"Damn it, am I really going to stop here?"
Chu Feng was unwilling to give up, because at the heart of this sea of fire there likely existed some kind of opportunity, and he didn't want to miss it.
"Hum." Just as Chu Feng was worrying, a layer of purple aura suddenly surged from beside him, enveloping Chu Feng and blocking the terrifying flames.
It was Zi Ling. Seeing that Chu Feng was struggling to hold on, she had taken action on her own initiative, shielding him from the fire.
Once this purple aura wrapped around Chu Feng, the searing temperature did indeed drop noticeably. But looking at Zi Ling, her face was pale and drenched in sweat.
"Zi Ling, stop! In a place like this, you have to preserve your own strength. You absolutely cannot split your power to shield me from the flames." Seeing this, Chu Feng hurriedly told her to cease.
"Miss Zi Ling, Chu Feng is right. This sea of fire is deep and the road is still long. If you want to keep going forward, you'd best conserve your energy. If Chu Feng can't hold on, he'll have to retreat. After all, pushing forward by force in a place like this is extremely dangerous."
Jiang Hengyuan also spoke up. In truth, with his strength, he could have easily split off power to shield Chu Feng and the others from the flames. But the reason he hadn't done so was that he knew these flames were peculiar—the deeper you went, the more ferocious they became. Even he couldn't guarantee he'd make it to the very end, so naturally he wouldn't waste his energy protecting others.
"Hehe, Chu Feng, you're being underestimated, boy! Let this queen out and I'll make sure you reach the very deepest point!" Eggy said with a cheeky laugh.
Chu Feng didn't hesitate. With a thought, he opened the Spirit World gate, and the instant that gate cracked open, a torrent of black qi surged out and instantly enveloped him.
This black qi not only wrapped around Chu Feng, but it also cut off the purple aura that Zi Ling had placed around him. Most importantly, once the black qi appeared, Chu Feng could no longer feel the scorching heat of the flames at all.
"Hehe, sorry, but as long as I'm here, I guarantee Chu Feng won't lose to any of you."
At that moment, Eggy stepped out playfully in her black feathered dress. She shot a glance at Jiang Hengyuan, then skipped off toward the depths of the flames. Wherever she passed, the fire parted on its own, as though it feared her.
"A Shura Spirit World Master?" Upon seeing Eggy, Jiang Hengyuan's eyes flashed with surprise. Then he looked meaningfully at Chu Feng and said, "Young friend Chu Feng is truly impressive. To have formed a contract with the Shura Spirit Realm."
"You flatter me, Senior." Chu Feng smiled faintly, said nothing more, and continued walking forward.
Sure enough, these flames were far too peculiar. The deeper they went, the fiercer they became. By the later stages, they actually transformed into savage, beast-like shapes that attacked people relentlessly, even letting out eerie, ghastly shrieks.
Under these conditions, Vice President Gao was the first who couldn't hold on and had to retreat. Right after him, Zi Ling surprisingly couldn't endure any longer either. And not far beyond that, even Zhang Tianyi gave out.
As for Chu Feng, shielded by Eggy, he was as relaxed as if nothing were happening—even more at ease than Jiang Hengyuan himself.
This forced Jiang Hengyuan to view Chu Feng in an entirely new light, because he realized just how powerful Eggy was. Although this Spirit World Master only had a cultivation of the second level of Heaven Martial, he could faintly sense a feeling of danger from her, even himself.
And as for why he now held Chu Feng in higher regard rather than simply Eggy—it was because Eggy was Chu Feng's Spirit World Master. To put it simply, no matter how strong Eggy was, she still had to obey Chu Feng, which meant that Chu Feng was the truly formidable one.
"Waaah!"
"Cough cough cough cough!"