"Sect Master Sikong, might I ask what you mean by that?" Sikong Zhaixing's brows furrowed slightly. He had a feeling that the Yuhua Sect Master was hinting at something.
"Young friend Chu Feng possesses not only extraordinary talent but also remarkable wit and admirable courage. And at such a young age, he has already mastered a Earth-restricted Martial Art — which suggests that his family background must be equally extraordinary."
"Sect Master Sikong, where exactly does young friend Chu Feng come from, to be so impressive?" the Yuhua Sect Master asked.
"Well..." Sikong Zhaixing hesitated at the question, but in the end he answered honestly. "Chu Feng is not from the Land of Martial Arts. He comes from the Southern Sea Region."
"What? He comes from the Southern Sea Region?" At these words, Bai Ruochen's mother was visibly shocked. The astonishment in her alluring eyes was practically off the charts.
In truth, the Yuhua Sect Master was just as stunned. But at this moment, his face held not merely surprise — there was also a trace of envy. He said:
"Greenwood Southern Forest has been guarding the Heavenly Road exit to the Southern Sea Region, and people have laughed at you for so many years. Now it seems Greenwood Southern Forest has finally reaped the reward of that long suffering. Senior Baili truly had foresight."
"However, although this child Chu Feng is extraordinarily talented, he's a bit too conspicuous. Add to that the methods he possesses, and once he enters Greenwood Mountain, even if he doesn't go looking for trouble, he's bound to make quite a few enemies."
*Sigh.* At the mention of this, Sikong Zhaixing let out a long sigh. How could he not worry about Chu Feng? As the saying went, the human heart was fearsome — and within Greenwood Mountain, it was even more so.
The disciples within Greenwood Mountain were nominally fellow sect members, yet each harbored their own selfish ambitions. Sikong Zhaixing himself had once trained within Greenwood Mountain in his youth, and had even been among the elite Core Disciples. He knew all too well how fierce the open and covert struggles were inside Greenwood Mountain. Most importantly, while the Mountain officially forbade fighting between disciples, in practice it tacitly permitted it.
There was no helping that. The disciples of Greenwood Mountain — especially the Core Disciples — were the key figures who would inherit the Mountain's legacy. Even the Sect Master and the powerful elders were chosen from among the Core Disciples.
And this, in turn, meant that between disciples, especially among those of great strength, genuine camaraderie was rare. They maintained harmony on the surface, but in reality regarded each other as enemies.
Some even had their treasured artifacts coveted by fellow sect members, and during missions outside the Mountain, incidents where disciples were harmed and robbed of their possessions by their own happened almost every year.
Hundreds of cases were caught and punished severely each year — and those that went unpunished? They were simply countless, beyond imagination.
This was precisely what Sikong Zhaixing worried about. Chu Feng possessed extraordinary talent and wielded extraordinary methods, even holding a supreme King Weapon. Yet he had no powerful backing — he came from the Southern Sea Region. And on top of that, Chu Feng's temperament meant he was not the kind to swallow a loss.
So once he entered Greenwood Mountain, Chu Feng's enemies would likely be far more than just the Star-Gazing Observatory. Never mind fellow disciples — even elders might set their eyes on the treasures Chu Feng carried. It was not impossible at all.
This only deepened Sikong Zhaixing's concern. He had known that Chu Feng was immensely talented, but he hadn't expected the boy to possess so many extraordinary methods — a priceless supreme King Weapon, and even a Earth-restricted Martial Art that ordinary factions could never obtain. If all of this was exposed once he entered Greenwood Mountain, there was no telling how many would be consumed by envy.
"Brother Sikong, but you needn't worry too much. Now that our two factions are allied, Chu Feng is not only a disciple of your Greenwood Southern Forest — he is effectively also a disciple of our Yuhua Sect. Our Yuhua Sect will do everything in its power to protect him." As if sensing Sikong Zhaixing's worries, the Yuhua Sect Master spoke up.
"Of course, of course..." Hearing this, Sikong Zhaixing nodded repeatedly, and the worry in his heart eased considerably. He was a seasoned man — he understood that the Yuhua Sect Master was showing his sincerity, the sincerity behind the alliance with Greenwood Southern Forest.
"Oh my, if you ask me, these two young people are truly a perfect match, wouldn't you say, Sect Master Sikong?" Suddenly, Bai Ruochen's mother chimed in with a sweet smile.
"Ah, that..." At that moment, Sikong Zhaixing's expression stiffened. Caught completely off guard by Bai Ruochen's mother's sudden remark, he had no idea how to respond.