"As for the Outer Realm, I'm not entirely certain how to enter it either. However, I believe that whether one can enter the Outer Realm has nothing to do with cultivation—but it is connected to the Land of the Gods," the Elven King said.
"The Land of the Gods?" A glint flickered through Chu Feng's eyes. After a moment, he spoke: "It seems I have no choice but to make a trip to the Land of the Gods."
"Chu Feng, it would be best if you didn't go there—at least not now," the Elven King said.
"Why not?" Chu Feng asked.
"The dangers there are far beyond what you can imagine. I know your strength is formidable, but I would advise you not to go alone."
"When the time comes, I will accompany you," the Elven King said.
"Then I shall trouble Your Majesty," Chu Feng said.
"There is one more thing you must be mindful of, Chu Feng," the Elven King said.
"What is it?" Chu Feng asked.
"You must be careful of the Dark Hall," the Elven King said.
"The Dark Hall—Your Majesty, do you know who they truly are?" Chu Feng asked.
"I don't know who founded the Dark Hall, but I can confirm that it is an extremely dangerous faction."
"Many powerful figures in the Martial Saint Continent have already pledged themselves to them. The Yin Yang Immortal is one such example," the Elven King said.
"The Yin Yang Immortal?" Chu Feng had heard of the Yin Yang Immortal's great reputation, but he didn't know much about him—only that his strength surpassed both the Snow Hair Immortal and the Compass Immortal.
"Young friend Chu Feng, you surely still remember the Snow Hair Immortal," the Elven King said.
"Of course I remember. The Snow Hair Immortal has shown me kindness," Chu Feng said.
"Young friend Chu Feng, you truly remember only kindness and not grudges. The Snow Hair Immortal did help you, but she also harmed you, didn't she? She told me herself about the time she threw you into the Poison Valley," the Elven King said.
"Could it be that Your Majesty is close with the Snow Hair Immortal?" Chu Feng asked.
"The Snow Hair Immortal is an aloof and solitary person. She has very few friends, and I am one of them," the Elven King nodded.
"Do you know why the Snow Hair Immortal suddenly declared she would no longer intervene in your feud with the Four Great Imperial Clans during your most desperate hour? In truth, it was the Yin Yang Immortal who intervened," the Elven King continued.
"The Yin Yang Immortal intervened?" Chu Feng's brow furrowed slightly, though he didn't appear overly surprised. After all, the Dark Hall had been secretly helping the Four Great Imperial Clans against him from the very beginning. What he didn't understand was the relationship between the Yin Yang Immortal and the Snow Hair Immortal, so he asked: "Could it be that the Yin Yang Immortal and the Snow Hair Immortal are on very good terms?"
"Not especially close, but the Snow Hair Immortal once owed the Yin Yang Immortal a favor when she was younger. So even if she didn't want to help, she had no choice but to comply."
"Furthermore, it was the Snow Hair Immortal who told me that the Yin Yang Immortal had joined the Dark Hall. The Yin Yang Immortal had personally invited her to join as well, but she refused."
"If I'm not mistaken, the sixth-grade Martial Emperor who appeared at the Western Gate Imperial Clan that day was the Yin Yang Immortal himself," the Elven King said.
"No wonder." Chu Feng suddenly recalled how the binding formation that had restrained Baili Xuankong and the others had been extraordinarily powerful. Even he hadn't been able to break it quickly. Back then, he had known that a formidable Dragon Mark Spirit World Master had been helping the Four Great Imperial Clans.
And now, after hearing the Elven King's explanation, everything made sense. It had all been the work of the Yin Yang Immortal.
"The Yin Yang Immortal is just one of them. There are many other powerful figures on the Martial Saint Continent, and I suspect quite a few of them have already joined the Dark Hall."
"However, I don't yet know exactly who has joined. They operate from the shadows while we remain in the open."
"But once the Dark Hall launches a large-scale operation, they will be exposed. By then, I'm afraid everyone will be caught completely off guard," the Elven King said.
"The people of the Dark Hall once spoke of conquering the Martial Saint Continent. But conquest inevitably means war, and war inevitably means bloodshed. Given the Dark Hall's methods, this could very well become a catastrophe for the entire Martial Saint Continent," Chu Feng sighed.
"Young friend Chu Feng, you seem to know quite a great deal about this Dark Hall. Could it be that you know something more?" the Elven King asked.
()