The next morning, within the Wolong Martial Sect, several figures stood neatly in formation.
The East Dragon Hall, the West Tiger Hall, the South Phoenix Hall, and the North Xuan Hall.
Aside from those in seclusion or away from the sect, every elder and disciple had gathered.
Even the Sect Master and the Vice Sect Master had arrived early.
Yet Chu Feng, Duan Liufeng, and Zi Ling were still nowhere to be seen.
A measure of unease settled in the crowd. After all, the key figure for breaking through the tribulation today was Chu Feng. If he didn't show up, how were they supposed to overcome this crisis?
But seeing that the Sect Master herself said nothing, no one dared to ask. They could only wait patiently.
Until, at last, Chu Feng and Duan Liufeng appeared on the horizon — and the previously silent sea of people could contain itself no longer.
Chu Feng was being supported by Zi Ling as he walked over.
He looked extremely frail. His eye sockets were sunken, his lips dry, and he had visibly lost weight from his already lean frame.
Save for a faint golden luminescence flowing beneath his skin — lending him a somewhat unusual quality — Chu Feng's current state resembled that of a gravely ill man.
Could this Chu Feng bear the Wolong Celestial Formation?
Was he truly capable of it?
To say there was no worry would be a lie.
"How did the tempering go?" the Sect Master asked, turning to Duan Liufeng.
"The tempering went very smoothly."
"Sect Master, let me tell you — that's my brother Chu Feng. Anyone else wouldn't have been able to endure it."
Though Chu Feng looked utterly spent, whenever Duan Liufeng spoke of him, his words and his expression alike brimmed with pride.
Duan Liufeng was typically a man of few words, but whenever Chu Feng's name came up, it was as if he became an entirely different person.
Yet the Sect Master offered no comment on Duan Liufeng's praise. She simply glanced at Chu Feng, then withdrew her gaze.
She did not care whether Chu Feng was outstanding. She only cared whether his tempering had been a success.
The Vice Sect Master, on the other hand, had been staring at Chu Feng the entire time.
His gaze, though carefully restrained, did not escape the notice of Chu Feng, Duan Liufeng, and Zi Ling.
"If anyone dares cause trouble today, it does not matter who they are — I will not show mercy."
The Sect Master suddenly spoke. She did not look at anyone as she said it, keeping her eyes fixed straight ahead.
But Chu Feng and Duan Liufeng both understood — those words were directed at the Vice Sect Master.
The Vice Sect Master understood as well, of course, and withdrew his scrutinizing gaze from Chu Feng.
Whoosh— With a sweep of her enormous sleeve, the Sect Master brought forth two objects, one appearing on each side of her.
On the left was a square golden box hovering in midair, half a meter in diameter.
On the right was a scroll standing a full meter tall.
The scroll radiated an ancient aura and was exquisitely crafted. The talisman paper bearing a prohibition seal affixed to it was especially eye-catching.
Boom— The golden box opened, and in that instant, countless golden pills shot out like a meteor shower, streaming from within the box.
They then fell neatly into the hands of every elder and disciple present.
Virtually everyone received one — everyone except Chu Feng.
Clutching the pills, the disciples examined them closely, and the elders were no different.
In fact, their gazes were filled with reverence.
The pills were connected to today's activation of the Wolong Celestial Formation.
It was said that the founding ancestor had refined them personally.
They were meant to be used only today. Otherwise, no one would have been willing to swallow the pill — they would have kept it as a treasured keepsake.
"These golden pills have another name — the Celestial Formation Eye Pill. The pill itself serves as the formation's eye. Once consumed, every person among us will be linked to the Wolong Celestial Formation."
"This is, I believe, the first time any of you have seen this pill."
Here, the Sect Master turned her gaze toward the scroll sealed with the prohibition talisman.
"And this scroll — I trust this is also the first time you have all laid eyes on it."
"() This scroll was left behind by the founding ancestor."
"It is to be opened only when our Wolong Martial Sect faces a crisis of life and death."
"Now… our sect is engulfed by this catastrophic tribulation. We stand no more than a hair's breadth from the brink of annihilation."
At these words, gravity settled over every face in the crowd.
"All of you hail from the Ancestral Martial Star River, yet each of you comes from a different world. To have gathered here and become part of the Wolong Martial Sect is both a tremendous stroke of fate and a testament to your excellence."
"But regardless of all that, once you are members of the Wolong Martial Sect, you share in its glory and its shame."
"Today, it is true that Chu Feng will be the one to break through the tribulation."
"But the ones who activate the Wolong Celestial Formation — that is us."
"Today, we must hold nothing back and give everything we have, pouring our full strength into activating the Wolong Celestial Formation."
"Therefore, today, the one who breaks through this tribulation is not Chu Feng alone — it is every member of our Wolong Martial Sect."
"Are you all prepared? Have you made your resolve?"
The Sect Master's words fell.
And what erupted in response was a sound more thunderous than any thunderclap.
"We are willing to live and die with the Wolong Martial Sect!"
"We are willing to live and die with the Wolong Martial Sect!!"
…
Hearing that deafening roar reverberate across the heavens, a rare smile graced the Sect Master's face.
It was a smile of deep satisfaction.
Then she turned to Chu Feng.
"Chu Feng, today, I am rallying the full strength of this sect to aid you."
"Do not let our people down."