Hum—
Just as Chu Feng was growing increasingly worried, the Emperor Gate suddenly trembled once more. The tremor was remarkably similar to the one that had accompanied the appearance of the three hundred waves of imperial pressure before — the only difference being that this time, the tremor was a bit more severe.
Though everything had happened in the span of a heartbeat, Chu Feng's heart sank. Instinctively, he sensed that things were going poorly, yet he still refused to retreat. He simply did not want to squander this opportunity for nothing.
By now, even though he no longer had any confidence of success, he still wanted to give it one last try.
Rumble—
However, in the very next moment, a sight that filled Chu Feng with elation unfolded before him — after that tremor, the Emperor Gate actually swung open.
The instant the gate opened, Chu Feng was seized by a peculiar sensation. It was as though he had been standing on the edge of a ten-thousand-zhang cliff, with some invisible force pushing him forward, ready to plummet into certain doom — and then, right at the precipice, a great road had suddenly materialized.
The catch was that this road hung suspended in midair, and Chu Feng had no way of telling whether it was real or illusory.
Would it truly carry him safely across to the other side, allowing him to claim the treasure within? Or would it collapse in the very next instant, sending him tumbling into the abyss all the same?
In other words, though the opening of the Emperor Gate had filled Chu Feng with tremendous joy and a flicker of hope, that was all it was — a flicker. He had no way of knowing whether what lay beyond the gate was Qingxuantian's inheritance… or yet another trial.
Hum—
But just as Chu Feng's mind churned with a tangle of thoughts, a dazzling radiance burst forth from within the Emperor Gate. In moments, that brilliance swallowed everything around it.
And as the light gradually faded, Chu Feng realized he was now standing in an entirely different world.
This was no longer the Emperor Burial. Above him stretched a clear blue sky dotted with white clouds, and beneath his feet lay an endless expanse of grassland.
A gentle breeze swept across the field, setting the blades of grass dancing. From somewhere in the distance came the chirping of birds and the fragrance of blossoms — a scene brimming with life.
"It seems I've struck it lucky."
At last, a look of ease settled onto Chu Feng's face, and the heart that had been clenched tight in his chest finally loosened — if only by half.
He knew he was standing in a special space — a unique illusory realm. It was special precisely because it was both illusory and real at the same time.
Most importantly, in the distance upon the grassland, there stood a solitary figure with hands clasped behind his back.
The figure wore a plain robe of unremarkable material, the sort an ordinary peasant might wear. Yet on this man, it carried an air of extraordinary distinction — as though even among billions, one would spot him in an instant.
That distinction was not in his clothing or his appearance, but in the bearing that radiated outward from within.
The figure stood with his back to Chu Feng, so his face was hidden. All that could be seen was a cascade of ink-black hair tumbling down like a waterfall to his waist.
This was a man of wild, unrestrained spirit — and one of supreme, transcendent power. If Chu Feng's guess was correct, this should be the legendary Qingxuantian, renowned throughout the Eastern Sea and hailed on the Martial Sacred Land as the strongest being since the ancient era.
"Younger generation Chu Feng greets Senior Qingxuantian." At last, having met the master of the Emperor Burial and the master of the Four Great Secret Techniques, Chu Feng did not dare show the slightest discourtesy. He cupped his fists and bowed toward that silhouetted figure.
"No matter who you are, no matter whether you are man or woman — the fact that you have made it here speaks to your exceptional aptitude."
"I am Qingxuantian. I do not know whether anyone in this world still remembers my name, but everything I learned and achieved came from this land. Since I must depart, it is only right that I return it to this land, for the benefit of those who come after."
As Qingxuantian spoke those words, he swept his great sleeve forward, and before Chu Feng, four towering gates appeared one after another.