A wave of despair washed over the entire Wolong Martial Sect.
Many had collapsed to the ground like deflated balls, lacking even the strength to stand.
The strain of activating the Wolong Celestial God Formation had been immense. Though none had pushed beyond their limits the way the Sect Master had, everyone had still paid a tremendous price.
Earlier, when they believed the tribulation had been resolved, their spirits had soared high enough to keep them going.
But now, discovering that the tribulation had not been broken after all, their morale plummeted and their endurance crumbled in an instant. Many could no longer even get to their feet.
"Chu Feng, this tribulation was brought about by you, and it ought to be ended by you as well."
"Today, the Sect Master mobilized the full power of the sect to activate the Wolong Celestial God Formation, all to lend you a hand — yet you still failed to break it."
"Tell me, how do you intend to bear the blame for this?"
The Vice Sect Master pointed at Chu Feng, his voice sharp with fury.
Seeing the Vice Sect Master like this, the elders and disciples were all somewhat stunned.
The Vice Sect Master held an exalted position, but in his usual dealings with people he was kind and fair. He had always administered affairs impartially and had seldom made things difficult for disciples or elders.
This was the first time anyone had seen the Vice Sect Master treat someone with such severity.
Still, most felt it was understandable.
The tribulation had indeed been caused by Chu Feng — that was a fact.
Whether intentional or not, Chu Feng was undeniably the one responsible.
"Now is not the time for this."
But just then, the Sect Master — who had been warning Chu Feng all along — did not vent her anger on him.
Instead, after glancing up at the tribulation that blotted out the sky, she turned her gaze to Zi Ling.
"Zi Ling, help me to my feet."
At the Sect Master's words, Zi Ling hurried to comply.
Once the Sect Master had risen, she took the scroll into her own hands.
She tore away the prohibition talisman directly, then unfurled the scroll.
Hummmm— A beam of light shot straight up into the void.
At this sight, all the elders and disciples hastily dropped to their knees, gazing up at the sky in a posture of prostration, their eyes filled with reverence.
That was… something left behind by the sect's founding ancestor, an artifact that could only be opened when the Wolong Martial Sect faced mortal peril.
The light soared heavenward and quickly formed several lines of large characters that hovered above the void.
But once the disciples clearly read those words, they exchanged bewildered glances, their faces masks of disbelief.
Even in the Sect Master's eyes, a look of despair surfaced.
…………
I established the Wolong Martial Sect for the purpose of cultivating supreme powerhouses who could save the martial cultivation world from its darkest hour.
Yet alas, I never did wait long enough for such a person to appear.
Disheartened, I had considered disbanding the sect — but seeing how dearly the disciples cherished it, I could not bring myself to do so.
And so I set the tribulation as a test.
The tribulation's difficulty is very low. Under normal circumstances, it should be broken with ease.
But if the day comes when even such a trivial tribulation cannot be overcome, it means the Wolong Martial Sect no longer has any reason to exist.
Since you have opened this scroll, I believe… that moment has already arrived.
Disciples of this sect, hear my command: the Wolong Martial Sect is hereby dissolved. Go your separate ways and do not linger, for this tribulation is no empty threat. When it falls, you too will be obliterated without a trace.
…………
That was the content of the scroll.
No one had ever imagined that at this hour of life and death, the scroll they believed could save them would contain something like this.
Yet those words also laid bare the founding ancestor's disappointment.
Were they truly so weak in their generation that they could not withstand what even the founding ancestor had called a minor tribulation?
If the Wolong Martial Sect, with its tens of thousands of years of legacy, was truly dissolved because of them, did that not make them the worst sinners in the sect's history?
But if anyone bore the title of sinner, then Chu Feng was clearly chief among them.
Reading the characters suspended in the void, the weight on Chu Feng's heart only grew heavier.
Whoosh— Suddenly, Chu Feng felt his body hurtling through the air at great speed.
It was not just him — Zi Ling was with them as well.
It was Duan Liufeng. He had seized Chu Feng and Zi Ling and was moving swiftly.
"Brother Duan, what are you doing?" Chu Feng asked.
"What am I doing?"
"Didn't you read what was written on the scroll?"
"The Wolong Martial Sect is going to be dissolved because of you."
"The Sect Master will never let you go."
"Take Zi Ling and leave — now. Leave the Ancestral Martial Star Field if you can, run as far as possible. Live under assumed identities from now on and never again let the Sect Master lay eyes on you," Duan Liufeng said.
"Brother Duan, this all began because of me. I can't just run away."
"Let me go back — I want to try again," Chu Feng said.
"Try? With what are you going to try?"
"Just now the power of the Wolong Celestial God Formation was coursing through your body and you still couldn't break the tribulation. How could you possibly break it now?" Duan Liufeng asked.
"There might be other ways. Since it started with me, there has to be a way to resolve it," Chu Feng said.
"Is there really a way?" Duan Liufeng hesitated slightly.
After all, this concerned the survival of the Wolong Martial Sect. If there truly was still a chance, he did not want to see the sect dissolve either.
"Go. Now."
But suddenly, Duan Liufeng swept his great sleeve through the air, and Chu Feng and Zi Ling shot forward like arrows loosed from a bow, hurtling into the distance.