Inside the eerie ancient fortress, his heart heavy with unease, Chu Feng nervously worked to dismantle the barrier on the chair. Finally, after a full two hours of effort, he finally managed to break through it.
At this point, Chu Feng was drenched in sweat, his clothes soaked through. He had been as tense as it was humanly possible to be—these two hours had been the most agonizing stretch of time in his memory. He had no idea when that terrifying Evil Spirit might appear and trap him inside this grand hall.
Fortunately, he had succeeded. The barrier was open, and that coffin-like, ominous box was now within arm's reach.
But Chu Feng hadn't lost his head to excitement. First, he extended his Mental Power to carefully examine the strange box. When he found nothing unusual, he reached out to grab it, intending to carry it away.
*Hummm.* Before Chu Feng could even get close, a blinding light erupted from within the box. At the same time, a horrifying aura seeped out from inside.
"Chu Feng, run! There's an Evil Spirit in that box!" Dan Dan's panicked voice suddenly rang out.
"What? An Evil Spirit? How is it in there?" Chu Feng was stunned for a moment before the truth dawned on him, and he cursed inwardly: "Damn it, I've been played!!!"
He realized what had happened. The fortress had always contained an Evil Spirit—but that spirit had been sealed inside the coffin-like box. And all the two hours he had spent just now weren't for nothing—they had been spent unknowingly releasing the very thing he feared most.
What made Chu Feng feel the most helpless was the fact that he had actually succeeded—freed the sealed Evil Spirit. He had clearly been outwitted by that damned Xuanwu Shield Armor Technique.
Furious as he was, Chu Feng's feet didn't hesitate. He had already pushed the Void Flight Technique to its absolute limit, and now he broke into a desperate sprint, bolting for the fortress exit with everything he had.
"Haha, I'm free! Finally free! I can't believe that the moment I break loose, there's such a delicious human waiting for me to feast on. Heaven truly smiles upon me! Hahaha~~~"
As Chu Feng fled, a grotesquely twisted laugh echoed from behind him. At the same time, an overwhelmingly powerful aura bore down on him at a speed he could never hope to match.
"Chu Feng, quick—give me your body! Let me get us out of here!" Dan Dan shouted urgently.
But it was already too late. Before Chu Feng could even react, a tremendous wave of pressure slammed him to the ground. When he struggled to lift his head, he saw a horrifying monster standing right in front of him, staring down.
It was humanoid in shape, but massive like a giant, standing a full fifteen meters tall. One of its hands alone was larger than Chu Feng's entire body. Its face was hideous—hollow eyes, jagged teeth, and red energy swirling across its body all made it unmistakably clear that this was no human. This was an Evil Spirit.
"Damn it—is this the power of an Evil Spirit? It's even sealed off my Mental Power. My contract with Dan Dan feels like it's been cut. I can't hand over my body to Dan Dan anymore." Chu Feng frowned deeply. In his entire life, this was the first time he had faced such a terrifying opponent.
The creature's sheer, unique pressure had locked down everything—his cultivation, his Mental Power, even his ability to communicate with Dan Dan. For the first time, Chu Feng experienced the crushing weight of true despair.
"Heh, so young, and already a grey-robed Spirit World Master. You've got some skill, I'll give you that."
"Don't be scared, boy. When I eat you, I won't let you feel a thing." The Evil Spirit's voice was ghastly, truly the sound of a demon from the deepest hells. Just hearing it made Chu Feng's spine go cold.
"You want to eat him? You don't deserve to!" Just then, a deep, ancient voice suddenly boomed. The moment it rang out, the entire colossal fortress shuddered.
"Who goes there?" The voice made the Evil Spirit's expression change drastically, and it cast its ferocious gaze toward the entrance.
At that moment, Chu Feng could clearly feel the ground beneath him begin to tremble. One step. Two steps. Three steps. Four steps. They were footfalls—but what kind of power could make the very earth quake with each stride?
Even the Evil Spirit had grown unsettled. It quickly snatched Chu Feng up in its massive hand, intending to use him as a human shield.
At the same time, those heavy footsteps drew closer and closer. Chu Feng could make out four blood-red eyes emerging from the direction of the entrance.
"Could it be… it?" Chu Feng was shocked, because he recognized those four crimson eyes.
Accompanying the blood-red eyes was a thick blanket of mist, which prevented Chu Feng from seeing the creature's true form. But there was no denying it—the aura it radiated was even more terrifying than that of the Evil Spirit currently gripping him.
"Who are you? Why have you invaded my territory?" Even the Evil Spirit had grown timid now, backing away as it spoke.
*Whoosh.* At that moment, the mist finally cleared, revealing an enormous creature before both Chu Feng and the Evil Spirit.
The creature looked peculiar—like an enormous turtle, its shell covered in razor-sharp spikes. Most notably, coiled atop the giant tortoise was a massive serpent with a terrifying visage.
The serpent and the tortoise were one being, their four blood-red eyes fixed upon Chu Feng and the Evil Spirit. This strange creature was unmistakably the Xuanwu Shield Armor Technique.
"Don't you recognize me anymore?" The Xuanwu Shield Armor Technique gazed down at the Evil Spirit with undisguised contempt.
"I-It's… it's you! It's you from back then!!!" The Evil Spirit's face was filled with terror. Even through its hideous features, its fear was unmistakable.
*Thud.* Suddenly, the Evil Spirit dropped to its knees, prostrating itself before the Xuanwu Shield Armor Technique, and spoke in a pleading tone: "I didn't know Your Excellency had arrived. I was deeply offensive earlier—please, I beg Your Excellency's forgiveness."
"Do you want to live, or do you want to die?" the Xuanwu Shield Armor Technique asked.
"Live, of course I want to live!" the Evil Spirit answered meekly.
"Then it's simple. Open those dog eyes of yours and look carefully. From this day forward, he is your master. You will guard this place, and no one shall pass through here. But him—you will not only let him through, you will obey his commands." The Xuanwu Shield Armor Technique pointed at Chu Feng.
Hearing this, the Evil Spirit didn't dare show the slightest hesitation. It carefully placed Chu Feng on the ground, then addressed him in the most reverent tone: "Your servant greets its master!!!"