After a long time, Eggy finally stumbled out from within the barrier gate.
She appeared unharmed, but was extraordinarily weak. Still, this was a vast improvement — before, she hadn't even had the strength to stand, which was why it had taken her so long to emerge.
Under normal circumstances, she should have continued resting, but she was worried about Chu Feng, so the moment she could move, she forced herself to stumble out.
But before she could even reach Chu Feng, she collapsed face-first to the ground with a thud. She was simply too weak.
Yet on her pale face, a relieved smile appeared.
She could sense that Chu Feng's condition had improved tremendously compared to before.
"Maiden, your courage is commendable."
"Therefore, I shall grant you a special opportunity for a challenge."
"In this challenge, you cannot fail. Simply accept it, and Chu Feng's injuries will receive far better treatment."
"However, during this challenge, you will be subjected to a mental attack. If you cannot endure it, you will die."
The voice echoed through the area once more.
But before Eggy could answer, the Asura Sword's voice rang out: "Enough, little girl. Chu Feng's life has been saved. As for fully recovering him, there must be other ways."
Yet Eggy paid no heed to the Asura Sword whatsoever: "I accept."
With that, Eggy turned around and walked back into the Spirit Gate.
After Eggy left, the Asura Sword actually flew out from within Chu Feng's body, brimming with fury: "That's enough! Are you really going to torment this little girl to death?"
"If you kill this little girl with your torment, I will cleave you in two."
The moment the Asura Sword spoke these words, the surrounding space rippled slightly, and a middle-aged woman clad in a black robe with snow-white hair stepped forth.
Her face was covered in scars — scars that seemed impossible to heal — making her appearance somewhat terrifying.
The killing intent radiating from the woman was incredibly potent, and her imposing aura was far from ordinary.
She possessed absolute confidence; even when facing the Asura Sword, her expression remained unchanged.
"What's this? Have you grown attached after being together for so long?" the black-robed woman asked.
Her voice was identical to the one that had been echoing throughout this place.
"I consider myself to have a heart of iron and stone."
"But I never imagined there could be someone with an even harder heart than mine."
"Using the excuse of saving Chu Feng to repeatedly torment this little girl — even I can't stand such inhumane behavior," the Asura Sword said.
"This is the Master's wish," the woman replied.
"Which Master?" the Asura Sword asked.
The space rippled once more, and an exquisitely beautiful woman in a white dress stepped out.
"Master, you've come as well." Upon seeing this woman, the Asura Sword's tone became immediately respectful.
This white-robed woman was none other than the one who had placed the Asura Sword into Chu Feng's body at the Divine Inheritance Ground.
"Along this journey, she has helped Chu Feng a great deal, but if we're being strict, her own trials and tribulations are far fewer than Chu Feng's."
"This is a rare opportunity. Her spirit must be tempered, otherwise hidden dangers will linger on her path of cultivation in the future."
"It may seem harsh, but there is no other way. After all, she is no longer in the Asura Spirit Realm, and we lack the means to temper her."
"Moreover, she now carries the conviction of fighting for Chu Feng within her heart."
"This conviction will awaken the latent power within her body. Even things she originally could not endure, she will be able to withstand. Tempering her spirit at this moment will yield far greater results."
The white-robed woman laid out her reasoning.
The Asura Sword said nothing more.
It knew very well that with this Master present, there was nothing to worry about.
Let alone these eight Heavenly Rivers — even within the ninth Heavenly River, they would have nothing to fear.
At this moment, the white-robed woman turned her gaze toward the wall of seawater.
It was clearly just a wall, yet her eyes seemed to be admiring something.
For her line of sight pierced through the Sea of Slaughter, traversed the starry sky, and locked onto a place infinitely far away.
In that empty stretch of the cosmos, worlds were exceedingly rare — almost none that emitted light could be seen. It was dark to an eerie degree.
Yet in truth, hidden within that stretch of the cosmos was yet another expanse of stars.
That was the vast space where Song Changsheng resided.
Within that vast space…
On a colossal world comparable to the Pingyuan Upper Realm, there stretched a ravine tens of thousands of meters wide and so deep its bottom could not be seen.
Rumble— Suddenly, the world trembled, dust billowed into the air, and once the force dissipated, a brand-new ravine could be seen to have appeared.
As the perspective widened, one could observe…
Those massive, profound ravines covered the entire world.
They were not ravines at all, but marks left by the blades of a sword and an axe.
In truth, this world still existed not only because of its enormous size, but also because it was situated far from where those sword and axe strikes had fallen.
Looking outward, not far from this massive world, countless fragments of stone drifted through the starry void.