At this moment, standing before the Heavenly Thunder Punishment Platform was an old woman.
This old woman exuded an extraordinarily powerful aura—she was a Third Rank Venerable. Her presence instilled such fear not only because of her cultivation but also due to her unique status in the Great Chiliocosm Upper Realm.
She was the Clan Chief of the Illusory Dream Blood Clan.
The Illusory Dream Blood Clan Chief had been a close friend of Chu Feng’s grandfather, Chu Hanxian. In the past, she had secretly aided Chu Feng and even publicly stood up for him.
She had once clashed with Chu Hanpeng to protect him.
Her protection of Chu Feng was, of course, out of respect for Chu Hanxian.
What no one expected, however, was that she would arrive so quickly to rescue Chu Feng during this crisis.
“Senior, as the Deputy Hall Master of the Chu Heavenly Clan’s Punishment Hall, I cannot allow you to take Chu Feng away.”
“But… as a member of the Chu Heavenly Clan, out of the conscience of a clansman, today… I, Chu Xuanzhengfa, implore you, Senior, to take Chu Feng away.”
At this point, Chu Xuanzhengfa knelt and performed a grand bow to the Illusory Dream Blood Clan Chief.
His actions caught her off guard. Even she hadn’t anticipated that Chu Xuanzhengfa would do this, as if her rescue of Chu Feng was somehow doing him a great favor.
While the Illusory Dream Blood Clan Chief stood in surprise, Chu Xuanzhengfa rose to his feet. With a wave of his arm, a circular black compass flew from his hand.
The black compass expanded rapidly upon release.
At the same time, it emitted a special suction force—one specifically designed to draw in thunder.
As the compass reached the Heavenly Thunder Punishment Platform, the relentless bolts of lightning descending from the heavens were all redirected toward it.
“That’s the Black Gold Thunder-Attracting Compass!!”
Seeing the compass, many Chu Heavenly Clan members gasped in astonishment.
The Black Gold Thunder-Attracting Compass was a specialized tool for blocking heavenly thunder, though it could only do so for a fleeting moment.
Even that brief moment required immense effort and rare treasures to craft. It was priceless and incredibly rare.
Within the Chu Heavenly Clan, aside from the Clan Chief, only Chu Hanpeng possessed one.
The fact that Chu Xuanzhengfa now wielded it meant it had been entrusted to him by Chu Hanpeng. Chu Hanpeng had instructed him to watch over Chu Feng and use the compass to save him if his life was in danger.
Thus, the moment they saw the Black Gold Thunder-Attracting Compass, everyone understood the situation.
Amid the clansmen’s gasps, Chu Xuanzhengfa moved swiftly, vanishing from his spot.
When he reappeared in his original position, he held someone in his arms—Chu Feng.
*Boom—*
Almost the instant Chu Feng was rescued, the Black Gold Thunder-Attracting Compass shattered under the strain of the thunder.
But the heavenly thunder didn’t persist for long; it soon ceased falling.
This was normal—without a person on the Heavenly Thunder Punishment Platform, the thunder would stop.
Yet at this moment, Chu Feng’s condition tugged at everyone’s heartstrings.
His clothes were completely destroyed. Not only his face, but his entire body had been charred black by the lightning, with no trace of skin visible. His aura was perilously weak.
“I’ll heal him,” Chu Xuanzhengfa said, intending to treat Chu Feng.
But the Illusory Dream Blood Clan Chief acted first.
With one hand free, she pressed the other to Chu Feng’s forehead. A blood-like substance surged from her palm, enveloping Chu Feng in an instant.
In mere moments, the blood dissipated. When it did, Chu Feng had regained his original appearance, now clad in a new robe. Even the Cosmos Sack that had fallen on the platform was reattached to his waist.
However, his face remained deathly pale, like that of a gravely ill man nearing death. He was still extremely weak.
“Senior Zhengfa, how… how is the Clan Chief’s condition?” Chu Feng asked feebly.
“The poison afflicting the Clan Chief is peculiar, but don’t worry—we’ll find a way to heal him.”
“Right now, the situation is against you. We have no evidence to prove you didn’t poison the Clan Chief. So, Chu Feng… until we have sufficient proof, you should leave with Senior Blood Clan,” Chu Xuanzhengfa said.
“Alright,” Chu Feng nodded.
He agreed that staying blindly wouldn’t help. It was better to leave and investigate the real culprit.
“But I want to see the Clan Chief first,” Chu Feng added.
“Very well,” Chu Xuanzhengfa replied, knowing Chu Feng was worried about the Clan Chief.
Then, the Illusory Dream Blood Clan Chief and Chu Xuanzhengfa escorted Chu Feng toward the place where the Clan Chief was being treated.
On the way, Chu Feng couldn’t avoid noticing the scene at the plaza.
“Senior, has the duel with the Fang Heavenly Clan already started?” he asked.
While enduring the agony of the thunder on the platform, he’d had no energy to notice external events.
But seeing the plaza’s setup, he guessed what was happening.
“Yes, the Fang Heavenly Clan colluded with the Starfield Main Realm. They came prepared. Our clan has no hope,” Chu Xuanzhengfa admitted frankly.
“Senior, let me down,” Chu Feng said.
“Chu Feng, after how the Chu Heavenly Clan has treated you, you still want to fight for them? Are you mad?” the Illusory Dream Blood Clan Chief asked sternly, clearly opposed to him helping the clan.
“Senior, my father once told me that no matter what, we are Chu Heavenly Clan members. Yes, some clansmen want to harm me today, but that’s not the fault of the Chu Heavenly Clan, nor our ancestors.”
“Those who’ve wronged me—I won’t let them off lightly. But I can’t stand by and watch our ancestors’ legacy be taken by outsiders,” Chu Feng declared.
His words moved not only Chu Xuanzhengfa but even the Illusory Dream Blood Clan Chief.
At that moment, everyone below was focused on the battlefield within the plaza, oblivious to Chu Feng and the others approaching.
By now, the Fang Heavenly Clan had secured all sixty of their own camps, while fifty-nine of the Chu Heavenly Clan’s camps had fallen.
Across the vast battlefield stood 121 flags.
But only one bore the words “Chu Heavenly Clan.”
The duel had reached the critical moment of determining the victor.
The Chu Heavenly Clan had rallied their full strength to resist the Fang Heavenly Clan’s onslaught. They refused to give up, seemingly determined to preserve their last shred of dignity.
Thus, a duel that had started as dull gained a flicker of intrigue at this point.
But sadly, the Chu Heavenly Clan’s momentum was spent. After the earlier clashes, their remaining forces were a battered and weary group, unable to withstand the Fang Heavenly Clan’s assault.
Everyone knew they wouldn’t hold out much longer.
The Fang Heavenly Clan members wore triumphant smiles.
In contrast, the Chu Heavenly Clan—men, women, young, and old—bore expressions of grief.
This defeat wasn’t just their shame; it was the Chu Heavenly Clan’s shame.
*Whoosh—*
But at that moment, a figure descended from the sky, landing at the entrance to the Chu Heavenly Clan’s camp.
Seeing this unexpected arrival, everyone’s expressions shifted.
Before anyone could speak, the figure clasped his fists, bowed toward Wuming Fenghuo in the main seat, and declared loudly:
“Chu Heavenly Clan member, Chu Feng, requests to join the battle!!!”
