Just as Chu Feng was growing suspicious, voices once again echoed from the surroundings of the barrier.
"Oh, right. No matter who you are, you must not spread the word that I am still alive."
"This is a test for you."
"If you keep the secret, I shall reward you in the future."
"But if you dare speak of it, I will not let you off easily."
After those words sounded, no more voices came.
But Chu Feng was so excited that he nearly jumped for joy.
If before, Chu Feng could not be entirely certain—
Then now, he was almost positive that this voice belonged to that old Daoist Bullnose.
That old Daoist Bullnose had perhaps been too hasty, or perhaps simply too casual.
The voice he had later left behind through the formation was the exact same as the one speaking now.
"So the Senior Bullnose is none other than Senior Zhuge Yuankong."
"No wonder. That elder commands such profound barrier formations — he even knows the method for merging Heaven-bestowed Divine Power."
"But Senior Bullnose, if you're still alive, why don't you go by the name Zhuge Yuankong? Why change your appearance entirely?"
"Could it be... you're afraid that the Enlightened Sage Sovereign will hunt you down to the last?"
Amid his joy, Chu Feng also felt a measure of confusion.
What puzzled him was why the old Daoist Bullnose wanted to hide the fact that he was still alive.
And the most likely explanation Chu Feng could think of was that it had something to do with the Enlightened Sage Sovereign.
After all, Yu Ting had once told Chu Feng that Zhuge Yuanzun and the Enlightened Sage Sovereign had a long-standing feud.
"Forget it. First, I need to find Senior Bullnose."
"But... where could Senior Bullnose be?"
Chu Feng wanted nothing more than to find the old Daoist Bullnose as soon as possible and ask him about the method to enter the Sleeping Dragon Martial Sect.
However, when Chu Feng had parted ways with the old Daoist Bullnose back then, the old Daoist had told him not to go looking for him — that even if he did, he wouldn't be found.
When the time was right, he would come find Chu Feng himself.
"Forget it. Let me get everyone out of here first."
Once Chu Feng said this, his will shifted, and he vanished from the spot.
When he reappeared, he was back where everyone was staying.
The group had been basking in awe of Chu Feng's power, but the sudden materialization of Chu Feng out of thin air startled them all.
"Lord Chu Feng, you've returned so quickly!"
"Did you find a way out?"
Upon seeing Chu Feng, the crowd was overjoyed and rushed forward to ask.
In the past, they had addressed Chu Feng as "young hero" or "young friend."
But now, most of them no longer dared do so. Having witnessed Chu Feng's strength, the majority called him "my lord," treating him with the deepest reverence.
"My friends, I don't have the time to escort each of you out individually."
"I can only open a single barrier teleportation gate. You pass through it first, then use the ancient teleportation formation on the outside to return to your homelands."
As Chu Feng spoke, black qi radiated from his body. He pointed a finger at the void, and a dark barrier gate materialized before them.
"Lord Chu Feng, is that...???"
Seeing the barrier gate, the crowd was thrilled yet simultaneously tense.
Those who had grown up here could still manage their composure, but Golden Crane True Immortal, the ragged-robed elder monk, and Old Man Zhao — those who had entered this place from the outside — recognized that teleportation gate all too well.
It was the very same gate that had brought them here.
And it was also the very same gate that had trapped them here.
Seeing it now, their emotions were a tangled mess.
"This teleportation gate will not only take you out of this place but also lead to a safe location. Step through it, and you will be free."
"One thing — after you leave, do not come back."
"If I am not here, I won't be able to bring you out again."
Chu Feng spoke these words to the group.
Although Chu Feng had come to command the power of this place, the scope of what he could control was still quite limited. There were many things he could not do.
For example, the formation here spanned multiple star domains and covered countless upper worlds.
In some locations, it was merely a barrier gate; in others, it was an entire barrier zone — and countless smaller sub-formations, all linked to the grand formation here, lay hidden within.
But Chu Feng still did not have a thorough understanding of this colossal formation.
He could only open one barrier gate at a time. There was no way to open multiple simultaneously.
If he wanted to reach a specific destination, he had to carefully locate the corresponding barrier gate.
This was why Chu Feng could not simply send everyone back to the exact spot they had come from.
Put simply — it was far too time-consuming.
Moreover, while the barrier beasts here now obeyed Chu Feng's commands, he could not eliminate them entirely. On top of that, he could only command those barrier beasts while he was physically present in this place.
If Chu Feng left, this place would still be extremely dangerous.
That was why he told them never to return.
"Thank you, Lord Chu Feng!"
"Lord Chu Feng, you are truly our second parents!"