He collapsed onto the ground, completely unaware of what had just happened. To be struck squarely by a punch after reaching the Saint Domain only meant one thing: the strength of the person opposite him far surpassed his own.

The memory of his earlier flippancy instantly broke out in a cold sweat.

He had initially thought his opponent was merely a youth, which is why he tried a few petty tricks. If he had known the level of cultivation the other possessed, he would never have dared act that way, even if it cost him his life!

Fortunately, the opponent hadn't struck with lethal force; otherwise, his head would certainly have exploded from that blow.

Rubbing his right eye, which was swelling into the shape of a panda, Ross finally conceded, completely defeated: "You... you are qualified!"

Brian caught the shadow of malice flash through his eyes as he witnessed Chen's power. By this point, he was even more certain that this man had killed his younger brother. If he could knock Ross down with a single punch, killing his own brother would have been as easy as chopping vegetables.

He let out a breath, swallowing the hatred churning in his chest, and remained rooted to the spot.

Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed from outside, and several figures strode in.

These newcomers were almost all elderly. Chen Feng glanced at them and immediately recognized them as the so-called hidden masters of the Academy. Each one was at the Saint Domain level: two late-stage Saints, one mid-stage Saint, and two early-stage Saints, which, combined with Ross and Brian, made exactly seven people.

Among them were three individuals Chen Feng had encountered before—the same three he had tricked years ago.

"We misjudged you!" Timothy said as he walked in. "You are a master. Therefore, we, Tianfeng Academy, wish to invite you to help us deal with the demon?"

"Is he not leaving?" Chen Feng recalled Warren mentioning that after defeating the Eight Immortals Formation, the man had said a few words and then departed. Judging by the tone of Timothy's voice, it sounded like he intended to return.

"If he had left, it wouldn't be this troublesome!" Timothy shook his head. "When he defeated us last time, he said he would return to challenge us again in two months, asking us to practice the Eight Immortals Formation thoroughly in the meantime! We still have a month and a half before he arrives!"

Hearing this timeframe, Chen Feng suddenly remembered something: "Is the purpose of your Tianfeng Tournament to find masters to help you deal with him?"

Timothy nodded. "As expected of someone with such cultivation at such a young age; you grasp things instantly. The 'War of the Crushing City' conveniently drew the attention of many, so we utilized it. We hoped the Four Great Empires could produce genuinely powerful individuals who could come; that way, our chances of victory would be much greater!"

Chen Feng sighed inwardly. In five days, he had heard three different reasons for Tianfeng Academy's involvement in the disputes of the Four Great Empires. While each reason varied, there was no doubt that this one was the most accurate. Dislike, or Austin’s alleged coercion, even if true, could never be the fundamental reason.

"Don't you already have eight Saint Domain powerhouses? Why do you still need others?"

"Our Academy indeed has eight Saint Domain powerhouses, but as you can see, our cultivation levels are uneven. The Eight Immortals Formation is a very peculiar array. The closer the cultivation levels of the eight people executing the formation are, the greater the array's power. Thus, even though all eight of us have reached the Saint Domain level, we cannot fully unleash the formation's total strength! Therefore, we hope you and the forces behind you can assist. If we could bring in a few late-stage Saint experts to drive the array, let alone one demon, even two would be no match for us!" Timothy explained. "This should be a simple matter for the Dragon Clan, right?"

"You know I am of the Dragon Clan?" Chen Feng was momentarily stunned.

"How could we not know? Two years ago, a Dragon Clan member—one of your seniors—confirmed that you are not only of the Dragon Clan but must also hold a very high status!" Timothy replied.

"You know the Dragon Clan is fiercely protective of its own. You dare let those two pull these kinds of tricks?" Chen Feng snorted coldly.

Timothy forced an awkward laugh. "We actually only just found out. When that incident occurred two years ago, we were all in secluded cultivation in the back mountains, leaving only Yimo, Howard, and Larry behind. They feared I would blame them for the Dragon Clan involvement, so they kept silent. They only emerged from seclusion just now, and I learned of the matter!"

Yimo, Howard, and Larry were the three members among the seven with the lowest cultivation.

Chen Feng hadn't expected these underlying circumstances, but he held no affection for Tianfeng Academy, so he stated flatly, "The Dragon Clan will not help you!"

"Don't refuse so quickly. I know your Dragon Domain is immensely wealthy, but while Tianfeng Academy might not be as powerful, our foundation is solid!" Timothy countered.

"Foundation? Then tell me what you can offer," Chen Feng asked.

"I know your Dragon Domain focuses on magic cultivation. Ordinary things, if I offered them, you likely wouldn't even spare a glance. Therefore, we have specifically prepared the best resource for magic cultivation: the Yellow Jade Magic Crystal!" Timothy declared with serious conviction.

"Yellow Jade Magic Crystal?" Chen Feng was surprised. He hadn't expected them to prepare this item. "How much do you have?"

Seeing Chen Feng show interest, Timothy mistook it for acceptance of his bargaining chip and broke into a smile. "A great deal—so much that it will make you tempted!"

Chen Feng was somewhat taken aback. The rarity of something like the Yellow Jade Magic Crystal could not be measured by mere money. How could Tianfeng Academy possess so much? Had they also discovered a Yellow Jade Magic Crystal mine?

But that was impossible. If a true discovery of that magnitude occurred, the powers across the Overseas Continent would descend upon it, and the mine would cease to exist.

"Why don't you bring them out for me to see?" Chen Feng asked tentatively.

"Fine!" Timothy felt a surge of pride seeing Chen Feng's shock. "Don't be too tense. These Yellow Jade Magic Crystals have been accumulated by Tianfeng Academy over countless generations!"

With that, he flipped his wrist and produced more than a dozen crystals, each the size of a ping-pong ball, from a spatial accessory. Every one was crystalline and transparent, emanating a faint yellow glow, indicating they were all high-grade Yellow Jade Magic Crystals.

"The product is indeed fine Yellow Jade Magic Crystal. How many do you have, and how much are you planning to offer for our assistance?" Chen Feng asked after a quick appraisal.

"How much to offer? How much do you have?" Now it was Timothy's turn to look slightly bewildered.

"I mean, how many Yellow Jade Magic Crystals are you willing to offer to borrow experts from our Dragon Clan?" Chen Feng asked plainly.

"How many to offer?" Timothy forced a smile. "These fifteen Yellow Jade Magic Crystals are all the assets the entire Tianfeng Academy possesses. If you agree to send four more late-stage Saint experts, we will give them all to you!"

Chen Feng nearly burst out laughing when he heard that the fifteen crystals in Timothy’s hands represented the entirety of Tianfeng Academy’s assets. He had initially thought they were just samples, but the man had presented their entire inventory... For just these few Yellow Jade Magic Crystals, even if they were gifted to him, he would have to consider whether to accept them, let alone using them to hire people from the Dragon Domain.

"Uninteresting," he shook his head and said.

Timothy froze. "Think about it again. Besides, your decision doesn't represent the entire Dragon Domain. Could you perhaps relay the message to the Dragon Domain? Maybe Elder Longyi and the others would agree if they saw such generous terms!"

"Generous terms?" Chen Feng gave a wry smile, flipped his wrist, and instantly summoned a Yellow Jade Magic Crystal that was half the height of a person, as thick as a barrel, and looked to weigh at least one or two tons. "Do you think our Dragon Domain lacks your meager supply of Yellow Jade Magic Crystals?"

Timothy and the others nearly fainted upon seeing the crystal in Chen Feng's hand. They all stood there dumbfounded, mouths agape.

"Is that... Yellow Jade Magic Crystal?" Timothy swallowed hard and rubbed his eyes fiercely, trying to ease his rising tension.

Yet, after looking and looking, he could only confirm that this massive, sculpture-like stone was absolutely a Yellow Jade Magic Crystal, and its quality was superior to the fifteen pieces he held!

"I never thought... I always assumed that having fifteen Yellow Jade Magic Crystals made Tianfeng Academy the wealthiest in the world, only to realize we are poorer than beggars..." Timothy murmured softly, his words thick with bitterness.

Chen Feng shook his head, returned the massive crystal to his canteen, and asked, "Do you think the Dragon Clan would look favorably upon the crystals you possess?"

"They wouldn't look favorably upon them, indeed not," Timothy muttered to himself, letting out a sigh. "Then tell me, what would it take for you to agree to help us?"

"Could you let me see your Eight Immortals Formation?" Chen Feng asked.

"See the formation?" Timothy was taken aback by the request, a hint of confusion coloring his expression. "What would you want to see the formation for? Without the array bases and the people to operate it, it's completely useless!"

"Is that so? I merely wish to look. Let me see it, and if I deem it suitable, I will have the Dragon Domain send people to assist you!" Chen Feng stated.

"Really?" Timothy could barely believe his ears.

"Of course, it's true. I can swear upon the Dragon God!" Chen Feng declared solemnly.

However, this oath was meaningless. The "Dragon God" was himself. Swearing an oath to himself was no different than "a shrew saying she doesn't want to live, a shady merchant saying he's losing money on sales, or a female college student claiming to be a virgin"—it was pure falsehood.

But Timothy's eyes lit up, terrified that Chen Feng would renege: "Fine, it's a deal!"

"Certainly," Chen Feng confirmed.

"Then let's go right now! I'll take you to see it!" Timothy led the way, with Chen Feng following behind the group. After a short walk, they arrived at a vast cavern in the back mountains of the Academy. Not long after entering, Chen Feng sensed a dense energy emanating from within.

A massive Taiji diagram lay flat on the ground, its inlaid magic crystal runes incredibly complex, radiating a specific magical fluctuation. There were seating spaces in eight cardinal directions; presumably, those operating the array would sit there.

"This is truly magnificent. The Eight Immortals Formation truly lives up to its name!" Chen Feng praised the energy fluctuations he saw. With a wave of his right hand, the air shimmered, and the Eight Immortals Formation suddenly vanished.

"Thank you for your formation!" Chen Feng laughed heartily, tapped the ground with his feet, and his voice echoed from outside the cavern.

ps: Phew, past two o'clock, I'm exhausted, but the four-chapter, 12,000-character burst is complete. Old Cliff kept his word!!!

Monthly tickets, I still need monthly tickets! It's 2:06 AM, and I'm back at #1 on the category rankings, tied with the last place at 74 votes. Brothers, thank you. Please cast your guaranteed monthly votes for me. Old Cliff really wants to stay in the top fifteen this month!!! (To be continued. For future developments, please log in to www**com for more chapters, supporting the author and legitimate reading!)