Chapter 122: Bearing the Burden of Destiny

After hearing the words of the Grand Elder, Chu Feng resolutely declared, "I am willing to protect the human race with my life."

However, he soon felt a tinge of melancholy and said, "But with my current level of cultivation being so limited, even if I risk my life, I fear it will have little impact. I may disappoint the high hopes the elders have placed upon me."

The Grand Elder smiled gently and patted Chu Feng on the shoulder. "As long as you hold firm to your conviction and continue along your path with your talent, why should success be out of reach? The Demon Emperor Long Zhan is not about to storm the Sacred City tomorrow. Despite his arrogance, claiming he needs a hundred years, do you really think he will have the power to annihilate the human race then?"

The Grand Elder was well aware of the disparity between the human and demon factions. Even if the great clans fought to the death, it would ultimately be a mutual destruction scenario, with humans suffering more severely.

As for the extinction of the human race, the current demons simply lack that power.

He looked at Chu Feng and continued, "Although Long Zhan has escaped, his strength is likely diminished. This was a sacrifice made by Long Teng with his life. You must understand, Long Teng's power was comparable to Long Zhan's. If anything, his shortcoming was his physical body."

"Long Zhan is a demon spirit favored by Heaven, possessing an extraordinarily robust body that can rival even those who follow the martial path. This is something Long Teng could not match. Perhaps this is the main reason why Long Teng perished while Long Zhan survived."

"But one thing is certain: even if the Demon Emperor survived, he must be severely wounded. We five elders estimate that it will take no less than twenty years for him to fully recover."

"So, for at least these twenty years – before he reaches his peak again – the demons will not launch a final war against humanity."

"As for after twenty years, even if he returns to full strength, we may find it difficult to oppose him. But among the descendants of humanity, there may arise one who can stand against him. And that person is destined to be you!"

"Me?" Chu Feng was stunned.

The Grand Elder nodded. "You are the only person since ancient times to cultivate the three paths simultaneously. Your talent already rivals, even surpasses, the legendary Yu Yang. Yu Yang became a Saint Spirit Warrior after ten years in the Spirit War Pavilion, and for you to reach a comparable level in the same time is entirely possible."

"Yu Yang became the most powerful Saint Spirit Warrior in human history over the following decade, striking fear into the demons. For you, it is not difficult to achieve such a stature within a similar timeframe. I believe this is one of the main reasons Yu Yang chose you."

"To face the Demon Emperor Long Zhan… To be honest, if that is your only goal, it would be an injustice to your extraordinary talent. Becoming someone comparable to or even greater than Yu Yang—would you then still worry about Long Zhan’s madness? It all depends on whether you can hold firm to your conviction and have confidence."

The Grand Elder’s expression grew solemn as he looked at Chu Feng and earnestly asked, "Child, are you willing to bear the fate of the entire human race?"

"I am willing!" Chu Feng said decisively, his face resolute.

At that moment, he took a deep breath, casting all negative emotions aside, his heart filled only with boundless fighting spirit.

The Grand Elder nodded with satisfaction. "I summoned you today to tell you this: henceforth, devote yourself fully to cultivation. No longer waste time gathering spirit herbs; leave that to the Spirit Herb Hall. Everything you need on your cultivation path will be provided by the Spirit War Pavilion. You don’t need to earn points anymore."

"Thank you, Grand Elder. But won’t this violate the rules of the Spirit War Pavilion?" Chu Feng asked.

The Grand Elder smiled. "The higher the talent, the more resources one receives. The points system was designed to motivate students. For you, it has become unnecessary and would only be a constraint. In fact, Yu Yang was treated the same way in his final three years here. So just focus on cultivating. Before you leave the Spirit War Pavilion, raise your power and combat ability as much as possible."

"Yes, I will not disappoint the elders’ expectations!" Chu Feng vowed.

"Good," the Grand Elder said.

---

Next, the Grand Elder inquired about how Chu Feng had freed the Demon Emperor.

Chu Feng did not conceal anything, recounting in detail how he had obtained the small plaque.

"So that’s how it was! Long Zhan was sealed within the ancient relic known as the Celestial Lord’s Mansion. The person you buried in the lake must have been Elder Long Teng of the Five Elders," the Grand Elder sighed, nearly reconstructing the events of the past.

More than a hundred years ago, that small plaque was held by Elder Long Teng, serving as the key to opening the Celestial Lord’s Mansion.

Long Teng, knowing the draconic bloodline was powerful and the body formidable, realized killing Long Zhan was impossible, so he devised a sealing method.

But simply sealing him was not enough. They could not let the demons find Long Zhan, or all efforts would have been in vain.

Thus, Long Teng thought of hiding him in the Celestial Lord’s Mansion. Without the plaque, the demons would struggle to rescue Long Zhan even if they discovered the location of the seal.

Elder Long Teng fought desperately, successfully sealing Long Zhan, then concealed him in the mansion. Yet, a powerful demon discovered this.

A fierce battle over the plaque ensued between the demon and Elder Long Teng. Wounded, Long Teng fought desperately to protect the plaque.

Though gravely injured, Long Teng was not an ordinary Saint Spirit Warrior to be easily killed. Ultimately, both sides were doomed to perish together. Even the storage ring shattered amid the struggle.

In the end, the demon managed to seize half the plaque. Both were too weak to continue fighting. Realizing capturing the other half was unlikely, the demon took his half and left.

Long Teng, unable to reclaim the other half, intended to bring his remaining portion back to the Sacred City.

But as fate would have it, neither the demon nor Long Teng achieved their goal; both perished en route.

In the chaos, unsure if they faced friend or foe, they set up barriers with their final strength.

Chu Feng was deeply moved, never expecting to encounter the Five Elders of humanity at the lake’s bottom.

"But why did Long Zhan show no demonic traits in the Celestial Lord’s Mansion?" Chu Feng asked, puzzled.

"Dragons are favored demon spirits, different from ordinary demons. They do not emit demonic aura and can perfectly transform into human form without any flaws," the Grand Elder explained.

When Chu Feng asked about the Celestial Lord’s Mansion, the Grand Elder was reticent, refusing to speak much about matters related to the Human Emperor.

After a brief conversation, Chu Feng left the sanctuary. Having collected some spirit herbs needed to break through the third extreme realm, and to save time, he went to the Spirit Herb Hall as the Grand Elder instructed to hand over the herbs to Apothecary Hu.

Apothecary Hu was in charge of gathering spirit herbs for Chu Feng. The Spirit Herb Hall had contacts in every city; once news was released, everyone responded.

No one knew the distribution of spirit herbs better than the Spirit Herb Hall, so collecting them was never a difficult task.

Chu Feng then paid a visit to Master Jin, leaving a message on his communication pearl.

---

Upon returning to the Celestial Camp, Chu Feng immediately began cultivating.

Having reached the third extreme realm, further progress on the martial path alone offered little benefit, so he devoted himself fully to comprehending the Way of Heaven.

He never neglected the Way of Humanity. Though it does not synergize with the martial path, Chu Feng understood that cultivating the human path would grant him various offensive techniques.

Cultivating the three paths simultaneously has its pros and cons; in the short term, it can scatter focus and slow progress. But long term, it is undoubtedly advantageous.

The human path and martial path, if mastered individually, each leads to immense power. Chu Feng realized time was short and decided to prioritize.

His Way of Heaven cultivation synergized with martial cultivation, but not yet with the human path, so naturally he focused more on Heaven and martial paths, temporarily setting aside the human path. He needed combat strength, and the stronger the better.

More precisely, Chu Feng resolved to prioritize martial cultivation for the next three years, with the Way of Heaven as a secondary focus—advice given by the Grand Elder.

After all, the Way of Heaven is exceedingly difficult, requiring enlightenment rather than effort alone. Years or even decades might pass without progress.

The body refinement classic Chu Feng used was the strongest ancient treatise. Though risky, if mastered, even without the Way of Heaven, he could rival Yu Yang.

Given the Demon Emperor’s return, focusing on the martial path was the most fitting choice.

Two months later, Master Jin sent word that the body refinement spirit herbs for breaking through the third extreme realm were ready.

This time, the herbs were different—blood red instead of gold—but still ten in number and used similarly to the previous two batches.

The breakthrough took four months, a profoundly agonizing process, yet Chu Feng never lost consciousness.

Master Jin regarded this as a good sign, believing the last two extreme realms would pose no life-threatening difficulties. The only concern was the final extreme realm, as its breakthrough was uniquely challenging.

After reaching the third extreme realm, Chu Feng’s spirit could sense a thousand zhang away. His martial combat power rivaled mid-level fifth-rank Spirit Warriors. With the Way of Heaven’s enhancement, he matched early ninth-rank Spirit Warriors.

When Yu Yang reached late ninth-rank, he could barely contend with Dong Wang, a Saint Spirit Warrior. After breaking through to become a Saint Spirit Warrior himself, Yu Yang easily crushed Dong Wang and then left the Spirit War Pavilion.

According to the Grand Elder, when Yu Yang left the Pavilion, his cultivation was that of an early first-rank Saint Spirit Warrior, but his combat power matched that of an early second-rank Saint Spirit Warrior. This explained his overwhelming strength against Dong Wang.

Of course, before leaving, Yu Yang had the recognition of the human race’s sacred weapon, the Dragon Flame Sword, whose immense power boosted his combat ability by two ranks—not reflecting Yu Yang’s true strength.

Chu Feng stepped out of the Spirit Herb Hall, gazed skyward, and whispered, "An early second-rank Saint Spirit Warrior… I’m finally close to catching up with Senior Yu Yang."