White light bathed heaven and earth, radiating an indescribable divinity.
The brilliance was so blinding that even the cultivators dared not open their eyes.
Fortunately, the light did not last long before it gradually began to fade.
But once the light dispersed, the people found that everyone around them was still there.
No one had moved from where they had been standing, yet the space they occupied had completely changed.
This was no longer the Fierce Beast Prison World. The terrifying black hurricanes were gone.
The place was immaculately clean — not a blade of grass or a single tree in sight. It was as though they stood within a world blanketed entirely by light, with nothing but white stretching as far as the eye could see.
Yet the feeling it evoked was one of profound tranquility, as if this were some holy sanctuary.
The Prison King was still there as well, though it too had been transformed into a white statue.
Though its appearance remained fearsome, for some reason, now that it had become a statue of pure white, the people no longer felt fear when gazing upon it. Instead, a sense of sacredness emanated from its form.
Most importantly, the Prison King's great maw was wide open, and within it stood a barrier gate.
And upon that barrier gate, four large characters squirmed and shifted.
The Wolong Phantom Palace!
Though it was merely a barrier gate, the aura it radiated was even more divine than before.
Simply beholding the gate was enough to send everyone into a state of excitement.
They could sense that the place beyond was no ordinary location.
Chu Feng, meanwhile, still stood atop the Prison King's head.
Though his figure was tiny in comparison, he occupied the highest point, like a sovereign presiding over this domain.
One more glance at Zuoqiu Yanliang, who was still weeping uncontrollably, having yet to pull himself out of his breakdown.
Who was the hero and who was the coward — every disciple now had their answer in their hearts.
"Junior Brother Chu Feng, where is this?"
"Wait — are we going to train separately?"
someone asked out of curiosity.
"This is the opportunity I spoke of."
"Wait a moment. Once you step through this barrier gate, you will enter the Phantom Palace."
Chu Feng pointed at the barrier gate inside the Prison King's mouth, then smiled and continued: "I have some good news for all of you, Senior Brothers and Sisters."
"As soon as we enter this barrier gate, we will each receive a certain benefit — one that will undoubtedly be superior to hunting within the Fierce Beast Prison World."
"Beyond that, there are trials within the Phantom Palace."
"If you can overcome the trials, not only will you receive even greater rewards, but you will also be able to leave this place ahead of schedule."
"If you fail to overcome the trials, it's no matter — there will be no punishment. You'll simply be trapped within the Phantom Palace until its power dissipates, at which point you can break free."
"In any case, there is no downside. At worst, you'll only be made to stay here a little longer."
Chu Feng said.
"So we just go straight in?"
"Junior Brother Chu Feng, since you understand so much about this, could you share a bit more with us?"
"How should we go about overcoming the trials within?"
one of the true disciples asked.
"Exactly, Junior Brother Chu Feng, tell us more."
"If we can break through the Phantom Palace and gain greater rewards, we will certainly never forget your kindness."
The other true disciples chimed in one after another.
"I won't hide anything from you. Here, while I can draw upon the Prison King's power, I can command everything."
"But once we enter the Wolong Phantom Palace, I will be no different from any of you — just an ordinary person."
"The trials each person faces within the Phantom Palace are different. I don't even know what kind of trial awaits me personally."
"So, Senior Brothers and Sisters, it's not that I'm unwilling to help you — I simply don't know what trials the Wolong Phantom Palace has in store for us."
"What I can say for certain is that this was left behind by our sect's founding ancestor. Regardless of whether we succeed or fail, simply being able to enter a place like this to train is already an honor."
"Because we are very likely the first batch of people since the founding of the Wolong Martial Sect to ever set foot inside the Wolong Phantom Palace."
Chu Feng said.
"The first batch?"
"It does seem like, before now, no one had ever even heard of a place called the Wolong Phantom Palace."
"Then we're incredibly amazing, aren't we?"
"Junior Brother Chu Feng, we have you to thank for this."
Though Chu Feng had provided them no direct assistance, the mere knowledge that they would be the first batch of people since the founding of the Wolong Martial Sect to enter this place sent them into a state of wild excitement. They even felt genuine gratitude toward Chu Feng from the bottom of their hearts.
An honor — this was truly an honor.