“You want to die knowing the truth?”
“Fine. Even if not for Little Stutterer’s sake, for the help you’ve given me, I owe you a clear death.”
“You’ve likely heard many legends about the Ancient Era, but legends are just that—legends. They’re not necessarily true.”
“What I’m about to tell you, however, is the truth. It’s what really happened.”
“Our era, which you call the Ancient Era, wasn’t the beginning. Long before us, there was an even older time—the true origin of martial cultivators.”
“We called that era the Primordial Era.”
“The Primordial Era?” Chu Feng’s heart trembled at those words.
As the Blood-Devouring Demon Venerable had said, Chu Feng had heard many tales of the Ancient Era, but their truth was uncertain.
Yet the Demon Venerable, a being from the Ancient Era, spoke with authority. His words were likely true.
The Ancient Era was already shrouded in mystery for Chu Feng’s generation. Few traces of its powerhouses remained, leaving much unknown.
People only knew that the Ancient Era boasted many formidable martial cultivators, and many of today’s powerful treasures, techniques, and weapons originated from that time.
It was widely accepted that Ancient Era cultivators were stronger than those of the present.
But Chu Feng had never imagined that before the Ancient Era, there was a Primordial Era.
“Much about the Primordial Era is also legend, but some things have been verified,” the Demon Venerable continued.
“Ugh…”
He suddenly clutched his head. Though his face was hidden, Chu Feng could sense his pain.
The episode lasted a while before subsiding.
“Sigh…” The Demon Venerable let out a breath, then said, “My head’s acting up again.”
“Little friend Chu Feng, to be honest, I’ve been injured. My memories of the Ancient Era often slip away. Many things I can’t recall clearly.”
“Even when my mind’s clear and I remember something, it fades soon after.”
“So, I’m sorry, Chu Feng. I can’t let you die knowing everything.”
“Senior, please, at least let me die with some clarity. You don’t need to tell me about the Primordial or Ancient Eras—just tell me what’s inside my body,” Chu Feng pleaded.
“It’s not that I won’t tell you—I genuinely can’t remember. There’s no need for me to lie,” the Demon Venerable said.
Looking at him, Chu Feng couldn’t tell if he truly forgot or simply didn’t want to say.
But one thing was certain: the Demon Venerable was about to act against him.
Swish—
With that thought, Chu Feng swung his arm.
The Evil God Sword moved with him, slicing through the air.
Swish—
A blood-red crescent of sword energy, swift as wind and light, yet fiercely lethal, shot toward the Demon Venerable.
But the Demon Venerable didn’t even flinch. With a casual wave of his hand—
Whoosh—
A fierce gust swept through.
Not only was Chu Feng’s sword energy obliterated, but Chu Feng himself was blown backward.
Sand and stone flew, everything shattered, and Chu Feng crashed heavily into a wall, leaving a deep crater in the solid rock.
“This power?”
Chu Feng’s heart sank. The Demon Venerable’s strength was far beyond what he’d imagined.
It might even surpass the Demon King in the world the little girl had created.
“With just this much skill? How did you pass the trial with this?”
“Has the standard of that thing’s test weakened after all these years?”
The Demon Venerable spoke as if to himself, but his words were a clear mockery of Chu Feng’s weakness.
Crackle—
Blood-red lightning surged as Chu Feng launched another attack. This time, his sword energy was laced with blood lightning.
“Sigh.” The Demon Venerable sighed, waving his hand again. Another gust roared forth.
The wind seemed ordinary but was unstoppable.
Even Chu Feng’s full-powered strike with the Evil God Sword was no match.
The lightning-laced sword energy was scattered, and Chu Feng, still against the rock wall, was hit by the wind. He felt his bones shatter and his soul take a heavy blow.
Pfft—
Blood sprayed from his mouth. Chu Feng felt his strength fading. Even with the Evil God Sword, he could barely fight on.
He’d considered he might lose, but he hadn’t expected to lose so quickly.
Slap—
Before he could dwell on it, a hand appeared before him.
It was the Demon Venerable, now just three meters away.
“Die!”
Chu Feng gritted his teeth, mustering all his strength to thrust the Evil God Sword at the Demon Venerable’s dantian.
The strike was lightning-fast, the sword light flashing as it hit its mark.
It struck!
But the sword felt like it hit an indestructible barrier. Not only did it fail to harm the Demon Venerable, but the recoil left Chu Feng’s hand bloody and his entire arm mangled, as if ruined.
“You’d best not use this sword anymore,” the Demon Venerable said, seizing the Evil God Sword.
As he gripped it, Chu Feng saw visible power flow from his palm, enveloping and seeping into the sword.
It was formation power!
Incredibly potent formation power, surpassing that of a Saint-Cloak World Spiritist.
“A God-Cloak World Spiritist?” Chu Feng exclaimed, eyes wide with shock.
The Demon Venerable smiled faintly and uttered two words: “True Dragon.”
“True Dragon?!”
Chu Feng’s heart jolted. “A True Dragon World Spiritist?”
“You’re not entirely ignorant,” the Demon Venerable said.
Hearing this confirmation, Chu Feng felt as if he’d been utterly crushed.
Despair—overwhelming despair.
In the Ancestral Martial Starfield, Saint-Cloak World Spiritists were the pinnacle, as were Supreme Venerables.
But now, standing before him was a True Dragon World Spiritist.
Chu Feng knew of them.
During his time with Master Long Xuan, they’d discussed many things, including world spiritists.
From Long Xuan, Chu Feng learned that God-Cloak World Spiritists weren’t the apex.
Above them was a higher realm: True Dragon World Spiritist.
