Chu Feng could sense the changes taking place within his Dantian world.
He hurriedly projected his consciousness into the Dantian world.
Only then did he discover that the Thunder Cage had shrunk considerably — its diameter was now less than ten meters.
At the center of the Thunder Cage sat a feeble flame, no larger than a pearl, as though it might flicker out at any moment.
As for the nine Thunderbeasts, they had reverted to their usual appearances, roaming through the Dantian world as if nothing had happened.
"Thank you, seniors." Chu Feng knew the nine Thunderbeasts had saved him, so he bowed first.
Yet the nine colossal beasts paid him no mind whatsoever.
Chu Feng had long grown accustomed to this — they had always been this way.
He then turned his gaze toward the crimson Thunderbeast.
"Senior, what is the situation now?"
"Do you know who that flame woman really is?"
Chu Feng felt that, at present, only the crimson Thunderbeast was willing to communicate with him.
But unfortunately, even the crimson Thunderbeast did not give Chu Feng an answer.
Seeing this, Chu Feng did not press further.
He understood clearly that all nine Thunderbeasts possessed their own consciousness. The fact that they didn't respond didn't mean they couldn't hear him — they simply didn't wish to bother with him. Asking again would be pointless.
Still, Chu Feng genuinely wanted to know what was going on.
At the very least, he hoped to glean some information from that flame woman about this palace.
"Hey, you're not dead, are you?"
"If you're alive, say something."
Chu Feng addressed the flame woman, who had now dwindled to a pearl-sized wisp of fire.
But she offered no response either.
Chu Feng observed carefully and realized he could no longer sense her aura. She was like a feeble spark — it felt as though she might dissipate at any moment.
With no other recourse, Chu Feng could only project his consciousness back to his body.
Because at that moment, Little Fishy was standing nervously before him, her face full of worry.
"Don't worry, I'm fine," Chu Feng said with a smile.
"Are you really okay?"
"That woman gave me a very dangerous feeling just now."
Little Fishy didn't quite believe him. She was afraid Chu Feng was trying to comfort her.
"Her intentions were indeed hostile — she wanted to seize my body. That trial was simply a way to choose the person best suited for her among the three of us. There was no benefit to be had at all."
Chu Feng conveyed this through a secret voice transmission, not wanting Jie Tian to know. He then added: "But it's fine. My bloodline has already restrained her. She can't harm me — if anything, she's the one who can barely survive."
Hearing this, the worry on Little Fishy's face finally dissipated, replaced by her sweet smile.
"Big brother, you really are amazing. So what... exactly is she?"
"She doesn't belong here, does she?" Little Fishy asked.
She was clever. Though their encounter had been brief and she had seen far less than Chu Feng, she had already formed her own conjectures.
"I was thinking the same thing — this woman doesn't belong here."
"But she seems close to death now, and I can't communicate with her either."
"However, I did notice that in the distance, there's a colossal being several times more powerful than her. Their auras are identical, so that enormous being is very likely her true body."
"It's just that it's been sealed by an even more powerful formation."
"My guess is that this woman also came for the treasures of this place, but for some reason, she was sealed away."
"What appeared earlier was perhaps a sliver of her soul, or some special means of escape. But breaking free hasn't been easy for her, which is why she needed to take control of my body," Chu Feng explained.
"So you're saying that woman was an accident — she has nothing to do with the trials here?"
"Our trial isn't over yet?" Little Fishy asked.
"It shouldn't be over," Chu Feng said.
Hummm—
But just then, high above in the void, a massive starlight barrier gate materialized.
Immediately after, a tremendous suction force descended from the sky, pulling Chu Feng into it.
Once inside, the three of them plummeted downward at great speed.
But after landing, Chu Feng and the others realized they were no longer in the world they had just been in — they had returned to the Star Thought Domain.
Because the Troubled-Era Scholar and the black-flame monster were both standing not far from them.
And the palace they had originally entered was also right before their eyes.
"How did we come back?"
"Is the trial over?" Little Fishy looked toward Chu Feng and asked through a secret transmission.
Above their heads, there was also a massive starfield barrier gate — identical to the one that had just pulled them in.
They could all tell that this was the power of the Star Sea world itself, having nothing to do with the Troubled-Era Scholar.
So it wasn't the Troubled-Era Scholar who had forcibly brought them out — it was the power of the Star Sea world that had sent them back.
But if everything had been going well, why send them back?
Had the trial ended?
But they hadn't failed. And since they hadn't failed, shouldn't they have continued?
Before long, the starlight barrier gate dissipated.
As though everything truly had come to an end.
"It seems you've failed," the Troubled-Era Scholar said to Chu Feng and the others.
"Senior Troubled-Era Scholar, we didn't fail. That guy — he... he obtained the treasures inside the palace," Jie Tian hastily spoke up, pointing at Chu Feng.
"Oh?" At that moment, the Troubled-Era Scholar also turned his gaze toward Chu Feng.