"Boom!"
Just as everyone was stunned by the formation Bai Ruochen had assembled, the most astonishing scene suddenly unfolded — the massive stone covered by the barrier array shattered into pieces with a thunderous blast.
"Hum—" At the same time, a dazzling beam of light shot skyward, piercing straight into the clouds. And riding along with that beam came wave after wave of ripples.
Those ripples were peculiar — they carried almost no energy, barely stirring the air, yet they transmitted a clear message. That message contained only two words: the Commander's Banner.
"No way — could she have actually succeeded?" Gazing at the brilliant light and sensing the message that flashed through their minds, everyone found it hard to believe. After all, Bai Ruochen's speed in breaking the array was simply too fast.
And just as people were beginning to doubt, the beam of light slowly faded. When the radiance had fully dissipated, a grand banner appeared at the center of the massive stone, planted atop the few remaining fragments.
"Heavens — it really is the Commander's Banner!!!"
The moment they laid eyes on that banner, everyone was struck dumb. For this was no ordinary flag — rippling in the wind upon its surface was a single character, written in blazing gold: "Commander."
Yes, the Commander's Banner. Right here, right now, it stood before everyone's eyes.
Though they had long guessed that one of the twenty massive stones must contain the Commander's Banner, seeing it with their own eyes still filled them with excitement. The Commander's Banner not only came with a tremendous reward — it was a supreme honor in its own right.
Moreover, Bai Ruochen had used her exceptional insight to pinpoint this stone with pinpoint accuracy and broken through it at such speed to claim the banner. Such ability could only inspire genuine admiration.
Bai Ruochen herself was elated. She paid no heed to what others might think of her. Instead, she extended her delicate hand and grasped the Commander's Banner. With a flash of light, the banner was stored away inside her Universe Bag.
Only after completing this did a charming smile grace her lips. She turned her gaze toward the spot where Chu Feng stood.
But when her eyes locked onto Chu Feng's location, she froze in surprise — he was gone. The Chu Feng who had been standing there just moments ago had vanished without a trace, and not a hint of his aura could be felt anywhere in the surroundings. He had clearly left.
In truth, Chu Feng had departed right after teaching Bai Ruochen the barrier-breaking array. As long as she followed his instructions, he could guarantee she would obtain the Commander's Banner.
So at this very moment, Chu Feng was racing toward the location where the Marshal's Banner was hidden. Having helped Bai Ruochen, it was time to attend to his own business.
"Everything rides on this one move. I hope my eye hasn't failed me."
At last, Chu Feng arrived before the massive stone in question. To avoid being disturbed, he deliberately set up a concealing barrier, hiding both himself and the stone from view.
He then began constructing an array. Chu Feng could see that while this stone looked unremarkable on the surface, the barrier covering it was actually quite formidable. Breaking it would take considerable time — at least two days, even for him.
Yet the array he had taught Bai Ruochen had cracked the stone containing the Commander's Banner in mere moments. From this alone, one could see just how difficult this particular stone's barrier was to break.
So even though Chu Feng was confident the Marshal's Banner lay within, he still harbored a trace of doubt. Better safe than sorry, after all.
But once a decision was made, there was no turning back. Chu Feng immediately began forming his array and set about breaking the great formation covering the stone.
Time flowed onward, and over the brief span of two days, much transpired.
Three Commander's Banners emerged one after another. Each sent a heaven-shaking beam of light skyward and released a ripple of information, letting everyone know that a Commander's Banner had appeared — along with its location.
The three who claimed the banners were Bai Ruochen, Huang Juan, and a man named Nie Fan.
Bai Ruochen had been the first to obtain her banner, and at remarkable speed at that. Within those two days, her name had spread throughout the entire Stone Forest — and even those beyond it had heard of her exploits. She had undoubtedly become the most talked-about genius of the moment. Some even believed that Bai Ruochen's strength surpassed that of Wang Yan, Jiang Hao, and Huang Juan.
Alongside Bai Ruochen, the man named Nie Fan had also risen to prominence. A cultivator from a second-tier affiliated power who possessed the strength of a second-rank Martial King, he had become the biggest dark horse of this year's contest for the Marshal's Banner.
After all, compared to Bai Ruochen, his origins were far more humble. And before claiming his Commander's Banner, no one had known he was a second-rank Martial King. The depth of his concealment, combined with his considerable barrier techniques, demanded serious attention.
As for Huang Juan, the renowned genius, she had been largely overlooked. She had been famous for a long time already, so claiming a Commander's Banner was simply expected. Failing to do so would have been the real surprise.
This, in turn, meant that the equally well-known Wang Yan, Jiang Hao, and Yuan Qing became the focus of everyone's attention.
According to the rules, anyone who had obtained a Commander's Banner was prohibited from breaking any other stones — effectively losing their chance at the Marshal's Banner. So the top favorites to claim it now were Wang Yan, Jiang Hao, and Yuan Qing.
Among these three, Yuan Qing was regarded with the greatest expectations, deemed the most likely to seize the Marshal's Banner.
But while speculation ran rampant, Chu Feng had already succeeded in breaking the stone. With a tremendous boom, a golden pillar of light erupted skyward.
However, this beam was at least ten times thicker than the one Bai Ruochen had triggered two days ago. At the same time, a ripple of information swept outward at tremendous speed.
The light persisted for a long while without the slightest sign of dimming, but Chu Feng could not afford to wait. Braving the danger, he plunged directly into the beam of light. At last, atop a massive boulder, he found the banner he sought — the "Marshal" Banner.
"Heh — these two days weren't wasted after all."
Clutching the Marshal's Banner, Chu Feng was brimming with excitement. This banner's significance was extraordinary — after all, the entire contest was centered around obtaining it.
But even after securing the Marshal's Banner, Chu Feng did not let himself get carried away. He stored the banner away, then opened the large burlap sack slung over his shoulder and dumped the still-unconscious Yuan Qing onto the very boulder where the Marshal's Banner had been planted.
Because Chu Feng had administered a special pill to Yuan Qing, the man had remained unconscious for a full two days and was still deep in slumber. So Chu Feng first fed him a pill — one that would bring him around.
After giving him the pill, a smile laden with scheming curled across Chu Feng's lips. Then, with a swift leap, he shot out from within the dazzling beam of light.