“What a formidable array.”
The array had actually suppressed Linghu Hongfei, leaving everyone in disbelief.
“Look, look at Chu Feng!”
Suddenly, someone shouted.
All eyes turned to Chu Feng, and their expressions shifted as realisation dawned.
At that moment, a faint robe seemed to envelop Chu Feng’s body.
Though it wasn’t fully formed, those who had seen it recognised it instantly—it was none other than the Nine Dragons Sacred Robe, a treasure passed down from the Immortal Spirit King.
“It’s the Nine Dragons Sacred Robe! As expected, Chu Feng is the spiritist who broke through the Immortal Spirit King’s grand array on Ice Summit Peak and claimed the Nine Dragons Sacred Robe.”
Seeing the robe, the crowd confirmed their earlier speculations.
Chu Feng was indeed the youngest spiritist in the history of the Ancestral Martial Starfield.
He was also the one who had rejected Master Liangqiu and Master Longxuan on Ice Summit Peak that day.
“Master!”
“Teacher!”
At that moment, Master Longxuan, Liangqiu Chengfeng, Lady Fox Immortal, and others all turned their gazes to Master Liangqiu, their eyes filled with questions.
“Unbelievable. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t believe that a Dragon Mark Saint-cloak Spiritist could set up an array capable of suppressing a Second Rank Venerable.”
Master Liangqiu’s voice trembled with emotion as he spoke, clearly stunned by Chu Feng’s feat.
“But a Dragon Mark Saint-cloak Spiritist, while comparable to a First Rank Venerable in strength, is only just comparable. Defeating one is already extremely difficult, let alone a Second Rank Venerable. How could Young Friend Chu Feng create such a powerful array?” Liangqiu Chengfeng asked, puzzled.
“Perhaps it’s the power of the Nine Dragons Sacred Robe. It must have granted Young Friend Chu Feng strength comparable to a Second Rank Venerable.”
“But even then, suppressing an opponent shouldn’t be possible—especially not someone like Linghu Hongfei, the most powerful and battle-hardened genius of the Ancestral Martial Starfield’s younger generation.”
“What makes this possible is the array itself. Young Friend Chu Feng’s array is truly extraordinary. Under its influence, all of Linghu Hongfei’s powers are sealed. No matter how many techniques he has, he can’t unleash them.”
“This preemptive strike—Young Friend Chu Feng executed it beautifully,” Master Liangqiu said.
“But when did he set it up?” Liangqiu Chengfeng asked, still confused. He knew such an array wasn’t something that could be created easily—it required time.
“I understand now. No wonder he kept talking earlier. He was stalling for time. Even when he later released his spirit power, it was part of the plan. This lad managed to deceive us all.”
Suddenly, Liangqiu Chengfeng had an epiphany.
He had pieced together the truth.
Though he couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment, it seemed Chu Feng had been using concealed spirit power from early on to secretly construct the array that now trapped Linghu Hongfei.
His later display of powerful spirit power was merely a distraction to keep his covert actions hidden.
And his conversations with Linghu Hongfei and Linghu Tiemian? They were deliberate delays to buy time to complete the array.
“This lad has some guts, daring to pull such a stunt in front of so many experts—and succeeding in fooling us all.”
“Compared to his father, Chu Xuanyuan, this boy seems even craftier. But this lady likes it,” Lady Fox Immortal said with a grin, full of praise.
“Leaving his boldness aside, consider this: from the moment this arena was built until now, he had very little time. Yet he managed to create such an impressive array. His mastery of spirit techniques has already surpassed our generation.”
“As expected of the one I had my eye on—he hasn’t let me down,” Master Longxuan said, equally effusive in his praise.
“This array itself is remarkable. It must have been taught by a master. No wonder Young Friend Chu Feng declined to be my disciple—it seems he already has a teacher,” Master Liangqiu remarked.
“Indeed, this array is quite extraordinary.”
Hearing Master Liangqiu’s words, Liangqiu Chengfeng and the others nodded, suddenly realising that Chu Feng likely had a master guiding him. Otherwise, he couldn’t have mastered such a powerful array—one even they didn’t know.
As for the array Chu Feng had deployed, it was indeed a gift from a master.
That master was Master Kaihong.
Master Kaihong was a legend of the Hundred Refinements Ordinary Realm, once its strongest figure.
He was a man blessed with countless opportunities, receiving numerous inheritances, and possessed considerable natural talent.
Relying on those inheritances and opportunities, Master Kaihong cultivated for over 20,000 years—a lifespan most martial cultivators could never reach.
For someone like Master Kaihong, who had gained countless opportunities, those years seemed merely a beginning.
His inheritances set him apart from other martial cultivators.
But unfortunately, Master Kaihong encountered a young man who defeated him. That defeat shattered him, and he eventually fell in the Hundred Refinements Ordinary Realm. Yet before his death, he left behind all the inheritances he had acquired.
By a twist of fate, long after his passing, Chu Feng, Wang Qiang, and Zhao Hong became his inheritors.
It’s worth noting that the young man who defeated Master Kaihong was none other than Chu Feng’s grandfather, Chu Hanxian.
Truly, fate works in mysterious ways.
But that’s beside the point. The key is that Master Kaihong’s inheritances were extraordinary. Yet, because he achieved enlightenment late in life, even after 20,000 years of cultivation, his strength was limited, and he couldn’t unleash the full power of many spirit techniques.
In fact, even Chu Feng couldn’t fully harness the power of many arrays.
Take the Eight Elephants Thunder Sealing Array, for example—it came from Master Kaihong. Without the Nine Dragons Sacred Robe, Chu Feng wouldn’t have been able to wield its power.
But perhaps this was fate.
Originally, Chu Feng couldn’t control the robe’s power. But when he returned from that perilous secret passage, he discovered that its walls not only contained insights into martial cultivation but also methods for applying spirit techniques.
Chu Feng had an epiphany, allowing him to tap into the Nine Dragons Sacred Robe’s power. Though the robe’s depths were unfathomable, and Chu Feng could currently access only a fraction of its strength, it was enough to elevate his spirit technique combat power from First Rank Venerable to Second Rank Venerable.
This was the confidence behind Chu Feng’s challenge to Linghu Hongfei.
Though it was a risky move, it seemed, for now, he had succeeded.
“Brother Chu Feng, setting up an array in secret? That’s a bit underhanded, isn’t it?”
Linghu Hongfei spoke. His face was etched with pain, his complexion pale, and beads of sweat poured down like rain, soaking his entire robe.
Clearly, the pressure he was enduring was immense.
Yet despite this, a trace of mockery lingered in his gaze as he looked at Chu Feng.
“Underhanded?”
“Compared to your clan’s Linghu Tiemian, my actions are nothing.”
“Besides, how do you know I set it up in secret? Young Master Linghu, you need evidence when you speak, or it’s just slander,” Chu Feng said with a smile.
“Brother Chu Feng, you’ve got a sharp tongue. I, Linghu Hongfei, can’t outtalk you.” Linghu Hongfei shook his head, appearing calm on the surface, but inside, he was seething with rage, his organs practically boiling with anger.
He could never have imagined this outcome.
He had intended to teach Chu Feng a lesson, yet here he was, in front of countless eyes, defeated by Chu Feng once again.
