After Dongfang Yunkong and Zhou Huofeng appeared, the previously restless scene was brought under control. Even the arrogant geniuses from the Gongsun family no longer dared to act too presumptuously.
“This old man announces that those who have obtained places in the marriage recruitment contest are…”
“Xia Yan, Xiao Yu, and…”
Dongfang Yunkong held the scroll and began to declare the results.
When he reached Chu Feng’s name, he hesitated slightly, glanced at Chu Feng, then continued, “and the young friend from Ancestral Martial Heaven River, Chu Feng.”
Whoosh.
As soon as Dongfang Yunkong spoke these words, a huge uproar erupted.
Among the people present, most did not know Chu Feng and had no understanding of him.
They had originally assumed that all three, Chu Feng included, were disciples of some reclusive experts.
But upon learning that Chu Feng came from Ancestral Martial Heaven River, this came as quite a surprise to them.
After all, in the perception of people from Nine Souls Heaven River, Ancestral Martial Heaven River was little different from a remote backwater. It was a place where both martial cultivation realms and talents were extremely underdeveloped.
This was a mindset of disdain. Because they knew it was weaker than their own, they could not be bothered to learn more about it. They simply needed to know that it was rubbish, and that was enough.
Although Ancestral Martial Heaven River was indeed inferior to Nine Souls Heaven River, this disdainful attitude caused people to view it as far weaker than it actually was.
Under this kind of perception, upon discovering that Chu Feng hailed from Ancestral Martial Heaven River, they were bound to feel shocked.
The feeling was akin to a wealthy city hosting a competition of extravagance, where all the rich people in the city participated, only for a fellow from a small mountain village to suddenly emerge and overwhelm the urban tycoons with his wealth.
While these self-proclaimed wealthy individuals felt incredulous, what they mostly experienced was displeasure. They considered losing to someone from a mountain village a humiliation.
This was precisely their mood upon realising that Chu Feng had surpassed them and secured a place in the assessment.
“There is one more matter.”
“Although confrontation was permitted in this assessment, killing was not allowed.”
“Yet during this assessment, many lives were nevertheless lost.”
“Now, I shall announce the list of those who unfortunately perished.”
“If anyone can provide clues, there will be a reward, and the culprit will face severe punishment.”
Immediately afterwards, Dongfang Yunkong began reading out the names of the deceased, their origins, and, to facilitate clues, detailed descriptions of their appearances.
However, few among the crowd listened attentively to these details.
In their view, this was an extremely tedious segment.
In the world of martial cultivators, the law of the jungle prevailed. In any assessment, once participants left the organisers’ sight, casualties were inevitable. Deaths were utterly commonplace.
Yet this segment, which people found exceedingly boring, suddenly changed because of one name being announced.
Nine Souls Heaven River, disciple of Living Yama, Yin Tianchou.
“Yin Tianchou is dead too?”
“Who did it?”
The crowd was deeply shocked.
Given Yin Tianchou’s status and strength, he should never have appeared on this death list.
But now that he truly had died, people’s gazes involuntarily fell upon the three geniuses from the Gongsun family, as well as the three victors including Chu Feng.
All things considered, the only ones capable of killing Yin Tianchou inside the Pregnant Object Forest seemed to be these six.
“What the hell are you all looking at me for? I never even encountered that Yin Tianchou.”
Suddenly, Gongsun Tianhao roared in anger.
He appeared furious, but in reality he was clarifying his position.
Yin Tianchou was no good person, and his master was even less so.
That fellow was someone even the Gongsun family preferred not to provoke.
“These are the unfortunate victims.”
“No matter their origin or status, each was a life. Those who killed them deserve severe punishment.”
“If anyone has clues, you may contact us. We will offer a reward.”
After announcing the details of the deceased, Dongfang Yunkong emphasised the point once more.
Yet the crowd cared nothing for the others. They cared only about Yin Tianchou.
In their view, whoever had killed Yin Tianchou had invited disaster upon themselves.
After all, that Fire Yama was no minor figure. He was practically a crazed dog of overwhelming power.
As the reading of this list concluded, the assessment officially came to an end.
Chu Feng and the other two were led by Dongfang Yunkong and Zhou Huofeng towards the depths of the Funeral World.
There stood an enormous city. At its centre, many people had already gathered. They were all Boundary Spirit Masters of some renown, and among them were figures of extraordinary status.
But if one were to speak of the most transcendent status, it naturally belonged to the one seated in the main position on the square.
He was a tall but extremely gaunt old man.
Dressed entirely in black robes that wrapped him tightly, the exposed parts, whether his face or his hands, were rather horrifying.
He was truly skin and bones. Were it not for the layer of deathly pale skin, one might call him a skeleton without exaggeration.
Even without reaching the level of a skeleton, he was little different from a living corpse.
Most chilling of all, he wore no shoes. Both his long feet and withered hands bore sharp claws like those of a wild beast, making him seem scarcely human.
Yet when it came to frightening features, the most terrifying were his eyes. Those were not human eyes at all. They were more fearsome than those of ferocious beasts.
This was none other than the master of the Funeral World, Old Devil Black Fiend.
With Old Devil Black Fiend present, all these Boundary Spirit Masters from various parts of Nine Souls Heaven River felt somewhat restrained. Even their conversations were kept to whispers, none daring to be too loud.
In truth, everyone present was waiting for the arrival of the three who had passed the assessment.
Once those three arrived, the competition of this marriage recruitment contest would officially begin.
It is worth noting, however, that among those present, one group appeared flushed and triumphant. Their expressions were not merely brimming with confidence but conveyed absolute certainty of victory.
These were the people from the Gongsun family.
Because the Zhuge family had rejected Old Devil Black Fiend’s offer, the remaining four invitation letters had all fallen into the hands of the Gongsun family.
Now, the Gongsun family already held seven places.
In their view, the remaining three places were also theirs for the taking.
In this marriage recruitment contest, the Gongsun family would monopolise all ten places.
This glory would undoubtedly cause the reputation of their Gongsun family to soar.
“They are here, they are here.”
Suddenly, the crowd stirred. These distinguished figures all looked up at once, directing their gazes towards the same distant point.
Yet once their eyes locked on, their emotions fluctuated to varying degrees.
“Could those three really be the ones who passed the assessment?”
