Chapter 1322: Somethings Not Right

"Does this young man think he can intimidate us with his pretentious questioning?"

"After all this fuss, it turns out he only has one young helper. It seems the Invincible Sword Sovereign no longer holds the prestige he once did, unable to find any allies and resorting to such a desperate move!"

"I originally wanted to see how much strength you still have, but instead, you're playing these deceptive tricks. Do you really think such petty tactics can fool us? You must think too little of us!"

"Guo Jiannan, do you still think you're the same as you were back then?"

"Regret will come too late? Oh, I'm so scared!"

"Hahaha..."

As Yi Feng stepped forward and spoke, the elders of Fengxue Island burst into laughter.

They had the situation completely under control. Unless a true powerhouse intervened, but the Island Lord had already issued the Demon-Slaying Order. The various powerful figures were all shrewd and would understand the deeper implications.

After cultivating for tens of thousands of years to reach this point, who would be willing to risk offending Fengxue Island?

The world naturally understood the difference between a fallen old man and Fengxue Island. In the face of life-and-death interests, so-called "friendship" was nothing more than empty words.

At least, the current Guo Jiannan no longer had that kind of influence.

Only someone with a rusted brain would take such a risk.

Would a true powerhouse or expert be so foolish?

Impossible.

Absolutely impossible!

Looking at the unremarkable Yi Feng, the group's faces were filled with smiles. Even if they couldn't detect his cultivation level, they wouldn't consider him some kind of expert. They simply saw him as part of Guo Jiannan's scheme.

If they were intimidated by this, then their tens of thousands of years in high positions would have been a complete waste.

Using a young man with an unfamiliar face as a decoy—what a clumsy strategy. The Invincible Sword Sovereign truly only had brute strength; his cunning was nowhere near that of the Island Lord.

The group laughed and sighed, already looking down on Guo Jiannan.

"Invincible Sword Sovereign?"

"Hahaha..."

Their laughter grew even more unrestrained, piercing the quiet of the moonlit night.

Only when the leader coldly spoke did they finally quiet down.

"Hmph."

"Guo Jiannan, you and I are old acquaintances. I never thought you'd fall to such a state. Out of respect for your past glory, I'll give you one last piece of advice."

"The Tree Demon is imprisoned in the Red Moon Forest, trapped within our Ten Directions Desolation Array. If you come today, you're walking to your death. If you surrender now, I might plead with the Island Lord to spare your corpse, so you don't lose your dignity and become a laughingstock for eternity!"

His tone grew even more arrogant, and the others watched with amusement.

Seeing this, Guo Jiannan's eyes flickered with suppressed anger, his fists clenched tightly. His expression grew serious, as if the situation was indeed dire.

Noticing the subtle change in his demeanor, Yi Feng quietly asked, "Why are you reacting like this? Is that array really as powerful as they say?"

Talking about certain death was beyond arrogant.

Brother Guo was, after all, a legendary figure. He wouldn't fall so easily unless the array was truly terrifying...

If that were the case, this might be the perfect opportunity to find death!

Yi Feng felt a small spark of anticipation.

Hearing this, Guo Jiannan quickly leaned in and whispered, "Brother Yi, to be honest, the leader and the few at the front are all elders of Fengxue Island. Their cultivation is indeed formidable. Even I feel considerable pressure facing them now, though it's not entirely hopeless."

"The Ten Directions Desolation Array is indeed powerful, capable of sealing the Tree Sovereign's entire cultivation. I do have the means to break it."

"Neither of these tasks is particularly difficult on its own, but facing both simultaneously while trying to rescue the Tree Sovereign is nearly impossible. Even I might not make it out alive. As they said, there's a high chance I could perish here!"

Hearing this, Yi Feng cursed inwardly.

Damn...

I thought the array was something extraordinary, but it seems I got my hopes up for nothing!

Seeing the grave expression on Brother Guo's face, he nodded slightly and whispered back, "I see."

"But this isn't too difficult."

"Since you know how to break the array, you go ahead and do that. I'll handle these people. We'll split up and should be able to rescue Brother Tree."

Hearing such calm and confident words, Guo Jiannan's confidence grew.

At the same time, Yi Feng asked the crucial question, "How confident are you, and how long will it take?"

Guo Jiannan pondered for a moment before cautiously replying, "If I can have half an hour, I should have a seventy percent chance of breaking the array."

His tone was tense, lacking his usual confidence.

Halfway through, he quickly added, "Brother Yi, I apologize. I know holding off these people for half an hour is asking a lot. Leaving you alone to face the elders is truly unfair, but the array is extremely complex. I need to locate and dismantle the ten ancient sources of power one by one..."

His voice grew softer, and Guo Jiannan couldn't bring himself to look Yi Feng in the eye.

Although everything he said was true, even he felt it sounded like an excuse. He had always valued loyalty above all else, yet here he was, leaving Brother Yi to face a group of powerful enemies alone. It weighed heavily on his conscience.

Even if Brother Yi's cultivation was profound, it was still one man against many!

Facing the combined assault of the elders and holding out for half an hour—this battle would be unimaginably difficult. Regardless of the outcome, if Brother Yi could endure, the tale would surely shock the world!

It was only because Brother Yi had offered that Guo Jiannan, forced by the circumstances, reluctantly agreed. If anyone else had suggested such a plan, he would have refused outright!

Seeing the tension on Brother Guo's face, Yi Feng nodded calmly to reassure him. "Alright, go ahead."

Half an hour was a bit long, but he had the patience. To save Brother Tree, waiting a little longer was no big deal.

His nonchalant response moved Guo Jiannan even more.

Brother Yi was about to face a group of powerful foes alone, yet he didn't offer a single word of complaint. Such boundless loyalty and profound composure were unmatched by any of the prodigies or experts Guo Jiannan had ever met.

To have met Brother Yi in this lifetime made all his past sufferings insignificant.

With a thousand words unspoken, Guo Jiannan clasped his fists, his resolve firm. He then stomped the ground and shot toward the Red Moon Forest!

"Boom!"

With a dull thud, his figure vanished into the forest like a bolt of lightning!

It all happened so suddenly that the watching elders of Fengxue Island didn't have time to react.

They had been standing there, watching the two, expecting to see some desperate plea for survival. They never expected Guo Jiannan to be so decisive, charging into the Red Moon Forest without hesitation, even in the face of certain death.

This sudden move was utterly dishonorable!

By the time the leader reacted, Guo Jiannan was already gone.

He immediately roared, pointing angrily, "Bastard!"

"Quick! Chase after Guo Jiannan! Don't let him rescue the Tree Demon!"

The others, shaken from their stupor, began to mobilize their cultivation to give chase.

However.

Yi Feng, whom they had dismissed, now leisurely stepped forward.

"Hold on."

"Your opponent is me."

His words snapped everyone to attention, and they turned to look at him in surprise.

Yi Feng walked forward unhurriedly, hands behind his back, his expression calm.

His steps were leisurely, his voice clear and resonant.

In such a dire situation, to remain so composed and even declare his intention to hold off a group of experts alone—such courage was beyond ordinary.

That kind of demeanor wasn't something just anyone could fake.

Suddenly.

The leader's eyes narrowed, a flicker of doubt in his heart.

Guo Jiannan had always valued loyalty above all else. He would never abandon someone, leaving them to face certain death just to buy himself time to escape. That wasn't Guo Jiannan's style.

And this person before them showed no fear at all...

Something was off.

This situation was very off!

After a closer look.

The leading elder's expression grew serious, and he sternly asked, "Just who are you? Which faction do you belong to?"

His voice boomed, and the other experts behind him fixed their gazes on Yi Feng. The earlier smiles of disdain were gone, replaced by solemn expressions. The atmosphere grew tense, as if they had just encountered a formidable enemy.

The battle was about to begin!