The one who had lashed out at Chu Feng was none other than Feng Jiuyue, a genius Spirit World Master of the Totem Phoenix Clan.
"I don't know what technique you're talking about, but looking at you, it seems you haven't been affected by the power of this place at all."
"You must know the way to alleviate the burden."
Feng Jiuyue said to Chu Feng.
Everyone else had been tormented to the point of agony by the black qi, and had it not been for Feng Jiuyue's reminder, they truly wouldn't have noticed Chu Feng.
But now that she had drawn their attention, they too realized that compared to their own expressions of utter despair, Chu Feng—standing right there on the same platform—could only be described as completely expressionless.
Here in this place, Chu Feng truly seemed unaffected by the black qi.
And yet, the black qi was clearly still pouring into his body without stop.
"Chu Feng, do you really know another way?"
At that moment, it wasn't just the bystanders—even the members of the Totem Dragon Clan began to ask.
They all figured that the reason Chu Feng could stand here so effortlessly was because he had to know some method of reducing the pain.
But before Chu Feng could even speak, Long Chengyu spoke up immediately.
"What is there to be confused about? Brother Chu Feng already told you—the forces we experienced earlier were tempering, and that tempering was meant to prepare us to endure the force we're facing now."
"The reason he's perfectly fine is because his tempering was sufficiently thorough."
"Ask yourselves—who among you fully completed that tempering? You wouldn't even have known it was tempering if Chu Feng hadn't pointed it out."
There was a trace of anger in Long Chengyu's voice—he was furious that everyone was interrogating Chu Feng like this.
"Brother Chengyu, Miss Muxi, I need to clarify something. I don't know what this black qi is either. It could be something that claims your life, but it could also be something of tremendous benefit."
"You can choose to keep enduring, but if you can't take it anymore, let me know—I should be able to help."
"However, if I intervene, whether the power of this place is beneficial or harmful, it will no longer have anything to do with you."
Chu Feng looked directly at Long Chengyu and Long Muxi.
He had come to this platform primarily to rescue these two, and the other members of the Totem Dragon Clan were secondary.
So he only needed to get their approval.
"Chu Feng, the help you're offering—isn't it just using that technique to absorb all of the power here into your own body, bearing everything by yourself?" Long Muxi asked with concern.
"Yes, but I completed the tempering rather thoroughly, so I should be able to withstand it," Chu Feng said.
"Absolutely not. You already gave up on this—this place has nothing to do with you."
"Since this is our own choice, let us bear the consequences ourselves," Long Muxi said firmly. She didn't want Chu Feng to take that risk.
She could feel just how terrifying the black qi was.
Chu Feng bearing it all by himself? Even an iron man couldn't do that—it would be trading his own life for everyone else's.
"Chu Feng, my sister is right. This is our choice, and we need to bear it ourselves," Long Chengyu added.
Seeing that the two of them were insistent, Chu Feng turned his attention to carefully examining the interior of the platform, searching for any other way to help them escape this place.
But after a thorough search, he came up empty.
As time continued to pass, however, the eerie shrieks growing from within the platform became more and more piercing, and the dark qi only increased.
Before long, the complexions of Long Chengyu and Long Muxi began to turn ugly as well, and the others couldn't even stay on their feet anymore.
One by one they collapsed to the ground, their bodies convulsing, and some of their auras grew so faint that they would surely perish at this rate.
"Young Master, I can't hold on any longer. If Young Hero Chu Feng can save us, please let him act."
Under these dire circumstances, a member of the Totem Dragon Clan pleaded with Long Chengyu. The reason they didn't beg Chu Feng directly was because they knew only Long Chengyu or Long Muxi could give the order for Chu Feng to actually help.
"Young Hero, please save us. If you truly can, I'm willing to give you every treasure I have."
At the same time, the others who had no prior acquaintance with Chu Feng also began to cry out for help, and to show their sincerity, they went ahead and removed their Universe Bags right then and there.
They hadn't believed in Chu Feng at first, but at this point, not only had his judgment proven correct—compared to everyone else, he still hadn't so much as changed his expression.
All of this proved that Chu Feng was genuinely capable.
But they also knew that since they were strangers, Chu Feng had no obligation to help them, so they removed their Universe Bags one after another to demonstrate their intent.
"Brother Chengyu, can you still hold on?" Chu Feng looked toward Long Chengyu.
"Brother Chu Feng, I'm still holding on." Long Chengyu forced out a smile, though the expression was painfully unnatural.
He was in a difficult spot. He himself could still endure, but many of the Totem Dragon Clan members around him could not hold on much longer.
Yet he also knew that Chu Feng's method meant taking on everyone else's pain in their stead—that was incredibly unfair to Chu Feng, and needless to say, it was extraordinarily dangerous.
He was caught in a dilemma…
And Chu Feng saw his struggle, so he shifted his gaze toward the strangers.
"If you're truly willing to pay, then I'm willing to give it a try. After all, I do accept payment for services rendered."