The reason was simple — Chu Zhiyuan was truly embarrassing.
Even if he was a first-grade Heavenly Immortal, it wouldn't matter. Even if he were a ninth-grade Heavenly Immortal, the moment he cultivated demonic arts and traded innocent lives for his cultivation, he would earn no one's respect.
Right now, not only did the Li Heavenly Clan look down on Chu Zhiyuan — even those who had just moments ago been loudly proclaiming him a hero of the Great Upper Realm now wore expressions of utter disgust.
"What on earth is going on?!"
At that moment, a furious shout suddenly rang out.
It was Chu Hanpeng. And his roar was directed at Chu Zhiyuan's grandfather.
Clearly, he too had just learned that Chu Zhiyuan had cultivated demonic arts — and it was something he absolutely could not tolerate.
"Lord Hanpeng, I had no idea! I didn't know when Zhiyuan started practicing this kind of technique!" Chu Zhiyuan's grandfather panicked, then pointed at Chu Zhiyuan and bellowed, "You good-for-nothing — who taught you this art?!"
"Grandfather, this isn't demonic art! It's just a forbidden medicine! I only took a special forbidden pill! I've never killed the innocent!"
With Chu Zhiyuan now restrained, he had actually regained his composure. Sensing that things had taken a turn for the worse, he hurried to explain himself.
But no one believed a word of it.
After all, there were far too many renowned figures present. These great powers could easily distinguish whether the force Chu Zhiyuan had been channeling came from a forbidden pill or from demonic cultivation.
They all knew Chu Zhiyuan was lying — just grasping at straws.
But out of consideration for the Chu Heavenly Clan's face, none of them bothered to call him out.
"Not only did he cultivate demonic arts, but he even lies about it without shame. No wonder such a shameless person would impersonate someone else and claim he sabotaged the Upper Realm Gate's main formation."
"Still, compared to that one, that fellow called Chu Feng is actually nothing more than a coward."
"Back inside the Upper Realm Gate, he was putting on quite the grand show. And now look at him — hiding like a turtle with its head tucked in."
"The Chu Heavenly Clan is truly nothing to write home about." It was Li Tianyou who spoke, his voice dripping with mockery.
"And who told you that I, Chu Feng, am a coward?"
Just then, a voice suddenly exploded from the direction of the crowd.
The moment that voice rang out, Chu Hanpeng, Chu Zhiyuan, Chu Ruoshi, Chu Xuan Zhengfa — every member of the Chu Heavenly Clan, every person from the Great Upper Realm, everyone present — their expressions shifted.
The crowd turned toward the voice, and their faces changed drastically.
There, among the crowd, they had spotted a figure.
It was none other than Chu Feng.
"Heavens — that's Chu Feng! That's Chu Feng!"
"Chu Feng — you're not dead?!"
Seeing Chu Feng, everyone felt a wave of disbelief.
Those who cared about him, like Chu Xuan Zhengfa, were so moved they scrambled to their feet.
But people like Chu Zhiyuan, Chu Ruoshi, Chu Zhiyuan's grandfather, and Chu Haoyan's grandfather — they were starting to panic.
In their minds, Chu Feng should have been dead for certain. How was he still alive?
And if Chu Feng was alive — didn't that mean the young generation of the Li Heavenly Clan was telling the truth?
Was it really Chu Feng who had entered the Upper Realm Gate and sabotaged the main formation, delaying the gate's opening?
"Chu Feng — weren't you supposed to be dead? How are you alive again?"
At that moment, numerous people began peppering Chu Feng with questions.