“What happened to her?” Chu Feng asked.
“You’ve likely heard some things about Yue’er’s situation. While I was away, she didn’t fare well within the clan. That’s how clans are—I’m sure you’ve experienced something similar in the Chu Celestial Clan.”
“Later, to make amends, the clan gave her an opportunity—a chance to enter our clan’s cultivation formation.”
“That formation opens once every thirty years, and each time, only one junior can enter.”
“You know why Li Anzhi hasn’t gone to the Ancestral Martial Realm to cultivate? He’s been waiting for that formation to open.”
“The benefits that cultivation formation offers to juniors far surpass anything in the Ancestral Martial Realm.”
“But Yue’er has been cultivating in that formation for some time now. By all accounts, she should have emerged long ago, yet she hasn’t. I’m worried something’s happened to her,” Li Ruochu said.
“Can I help her?” Chu Feng asked.
“To be precise, right now, you’re the only one who can help her,” Li Ruochu replied.
“When that formation is sealed, no one else can enter—unless a junior under a hundred years old possesses Saint-level barrier power. Only then might they have a chance to enter the formation.”
“It might be fate. I never expected that when we met again, you’d already be a Saint-robed World Spiritist. Though you’re only at the Insect Mark Saint Robe level, you should have a chance to enter the formation. If even you can’t get in, then Yue’er’s safety will depend entirely on herself,” Li Ruochu said.
“Does that mean the longer we wait, the more danger she’s in?” Chu Feng asked.
“Yes,” Li Ruochu nodded.
“Hiss—” Hearing this, Chu Feng sucked in a breath, his expression troubled.
He desperately wanted to save Li Yue’er. Having entered many formations himself, Chu Feng knew well that failing to exit a formation within its time limit often meant facing deadly risks.
But Bai Liluo was currently captured by the so-called Black-Haired Phantom. Although it was said that if Chu Feng won first place in the Ancestral Martial Ten Stars, Bai Liluo would be saved, her current situation was still unclear.
If he went to save Li Yue’er now and ignored Bai Liluo, Chu Feng couldn’t rest easy.
But the longer Li Yue’er waited, the greater the risk, so Chu Feng had to act quickly.
This left him torn.
“Young friend Chu Feng, may I come in?” At that moment, the voice of the Dantai Celestial Clan’s Patriarch came from outside.
Chu Feng didn’t answer directly, instead looking at Li Ruochu. After she nodded, he responded.
Then, the Patriarch of the Dantai Celestial Clan entered with Wuming Xingyun.
The moment the door opened, Chu Feng saw many top experts of the Dantai Celestial Clan standing outside. Just by looking at them, he could tell their status in the clan was significant.
So many experts, gathered neatly outside his door, seemed to be awaiting some order, making Chu Feng realise something must have happened.
After the Patriarch entered, Li Ruochu quickly stepped forward to pay her respects, but the Patriarch spoke directly, “Miss Ruochu, may I speak with young friend Chu Feng alone?”
“Of course,” Li Ruochu said, leaving immediately.
Though it was meant to be a private conversation, Wuming Xingyun didn’t leave this time, and the Patriarch showed no intention of asking him to.
“Young friend Chu Feng, take a look,” Wuming Xingyun said, handing Chu Feng a letter.
Chu Feng opened it and discovered it was from Bai Liluo, addressed to him.
The letter explained that the Black-Haired Phantom was a prank orchestrated by Bai Liluo herself. There was no real reappearance of the Black-Haired Phantom—it was all fabricated by her.
She had done this to motivate Chu Feng, to push him to achieve a high ranking in the Ancestral Martial Ten Stars evaluation.
Originally, Bai Liluo planned to confess everything to Chu Feng after he won first place, but due to an unexpected matter, she had to leave abruptly.
Thus, she left this letter, which ended with a specific instruction for Chu Feng not to worry or be concerned, promising she would find him once her affairs were settled.
Reading the letter, Chu Feng’s anxious heart finally settled.
He shook his head with a smile. “Sister Liluo, always so mischievous.”
Chu Feng had no doubts about the letter’s authenticity. It carried Bai Liluo’s aura, and as a Saint-robed World Spiritist, he could confirm it was written by her hand—no one else could forge it.
“So, it was that lass pulling a prank. But she did it for your sake, so it’s a well-meaning prank,” Wuming Xingyun said, having read the letter’s contents. He smiled, visibly relieved, as if a weight had been lifted.
He had felt guilty, believing he hadn’t looked after Bai Liluo properly, leading to her disappearance.
That guilt had driven him to follow Chu Feng to the Dantai Celestial Clan, wanting to uncover the truth and give Chu Feng an explanation.
Now, knowing Bai Liluo was safe, his guilt finally dissipated.
“This lass may have pulled a prank, but the Black-Haired Phantom has truly appeared,” the Patriarch of the Dantai Celestial Clan said.
“And I suspect her sudden departure might not be due to personal matters—it’s very likely related to the Black-Haired Phantom.”
“What?” At those words, the smiles on Chu Feng and Wuming Xingyun’s faces vanished instantly.
