"Hmm, at least you have some comprehension."
"However, I hope you will keep your word. If not, you will understand the consequences."
"Stay here obediently. When your master needs you, you will then fulfill your duty as a subordinate."
The Mystic Armor Technique cast a cold glance at the evil spirit. A thick mist surged from its body, enveloped Chu Feng, and then vanished.
Only the evil spirit was left behind, its expression flustered as it stared at the spot where the Mystic Armor Technique had stood. After a moment, it slowly closed its eyes. In that instant, its thoughts drifted to that distant memory.
So much time had passed; it could no longer recall how many ages ago it happened. It only remembered that under the leadership of several evil Spirit World Masters, an army composed of evil spirits had run rampant across a certain land, plundering resources everywhere.
Mountains were leveled, rivers were evaporated, and war was everywhere. Its army was invincible, unstoppable. Wherever they passed, no blade of grass survived, and every living thing they encountered was slaughtered without mercy.
Yet these beings, whose very name struck terror and who had nearly destroyed an incredibly powerful continent, were ultimately defeated by a single man.
Because the distance was too great, the spirit hadn't clearly seen the man's appearance. It only remembered that with a single strike, the man had routed their entire army, and with a mere glance, had annihilated all the evil Spirit World Masters who led them.
That man was powerful beyond description. Standing between heaven and earth, he seemed less like a man and more like a god.
Moreover, by that man's side followed four incredibly ferocious and powerful beasts. And the Mystic Armor Technique just now was one of them.
"Phew." Suddenly, the evil spirit sighed, abandoning the thought of regaining its freedom. It obediently returned to the depths of the ancient fortress, for it dared not disobey the Mystic Armor Technique's command.
Meanwhile, Chu Feng felt as if his body were floating in midair, seemingly moving at great speed. When his feet touched the ground and the mist cleared, he was shocked to find himself back at the place where the illusion array had been, and the Mystic Armor Technique was looking at him. A journey that had taken Chu Feng two hours had been completed by the Mystic Armor Technique in the blink of an eye.
"Senior, you..." Chu Feng was now filled with questions but didn't know where to start.
"You must be very curious why I had you go release that evil spirit, right?" the Mystic Armor Technique asked with a smile.
"Mm." Chu Feng nodded vigorously.
"Heh, that's a minor matter. Compared to that, I suspect you're more curious about what kind of treasure is actually hidden here."
"Senior, do you know what's inside?" Chu Feng asked eagerly upon hearing this.
"Ha ha, of course. Everything here was left by my former master. Everything here was personally created and arranged by him."
"However, it's a pity I won't tell you. Because we promised him not to reveal the secrets buried here to anyone." The Mystic Armor Technique grinned mischievously.
This left Chu Feng utterly speechless, with an urge to curse. He thought, "If you're not going to tell me, why ask if I want to know? Isn't that just messing with me?"
Seeming to sense Chu Feng's helplessness, the Mystic Armor Technique added with a smile, "But I can tell you that what's hidden here is a very powerful treasure. A treasure that can drive people mad, turn kin against each other, make lovers kill one another, cause storms of blood, and even destroy this land."
"And you, as you are now, don't even have the qualifications to approach that treasure. So even if I told you what it is, it would be useless."
"But you're lucky. Lucky to have met me, because I will help you to some extent. Like that evil spirit just now—it was merely a watchdog at the outermost perimeter of this place. But if it could be of use to you, it will always be of some help when you return here in the future."
"However, it's a pity that after leaving my master's body, my strength has greatly diminished. Now I'm merely bluffing. I can still scare small fry like that one, but the guardians deeper inside won't obey my commands. So if you want to obtain the treasure at the very depths, you'll still have to rely on yourself."
Hearing the Mystic Armor Technique's words, Chu Feng was even more shocked. If even such a powerful being as the Mystic Armor Technique couldn't command the guardians, how incredibly strong must they be?
If even that evil spirit, which could suppress him to the point of breathlessness and even sever his contract with Eggy, was just a small fry, then what kind of terror would a being that *wasn't* a small fry represent?
In that moment, Chu Feng was thoroughly intimidated. For the first time, he realized how weak he truly was. Even though he was now a prominent figure in Qingzhou, a "monster" in people's eyes, compared to real powerhouses, he probably didn't even count as an ant. At best, he was just a insignificant speck of dust.
Right then, Chu Feng became intensely curious: Who was the master of this place? What realm had he entered to achieve such power? Could it truly be the Martial Emperor realm as Eggy had mentioned?
But he hadn't even entered the Xuan Martial realm yet. How long would it take him to reach the legendary Martial Emperor realm?
In that moment, Chu Feng mocked himself. His so-called prideful talent, his rapid breakthrough speed, his combat power that surpassed multiple cultivation levels—none of it really amounted to anything.
Because relying on these alone, he probably could never touch the Martial Emperor realm in his entire lifetime. He might be a monster in others' eyes, but in the eyes of true geniuses, he was just ordinary. Like, for example, that purple-clad young girl who was even younger than him.
The world was so vast; the Nine Provinces Continent was merely the tip of the iceberg. Chu Feng could hardly imagine how many geniuses were growing under that boundless sky. And he hadn't even truly stepped onto that grand stage yet. So he had to grow stronger, stronger and stronger.
"Although whether you can obtain the treasure here depends on you, I will still do everything in my power to help you. The greatest help I can offer you right now is to pass on my abilities to you." The Mystic Armor Technique's expression suddenly became solemn.
Then, its body began to turn ethereal, just like the White Tiger's Assault Technique Chu Feng had seen in the White Tiger Mountain Range before, transforming into a cloud-like phantom. It was truly about to merge with Chu Feng, handing over its power for him to use.
"But Senior, we have no kinship or ties. Why help me like this?" This was Chu Feng's biggest question.
"I have my own reasons for helping you, just like that fellow White Tiger chose you. Our reasons are the same. As for what exactly that reason is, you will naturally find out in the future."
Suddenly, the phantom form of the Mystic Armor Technique lunged towards Chu Feng, about to enter his body. At the same time, vast amounts of information began to gather in Chu Feng's mind.