age of fifty sheds the title of disciple and is inducted into the elder ranks."
"Green Wood Mountain has existed for ages beyond counting, and possesses miraculous arts for prolonging life. As a result, the current number of elders exceeds the number of disciples by several fold. Can you imagine what kind of force that makes it?" Grandpa Luo asked.
"Wait — if you add the elders and disciples together, doesn't that come out to several billion people?" Chu Feng was stunned. A single organization with that many members — and anyone seeking to join Green Wood Mountain would surely have to pass through layer upon layer of selection. To still have that many people after such rigorous filtering was truly astonishing. The pinnacle powers of the Martial Continent really were beyond imagination.
"Several billion may even be a conservative figure. Putting aside the sheer numbers, Green Wood Mountain is simply teeming with experts — not something a minor outfit like the Hidden Blood Cult could ever hope to compare with."
"If you insist on comparing, the Hidden Blood Cult is nothing but a shallow ditch full of minnows, while Green Wood Mountain is a boundless, bottomless ocean. What it cultivates are not river serpents — they are dragons."
"Furthermore, Green Wood Mountain operates under a rigid hierarchy. Your achievements before the age of fifty directly determine your future standing. Becoming a Core Disciple is the goal every disciple strives toward — only by reaching that rank can you count as an elite of the mountain. Even if you become an elder later, you will still stand above the rest."
"You said earlier that your body is special and the speed of your cultivation is tied closely to available resources. If that is the case, then you truly must go to Green Wood Mountain."
"Because Green Wood Mountain is vast, rich in resources, and deep in heritage — its lineage spans tens of thousands of years. It is arguably one of the most ancient powers still standing on the Martial Continent today."
"There, you will find virtually inexhaustible resources — but only if you have the ability to claim them. In other words, if you are capable enough, even without that treasure you could thrive in Green Wood Mountain and ascend in a single stride." Grandpa Luo finished his explanation.
"Really? They truly have that many cultivation resources?" Chu Feng was somewhat taken aback, because Grandpa Luo did not sound like he was joking. Yet the volume of resources Chu Feng required was staggering — hence his surprise.
"Which power guarded by a Martial Emperor could ever be simple? Chu Feng — do you know what a Martial Emperor is? They stand at the very apex of the martial world, wielding force of the Emperor rank."
"The Martial Continent is so vast — what manner of extraordinary person does it not contain? Setting aside the Heaven-given Divine Bodies for the moment, even among the Four Imperial Clans, every single member possesses an Emperor-grade bloodline. And yet, how many among them actually become Martial Emperors? To produce even one in a few thousand years is considered a remarkable feat." Grandpa Luo spoke gravely.
"Indeed." Hearing this, Chu Feng nodded in agreement. From the old man's tone, he could sense that even on the Martial Continent, Martial Emperors were rarer than phoenix feathers and dragon scales — the very peak at which all beings gazed upward in awe. Martial Emperors, even here, bordered on myth.
"Honestly, given your strength, getting into Green Wood Mountain and becoming a Core Disciple right away would not be difficult at all. However, Green Wood Mountain is also a hornet's nest — it is packed with formidable experts, and those backed by powerful clans are beyond counting."
"Even with your exceptional talent, you can forget about receiving any special treatment, because talent is not scarce there. As far as I know, even among Green Wood Mountain's ranks there are quite a few Heaven-given Divine Bodies, and people with special abilities like you are as plentiful as hairs on an ox."
"You have no connections on the Martial Continent. If you join Green Wood Mountain rashly, the obstacles you face will be enormous — never mind finding the treasure; even obtaining the cultivation resources that ordinary disciples are entitled to will be a problem."
"After all, the greater the spoils, the fiercer the struggle. Those Core Disciples will go to any length to protect their interests — even mobilizing the weight of their own families. Without a solid backing of your own, it is truly difficult to rise to the top there." Grandpa Luo said.
"Senior Luo, do you have any good suggestions then?" Chu Feng had already grasped just how complex Green Wood Mountain was. But he also detected that the old man was well-traveled and knowledgeable — he must have a plan, or he would not have gone into such detail.
"What I actually want is for you to take the long road," Grandpa Luo said.