"It's really you, Chu Feng!" At that moment, Sima Ying and the others rushed over. Sima Ying in particular bounded right up to Chu Feng, grabbing a fistful of his sleeve, her face beaming with sheer delight.
"It's been a while, Ying." Chu Feng reached out and affectionately ruffled Sima Ying's fiery red hair. Seeing her filled him with genuine warmth — after all, he and Sima Ying were true life-and-death comrades, bound by a deep and unshakable bond.
"Yeah, it's been way too long! But seeing you like this — you gave me a real shock. What on earth happened to you? How did you get so strong? You've blown past all of us by a hundred and eight thousand li!" Sima Ying exclaimed.
"That's right, Brother Chu Feng — the speed at which your cultivation is advancing is just absurd. How are we supposed to keep up?" Fu Feiteng and the others chimed in.
Faced with Sima Ying's interrogation and the burning gazes of Fu Feiteng, Lin Yezhou, and the rest, Chu Feng could only offer a sheepish grin. What was he supposed to say? Boast that he was a once-in-a-lifetime genius, so naturally his breakthroughs came lightning-fast — and that lapping them all by a hundred and eight thousand li was only to be expected? Words like that… Chu Feng simply couldn't bring himself to say them.
"Hm? Where's Su Mei?" Chu Feng suddenly asked, realizing he couldn't spot her among the crowd.
"Xiao Mei was taken away by the Weapon Refining Immortal," the Left Heavenly Venerable said.
"The Weapon Refining Immortal?" Though Chu Feng was somewhat surprised to hear that name, he didn't press further for details.
In Chu Feng's heart, the Weapon Refining Immortal was a formidable elder and a great benefactor — the Immortal had once lent him a crucial hand. Chu Feng also knew that the Weapon Refining Immortal, much like the Left Heavenly Venerable, had a connection to Su Mei and the others' Master — that mysterious blind elder. With the Weapon Refining Immortal taking Xiao Mei under his wing, Chu Feng felt at ease, so he let the matter drop.
"The Dark Hall is far deeper than we imagined. This time they failed, but they'll definitely come after the World Spirit Alliance again. The Alliance may not be safe to remain in any longer," Chu Feng said.
"Chu Feng, rest easy on that front. Our World Spirit Alliance has endured for countless generations — we're far from helpless. Once we activate the Grand Protective Formation, no matter how many experts the Dark Hall throws at us, they won't be able to breach our defenses."
"The only reason they got in this time was because we let our guard down. But starting today, the Alliance will activate the Grand Protective Formation. Unless the matter is of utmost urgency, no disciples or elders will be permitted to leave," the Spirit World Immortal declared.
"Are you certain that will be enough?" Chu Feng still harbored some doubts.
"Chu Feng, put your mind at ease. Do you know what the World Spirit Alliance is? It is the gathering place of Spirit World Masters. Granted, our generation may not rival the era of our founding ancestor, but in terms of defensive capability, the Alliance ranks among the very best in the entire Martial Sacred Land."
"Once the Grand Protective Formation is activated, absolutely no one will be able to force their way in. Furthermore, the Alliance has stockpiled all manner of supplies. Even if every person here were to remain within these walls for several thousand years, we would not run short of anything," the Left Heavenly Venerable explained.
Only then did Chu Feng fully grasp what the Spirit World Immortal and the Left Heavenly Venerable were getting at.
The Dark Hall had managed to infiltrate because it was, in truth, quite simple — all they had to do was abduct a disciple or elder of the World Spirit Alliance, and they could waltz right in. Once inside, the so-called defensive formation held no value whatsoever against them.
However, after this incident, the Spirit World Immortal intended to seal the Alliance off entirely. That way, the Dark Hall would have no avenue of infiltration. If they wanted to attack the World Spirit Alliance, they would have to do so head-on.
And it was clear that the Alliance's people placed enormous confidence in their Grand Protective Formation. Even if the Dark Hall returned in full force, they would not be afraid.
Still, the cost was obvious: the elders and disciples of the World Spirit Alliance would have to remain meekly within the bounds of their protective formation. To put it bluntly, they had been so terrified by the Dark Hall that they no longer dared set foot outside, reduced to cowering within the defensive arrays their ancestors had left behind. But for the World Spirit Alliance in its current state, this was the only way to preserve itself.