As Chu Feng drew closer and closer to the Falling Leaves Bamboo Forest, he could sense that although the bamboo forest looked beautiful, a massive barrier had thoroughly sealed it off from the sky to the ground.
The Falling Leaves Bamboo Forest could only be admired from afar, not approached up close — only through specific entrances could one enter.
Moreover, at this very moment, many figures appeared within Chu Feng's line of sight. Some soared through the sky while others sprinted across the land, all heading toward the entrances of the Falling Leaves Bamboo Forest.
Chu Feng was not surprised by this sight. Through his inquiries along the way, he had long since learned that the Falling Leaves Bamboo Forest was not some unoccupied natural landscape.
On the contrary, this place had been claimed long ago, and as early as three thousand years ago, someone had established a sect here — and the name of that sect was the Falling Leaves Bamboo Forest.
Although the Falling Leaves Bamboo Forest had only three thousand years of heritage — making it seem insignificant compared to colossal powers like the Three Palaces, Four Clans, and Nine Forces, which boasted heritage spanning tens of thousands of years — and in terms of sheer history, it couldn't even measure up to the Azure Wood Southern Forest.
Yet the Falling Leaves Bamboo Forest had developed rapidly. Experts abounded within the bamboo forest, and even here in the Alliance territory it enjoyed a formidable reputation — regarded as one of the most powerful forces in the Alliance territory, second only to the Spirit World Alliance.
And the coming month was the Falling Leaves Bamboo Forest's annual period for recruiting disciples, which was why, over the past while, figures from across the Alliance territory had been converging on the Falling Leaves Bamboo Forest.
However, Chu Feng had no interest in what sort of disciples the Falling Leaves Bamboo Forest recruited, or how they went about it. He hadn't come here to join a sect.
After all, he had already turned down even the Spirit World Alliance's enthusiastic invitation — naturally, the Falling Leaves Bamboo Forest held no appeal for him.
His sole purpose in coming here was to see Hong Qiang.
He had already made up his mind: regardless of whether Hong Qiang could help him or not, he was going to meet him.
After all, Hong Qiang was the first expert of the Martial Holy Land that Chu Feng had ever encountered. Even if it had only been a wisp of divine sense, he had still met him — and one way or another, he wanted to pay his respects to this elder. It would fulfill a wish of his, as well as an old promise.
"What? You're looking for Elder Hong Qiang?" A disciple of the Falling Leaves Bamboo Forest looked at Chu Feng and spoke coldly.
Because Chu Feng had concealed his aura, appearing as only a 9th grade Martial Lord, the disciple's gaze toward him was not only cold but also tinged with deep disdain and contempt.
As for why Chu Feng had hidden his cultivation — it was because after the incident with the Spirit World Alliance's invitation, he feared that revealing his true strength would attract the Falling Leaves Bamboo Forest's attention as well.
If they invited him, Chu Feng would naturally refuse — but if they simply let him go, that would be fine. However, if they harbored resentment over his refusal and did something to harm him, that would be more trouble than it was worth.
While being conspicuous was one way to display one's strength and command fear, maintaining a degree of discretion was sometimes a necessary tactic when one had no other choice.
Since he had chosen to hide his strength, Chu Feng had anticipated that some people would look down on him, so he didn't get angry. Instead, he turned his palm over, produced a few martial beads, and secretly slipped them to the disciple.
"Brother, is Elder Hong Qiang around?" he asked with a warm smile.
"Oh, not bad, my friend — you know how to handle things."
Upon seeing the martial beads, the disciple hurriedly pocketed them. After accepting the gift, his attitude toward Chu Feng did a complete one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn, becoming eager and accommodating.
However, when the topic came to Hong Qiang, his brow furrowed and he said somewhat awkwardly: