"The Dark Hall? I've heard of it."
"Is that the mysterious force that appeared at the Ximen Imperial Clan?"
The crowd erupted into discussion. Although the Dark Hall had always operated in the shadows, that incident at the Ximen Imperial Clan was still fresh in everyone's memory. Practically everyone had heard the name Dark Hall.
"This matter is of the utmost importance, so I'll keep it brief."
"There is now a possibility that the maps everyone holds were all distributed by the Dark Hall — and the reason they spread these maps was to lure everyone here."
"As for why they would do such a thing, they had a very clear objective. Their goal is for everyone here to die." Chu Feng said.
"No way?" The crowd exploded. Some faces were filled with terror, while others wore expressions of half-belief and half-doubt. But regardless, this news was absolutely staggering.
Death was always the most sensitive topic — and this concerned their very own lives!
"I am not lying to everyone. There is a killing formation here that could activate at any moment. If that killing formation activates, all of us will die here." Chu Feng said.
"Young friend Chu Feng, how do you know about this?" Elder Huang Guan asked.
"At this point, I can only tell you the truth. The Ancient Elves have known about this for a long time. The reason I came here was at their request — to lead everyone to safety and escape this calamity."
"That is also the reason I chose the seventh path earlier. And the gate to this seventh path — even without the map, I can open it."
As Chu Feng spoke, he took out an enormous barrier key. He inserted the barrier key into the gate, and with a crisp click, the gate to the seventh path swung open.
"It actually opened!!!" Seeing this, the crowd first wore expressions of shock, but soon many of them began to believe what Chu Feng had said.
After all, Chu Feng had insisted on taking the seventh path earlier, and now he had effortlessly opened its gate. These were indisputable facts.
What they did not know, however, was that the reason the enormous key could open the gate to the seventh path was that Chu Feng had hidden the map inside the key. In the end, it was still the map's power that opened the gate.
Chu Feng had done this because he wanted to be prepared for any eventuality. Since the killing formation could only be activated here, as long as he brought everyone away from this place, even if the killing formation activated, it would be useless.
The reason he hadn't thought of this idea earlier was that he didn't know how to get out. But now that the gate to the seventh path could be opened at any time, it was only natural to employ this foolproof strategy first.
"Young friend Chu Feng would not lie to us. There is no time to lose — everyone, let's go quickly," Elder Huang Guan said.
"L-let... l-let me go first." Wang Qiang, that coward who treasured his life above all else, was the very first to bolt through.
Seeing this, everyone began frantically rushing toward the gate to the seventh path, unwilling to die here for nothing.
"Everyone, wait!" But just then, a voice suddenly rang out.
It was Elder Yue Ling. Not only did he speak with such volume that he immediately halted everyone who was about to leave, he added, "I urge you all to calm down. Whatever you do, don't let this Chu Feng deceive you."
"Elder Yue... Yue Ling, what did... what did you say?" At these words, every person who had already stepped into the seventh path froze in place, and those who hadn't yet gone through stopped in their tracks.
"Everyone, don't you think there are far too many suspicious points here?"