Chapter 5082: A Person He Respects
That person was dressed in a robe covered in flickering runes. The robe contained incredibly strong spirit power that fully concealed the presence of its wearer. It was through this robe that the person was able to avoid the detection of even the Asura King.
If Chu Feng were to see the person under the robe, he would have surely been surprised. It was the Hidden Dragon Martial Sect’s sectmaster.
“It’s a good thing that I didn’t interfere needlessly. The hellfire is indeed the entrance to the Emperor of Massacre’s trial,” the Hidden Dragon Martial Sect’s sectmaster murmured under her breath.
While she seemed to have returned to her residence after Chu Feng left, the truth was that she had secretly followed him. Not only did she know about the Asura Graveyard, but her knowledge of it far surpassed most people.
That was also the reason she didn’t make a move when Chu Feng leaped into the hellfire even though she could have saved him.
Many years ago, when she was accompanying Dugu Lingtian on a mission, she stumbled upon the secret of the Asura Graveyard, which was none other than the clue left behind by the Heavenly Lord of Massacre that most people were unaware of.
However, Dugu Lingtian dared not to challenge the Asura Graveyard’s hellfire. He even went so far as to claim that anyone who successfully cleared the hellfire’s trial was likely to possess talent superior to his.
Back then, Dugu Lingtian had awed the entire Hidden Dragon Martial Sect with his overwhelming talent. It looked as if there was no one in the world who could rival him.
For that reason, the Hidden Dragon Martial Sect’s sectmaster confidently replied that there would be no such people. It was implausible to her back then that a person could possibly clear a trial that even Dugu Lingtian dared not to challenge. It almost felt ironic how she was witnessing this in person now.
The Hidden Dragon Martial Sect’s sectmaster followed Chu Feng and left the Asura Graveyard. Chu Feng was no longer anywhere to be seen, but she knew where he was heading to. She gazed in that direction too, but she suddenly turned around to look at the entrance of the Asura Graveyard.
That was the exact same spot where she and Dugu Lingtian had stood back then.
“Young master Lingtian, how wonderful it would be if you could have witnessed this sight in person. Someone whom even you would respect has appeared, and it truly is coincidental how he’s from our Hidden Dragon Martial Sect.”
Those words were initially spoken with a joyous tone, but her voice slowly grew hoarse.
…
In the Nine Souls Sacred Clan, Sima Xiangtu was feeling overjoyed. After many days of preparation, he finally mastered his control over the puppet army. He was finally able to use their power to activate the Immortal Cauldron.
“This feeling…?”
SIma Xiangtu suddenly noticed that something was amiss. He rushed back to his residence and found someone standing there. It was the son of the Asura King, Prince Brightsun.
“Master.”
Prince Brightsun hurriedly bowed to Sima Xiangtu. It turned out that he was Sima Xiangtu’s disciple, as well as the mysterious man who crossed blows with Chu Feng.
“Your state… it looks like you’ve successfully freed yourself from being an evil spirit?” Sima Xiangtu exclaimed in delight.
The appearance and aura of Prince Brightsun now resembled that of an ordinary human. It was no longer possible to tell that he was from the Asura Spirit World.
“It’s all thanks to the cultivation technique you have bestowed to me, master. I can stay by your side now that I’m freed from the restraints of the Asura Graveyard. Master, I can help you reclaim the puppet army. Please lead the way forward!” Prince Brightsun said.
It turned out that Sima Xiangtu had been raising Prince Brightsun to free the puppet army from the Monstrous Spirit Clan. It was just that his identity as an Asura Evil Spirit and the limitations imposed by Lord Massacre’s formation had prevented him from leaving the Asura Graveyard, so he hadn’t been able to make a move thus far.
“There’s no longer any need for you to do that. Look, that’s the puppet army I’ve told you about.”
Sima Xiangtu waved his sleeves, and a formation appeared. It showed the puppet army stationed outside the room.
Prince Brightsun had relied on Sima Xiangtu’s formation to get here, so he was still unaware of what was outside.
“That's the master's puppet army? Incredible! But master, how did you manage to get them out of the Monstrous Spirit Clan?” Prince Brightsun asked out of curiosity.
“It’s Chu Feng. I used Chu Feng to get the puppet army out for me,” Sima Xiangtu replied.
“Chu Feng? That explains why he would bring Brightmoon to the Asura Graveyard. He was hoping to gather reinforcements against the master's puppet army,” Prince Brightsun remarked.
“Hm? You said that Chu Feng went to the Asura Graveyard?”
A tight knit formed on Sima Xiangtu’s forehead. He knew just how powerful the Asura Evil Spirits in the Asura Graveyard were.
“He has indeed gone there, but master, you need not worry. I have taken care of him.”
Prince Brightsun told Sima Xiangtu about everything that had happened in the Asura Graveyard. Of course, there was only so much that he knew since he left right after Chu Feng and Yaoyao had just disappeared in the hellfire.
“As expected of my disciple, well done. Brightsun, it isn’t the time for you to make an appearance yet. You should stay here for the time being. Once I succeed, those fellows from the Pill Dao Immortal Sect would no longer pose a threat. Just wait here and watch my performance.”
Sima Xiangtu maintained the formation so as to allow Prince Brightsun to continue seeing what was happening outside. He left the room and quickly headed toward the Immortal Cauldron.
“Everyone, I’ve kept you waiting. Today is the day that you will be tributed.”
As Sima Xiangtu spoke, the cultivators of the Nine Souls Galaxy below rose into the air and floated above the Immortal Cauldrons. None of them were moving on their own accord, evident by the endless miserable cries begging for mercy.
All of them implicitly understood that they were no different from ingredients about to be tossed into a pot. Death would befall them if they were dropped into the Immortal Cauldron.
However, Sima Xiangtu paid no heed to their pleading. He took his eyeball and opened the confinement formation to bring out the Ox-nosed Old Daoist, the Godwish Grandmother, Wang Yuxian, and the others.
Under Sima Xiangtu’s pressure, they were all forced to kneel above the Immortal Cauldron.
Unlike the other cultivators, the Ox-nosed Old Daoist and the others didn’t beg Sima Xiangtu for mercy, unlike the other cultivators, but they still revealed looks of despair when faced with the terrifying energy in the cauldron. They knew that they were soon going to die.
There was no fear on Wang Yuxian’s face. She raised her head to look at the sky, hoping to take one last look at the world around her before she left. All of a sudden, she noticed a figure appearing on the distant horizon and froze up.
To her astonishment, the figure resembled Chu Feng.