Chu Feng's speed was extreme, and his momentum was overwhelming. He didn't look like a man at all — more like a meteor hurtling forward. His aura surged like a rainbow, intimidating everything around him, while carrying within it a devastating force, as though nothing in this world could stand in his way.
The strength Chu Feng displayed made everyone from the Feathering Sect's eyes light up, earning him at least a modicum of renewed respect.
But even so, contempt lingered in every gaze. The look on their faces made it clear they had already written him off — convinced he was destined to lose to Bai Ruochen, and lose badly, without a shred of doubt.
Even the Feathering disciples who had witnessed Chu Feng's power before wore the same expression.
*Hummm—*
Just as Chu Feng was about to reach the outer ring, Bai Ruochen's eyes flashed. In the same instant, a massive ripple of energy exploded outward from her.
The wave of force surged head-on, causing the very void to tremble, faint cracks even appearing in the air. Chu Feng's brow furrowed slightly as he realized this woman was no simple opponent.
With his combat strength, even at only the first level of Martial King, Chu Feng could handle any ordinary third-level Martial King with ease.
Yet now he sensed that this girl named Bai Ruochen was far from ordinary — at minimum, she was no run-of-the-mill third-level Martial King.
Even so, Chu Feng didn't slow down. He didn't resort to any tricks either, but flew straight toward the oncoming wave of energy. He wanted to test the waters with his own body — to gauge for himself just how strong this girl called Bai Ruochen really was.
*Bang!*
Finally, Chu Feng's body collided with the ripple, but he was completely unable to withstand it. It was like a frail body slamming against an impenetrable wall of bronze and iron. With a deafening boom, Chu Feng was sent flying backward, only managing to stabilize himself after hurtling several thousand meters.
Seeing this, Sikong Zhaixing's expression changed drastically, a look of unease surfacing on his face. As a veteran powerhouse who had cultivated for decades, he could tell at a glance that Bai Ruochen was no ordinary fighter — she was a prodigy, perhaps even a true genius.
The Feathering Sect crowd, meanwhile, showed little change in their expressions, as though they had expected this all along. But a flash of smug satisfaction burned in their eyes.
Bai Ruochen was indeed no ordinary disciple. She was the Feathering Sect's ace — groomed to shine brilliantly this year at the Greenwood Summit, not only bringing glory to the Feathering Sect but stunning the trump cards of every other subordinate force.
"Headmaster Sikong, your disciple truly lives up to what the Sect Master's wife said — admirable courage, I'll grant him that. But I do hope you'll advise him. With his level of strength, he simply cannot compete with our Ruochen."
"Saying that sparring with Ruochen is like an egg against a rock would be a compliment." The two Feathering elders couldn't help but chime in with mocking words.
Hearing this, Sikong Zhaixing's face darkened further. These two elders were far beneath him — neither in cultivation nor in status were they his equals. They had no right to speak to him this way.
Yet despite his displeasure, he didn't counter them. Instead, his eyes remained fixed on Chu Feng. Having at least some understanding of Chu Feng, he knew this was absolutely not the young man's true strength.
So he clung to a thread of hope — hope that Chu Feng could step into that outer ring and win a measure of glory for the Southern Greenwood Forest.
"Do you want to keep going?" At that moment, Bai Ruochen spoke as well. Her face was calm, her expression cold. To her, someone at Chu Feng's level posed absolutely zero threat — she could handle him without breaking a sweat.
"Heh, that was just a warm-up. Now I'm getting serious." Chu Feng smiled faintly, then his body lurched forward as he once again flew toward the outer ring Bai Ruochen had drawn.
His momentum and speed were no different from before, but the confidence on his face had grown a shade stronger.