After a thorough search by the Three Saints Monster Clan's Clan Leader and the Sacred Elder, the tension had eased somewhat, though the worry on their faces had only deepened.
"Father, what's going on?" San Sheng Qiutian, looking utterly bewildered, raised his voice to ask.
At the call, the Sacred Elder remembered Chu Feng and the others and released the seal on the treasure that had confined them.
San Sheng Qiutian and San Sheng Xingyu immediately took to the air and flew into the Sacred Temple.
Seeing this, Chu Feng and Zi Ling stepped into the Sacred Temple as well.
"Senior, what are these?" Chu Feng asked directly.
"These can also be considered sacred artifacts of our Three Saints Monster Clan."
Then, based on what the Three Saints Monster Clan's Clan Leader explained, Chu Feng came to understand the general situation regarding the contents of these jars.
The Sacred Temple was, by nature, a place for storing sacred artifacts.
However, the true sacred artifacts were not displayed on the pedestals — they were placed in the center of the grand hall.
As for the items on the pedestals, they were the closest things to sacred artifacts in importance. Even the Three Saints Monster Clan's own members weren't sure exactly what they were.
But the clan knew that these jars were of utmost importance to the Three Saints Monster Clan, and that they contained an unknown power.
This was precisely why the Clan Leader and the Sacred Elder had been so alarmed upon discovering that one of the jars was missing.
They had feared that the being inside the jar had broken free and was now lurking somewhere within the Sacred Temple.
If that unknown power had escaped the jar, it would be an extremely dangerous situation.
But now it seemed things weren't quite as they had guessed.
It didn't appear that the being inside the jar had broken out — rather, it looked as though the entire jar had been taken away.
"How strange — how could it just vanish without a trace?"
"Chu Feng, could you help us take a look? How could one just disappear like that?" The Clan Leader turned to Chu Feng.
"Um…"
Actually, Chu Feng wanted to say that this jar was very likely the one he had encountered when he first set foot in the Sacred Mountain.
The being inside it had probably been released by him.
As for the jar itself, it was currently sitting right inside Chu Feng's Universe Bag.
But after a moment's thought, he decided not to say anything.
Because Chu Feng had come up with a possibility.
It was entirely possible that the disappearance of this jar was connected to his father.
A jar of such importance appearing exactly where Chu Feng had been back then — could such a coincidence really exist?
There was only one explanation: his father had arranged it.
"Senior, let me take a closer look."
Though he couldn't tell the truth, Chu Feng still put on a show of examining the surroundings.
Before long, Chu Feng realized that the Sacred Temple was itself a grand formation — and it served as the main formation eye.
The power of the formation converged on each of the jars, but the bulk of it flowed toward the center of the hall.
That was the spot where, as the Clan Leader had said, the true sacred artifacts had originally been placed.
Though Chu Feng couldn't see through the jars to know what exactly was inside, he now had a theory.
The jars contained living beings.
This trial ground required the participation of Three Saints Monster Clan members, with outsiders serving only in auxiliary roles.
The final formation was a refinement array.
Linking all of these together, Chu Feng had arrived at a possibility.
These so-called sacred artifacts needed to be refined or specially nurtured, and the Three Saints Monster Clan served as the raw material for that refinement and nurturing.
As for why — it was most likely for the sake of control.
The Three Saints Monster Clan wanted to awaken and control the beings inside these jars.
"Senior, I have a question."
"I must ask that you answer me honestly." Chu Feng looked at the Clan Leader.
"Go ahead," said the Clan Leader.
"You and my father entered the first of the final two formation layers together, correct?" Chu Feng asked.