"Chu Feng, hurry, we need to get out of here."
Suddenly, a small hand grabbed Chu Feng's sleeve — it was Princess Xiaoxiao.
Her face was deathly pale, without a trace of color, and extreme terror had risen in her eyes.
For someone as composed as Princess Xiaoxiao to be this frightened, Chu Feng could understand. The scene outside was simply too horrifying.
The thick stench of blood and the crimson liquid staining the earth — only those standing here could feel how terrifying this place truly was.
Those enormous beings must have possessed extraordinary strength in life, yet now it seemed an entire clan had been annihilated.
Not only were they all dead, but Chu Feng could sense that even their origins had been drained clean, and the treasures on their bodies had already been stripped away.
Some of the ancient races lay completely bare, while others still wore armor.
This only proved that the garments certain ancient races had worn in life were likely no ordinary clothing — hence they had been taken after death.
"Chu Feng, stop staring, let's go."
Princess Xiaoxiao spoke again, her voice trembling.
"Let's go."
Unease churned in Chu Feng's heart as well.
These ancient races had died only a short while ago.
That likely meant the killer was still here.
Who had massacred them?
The first person Chu Feng thought of was the one Saintlight Whitebrow and the others had mentioned — the one who had broken through the protective barrier.
But Chu Feng had originally speculated that the barrier-breaker might be the sect master of the Sleeping Dragon Martial Sect.
However, if the barrier-breaker truly was the one who had slaughtered the ancient races here, then that person absolutely could not be the Sleeping Dragon Martial Sect's sect master.
He believed that even if the sect master had followed him here, it would be to secretly protect him — there was no way the man would indiscriminately butcher the ancient races without reason.
Since the killer was no ally, there was a strong chance they were an enemy.
So remaining here was genuinely dangerous.
"Go."
Chu Feng quickly shut the palace door and stepped through the barrier gate with Princess Xiaoxiao.
What Chu Feng did not know was that while he had been observing the scene outside, two pairs of eyes had been watching them the entire time.
Those two stood atop the corpse of an ancient race.
But because they had concealed their forms, Chu Feng had failed to notice them.
After Chu Feng and the others departed, the space rippled slightly, and two crimson figures materialized upon the ancient race's corpse.
One tall, one short.
Though their builds differed, their attire was nearly identical.
Crimson wide-brimmed hats, crimson long robes.
A swath of red with no other adornments — they looked as though dipped in blood. Not horrifying exactly, but suffocating.
The wide-brimmed hats bore barrier formations that, while not fully concealing, blurred their features, rendering their faces unrecognizable.
"That boy Chu Feng — he's got some skill. He actually obtained that stone."
"So there are talents within the Nine Soul River, after all."
"But what's more interesting is that his name shares a character with mine — both have 'Feng' in them."
"I wonder... could this be what the common folk call fate?"
The taller red-robed figure spoke with a young man's voice.
Though male, the tone was rather gentle — judging by the voice alone, he sounded like a kind-hearted man.
"Young Master Feng has just arrived and may not know — this Chu Feng is not from the Nine Soul River, but from the Ancestral Martial River."
"He already made a name for himself in the Ancestral Martial River. His talent, while far below Young Master Feng's, is considered top-tier in the Eastern Region of this vast martial cultivation world."
The shorter red-robed figure spoke as well, though his voice was steeped in age — he was certainly an elder.
"I believed no one could obtain the secret technique here, so I took it for myself. I never expected there to be such a person in this place."
"Had I not appeared, he would certainly have claimed it."
"Elder Xuan, should I not return the technique to him? Otherwise, wouldn't that be breaking the rules?"
The young red-robed figure addressed the elder.
"There is no need, Young Master Feng. We should not have any dealings with them."
"Since it has already been taken, there is no reason to return it."