Chapter 37. No Longer Concealing Himself — The Unfathomable Elder Zhao!
Chu Feng was very familiar with this old man.
When the Chu Emperor had arrived, this man had stood constantly at his side.
Anyone able to accompany the Chu Emperor so closely was undoubtedly a trusted confidant.
But why had he suddenly entered here?
BOOM.
The stooped old man descended and withdrew his aura.
His gaze swept across the surroundings, searching for the unusual presence he had sensed moments earlier.
Just as he had stepped into the Royal Hunting Grounds, he had felt an incomparably sacred aura spreading outward, even enveloping the entire hunting grounds.
That killing intent had been world-destroying, as though it could suppress all existence. Even he had been left speechless with shock and had hurried over to investigate.
Yet upon arriving, he discovered that the overwhelming killing aura had already vanished.
Only two of the Chu Emperor’s children remained here—
The Third Prince, Chu Feng, and the Ninth Princess, Chu Mengyao.
“Third Prince. Ninth Princess.”
The stooped old man spoke in a hoarse voice, carrying a trace of respect.
Chu Mengyao could not help but ask, “Elder Zhao, why have you entered?”
Elder Zhao slowly replied, “In this Heavenly Hunt Ceremony, more than half of the heaven’s chosen have already fallen.”
“Among them, the Fifth Prince, Chu Xinghe, is also among the dead.”
“His Majesty the Holy Emperor has sent me to investigate what exactly has occurred here.”
Chu Mengyao’s heart trembled.
More than half of the heaven’s chosen had died?
This was an astonishing piece of news.
It meant that this generation’s talents had suffered catastrophic losses—fully half of them.
Once grown, each would have become a pillar of the Great Chu Dynasty, an existence not to be ignored.
Now they had all perished. It was a tremendous blow.
“The Fifth Prince… Chu Xinghe is dead?”
Chu Mengyao could not help speaking again, her voice filled with shock.
Chu Xinghe—an unparalleled heaven’s chosen who possessed the Domineering King Physique—had actually died!
But as she thought of it, her expression turned solemn.
Under normal circumstances, had Chu Feng not appeared, she herself would certainly have perished as well.
That terrifying withered-bone fiend had been extremely strange. It seemed to have been contaminated by some special substance—undying and indestructible. Even if certain special artifacts could destroy it—
It would instantly re-form, recover to normal, and retain its full combat strength.
Perhaps Chu Xinghe had also encountered a being like that and thus met his death.
Elder Zhao cast a deep glance at both Chu Mengyao and Chu Feng before slowly speaking.
“Third Prince. Ninth Princess.”
“Before I arrived, I sensed that an earth-shaking battle had occurred here.”
“It seems you also encountered those special demonic beasts?”
After entering, Elder Zhao had naturally sensed those beasts contaminated by that peculiar substance.
Their strength had surged dramatically, far surpassing their original realm.
Moreover, they were extremely difficult to kill.
Chu Mengyao nodded slightly and said in a grave tone, “That special creature can no longer be called a demonic beast. It should be called a fiend.”
“It was undying and indestructible. Even after being blasted apart, it re-formed. It was extremely strange.”
Elder Zhao’s eyes shifted slightly. “Oh? Yet at this moment, that fiend has disappeared. Do the two of Your Highnesses know its whereabouts?”
Upon hearing this, Chu Mengyao hesitated. She cast a subtle glance toward Chu Feng.
During this Heavenly Hunt Ceremony, Chu Feng had revealed terrifying strength and risen abruptly. She did not know whether he wished to continue hiding it.
After all, he had saved her life.
Perhaps he did not want to expose his true power.
If she were to speak the truth, it might not be appropriate.
Chu Mengyao fell silent.
A profound light flickered through Elder Zhao’s eyes, as though he were making conjectures.
At that moment—
Chu Feng stepped forward and spoke calmly.
“This Prince killed it.”
In an instant, Elder Zhao’s unfathomable gaze locked onto Chu Feng.
That gaze was bottomless and terrifying. Even standing to the side, Chu Mengyao felt as though she had fallen into an abyss; her heartbeat nearly stopped.
Chu Feng, however, remained unmoved.
By slaying that fiend, he had already secured the position of champion.
He knew he could no longer keep a low profile.
A simple deduction would reveal that the terrifying fiend had been slain by him.
Otherwise, it would be impossible to explain why his record was so high.
Since that was the case, he might as well stop hiding and step forward openly.
From the beginning of the Heavenly Hunt Ceremony, Chu Feng had known he could no longer conceal his strength.
To grow stronger, one must contend endlessly with heaven, earth, and humanity. Concealing one’s strength was clearly not an option.
Elder Zhao’s gaze remained calm as still water as he examined Chu Feng for a long time.
Then his expression faltered slightly.
Because he could no longer see through him.
It was strange.
In the past, Chu Feng had merely been a wastrel, nothing remarkable. His cultivation had only been at the Life Palace Realm.
Elder Zhao could have seen through even the depths of his mind with a single glance.
But now—
It was as though endless mist had shrouded Chu Feng.
His gaze deepened, a faint divine glint flickering within it, yet he still could not penetrate that haze.
In the end, Elder Zhao gave up.
“Third Prince, Your Highness is truly unfathomable,” Elder Zhao said slowly. “It seems the position of champion in this Heavenly Hunt Ceremony belongs to Your Highness without question.”
Chu Feng was not surprised. After killing that fiend, it had become a certainty.
Elder Zhao continued, “An abnormal situation has occurred in the Heavenly Hunt Ceremony. The demonic beasts inside have become highly unusual. It is time to terminate the event.”
“Next, please follow me.”
“I will bring all those who are still alive out of this place.”
Chu Feng and Chu Mengyao both nodded slightly.
Seeing this, Elder Zhao waved his hand. An overwhelmingly powerful force of magic power appeared, enveloping the two of them.
This power was irresistible.
Chu Feng’s eyes narrowed as he speculated about Elder Zhao’s cultivation. It was exceedingly formidable—far beyond the Condensing Dao Realm.
Could he be a Venerable? Or perhaps even a Mighty Expert?
Wrapped in that powerful force, Chu Feng and Chu Mengyao were carried along as Elder Zhao stepped through the air and brought them toward another location.
After a short while, Elder Zhao suddenly halted.
He looked downward.
In the next instant, he descended with a thunderous crash.
Below, within a massive crater, a young heaven’s chosen holding a long sword lay unconscious.
Upon closer inspection, it was the Fourth Prince, Chu Tianchen.
Around him lay utter devastation. Countless towering withered trees, enormous boulders, and vast stretches of land had been violently destroyed. The sight was shocking.
It was difficult to imagine what kind of cataclysmic battle had occurred here. It had truly been world-shattering.
“Fourth Prince!”
Elder Zhao probed with his divine sense and discovered that Chu Tianchen had not died.
He had merely fallen unconscious after the great battle.
Seeing this, Chu Feng’s eyes narrowed slightly, and a flash of black-gold light flickered within his pupils.
“Oh? The demonic beast he slew was actually on the same level as that Azure Demon Python…”
In that instant, he discerned the level of the beast that had once existed here.