When Ling Feng and his group finally reached the scripture depository of the ancient Huangji Sect, about twenty people had already gathered there. Besides Feng Yan's team and Ding Peng's trio, Shen Lang, Murong Wu, and even Yan Jinghong stood around with cold expressions.
To Ling Feng's surprise, the Eleventh Prince of the Tianyang Empire, Nangong Yu, was also present!
His aura was visibly stronger than before, indicating he had recently broken through to the Spiritual Element Realm.
Ling Feng wasn't too shocked; Nangong Yu's background was strong, and he had always suppressed his cultivation realm.
Although this rapid breakthrough left his foundation unstable, he likely felt it was worth it for the opportunities in this Battlefield of the Gods and Demons. After returning to his empire, he could re-solidify his base at the expense of some time and resources.
When Feng Yan saw Ling Feng's arrival, he cupped his fist in a respectful greeting.
Ling Feng returned the gesture and moved closer to Feng Yan's side. They were, after all, still temporary allies.
"Brother Ling, why didn't we see you when everyone was fighting over that supreme god pill?" Feng Yan whispered.
"Heh, I was actually there, but once I saw you step in, I figured the chance of obtaining it was slim. I backed off and explored nearby, but I found nothing worthwhile."
Ling Feng shrugged and said with a distressed look.
"Hmph, lucky for you that you knew your limits. Once our Young Master Feng stepped in, there was no chance for anyone else." Fatty Huang boasted with pride.
"Yes, exactly," Ling Feng replied, smiling slightly. He inwardly laughed, Feng Yan is strong indeed, but in the end, the real winner is me.
Feng Yan didn't suspect anything, though Yan Jinghong, Nangong Yu, and a few others occasionally cast skeptical glances at Ling Feng and his companions, as if doubting his words.
Luckily, Ling Feng's team played their parts well. Li Bufan and Tuoba Yan's stone-faced expressions betrayed nothing. Yue Yunlan acted so disinterestedly that it seemed she had never even heard of the supreme god pill.
Mu Qianxue stroked the little black cat in her arms, looking harmless as ever. As for Jiang Xiaofan, though not exactly clever, he scratched his head and grinned, attracting little attention.
"Brother Ling, we meet again!" Nangong Yu, the Eleventh Prince of Tianyang Empire, walked over with a calm expression, seemingly unfazed by Ling Feng taking the Mystical Yellow Flame from him last time.
"Eleventh Prince," Ling Feng gave a fist-and-palm salute, feeling surprised. The prince is surprisingly restrained, I thought he would lash out immediately.
"Last time in the Tianbai Empire's capital, Brother Ling truly showed me some 'kindness.' Thanks to you, I lost both my face and men!"
The Eleventh Prince ground out through clenched teeth, referencing the failed engagement to Yue Yunlan, the loss of elite warriors, and worst of all, the forfeiture of three border cities to the Tianbai Empire!
Although the cities were relatively insignificant, the empire's pride took a major hit.
When he returned, his father had been so furious he almost slapped him to death!
"Hehe, think nothing of it. It's really nothing worth worrying about." Ling Feng smiled with a hint of mockery.
Mu Qianxue and Yue Yunlan couldn't help but chuckle. Ling Feng's sharp wit hadn't dulled at all.
"Wahaha... That's so funny! Ouch, my stomach hurts!"
Lan Yingying laughed openly, clutching her stomach as if in pain. She hadn't expected Ling Feng, who usually seemed serious, to be so amusing.
The Eleventh Prince's face darkened, and he glared at Ling Feng before turning away in anger.
He seemed to realize that Ling Feng and Feng Yan were on good terms. Since he couldn't yet challenge the formidable Feng Yan and still needed everyone's strength to enter the scripture depository, he grudgingly held back.
Ling Feng simply touched his nose, dismissing the prince's hostility. Many people wanted to kill him; this prince was no exception.
Looking up, Ling Feng finally saw the large hall in front of him. This was the "scripture depository" of the ancient sect.
However, what he saw inside surprised him. The grand pavilion was half-destroyed, and a huge hole gaped in the left half of the roof, through which blinding golden light shone.
Squinting, Ling Feng saw that the golden light was coming from a spherical swirl of golden energy, which had burst through the pavilion's roof. Outside this golden swirl was a violent storm of energy, shaking the building. If it hadn't been for an ancient array surrounding the scripture depository, it would have been completely destroyed by now.
"What's going on here?" Ling Feng asked Feng Yan, eyes narrowing.
"I'm not entirely sure," Feng Yan replied. "When we arrived, we sensed a unique energy escaping from within. Unfortunately, the ancient array around the pavilion automatically activated, so we couldn't break in directly. That's why we've all been waiting, hoping to break the array together."
"I see." Ling Feng raised an eyebrow. The powerful energy radiating from the golden swirl was overwhelming, indicating that there was undoubtedly a priceless treasure inside!
Still, shouldn't the scripture depository only hold martial arts manuals? Where was this intense golden light coming from?
About half a day later, more people arrived, bringing the total to over fifty geniuses from the four major empires. Finally, Murong Wu couldn't hold back any longer. He leapt from a broken wall and announced loudly, "We've got enough people now. Let's work together to destroy the ancient array around the scripture depository!"
With that, he swung his golden spear and began walking toward the damaged pavilion.
Although the ancient array was formidable, it had weakened after thousands of years. With the combined strength of the geniuses gathered here, there was a fair chance of breaking it.
The golden swirl on the left side of the scripture depository had likely already destroyed numerous martial arts manuals, but the right half of the building remained intact. If someone could just snatch one manual from there, it could very well become a life-changing opportunity for them!