“He’s likely out of choices by now.”
Before Chu Feng could respond, Wuming Xingyun’s voice rang out.
Unbeknownst to them, he had emerged from the array and was now approaching Chu Feng and Lady Fox Immortal.
“Senior, how’s my Sister Liluo?” Chu Feng asked with concern.
“You call her sister? Well, that makes sense—she’s older than you, after all,” Wuming Xingyun chuckled, then continued, “Her life’s not in danger, so no need to worry about that. But this reverse seal is formidable and tricky to undo. I have an array that can break it, but it requires a hundred stalks of Ghost Seal Grass.”
“Ghost Seal Grass is a rare herb, but fortunately, it exists within that grand array. We’ve used our array to weaken its power, but there’s a side effect—we can’t enter it ourselves.”
“So, this task… falls to you.”
“No problem, Senior. But what does this Ghost Seal Grass look like?” Chu Feng asked.
“This is it,” Wuming Xingyun said, pointing a finger. A surge of barrier energy gathered in his palm, forming an image of the herb.
The depiction was vivid, perfectly capturing the Ghost Seal Grass’s appearance.
“Chu Feng, here’s something else—Linghu Hongfei is in that array too. He entered ahead of time, so you might get to meet your rival early,” Wuming Xingyun said with a smile.
“Linghu Hongfei?”
At those words, Chu Feng’s gaze instinctively shifted back to the grand array.
He couldn’t see inside it, nor could he spot Linghu Hongfei, but knowing he was there stirred something within Chu Feng.
By now, Chu Feng understood that public opinion had set him and Linghu Hongfei on a collision course.
Moreover, many in the Ancestral Martial Starfield believed Linghu Hongfei surpassed even Chu Feng’s father, Chu Xuanyuan.
Chu Feng didn’t share that view.
Given his father’s status and strength, he’d never stoop to challenge Linghu Hongfei personally.
But Chu Feng felt it was his duty to fight in his father’s stead.
Thus, he’d already mentally added Linghu Hongfei to his must-defeat list.
“Chu Feng, the assessment’s nearly over. Head in first—you can pick your entrance early,” Wuming Xingyun said.
“Thank you, Senior,” Chu Feng clasped his fists.
Though he knew Wuming Xingyun and Lady Fox Immortal might be using him for their own ends, Wuming Xingyun was genuinely helping Bai Liluo with her seal.
That favor demanded gratitude.
After thanking him, Chu Feng took flight and approached the array, stepping directly into the Rat zodiac entrance.
“He chose the Rat? That’s unexpected,” Lady Fox Immortal said, her gaze tinged with disappointment.
“Perhaps he’s playing it safe. After all… he’s only after the Ghost Seal Grass,” Wuming Xingyun suggested.
“But Chu Xuanyuan’s son shouldn’t lack ambition like that,” Lady Fox Immortal countered.
“His choice might suggest a lack of ambition, true.”
“But I think he’s eager to help his friend undo her seal.”
“You can call it a lack of ambition—I see it as loyalty and righteousness,” Wuming Xingyun said.
Lady Fox Immortal smiled at that, “You put it that way, and it reminds me—Chu Xuanyuan was a loyal and righteous sort too.”
“Back then, as a junior, Chu Xuanyuan overpowered all the clans’ experts, earning the best shot at the treasures in the Gufeng Ruins.”
“But to save a friend, he gave up every treasure there.”
“When Chu Xuanyuan made that choice, it was a dire moment—if he’d taken the ruins’ treasures, his friend would’ve died for sure.”
“But Chu Feng today? He’s far from that kind of desperate straits.”
“So, is it loyalty or a lack of ambition? We’ll need to keep watching,” Lady Fox Immortal concluded.
“You say we need to observe more—why not hold off on judging then?” Wuming Xingyun said with a laugh.
“I’m just musing, that’s all,” Lady Fox Immortal replied with a playful grin.
As for Chu Feng, he hadn’t chosen the Rat entrance for its safety but for the secret passage within.
Once inside, he immediately activated his Heavenly Eyes to locate the passage.
Finally, he spotted a flaw in one spot.
With that discovery, he began setting up an array.
Opening the secret passage’s entrance wasn’t easy—it took Chu Feng a full two hours.
Normally, someone of his cultivation could clear the Rat entrance in an hour at most.
“What’s taking Chu Feng so long to enter the array?” Lady Fox Immortal frowned.
“Could something have gone wrong?” Even Wuming Xingyun looked puzzled, a trace of worry in his eyes.
They couldn’t see Chu Feng inside the Rat zodiac’s head, but once he entered the array, their special methods would reveal him.
Two hours had passed without a sign of him entering, leaving them perplexed.
*Buzz—*
Just then, a massive barrier gate appeared before the twelve zodiac entrances.
Seeing it, Lady Fox Immortal and Wuming Xingyun exchanged a glance.
“Looks like the show’s about to start.”
They knew what that gate meant.
The assessment had ended, and all who passed would emerge from it, arriving before the array’s entrances.
“Time to call out those juniors,” Wuming Xingyun said.
“Let’s hope this is a good show—I’d hate to be disappointed,” Lady Fox Immortal smiled, her eyes brimming with anticipation.
With that, she overlapped her hands, forming a seal. As complex chants flowed from her lips, another barrier gate slowly opened before the array’s entrances…
Sensing the commotion outside, Chu Feng halted his array-breaking efforts, concealed his work with another formation, and turned toward the Rat entrance:
“Looks like they’re here.”
