Previously, the Ancient Bloodline Tower had not yet officially opened, so he couldn't discern much.
But now that the formation had materialized, Chu Feng was naturally able to capture far more information.
"Everyone, the first thing upon entering the tower."
"Is to awaken the power of the Ancient Bloodline Tower."
"The degree to which the Ancient Bloodline Tower's power is awakened will determine how great a benefit we may receive after entering."
"This process may not be easy."
"But walking the path of martial cultivation was never easy to begin with."
"Our efforts from here on out will directly affect our future gains."
"I earnestly ask everyone to give it your absolute all."
The speaker was the yellow-bearded elder.
He hovered in midair, no longer wearing the sycophantic expression he had shown before Huangfu Jiangxing. His face was now solemn, and his voice rang with passionate fervor.
And sure enough, many people were stirred by his words, making declarations that they would give their fullest effort.
"Aren't they just scamming us? As expected, they're using us."
Wang Qiang sat right beside Chu Feng, muttering under his breath.
They were seated within the formation, and could clearly feel that they were connected to it.
If they were willing, they could merge their bloodlines into the formation.
This was the only way to awaken the Ancient Bloodline Tower.
Wang Qiang might have been talking tough, but as he watched the many people already begin merging their bloodlines, the very heavens and earth had begun to tremble ever so slightly.
Everything originated from the Ancient Bloodline Tower.
The base of the tower was already blazing with brilliant radiance, casting the sky into a kaleidoscope of seven colors.
It was the myriad bloodlines clashing against one another.
Wang Qiang was growing restless, preparing to unleash the power of his Four Evil Divine Body.
But at that very moment, Chu Feng's palm came to rest on top of Wang Qiang's hands, which were clasped together in a martial seal.
"Brother, I suggest you sit this one out," Chu Feng said through a private transmission.
"Wh-wh-wh-what did you find?" Wang Qiang asked.
He knew Chu Feng. If Chu Feng hadn't noticed something, he wouldn't have said such a thing.
"Look." Chu Feng gazed toward the Ancient Bloodline Tower.
The bloodlines converged like ten thousand voices competing in song, but among them, the most powerful was unquestionably the Nine-colored Divine Lightning.
And the Ancient Bloodline Tower was undergoing a transformation — from bottom to top, a hundred rings of light had appeared.
While other bloodlines hadn't even reached the third ring yet, the Nine-colored Divine Lightning, representing Heaven-level bloodlines, had already soared to the thirtieth ring, and was still climbing rapidly.
There was a very real possibility it could reach the very top.
And as the Nine-colored Divine Lightning climbed ever higher, the glow of the Ancient Bloodline Tower grew increasingly dazzling.
The two complemented each other perfectly, indicating that the higher the bloodline climbed, the greater the power the Ancient Bloodline Tower would bestow.
But what Chu Feng wanted to tell Wang Qiang wasn't just this — he went on to describe the formation structure that the Ancient Bloodline Tower was currently revealing, as he had observed it.
"Based on my observations, this is a competitive-type formation. Only one bloodline will ultimately succeed, and at that point, all other bloodline bearers will become stepping stones for the final victor."
"If it were merely being used as a simple foil, that would be one thing — but there will likely be casualties."
Upon hearing this, Wang Qiang's eyes went wide. "C-ca-casualties? You mean they're going to refine us?!"
"That extreme, no. But your bloodline could sustain damage. It's only a suspicion on my part, but the direction of the formation structure does seem to point that way," Chu Feng said.
"Da-damn it! I knew they were despicable, but I didn't think they'd be this despicable!" Wang Qiang cursed.
"Brother, your bloodline is incredibly powerful. Strictly speaking, we're competitors — I shouldn't be telling you to give up, because if your bloodline can reach the top, the ultimate reward would be yours, and everyone else would just be your stepping stones."
"The issue is, I'm not the only Heaven-level bloodline here. With the Huangfu Heavenly Clan present, I'll be receiving a tremendous boost."
"If I'm the one to awaken the Ancient Bloodline Tower, all Heaven-level bloodline bearers will benefit — but it would come at your expense," Chu Feng explained.
Wang Qiang was a smart man. After hearing this, he understood what Chu Feng meant, and asked, "S-so as long as I don't merge my bloodline, I w-w-w-won't become a stepping stone?"
"That's what my observations suggest," Chu Feng said.
Though Chu Feng and Wang Qiang were good brothers, they were both martial cultivators. When it came to benefits like this, there was no question of yielding — competing by strength was the best way.
But the presence of the Huangfu Heavenly Clan meant that if Wang Qiang wanted to compete, it would be extraordinarily unfair to him.
More precisely, anyone without a Heaven-level bloodline was at a severe disadvantage — a massive one, at that.
This was precisely why Chu Feng had warned Wang Qiang.
"Brother, th-th-then I got it. I'll pretend to merge, and as for awakening this Ancient Bloodline Tower, that'll b-b-be up to you."
Wang Qiang chuckled with a grin.
He had self-awareness. While others only focused on Chu Feng's Royal Bloodline, Wang Qiang understood full well that Chu Feng's Heavenly Lightning bloodline was actually the more powerful of the two.
In a one-on-one bloodline contest against Chu Feng, he had no confidence of winning — let alone against the Huangfu Heavenly Clan, with so many powerhouses among them.
After warning Wang Qiang, Chu Feng initially refrained from merging his own bloodline, holding back while he continued to observe.
He was indeed a Heaven-level bloodline bearer, but among Heaven-level bloodlines, there still had to be one that stood above the rest.
The strongest one would receive the greatest benefit — it could even play a dominant role.
The Huangfu Heavenly Clan had clearly prepared thoroughly. The bloodline power they displayed was incredibly formidable, seemingly unstoppable.
They had already reached the seventieth ring of the Ancient Bloodline Tower.
But it was around this point that their climbing speed began to slow, growing ever more sluggish.
Chu Feng also noticed that the Huangfu Heavenly Clan members — whether the older generation or the younger — all wore expressions of strain on their faces.
They seemed to be nearing their limits.
"It seems it's time to give them a little encouragement."
Chu Feng was just about to merge his own bloodline into the formation.
But then the yellow-bearded elder barked an order: "Use the talismans!!!"
Immediately, every member of the Huangfu Heavenly Clan who had entered the formation produced a talisman paper in their hands.
The talisman paper was ancient, but not of the Primordial era — it seemed more like a relic from the Archaic era.
Once activated, the talisman transformed into the power of a barrier and merged into the ground-level formation below.
In the very next moment, a bizarre, unfamiliar energy arose from every direction.
"B-b-brother, something's off about those talismans," Wang Qiang said, glancing at Chu Feng.
Neither of them had merged their bloodlines, so that strange energy hadn't enveloped them.
But with their sharp observational skills, they discovered that the invisible field of energy had locked down every person who had merged their bloodline.
And soon, that enveloping force began forcibly extracting the bloodline power from those people. The pained expressions and desperate struggles on their faces were proof enough.