Throughout his journey, Chu Feng kept his senses trained on two directions.
One was the anomaly of the Bloodline Heavenly River, and the other was the Era of the Gods.
"That light is no ordinary thing."
Fei gazed at the stream of light that streaked across the sky like a comet and let out a sigh of admiration.
Though they were separated by great distance, the radiance transformed by Jie Tianran was dazzlingly brilliant, so through their observation array, they could see it clearly.
"This feeling… it's connected to the Era of the Gods. It should be Jie Tianran," Chu Feng said.
"He chose the third gate? That's quite the conservative choice," Xiao Yu'er remarked.
Chu Feng, meanwhile, took out the Sword of the Key and studied it carefully.
"Brother Chu Feng, what's wrong?" Zi Ling asked.
"I want to see whether, if I activate this sword to enter the Era of the Gods, the kind of light Jie Tianran is producing can be concealed."
"If it can't be hidden, then even if I enter from a considerable distance away, my departure point will still be locked onto."
"And what's the big deal about that?" Fei asked.
"I'm worried that after I come out of the Era of the Gods, I'll return to my exact departure location. And if the Seven Realms Sacred Temple and the Prison Sect suspect the same thing, they'll definitely send people to stake out where I left."
"If they dare come, this lady will slaughter them," Feng Ling said.
"If it were only the Prison Sect, that would be one thing. But I'm worried Jie Tianran might exit before I do and ambush us. Here's what we'll do — don't follow me in. Let's set a new meeting place, and once I come out, I'll find you there," Chu Feng said.
"No way. It's too dangerous for you to go alone."
Zi Ling and Xiao Yu'er spoke in unison.
"It's fine. Did you forget I have this?" Chu Feng brought out the Heaven-Defying Shield Spirit.
"Big brother, isn't that the one you can't use?" Xiao Yu'er asked.
"Actually, I can use it now. I just haven't had to resort to it before now. This treasure possesses a spirit of its own, and the room for controlling it varies depending on the situation. If there are many of us, its power weakens considerably. But if I'm alone, it can not only protect me safely but also help me escape," Chu Feng explained.
"Big brother, really?" Xiao Yu'er asked, still skeptical.
"Really." Chu Feng's expression was one of absolute certainty.
"If you're lying, you're a dog," Zi Ling added.
"……"
Chu Feng let out a helpless breath, because he was indeed lying. He didn't want Zi Ling and Xiao Yu'er to put themselves in danger alongside him once more.
But he still nodded. "Fine. If I'm lying, I'm a dog."
"Then alright. We'll go with your plan," Zi Ling said.
After that, Zi Ling and the others headed to the rendezvous point Chu Feng had given them.
Of course, to avoid any surprises, Chu Feng also had Zi Ling and the others take the grand formation with them. After all, inside that formation was the entire army of the Chu Alliance.
Furthermore, should danger arise, Zi Ling and Feng Ling would have the power of the grand formation bolstering them — an extra layer of protection.
Once Zi Ling and the others departed, the small bamboo boat that was already not very large held only Chu Feng.
Under the vast expanse of stars, he sat alone on the bamboo boat, carrying a certain sense of solitude.
"Little dog, it's just you now," came Eggie's voice all of a sudden.
"Why are you calling me names?" Chu Feng chuckled.
If he were truly alone, it would feel rather lonely. But with Eggie by his side, no matter where he was, he would never feel alone.
"That's what you get for lying. You can't actually activate that Heaven-Defying Shield Spirit at all, can you?" Eggie said.