"You want to take the three of us inside?" Big Radish and Little Radish asked in unison.
It wasn't that they hadn't heard what Chu Feng said — they simply couldn't believe their own ears.
Although they still had no idea what lay beyond that great gate, it wasn't hard to imagine that danger lurked within at every turn.
Chu Feng and Yan Xie had the strength to push through whatever obstacles awaited — that much was fine.
But bringing along the three of them as dead weight would only make things harder for themselves.
After all, clearing the trials beyond the gate was only the first part. The most important thing was to race against time.
"Mm." Chu Feng nodded. Though his words were few, the confidence in his eyes left Chili and the other two with no reason to doubt him.
"But if we really do get inside, that means we'd be taking up three of the twenty slots. We don't have the strength to compete against those geniuses, though," Big Radish said, still somewhat worried.
"Once we get in, we just choose to forfeit. I highly doubt they'll hold a knife to our throats and force us to fight," Chili said.
"What Chili said makes sense. There's no rule here that prohibits bringing friends along to watch, so naturally I can take you in," Chu Feng agreed.
"If we can really get in, that would be wonderful." At that, Big Radish and Little Radish broke into radiant smiles, their eyes shining with excitement.
If they could truly enter, it would fulfill a wish they had only ever been able to dream about before.
Once the matter was settled, Chu Feng and the others stepped out of the barrier house. No matter where they went, they remained the center of attention.
When Chu Feng walked toward the great gate, everyone parted to make way for him, greeting him with smiles and respectful nods.
Because of the four great Imperial Clans' irreconcilable enmity with Chu Feng, many people — despite admiring him and wanting to befriend him — didn't dare get too close. At the same time, they didn't dare offend him either.
Hum— At last, the countdown above the great gate came to a stop. But the gate did not open immediately. Instead, a translucent figure materialized before it.
It was a middle-aged man, as tall as the gate itself, standing there like a mountain peak — a truly imposing sight.
Though he was only an apparition, his aura alone was enough to make one's nerves tighten, their heart shudder, and an involuntary wave of reverence rise from the depths of their soul.
This was a Martial Emperor — and not an ordinary one. His rank was likely above even the clan leaders of the four great Imperial Clans, for otherwise he could not have possessed such a commanding presence.
When this phantom appeared, the sea of people erupted. Everyone could feel how powerful this man was, and many of them didn't recognize him.
He was like a powerhouse who had never appeared before in the entire Martial Sacred Land.
As such, the first thought on everyone's mind was whether this man might be the creator of this fortress — the backer standing behind the Bow Emperor's disciple.
"Everyone, this gate is about to open. As for the dangers within, I trust you can guess them without my explanation."
"I only wish to remind you all that among everyone who enters this fortress, only twenty will have the opportunity to face the Bow Emperor's disciple. Those twenty slots will go to whoever reaches the designated location the fastest."
"Once those twenty have entered, no one else will be permitted to pass through. You will have to turn back the way you came."
"So I advise everyone here to evaluate your own strength honestly. If you don't believe you have a chance to be one of those twenty, then I would urge you not to step through this gate behind me."
"Because even if you manage to clear the trials, you won't gain access to the central area. And if you encounter a trial you cannot overcome — you will perish."