At the final stage of the Martial Mark Fairy Realm, nearly everyone knew that the Martial Marks were hidden within the wind and sand high in the sky. So when a hundred people were gathered in one place, competition for the Martial Marks was inevitable — and it grew increasingly fierce.
Sure enough, even Xia Yu, Qiu Zhu, and Dongxue — the three disciples of the Ethereal Fairy — had gotten into a conflict, and their opponents were no pushovers. They were none other than Murong Xun's younger sister, Murong Wan, and her four bodyguards.
Eight beautiful women clashed against one another, neither side yielding an inch, fighting with vicious intensity. Their battle attracted quite a few onlookers passing by.
*Buzz!* But just as the fight reached a stalemate, a brilliant light suddenly blossomed in the distance. It illuminated the Martial Mark Fairy Realm — already shrouded in night — until it was as bright as day.
This sudden change drew everyone's attention. Even those in the midst of fighting to the death, including Xia Yu and Murong Wan, temporarily halted their battle and turned their gaze toward the source of the light.
And the moment they looked, every person present was stunned — because soaring skyward was a colossal pillar of light, and inscribed upon it were four enormous characters: Gestation Palace.
"The Gestation Palace? This legendary thing actually appeared?!" Upon seeing those four characters, Xia Yu and her two sisters' eyes immediately lit up. Others might not know what the Gestation Palace was, but they certainly did.
*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!* Without a word, the three exchanged a glance, launched themselves into the air, and shot toward the Gestation Palace at full speed.
"My lady, why did they leave?" Seeing Xia Yu and the others depart, Murong Wan's subordinates quickly seized the Martial Marks from the battlefield and presented them to Murong Wan, asking in confusion.
Although Murong Wan was young, she was no fool. She crushed the Martial Marks her subordinates had captured and said in a low voice, "That pillar of light is extraordinary. Whatever it is, if it could make Xia Yu and the others abandon even the Martial Marks and fly straight toward it, something good must be waiting there. Stay close to me — we can't let them get the advantage."
With that, Murong Wan leaped into the air, her skirt fluttering as she gave chase.
Meanwhile, throughout the Martial Mark Fairy Realm, every person who wasn't gravely injured and could still move freely was drawn by the pillar of light, sprinting toward it with all their might.
At this very moment, Chunwu stood before the pillar of light, her face flushed with panic. "This is terrible! Why is the Gestation Palace doing this? Isn't this just going to draw everyone in the Martial Mark Fairy Realm over here?"
"Damn it — where's the entrance? I have to get in first, or I'll lose the advantage!" Worry gnawing at her, Chunwu began searching carefully for a way to enter directly.
But the pillar of light was not only blindingly bright — it also contained an impenetrable force. Even when Chunwu launched her strongest attacks against it, they had no effect whatsoever. This drove her to the edge of desperation.
"Senior Sister Chunwu, don't approach the pillar of light. The formation has already been activated. The reason it's like this is because the Gestation Palace is deliberately trying to lure everyone here. There's nothing you can do — you'll only waste your energy."
While Chunwu was drenched in sweat, racking her brain for a way inside, Chu Feng calmly circled the pillar of light, observing it.
Moreover, Chu Feng was using his Heaven's Eye to watch. The reason he could remain so composed was that his Heaven's Eye could perceive things invisible to ordinary people — and the pillar of light was no exception.
Where others might only see the four characters spelling "Gestation Palace," Chu Feng was different. He could also discern additional content and clues — which was precisely why he remained so calm.
"Junior Brother Wuqing, have you figured anything out? Is this truly the Gestation Palace? Or is it merely an eye-catching decoy or trap?" Chunwu asked curiously, watching Chu Feng study the pillar intently.
"It is indeed the Gestation Palace without a doubt. The entrance is right inside the pillar of light. However, the light won't dissipate for another two hours," Chu Feng explained.
"Then does that mean we really have to share everything inside the Gestation Palace with them? That's so unfair! You were the one who discovered it, and we opened it together — why should we have to share with everyone else?" Chunwu grumbled indignantly.
But Chu Feng kept his usual smile, not a trace of worry on his face, and simply said, "This is a arrangement set by the creator. They deliberately did it this way, and there's nothing we can do about it."
"Well..." Under these circumstances, Chunwu had no choice either. She could only sit down cross-legged and wait for the pillar of light to fade.
Before long, several figures came streaking through the sky, carrying such powerful auras that heaven and earth trembled violently. It was Zhan Feng and his group from the Ethereal Heavenly Peak who had arrived.
Upon reaching the scene and discovering that others had gotten there first, a flash of killing intent flickered through Zhan Feng's icy gaze. But when he saw Chunwu and Chu Feng standing outside the pillar of light looking equally helpless, a cold smirk curled across his lips. He then asked Chunwu, "Miss Chunwu, do you happen to know what this Gestation Palace is?"
"No idea." Chunwu shot Zhan Feng a venomous glare and refused to say another word.
Zhan Feng didn't mind Chunwu's attitude in the slightest — in fact, the more frustrated she was, the more certain he became that although she and Chu Feng had arrived first, they hadn't gained any real advantage. That was why she looked so displeased now that he had shown up.
*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…* Not long after Zhan Feng's arrival, several more figures came gliding in from the distance — it was Ya Fei and her group.
"Well, well — Wuqing, we really must be fated to meet. Running into you here of all places." Upon seeing Chu Feng, Ya Fei's expression brightened with delight. To her, it seemed Chu Feng himself was more captivating than the pillar of light.
"Ya Fei, what do you think you're doing? This is the Ethereal Heavenly Peak — I'd advise you not to cause any trouble here." At the sight of this, Chunwu immediately rose into the air and positioned herself between Ya Fei and Chu Feng, terrified that Ya Fei would try to harm him.
"My, my — you've already got someone protecting you, and such a pretty little thing at that. You've got quite the way with women, Wuqing," Ya Fei sneered. A mere Chunwu was not someone she took seriously.
"Ya Fei, it seems you have some grudge against this fellow called Wuqing. With me, Zhan Feng, here, there's no need for you to lift a finger. Watch me capture him and hand him over to you for whatever you wish!"
To everyone's surprise, when Zhan Feng saw Ya Fei's hostility toward Chu Feng, he actually stepped forward eagerly to ingratiate himself, offering to act on Ya Fei's behalf against Chu Feng.
But what Zhan Feng didn't expect was for Ya Fei to narrow her eyes slightly and let out a seductive laugh before declaring in a loud voice: "What a dog chasing mice — meddling in things that don't concern you."
"You…" Zhan Feng's face twisted with rage. He never imagined that his good-intentioned offer would result in Ya Fei humiliating him in front of so many people.
"Junior Sister Chunwu! Junior Brother Wuqing!!!" Just then, a sweet voice rang out from above. Turning toward the sound, they saw several figures streaking across the distant sky — it was Qiu Zhu, Xia Yu, Dongxue, and Murong Wan's group, all arriving at last.