Chu Feng stood in midair.
In truth, he hadn't moved an inch — moments ago, he had been standing on solid ground.
But the ground he had been standing on had long since been utterly destroyed.
It wasn't just beneath his feet…
Looking around, the surrounding earth was completely gone. Only far below, at a tremendous distance, could objects be seen.
Fiery magma churned and roiled like a flood of beasts, howling and bellowing as it had already merged into a vast ocean.
All of this had been caused by that lightning.
The lightning had shattered the earth, plunging deep into the planet's core. In truth, had it continued, even the magma would have been obliterated.
And the members of the Totem Dragon Clan were all floating around Chu Feng. Although they had broken free of the Dragon Whisker's binding, every one of them was injured.
Not merely injured — they had all fallen unconscious.
Looking at this scene, Chu Feng felt a lingering sense of dread.
"That was close."
He knew that just a bit more, and every single one of these people would have died because of him.
Chu Feng had believed that, with the Guardian Nightmare's observations, he had understood well enough the martial force formation his father had left behind.
Even if he couldn't control it with absolute precision, he had at least assumed it would guarantee that the formation wouldn't harm those he didn't want harmed.
But that martial force formation was far too savage. The moment it was released, it was like a divine beast breaking free of its cage, yearning to annihilate everything in its path.
And its world-destroying power was truly capable of destroying everything.
Had it continued, not only would this world have been ruined, but countless living beings would have been caught in the crossfire.
Even Chu Feng's friends would have died. Even the Totem Dragon Clan members who were floating nearby — well within the range Chu Feng could have protected — would all have perished.
With no other option, Chu Feng had been forced to dissolve the martial force formation and halt everything.
Chu Feng felt a twinge of disappointment. His father's martial force formation was even more powerful than he had imagined — using it here had truly been a waste.
But looking at Long Chengyu, Long Muxi, and the others, he felt it had been worth it.
"What are you doing?!"
Suddenly, Chu Feng's expression changed drastically.
The dragon marrow that had been fully refined within his body was being devoured by an unseen force.
It was the Heaven Devouring Beast.
"Little Feng, what are you shouting about? This thing was prepared for me from the start, wasn't it?"
The Heaven Devouring Beast let out a rogue's laughter, and sensing Chu Feng's anger, it promptly changed the subject.
"Little Feng, that was a guardian formation just now, wasn't it?"
"And it was a martial force formation, no less — and so incredibly powerful at that. Your background is no small thing, little one. No wonder I ended up in your hands."
"Stop playing the fool, little one. Why don't you come clean about who you really are and what kind of backing you have?"
But Chu Feng wasn't about to fall for that. He immediately shot back, "Don't try to change the subject on me."
"I went through all that trouble to break the Ancestral Dragon's secret technique's seal. This dragon marrow is my property."
"If you want to devour it, the least you could do is ask me first. What kind of behavior is this?"
Chu Feng was genuinely angry, because this dragon marrow was no ordinary treasure — it was likely one of the few remaining precious items left by the Ancestral Dragon.
Although he didn't know all the details, he could imagine what the Ancestral Dragon meant to the Totem Dragon Clan.
And his relationship with the Totem Dragon Clan made him feel truly guilty about the whole thing.
"Fine, fine, fine — my bad. I'll ask you next time."
"But it's already been swallowed. Even if you kill me now, you can't get it back."
"Just make up some excuse and fool your friends."
"Once I finish refining the dragon marrow, I'll be able to boost your cultivation. Raising you by two full ranks shouldn't be any problem at all," the Heaven Devouring Beast said.
Chu Feng was utterly exasperated. Now that it had come to this, there really was nothing he could do.
Boom— But suddenly, Chu Feng's heart shuddered.
He heard a sound — coming from an impossibly distant place, from beyond this world, from far out in the heavens above.
The sound was like a roar, like a thunderclap, just a single burst, yet it shook one to the very soul.
"What was that?"
Chu Feng looked toward the direction from which the sound had come.
At that very same moment…
Long Lin, the Smelling Heaven Daoist, the Beast Shadow Spirit World Master, the Taishi Star Elder, Bai Yunqing — every person in this world heard that sound and turned their gaze toward its source.
What they didn't know was that the sound wasn't heard only by the people of this world, or even only by those of this Heavenly River.
The Seven Realms Heavenly River, the Immortal Sea Heavenly River, the Firmament Heavenly River, the Divine Body Heavenly River, the Nine Souls Heavenly River, the Ancestral Martial Heavenly River, the Bloodline Heavenly River — the people of every world within all of them, regardless of cultivation level, heard that same sound…
The Bloodline Heavenly River. The Burning Vein Star Field. The Burning Vein Mortal World…
Inside an airborne warship, the Seven Realms Palace Master stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his solemn gaze fixed upon the direction of the Ancestral Martial Heavenly River.
Those eyes were bright yet profound. The power of a barrier that did not belong to him swirled within their aged depths.