Chapter 4838: Protective Barrier
An atmosphere of despair loomed over the Hidden Dragon Martial Sect. Many amidst the crowd deflated like balloons, crumbling to the ground from sheer fear.
Driving the Hidden Dragon Heavenly G.o.d Formation had taken a heavy toll on everyone. The price they had to pay was much lower than that of the sectmaster, but it was more than enough to deplete their strength.
They were only able to hold on earlier due to the high morale from having suppressed the calamity, but the realization that their earlier efforts had been in vain crushed their spirits, causing their tolerance limit to plummet as well. Most of them lost even the strength to remain on their feet.
“Chu Feng, this was caused by you, so you ought to take responsibility for this. The sectmaster has gathered the full power of the sect to activate the Hidden Dragon Heavenly G.o.d Formation so as to help you, but you were still unable to overcome the calamity. How are you going to take responsibility for this?” the vice sectmaster bellowed.
The elders and disciples were stunned to hear that.
Despite the vice sectmaster’s high standing, he usually treated others amicably. He was fair and impartial when it came to judging matters, and he rarely lost his temper at anyone.
This was the crowd’s first time seeing him treating someone so harshly, but they didn’t think that it was unreasonable for him to do so.
It was a fact that the calamity was caused by Chu Feng regardless of whether he intended it or not.
“Now is not the time to be saying all of this!”
Unexpectedly, the sectmaster didn’t vent her anger at Chu Feng. Instead, upon seeing the calamity regaining its momentum in the sky, she turned to Zi Ling and said, “Zi Ling, help me up.”
Zi Ling quickly did as she was told.
The sectmaster grabbed the scroll and tore off its talisman paper, causing the scroll to unfurl and reveal its contents.
Weng!
A surge of light rose into the sky.
The elders and disciples quickly kneeled to the floor as they looked at the surge of light with reverence in their eyes.
The scroll was something left behind by the sect founder, and it could only be opened when the Hidden Dragon Martial Sect was in a desperate position.
The light swiftly formed a couple of words in the sky.
It was just that the disciples looked at one another in disbelief upon seeing the words, and even the sectmaster’s face crumbled in despair.
…
I’ve founded the Hidden Dragon Martial Sect in order to nurture an expert who is able to save the world of cultivation from its doom. A pity it was that I never lived to see that person.
Out of disappointment, I wanted to dissolve the sect, but the love the sect members had for the sect changed my mind. So, I created this calamity as a trial.
The calamity is made to be easy to overcome, but if a day comes where the calamity can no longer be broken, it only means that the Hidden Dragon Martial Sect no longer deserves to exist on the face of the world.
Since you have opened the scroll, I believe that the time has finally come.
Heed my words. The Hidden Dragon Martial Sect shall be dissolved from this day onward. Leave this place and head to wherever you want, for this calamity is not just an act. It’ll take your life if you choose to linger here.
…
This was the content on the scroll.
The crowd could have never imagined that the content of the scroll would actually be this. They were still pinning their hopes on it all along.
Those words showed the sect founder’s disappointment in them.
Could it be that they had really grown so weak that even the ‘weak calamity’ that the sect founder spoke of was beyond their means to deal with?
If the Hidden Dragon Martial Sect, which had been pa.s.sed down for tens of thousands of years, were to be dissolved due to their weakness, wouldn’t that make them the sinners of the sect?
Shoos.h.!.+
Chu Feng suddenly felt his body moving swiftly. It was the same for Zi Ling as well.
It was Duan Liufeng. He had grabbed Chu Feng and Zi Ling and was quickly leaving the area with them.
“Brother Duan, what are you doing?” Chu Feng asked.
“What am I doing? Didn’t you see the content of the scroll? The Hidden Dragon Martial Sect is going to be dissolved because of you. Do you think that the sectmaster would let you off?
“Hurry up and leave with Zi Ling! It’ll be best if you can get as far away from the Holy Light Galaxy as possible. Hide your ident.i.ty and never appear before the sectmaster ever again!” Duan Liufeng said.
“Brother Duan, I was the one who caused this. I can’t just leave like this. Bring me back. I still want to give it a try,” Chu Feng said.
“Give it a try? What are you going to try? You couldn’t break the calamity earlier with the support of the Hidden Dragon Heavenly G.o.d Formation, so how could you possibly do it now?” Duan Liufeng exclaimed.
“There could be some other solution to it. Since I was the one who caused it, there has to be a way out,” Chu Feng insisted.
“Are you sure?” Duan Liufeng asked hesitantly.
This matter concerned the survival of the Hidden Dragon Martial Sect. If there was even a glimmer of hope left, he would still wish to reverse the dissolution of the Hidden Dragon Martial Sect.
“s.h.i.+t! Hurry up and go”
Duan Liufeng suddenly flung his sleeves and pushed Chu Feng and Zi Ling into the distance. By the time the two of them regained control of their body, Duan Liufeng was already out of sight.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Loud explosions echoed all around them as ferocious shockwaves rippled outward. It was a force coming from a far distance away, but it still harnessed terrifying force.
Chu Feng had to exert his full force in order to protect himself and Zi Ling from the shockwave that gushed in their direction.
When he took a closer look, he realized that all of the trees and even a nearby mountain had been devastated by the shockwave.
But this was only the start. There were still many waves of shockwaves heading in their direction, and each was stronger than the previous.
This made Chu Feng extremely worried.
It was certain that Duan Liufeng was currently fighting with someone else, but it was hard to tell whom his opponent was. It could be the vice sectmaster or the sectmaster.
Soon, the shockwaves came to a halt, and the explosion calmed down too.
The battle ended as quickly as it had happened.
“It looks like it’s my master who’s fighting with Elder Duan,” Zi Ling said.
Chu Feng nodded in agreement too.
Someone who was able to become the Hidden Dragon Chief Elder like Duan Liufeng couldn’t possibly be a pushover. He would be able to put up a fight even if the opponent was the vice sectmaster.
The fact that the battle ended so quickly could only mean that his opponent was the sectmaster herself.
It was just a bit surprising that the sectmaster was still so powerful despite being in a severely weakened state. It could be the unbreachable difference arising from the gap in their cultivation ranks.
“Zi Ling, I can’t leave. I need to head back. I have to take responsibility for this matter,” Chu Feng said.
“I’ll stay with you. You need not to persuade me otherwise… You know that you won’t be able to change my mind,” Zi Ling said determinedly.
“Alright.”
Chu Feng knew just how obstinate Zi Ling could be at times, so he brought her along with him toward where Duan Liufeng was.
But halfway through their journey, they b.u.mped into Duan Liufeng and the person he was fighting with. Surprisingly, his opponent wasn’t the sectmaster but the vice sectmaster.
Duan Liufeng’s body was severely injured. His body was covered in blood, and he didn’t appear to be in a state to continue fighting anymore. He was being held up in the air by the vice sectmaster just like a helpless chick.
The vice sectmaster was unharmed, but he was shrouded by three auras that were violet, blue, and red in color. These auras were raging around the vice sectmaster, causing his face to distort in pain.
Chu Feng could tell that the auras came from a potent forbidden medicine.
It was no wonder why Duan Liufeng could fall in defeat so quickly. The vice sectmaster had resorted to despicable means in order to defeat Duan Liufeng.
“Follow me closely, and make sure you don’t leave my side.”
Chu Feng pulled Zi Ling behind him as he began slowly making his way toward the vice sectmaster.
“Chu Feng, hurry up and leave!” Duan Liufeng shouted feebly.
However, Chu Feng had no intention of leaving Duan Liufeng to the lurch, and there was no fear in his eyes at all. He didn’t fear the vice sectmaster despite knowing that the latter was a powerful expert.
“I was the one who killed your grandson. Let Brother Duan go and come for me instead!” Chu Feng shouted.
“Do you think I dare not kill you? You have placed the entire sect in danger! Even if I don’t make a move on you, the sectmaster wouldn’t let you go either once she recovers from her state!” the vice sectmaster said.
“Give it a try then!” Chu Feng sneered.
Chu Feng wouldn’t have dared to do something like this anywhere else, but it was a different story when he was in the Hidden Dragon Martial Sect.
His confidence came from what he had found on the eleventh floor of the Hidden Dragon Prison.
Back then, while he was being punished on the eleventh floor of the Hidden Dragon Prison, he discovered a mysterious aura. He could tell right away that it was something extraordinary.
So, he did everything he could in order to obtain that mysterious aura.
He eventually managed to obtain the aura. He couldn’t fully tell what that aura was for, but there was a message embedded in it that told him that it was a protective means that would protect him from anyone if he ever met in danger. Not even the sectmaster would be able to hurt him.
It was thanks to this that he didn’t think of the vice sectmaster as a threat either.
“Hahaha!”
The vice sectmaster suddenly burst into chilling laughter.
“Chu Feng, you could have had a quick death in the hands of the sectmaster. I’ll make sure that you suffer a fate worse than death!”
The vice sectmaster raised his hand, and his martial power manifested as countless chains that rushed toward Chu Feng.
It was such a powerful attack that Chu Feng couldn’t even make out the attack. He could only feel death swiftly encroaching on him.
The mysterious aura popped in response to the threat.
Chu Feng opened his mouth in shock.
The mysterious aura formed a barrier around Chu Feng, but what was shocking was that another silhouette had appeared in the barrier…
It was the sectmaster.