"
Upon seeing the old monkey,
"Chu Feng, you've arrived."
When the old monkey saw Chu Feng, he rose to his feet, the corners of his simian mouth curving upward into a faint smile.
This was a complete contrast to the past. Back then, when the old monkey had looked upon Chu Feng, his eyes had been sharp and piercing, his manner hostile.
But now, his gaze was filled with warmth, as though… he too had been eagerly awaiting Chu Feng's arrival.
"This old servant greets the Master." Upon seeing the old monkey, the Blind Elder hastily dropped into a deep kowtow.
Whoosh—
Yet before the Blind Elder could actually kneel, the old monkey waved his sleeve, propping the Blind Elder upright with ease.
"There is no need for formalities. Hurry and follow Chu Feng inside," the old monkey said. However, his gaze drifted casually over the Four Great Sacred Beasts as he added, "But those four — their status is far too lowly. They are not permitted to enter the
With that, the old monkey settled back into a seated position, resuming his watch over that peculiar bonfire.
Under normal circumstances, anyone who dared speak to them in such a manner would have long since drawn the fury of the Four Great Sacred Beasts. But when these words came from the old monkey's mouth, not one of them dared to flare up. On the contrary… they each sat themselves down obediently and in perfect order.
After all, this was a being whose existence far surpassed even the Blind Elder. Just what level his true strength had reached — perhaps only he himself knew.
But of that much there was no doubt: regardless of what his true power might be, if he wished to annihilate them, a single spit would likely suffice.
The Four Great Sacred Beasts were no fools. How could they dare behave impudently before such an existence?
On the contrary, the more they witnessed, the more they believed in Chu Feng's exalted identity, and the more eagerly they looked forward to the journey beyond the heavens.
As for Chu Feng, he proceeded onward alongside the Blind Elder. Before long, the pair arrived at the place where Chu Feng's tombstone stood.
That grave had been built for Chu Feng to deceive the members of the Chu Family.
Back then, it had been destroyed by that fellow called Chu Kongdong, but judging by the current state of things, it had clearly been restored.
And now, seeing that tombstone once more, Chu Feng's heart surged with wild elation.
Not because of the tombstone itself — but because of the figure beside it. There stood a graceful silhouette.
Her beauty was like that of an earthly elf, her bearing like that of a celestial fairy from the heavens. It was
Zi Ling, in this moment, was not only fully unharmed — her aura too had improved greatly compared to the past. She had become a first-level Martial Emperor.
While such a level of cultivation was far beneath Chu Feng's own, when measured against the Zi Ling of old, it represented an enormous leap forward.
"Zi Ling." Upon seeing her, Chu Feng rushed forward in a couple of strides, his hands grasping her slender shoulders as he looked her over from top to bottom. "Let me take a good look. My foolish girl — is everything all right?"
"Don't worry. I'm perfectly fine," Zi Ling said with a sweet smile. Then she turned toward the Blind Elder and added, "Master, please rest assured as well. I've made a full recovery."
"That's good, that's good," the Blind Elder nodded repeatedly, his face breaking into a broad smile.
He was no heartless man. After all, he had once instructed and trained Zi Ling and the others, and his bond with them ran deep.
"However, Miss Zi Ling, this old servant has now reunited with the Master. Please do not call this old servant 'Master' any longer — it is not something I can presume to accept," the Blind Elder said.
Upon hearing these words, Zi Ling seemed about to say something, but then appeared to reconsider, and in the end said nothing at all.
Instead, she looked to Chu Feng and said, "Chu Feng, go on in. Your father is waiting for you."
At these words, Chu Feng's heart gave a sudden jolt.
"Zi Ling — my father is willing to see me?" Chu Feng could hardly believe his own ears. After all, this was something of the utmost importance to him.