"Someone's already here. I wonder who it is." Yan Xie raised his head, his gaze fixed intently on the illuminated tower, as if trying to catch a glimpse of its owner within.
Unfortunately, the tower had been positioned in a rather remote spot. The distance was too great, and the tower itself possessed the effect of obstructing one's line of sight, so Yan Xie had no way of discerning who the tower's owner was.
Hummmm— And just then, two large characters appeared within that dazzling radiance — Leng Yue.
"Leng Yue. She's a disciple of the Heavenly Dao Palace — among the three Heavenly Generals who received invitations, she's the strongest." The moment he saw the name Leng Yue, Big Radish drew a sharp breath, his eyes filled with reverence.
How powerful Leng Yue actually was, he had no idea. But rumor had it that she was the only disciple of the Heavenly Dao Palace capable of matching Kuang Yu Shi — the strongest disciple of his very own Hell's Gate.
And Kuang Yu Shi was, without exaggeration, a godlike figure among the younger generation of the Hell's Gate.
"If it weren't for Chu Feng leading the way, I could never have made it here this fast on my own. And yet Leng Yue reached this place at such speed — her strength must be above mine." Gazing at the two characters, Yan Xie couldn't help but sigh.
Though he was eager to cross swords with the very best among his peers, he was self-aware enough to know that among the juniors who had arrived at this place, he would not be the strongest after Chu Feng. And the facts proved him right.
"It's all our fault. If not for us, Brother Chu Feng would have been first." Big Radish's face was flushed with shame.
"Don't say that. I was the one who insisted on bringing you along — you didn't force me."
"Besides, this order doesn't really prove anything." Chu Feng smiled to reassure them, then waved his hand. "Go on and pick a tower you like, before the newcomers arrive and take them all."
"Mm." Seeing how utterly unconcerned Chu Feng seemed, the guilt in the hearts of Big Radish and the other three diminished considerably.
After that, Chili Pepper, Big Radish, and Little Radish went to select their own towers. And when they climbed to the top, the towers not only erupted with light, but also displayed the names Chili Pepper, Big Radish, and Little Radish in luminous characters.
"So the names shown on the towers are exactly what we wrote down earlier," Chu Feng said.
"That's most likely the case. It's just that their three names are really... rather unconventional. I wonder what the others will think when they see them," Yan Xie remarked.
"They'll probably be completely baffled," Chu Feng said with a laugh, then turned to Yan Xie. "Which one are you picking?"
"Whichever — it doesn't matter to me," Yan Xie said casually.
"I'll take the closest one. Brother Yan Xie, after you've chosen yours, come find me for a moment. There's something I might need your help with." Chu Feng pointed at the nearest tower.
"No problem," Yan Xie nodded.
With that, Yan Xie ignited a tower right beside Chu Feng's, and when the four characters "Heir of the Flame Emperor" blazed to life above it, Yan Xie didn't rest — he immediately found Chu Feng and asked with a grin, "I'm curious, what is it you need my help with?"
"I need to go into seclusion for a while. I'm worried that something unexpected might happen during that time, so I was hoping you could protect Chili Pepper and the other two while I'm sealed away. I'd hate for them to get bullied — you know how strong they are." Chu Feng explained.
He was indeed planning to go into seclusion. Although he had obtained the Golden Leaf Realm Spirit Flower, using it to awaken Egg Egg was not so simple.
Chu Feng first had to transfer the formation containing the Golden Leaf Realm Spirit Flower into his own Realm Spirit Space, and that was no easy task — it would require a fair amount of time.
But he knew that the people who would be arriving at this place were no ordinary characters, and from what he understood of them, most would be arrogant, condescending, and domineering.
So he couldn't rest easy leaving Chili Pepper and the others unprotected.
"You had me going there with that serious face of yours — I thought it was going to be something major, but it's just asking me to look after Chili Pepper and the others."
"Relax. They're your friends, which makes them my friends too. With me around, nobody's going to bully them," Yan Xie said with a smile.
"You, Yan Xie, are loyal and devoted — I, Chu Feng, know that well. But I figured I should still ask formally." Chu Feng smiled as well. With Yan Xie's agreement, he could finally put his mind at ease.
Once this matter was settled, Chu Feng immediately went into seclusion. He had to awaken Egg Egg before the competition began.
Truthfully, Chu Feng could have waited until after the competition was over before attempting to awaken Egg Egg.