"Ancestor, save us!!!!!!!!!"
Jie Xingpeng's cry thundered across the sky, and even those inside the barrier could hear the echoes.
This desperate call for help made the ancestor-level figure of the Jie Clan, Jie Shi, snap his eyes open and turn his gaze toward Jie Xingpeng's position.
In that instant, Zhang Tianyi's body trembled, because what he felt was not just Jie Shi's gaze — two invisible blades had pierced through his body. Everything about him had been laid bare, and he truly felt the terror of Jie Shi's power.
"Chu Feng, sister-in-law, run!" In a single heartbeat, cold sweat drenched Zhang Tianyi. He shouted urgently and sprinted toward Chu Feng.
Zi Ling didn't hesitate either. She powered the Exquisite Chariot and brought it to Chu Feng's side. In that moment, the three of them moved as if they'd rehearsed it — with a whoosh, they dove straight into the Exquisite Chariot.
Once inside, the three combined their efforts to drive it forward, multiplying the chariot's speed several times over. But rather than flee, they plunged back into the million-strong army, using the Exquisite Chariot's devastating power to carve a path of slaughter.
"Where did these three brats come from, daring to oppose my Jie Clan? They're courting death!"
Jie Shi furrowed his brow, let out a heaven-shaking roar, and launched himself out of the massive barrier axe formation. Carrying earth-trembling might, he shot toward the Exquisite Chariot.
"Old fossil, so what if you're at the seventh level of Heaven Martial? Come chase me if you've got the guts — if you can catch me, I'll give you that!" From inside the Exquisite Chariot came Chu Feng's mocking curse, and then it burst through the crowd, circling the Spirit Master Guild at blinding speed.
"If I don't kill you today, I'm not Jie Shi!" Jie Shi was a figure of immense stature, and being cursed by a brat like Chu Feng naturally sent his rage skyrocketing. He threw a punch from afar — the force of heaven surged with it, streaking like a meteor in reverse, tearing a massive hole in the sky itself.
But the Exquisite Chariot was not only incredibly fast but also supremely agile. With a beautiful midair pivot, it dodged the punch. Moments later, Chu Feng, Zhang Tianyi, and Zi Ling's voices rang out once more with a fresh barrage of insults.
And so the sky bore witness to a spectacle: an old man chasing a war chariot, continuously launching attacks as it circled the Spirit Master Guild.
After Jie Shi went after Chu Feng and the others, the barrier axe formation — deprived of its most powerful operator — came to a halt. This temporarily spared the Spirit Master Guild's grand formation from being broken.
"What's going on? Why did Jie Shi suddenly stop attacking?"
"And what's that we hear outside — someone cursing?"
"That voice... it sounds like they're cursing Jie Shi. Who would dare do that?"
The sudden turn of events left the Spirit Master Guild's experts scratching their heads in confusion. But they were delighted all the same — if for no other reason than that they had finally escaped the crisis, if only temporarily. After fighting day and night for days on end, they could finally catch their breath.
"Go see what's happening," the Spirit Master Guild's president ordered, his expression shifting. He sent people to investigate, because he didn't believe for a moment that an old fox like Jie Shi would stop attacking for no reason.
Soon, several experts flew to the edge of the formation to investigate. When they returned, every one of them wore a joyous yet complicated expression.
One elder reported to the Guild President respectfully: "President, it's — it's Chu Feng. Chu Feng, Zi Ling, and Zhang Tianyi are driving a war chariot, luring Jie Shi away. That's why he can no longer power the grand formation to break our barrier."
"Chu Feng? It's actually him?" The Guild President's expression changed dramatically upon hearing this, and a complicated look that defied description spread across his face.
After a long pause, he finally spoke with a sense of relief: "Who would have thought that at the moment of the Spirit Master Guild's life and death, it would be this young man who risked everything to save us. It seems the help we gave him before was all worth it — if anything, it wasn't nearly enough."
Boom, boom, boom.
Outside the Spirit Master Guild, whether in the sky or on the ground, thunderous explosions rang out without cease. Wave after wave of devastating force detonated in earth and air alike.
Over it all echoed the truly spectacular insults of Chu Feng and his companions, and these curses, accompanied by the booming, continued nonstop for over an hour.
Jie Shi grew ever more furious. He refused to be outwitted by a handful of brats, so he abandoned the Spirit Master Guild entirely and focused solely on chasing Chu Feng and his companions in circles.
As for the million-strong elite army, they could only watch helplessly. If even a Heaven Martial seventh-level powerhouse like Jie Shi couldn't lay a hand on Chu Feng's trio, what chance did they have? They couldn't even muster the strength to activate the barrier axe formation anymore. All they could do was stand on the ground and watch the show.
"Haha, old mutt, you're not so impressive after all! Looks like a hundred years of seclusion — all you did was eat and sleep! I don't see what's so terrifying about you!"
"That's right, that's right! He's lived a hundred years and wasted it all on dogs. The 'genius who shook the continent a century ago'? Yeah, right. If I trained for a hundred years, a single fart from me could blow you to kingdom come!"
Chu Feng and Zhang Tianyi hurled the most creative insults imaginable, and the more they cursed, the more delighted they became — because making Jie Shi furious was exactly what they wanted. Every second they bought was another second of time.
They didn't know when the Spirit Master Guild's ancestor would emerge from seclusion, but by doing this, they could at least give the Guild's millions of members a better chance of survival.
"You three ignorant brats, do you really think this old man doesn't know what you're after? But against me, you're still far too green." Suddenly, Jie Shi stopped in midair, folded his hands together, and formed a mysterious seal.
Ripple after ripple of energy spread from his body, and an enormous barrier formation materialized, shrouding the entire Spirit Master Guild within it. At the same time, Chu Feng, Zi Ling, and Zhang Tianyi were trapped inside as well.
"This is bad! The old bastard — without us even noticing, he set up a massive formation and cut off our retreat!" Zhang Tianyi, who wasn't well-versed in the ways of Spirit World Masters, gaped in shock, a look of fear spreading across his face.
He knew that even at full power, the three of them driving the Exquisite Chariot were no match for Jie Shi. This old man was far more powerful than the ancestor from Sword God Valley — a true Heaven Martial seventh-level expert whose combat strength surpassed even ordinary practitioners of that level. His reputation as a genius wasn't unearned.
"Don't panic — it's just a containment formation. We still have plenty of room to maneuver. With the Exquisite Chariot's speed, he still can't catch us," Zi Ling said confidently.
Thump, thump, thump, thump... But right at that moment, the barrier formation rippled — and then countless colossal hands erupted from it.
The hands were forged from the barrier itself, radiating an aura of absolute indestructibility. Most critically, they blanketed nearly every space. Now Chu Feng and his companions truly could neither advance nor retreat. Capture was their only fate.
In that instant, even Zi Ling — who had been calm and composed until now — let her expression crack. Astonishment flooded her violet eyes as she cried out:
"Could this be... the legendary Ten Thousand Hands Capturing Immortal Formation?"