Every member of the clan had risen into the air, gazing out at the spectacle unfolding on the distant horizon.
The longer they watched, the deeper the shock in their eyes grew. Many of them kept rubbing their eyes, again and again, unable to believe what they were seeing.
Some, perhaps not the sharpest minds, even slapped themselves hard across the face.
They were starting to doubt whether what they were seeing was actually real.
"Patriarch… could it be that… that's the legendary…?"
Everyone turned to the old man, their voices trembling with excitement. They were so electrified that they had completely forgotten the terror Chu Feng had inspired in them moments ago.
"It really does seem to be…"
"Heavens have mercy, heavens have mercy!"
"To think that in our lifetimes, we could witness this legend come to life!!!"
"This life has not been lived in vain," the old man said, his voice brimming with emotion.
"What legend?"
Suddenly, a voice rang out.
The instant they heard that voice, the old man and the others stiffened. The color that had only just returned to their faces was instantly swallowed by fear once more.
They turned their heads with rigid movements, looking toward the source of the sound.
And when they saw who it was, they were so terrified they nearly coughed up blood.
It was Chu Feng — the very man who had nearly taken their lives just moments ago.
"My lord, this old man certainly did not bully Hai'er or Qiang'er!"
The old man immediately dropped to his knees, and the rest of the clan followed suit.
From the moment Chu Feng had appeared until now, it had only been a brief span of time. They had started out dismissive of him, but now… in their eyes, Chu Feng had become a living king of hell, someone they feared to the very core of their being.
"I never said you mistreated the father and son."
"Like I said, I'm rather idle, so I deliberately didn't leave. I stayed behind and watched for a while." Chu Feng smiled.
Chu Feng's smile was brilliant, but when it entered their eyes, it looked sinister and terrifying — like the grin of a demon about to devour its prey.
Rather idle?
Deliberately didn't leave?
Watched for a while?
Wasn't that just surveillance?
Good thing they hadn't done anything wrong — otherwise, they would probably be dead by now.
"My lord, since you witnessed everything, that is truly wonderful. You must have seen that I just…"
The old man was about to claim credit, but Chu Feng immediately waved him off.
"Enough, enough. One order proves nothing. You need to maintain that behavior over the long term."
"But what I'm asking you about is over there." Chu Feng pointed toward the magnificent spectacle in the distance. "What's this legend you're all talking about?"
Seeing that Chu Feng was curious about this matter, the old man let out a long sigh of relief and wiped the cold sweat from his face.
Then, he proceeded to tell Chu Feng about the so-called legend.
It dated back to the era when the Battle Ape Clan ruled this star domain.
At that time, the Celestial River Upper Realm had not been opened to the outside world — it was a forbidden domain exclusively controlled by the Battle Ape Clan.
The reason it had been sealed off was that this realm contained a river — the Celestial River, so named because the water flowing through it was extraordinary. It not only emitted a radiant glow and a pleasant fragrance, but it also possessed an incredibly powerful body-tempering effect.
It was beneficial not only to martial cultivators, but to Spirit World Masters as well.
However, the river water could not be removed from the Celestial River, so it could not be used by outsiders. Even members of the Battle Ape Clan who wished to temper their bodies had to come here in person.
That was precisely why the Celestial River Upper Realm had been sealed.
However, the Battle Ape Clan loved making friends. They had close companions in every major faction and across every great star stream. The patriarch of the Battle Ape Clan would often invite his friends to bring their juniors to the Celestial River Upper Realm for tempering.
Through a series of fortunate events, one such invitation brought a powerful Spirit World Master. This Spirit World Master was exceedingly mysterious — no one knew his identity, and no one had ever seen his true face. Yet his abilities were formidable.
He explained that the Celestial River was not infinite; its power was finite. The more people who used it for tempering, the less power the river would have to offer, and over time it would eventually dry up completely.
Moreover, the Celestial River was a gift from the heavens. The Battle Ape Clan should not hoard it — they ought to share it with everyone. But access should be granted only to those with the ability to earn it.
With that in mind, he proposed that he set up a formation to concentrate the Celestial River's power into one place. This formation would open at regular intervals, and those wishing to enter and cultivate would have to prove themselves.
The patriarch of the Battle Ape Clan was a magnanimous man by nature, and with many of his friends present, he agreed on the spot. He even declared that if this expert truly had the ability to transform the Celestial River into a grand formation, he would gladly open the realm to all.
But who could have imagined that this Spirit World Master would actually succeed in consolidating the Celestial River's power and completing the formation?
With the grand project finished and the expert's methods proving to be heaven-reaching, the patriarch of the Battle Ape Clan could hardly object — he had no choice but to agree.