Chapter 355 Gathering of the Hidden Gates

As the Blood Fiend Formation shattered, Chen Fei glanced at the spot where Lady Ayue had vanished.

He recalled the first time they met—brash, stubborn, and full of conviction. But the Ayue just moments ago had empty, pain-filled eyes, and only smiled in peace as her body dissolved into starlight.

A sharp gust split the air.

Mu Yunshu arrived with her people, stepping in front of Chen Fei and the barbarian cultivator. Though none of them had witnessed what happened, seeing Chen Fei sitting cross-legged and chanting solemnly, they all fell silent.

“Sect Master, I’d like to do something.”

Chen Fei spoke softly, his back turned to the crowd.

Wang Situ gave him a long look. The Barbarian Brother wanted to speak, but Mu Yunshu stopped him with a wave of her hand.

“Alright.”

With that, the group vanished, leaving Chen Fei alone in Muto.

He wasn’t surprised by Lady Ayue’s choice. A shattered belief was one of the deepest pains a person could endure. He remained to fulfill his promise—to help her move on.

“This is the first time I’ve ever tried to deliver salvation for the dead,”

Chen Fei murmured as he stared at the spot where she had disappeared.

Then he began to chant the Salvation Sutra.

His voice echoed through Muto. As the words resonated, blurry human silhouettes started to appear. With each recitation, these vague phantoms became more vivid and lifelike.

At last, Lady Ayue reappeared with a radiant smile, nodded at Chen Fei, and turned to walk into the gathering crowd. One by one, the spirits faded into light and vanished.

Chen Fei slowly stood.

“I may not be great at saving the dead… but I’m very good at sending people to repent.”

After all, the Ancestral Cult’s Patriarch was still alive.

With a flicker, Chen Fei vanished from Muto.

Dongting Nation, long considered Ancestral Cult territory, was proving far more complicated than anyone had anticipated. Originally seen as a minor sect, the Cult had suddenly revealed strength rivaling major evil sects.

Even more baffling: the Fire Sect Master had died here.

“Sect Master, Chen Fei has left Muto.”

Mu Yunshu looked toward Muto, then sighed.

“Let him go.”

She turned to Wang Situ.

“Senior Brother Qi has been a Heaven Dao cultivator for many years. Even if things went wrong, he should’ve been able to retreat. Plus, our investigation confirmed that aside from the Cult’s patriarch—who is a peak Earth Dao cultivator—there were no other major threats in Muto.”

“Could it be Yan Wujiao?” someone suggested.

Wang Situ thought for a moment and shook his head.

“If Sect Master Qi had stumbled upon a plot involving releasing the demon emperor Tian Zheng, and was killed to keep it secret, he would’ve had time to send a distress signal.”

“But we found nothing—no warning, no evidence. Even if Yan Wujiao had help, that still wouldn’t be enough. And when Sect Master Qi departed, we know for sure that Yan Wujiao wasn’t in Dongting.”

The crowd looked at Mu Yunshu in confusion.

“He really wasn’t there,” she confirmed.

“So who killed Sect Master Qi? That… still needs to be thoroughly investigated.”

The mysterious death of Qi Feng, a Heaven Dao cultivator, was an enormous enigma. For someone of his level to perish without a trace, without even a warning, was deeply troubling.

“Sect Master, evil cultivators are running rampant. And now that the demons are moving again… all of Xuanhuang might fall into chaos.”

The atmosphere turned grim.

“Do what we can, and let fate decide the rest,”

Mu Yunshu said flatly, though concern flashed in her eyes.

It wasn’t that Tianqing Sacred Land didn’t want to act—they were simply stretched too thin. Thankfully, because of Chen Fei, the evil sects had failed to acquire the Blood Fiend Formation. Otherwise, things would be even worse.

High above, elite cultivators made their moves, but Chen Fei understood one thing very clearly:

In every disaster, it’s the common folk who suffer the most.

Dongting Capital – Jumo City

Once a bustling trade hub, filled with distinct architectural flair and a lively flow of north-south travelers, Jumo City had become a living hell after the evil sects took root.

Outside the city gates, Barbarian Brother leaned against a withered tree. A few other cultivators sat nearby in meditation, exuding deep and powerful auras.

Chen Fei approached slowly.

“You’re here?”

Barbarian Brother spat out a piece of dry grass.

Chen Fei nodded and swept his gaze across the group.

This time was different from their last Dark Gate gathering. The others were clearly sizing Chen Fei up.

Back when he was first accepted as a disciple by the Old Patriarch, he had barely stepped into the Path Realm. To these geniuses, that was a joke.

But after this campaign, they viewed him with newfound respect.

The Dark Gate only offered high-reward missions because their missions were extremely dangerous. This Dongting campaign was no exception.

And Chen Fei’s performance had exceeded all expectations.

“Since you’re here, let’s get started. It’s time,”

Barbarian Brother said with a grin.

Chen Fei raised an eyebrow in surprise. From this, he understood something crucial: all the surrounding regions had already been swept clean.

Jumo City was the last stronghold.

And from the way everyone had been waiting—it was clear they’d been waiting for him.

“You stood out the most in this mission. We won’t steal credit,”

a grim-faced man said coldly.

The others stood and moved to the side without complaint.

Chen Fei looked to Barbarian Brother in confusion. The latter just grinned back at him, while Wu Ji Zi gave him a nod.

Chen Fei said nothing more. He drew the Wufeng Greatsword — although at its current form, it resembled more of a heavy ruler than a sword. Still, the name had stuck.

He inhaled deeply and began walking toward Jumo City.

Inside the city, at the top of the walls—

Guards noticed the approaching group and turned pale. One of them bolted up the wall, panic written all over his face.

“Lord Duhan! They’re coming! Those people are here!”

The man standing before him was built like a mountain. Upon hearing this, he turned slowly, a fierce gleam in his eyes.

“Useless. How dare you shake like that?!”

“My lord, I—”

The guard started to explain but suddenly clutched at his throat. His body began to float upward, twitching violently until—

BOOM!

He exploded into a cloud of blood mist.

Duhan waved his hand lazily, absorbing the blood into his palm as fine red threads. His complexion instantly became more vibrant.

The hulking figure stood tall, placing one hand on the battlement. Looking down at Chen Fei and the others below, he sneered viciously.

“You want to die? Then DIE!”