“Senior, why don’t you wait on the surface?” Chu Feng said to Master Liangqiu.
“I’m ashamed. It seems you’ve noticed I’m struggling here,” Master Liangqiu said, a wry smile on his face.
Indeed, it was embarrassing. Despite Chu Feng’s cultivation being far below his, Chu Feng was far more at ease in this place.
Though Chu Feng was clenching his teeth to endure the pressure, it affected him less—a clear fact.
This made Master Liangqiu realise that, while he surpassed Chu Feng in cultivation, his resilience was inferior.
“Chu Feng… no one would blame you if you didn’t go down,” Master Liangqiu said. “I believe even Brother Zhu wouldn’t want you to risk your life for nothing.”
The more he saw Chu Feng’s strength, the less he wanted him to throw his life away.
Master Liangqiu had high hopes for Chu Feng, wishing for him to shine across the Holy Light Galaxy one day, representing the Ancestral Martial Starfield.
“Don’t worry, Senior, I’ll come back alive,” Chu Feng said. “After all, I still need to return to the Chu Heavenly Clan to face Linghu Hongfei.”
“Chu Feng, you…” Master Liangqiu’s expression grew complex.
He thought he’d successfully deceived Chu Feng, but those words revealed Chu Feng had seen through their lies.
“You couldn’t be fooled after all?” Master Liangqiu said, growing uneasy, especially since Tianji Zun-zhe had made his prophecy.
“Chu Feng, Tianji Zun-zhe predicted that if you fight Linghu Hongfei…”
“Senior, I know,” Chu Feng interrupted with a smile. “No need to persuade me. My fate is my own.”
Master Liangqiu sighed, knowing Chu Feng’s stubbornness. No amount of persuasion would change his mind.
“Senior, wait outside. I’ll bring Senior Zhu back soon,” Chu Feng said.
*Whoosh—*
With that, water splashed, and Chu Feng shot toward the Mirror Heart Land like a streak of light.
As expected, as he neared, a powerful suction locked onto him.
At this point, even if he wanted to escape, he couldn’t.
Passing through the Mirror Heart Land, he fell into a massive vortex.
The vortex pulled him downward, not quickly, but irresistibly. Chu Feng could only sink with it.
Logically, as the core of the Mirror Sea, the vortex should lead to a grand formation.
But Chu Feng felt uneasy.
Faintly, he heard strange sounds from the depths below—sounds of battle, roars, human voices, beastly growls, or perhaps the wind.
He couldn’t discern what they were, or if they were real or just his imagination.
But one thing was certain: his heart grew chaotic, anxious, irritable, even fearful.
Chu Feng tried to suppress his emotions, but they seemed influenced, beyond his control.
As fear intensified, the sounds grew louder, more chaotic.
He could no longer make out what they were, only that they overwhelmed him, clouding his mind, oppressing his spirit, driving him toward madness, his consciousness fading.
“Damn it, what are these sounds?” Chu Feng realised this place was far more dangerous than he’d imagined.
The danger wasn’t overt but seeped into him invisibly.
Caught off guard, he tried to adjust, even sealing his hearing to block the eerie sounds.
It was useless. The sounds persisted, and his condition worsened.
Chu Feng sensed trouble.
Some strange force was affecting him. If it continued, he might lose his mind, become a raving lunatic, unable to save Senior Zhu—or even himself.
*Snap—*
Just as despair set in, a hand grabbed his shoulder.
Suddenly, Chu Feng felt his sinking body begin to rise.
Struggling to open his eyes and turn his head, he saw a frail figure…
It was Old Daoist Ox-Nose.
With his help, Chu Feng quickly escaped the Mirror Heart Land.
Once out, Chu Feng was so weak he couldn’t control his body or speak, as if paralyzed.
*Buzz—*
Suddenly, Old Daoist Ox-Nose placed a hand on Chu Feng’s forehead.
A warm current flowed from his forehead, spreading through his body.
Soon, Chu Feng’s suppressed emotions and chaotic mind began to stabilize.
“Focus and sense it. There’s a power in your body. Don’t let it escape—refine it, it’ll benefit you,” Old Daoist Ox-Nose’s voice rang out.
As his body recovered, Chu Feng followed the advice, examining his body.
To his surprise, a power was indeed present.
It was subtle, almost insidious, scattered throughout him like countless tiny insects.
Parasitic, they were so hidden that without careful focus, he wouldn’t have noticed.
“These things affected me?” Chu Feng thought, a chill running through him despite his recovery.
Without Old Daoist Ox-Nose’s guidance, he might not have detected them.
The insect-like entities, sensing danger, tried to flee his body as the Daoist’s power entered.
But they were trapped, unable to escape, sealed by Old Daoist Ox-Nose’s power.
