"Su Rou, Su Mei — you want to come with us?" Chu Feng asked.
"No. They want to follow us, but it would be safer for me to protect them," Lord Luokong said.
Hearing this, Chu Feng frowned. Lord Luokong and his group were heading into a fierce battle with the Dark Hall. Was following them truly safe?
Really?
On the other hand, if Su Rou and Su Mei stayed with him and Refining Immortal Sword, he couldn't guarantee their safety either.
Comparing the two, Su Rou and Su Mei would indeed be safer with Lord Luokong and the elite forces of the Ancient Era's Elves.
But… Chu Feng still couldn't rest easy.
"Young friend Chu Feng, rest assured. I will do everything in my power to protect the two young ladies," Lord Luokong said, seemingly aware of Chu Feng's concerns.
"Actually, I know a shortcut to the Peach Tree," Chu Feng suddenly said.
"A shortcut?" Everyone was stunned.
"Yes. So, if that killing array is easy to control, then Refining Immortal Sword doesn't need to accompany me. I can take the shortcut to the Peach Tree myself and set up a formation in advance. That should be enough to stop the killing array," Chu Feng explained.
"Truly?" Lord Luokong asked. After all, Refining Immortal Sword was a seventh-grade Martial Emperor. Having him along would undoubtedly be a great boost even if they clashed with the Dark Hall.
In truth, Lord Luokong also hoped Refining Immortal Sword would join them.
The best course of action was to confront the Dark Hall in a decisive battle at the formation's eye. Going to the Peach Tree to set up a blocking formation was just a precaution.
"I truly do know a shortcut. Taking it will be much faster than the usual route," Chu Feng nodded.
He was telling the truth. The scroll given to him by Immortal Mysterious Compass also led to the Peach Tree, but… it was a shortcut.
What delighted Chu Feng most was that taking this shortcut would naturally lead him past the location of the Beast Emperor's treasure — killing two birds with one stone.
In other words, regardless of anything else, Chu Feng had to take this shortcut. After all, his original purpose in coming to the Underworld Labyrinth was to obtain the Beast Emperor's treasure.
That said, this shortcut would indeed be much faster than the route marked on the Dark Hall's map, so Chu Feng wasn't worried about running out of time.
He felt he had enough time to claim the Beast Emperor's treasure.
And enough time to set up a formation at the Peach Tree to block the killing array.
As long as the killing array could be blocked, then with his boundary arts, Chu Feng could absolutely do it.
If the killing array was unstoppable once activated, then even having Refining Immortal Sword accompany him would be useless.
Most importantly, though, Chu Feng was worried about Su Rou and Su Mei. He wanted Refining Immortal Sword to protect them.
"But young friend Chu Feng, where did you learn of this shortcut? Can you guarantee it truly exists?" Refining Immortal Sword asked. This matter was of great importance, and he was a bit uneasy.
"Senior, look at this map. Is it real or fake?" Chu Feng produced Immortal Mysterious Compass's scroll.
"Actually, we also know of a shortcut, but that one requires a key to open. I wonder if the one you speak of is the same?" Lord Luokong said.
"Lord Luokong, why not take a look?" Chu Feng handed the map to Lord Luokong.
"It is indeed the one." Upon seeing the map, Lord Luokong immediately relaxed and smiled. "This was left by Qing Xuantian. This map *is* the key. It's real. It's definitely real."
"With this map, young friend Chu Feng can take the shortcut and reach the Peach Tree quickly. If you set up the blocking formation in advance, the effect will undoubtedly be much better." At this, Lord Luokong was also overjoyed. This meant Refining Immortal Sword could join them.
"But… what if the Dark Hall also sent people to the Peach Tree, just in case?" Su Mei asked worriedly. Compared to the current situation, she was more concerned about Chu Feng's personal safety.
"They shouldn't have sent anyone. After all, once the killing array successfully activates, everyone will die. They wouldn't send anyone to their death, and no one would be willing to go," Lord Luokong said.
"I think Xiao Mei makes a fair point. As the saying goes, better safe than sorry," Su Rou added. She too was naturally worried about Chu Feng's safety.
"Relax. A seventh-grade Martial Emperor can't hurt me. I possess a supreme treasure capable of slaying a seventh-grade Martial Emperor," Chu Feng said.
Hearing this, Su Rou and Su Mei fell silent. Chu Feng's implication was clear — if a seventh-grade Martial Emperor couldn't harm him, then only an eighth-grade Martial Emperor could.