Chapter 122: Do Away with This Bird-Man

Xiayazi was right. Early the next morning, a large group of martial artists arrived.

There were twenty-four of them, all without exception at the Yuantian stage, and their sheer number left Chu Tianfeng so terrified that he dared not even breathe loudly. Among these Yuantian stage experts, Chu Tianfeng recognized two: Long Xiangtian of the Long family and Wang Caizhang of the Wang family.

After arriving at the valley entrance, the group deliberated briefly before splitting into two teams of twelve. Ironically, Long Xiangtian and Wang Caizhang were appointed as the leaders of the respective teams. Long Xiangtian’s team began the assault, drawing their weapons and attacking the protective barrier with a deafening clatter. Chu Tianfeng watched from afar, hidden high up in a large tree. After half an hour, Long Xiangtian’s team stepped back to rest, and Wang Caizhang’s team took over. They continued to rotate in this manner.

Around nine in the morning, another group of over a hundred martial artists arrived. Leading them was an old monk with white eyebrows and a white beard, his bald head gleaming brightly under the sun. The cultivation levels of this group were uneven, ranging from the early Huajin stage to the late Yuantian stage.

Chu Tianfeng recognized many among them: Du Tiancai, Du Renzhi, Du Jingjing, Du Xuan, and Du Ming from the Dasan Hall; Mo Wannian, a Yuantian stage expert from the Tianshi Sect; Long Yuanhua, Long Fei, and Long Yue of the Long family; Feng Shuixiu, Feng Piaopiao, and Feng Mingxue of the Feng family; and Wang Zaitian and Wang Lianyao of the Wang family. There were also You Yong of the Tianmu Sect, Zhao Weimin of the Wuyi Sect, and several independent cultivators like the portly Bai Yucheng, Leng Jun, Huang Zaihui, and Chen Shuo. Meanwhile, Yu Zhigao of the Tianshi Sect and Wang Lianchang of the Wang family were nowhere to be seen.

Upon arriving at the valley entrance, these newcomers were divided into two groups of fifty or sixty and joined the original teams to attack the barrier. With these reinforcements, the barrier began to fluctuate, and tiny cracks slowly appeared on the luminous shield. As the attacks intensified, the cracks grew larger and more numerous, accompanied by sharp, snapping sounds. The crowd attacked even more ferociously, making the barrier groan and tremble as if on the verge of collapse.

Finally, with a thunderous boom, the light barrier shattered completely! A surge of powerful, majestic true energy erupted outward, knocking over the martial artists who were either low in cultivation or slow to react. As everyone focused their gaze, they saw a dense, thick fog obscuring the view. Strangely, the mist remained confined within the valley and did not drift outward.

"Amitabha," the old monk stepped forward and declared in a loud voice, "The secret realm is now fully open. I suggest everyone take a half-hour break to rest, then enter in teams. I must remind you all again: the secret realm is extremely dangerous. I hope you will be cautious, support one another, and work together to overcome the challenges ahead."

The martial artists scrambled to their feet and retreated some thirty meters back. Du Jingjing, squeezed among the crowd, kept looking around. She knew Chu Tianfeng must be nearby and might even be close to the entrance. Surrounded by experts, she was immensely worried for his safety and secretly prayed that he would not show himself. However, her prayers were clearly in vain; not only was Chu Tianfeng at the valley entrance, but he was also only two or three hundred meters away from them.

Seeing the others pull back from the entrance, Chu Tianfeng felt a surge of secret joy. He realized the opportunity he had been waiting for had finally arrived. With the entrance clear of people, it was the perfect moment to sneak in. He cast a spell, transformed himself into a wisp of light white mist, and quietly crept toward the entrance.

"Please keep your iron badges safe," the old monk continued. "They are not just identity tokens but defensive treasures that can withstand one or two attacks from a Xiantian stage expert."

Chu Tianfeng had already silently slipped close to the crowd. The old monk kept rambling on, "The secret realm is fraught with difficulties: mist zones, swamps, medicinal valleys, wildernesses..."

Woof!

Suddenly, a dog barked within the crowd. Chu Tianfeng, hiding in the grass, felt his heart sink and quickly looked toward the sound.

A wolfhound, half a person tall, charged out from the crowd, barking furiously as it lunged toward Chu Tianfeng’s hiding spot.

Disaster! He had been exposed!

Without time to think, Chu Tianfeng revealed himself from the grass, his hands dancing as he channeled his Wind-Riding Technique, accelerating toward the valley entrance.

"Stop!" Wang Caizhang was closest to the entrance and reacted the fastest. He lunged forward, pursuing Chu Tianfeng. Mo Wannian and Long Xiangtian, also nearby, immediately took flight in hot pursuit.

"Amitabha!" With a chant, the old monk’s stout figure also drifted into the air.

Chu Tianfeng darted forward, flying toward the mist. One hundred meters. Ninety meters. Eighty meters... Following closely behind him were four figures—or rather, five: four people and one dog! The four people were Wang Caizhang, Long Xiangtian, Mo Wannian, and the old monk. The dog was naturally the large wolfhound—specifically, Wang Lianyao’s wolfhound!

The rest of the martial artists were momentarily stunned, but seeing someone attempting to rush into the secret realm, they quickly snapped to attention. "Get him! Kill that bastard!" someone shouted. "Catch him and skin him alive!" another roared.

Consequently, the crowd of martial artists leapt into the air, following behind Wang Caizhang and the others toward the entrance! In the crowd, Du Jingjing wept, her small teeth biting down hard on her lip. She had dreaded this moment, yet it was happening right before her eyes.

Forty meters. Thirty meters. Twenty meters... Chu Tianfeng was getting closer and closer; the mist seemed within reach! But Wang Caizhang and the others were closing in too, especially the old monk. With his superior cultivation, his speed was unmatched—faster than Chu Tianfeng himself! He quickly overtook Mo Wannian, then Long Xiangtian and Wang Caizhang, rapidly closing the distance behind Chu Tianfeng.

"Be careful! That is Wuyin!" Xiayazi’s warning echoed in his mind.

At that moment, Chu Tianfeng was less than ten meters from the entrance! Feeling the powerful wind of an attack from behind, he had no time to check with his spiritual sense and hurriedly cast a spell.

"Get down!" A thunderous roar came from behind, followed by a blast of thick, powerful true energy! Chu Tianfeng turned slightly, pushing his palms backward to unleash his own surge of true energy!

Boom!

The two forces collided in mid-air with a deafening blast! Chu Tianfeng was sent flying directly into the mist, vanishing instantly!

"Ah..." Master Wuyin was frozen in place, caught between laughter and tears.

Wang Caizhang and Mo Wannian, without a second thought, charged into the mist after him. Only Long Xiangtian stopped abruptly at the edge of the mist, looking at Master Wuyin with suspicion.

The remaining martial artists reached the entrance, looking at the mist with excited, eager expressions.

"Amitabha!" Master Wuyin chanted once more, looking around. "Everyone, please stay calm! I must remind you again: the mist zone is filled with danger. I suggest you rest here, recover to your peak condition, and then enter in teams."

Long Xiangtian looked at the entrance with frustration and said aloud, "Mo Wannian of the Tianshi Sect and Wang Caizhang of the Wang family have entered the secret realm without authorization. I propose the organizing committee fine them one hundred million each and strip their sects of the right to enter the secret realm next time as a punishment!"

He had initially wanted to propose barring them from this current trip, but seeing how few of their members remained, he felt that would be too light a penalty, so he suggested banning them from the next one instead.

Master Wuyin pressed his palms together. "Master Mo and Master Wang have violated the rules of the assembly and deserve punishment. As for the specifics, we must negotiate and decide."

"I agree with Brother Long. Punish the Tianshi Sect and the Wang family severely." Du Tiancai walked to Master Wuyin’s side and raised his right hand in support.

"My Feng family agrees too!" an elderly woman in a mask stepped out from the crowd.

"My Huangshan Sect agrees as well!" another old man pushed through the crowd to stand before Master Wuyin.

Then, the martial artists began to shout in succession. "I support Brother Long!" "Without rules, there is no order; the Tianshi Sect and the Wang family have gone too far, they must be punished!" "I suggest a fine of one billion and a one-hundred-year ban from entering Peach Blossom Valley!"

Among the crowd, Wang Lianyao and the remaining disciple of the Tianshi Sect exchanged glances, not daring to utter a sound.

"Amitabha!" Master Wuyin nodded slightly. "In that case, we shall follow your wishes: fine the Tianshi Sect and the Wang family one hundred million each, and bar them from the next entry. I ask the Long and Feng families to draft the documents and deliver them to the Tianshi Sect and the Wang family in the name of the organizing committee."

Long Xiangtian and the masked old woman pressed their palms together. "We shall follow your decree, Master."

"No need for formalities, benefactors," Master Wuyin said, fingering his prayer beads and shaking his head slightly. He turned his gaze toward the valley and murmured, "I wonder whose disciple that was. So young, yet his cultivation has already reached the late Huajin stage, and his movement technique is truly peerless—a rare sight in this world."

"That... I am not entirely sure," Du Tiancai replied vaguely. Of course, he had seen Chu Tianfeng’s face clearly and knew his true identity. However, Chu Tianfeng had done the Du family a favor and they had a business deal. In any regard, he could not betray him. Behind him, Du Jingjing looked anxious and uneasy. She had seen the old monk’s strike clearly and was terrified that Chu Tianfeng might be injured. She had wanted to rush into the mist several times, but her cultivation was too weak, and Du Renzhi had always pulled her back. Looking at the thick mist, she felt helpless and burst into tears.

"Looking across China, there are many young talents at the late Huajin stage, but there is only one whose movement technique is so miraculous," the masked old woman said, her gaze passing over Du Renzhi and his daughter. "Chu Tianfeng!"

Long Xiangtian looked at Long Fei beside him, wanting to say something but hesitating. He also suspected the person was Chu Tianfeng, but thinking of the relationship between Long Fei and Chu Tianfeng, he felt conflicted.

"Yes, it is him!" the old man from the Huangshan Sect interjected. "This brat not only has exceptional movement skills but his mastery of hidden weapons is also divine. I heard he was a performer by trade and is skilled at disguise, making him impossible to guard against."

The fact that Chu Tianfeng had once disguised himself as Qian Ling was common knowledge, and the Huangshan Sect naturally knew this. Moreover, they suspected that it was not Dai Xing, but Chu Tianfeng, who had humiliated Guo Xiancheng and his men at Mount Huangshan. Unfortunately, they had no proof—the witnesses were either dead or had fled.

"That’s right, he also used the alias Liu Feng. He even participated in the competition yesterday and qualified for entry," another person nearby added.

"Since he had already qualified for entry, why go through the trouble of acting like a petty thief?" Master Wuyin asked, quite puzzled.

Long Xiangtian gestured toward the valley. "I’m afraid only Wang Caizhang and Mo Wannian would know that. The clash between their two families last night was likely related to Chu Tianfeng."

"Amitabha! Let us put this matter aside for now," Master Wuyin said, fingering his beads and looking at Du Tiancai and the others. "The barrier to the secret realm will not recover for three days. I must trouble you, Benefactor Du, Benefactor Long, and Benefactor Feng, to remain here and maintain order."

Du Tiancai and the others hurriedly agreed.