"Don't be afraid. I'm the same as you — an enemy of the Kong Heavenly Clan." Just then, that gloomy voice sounded once more.
This time, Chu Feng had already pinpointed the direction the voice was coming from, but even with his Heavenly Eye — such a powerful observation technique — he still couldn't make out a single figure from where the voice originated.
"Who exactly are you? Why did you say I'm an enemy of the Kong Heavenly Clan?" Chu Feng asked in a firm voice.
"So you're saying you're not an enemy of the Kong Heavenly Clan? If that's the case, then I can't let you leave alive." With those words, the voice rang out yet again.
Only this time, what accompanied the voice was a thick wave of killing intent and a terrifying pressure. That pressure was overwhelming — in an instant, it shrouded Chu Feng completely.
Under that pressure, Chu Feng was like a falling leaf caught in a violent gale, utterly powerless to resist.
"A True Immortal?" Chu Feng's instinct told him that the other party's strength was at least that of a True Immortal.
And this one wasn't some construct of a formation — he was a real, living person.
No — to be precise, he was no longer merely human. A cultivator who had reached the True Immortal realm had already surpassed the limits of humanity. He was an immortal, a living immortal, standing before Chu Feng.
But this was the Kong Heavenly Clan's inheritance site. If someone was already here, then why had the treasures within remained untouched and intact?
Could it be that this person, much like Grandmaster Kai Hong, had discovered this place but had no intention of taking the treasures, leaving them for someone else?
But that didn't add up — because this person had just declared himself an enemy of the Kong Heavenly Clan and was now harboring killing intent toward Chu Feng.
"Don't misunderstand. I wasn't an enemy of the Kong Heavenly Clan before, but as things stand now, I effectively am," Chu Feng said.
"Why do you say that?" the voice asked.
"Because I've already taken the treasures here, which is essentially robbing them of their inheritance. I'm certain that once they find out, they will never let me off," Chu Feng continued to explain.
It wasn't that Chu Feng had gone soft in the face of a True Immortal — what he said was simply the truth.
"Say that from the start and save us the trouble! No need to force my hand. That's exactly how I see it — with the Kong Heavenly Clan's petty and narrow-minded nature, they would absolutely never let you go."
The voice spoke again, and the killing intent dissipated with it, though the pressure still held Chu Feng in place, cutting off his path of retreat.
"Senior, you don't want to let me go. It seems you have something to say to me. Would you be willing to show yourself?" Chu Feng asked.
"Kid, you seem like a smart one. If you're smart, then you should think about why I'm not showing my face to you," the voice replied.
"Could it be that you're unable to appear?" Chu Feng asked.
"That's right. Right now, I am not free to act as I please," the voice answered.
"Then may I ask who you are, and how you came to be in this place?" Chu Feng pressed further.
"My name is one you've definitely heard before, so I'd advise you to brace yourself — because I'm afraid that once I say it, you'll be frightened out of your wits." The voice was rather smug as it spoke.
"Who does this guy think he is? He's far too full of himself," the Queen snorted with a look of disdain on her face.
Chu Feng, however, wore a courteous smile. "Please, do tell, Senior."
"My name is Ying Mingchao — Lord of Hero City!" the voice declared.
"Ying Mingchao? Hero City?" Hearing those words, Chu Feng's expression froze, because he genuinely had never heard either name before.
"Kid, what kind of face is that? Don't tell me you've never heard of my name!" Seeing Chu Feng's blank expression, the voice grew agitated. It was obvious the speaker had realized that Chu Feng might not know who he was.
The problem was, he'd already talked himself up. If Chu Feng truly had no idea who he was, he'd have nowhere to hide his embarrassment.
At that moment, Chu Feng couldn't help but let out an awkward, wry laugh. "To be honest with you, Senior, I'm not a native of the Hundred Refinements Mortal Realm. I've only been here a very short while, so I know very little about the people and affairs of this realm."
"Oh, so that's it — you're a junior from the Upper Realm. No wonder, no wonder. In that case, it's perfectly understandable that you wouldn't know who I am." The one calling himself Ying Mingchao had already concluded that Chu Feng was from the Upper Realm.
Chu Feng didn't bother correcting him and instead asked, "Then would you be willing to tell me about yourself, Senior?"
"Naturally, no problem at all!" Ying Mingchao was quite forthcoming, and he immediately began recounting his story to Chu Feng.