Chapter 5709: The Disfigured
Chu Feng followed the Heaven-devouring Qilin’s guidance and made his way to three different realms, but he was unable to find the item it was talking about. They had just arrived at another one of the Totem Galaxy’s Upper Realms.
Even though this Upper Realm was not fully under the control of the Totem Dragon Clan, the Totem Dragon Clan still had guards stationed there.
“We’ll temporarily put this matter aside if we can’t find the treasure here. There’s another matter I need to attend to first,” Chu Feng said.
In truth, there had been Totem Dragon Clansmen stationed in the realms they had been to, so he had been using different means to gather information about Long Chengyu and the others. Thus far, he had learned that even though Long Chengyu’s father had been defeated, he was still alive—the current clan chief had imprisoned him in the Totem Dragon Clan’s headquarters.
As much as Chu Feng hoped that this was true, it was still hearsay and needed further verification. He thought that he needed to check it in person, even if it was risky. Thus, he decided that if he couldn’t find the treasure here or gather any reliable updates about Long Chengyu and the others, he would head to the Totem Dragon Clan’s headquarters.
“Are you planning to save that friend of yours? Are you sure you have the strength to do so? Little Feng, I don’t want to nag at you, but what do their life and death have to do with you? What we’re doing now will raise your cultivation. This should be your topmost priority,” the Heaven-devouring Qilin said.
“There’s no point talking when our values differ. So, where should we go?” Chu Feng asked.
“The northwest,” the Heaven-devouring Qilin replied.
Following the Heaven-devouring Qilin’s direction, Chu Feng soon arrived at a place sealed off by the Totem Dragon Clan. According to the latter, the treasure they were looking for was inside. However, there was a powerful barrier constructed by Tais.h.i.+ Xingzhong surrounding the place.
Tais.h.i.+ Xingzhong was the Totem Dragon Clan’s First Guest Elder, a formidable world spiritist who was known throughout the world of cultivation. He was also the master of Chu Feng’s friend, Bai Yunqing.
He was also one of the key figures behind the recent revolt against the previous Totem Dragon Clan’s Clan Chief, but no one dared to say anything bad about him as the revolt had ended in a success. If anything, that further propped up his standing in the Totem Dragon Clan.
Tais.h.i.+ Xingzhong had recently made a public declaration that he would be taking in a disciple, and the examination ground was where the Heaven-devouring Qilin thought the treasure was.
In the worst-case scenario, Tais.h.i.+ Xingzhong might be here too.
“The barrier was constructed by Tais.h.i.+ Xingzhong. It won’t be easy to breach it,” Chu Feng replied with a sigh.
“Aren’t you a world spiritist, Little Feng? Why don’t you take the test too? You’ll be able to sneak in that way,” the Heaven-devouring Qilin proposed.
“That won’t do. I am wanted. I can’t show my face.”
“Then disguise yourself! Are you that inflexible?”
“I promised someone to always show my true face to others no matter what happens,” Chu Feng said.
“What kind of nonsensical request is that? Why did you make such a promise for no reason? Little Feng, I am certain that the treasure is in there. There’s no mistake about that. This is a chance for you to raise your cultivation. Are you sure you want to miss this fortuitous encounter over a promise?” the Heaven-devouring Qilin asked.
Chu Feng was in a dilemma.
Tais.h.i.+ Xingzhong would have a.s.signed one of his close aides to hold the fort even if he wasn’t personally inside there, so there was a chance he could gather reliable information about Long Chengyu there. However, he couldn’t disguise himself due to the warning he had received from the mysterious man who kidnapped Zhao Hong.
In truth, he had once wondered if the goal of the mysterious man was to force him to grow by confronting problems head-on. There were many other things the mysterious man could have done if he harbored ill will toward him; there was no need to make such a baffling demand.
But he had no basis behind his conjecture.
For the safety of Zhao Hong and the entire Chu Heavenly Clan, he chose to abide by the mysterious man’s instructions. No matter how dangerous the situation was, he had always confronted it with his real face.
“Little Feng, didn’t you recently offend the Seven Realms Sacred Mansion? How do you intend to move around if you don’t disguise yourself? Are you going to wait for them to capture you? Or do you intend to give up on cultivating and live in seclusion?” the Heaven-devouring Qilin said.
Chu Feng had also thought about that issue.
As much as he had to protect his friends and family, it would be futile if he died in the process. The enemy he was currently up against was the Seven Realms Sacred Mansion, the strongest powerhouse in the world of cultivation.
To make things worse, they were bound to have many means as a world spiritist organization. He might have to go against the mysterious man’s demand and disguise himself soon in order to survive.
It would be a gamble on whether the mysterious man truly bore ill will toward him or not.
“Hm?” Chu Feng’s eyebrows suddenly shot up.
A world spiritist wearing a world spiritist cloak had been driven out of the examination ground. His face had been obscured by a bamboo hat, but from the patterns on his world spiritist cloak, Chu Feng could tell that he was at rank five Dragon Transformation Sensation, though his aura was extremely frail and his spirit power was unstable.
He had most likely failed the examination and had been driven out. In fact, he was taking his leave.
Chu Feng sensed something familiar from that person, so he quickly followed him.
“Eyeyey, Little Feng, where are you going? Don’t give up just like that!” the Heaven-devouring Qilin exclaimed in a panic.
“That person might be a friend of mine,” Chu Feng replied.
“A friend? That weakling? Why do you have so many friends? Are you not picky with whom you a.s.sociate with?” the Heaven-devouring Qilin scoffed.
Chu Feng ignored its remark. He had already known it was a selfish individual from its previous interactions. In fact, it had only proposed a partners.h.i.+p between them because it had wanted to make use of him.
That being said, he wasn’t worried about the Heaven-devouring Qilin sabotaging him since they were currently on the same boat.
Chu Feng followed the rank five Dragon Transformation Sensation world spiritist while observing the latter, and he soon noticed a few things that confirmed his suspicions.
When they finally got to a remote location, Chu Feng took off his concealment and descended before the world spiritist. The world spiritist was initially taken aback when he saw Chu Feng, but he quickly turned around and tried to leave.
“Brother Bai, is it you?” Chu Feng blocked his way and asked.
“You got the wrong person. I don’t go by the surname of Bai,” the person spoke with the voice of an old man.
Chu Feng stepped forward and took off the world spiritist’s bamboo hat, only to be shocked by what he saw. The world spiritist looked as if he had been seared by fire—he didn’t have a single strand of hair left, and his face was completely disfigured.
“Milord, please spare me!”
The world spiritist tried to kneel down and plead for mercy, but Chu Feng quickly held his arms and stopped him from kneeling. Chu Feng’s eyes turned a little red.
“Brother Bai, what happened? Did that b.a.s.t.a.r.d master of yours do this?” Chu Feng asked.
By this point, he was already certain that the person standing before him was both his good friend and Tais.h.i.+ Xingzhong’s disciple, Bai Yunqing.