At this moment, Chu Feng was piloting the space warship toward the Illusion Gate. The rescue operation had already entered its final phase—all the space warships had ceased their rescue efforts and were now heading toward the Illusion Gate.
It was said that traces of the Dark Hall's Hall Master had been discovered in one of the Ancient Elves' territories. Fortunately, the Ancient Elves there had already relocated, or the consequences would have been truly devastating.
That Ancient Elf territory had been reduced to nothing but ruins—utterly destroyed, with gruesome marks left behind that were hard to bear even looking at.
Thus, it was now certain that the Dark Hall's Hall Master had begun to make his move. Although there were still many factions and people who hadn't been rescued, there was nothing more that could be done.
Since every space warship's pilot had been given the Elf King's finger seal, all the space warships were now converging on the location of the Illusion Gate.
At full power, Chu Feng's strength was that of an Eighth Rank Martial Emperor, so the space warship he controlled moved at tremendous speed.
At this moment, the World Spirit Immortal, the World Alliance's Alliance Master, and Sima Ying—along with others who were close to Chu Feng—all wore expressions of utter astonishment.
First, they had never imagined that during the time they had spent activating the grand formation and secluding themselves from worldly affairs, so many things had transpired in the Martial Continent. It had even reached the point where the Martial Continent was facing a catastrophe.
But more importantly, they were completely stunned by Chu Feng's current strength. None of them had expected that in such a short time, Chu Feng would have grown to this extent.
"My lord, may I ask what realm young friend Chu Feng has reached?" Driven by curiosity, the World Alliance's Alliance Master addressed the World Spirit Immortal.
At his question, Sima Ying and the others all turned their gazes over. Chu Feng was currently piloting the warship, and they felt it would be improper to bother him—but they truly wanted to know his cultivation level. So they could only place their hopes on the World Spirit Immortal. After all, this was one of the Ten Immortals of the Martial Continent, and the strongest expert in their World Alliance.
"I'm not certain, but in my estimation, among all the powerhouses currently in the Martial Continent, fewer than ten could be mentioned in the same breath as young friend Chu Feng," the World Spirit Immortal said.
"Gasp—"
In that instant, everyone involuntarily drew in a sharp breath and looked at Chu Feng once more. Memories of the past flooded back into their minds.
For most of them, it was manageable—but for those like Sima Ying, who had personally witnessed Chu Feng in his weakest days, the feelings that churned within them were truly a complex mixture of emotions.
They had all made progress, yes, but they were still juniors—unable to compare with their seniors.
Yet Chu Feng, this person who had once been on the same level as them, who had even been weaker than them at one point, had now grown into such a formidable powerhouse that even the World Spirit Immortal of their World Alliance had to treat him with the utmost respect.
"Grandpa Miao, would you say we're witnessing the rise of an emperor?" Sima Ying asked Miao Renlong beside her with a cheerful grin.
"I don't think so," Miao Renlong replied with a smile, shaking his head.
"Why not? Hasn't Chu Feng's strength reached a level that qualifies him to be called an emperor?" Sima Ying asked, confused.
"No." Miao Renlong shook his head again and said, "What I mean is, it's not just you who is witnessing the rise of an emperor—it's all of us."
"Haha, Grandpa Miao, you're so mean, teasing me like that!" At his words, Sima Ying burst into bright laughter, her smile as radiant as it had always been.
But then, suddenly, her gaze drifted back to Chu Feng, and as she looked at his figure before her now, her smile froze without warning.
Although she had always considered Chu Feng her closest friend in her heart, at this moment she suddenly felt a sense of unfamiliarity about him.
It wasn't that Chu Feng had done anything to her—it was a distance that had quietly taken root within her own heart.
The Chu Feng of today was someone even the World Spirit Immortal had to treat with deep respect. Could someone like her, a mere nobody, still call herself his friend?
At this thought, a sudden pang of pain struck Sima Ying's heart. She involuntarily lowered her head, overcome with a quiet melancholy.
"Hey, what are you zoning out for?" But at that very moment, Chu Feng's voice suddenly rang out.
Upon hearing that voice, Sima Ying's delicate body trembled. She raised her head to find that Chu Feng, who was still piloting the space warship, was looking back at her with a warm, familiar smile.
That smile—so familiar.
In that instant, Sima Ying felt a warmth flood her heart, and her eyes grew moist with excitement.
So Chu Feng was still the same Chu Feng. He hadn't grown distant from her just because he had grown stronger. All along, it had been nothing but her own overthinking.