At the very instant that voice boomed through the air, a figure stepped out from the void and came to stand beside Jiang Furong.
Upon seeing this person, every single person present — whether disciple or elder — was left utterly dumbstruck.
For a moment, it was as though everyone had turned to stone, rooted to the spot.
"Chu Feng — look, it's Chu Feng!!!"
"Chu Feng is back!!!"
It took quite a while before people finally reacted, and in that instant, the entire area erupted with overwhelming excitement and elation.
Chu Feng.
He was the very soul of the Greenwood Mountain.
Chu Feng.
He was a legend of the Greenwood Mountain.
Chu Feng.
He was the pride of every disciple and even every elder within the Greenwood Mountain.
Because everyone knew that the Greenwood Mountain's standing today was entirely thanks to Chu Feng.
"Chu Feng, you… you are Chu Feng."
The bald man and the four others behind him tensed visibly upon seeing Chu Feng. The bald man, who had been spouting provocations just moments ago, found himself involuntarily backing away.
Though they still could not perceive Chu Feng's cultivation, just looking at the man himself told them he was nothing ordinary.
That kind of presence was not something an ordinary person could possess. Even within their Heavenly Dao Palace, only the most elite disciples carried anything remotely similar — and even those top disciples fell far short when compared to Chu Feng.
"That would be me. Didn't you say my Greenwood Mountain had no one worth mentioning? Then by all means, allow me to show you what I'm capable of," Chu Feng said with a smile.
"Bring it on then. I might as well tell you — we came all this way to shatter those ridiculous rumors and let the world know that every tale about you, Chu Feng, is nothing but fiction."
As the bald man spoke, he released the half-complete Emperor Armament from Jiang Furong's grasp and produced his own half-complete Emperor Armament, preparing to strike at Chu Feng.
At the same time, the four behind him each drew their own half-complete Emperor Armaments as well, unleashing fierce auras of oppression. All four turned out to be Fourth Stage Half Emperors — disciples of the Heavenly Dao Palace who had indeed come well prepared.
Unfortunately for them, the opponent before them was none other than Chu Feng — a First Stage Martial Emperor.
Hum— Suddenly, a flash of light flickered through Chu Feng's eyes, and an overwhelming wave of oppressive might erupted outward, blanketing the entire region.
The moment that pressure manifested, the Heavenly Dao disciples' auras were instantly devoured, like a stream flowing into a vast ocean.
Even the sky, which had been clear and bright just a moment before, was suddenly wracked by howling winds and rolling dark clouds. The Heavenly Dao Palace disciples froze in place as though they had been petrified.
In that moment, forget about moving — they could not so much as breathe, completely suppressed under Chu Feng's crushing power.
"That aura… it's terrifying. Senior Brother Chu Feng — what level of cultivation does he actually possess?" Jiang Furong and the other Greenwood Mountain disciples were all stunned as well.
Though they could not determine Chu Feng's exact cultivation, they could feel the sheer magnitude of his oppressive might.
The Heavenly Dao Palace disciples did not even have the right to raise a hand in front of him.
"First Stage Martial Emperor — that aura is that of a First Stage Martial Emperor. Chu Feng has already become a First Stage Martial Emperor," a man suddenly spoke up.
Upon seeing who it was, the crowd was startled once more, for the speaker was none other than the Greenwood Mountain's Sect Master, Dugu Xingfeng.
"A First Stage Martial Emperor — the Sect Master himself said so. Chu Feng has actually become a First Stage Martial Emperor? Good heavens — doesn't that make him just as powerful as the Sect Master?"
"Are you out of your mind? Chu Feng single-handedly fought the clan leaders of the Four Great Emperor Clans and slew the Ximen Clan Leader."
"Chu Feng surpassed the Sect Master long ago. By now, forget the Four Great Emperor Clans' clan leaders — even their Supreme Elders would probably be no match for him."
Hum— However, just as everyone was still reeling from the revelation of Chu Feng's overwhelming power, he simply dismissed his pressure with a thought.
The turbulent sky returned to its previous calm in the blink of an eye, and even whether the weather turned cloudy or clear all came down to a single whim of Chu Feng's.