BOOM—
But just then, a vast and terrifying power suddenly appeared, forcibly scattering the force Chu Feng had been using to besiege Hunlian.
In that instant, Chu Feng's brow furrowed sharply, for he discovered with shock that a figure had appeared before Hunlian — and it was this person who had shattered his attack.
The figure had a head of pure white hair, yet wore a long black robe. He was skeletal thin, his face a mass of deep wrinkles.
He was ancient. Chu Feng couldn't even begin to tell how many years this man had lived.
He was the kind of person who, at a single glance, looked like a desiccated corpse that had just crawled out of a coffin — utterly terrifying.
This was clearly an old monster whose lifespan had long since run out, perhaps even one who had already surpassed his natural limit long ago and was only kept alive through some extraordinary means.
And from this man, Chu Feng sensed a malevolence several times denser than Hunlian's — which most likely meant he was also a member of the Soul Infant Sect.
But this man's strength was absolutely not to be underestimated. Through the power of the Grand Formation of Slaughter, Chu Feng could sense that this was a Ninth Grade Martial Ancestor — a true peak Martial Ancestor, just one step away from becoming a True Immortal.
Beyond the suffocating malevolence, the man's killing intent was even more terrifying. The moment he appeared, the sky turned dark and the earth seemed to quake. That horrifying killing intent blanketed the area, sending a bone-deep chill through every person present.
"Heavens — could that be the legendary Ghost Fiend Old Demon?!"
Suddenly, an elderly onlooker pointed at the old man standing before Hunlian and cried out in alarm. As he spoke, his face was twisted in terror, and even his voice trembled.
"What? The Ghost Fiend Old Demon — that's him?"
"The Ghost Fiend Old Demon is still alive?!"
"Run, everyone — run!!!"
Once the man's identity was confirmed, many among the crowd grew visibly tense. More than a few were so frightened they began to tremble, turning on their heels and fleeing at once, their fear of the so-called Ghost Fiend Old Demon laid bare for all to see.
"Master! Master, save me!" Upon seeing the old man, Hunlian was both startled and overjoyed, crying out for help as though he'd just grasped a lifeline.
"Look at you — what a pathetic sight. What are you panicking for?"
"With your Master here, no one will lay a finger on you again." The Ghost Fiend Old Demon turned and shot Hunlian a glare, tinged with that particular frustration of a teacher disappointed in his student.
Though Hunlian's face flushed with shame under that stare, he did manage to steady his mind, no longer in the same state of panic as before.
"So that's it — no wonder Hunlian is so vicious. He's actually… the Ghost Fiend Old Demon's disciple!!!"
"Young friend Chu Feng, flee quickly! The Ghost Fiend Old Demon is not someone you can afford to provoke!"
"Chu Feng, get out of here!!!"
Once the crowd learned that Hunlian was the Ghost Fiend Old Demon's disciple, many began secretly sending voice transmissions to Chu Feng. Even Xu Yiyi and Song Biyu quietly warned him.
And their words were thick with tension and unease.
From the discussions around him, Chu Feng had already pieced together who this so-called Ghost Fiend Old Demon actually was.
The Ghost Fiend Old Demon was a notorious figure in the Hundred Refinements Realm. True to his name, he was no good man — a vicious, bloodthirsty demon of the highest order.
However, he had seemingly vanished for a hundred years, so his reappearance was naturally shocking.
But alongside the shock came fear, for the Ghost Fiend Old Demon's reputation for ferocity was simply too great. He was the kind who possessed overwhelming strength and used it to commit every manner of evil.
He was a being just one step from becoming a True Immortal.
Faced with such an existence, it was no wonder some of the onlookers were scrambling to flee — they were terrified of being dragged into the crossfire.
Chu Feng, however, was not afraid. From the crowd's discussions and his own observations, he could almost certainly conclude that while the Ghost Fiend Old Demon's cultivation was formidable, he was not someone who possessed heaven-defying combat power.
In other words, his cultivation was Ninth Grade Martial Ancestor, and his true fighting strength was also Ninth Grade Martial Ancestor.
For Chu Feng, who carried two crystal giants within him and commanded the Grand Formation of Slaughter, such a Ghost Fiend Old Demon was… not something to fear. At the very least — Chu Feng had the strength to fight him.
"Chu Feng… why isn't he running?"