It was Bai Yunqing — he had just stepped inside when he caught Ling Hang making unwanted advances toward Li Ta'er.
He didn't know the details, but he absolutely would not allow Ling Hang to harm Li Ta'er.
"You trash — you actually managed to get in here?" Ling Hang was somewhat surprised to see Bai Yunqing.
"To hell with you." But Bai Yunqing had no interest in exchanging words. He threw a punch straight at Ling Hang's face.
Ling Hang didn't bother dodging. He took the blow head-on.
Though he was knocked back, Ling Hang wasn't hurt.
"Your cultivation is decent, I'll give you that. But unfortunately, in this place, you don't stand a chance against me."
Ling Hang lightly wiped the spot on his cheek where Bai Yunqing's fist had connected and let out a mocking laugh.
"You dare touch my Sister Ta'er? You're dead." Bai Yunqing attacked again, forming hand seals as a massive sword formation materialized before him.
He was already a Purple Dragon Divine Robe, and with the power bestowed upon him by this place, his current combat strength with formations had actually surpassed the Purple Dragon Divine Robe level.
Once the giant sword formation appeared, it wasn't just overwhelmingly imposing — it slashed directly toward Ling Hang.
"You overestimate yourself." But Ling Hang simply sneered and waved his hand.
The giant sword formation shattered into pieces on the spot.
Ling Hang's combat strength far exceeded Bai Yunqing's — not because of a difference in cultivation, but because the power Ling Hang had obtained inside the great hall was clearly far greater.
"A thing that overestimates itself dares ruin my fun?" Ling Hang grinned smugly, then threw a palm strike. In an instant, a colossal hand of barrier energy bore down on Bai Yunqing.
Though it looked like a simple, casual strike — far less imposing than Bai Yunqing's giant sword formation just moments ago — its destructive power dwarfed it entirely.
If this palm landed, Bai Yunqing would undoubtedly suffer devastating injuries.
Refusing to back down, Bai Yunqing quickly conjured a shield formation to counterattack.
But his shield formation crumbled like paper before that seemingly simple palm — before it could even fully manifest, it was blown apart and scattered by the sheer force of the blow.
After that strike, Bai Yunqing had no room left to act. All he could do was brace for the worst.
BOOM—
But with a thunderous roar, the colossal barrier hand suddenly dissipated.
Looking closely, a figure had appeared in front of Bai Yunqing — it was this person who had shattered the palm. And that person was none other than Chu Feng.
"Brother Chu Feng!!" Bai Yunqing's face lit up with joy the moment he saw Chu Feng.
Li Ta'er's expression, however, was rather complicated.
"Oh? You trash got in here too?"
"I really have underestimated you lot."
Upon seeing Chu Feng, Ling Hang didn't panic at all. Instead, a cold smile crossed his face — in his eyes, this was the perfect opportunity to teach Chu Feng and Bai Yunqing a brutal lesson.
Compared to Bai Yunqing, he found Chu Feng even more irksome.
"Today, I'll show you all what Ling Hang's — UGH—"
But before Ling Hang could finish his sentence, he collapsed to the ground like a dead dog.
It was the power of the barrier. Chu Feng had simply released his barrier force, and it directly crushed Ling Hang into the ground, leaving him utterly immobilized.
"Brother Chu Feng, you…"
Only now did Bai Yunqing notice that not only was Chu Feng wreathed in power-boosting flames, but the radiance emanating from those flames was extraordinarily sacred — as though he were the master of this very place.
Everyone could sense that the power Chu Feng had been granted far surpassed what Ling Hang possessed.
"What's with that expression? Beaten so badly you can't move, and you don't understand why?" Chu Feng narrowed his eyes, looking down at Ling Hang sprawled on the ground.
"How did you obtain a power greater than mine?" Ling Hang voiced his disbelief.
"Because of this." As Chu Feng spoke, he opened his palm, revealing the key resting in it.
At this moment, the key radiated a peculiar glow, as if it were the very source of Chu Feng's power.
"How do you still have it?" Ling Hang asked.
Before Chu Feng could answer, Bai Yunqing spoke up: "Because my Brother Chu Feng's talent far surpasses yours. He was able to enter this place without even needing that key."
"That's impossible. Absolutely impossible." Ling Hang refused to believe it.
"Impossible my ass." As he spoke, Bai Yunqing strode forward, wanting to beat Ling Hang to a pulp.
He didn't even bother with a barrier formation — he was going to use his bare fists to pummel Ling Hang properly.
"Bai Yunqing, enough."
"He is from the Seven Realms Sacred Temple after all." Li Ta'er spoke up.
She had been badly frightened earlier as well, but now that she had calmed down, she realized that Ling Hang was not someone they could afford to offend.
But Bai Yunqing wore a look of utter contempt: "So what if he's from the Seven Realms Sacred Temple? If he dares bully my Sister Ta'er, I will never let it go."
Bai Yunqing ignored her words of caution and raised his fist as he closed the distance.
But just as his fist went up, a hand caught his arm and stopped him.
"Brother Chu Feng?" Bai Yunqing looked at Chu Feng beside him in confusion — it was Chu Feng who had restrained him.
"Brother, you can't touch Ling Hang. Your Sister Ta'er is right — he's from the Seven Realms Sacred Temple after all," Chu Feng said.
"Heh…" Seeing this, Ling Hang let out a smug laugh.