Looking back, Chu Feng noticed that the interior of this Asura Ghost Tower was quite grand and spacious. At the staircase leading to the second floor, three figures stood waiting.
The one in the middle was none other than Jie Heng, and the two standing beside him were also members of the Jie clan. All three of them were radiating the aura of the sixth level of Yuan Martial.
Chu Feng swept his gaze around and discovered that although many people were seated in meditation on the first floor of the tower, aside from Jie Heng and his two companions, there were no other Jie clan members to be found. It was clear that Jie Heng had deliberately stayed behind to wait for him.
"Did your brother tell you to stay?" Chu Feng was displeased. After all, Jie Chuan was nowhere to be seen beside Jie Heng, which made Chu Feng suspect that Jie Chuan had done this on purpose.
"What's the matter? Still thinking about using my brother to threaten me? Let me tell you — you won't get the chance, because you'll never make it to the second floor." Jie Heng sneered as he stared at Chu Feng, killing intent brimming in his eyes. It was obvious that he hated Chu Feng to the bone.
"Jie Heng, you were really beaten by a kid like this?" One of the Jie clan members sized Chu Feng up with a puzzled expression.
"Don't underestimate him. He's got some tricks, and you can't treat him like an ordinary first-level Yuan Martial cultivator," Jie Heng warned.
"No matter what tricks he has, he's still just Yuan Martial first level. Jie Gang, let's take him down together so we can move on. No need to waste too much time here." One of the Jie clan members glanced at another sixth-level Yuan Martial cultivator from the clan.
"Sure." That person nodded and cast a vicious look toward Chu Feng. The two of them were about to make their move.
"Well, well — the Jie clan ganging up on someone again, are we?" Just then, a voice suddenly rang out. Looking toward its source, Chu Feng saw five figures standing in a corner of the Asura Ghost Tower.
Three men and two women — all five radiating powerful auras, every one of them at the sixth level of Yuan Martial. They were looking at Jie Heng and his group with amused smiles. Judging by their attire, they were geniuses of the Spirit World Guild.
"Ma Qiang, why haven't you gone up yet? What are you doing here?" Upon seeing them, the Jie clan member named Jie Gang demanded.
"I knew you Jie clan types would bully people. As members of the Spirit World Guild, it's only natural that we have a duty to maintain a fair examination environment." The man called Ma Qiang replied with a smile, and as he spoke, he threw a friendly glance at Chu Feng, nodding amiably.
"Ma Qiang, are you really going to stick your nose into this?" The Jie clan members' expressions turned ugly.
"So what if I am?" Ma Qiang answered nonchalantly.
"Hmph, just you wait." The Jie clan member snorted coldly and headed upward. After all, facing five sixth-level Yuan Martial experts, they didn't have the confidence to push the issue. Jie Heng, too, cast one last resentful look at Chu Feng before following the others up.
"Brother, thanks for the help." Chu Feng walked up to Ma Qiang and the others, cupping his fists in a polite salute. They were strangers to him, yet they had been willing to stand up on his behalf, which he genuinely appreciated.
"No need to be so formal, brother. I'm Ma Qiang. May I ask your name?" Ma Qiang was courteous, and the four beside him all nodded kindly at Chu Feng as well.
"I'm Chu Feng." Chu Feng smiled in reply. He had a favorable impression of the Spirit World Guild's people. From the very beginning, their geniuses had shown no arrogance and had treated everyone with kindness and approachability.
It stood in stark contrast to the Jie clan geniuses, and especially now that Ma Qiang and the others had stepped in to help him, Chu Feng's opinion of the Spirit World Guild grew even more positive.
"So it's Brother Chu Feng! Brother Chu Feng, your Mental Power is quite impressive — staying composed and breathing easy here on the first floor means you're not planning to settle for this level, are you? You intend to step onto the second floor?" Ma Qiang asked with a smile.
"Mm." Chu Feng nodded with a grin.
"In that case, come with us." Ma Qiang smiled and took the lead toward the second floor.
"I appreciate it." Chu Feng understood Ma Qiang's intention — he was worried that Jie Heng and the others would cause trouble for him again and wanted to escort him safely to the second floor.
Chu Feng followed behind Ma Qiang and turned to ascend the staircase leading to the second floor. At the top of the stairs was another barrier entrance, and beyond it lay the true second floor.
The moment he stepped through the barrier, Chu Feng felt the spiritual pressure multiply several times over. But for him, it was still nothing more than a light breeze, well within his tolerance. Ma Qiang and the others, on the other hand, began showing signs of strain, though they could all still manage.
After entering the second floor, they turned several corners before arriving at the main hall. However, the moment Chu Feng swept his gaze around, his attention was involuntarily drawn to a group of people — because this group, just like Jie Heng's group before, was blocking the path to the third floor.
It was the Jie clan — a full twenty-five of them. Twenty were at the fifth level of Yuan Martial, and five were at the sixth. Jie Heng and the two who had just tried to help him were all among them, and the one leading the group was none other than Jie Chuan.
When Jie Heng spotted Chu Feng, a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth. But Jie Chuan's brow furrowed deeply, and he shot Chu Feng a meaningful look, as if telling him to stay away from Ma Qiang and the others.
Chu Feng understood what Jie Chuan meant. He knew this group of Jie clan members wasn't waiting for him — their target was Ma Qiang and the rest of the Spirit World Guild.
Because right now, in front of these Jie clan members, several young men and women were lying face-down on the ground — all of them from the Spirit World Guild.
"You damn lot, daring to cause trouble on the Spirit World Guild's turf!" Ma Qiang and the others erupted with fury upon seeing this.
"Tsk tsk, what are you talking about? They were simply too weak in Mental Power to handle the spiritual pressure here. What does that have to do with us?" The Jie clan members sneered repeatedly.
"Hmph, then let's see if you can handle the spiritual pressure here!" Ma Qiang had no patience for more talk. He and the four companions beside him launched their attack simultaneously, unleashing a variety of powerful martial arts and charging toward the group of Jie clan members.
"Looking to die? Then we'll oblige!" The Jie clan members refused to back down and clashed with Ma Qiang and the others with menacing force.
Ma Qiang and his companions were no slouches — they were all sixth-level Yuan Martial cultivators. However, the spiritual pressure likely affected their performance, preventing them from fighting at their true level. Combined with the Jie clan's overwhelming numerical advantage, they were clearly outmatched and quickly fell into a disadvantageous position.
"Ma Qiang, kneel and beg for mercy, and we might consider letting you off and allowing you to reach the third floor," someone among the Jie clan members said.
"Kneel and beg for mercy from you? In your dreams!" Ma Qiang snorted coldly.
"Then don't blame us for being ruthless. Today, you'll be stopping right here on the second floor!" the Jie clan member roared.
But the moment his words left his mouth, a sudden scream pierced the air. Everyone saw a figure go flying, slamming hard into the wall. Blood sprayed from the mouth before the figure slumped to the ground, unconscious.