"Don't be afraid. They're merely mechanisms," Long Lin said with a light smile.
"Mechanisms?" At those words, Chu Feng and the others were stunned once more. What kind of mechanism could produce such powerful beings? These were Martial Emperors!
And judging by appearances, they had existed for countless ages—virtually eternal, immortal and undying.
Whoosh—
Just then, Long Lin swept his wide sleeve, and a streak of golden light shot toward Chu Feng.
Chu Feng raised his hand and caught the golden light. Opening his palm, he saw that it was a golden token.
Looking at the token in his hand, Chu Feng's pupils couldn't help but contract. The token appeared to be made of pure gold, yet holding it felt as heavy as a mountain, and it carried a power that shook one's soul. This was no ordinary token.
"Hold this token, and they will not harm you. Do me a favor—enter the first hall inside that palace and retrieve ten golden arrows for me. In exchange, I will honor my promise: release Yao'er and grant you the fruit." Long Lin pointed at the golden palace hovering in midair.
"That doesn't seem to fall within the scope of the original agreement," Baili Xuankong said.
Long Lin ignored Baili Xuankong entirely, as though he hadn't heard a word, and addressed Chu Feng directly: "You can choose not to do it."
Chu Feng glanced at the token in his hand, then at the thousand golden-armored soldiers outside the palace radiating killing intent, and finally at Yao'er, who stood behind Long Lin, gazing back at him. Then Chu Feng said: "I'll go."
"Chu Feng, that palace is far too dangerous! I'm not talking about those golden-armored people—I'm talking about what's inside. There's a presence of unknown origin in there, a power so terrifying I wouldn't even dare look at it directly."
Baili Xuankong seized Chu Feng's arm, unwilling to let him take the risk, because he had truly felt an utterly horrifying power within that palace.
"That's right, Chu Feng—under no circumstances should you go in. Him asking you to enter that hall isn't asking for help at all. He clearly means to kill you," Dugu Xingfeng added.
At the same time, Yin Chengkong and Guan Hong nodded one after another, showing that they agreed with every word Dugu Xingfeng had said.
"Power?" At those words, Chu Feng looked toward the palace once more. He could indeed sense a peculiar presence within, but he felt none of the so-called terror.
"Do you know why I want Chu Feng to go in? Because not just anyone can enter this palace. No matter how high one's cultivation, if one's talent is mediocre, stepping inside means death."
"But if one's talent is exceptional, even with slightly weaker cultivation, one can enter without issue—at least the first hall. So stop trying to warn Chu Feng based on your own perceptions, because your perceptions are simply not the same as his," Long Lin said with a mocking edge.
"You—" Baili Xuankong and the others were naturally displeased at such barbed words. But after thinking it over, they found themselves at a loss for a rebuttal and let it go.
After all, judging from the way Chu Feng looked, he truly hadn't sensed any of the danger they had felt inside the palace. Otherwise, he wouldn't remain so composed.
"Patriarch, it seems we have no other choice. Besides, I don't believe this senior would harm me without reason. Since we're already here, I might as well do him this favor," Chu Feng said.
"Go, then. Be careful, and don't push yourself beyond your limits," Baili Xuankong said.
"Your disciple understands." With those words, Chu Feng launched himself into the air and flew toward the palace.
"Halt!!!"
As Chu Feng drew near, the thousand golden-armored soldiers shouted in unison, then withdrew their spears and stood ramrod straight on either side of the great doors. The defensive formation dissipated as well.
And so Chu Feng entered the great hall. But once inside, his gaze grew solemn and his heart began to race.
The hall contained a world of its own—vastly more spacious than it had appeared from the outside.
Moreover, the interior was lined on both sides with golden-armored soldiers standing in perfect formation, leaving only a single path down the center, carpeted in red.
These golden-armored soldiers were slightly different from those outside. Some wielded long spears, some brandished broadswords, and others held single-edged blades paired with shields.
There were even a hundred towering figures, each nearly a hundred meters tall, hoisting enormous hammers. Beneath them sat stone statues of colossal beasts resembling demon beasts, lending them a fearsome, dominating air.
A single sweep of the eye revealed that the total number of golden-armored soldiers inside the hall was in the tens of thousands.
Though Chu Feng couldn't sense their auras, he felt certain that every one of them was at least a Martial Emperor.
In fact, many of them were far beyond mere second-rank Martial Emperors—especially those hundred who rode stone demon beast statues. Even standing perfectly still like carved stone, their outward appearance alone spoke volumes about how terrifying they were. These were no ordinary Martial Emperors.