"It's nothing. I was just zoning out."
Chu Feng didn't tell the truth.
Because regarding the Blood-Red Ancient Pagoda, his father had warned Zi Ling to keep it a secret from everyone, no exceptions.
So Zi Ling had only told Chu Feng. Even the Sect Master didn't know what was going on, and she herself couldn't sense the existence of the Blood-Red Ancient Pagoda.
Everyone truly believed that Zi Ling had simply fallen ill with some strange affliction.
"Zi Ling, just now… a mysterious presence inside your body spoke to me."
"I believe it's very likely the existence within that Blood-Red Ancient Pagoda."
Although Chu Feng didn't reveal the truth publicly, he secretly transmitted his voice to Zi Ling.
"There's a mysterious presence inside the Blood-Red Ancient Pagoda?"
Upon receiving Chu Feng's secret transmission, Zi Ling maintained a calm facade on the surface, but the voice she used to reply to Chu Feng couldn't hide her tension.
Clearly, she hadn't discovered this before.
Seeing that Zi Ling was unaware of this, Chu Feng found himself troubled.
This meant that Zi Ling hadn't yet gained the approval of the Blood-Red Ancient Pagoda — otherwise, it wouldn't have bypassed communicating with her altogether.
And in Chu Feng's view, this matter was a double-edged sword.
The good part was that since it was a sentient being, communication was possible. After all, everything could be negotiated as long as you offered it what it wanted.
And from the looks of it, soul power… seemed to be what the Blood-Red Ancient Pagoda wanted.
But precisely because it was a sentient being, things could also become thorny.
After all, there was no way to determine whether this existence was good or evil. If its nature was benevolent, that would be one thing — but what if it was malicious? Then Zi Ling would be in grave danger.
Setting aside the possibility that failing to earn its approval would kill her, even if she did gain approval, she could very well become its puppet.
Though the true nature of the existence within the Blood-Red Ancient Pagoda couldn't be determined, at the very least, the current situation was unfavorable to Zi Ling.
Afterward, Chu Feng kept holding Zi Ling. Given their relationship, no one found it suspicious — everyone assumed that since Zi Ling's condition was serious, it was only natural for Chu Feng to stay by her side.
In reality, however, Chu Feng was using the physical contact with Zi Ling to attempt communication with the Blood-Red Ancient Pagoda inside her Dantian.
Unfortunately, no matter how he tried, there was no response.
If leaving the Wolong Martial Cultivation Sect had left him with a sliver of hope, then on the way back, his mood was crushingly heavy.
Zi Ling was the one Chu Feng loved most — one of the people he most wanted to protect, and the very reason he sought to grow stronger.
Now that she faced this situation and he was utterly powerless to help, that sense of helplessness transformed into enormous pressure bearing down on his shoulders.
In truth, it wasn't just Chu Feng who was weighed down. Both Duan Liufeng and the Sect Master wore no smiles on their faces.
Even the Wolong chief — normally a chatterbox — was tactful enough to quiet down considerably.
Amid this oppressive atmosphere, Chu Feng and his group still managed to return safely to the Wolong Martial Cultivation Sect.
But the moment they stepped out of the teleportation formation, even on the Sect Master's face, the strain was plainly visible.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Purple lightning filled the sky, roaring and rumbling.
The bolts had drawn closer to the earth, and their number had multiplied several times over, as though they might annihilate everything on the surface at any moment.
The Great Calamity had indeed grown more fearsome.
Beyond just the thunder itself, uneasy murmurs — even the frightened crying of some disciples — echoed throughout every corner of the Wolong Martial Cultivation Sect.
The crisis brought by the Great Calamity had plunged the entire sect into panic.
"Brother Chu Feng, your body."
Zi Ling spoke up in surprise.
Only then did Chu Feng and the others notice that a layer of purple aura had appeared around his body. The glow was unmistakable, resonating in tandem with the purple lightning in the sky above.
Chu Feng finally understood why, back in the Wolong Selection Formation, that mysterious existence had said— If he wanted to save Zi Ling, he didn't need to do anything special. All he had to do was remove the Wolong Soul Armor.
It turned out that once the Wolong Soul Armor was removed, his connection to the Great Calamity would manifest for all to see. Even if people hadn't believed Chu Feng came through the Wolong Selection Formation before, they wouldn't be able to deny it now.
And if Chu Feng succeeded in breaking through the Great Calamity, naturally… he would earn the Sect Master's recognition.
Unfortunately, things weren't going to be that simple.
Chu Feng raised his head and gazed at the Great Calamity looming in the sky above, his emotions surging.
When he had first entered the Wolong Martial Cultivation Sect, he never imagined things would develop to this point.
But regardless, this was something he had to face.
"Chu Feng, this calamity arose because of you."