"Is there really no other choice?" Shen Hui asked.
"No." The voice responded.
At that moment, over a thousand red needles materialized at the front of the grand hall—exactly matching the number of Spirit God Clan members.
Swish, swish, swish— Before anyone could react, the red needles launched simultaneously, piercing through every member of the Spirit God Clan at once.
A brief silence, then came the ear-piercing screams of agony.
Every single Spirit God Clan member was in so much pain they couldn't stay on their feet. They collapsed to their knees or crumpled to the ground. Some went further, lying flat out, clutching the spots where the needles had pierced them, their bodies convulsing with pain.
Among them, Shen Hui bore it best. Though he didn't scream, he was gritting his teeth hard, sweat cascading down his deathly pale cheeks like rain.
However, in the very next instant, a crimson glow flooded the entire hall. At the front, dense rows of red needles appeared—millions of them.
"A thousand needles per person."
"That is the price you must pay."
"But if you abandon Chu Feng right now, each of you will only need to endure nine more needles."
The woman's voice echoed through the hall once more.
"Lord Shen Hui."
Many of them turned toward Shen Hui, their eyes filled with pleading.
One needle had already been this painful.
A thousand?
Even if they survived, their minds would surely break.
Yet the hesitation in Shen Hui's eyes did not diminish in the slightest.
"Lord Shen Hui, if it were Lady Xue Ji, that would be one thing—but is Chu Feng really worth this?"
"We don't owe him anything. After all, he wasn't the one who broke the formation."
Seeing this, more clan members spoke up, and voices like these were far from few.
"Don't forget our Spirit God Clan's mission."
"And this is Lady Xue Ji's command as well."
Shen Hui gave his answer.
But it failed to convince the crowd. Instead, it drew further questioning.
"But he wasn't the one who broke the formation!!!"
"I'm not someone who clings to life out of fear. If today it were Lady Xue Ji, I would die a thousand deaths without complaint."
"But Lady Xue Ji is gone. Our clan is now free."
"To die for Chu Feng like this—I cannot accept it."
"Lord Shen Hui, please reconsider. Our lives are lives too."
The Spirit God Clan members spoke one after another.
Under this mounting pressure, Shen Hui grew ever more conflicted, because the clan members were right—their lives were lives too.
Moreover, the Spirit God Clan had always been different from ordinary people. In terms of bloodline alone, they truly deserved to carry the surname of God.
"Hesitation also has a price."
"Now, the decision is no longer in your hands."
Just then, the woman's voice rang out again, and a wave of barrier power descended from above.
The barrier power coalesced into an enormous barrier window, and reflected within it was a hall identical to their own.
But inside that hall, there was only one person.
Chu Feng.
And Chu Feng, at this moment, was down on one knee, gasping for breath. He looked as though he'd been caught in a torrential downpour—sweat pattered ceaselessly to the ground, and even his eyes were shot through with blood, turning them a vivid crimson.
"Lord Chu Feng?"
Seeing Chu Feng in this state, everyone's hearts clenched, and for a moment they forgot their own pain.
Because they could see that behind Chu Feng, a thousand blood-stained red needles lay scattered across the ground. One thousand in total.
One thousand needles had pierced through his body, yet Chu Feng hadn't fallen. He hadn't even let out a single scream?
But then Chu Feng pushed himself back to his feet, and the Spirit God Clan was even more stunned.
A thousand needles through the body, and he could still stand?
It was at that very moment that a barrier gate appeared behind Chu Feng.
"What does this mean?"
Chu Feng stared at the gate, confused.
Then, from within Chu Feng's hall, the woman's voice came once more.
"You have endured the punishment of a thousand needles. You may leave now."
Hearing this, the Spirit God Clan's faces turned ashen.
They understood. Chu Feng had already paid the price he needed to pay. That meant they had no choice now—they had no right to abandon Chu Feng. They too would have to endure the punishment of a thousand needles.
But upon hearing this, Chu Feng didn't move at all. Instead, he asked, "What about my companions?"
"They must also endure the same price as you," the woman said.
"I'll bear it for them," Chu Feng said.
Hearing this, every member of the Spirit God Clan, including Shen Hui, could hardly believe their ears.