The main headquarters of the Seven Realms Sacred Palace — beyond its grand, majestic, and imposing exterior — was guarded with extreme rigor.
Guards of the Seven Realms Sacred Palace could be seen everywhere.
They wielded barrier weapons, wore standardized spirit world robes, and rode barrier mounts as they patrolled the skies in formation.
But the guards were only part of the equation. Barrier formations were spread throughout the area as well — though they were well hidden, Chu Feng was still able to perceive a few of them.
However, the barrier wall that pierced through heaven and earth on the outside was extraordinarily sturdy. Even peak True Gods and peak True Dragons would find it difficult to destroy.
Entering the Seven Realms Sacred Palace was akin to ascending to the heavens.
With such barrier defenses in place, the fact that the interior of the Seven Realms Sacred Palace was still flooded with so many guards spoke volumes about just how airtight the Sacred Palace's defenses truly were.
"No wonder the Seven Realms Sacred Palace is hailed as the most impregnable fortress in the vast martial cultivation world."
"Having seen it for myself today, I must say it truly lives up to its reputation."
The junior cultivators all exclaimed in awe. Though every one of them was well-traveled and experienced, arriving here made them feel like wide-eyed country bumpkins entering a great city, their eyes full of curiosity.
It was at that moment that a secret voice transmission reached Chu Feng's ears.
"In truth, the Seven Realms Sacred Palace didn't used to have this many guards inside. They were very confident in the defensive barrier on the outside."
This secret transmission didn't come from Fu Xing — it was from Xiao Yueyue.
Chu Feng knew that although Xiao Yueyue was hidden among the crowd, she had been observing him the entire time.
Now that she was proactively speaking to him, it seemed she had let go of her grudge.
"Then why did they change?" Chu Feng asked through a secret transmission.
"Many years ago, a tragedy occurred within the Seven Realms Sacred Palace. To this day, the culprit has never been caught," Xiao Yueyue said.
"A tragedy? Inside the main headquarters of the Seven Realms Sacred Palace?" Chu Feng asked.
"Yes, right inside the main headquarters of the Seven Realms Sacred Palace."
"In a single night, tens of millions of families within the Seven Realms Sacred Palace were annihilated," Xiao Yueyue said.
"Tens of millions?" Chu Feng was shocked.
After all, tens of millions of families didn't mean tens of millions of people. If tens of millions of families were wiped out, the dead would number in the hundreds of millions at a minimum — possibly even billions.
"Yes. And all of those families shared one thing in common," Xiao Yueyue added.
"What was it?" Chu Feng asked.
"Each household had an infant younger than one year old," Xiao Yueyue said.
"Were the infants killed too?" Chu Feng asked.
"To be precise, they vanished. They were never seen again, and it's impossible that they're still alive," Xiao Yueyue said.
"Do you know who was responsible?" Chu Feng asked.
"No. Not a single clue could be found," Xiao Yueyue said.
"That explains it." Chu Feng now understood why the guards were so tight. But then he asked, "Do you know the exact time this happened?"
"As it happens, it was not long after Jie Ranqing returned from the Nine Heavens Secret Land."
"Of course, the two events are completely unrelated. I'm simply telling you when the tragedy occurred," Xiao Yueyue said.
Chu Feng thought about it and agreed that the two events had no connection.
"Chu Feng, this matter concerns the pride of the Seven Realms Sacred Palace. Don't go asking about it."
"Otherwise, no matter how talented you are, you could still anger the people of the Seven Realms Sacred Palace," Xiao Yueyue said.
"I understand." Chu Feng naturally knew he shouldn't inquire about this matter, so he smiled and said, "You're not angry anymore?"
"It's not like I'm a petty person," Xiao Yueyue said.
"Miss Xiao, why exactly were you so hostile toward Chu Shanshan before?" Chu Feng was genuinely curious.
During his journey to the Nine Heavens Secret Land, Chu Feng had originally formed an alliance with Xiao Yueyue first.
But the moment Chu Shanshan exchanged a few words with Chu Feng, Xiao Yueyue had suddenly flown into a rage — she had even wanted to kill Chu Shanshan on the spot.
Yet in Chu Feng's view, Xiao Yueyue didn't seem like the unreasonable type. There had to be more to the story.
"I just can't stand that kind of seductive, attention-seeking human woman."
"My father used to dote on my mother very much. Then he was lured away by a seductive, attention-seeking human woman — and that woman ended up killing my mother."