"I hope Zi Ling is all right."
Chu Feng returned a polite smile, one he had to force.
Right now, he was in no mood to smile at all.
Until he saw Zi Ling, his heart wouldn't truly settle.
"She'll certainly be fine." Sage Elder smiled back.
He understood the meaning behind Chu Feng's words.
*All right* was the best outcome.
If something had happened, Chu Feng wouldn't be polite about it.
It was rather presumptuous for a junior to speak that way, but Sage Elder understood Chu Feng's feelings and held no grudge.
"So, Senior, how did you come to know about this junior?" Chu Feng asked.
"Your reputation now — is there anyone in the entire vast cultivation world who hasn't heard of you?" Sage Elder chuckled.
"What is the relationship between your Three Sages Demon Clan and the ancient clans that previously attacked the Ancestral Martial Heavenly River?" Chu Feng asked again.
He already knew that the Three Sages Demon Clan was also a family lineage passed down from ancient times.
And in Chu Feng's view, ancient clans all seemed to be connected.
He wanted to know where the Three Sages Demon Clan stood.
"Our Three Sages Demon Clan has always remained within the Divine Mountain, with no contact with the outside world for the time being."
"And our Three Sages Demon Clan bears no ill will toward the cultivators of this era."
Sage Elder's words made their position abundantly clear.
At least for now, they were not enemies.
"Young friend Chu Feng, you obtained that token, didn't you?" Sage Elder asked.
"The token Senior speaks of — could it be this?" As Chu Feng spoke, he produced a compass.
This was the compass he had obtained from the treasure chest inside the palace where he had previously battled the white-haired man.
Only now, a formation array had appeared on its surface.
The array was something Chu Feng had acquired from the treasure chest inside the palace where he had battled the black-haired man.
The compass itself had been crafted to bear formations, so the fusion was seamless.
"Mm, that is indeed the token."
"With this token, you may enter the depths of the Divine Mountain."
"Ever since what happened with your father, our Three Sages Demon Clan has strengthened the trials we impose on outsiders."
"Previously, simply entering the city was sufficient."
"But now, one must first obtain this token."
"Had you not obtained this token, you would never have met this old man," Sage Elder said.
"Senior, so you need me to go into the depths of the Divine Mountain?" Chu Feng asked.
Sage Elder looked at Chu Feng: "That's up to you."
"What's in it for me?" Chu Feng asked.
"That's hard to say — you'll find out when the time comes."
"Besides, Young friend Chu Feng, revisiting the Divine Mountain is only one reason. Finding opportunities must be another, correct?" Sage Elder said.
"Yes." Chu Feng admitted directly.
The other party was smart; there was no point hiding anything.
As the two conversed, they walked out of the mist labyrinth formation.
The fog hadn't dissipated, but they could now see a towering wall stretching between heaven and earth, blocking the path ahead.
It was a wall built from rock. Compared to a simple barrier wall, it looked far more imposing.
Of course, the rock also contained barrier power, making it equally impervious.
At least at Chu Feng's current cultivation level, he couldn't so much as budge it.
At the base of the wall, there were several barrier gates spaced at regular intervals, all identical.
"This is the city entry challenge. Normally, one must pass the challenge to earn the right to enter our Three Sages Demon Clan's city."
"But Young friend Chu Feng, since you've already obtained the token to enter the Divine Mountain, I can take you directly into the city," Sage Elder said.
"Did my father enter through here back then?" Chu Feng asked.
"Mm, yes."