"What's this?"
At this moment, Chu Feng was stunned to discover that he was still standing within the valley. The surrounding scenery hadn't changed at all, but the people inside the valley had. Every member of the Li Family and the Ma Family had vanished.
Right now, the only person in this valley besides himself was a middle-aged man. He wore simple, unadorned clothes and stood not far away with his hands clasped behind his back.
As a gentle breeze swept past him, stirring his ink-black hair and his robes, Chu Feng could feel that this man was powerful beyond anything he could ever hope to reach.
"You are neither from the Li Family nor the Ma Family." Suddenly, the man turned around, and at that moment Chu Feng was able to see his face.
The man's features were quite ordinary, and coupled with his plain clothes, he couldn't have looked more unremarkable. However, between his brows there resided a unique aura — the bearing of one who could command the world, whom no army could withstand. He was a true peerless expert.
Chu Feng didn't need to think twice to realize he had entered an illusion.
Although the man before him appeared perfectly real, he was most likely nothing more than a thread of divine consciousness. As for why he looked so lifelike, it was because Chu Feng was currently inside an illusion — it appeared real, but in truth, nothing before him was genuine.
As for who this person was, it wasn't hard for Chu Feng to guess. He should be the mysterious expert whom the Li Family and the Ma Family had saved five hundred years ago.
"Senior, I am indeed not a member of the Li Family or the Ma Family. I was invited by the Li Family to serve as a helper — to open the treasures you left behind," Chu Feng answered honestly. The other party was far too powerful. Even if this was merely a remnant of divine consciousness left behind five hundred years ago, killing Chu Feng would require absolutely no effort at all.
"I left them so many things back then, even specifically infused the two of them with Mental Power, yet after five hundred years they still haven't managed to cultivate even a single decent Spirit World Master — and now they need to rely on outsiders?" Hearing Chu Feng's words, the mysterious expert let out a sigh of resignation.
"Forget it, forget it. Their descendants' inadequacy has nothing to do with me. After all, the debt of gratitude — I repaid it five hundred years ago." The mysterious expert seemed quite disappointed in the descendants of the Li and Ma Families. After lamenting for a moment, he raised his gaze once more to Chu Feng and asked: "Young man, what is your name?"
Hearing these words, Chu Feng's heart tightened. The other party had seen through his Hundred Change Mask and discovered his true identity — that he was merely a youth.
"Senior, this junior is called Chu Feng." Once his identity had been exposed, Chu Feng dared not conceal anything and could only reveal his true name.
"Chu Feng — your talent is quite remarkable. If the Eastern Sea Region is still the same as it was five hundred years ago, then you would be considered an exceptional genius. This land cannot hold you."
"Then again, rather than letting the treasures here fall to the mediocre descendants of the Li and Ma Families, it would be better to let you have them. Perhaps one day, on the Martial Sacred Land, you and I will meet again." The mysterious expert smiled as he spoke.
"Senior — you — you are on the Martial Sacred Land?!" Upon hearing this, Chu Feng couldn't help but be startled, because the other's words didn't merely imply that he was on the Martial Sacred Land, but that he was still alive. This man had already been this powerful five hundred years ago — what realm would he have reached after five hundred years? Most importantly, he was a person who had lived for over five hundred years?
"Heh. I was originally from the Martial Sacred Land. Five hundred years ago I arrived here by chance. There's no need to be too surprised. The heaven and earth energy of the Martial Sacred Land is entirely different from this place. There, a person's lifespan is generally quite long. As long as one can step into the Martial King realm and have sufficient resources to sustain one's life, living for a thousand years or more is hardly difficult."
"If you are able to step onto the Martial Sacred Land in the future, you will be able to see all of this for yourself. I guarantee you will love it there, because it is far more suited to you."
"And if you do manage to reach the Martial Sacred Land, you are welcome to come find me at the Falling Leaves Bamboo Forest. Remember, my name is Hong Qiang." The mysterious expert smiled warmly as he spoke. It was clear that he held a favorable impression of Chu Feng.
"Thank you for your kindness, Senior Hong Qiang. When this junior reaches the Martial Sacred Land in the future, I will certainly pay you a visit." Chu Feng committed this name to memory, because sooner or later he would step onto the Martial Sacred Land, and on that mysterious and unfathomable land, having someone willing to help him would undoubtedly be a blessing.
"With your talent, stepping onto the Martial Sacred Land should not be difficult. I will be waiting for you there." Hong Qiang nodded with satisfaction, then continued: "Chu Feng, listen well. The Wolf Fang Mountain Range is a place where heaven and earth energy converges, and the spirit consciousness here — I discovered it five hundred years ago."
"Now, you have obtained the barrier formation I left behind, which makes you the key that can open the spirit cavern. Open the spirit cavern and follow the spirit vein inward, and you will be able to find the spirit consciousness."
"However, over the course of five hundred years, since the spirit consciousness has already achieved a measure of growth, it naturally possesses its own spiritual awareness and a certain degree of power. Based on my assessment, its current cultivation should be at the first-grade Martial Lord realm."
"But there is no need to be afraid. Back when the spirit consciousness had just formed and had not yet developed spiritual awareness, I set up a formation at the place where it condensed. As long as you enter it, you will be able to rely on that formation to suppress everything within it."
"Alright, this thread of divine consciousness has existed for too long — it cannot persist much longer and is about to disperse."
"If fate wills it, you and I shall meet again on the Martial Sacred Land." With these words, the form of the mysterious expert transformed into a streak of rainbow light that shot skyward and vanished. Immediately after, the surrounding scenery also began to twist and shift.
"The Falling Leaves Bamboo Forest... Hong Qiang!" At that moment, Chu Feng closed his eyes and engraved the mysterious expert's name and the place where he resided deep within his heart.
Although they had only met once, the other party had entrusted everything here to him, which counted as a kindness. Chu Feng harbored no extravagant hopes about what the other might do for him in the future, but this kindness could not go unrepaid. Someday, he would naturally pay a visit.
"Young friend Wu Qing, what's wrong? Are you alright?"
Right at that moment, Chu Feng's ears were filled with the sounds of anxious and worried voices. He opened his eyes and looked around to find the Li Family head, the Ma Family head, and all the members of both families surrounding him in concentric circles, their eyes fixed intently upon him.
At the tense gazes of the crowd, Chu Feng merely offered a faint smile, then said to the two family heads: "There is no need to worry, Family Heads. Wu Qing already knows how to open this place."
With that, Chu Feng focused his will, and a golden rune appeared upon his forehead. The rune transformed rapidly and spread downward from his forehead, quickly covering his entire body.
But that was not the end. The runes continued their descent, crawling off Chu Feng's body and onto the ground, then spreading across the surface like a spider's web, instantly filling the entire valley.
*Rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble* At that moment, brilliant golden light erupted throughout the valley, accompanied by deep rumbling sounds. And beneath that strange and imposing force, the earth began to split apart as a peculiar square-shaped entrance surfaced at the very center of the valley.