“This treasure is not particularly powerful. I could shatter it with ease.”
“Do we force our way in?”
The Lord of the Monstrous Demon Saint Palace observed the object that sealed the entire region of sky and land. He communicated secretly with the Dragon Clan Chief, the Grand Elder of Cloudsky Immortal Sect, the Yu Heavenly Clan Chief, and the other leaders.
Notably, among the juniors, only one person received his secret transmission.
That person was, of course, Chu Feng.
“The treasure used for the seal is indeed not especially strong,” the Dragon Clan Chief replied.
“But shattering it directly would alert everyone. Young friend Chu Feng, do you think you could silently open a gap in this treasure with boundary techniques so we can slip inside unnoticed?”
“Senior, I have already examined it,” Chu Feng answered. “This treasure cannot be breached by boundary techniques and has already recognised its master. There are only two ways to remove it. Either the master recalls it willingly, or it is destroyed by external force.”
“But look carefully over there.”
As he spoke, Chu Feng pointed to the upper-right corner of the void.
It was an inconspicuous spot, yet when everyone followed his gesture, alarm flashed across their faces.
Four small characters were etched there. Although they were imprinted on the treasure, they had not enlarged along with it.
Given the distance, no one would have noticed them had Chu Feng not pointed them out.
Those four characters read: Nine Souls Saint Clan.
The Nine Souls Saint Clan was none other than the ruler of the Nine Souls Heavenly River.
“Does that mean the ones occupying this area belong to the Nine Souls Saint Clan?”
Upon seeing those words, even the Lord of the Monstrous Demon Saint Palace abandoned all thought of smashing the treasure.
“So many people are gathered ahead. They must know something. We should gather information first. Perhaps the situation is not as bad as we fear.”
The Yu Heavenly Clan Chief’s suggestion met with universal agreement.
The palace lord was, after all, a supreme figure who always acted with overwhelming dominance. His first instinct had been to charge in and seize whatever he wanted.
But once the identity of the other party became uncertain, gathering intelligence was clearly the wiser choice.
Thus, everyone began making discreet inquiries. To their relief, they soon uncovered good news.
The people who had sealed this place had not discovered the hidden realm.
They were here to capture a spirit beast hiding in the area. The seal was only meant to trap the creature.
However, there was also bad news.
Although the leader was not a member of the Nine Souls Saint Clan, he enjoyed the deep favour of one of their princesses.
Rumour had it that anyone who offended him had been exterminated, clan and all.
Therefore, though he was not of the clan himself, he possessed their full backing.
The treasure sealing the heavens and earth had very likely been a gift from that princess.
The reason so many onlookers had gathered was that word had spread: the princess of the Nine Souls Saint Clan would soon arrive in person.
Most people simply wanted a glimpse of her.
“In that case, it becomes much simpler. They are only here for the spirit beast. Once they capture it, they will leave. We only need to wait,” a Yu Heavenly Clan elder said.
“How can you be so stupid?”
The palace lord immediately rebuked him.
“If they have mobilised such forces, the beast is clearly not easy to catch. Otherwise they would never have needed to seal the entire region. To capture it, they will turn those mountains upside down. The hidden realm will be exposed sooner or later. For all we know, it already has been.”
Everyone drew a sharp breath. Their anxiety deepened.
They all felt the palace lord’s words made perfect sense.
“I see no true peak experts among them,” the palace lord continued. “We are already disguised. Why not force our way in and locate the hidden realm?”
“The map only tells us the realm lies somewhere within the mountain range. The exact position is not marked. Even if we enter, we will still need time to search. What if people from the Nine Souls Saint Clan arrive while we are inside? Moreover, we cannot be certain no hidden experts are lurking nearby. I suggest we wait. It is best not to provoke the Nine Souls Saint Clan unnecessarily.”
The Dragon Clan Chief’s cautious stance won everyone’s approval.
“It seems we can only leave it to fate,” the Yu Heavenly Clan Chief said with evident helplessness.
“Seniors, please wait here for me.”
At that moment, Chu Feng suddenly spoke.
With those words, he began walking toward the mountain range.
“Chu Feng, what are you doing?” the Dragon Clan Chief asked hurriedly.
“This junior does not wish to sit and wait for events to unfold. I want to try something,” Chu Feng replied.
“Try what? Did you not say the treasure cannot be opened with boundary techniques, and the entrance is guarded anyway?” the Dragon Clan Chief pressed.
“Very simple. They are looking for a spirit beast, are they not? As a world spiritist, I should be able to help.”
“Young friend Chu Feng, going in alone is far too dangerous,” the Yu Heavenly Clan Chief said. “Besides, everything I know about that hidden realm comes only from the auctioneer’s description. I cannot even confirm whether it truly exists. Risking your life for something so uncertain is not worth it.”
One after another, every powerhouse present tried to dissuade him.
None of them wanted Chu Feng to take such a risk.
Yet Chu Feng merely smiled and said, “Seniors, please rest assured. I know what I am doing.”
With that, he headed straight toward the entrance to the sealed area.
Others could afford to wait and, at worst, miss the opportunity.
Chu Feng could not.
This was the first time in his life he had the chance to come into contact with something possibly left by his grandfather.
He would not let it slip away.
