After passing through the barrier gate, Chu Feng did not immediately enter the Crouching Dragon Dungeon.
Instead, he sensed a peculiar formation surge into his body and then quickly withdraw.
Only after that formation had left his body did Chu Feng step out through the barrier gate.
Once outside, he found himself standing inside what appeared to be the gaping maw of some colossal beast.
He could see enormous fangs, and he could see a writhing tongue.
The hardest thing to endure, however, was the putrid stench that assaulted his nostrils.
Everything here was far too massive.
It felt as though he were a mere speck of dust that had drifted into the mouth of a giant creature by accident.
Chu Feng was simply too small.
But Chu Feng had no mind to dwell on his surroundings. He had already activated his Heavenly Eyes and was nervously surveying the area around him.
This was the eleventh layer of the Crouching Dragon Dungeon — a place notorious as a death sentence.
What Chu Feng needed to watch out for was the danger lurking here.
"Chu Feng, can you not open the barrier gate yet?"
Yu Sha's voice sounded in Chu Feng's ear.
She was worried about him and wanted to go out to protect him.
"Can your power be used by me?" Chu Feng asked in return.
"No. Although I can share your sight and hearing, my power cannot be transferred to you," Yu Sha replied.
"It's the Crouching Dragon Soul Armor — it's the thing binding your power."
"Your power is still there, but I have no way to use it, and I can't open the Spirit Gate to let you display your abilities yourself."
"That Crouching Dragon Soul Armor is as if it were done on purpose. Barrier techniques work just fine, but it specifically won't allow you to lend me your strength."
Chu Feng said with a bitter smile.
Yu Sha felt equally helpless. Chu Feng was now trapped in a perilous situation, yet she could do nothing to help him.
She glanced toward Egg, who was in closed-door cultivation, and felt even more guilt stir within her heart.
She had already promised Egg that she would take good care of Chu Feng.
"Here it comes…"
Chu Feng's gaze turned grave.
He had sensed a dangerous aura.
It was heat — a wave of scorching warmth began rising within the dungeon, surging toward Chu Feng.
The heat wave was visible to the naked eye, fierce and violent.
Though it would not set his clothes ablaze, it launched an assault on him — attacking not only his physical body but also his soul.
The sensation was nearly unbearable. Though Chu Feng did not cry out, once the heat wave swept over him, his fists clenched tight and his features twisted in agony.
But after a moment, Chu Feng actually broke into a smile.
"So that's how it is. Yu Sha, don't worry — I won't die here."
"Oh? Did you discover something?" Yu Sha asked.
"There's no avoiding the torture in this place, but before I entered, a formation ran a check on me."
"The punishment here is calibrated to the offender's cultivation level."
"As long as the punishment doesn't exceed what my cultivation can handle, I can endure it."
"Really?" Yu Sha was still worried.
"Not a problem at all. There may be plenty of things I, Chu Feng, am not particularly strong at, but when it comes to enduring suffering — I haven't met my match yet."
Chu Feng endured the pain and actually let out a triumphant laugh.
Yet hearing Chu Feng say something like that only made Yu Sha's heart ache more.
The implication was clear — Chu Feng had been through countless trials and torments on his journey thus far.
He had not been born with a hide tough as iron. Rather, he had endured so much that his willpower had been forged far beyond what ordinary people possessed.
It was precisely that willpower. Once a martial cultivator reached a certain realm, so long as their soul remained intact, even a shattered body could be rapidly restored.
Thus, for martial cultivators, the physical body was no longer the most important thing — the soul was what mattered most.
As long as the soul endured, the warrior could not die.
And the soul was closely tied to one's willpower. Those with unwavering resolve invariably possessed comparatively formidable souls.