After a brief journey, Chu Feng and the others soon arrived at the agreed-upon location in the Wolf Tooth Mountain Range. It was a small valley nestled among the peaks, and at its bottom, a large group had already gathered. Judging by their attire, they were clearly members of the Ma Family.
The cultivators of the Ma Family were all quite strong. Even the weakest among them were at the fifth level of the Heaven Martial realm, with most at the Heaven Martial peak. There were even eighteen blue-robed Spirit World Masters, whereas the Li Family could only boast a meager five. In terms of numbers and overall strength, the Ma Family indeed far surpassed the Li Family. This wasn't just because of the experts the Ma Family had invited; even their own members outnumbered the Li Family's.
Among the crowd, an elderly man stood out with his extraordinary appearance and powerful aura. He was nearly three meters tall, his body so robust that his well-defined muscles were visible even through his fine robes. The wrinkles on his face looked less like age lines and more like a series of knife scars. Despite being nearly a hundred years old, he gave off an aura of being in his prime. Without a second thought, Chu Feng knew who this must be—the head of the Ma Family, the first-rank Martial Lord, Ma Yukun.
"Old Brother, you've finally arrived. Your younger brother has been waiting here for quite some time," Ma Yukun called out upon seeing Chu Feng and the others, rising into the air with a broad smile to greet the Li Family head. The Li Family head responded with equal warmth, as if nothing had ever happened between them, showcasing their brotherly bond.
Chu Feng was accustomed to such displays, so his attention wasn't on the Ma Family members but on the valley itself. Activating his Heaven's Eye to look down from above, he confirmed that the valley indeed resembled the location of a Spirit Cave. However, once he descended, he couldn't detect anything unusual, let alone find an entrance. This wasn't due to Chu Feng's cultivation being too weak; it simply meant the mysterious expert who had sealed this place was far too powerful. It wasn't the terrain that had deceived his Heaven's Eye, but the barrier that had been set up.
"Old Brother, I've waited decades for this day. The ancestors of both our families have been watching us from the heavens above. Now that we can finally open this place, we should act swiftly. Let's open it now," Ma Yukun said, retrieving a stone box from his Universe Bag. Though the box itself seemed unremarkable, the patterns on it told Chu Feng that it was anything but ordinary, and what lay inside was even more significant.
"You're right, Little Brother. However, our ancestors stipulated that opening this place requires the skill of a Spirit World Master, and neither of us qualifies. So, who should we entrust with this important task?" The Li Family head also produced a stone box nearly identical to Ma Yukun's.
"Old Brother, while we may not be fit for this task, both our families now possess talented Spirit World Masters. The challenge is deciding who will take on the responsibility. But that's simple enough. How about this: you select your most outstanding Spirit World Master, and I'll choose a capable one from my family. The two can compete using their Spirit World techniques. The winner will take on the responsibility and use both our family keys to open this place. What do you say?" Ma Yukun proposed with a smile.
"Good. Little Brother, I'll follow your lead," the Li Family head agreed, nodding. He then turned his gaze to the Li Family members behind him. His eyes quickly settled on Elder Yue. "Elder Yue, this important task for the Li Family is yours."
"Understood!" Elder Yue quickly responded, adjusting his blue Spirit World robe with a proud expression. He cast a meaningful glance at everyone, especially Chu Feng, as if to say, "See, kid? When it matters, it's still me who represents the Li Family."
"Mr. Gu, step forward," Ma Yukun said simultaneously.
As he spoke, an elderly man also dressed in a blue Spirit World robe stepped out from the Ma Family ranks. Not only was this man a blue-robed Spirit World Master, but his cultivation was no weaker than Elder Yue's—he too was at the ninth level of the Heaven Martial realm. Unlike Elder Yue's smug demeanor, he appeared calm, though his eyes radiated absolute confidence.
"My dear sir, how would you like to compete?" the elderly man, referred to as Mr. Gu, asked politely.
"That's obvious. Since we're both Spirit World Masters, we'll naturally compete using barrier techniques," Elder Yue snorted coldly. With a thought, a "humming" sound rang out, and waves of powerful blue barrier energy surged from his body. His hands moved swiftly, tracing patterns in the air, forming a grand barrier array that materialized before him. As the massive blue barrier energy passed through the array, a colossal blue sword, three meters wide and nine meters long, took shape and slashed toward Mr. Gu.
This wasn't a martial art or a secret technique, but a special barrier formed through arrays. Though it was still a barrier, the inclusion of the array granted it offensive capabilities. The blue giant sword Elder Yue had created was a rather sophisticated technique.
"As expected of Elder Yue! What incredible barrier skills!" As anticipated, when the blue sword appeared, all the Li Family's Spirit World Masters' eyes lit up with admiration. They knew they couldn't match such a technique themselves.
However, despite the Li Family's amazement, the Ma Family's Spirit World Masters remained composed, as if they were certain of their victory.
"My dear sir, you are quite skilled. Unfortunately, if a blue barrier is all you can muster, I'm afraid you're no match for me."
Just then, Mr. Gu let out a cold laugh. He raised one hand and began etching patterns in the air, and a purple barrier array rapidly formed before him.
"What? How is this possible? He's a purple-robed Spirit World Master?!"
"Heavens! Unbelievable! A purple-robed Spirit World Master—that's supposed to be power only a Martial Lord can command!"
Upon seeing the purple array, the Li Family members' expressions changed drastically. Their previous smugness vanished, replaced by shock. Typically, the power of a purple barrier was something only those at the Martial Lord realm could wield. Anyone who became a purple-robed Spirit World Master without reaching the Martial Lord realm was considered a genius among geniuses.
Now, this Mr. Gu from the Ma Family was clearly such a person. How could the Li Family not be shocked? They knew the gap between blue and purple robes was insurmountable. They had already lost.