Di sighed, "I never thought you could tell jokes!"

Her sigh caused everyone to exchange glances and laugh once more.

"What joke?" Little Hu rolled his eyes, "I think Boss is absolutely right; the food at the City Lord's manor is delicious, much better than the restaurants we used to eat at!" As he spoke, he deliberately licked his lips.

Seeing his earnest expression, the others stifled their laughter. Bens interjected, "Don't let them overhear that, or I fear if we say it a few more times, they'll genuinely turn the City Lord's manor into a restaurant!"

Another round of laughter swept through the group.

"Let's discuss our plans for what's next," Chen Feng said, turning to look at Long Xiaoqiang.

"Well, Juanjielisha and I both want to go home for a visit, so..." Long Xiaoqiang looked slightly embarrassed, realizing that their desire was essentially a farewell.

The others finally understood why Chen Feng had agreed to dine at the City Lord's manor; it carried a tone of seeing them off.

"There's still plenty of time before the Seven Temples open, so there's no need to set off so early. I'm giving everyone three months for free activity and to enjoy yourselves. We will meet outside the Glacial Demon Garden in three months!" Chen Feng announced.

"Wonderful!" Everyone's eyes lit up.

Although this continent wasn't as prosperous as the Overseas Continent, it possessed a unique charm. Many things were unheard of by Bens and the others. The others had long wished to venture out on their own, and hearing this declaration made them immensely excited.

"There aren't many overwhelmingly powerful individuals on this continent, but you must still be cautious. It's best to travel in groups of three for mutual support," Chen Feng advised.

The group nodded in agreement.

"Aihart, Bens, and Marie, the three of you are currently only Ninth-Level Dou Zun. It’s best not to roam aimlessly. Use these three months to strive to advance your cultivation to the Saint Realm!"

"Advance?" The three exchanged wry smiles. "Advancing to the Saint Realm isn't that simple. We've reached a bottleneck. With good luck, we might make it within three years; with bad luck, we might never achieve it in this lifetime!"

Though only one level separates the Ninth-Level Dou Zun and the Saint Realm, the difference is like night and day. Across the entire Purple Cloud Continent, with its trillions of inhabitants, countless individuals remain trapped at the Ninth-Level Dou Zun rank, unable to break through.

"Our families tried every method imaginable, utilizing countless rare herbs, yet we never reached the Saint Realm. It’s not like you all," Bens looked helplessly at Chen Feng and the others.

In their view, it seemed profoundly unfair. Chen Feng aside, Lingfeng and Leidi advanced to the Saint Realm by awakening their Divine Beast bloodlines; Little Hu advanced by devouring the Demon Core of the Black Tiger Clan; Long Xiaoqiang, Judy, and Anjielisha were all disciples of the Fist Emperor and possessed the innate five-attribute extreme domains... The only one who didn't seem to have an external boost was Dulutes—though who knew if he possessed some unique secret fortune?

Chen Feng understood their thoughts and shook his head. "Since I told you, naturally, I have a way." He flipped his wrist, and a deep purple fruit immediately appeared in his palm.

"This is..." The group was initially confused, but then their faces simultaneously broke into expressions of surprise and delight.

"Purple Qiong Vine Fruit! The Purple Qiong Vine Fruit that allows one to directly advance to the Saint Realm!" Aihart shouted, his face flushed.

Marie also showed signs of excitement, though she quickly masked it. "I... don't possess any special innate talents. I won't take this opportunity for advancement; it would be better to let the other two have it!"

Marie was highly perceptive. Seeing only one Purple Qiong Vine Fruit in Chen Feng's hand, she assumed he only had one. Among the three, she was the least ostentatious, and knew she'd likely be passed over even if they shared. To prevent rejection, she spoke up first.

"Heh heh, have it," Chen Feng smiled and tossed the Purple Qiong Vine Fruit to her. Then, with another flip of his wrist, two more appeared in his palm. "I have plenty of these. There's one for everyone!"

The sight of Chen Feng producing two more as if by magic stunned everyone, and they were deeply moved by his generosity.

Although the Purple Qiong Vine Fruit offered little benefit to established Saint Realm experts, it was found only in the Myriad Beast Cave, and almost no one could retrieve one. Chen Feng offering three as gifts clearly demonstrated that he no longer viewed them as outsiders.

Aihart clutched the Purple Qiong Vine Fruit, as if afraid someone might snatch it, his gratitude toward Chen Feng being beyond words.

.......................................................

Long Xiaoqiang and the other two headed home to visit their families. Aihart and the other two found a secluded spot to absorb the power of the Purple Qiong Vine Fruits. The remaining six—Chen Feng, Lingfeng, and Little Hu would certainly stay together—while Di, Jinling, and Dulutes formed their own group, planning to sightsee thoroughly.

With all arrangements settled, the parties parted ways. Chen Feng and his companions flew directly toward Dragon Diagram Mountain from the sky.

In Chen Feng's plan, Dragon Diagram Mountain was the first stop, intending to visit the Ninth-Layer Pagoda with Lingfeng and Little Hu to see how it looked after the previous damage.

The speed of the trio was among the fastest even within the Saint Realm. They arrived at the outskirts of Dragon Diagram Mountain less than two days later.

Gazing at the familiar forest before him, a wave of excitement washed over Chen Feng.

They too entered an excited state. As the three continued forward, cries of demonic beasts and anxious human voices suddenly echoed from within the woods.

"Let's go see," Chen Feng said, flying ahead first.

Taking a glance, he let out a wry smile. Judging by their appearance, this group was likely students from Tianfeng Academy on a training expedition. Upon closer inspection, he recognized a familiar figure: Warren!

When he had emerged from the mountain range after two years of training, Warren’s small team had encountered an Earth Bear Demonic Pig. Warren had bravely led the massive beast away, saving everyone's lives.

More than two years had passed, and Warren’s cultivation had already broken through the Dou Shi rank to reach the Second-Level Dou Shi realm, which genuinely surprised Chen Feng.

Of course, in those same two-plus years, Chen Feng had progressed from the original Ninth-Level Dou Shi to the peak of the Saint Realm—a rate of advancement that would shame any genius.

Roar!

The sound of a demonic beast roared ahead; it was a Fifth-Level Demonic Beast, the Swift Iron Beast!

The Swift Iron Beast was considered powerful among Fifth-Level beasts; its body was as hard as iron, yet it ran with lightning speed. Even a Sixth-Level Dou Shi would struggle to gain an advantage against it.

Behind Warren was a group of youths, most of whom appeared to be at the Seventh or Eighth-Level Dou Shi. Chen Feng saw immediately that relying on these individuals alone would be insufficient to handle the Swift Iron Beast.

However, he showed no intention of intervening, as he had already noticed several figures waiting about a kilometer away—likely the teachers of this group.

His spiritual sensing ability extended outward, sweeping over these individuals, and Chen Feng smiled again. He recognized all three of them: Teacher Kailin, Teacher Jacob, and Anliya.

Teacher Kailin, after two years, had advanced from a Second-Level Dou Shi to a Third-Level. Jacob remained a Third-Level Dou Shi, seemingly having done nothing to advance in the past two-plus years.

The one who had progressed the most was undoubtedly Anliya. When Chen Feng last saw her two years ago, she was only a Seventh-Level Magician; now, she was a First-Level Magus!

(Teacher Kailin was the one leading the team initially; Jacob was the subordinate Chen Feng subdued after Jacob attempted to ambush him; Anliya had guided Chen Feng into the underground space 15 and had also saved his life.)

Indeed, upon seeing the critical situation, the three hurried over anxiously.

Roar! The Swift Iron Beast showed no fear upon seeing the three approach; instead, it seemed insulted, roaring in fury. Its tail, like an iron rod, swept across horizontally.

Warren was caught off guard and directly struck by the tail. His protective Dou Armor shattered instantly, and he was sent flying backward, crashing against a large tree, nearly knocked unconscious.

"Warren..." Anliya cried out, her magic staff trembling as a massive sphere of water instantly formed in the air, hurtling towards the Swift Iron Beast.

Although this pseudo-Fourth-Level magic was potent, it was unfortunately aimed at a Fifth-Level Demonic Beast. The Swift Iron Beast opened its massive mouth and simply swallowed the water sphere whole, wearing a look of smug satisfaction as it did so, as if mocking her incompetence.

"You court death!" Jacob roared, straightening his back. A greatsword in his hand shot out, whistling through the air with astonishing momentum.

Clang!

The sword struck the Swift Iron Beast, sparking a burst of fire, but causing no discernible damage. The beast's copper skin and iron bones were truly legendary.

"Everyone run! Jacob and I will hold it off here!" Teacher Kailin saw that the initial attacks were futile and recognized the severity of the situation, turning to yell at the remaining students.

Although numbers granted strength, the cultivation levels of these students were far too low; if they stayed, they would only become a hindrance.

The Swift Iron Beast seemed to perceive their intentions. Its lantern-like eyes narrowed slightly, and with a mighty roar, it swung its dark head, instantly conjuring a Fifth-Level magic that formed like a giant net, instantly enveloping the students attempting to flee.

Fifth-Level Demonic Beasts generally possessed intelligence; in its eyes, these individuals were too weak, so it wasn't in a hurry to kill them, preferring to trap them and play around.

"This is bad!" Teacher Kailin stomped her foot anxiously, her fists condensing a stream of Dou Qi as she hammered toward the Swift Iron Beast.

However, before she could reach it, a tremendous force slammed into her. Her waist was swept by the beast's tail.

"Is this it... are we really all going to perish here?" Kailin thought, a sense of despair rising from the depths of her heart.

She knew that even with four Magus-level powerhouses on their side, they stood no chance against this behemoth. She never expected such danger to arise from a routine training session.

Just as despair washed over her, a figure drifted lightly before her, catching her waist and pulling her to safety. A soft voice sounded near her ear.

"Teacher Kailin, we meet again!"

ps:: First update! (To be continued. For the rest of the story, please log on to www** for more chapters, to support the author and legitimate reading!)