Chapter 378: An Eye-Opener

To the powerful figures present, a rich man like Jiang Tao was worth less than dirt.

But Jiang Tao's close relationship with Chu Feng changed everything.

This was why Jiang Tao's uncle had deliberately emphasized their blood ties.

Chu Feng and Jiang Tao were good friends. Jiang Tao, in turn, was a blood relative of Jiang He, who was a subordinate of the Western Celestial King.

Through this chain of connections, even if Chu Feng had no intention of associating with the Western Celestial King, a relationship was inevitably forged.

Therefore, it was only natural that the Western Celestial King had a favorable impression of Jiang Tao.

For the rest of the meal, they simply ate and chatted.

At first, Jiang Tao was very nervous. After all, it was his first time at an event of this caliber.

Seeing the Western Celestial King chatting happily with everyone, without a hint of arrogance, gradually put him at ease.

Once they had eaten and drunk their fill, Chu Feng prepared to leave, taking Jiang Tao with him.

Just then, the Western Celestial King called out to Chu Feng. "When you have a moment, come to my Western Heaven King's Mansion for tea."

"Of course," Chu Feng said with a smile. "Western Celestial King, rest assured, as long as you don't mind the intrusion, I'll be sure to visit when I'm free."

"Hahaha, excellent! Then I shall await the arrival of Venerable Chu Feng at my Celestial King's Mansion. It's a deal, and you can't go back on your word," the Western Celestial King said, laughing heartily.

After they left the Western Celestial King's camp, Jiang Tao couldn't help but let out a shudder.

This prompted a confused look from Chu Feng, who asked, "What's wrong?"

"I need to take a leak! I never thought in my entire life I'd be having lunch with a Celestial King! And you, Brother Chu... you've really been holding out on me!" Jiang Tao exclaimed, his face flush with excitement.

"Brother Jiang, you're blaming me unfairly," Chu Feng said with a laugh. "You never asked about any of this, and I never said I wasn't powerful."

"Now that you mention it, that's true," Jiang Tao admitted, nodding.

"Alright, enough of that. Let's head to the Venerable Hall," Chu Feng said.

"Um, maybe I shouldn't go any further. I'm already content with having come this far," Jiang Tao said, looking at the surrounding encampments with a sigh of wonder. "Are all these people from Martial Arts Clans?"

The scene before him was simply staggering.

"They are. Some are from Martial Arts Families, others from Martial Arts Sects, and other similar groups. The ones down here are generally the weaker ones. The Major Sects are all located higher up," Chu Feng explained.

As they walked, Chu Feng continued to explain things, and only then did Jiang Tao begin to understand the terrifying extent of Chu Feng's power.

Everyone they passed greeted Chu Feng with the utmost respect, calling out, "Venerable Chu Feng."

When they arrived at the Big Snow Plateau, the encampments were much larger and far more numerous than the ones below.

Some were so vast and interconnected they resembled military barracks.

"I'm in charge of the Southern Region. I'm working with a senior martial sister from my Sect, as well as two other Venerables from different Sects. All of them are at the Human Martial Arts Peak Realm, but they're all very easygoing. You don't need to be so nervous, Brother Jiang."

"Besides, my wife is here too. She competed as well, but didn't make it past the qualifiers. For the time being, you can stay with me at the Southern Venerable Hall. It's very safe," Chu Feng added.

"Brother, I won't waste words on thanks," Jiang Tao said, moved. "I'm just glad you're here. Otherwise, I don't know when I would have gotten away."

"You have to understand why they're so cautious, though. You're just a normal person, and this place is full of Martial Cultivators. If a conflict breaks out, you'll be the one at a disadvantage. If no one could get to you in time, you'd be dead."

"So even in the Venerable Hall, it's best if you don't go wandering around aimlessly," Chu Feng said.

The truth is, things can get pretty chaotic during the Martial Arts Grand Ceremony. Otherwise, Great Snow Mountain wouldn't have assigned twenty-four Martial Arts Venerables and hundreds of Foundation Establishment Realm personnel just to maintain security.

The more people you have, the more chaos you get. Some people are just hot-headed; they'll draw their blades and kill over a single disagreement.

"Brother, I get it. I'll do as you say," Jiang Tao said, nodding.

When they reached the entrance to the Venerable Hall, two subordinates at the Foundation Establishment Realm greeted Chu Feng respectfully, "Venerable Chu Feng!"

"I've told you before, you don't need to be so formal with me," Chu Feng said with a wave of his hand.

He then turned to Jiang Tao and said, "Brother Jiang, what are you doing running all the way out here? You should be at home with your wife, especially now that she's so far along. I also heard you've been donating a lot of money."

"I originally came to see you, brother. It just so happened Wang Hong was here too. But before I could even contact you, I ran into that uncle of mine who I haven't seen in years. He insisted on bringing me here to 'broaden my horizons,' saying it's a rare opportunity that only comes once every fifty years," Jiang Tao explained.

"You're finally back," a voice said. At that moment, Bai Han spotted Chu Feng.

"It took a while, but hopefully I'm not too late. Master isn't angry, is she?" Chu Feng asked.

"Master didn't say anything; in fact, she even defended you. But the Seven Kills Sword Master and the Snow Sword Sect still want to use this as an excuse to deal with you. They'll probably use this incident to cause you trouble later," Bai Han said.