"What is it?" Chu Feng asked.
"Ascend the Heavenly Path, defy the heavens. Those who press forward face odds of life and death; those who retreat are certain to perish."
"Remember — once you enter the Heavenly Path, no matter how terrifying the things you see, they are nothing but illusions. They exist only to test your courage. As long as you ignore them and fear nothing, you will pass through unimpeded until you cross the Heavenly Path and enter the Martial Sacred Land."
Tantai Xue had transmitted this message to him through voice transmission. Clearly, she did not wish to share this information with anyone else. People had their own selfish motives, and Tantai Xue was no exception.
"Thank you for the warning." Although Chu Feng had heard these words before, Tantai Xue bringing them up again today bolstered his confidence in traversing the Heavenly Path. This most likely meant the warning was true.
Moreover, compared to Huangfu Haoyue, Tantai Xue's explanation was far more thorough. No matter how frightening the things inside the Heavenly Path might be, they were all illusions — all one had to do was ignore them. For Chu Feng, that was no difficulty at all.
"Don't thank me. Some things are easier said than done. Whether you can actually pass through the Heavenly Path depends on your own ability." After saying this, Tantai Xue turned around once more and shot straight into the Heavenly Path.
It was clear she had no intention of traveling together with Chu Feng. Her words had truly been nothing more than a warning — Chu Feng's life or death was none of her concern.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
After Tantai Xue set off, dozens of people among the crowd preparing to enter the Heavenly Path suddenly moved as well. They unleashed their agile movement martial arts, pushing their speed to the maximum, and chased after her in close pursuit.
They presumably believed that Tantai Xue hailed from the Martial Sacred Land and knew the method for passing through the Heavenly Path, so they wanted to follow in her wake and snag an easy advantage.
After Tantai Xue entered the Heavenly Path, Chu Feng did not pursue. Instead, he turned back and came before Purple Bell and the others for a brief farewell.
Farewells inevitably came with reluctance, but neither Chu Feng nor Purple Bell or any of the others showed a trace of it. Instead, encouraging smiles graced every face.
After this brief farewell, Chu Feng finally turned around again and swept into the Heavenly Path. Once he plunged in, those preparing to enter also leapt up one after another, following in Chu Feng's footsteps and flying into the Heavenly Path together.
However, Chu Feng did not see the worry and loss that surfaced on Purple Bell and the others' faces the moment he entered.
Upon entering the Heavenly Path, all was initially pitch black, giving the impression of a bottomless pit. But as they pressed onward, light soon appeared ahead — a sapphire-blue glow emanating from floating objects.
Those blue luminous bodies were roughly the size of watermelons and blanketed the vast world. At a glance, the place did not resemble a pocket of space so much as a starry sky — both beautiful and mysterious.
Yet they had not traveled far when Chu Feng's group spotted several dozen figures flying back toward them from deeper within the Heavenly Path. Upon seeing Chu Feng, they nodded with apologetic smiles and said in unison, "Lord Chu Feng."
"Lost track of her?" Chu Feng remarked with a faint smile. These dozens of people were the very ones who had entered the Heavenly Path ahead of everyone else by following Tantai Xue — but clearly, they had failed to keep pace.
"Heh heh…" The question drew awkward looks. They scratched their heads and offered sheepish grins but said nothing. Still, their reaction confirmed that Chu Feng's guess had been correct.
At that moment, Chu Feng glanced behind him and saw several hundred people following in his wake. Together with these dozen-odd stragglers, the total still fell short of a thousand.
The number was not large, but every one of them was elite. Most were middle-aged, each possessing the cultivation of a Martial Lord. The rest were veteran cultivators — all at the peak of the Martial Lord realm, and one among them was even a first-grade Martial King. She was an elderly woman whom Chu Feng had never seen before; she had to be a reclusive expert.
Even now, this first-grade Martial King showed not the slightest arrogance before Chu Feng. On the contrary, she appeared rather reserved and humble.
While it might seem odd for a first-grade Martial King veteran to treat an eight-grade Martial Lord youth with such deference, one need only consider Chu Feng's deeds and his current standing in the Eastern Sea to understand why. And if even the Martial King behaved this way, the others were all the more respectful toward Chu Feng.
"There are dangers inside the Heavenly Path. If you wish to turn back, there is still time," Chu Feng advised.
"Lord Chu Feng, we made our decision the moment we set foot here. Even if it means death, we will not turn back."
"Indeed, Lord Chu Feng. We know you will surely pass through the Heavenly Path. Could you please take us through as well?" To Chu Feng's surprise, his words did not prompt a single person to retreat. Instead, the crowd gathered together and pleaded with him earnestly.
Seeing the unwavering determination and sincere entreaty on their faces, Chu Feng was moved. He said to them, "I do not have absolute confidence in passing through this Heavenly Path myself, let alone carrying all of you through."
"However, I can offer you a reminder: the Heavenly Path tests one's courage. So no matter what horrifying sight appears before you, do not be afraid and do not dodge — it is all illusion. As long as you charge forward together with me, nothing will happen. But if you feel fear, you will surely perish within those illusions."
"Rest assured, Lord Chu Feng. We would not have dared enter this Heavenly Path if we lacked courage."
"Thank you for the guidance, Lord Chu Feng. We will not disappoint you. No matter what dangers lie ahead, we will never retreat — we will press on without hesitation." After hearing Chu Feng's words, the crowd declared their resolve, their faces set with determination.
"Very well. Everyone, keep up with me. Remember — no matter what you see, do not be afraid. As long as you follow me forward, you will be fine." Chu Feng spun around, activated his Heavenly Eyes, and shot straight ahead.
These people would indeed slow his progress, but they were all from the Eastern Sea. Within the Eastern Sea, one might not feel it so strongly, but once separated from it, even strangers could feel a touch of kinship.
So if Chu Feng could help them, he naturally would do his best. If possible, he hoped to bring every last one of them into the Martial Sacred Land — that world truly worthy of being called sacred.
Rooooar~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ahhhhh~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Graaaah~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yet they had not traveled far before strange sounds began to drift from deep within the Heavenly Path.
The sounds were deeply unsettling, enough to chill one to the bone — like the wailing of children, the shrieking of women, or the roaring of beasts. In any case, they were utterly terrifying.
Moreover, the sounds grew clearer by the moment, increasingly piercing. By now, many among the crowd had grown tense, for they could confirm that something truly horrifying did exist within this Heavenly Path — and it was drawing closer.