That voice descended from the heavens above, and at the same time, a gaze enveloped both Chu Feng and Zi Ling.
It was the same gaze Chu Feng had sensed within the final formation earlier.
But the difference was that now, he could not only perceive it clearly — he could also feel the other party's overwhelming power.
This realization was like a trapped ant suddenly becoming aware of a human's gaze.
And right now, Chu Feng was that trapped ant.
Just then, another voice entered Chu Feng's ears — it was the Divine Deer's voice.
"Chu Feng, this person is extraordinarily powerful."
"I'm afraid I cannot lead you to safety."
"You'll need to exercise your own judgment."
Hearing this, Chu Feng felt even more uneasy.
He had witnessed the Divine Deer's capabilities firsthand.
For even her to say something like this was proof enough of how terrifying the person speaking truly was.
"Senior, are you a member of the Three Saints Monster Clan?" Chu Feng raised his head and asked.
"I am," the other party replied.
With that answer, the weight on Chu Feng's heart eased ever so slightly.
If this person was a member of the Three Saints Monster Clan, then perhaps there was still room for negotiation.
But if they were an outsider with such overwhelming strength, then things could truly be dire.
"I wonder what business Senior wishes to discuss with this junior?" Chu Feng asked.
The other party did not state their business directly. Instead, with a laugh, they said: "Young friend, you have a truly extraordinary father."
That laugh deepened the unease in Chu Feng's heart.
The tone didn't sound like praise — it sounded more like a meaningful, teasing remark.
A remark whose intent — whether friend or foe — was impossible to discern.
If it was the latter, then things would truly be dire.
But panic was pointless. No matter how grave the matter, it had to be faced eventually.
So Chu Feng asked: "What does Senior mean by that?"
"Young friend, you are a clever man. The fact that I was able to teleport you here should make it clear — I am the one who truly controls the Divine Mountain's formations."
"I fell into a deep slumber long ago and only recently awakened."
"But after waking, I discovered that my Three Saints Monster Clan's sacred artifact had gone missing."
"And this matter is related to your father," the other party said.
"Senior, how do you know this matter has anything to do with my father?" Chu Feng countered.
"Don't play dumb. This matter concerns not only your father — it concerns you as well."
Hearing those words, Chu Feng's sense of alarm only deepened.
The fact that the other party could say something like this meant they already knew something.
Yet Chu Feng himself was somewhat bewildered.
He knew little about his father's affairs.
Speaking only of himself, he had indeed come into contact with a jar — but he had never touched the Three Saints Monster Clan's sacred artifact.
But just then, the other party continued: "Is that black jar still in your possession?"
Hearing this, Chu Feng was somewhat surprised.
He hadn't expected this person to know about that as well.
"There's no need to be nervous. It's perfectly understandable that you said nothing."
"But as I mentioned, I control the true power of the Divine Mountain's formations — and these formations can record events that occur within the mountain over a period of time."
"After I awakened and discovered the sacred artifact was missing, I reviewed all the records contained within the formations."
"I found that the sacred artifact's disappearance was ultimately caused by our own Three Saints Monster Clan's shortcomings."
"The vessel that held the sacred artifact was imperfect — that was the root cause of its loss."
At this point, the other party deliberately paused.
It seemed intentionally designed to pique Chu Feng's curiosity.
So Chu Feng asked directly: "Senior, then what exactly happened back then, and why do you say the sacred artifact's disappearance is connected to my father?"
"Young friend, your earlier speculation was correct."
"These formations here serve not only as trials — they also select outstanding juniors and use the power of their bloodlines to refine the sacred artifact."
"Your father was extremely powerful. Back then, had it not been for him, no matter how exceptional Three Saint Qiankun's talent was, it would have been impossible to complete the final refinement within the first of the last two formation layers."
"When it comes to the refinement of the sacred artifact, your father's contribution surpassed even that of our own Three Saints Monster Clan members."
"But having said that, perhaps it was precisely because the final refinement was completed without passing through both formation layers that the sacred artifact awakened prematurely."
"It broke free from its vessel."
"But I must still say — the sacred artifact breaking free was our own Three Saints Monster Clan's problem. The vessel we forged was insufficient."