"Chu—Chu Feng?!" The sight of Chu Feng in the sky left everyone stunned.
The people of the Lotus Sect furrowed their brows. They had no idea why someone as legendary as Chu Feng, whose name resounded across the entire Nine Provinces Continent, would come to a place like this.
But they could see that Chu Feng truly possessed the strength spoken of in the rumors. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to fly through the air. Moreover, every single person standing around him was extraordinary in cultivation—each one powerful enough to wipe them out without breaking a sweat.
Setting strength aside, their identities and status were even more terrifying. There were people from the Spirit World Alliance, the master of the Qilin Manor, and even experts from the Jiang Dynasty.
"Your humble servant Zhao Lianhua greets the lords!" The old Lotus master suddenly dropped to his knees, shedding all his previous arrogance. He kowtowed to Chu Feng and the others with the utmost reverence, groveling in the most abject manner.
"We greet the lords!!!" At the same time, everyone else snapped back to their senses. Tens of thousands of people dropped to their knees in unison, their voices of submission rising together like the tolling of a great bell, echoing across heaven and earth.
Chu Feng paid their kowtowing no mind. Instead, he shot down from the sky and landed before the Void Sect Master, personally helping him to his feet. "Senior, I, Chu Feng, arrived too late."
"Chu—Chu—Lord Chu Feng!" At that moment, the Void Sect Master could barely contain himself. His eyes glistened, his entire body trembling as he spoke in a voice filled with disbelief and wild excitement: "Could it be that you truly are the man in the gray robe?!"
The moment those words left the Void Sect Master's lips, the expressions of nearly everyone present shifted. The old Lotus master, in particular, began to feel a creeping dread, trembling from head to toe. He could already sense that the relationship between the Void Sect Master and Chu Feng was anything but simple.
As for the Void Sect's presiding elders and the core disciples, they were prostrate on the ground, overcome with emotion. They all waited with bated breath for Chu Feng's answer, because his words would determine their fate.
"It was me, Senior. I am the gray-robed man who asked for your help and stayed at your Void Sect for quite some time." Chu Feng narrowed his eyes slightly and gave a warm smile, then turned his gaze to the presiding elders and the numerous disciples. "People of the Void Sect, there's no need for such formalities. Please, rise."
"Thank you, Lord Chu Feng!" After a chorus of gratitude and excitement, everyone from the Void Sect rose to their feet.
At that moment, wild joy was written all over the faces of the presiding elders and core disciples. They knew their Void Sect was saved today. With Chu Feng's current strength and status, even the slightest favor toward their sect would send its standing in Qingzhou skyrocketing—perhaps even to true prominence.
"Who told you to get up? Kneel back down!" But just then, Chu Feng's expression suddenly darkened. He pointed at the tens of thousands of Void Sect disciples who had already risen and bellowed in a thunderous roar.
That shout was like a crack of thunder. The ground shook, trees swayed violently, and beasts and birds scattered through the mountain forests in panic.
The tens of thousands of disciples quailed at the sound, hastily dropping back to their knees, their bodies trembling. Not a single one dared raise their head even slightly.
"Hmph. I told the people of the Void Sect to rise. You from the Lotus Sect will stay right where you are. If anyone dares stand up without permission, I will execute them right here, in front of everyone." Chu Feng's voice was cold as ice.
The moment those words left Chu Feng's lips, panic swept through every member of the Lotus Sect. They had all realized that the bond between Chu Feng and the Void Sect was very real. The way they had been coercing the Void Sect today was going to cost them dearly.
"Senior, I actually came here today to discuss something with you." Chu Feng then turned his gaze back to the Void Sect Master.
"Lord Chu Feng, please speak freely. Whatever it is, I will do everything in my power to cooperate." The Void Sect Master answered without a moment's hesitation.
"I would like your Void Sect to form an alliance with my Azure Dragon Sect. Would you be willing, Senior?" Chu Feng said with a smile.
"What? An alliance with the Azure Dragon Sect?" Those words hit like a bolt from the blue, leaving everyone present thunderstruck.
What kind of power was the Azure Dragon Sect now? It was hailed as the number-one sect on the entire Nine Provinces Continent. Countless powerful factions across the continent had sought an alliance with the Azure Dragon Sect, only to be turned away.
Even the Supreme Manor, the overlord of Qinzhou, had been refused when it proposed an alliance. Currently, the Azure Dragon Sect had only two allied forces—one was the Spirit World Alliance, the other was the Qilin Manor.
The Spirit World Alliance went without saying; it was one of the most formidable powers across all the Nine Provinces. As for the Qilin Manor, though far from matching the Spirit World Alliance, it was at least the dominant force in Qingzhou.
Yet here was the Void Sect—a mere second-rate sect, a small fry in Qingzhou that anyone could trample on. Now they were being offered an alliance with the Azure Dragon Sect? It was almost impossible to believe.
"Willing—of course I'm willing!" The Void Sect Master nodded so furiously it looked like he was pounding garlic, his face beaming with joy.
"Good, then it's settled. I have already petitioned the Master of the Qilin Manor to promote the Void Sect to first-rate status, and he has agreed." As he spoke, Chu Feng cast his gaze skyward, looking toward the current master of the Qilin Manor, Qi Fengyang.
Upon hearing this, every member of the Void Sect turned their eyes to Qi Fengyang, their gazes brimming with excitement.
Qi Fengyang gave a slight smile. "This is true. Although the Void Sect does not yet possess the strength of a first-rate sect, I am confident it will achieve that level soon—and surpass most of the other sects in Qingzhou."
"Thank you, Lord Chu Feng! Thank you, Lord Manor Master!!!" Once more, the Void Sect's people sank to their knees. Their gratitude came straight from the heart.
"Come now, no need for such formalities. Please, rise." Chu Feng waved his sleeve, and a gust of wind swept the kneeling Void Sect members back onto their feet. "Since we are allied forces, we ought to have some cooperation. My Azure Dragon Sect is currently recruiting disciples broadly, but some of them aren't suited to cultivate within our sect. Still, their aptitudes are perfectly good, and my Azure Dragon Sect would hate to see that go to waste."
"So, from today onward, anyone who wishes to join my Azure Dragon Sect but fails to become a disciple will be recommended to the Void Sect. If they are willing, they may come to the Void Sect to take the entrance examination. Would that be agreeable to you, Senior?"
"Agreed—absolutely agreed!" The Void Sect Master nodded eagerly. He knew exactly how rare an opportunity this was.
The disciples entering the Azure Dragon Sect were outstanding talents drawn from every corner of the Nine Provinces Continent. Even those whose aptitudes fell short of the Azure Dragon Sect's standards would be considered exceptional by any faction in Qingzhou.
If such talents could all join the Void Sect, the sect would grow at an astonishing pace, unstoppable in its rise. It might never match the Azure Dragon Sect, but within the borders of Qingzhou, it would quickly carve out a place.