Chapter 1245: Too Popular

The camps from Southern Zhanzhou and Western Hezhou suddenly fell into a brief silence, everyone staring intently at the "corpse-collecting" youth.

Then, both camps immediately erupted again. He had dared to provoke them so brazenly, stepping onto the field first and boasting he would fight one against a hundred. The shift from brief quiet to widespread fury happened in an instant. Two massive, densely packed crowds immediately surged forward. A rough estimate put their number at at least several thousand.

Chu Feng felt a bit dizzy and bewildered. Could there really be so many seed-level masters in these two camps? He found it hard to believe. Although he hadn't familiarized himself with the duel rules, he assumed the limit was around a dozen participants.

Dust billowed, the ground trembled, and shouts of battle filled the air. The two massive groups, one from Zhanzhou and the other from Hezhou, charged directly at him. Chu Feng spat, pulled out his wolf-tooth club, and steeled himself for a desperate fight. He was ready to risk everything for those secret realms.

Fortunately, at the crucial moment, high-ranking figures called out, and Divine Kings appeared to maintain order, intercepting everyone and sending them back. Chu Feng breathed a sigh of relief. He had indeed felt a bit apprehensive. If thousands of people had charged him simultaneously, and a Divine King had been hidden among them, launching a sudden sneak attack, the situation could have turned dire.

He soon understood the situation: his words and actions had been incredibly provocative, inciting outrage among the crowds. Even those who weren't seed-level masters and weren't qualified to duel had joined the fray. People from the Yongzhou camp were speechless at the sight. How hated was Cao Heishou from their own faction? Thousands wanted to eliminate him! Chu Feng himself was momentarily stunned, having not anticipated such widespread public outrage.

Initially, his main concern was that his opponents would avoid battling him and refuse a duel. This was because, in principle, those who had already won a secret realm were exempt from further participation. That’s why he had resorted to provocative words, challenging the masters of both camps. Now, it seemed utterly unnecessary. His behavior here had long since made people grit their teeth, eager for a chance to fight him.

Feeling a tad guilty, Chu Feng quickly tried to lighten the mood. "Fellow daoists," he began, "let us not be impulsive. Our purpose here is to explore the path of evolution and jointly comprehend the Dao. Let us not allow temporary gains or losses, or brief victories and defeats, to cloud our wise judgment. We should engage in friendly sparring to improve ourselves."

He spoke with a solemn expression, as if he had truly come for a profound discussion, completely forgetting his earlier boast of fighting one against a hundred! No one believed such words now; they instantly triggered a chorus of boos and protests. Chu Feng, however, acted as if he hadn’t heard, nodding instead. "I didn't realize so many people agreed with me," he said. "I can feel everyone's enthusiasm, and I understand that many fellow daoists wish to spar."

At this point, it wasn't just the people from the Southern Zhanzhou and Western Hezhou camps; many within the Yongzhou camp felt their faces burn with embarrassment for him. "I don't know him!" the monkey exclaimed, covering his face. Even Yongzhou's high-ranking officials' faces twitched; they yearned to retort, "Is that enthusiasm? That's a huge chorus of boos!" Moreover, were they asking to spar? They wanted to kill him!

"Kill him!" Indeed, from both Western Hezhou and Southern Zhanzhou, unified shouts of "Kill him!" already echoed. At the same time, the seed-level evolved experts stepped forward, arguing amongst themselves, each eager to be the first to duel him. "I didn't expect to be this popular," Chu Feng sighed. The Monkey and Xiao Yao both felt that their sworn brother’s brazenness was thick enough to serve as a shield, capable of deflecting countless arrows; his defense was simply too formidable. Apart from murderous intent, many evolvers from Western Hezhou and Southern Zhanzhou simply rolled their eyes at him. Had it not been for the intervention of high-ranking officials, another group would likely have charged onto the field to gang up on him.

In the end, a golden-haired beauty gracefully stepped forward. With the consent of the other seed-level masters, she entered the arena to challenge the detestable youth from Yongzhou. She appeared young, her face still slightly immature, but her figure was tall and slender, easily over 178 centimeters, with graceful and captivating curves.

Chu Feng was startled, sensing the unique aura of a divine beast and fierce avian creature. A golden symbol flashed in the depths of his eyes, and he recognized her as a Golden Crow! This was a super divine bird, a race bold enough to contend with dragons and phoenixes. Chu Feng immediately understood her origin: she belonged to the Western Hezhou camp, from the Golden Crow Dynasty, and was likely a princess. The Western Hezhou camp boasted several formidable clans: the Buddha Clan, Golden Crow Clan, Peacock Clan, and White Tiger Clan, among others, all historically renowned and powerful races.

The Golden Crow maiden possessed waist-length golden hair, dazzling and brilliant as if spun from the morning glow, with light shimmering around her. This, combined with her fair and exquisite face, gave her an exceptional, ethereal aura. This maiden had a tall, flawless figure, even surpassing the height of an average man. Her lips were a vibrant red, her teeth gleamed like pearls, and her beauty was truly exceptional.

Chu Feng realized this maiden was formidable; her strength was considerable, with few rivals among Saints. Of course, if he wanted to defeat her, it would be no problem at all. Chu Feng considered how to capture this Golden Crow “gem” without frightening away his other potential opponents. He didn't want anyone else to retreat and refuse to fight. In his eyes, each opponent represented a secret realm, and he intended to seize every single one, taking them all down at once.

"Don't be so quick to act!" Seeing the stunning Golden Crow maiden about to attack, Chu Feng quickly called out. After a moment of thought, he shouted towards the distant seed-level masters, "Who else wants to challenge me to a decisive battle? We can start booking appointments now!"

Hearing this, black lines instantly appeared on the Golden Crow maiden’s fair and beautiful face. Did this shameless fellow truly underestimate her, assuming her defeat was inevitable? Behind her, almost all the seed-level masters glared at Chu Feng, both camps fixating him with murderous gazes. Initially, no one paid him any mind, and no one booked an appointment.

"Are you all scared?" Chu Feng couldn't help but mutter. Then, someone who simply couldn't tolerate him any longer reprimanded him directly, stating that if he did somehow manage to win, they would certainly step up to fight. Once someone took the lead, others joined in the scolding, vowing that as long as he wasn't dead, they would certainly step in shortly to finish him off.

"That puts my mind at ease," he said. "You've all promised to come and fight me in a decisive battle later. No one is allowed to run away. A man's word is his bond, and I'll remember you all."

"Sister, take him down!" Someone shouted from behind. It was a youth who also had long golden hair, dazzling and radiant like a sun god. He was very closely related to the maiden; they were twins, both from the Golden Crow Clan and both seed-level experts.

In fact, the maiden already in the arena could no longer stand Chu Feng. How dare he act as if she was destined to lose, making future appointments? She decided to give this wicked youth from Yongzhou the most painful lesson, ensuring he suffered the most humiliating defeat. At that moment, golden ripples suddenly erupted from the Golden Crow princess's glabella, sweeping across the battlefield.

"A Saint Domain!" Someone exclaimed in surprise, genuinely stunned. It was actually a Psychic Saint Domain, spreading from the maiden's glabella and enveloping the battlefield. Such a domain was incredibly rare, with few rivals at the same level. Once caught within this Psychic Saint Domain, an enemy would lose all control over their life and death, their every action and word manipulated as if they were a puppet.

The Golden Crow princess intended to directly control Chu Feng, turning him into an obedient follower for her own use. Undoubtedly, if successful, the effect would be even more shocking.

A warning bell rang in Chu Feng’s heart. He immediately sensed his opponent's unusual power; any other Saint present would surely have been suppressed. For instance, Kunlong, the former First Saint of Yongzhou, would have been utterly unable to withstand this Psychic Saint Domain. However, Chu Feng was a Great Saint, yet up to this point, the people of Hezhou and Zhanzhou had not truly taken him seriously! This was primarily because he possessed certain special artifacts that concealed his true strength, preventing the opposing camps from realizing his full power. For instance, the three talismans given to him by Heavenly Venerate Yu Shang were considered divine objects, capable of interfering with the judgment of high-ranking opposing officials and causing various miscalculations.

The Golden Crow princess, unaware that he was a Great Saint, was supremely confident. With a smile playing on her lips, she declared, "Surrender and become my servant." Her aura was ethereal. Instead of attacking directly, she used her Psychic Saint Domain, intending to capture Chu Feng and make him her prisoner.

However, a radiant glow emanated from Chu Feng's body. With a resounding boom, like a burst of thunder, a golden ripple rolled back, striking the Golden Crow maiden herself. Instantly, her body swayed, her eyes grew somewhat vacant, and she coughed up a mouthful of golden blood, her body tottering precariously.

Chu Feng immediately rushed over, caught her by the waist, swiftly sealed her, and then… picked her up and ran.

Damn it, he's running off again?! Behind him, a crowd hadn't even fully grasped what was happening when the battle abruptly ended: the Golden Crow princess had been captured alive! What just happened? Many people were dumbfounded! To everyone's astonishment, after just one brief encounter, the Golden Crow princess had been… carried away? That's right, this time she wasn't dragged away by one leg; instead, she was directly carried away by that detestable youth from Yongzhou, who sprinted off at full speed. It was as if he was… abducting a bride!

Why had she lost? At this moment, the most agitated and enraged person was naturally the Golden Crow maiden’s twin brother; he simply couldn't believe it. He immediately gave chase, reacting swiftly. At that moment, Chu Feng muttered as he ran, "Luckily, my ancestral pendant worked; it naturally counters mental attacks." This was, of course, nonsense. It was simply because he was a Great Saint, and by immediately unleashing his strongest mental energy, he had completely suppressed the Golden Crow maiden!

The young Golden Crow expert behind him, upon hearing this, immediately became enraged and shouted, "He cheated! He used a forbidden artifact beyond the Saint realm! The duel is unfair!"

"Whether it's a foul or not, you don't decide; there are others to judge that," Chu Feng retorted, looking back. Then he added, "Why are you chasing me?"

"That's my sister! Put her down!" The Golden Crow prodigy was beside himself with rage, his golden pupils glowing and his mental fluctuations incredibly violent. The wicked youth from Yongzhou was running off while carrying his sister. Compared to the three previous captives, this was indeed a different kind of treatment. Yet, he couldn’t feel grateful; he just had a strong suspicion this guy was deliberately taking advantage.

"Your biological sister?" Chu Feng asked.

"Yes!" the Golden Crow prodigy replied, extremely annoyed.

"That's excellent!"

The Golden Crow youth was somewhat confused. Why was the other party so happy? Immediately afterward, veins popped out on his forehead. The wicked youth from Yongzhou was actually making a shameless demand. "I order you to surrender immediately, bind your own hands, and admit defeat to me!"

"Why should I?" The Golden Crow prodigy was enraged and indignant.

"Because you are the biological brother of my captive. If you don't yield, I'll kill her. This is a battlefield, after all, and death is common." At that moment, the Golden Crow youth felt ten thousand alpacas stampede through his mind. He was utterly furious at being threatened and coerced into surrendering. This was utterly disgraceful. He had never encountered such an outrageous seed-level expert; the man was completely shameless.

"You... you... you..." The Golden Crow youth, still chasing frantically, was too enraged to speak.

"What's the big deal?" Chu Feng further threatened. "Is your sister more important, or your pride? If you still refuse to admit defeat to me, I'll kill your sister on the spot!" Then, the Golden Crow prodigy watched as the wicked youth from Yongzhou ran off, holding his sister with one arm, while his other hand rested on her pale neck, ready to twist it at any moment.

"I..." He was seething with anger, simply unable to bear it. He hadn't even entered the fight, and he was about to suffer such a disgraceful defeat?

"Are you going to admit defeat or not?" Chu Feng asked again.

"I..." Finally, the Golden Crow prodigy grimaced, his eyes glistening with tears, and nodded in helpless indignation, choosing to surrender. His mood was deeply suppressed; he was unbearably angry. He had never encountered such a shameless opponent.

However, to his surprise, the wicked youth from the Yongzhou camp looked up at the sky and sighed dramatically, "Alas for my lifelong reputation! To ensure Yongzhou’s victory, I’ve greatly damaged my own image!" The Golden Crow prodigy desperately wanted to spit in his face and tell him, "What image are you talking about? You've been nothing but a scoundrel from start to finish!"

Chu Feng, however, didn’t care much. After he had seized the secret realms and taken their treasures, he planned to flee, adopt a new identity, and continue to be a free spirit.

"Fellow daoists of the Yongzhou camp, prepare to receive your captives!" Chu Feng shouted as he sprinted back. "It's a double kill again! This brother and sister have been utterly defeated and are now both my prisoners!"

At that moment, within the Yongzhou camp, everyone was speechless. This was truly unbelievable.