Seeing Chu Feng like this, a flash of solemnity crossed Yan Xie's eyes, because this was the first time since entering this place that Chu Feng had halted in his tracks.
Looking carefully ahead, Yan Xie realized that the path before them had been completely overgrown by towering trees, leaving only a single trail to follow.
"Chu Feng, how do you know this is the final trial?" Yan Xie asked in confusion, because he couldn't detect anything dangerous about this forest path.
"Trust me — the center of the fortress lies straight ahead at the end of this path. But you need to stay close to me. If you can't, then get away from me — the farther the better. Put distance between us before we go in."
With that, Chu Feng began walking forward. He didn't employ any movement techniques, simply stepping into the path at an ordinary walking pace.
Yan Xie didn't understand what Chu Feng meant, but he certainly wasn't about to move away from him, so he hurriedly followed close behind.
Once inside, the only remarkable thing they noticed was that the vines, branches, and leaves blocking out the sunlight and sealing off the surroundings were extraordinary — imbusted with barriers and utterly indestructible. Other than that, nothing seemed unusual.
Danger? There wasn't the slightest trace of it.
Yan Xie truly couldn't understand why Chu Feng had been so casual about the previous trials that were clearly dangerous, yet was being so cautious and deliberate here.
Whoosh— Whoosh— Whoosh— Whoosh— Whoosh— But suddenly, a blinding golden light burst forth from the depths of the dark forest ahead. Looking closely, the golden light surged forward like a golden dragon, carrying the howling of violent gales as it bore down directly upon them.
In that instant, Yan Xie and the others were all struck with alarm. They finally understood what Chu Feng had meant.
The oppressive auras were incredibly powerful, and each one was aimed not at a single person, but at each individual separately — each one targeting Chu Feng.
In other words, the pressure here scaled with the number of people.
But the truly terrifying part was how overwhelming this pressure was. Setting aside Chili Pepper, Big Radish, and Little Radish — even Yan Xie himself felt enormous strain from it.
This pressure wouldn't necessarily injure Yan Xie, but if it bore down on him, it would make every step a struggle, drastically reduce his speed, and consume a considerable amount of his stamina.
And if it truly landed on Chili Pepper, Big Radish, and Little Radish, their physical bodies would explode in an instant — their souls annihilated, not even ashes left behind.
Chu Feng had told Yan Xie to stay close because he intended to bear the pressure for everyone by himself.
"HAA—"
Sure enough, Chu Feng let out a mighty shout. Immediately, dazzling lightning armor and lightning wings enveloped his body, and his aura surged dramatically — rising from the seventh rank of half-emperor to the ninth rank.
Alongside his cultivation boost, Chu Feng also unleashed his strongest defensive technique — the supreme secret art, the Xuan Martial Escape Armor.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM— Five streams of overwhelming pressure crashed down simultaneously, instantly producing deafening booms. Even the surrounding vines — which had appeared utterly indestructible — were blown about wildly by the shockwaves, snapping apart with crackling and popping sounds.
And yet, despite the hellscape raging outside, Yan Xie and the others standing beside Chu Feng were completely unaffected.
It felt as though they were sheltered within a safe harbor, calmly watching a violent storm rage on beyond.
"Gulp…"
But as they looked at Chu Feng with lightning crackling across his entire body, Chili Pepper, Big Radish, and Little Radish couldn't help but swallow hard in unison. They were truly awestruck by Chu Feng's incredible power.
Chu Feng really did command the legendary ability to boost his cultivation by two full ranks in an instant.