But who would have thought, even after the other party had laid down their dignity and knelt publicly, Chu Feng was still unrelenting. He pointed at the members of the Cloud Thunder Pavilion and shouted in a cold voice, "Kowtow and apologize."
"This..." Hearing Chu Feng's words, the members of the Cloud Thunder Pavilion couldn't help but tremble, their faces showing looks of distress. Although they had already knelt down, they still had some bottom line. Making them actually kowtow and apologize was truly something they found difficult to do.
"I will say it again. Kowtow and apologize to my Azure Forest Southern Domain." Seeing everyone hesitate, Chu Feng shouted coldly once more. And as his words fell, the bone-piercing chill almost permeated the entire hall.
At this moment, Chu Feng was like a king ruling the world, and a tyrant who could not be defied. Defying him didn't necessarily mean death, but it would certainly be very bleak.
Under such oppressive atmosphere, the disciples of the Cloud Thunder Pavilion were on the verge of breakdown. So, disregarding dignity and bottom lines, they said in unison, "Fellow senior and junior brothers from the Southern Domain, it's our fault, we were wrong. We hope that seeing as we are allies, you will give us a chance."
After speaking, they fiercely slammed their heads towards the ground, truly preparing to kowtow while apologizing to Chu Feng and the others.
"Chu Feng, enough."
However, at that moment, an elder's voice suddenly exploded outside the hall like a clap of thunder. More accurately, this sound was far from comparable to thunder. Not only was it loud and piercing, but it was also awe-inspiring. In an instant, it made everyone in the hall much more clear-headed.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!" And not long after this voice fell, several elder figures, like meteors falling from the sky, soared down from the sky and finally landed steadily within this hall.
Chu Feng and the others recognized some of these elders. That portion were the attending elders of the Azure Forest Southern Domain, led by none other than Sect Master Sikong Zhaixing.
The other group of elders, however, had attire completely different from the Azure Forest Southern Domain elders, and they were all unfamiliar faces. Obviously, they were the attending elders of the Cloud Thunder Pavilion. As for the elder standing shoulder to shoulder with Sikong Zhaixing, wearing a feathered crown and possessing an extraordinary bearing, he was clearly the Sect Master of the Cloud Thunder Pavilion.
Now, seeing all the Cloud Thunder Pavilion disciples kneeling on the ground, the Cloud Thunder Pavilion Sect Master and all the attending elders' faces turned green, the corners of their mouths twitching irregularly. That expression was truly as ugly as it could be, as if they had eaten fly droppings and rotten dog shit.
"Whoosh, whoosh!"
However, no matter how ugly their faces were, upon seeing Shi Yuanhang's current state, they could no longer sit idle. Although the Cloud Thunder Pavilion Sect Master didn't move, two attending elders with considerable cultivation had already flown out and landed in front of Shi Yuanhang.
After landing, they didn't waste words. Releasing their barrier force, they began to set up sealing measures. First, they sealed Shi Yuanhang's dantian, stopping his cultivation from continuing to drain away. Only then did they take out pills and feed them to Shi Yuanhang, alleviating his current injuries.
It was just that they were still a bit late. Although Shi Yuanhang's cultivation was preserved now, it had already dropped significantly. He was no longer a First-Rank Martial King, but an Eighth-Rank Martial Lord. Although it was only a difference of two realms, trying to cultivate back to his previous level would not be so easy.
"Sect Master, he crippled Junior Brother Shi's cultivation and even forced us to kneel before him, even making us kowtow! Sect Master, you must seek justice for us!"
Seeing their own Sect Master appear, the Cloud Thunder Pavilion disciples were like seeing a straw to clutch at. With a sigh of relief, they didn't forget to run to the Sect Master and kneel in unison, filing a complaint against Chu Feng and the others.
"Shut up!"
But who would have thought, the Cloud Thunder Pavilion Sect Master, instead of shouting in anger, swung his arms. Only a series of "pa, pa, pa, pa..." crisp sounds were heard as he bestowed a resounding slap upon each disciple, knocking all these treasured disciples to the ground.
After doing this, the Cloud Thunder Pavilion Sect Master cupped his fists towards Sikong Zhaixing with an apologetic face and said, "Sect Master Sikong, it is I who have been lax in disciplining my disciples. Please do not take offense."
"Haha, young people, being competitive is a good thing. A little sparring is nothing." Sikong Zhaixing stroked his beard and chuckled, looking completely unconcerned. But immediately after, he narrowed his eyes, seemingly casual yet saying with hidden meaning:
"However, sometimes, being too confident is not good. Just like today's matter, not only did you fail to humiliate others, but you ended up kneeling in fear. That is truly embarrassing. And this not only brings shame upon yourselves, but also upon your sect."
"Sect Master Baili, our two sects have a good relationship, so this matter is still easy to talk about. If I don't spread it around, no one will know, and it won't affect your Cloud Thunder Pavilion's reputation."
"But you really need to be careful. If today's matter had happened with another power, say the Prajna Sect, then it wouldn't be so easy to settle."
Hearing Sikong Zhaixing's words, the Cloud Thunder Pavilion Sect Master's face turned from green to purple, then from purple to green, because the sarcasm was just too obvious. But he dared not show any displeasure. Instead, he said with a humble face, "Sect Master Sikong is right. In the future, I will definitely discipline them strictly and not let them embarrass themselves again."
"Heh, forget it, forget it. After all, this is a minor matter, so let's not dwell on it."
"As the saying goes, guests are to be welcomed. Moreover, this is your first time bringing so many elders and juniors to my Azure Forest Southern Domain, Sect Master Baili. Let's not bring up unpleasant things."
"Someone, reset the banquet! I want to properly entertain everyone from the Cloud Thunder Pavilion." Sect Master Sikong suddenly laughed loudly.
After this, the banquet was indeed reset, and everyone present participated in this banquet.
Although this was a celebratory banquet set for the people of the Cloud Thunder Pavilion, the Cloud Thunder Pavilion disciples kept dark faces. They couldn't even eat, just sitting before the banquet with bitter smiles, as awkward as it could be.
But compared to them, the disciples of the Azure Forest Southern Domain were incredibly excited, and it was genuine happiness. Because they had won this battle, not only defending the honor of the Azure Forest Southern Domain but also delivering a resounding slap to the Cloud Thunder Pavilion who had come to provoke.
But they wouldn't forget that the one who defended their dignity wasn't them, and the one who slapped the Cloud Thunder Pavilion wasn't them either. It was Chu Feng. Chu Feng alone had done it.
Although the attending elders of the Cloud Thunder Pavilion were also filled with grievances, they were elders after all and still had to maintain face on the surface. So they had a harder time than the disciples. Clearly having lost all face, they still had to force smiles and drink heartily with the elders of the Azure Forest Southern Domain.
However, whether it was the Cloud Thunder Pavilion disciples, the attending elders, or even that Sect Master, they would all occasionally steal glances at Chu Feng, their eyes filled with complex emotions.