A vast sea of clouds blanketed the mountain range, yet one peak had broken free from its confines, piercing through like a sharp sword and standing above the cloud sea.
But upon closer inspection, one would realize that this peak was conjured by a formation array and did not originally belong to this mountain range.
And at the very summit of the peak stood a single figure — the very person who had created it.
He was the young master of the Red Soul Sect.
He stood at the peak's summit, gripping a compass in his hand. From time to time he would stare down at the compass, then sweep his gaze toward the distance — particularly at those formation sites that were still emitting pillars of light, which were the focus of his observation.
At this point, everyone following him had successfully collected the formation's power.
Among them, he had naturally reaped the greatest rewards, for he held the most blank tokens — and every single one had been filled to capacity with formation power.
Moreover, because he served as the flag bearer, he had received an additional benefit.
Yet at this moment, he was not nearly as happy as one might have expected.
First, he couldn't quite figure out what that additional benefit actually was.
It was a mass of crimson energy — resembling both flame and blood mist — that had gathered into the flag behind him.
At first there had only been a wisp, but as more and more people collected the power, that energy had grown to envelop half the banner. It rippled and surged along with the flag, looking quite spectacular.
But this power could not be cultivated, nor did it serve any practical purpose. He could summon it into his own body, but it simply passed through him without leaving any sensation whatsoever, and ultimately it would return to the flag no matter what. It truly left him baffled.
Second, he had immediately deployed his forces and set up formations to blockade Chu Feng and his group, planning to capture them the moment they dared come to collect the formation's power.
But as he stared at the formation compass in his hand, there was still not a single sign of movement.
A gust of wind howled from the distance, and two members of the Red Soul Sect streaked in from different directions, landing atop the peak.
"Young Master."
The two landed on either side of him and simultaneously dropped to their knees in obeisance.
"Haven't you found Chu Feng and the others yet?" the Red Soul Sect's young master asked.
"No." Both of them shook their heads, and one of them added: "Young Master, in my opinion, Chu Feng must have realized we're ambushing them and doesn't dare come to collect the power at all. He's given up."
"Heh, so the most talented Spirit World Master of this generation turns out to be a coward."
The Red Soul Sect's young master let out a derisive laugh.
Though he said this, his heart was still filled with unease.
The pillar of light that Chu Feng had triggered earlier had been taller than his own.
But because the distance was too great, he had been unable to determine the exact location, so he hadn't gone looking.
He had assumed Chu Feng would inevitably come here to collect the power, yet Chu Feng had yet to set foot in this area.
If Chu Feng truly didn't dare come, then why had he gone through the trouble of forging tokens?
Besides, even if Chu Feng didn't dare come, that woman of the ancient race — a True God realm cultivator — didn't seem the type to be afraid of him. Why hadn't she appeared either?
And while he was collecting the power, he had also chatted with the juniors from the Holy Palace about Chu Feng.
What he learned was this: Chu Feng was not merely all talk — he was genuinely skilled, and moreover, incredibly cunning. He was a very difficult opponent to deal with.
This information truly put him on edge.
Rumble— And at that very moment, heaven and earth trembled.
Looking up, an enormous barrier gate had appeared in the void above.
The gate was so massive that it looked as though the void itself had been torn open in a colossal gash. Everyone in this entire world — regardless of their cultivation level or location — could see it clearly.
On a plain within this spatial world, there was a hidden barrier, and inside it, more than three hundred people had gathered.
Qin Xuan, Yuwen Yanri, and everyone else including Zhao Zhuyin had all arrived at the gathering point Chu Feng had provided.
Only Chu Feng had yet to arrive.
But they hadn't been worried, for they believed in Chu Feng's abilities.
They figured Chu Feng was simply still collecting the power. After all, he held quite a few blank tokens — and they were all of the finest quality — so it was only natural that it would take him a bit longer.
But now that the barrier gate had appeared, they were growing somewhat anxious.
Even though each of them now held tokens containing tremendous power, if they missed the opening move, they would suffer a serious disadvantage.
"Don't worry — this gate currently only allows entry, not exit. For now it's just an entrance, not an exit."
Just as everyone was growing anxious, Chu Feng's voice came from the distance. Turning toward the sound, they saw that he had already arrived and now stood before them.
"Chu Feng, you're done?"
Qin Xuan hurried forward to ask. More than anything else, he was concerned with what Chu Feng had gained.