San Sheng Qiu Tian was originally someone with the talent to become a Saint.
But now the greatest genius of the Three Sacred Demon Clan was not him.
His cultivation naturally had not reached anyone's expectations.
Chu Feng had nothing to say about that.
There could be errors with the artifact, or it could be some other problem, but none of it was something Chu Feng could resolve at the moment.
"Perhaps the time simply hasn't come yet."
"I used to be worthless too. Then one day my bloodline awakened, and I realized I wasn't any worse than anyone else," Chu Feng said to San Sheng Qiu Tian.
All he could do right now was offer encouragement.
Confidence was essential on the path of cultivation. If even he didn't believe in himself, reaching any significant height would be nearly impossible.
"How old were you then?" San Sheng Qiu Tian asked.
"Ten," Chu Feng replied.
"Huh… so am I a little late?" San Sheng Qiu Tian asked.
"Good food is never served too late," Chu Feng said with a smile.
"I'll take your kind words for it." San Sheng Qiu Tian smiled from the bottom of his heart.
Even though he knew Chu Feng was just comforting him, San Sheng Qiu Tian's mood truly improved quite a bit.
He seemed to really respond to that sort of thing.
The group carried on with their conversation as they pressed forward, but suddenly the dark clouds parted and the sandstorm dissipated.
In the wasteland ahead, a bottomless pit had appeared.
The three of them rose into the air to get a proper look—the pit was enormous, like an entire continent, with a single object at its center.
It was an ancient pagoda.
The pagoda had only three stories, yet it towered ten thousand meters into the sky.
And its entrance, remarkably, was at the very top.
After studying it for a while, Zi Ling, San Sheng Xing Yu, and San Sheng Qiu Tian all looked toward Chu Feng.
They couldn't spot anything out of the ordinary.
But they waited for Chu Feng to make the call.
"We're going straight in."
As Chu Feng spoke, he flew straight toward the pagoda's entrance. Zi Ling and the others followed close behind.
But the moment they stepped inside, an overwhelming wave of pressure crashed down upon the four of them, binding them so tightly they could barely move.
This pressure was entirely different from the majestic force that had emanated from the clouds outside. It not only restricted their freedom but also penetrated deep into their very souls.
That feeling, compared to the pressure from the dark clouds, was far more terrifying and unsettling.
"Don't tense up. Don't fight it. This first layer is like a talent assessment—it's testing whether we're worthy to go deeper."
"Relax. If you can't pass this layer, you'll be expelled from the pagoda and never allowed back in," Chu Feng warned.
San Sheng Qiu Tian, who had been gritting his teeth and struggling furiously, heard Chu Feng's words and immediately shut his eyes, allowing the pressure to wash over him.
Though it was still somewhat painful, after a short while the oppressive force truly faded and his freedom returned.
When he opened his eyes, he found that Chu Feng and the other two had already broken free and were looking at him.
"Was I the slowest?" San Sheng Qiu Tian asked.
"We weren't all that much faster."
"But for the second layer ahead, you need to brace yourself."
"It's an illusion formation. Everything you see in there will be fake. So no matter who you encounter, kill them. Don't leave a single one alive," Chu Feng said.
"How do you know that?" San Sheng Qiu Tian asked.
"It says so right there." Chu Feng pointed to the entrance of the lower level, where a wooden sign stood.
Indeed, it stated that the second layer was an illusion formation, but that was all it mentioned.
"So it doesn't say anything specific?" San Sheng Qiu Tian asked.
"I'm guessing based on how this place is laid out, but I'm probably not far off."
"Of course, if I'm wrong, just pretend I never said anything," Chu Feng said with a grin.
"I trust you," San Sheng Qiu Tian replied.
"Ready? If you are, we're going in," Chu Feng asked.
"I'm ready," San Sheng Qiu Tian said.
Zi Ling and San Sheng Xing Yu nodded as well.
"Remember, failing isn't the end of the world. Don't put too much pressure on yourself." With that, Chu Feng stepped inside first.
Right after, Zi Ling, San Sheng Xing Yu, and San Sheng Qiu Tian followed.
The moment he stepped in, San Sheng Qiu Tian found himself in a scene filled entirely with members of the Three Sacred Demon Clan.
The sensation was like stepping from the real world into a dream.
It made San Sheng Qiu Tian believe that everything around him was real. He completely forgot what Chu Feng had told him earlier—he even forgot what he had been doing before.
He felt that this was exactly where he belonged. This was his world.