Although he was only approaching the battle rather than actually entering the fray, with the extraordinary vision granted by his Heavenly Eyes, Chu Feng could clearly make out exactly who was clashing within the battlefield.
Three individuals were locked in combat. Two of them wore black garments, their clothes etched with peculiar patterns of a blood-red hue, as though dyed in fresh blood. Those patterns emitted a faint, eerie glow, lending them a deeply unsettling appearance.
Beyond the strange black attire, those two also wore masks — pitch-black, adorned with the same eerie crimson patterns. Combined with their blood-red eyes, they resembled two humanoid monsters, two phantoms haunting the mortal realm.
The pair hailed from the same origin and naturally fought on the same side. Both of their cultivations were at the first level of Martial Emperor.
As for the third person, Chu Feng recognized him at a glance — it was an old acquaintance, the Left Heavenly Venerable of the World Spirit Alliance.
The Left Heavenly Venerable's cultivation was also at the first level of Martial Emperor. Yet this figure, who had once seemed as powerful as a god in Chu Feng's eyes, was now fighting one against two and clearly struggling.
Several bloody wounds already marred his body, the flesh torn open to reveal the white bone beneath.
Though these were merely superficial injuries and nothing significant for someone of his caliber, they were proof enough that the Left Heavenly Venerable was at a disadvantage.
"Left Heavenly Venerable, a wise bird chooses the right tree to roost in. You could have survived — why be so stubborn?" one of them said.
"A wise bird indeed chooses the right tree, which is precisely why I have no interest in a rotten one like you," the Left Heavenly Venerable replied.
"Then you shall die." Upon hearing this, the two mysterious black-clad figures attacked simultaneously, striking with killing intent from the very first move.
Both unleashed Earth-Forbidden martial techniques — and not ordinary ones, but Earth-Forbidden techniques capable of harmonizing with each other. Under the catalyst of their half-emperor weapons, the combined assault was absolutely terrifying.
ROAR— Though it was merely a layer of golden martial power, it produced a horrifying roar. Had anyone below the half-emperor level been nearby, that single roar alone would have been enough to grind their body and soul to dust.
Facing such an attack, even the Left Heavenly Venerable's expression changed dramatically. This strike would be extremely difficult for him to block, and even if he managed it, he would sustain further injuries.
BOOM— Yet just as the technique was about to reach him, it suddenly exploded on impact — the attack had been intercepted.
The most astonished by this development was none other than the Left Heavenly Venerable himself, for he could now see a familiar figure standing before him. It was this familiar figure who had blocked the attack on his behalf, and that figure was none other than Chu Feng.
"This junior greets the Heavenly Venerable," Chu Feng said with a cupped-fist salute.
"Chu Feng, is that really you?" The Left Heavenly Venerable's face was filled with shock. What stunned him was not merely Chu Feng's appearance here, but the fact that Chu Feng's cultivation had reached the first level of Martial Emperor — the same as his own.
He recalled the rumors he had recently heard about the Bow Tyrant Plains. Though the rumors painted Chu Feng as already quite powerful, he had still been only a half-emperor. How had he advanced to the first level of Martial Emperor so quickly?
"So it's Chu Feng. I've heard much about you, and today I finally get to see you in person." At that moment, one of the black-clad figures spoke.
"You know me?" Chu Feng asked.
"Who in the entire Martial Holy Land doesn't know you, Chu Feng?"
"It seems you truly possess some extraordinary means to have raised your cultivation to the first level of Martial Emperor. You are indeed one of a kind."
"But you, a mere counterfeit Emperor, think you can stand up for the Left Heavenly Venerable? Do you think you're capable of that?" Though the black-clad figure's gaze was blood-red, resembling that of a demon beast, Chu Feng could see unmistakable contempt within those eyes.
"You want to know if I'm capable? I'll show you right now whether I am or not." Chu Feng smiled faintly, then, with a shift of his will, the Water Immortal Secret Skill and the Fire Immortal Secret Skill — two supreme secret techniques — soared forth and took positions on either side, surrounding the two mysterious figures.
"Damn it, we forgot about this move of his."
Upon seeing the Water Immortal Secret Skill and the Fire Immortal Secret Skill, both mysterious figures were startled with sudden realization. Though their masks concealed their faces, making their expressions invisible, their body language betrayed the terror they now felt.