"Among these juniors, the strongest should be Chu Qing. But if he can't participate in the next Martial Convention of Prodigies, then he's no threat to me. I won't need to worry about him."
"But the most threatening ones — Chu Ruoshi and Song Yunfei — were already Rank Seven True Immortals two years ago. Who knows if they've already stepped into Rank Eight True Immortals by now?"
"Even if they haven't reached Rank Eight True Immortals yet, they might very well break through before the next Martial Convention of Prodigies begins."
"Even if I assume their cultivation is merely at Rank Eight True Immortals, I only have one year left. It will be extremely difficult for me to surpass them within a single year."
"After all, they are genuine geniuses of the Great Thousand Upper Realm. Chu Xianshuo can't even begin to compare with them," Chu Feng said.
"So are you just going to give up? Not planning to participate in the Martial Convention of Prodigies at all?" the Queen asked.
"Of course I'm not giving up. No matter what, I'll give it my all. But I'll decide whether or not to participate based on my actual strength."
"If I'm not going to participate, then fine. But if I do participate, I must make a stunning impression," Chu Feng said.
"That's right — that's exactly the right attitude. If your strength still hasn't caught up to theirs by the time the next Martial Convention of Prodigies begins, then don't participate. Just wait for the one after that."
"If that one doesn't work out either, then wait for the next one after that. You're still young and your talent is extraordinary — sooner or later you'll catch up to them and surpass them."
"In any case, as far as this Queen can tell, no matter what abilities those people may have, none of them are your equal. Surpassing them is just a matter of time," the Queen said with absolute confidence in Chu Feng.
While the two were discussing this, Chu Feng had already drawn close to the Barrier Immortal Domain. He could finally see its true appearance.
The Barrier Immortal Domain was a vast, boundless sea of forests. Occasional mountain ranges rose from within the woodland, but what was most striking was deep in the heart of the Barrier Immortal Domain — a colossal mountain range that pierced straight toward the heavens, an utterly breathtaking sight.
The mountain range was not only enormous but impossibly tall, stretching through the clouds. What could be seen below the cloud layer was merely the tip of the iceberg.
Of course, as a Spirit World Master, the clouds were no obstacle to Chu Feng's vision, so he could see the full extent of the range above the cloud layer as well.
And yet, even above the clouds, this mountain range still towered to an absurd height. It was so tall that it seemed to reach beyond the heavens themselves.
This mountain range was truly too magnificent and wondrous. At a single glance, it resembled an impossibly grand stairway ascending to the sky — a sight to leave anyone in awe.
Beyond that awe-inspiring mountain range that reached toward the heavens, the rest of the Barrier Immortal Domain held equally strange and beautiful scenery. The trees in the forests were all peculiar — some soared so high their crowns nearly brushed the clouds, while others shimmered with an ethereal glow.
And through the forest, exotic flocks of birds and white cranes flew past in pairs from time to time, lending the entire area a dreamlike, otherworldly quality — a true immortal paradise.
Even in the Great Thousand Upper Realm, where beauty could be found at every turn, this scenery was enough to fill Chu Feng with a sense of wonder and delight.
"Something's off."
However, as he drew closer, Chu Feng's brows furrowed, a look of confusion surfacing in his eyes.
He had discovered that the Barrier Immortal Domain was surrounded by a protective barrier — one that extended from the sky deep into the earth, sealing off the entire domain. There was simply no way in.
Yet the Master of the Immortal Armament Villa had told him that the Barrier Immortal Domain had no protective barrier and could be entered freely.
"Are those... the Ancient Snake Clan?"
But then Chu Feng quickly noticed that there was, in fact, a gateway in the barrier on the outer edge of the Barrier Immortal Domain. And standing outside that gateway were several figures.
No — "figures" was not quite accurate. Though they had the appearance of humans, they did not truly look human.
They were thin, yet extraordinarily tall — over ten meters in height — with a gaunt, reed-like build, like living bamboo poles.
And although their bodies were otherwise human, their skin was covered in blue scales. Looking closely, the sight was genuinely unsettling.
Compared to them, that snake-tailed little girl he had seen before actually looked downright adorable.