Even though their bodies were weak and they were enduring the searing agony of the formation, the three elders appeared remarkably calm. They sat cross-legged atop the grand array, silent and still, not even uttering a single sound.
Such resolve was admirable, yet it was also heartbreaking.
"Elders!!!" After much hesitation, Chu Feng finally called out in a soft voice.
Hearing Chu Feng's voice, the three elders opened their eyes simultaneously. The moment their eyes revealed not only weakness but also exhaustion. No matter how powerful their strength or how tenacious their willpower, beneath this formation they had clearly endured immense suffering and terrible torment.
Yet even while trapped in danger and agony, when the three elders caught sight of Chu Feng and Bai Ruochen, a serene smile appeared on each of their faces.
"You've come," Elder Hongmo said with a smile, as though he had long anticipated this.
"Elders, we're sorry for making you suffer," Chu Feng and Bai Ruochen said with deep guilt. Bai Ruochen could not hold back, and two streams of glistening tears slid down her cheeks.
"Oh, what are you doing? Members of the Alchemy Division are not allowed to be so pathetic. Ruochen, no crying," Elder Zhouquan said with mild displeasure upon seeing Bai Ruochen's tears.
"Exactly. Chu Feng, Ruochen, why all the guilty faces? Our capture has nothing to do with you two — what are you blaming yourselves for?" Elder Wei spoke up as well.
"That's right. As the presiding elders of the Alchemy Division, we were merely upholding the dignity of our division."
"Besides, Ying'er is an honored guest of our Alchemy Division. I promised her grandfather that I would look after her properly. But after she came to our Greenwood Mountain, she was beaten and humiliated — how could I face her late grandfather?"
"So truly, there is no need for you to feel guilty. Even if it weren't for the two of you, we would have done this for Ying'er's sake alone," Elder Hongmo added with a reassuring smile.
Hearing the three elders' words, Chu Feng and Bai Ruochen felt even worse. They could see right through it — the elders were only saying this to spare them from guilt.
It was plainly for their sake that the three elders had ended up in this state, yet the elders were still looking out for Chu Feng and Bai Ruochen. This thought filled them with both gratitude and anguish.
"You've seen them. You may leave now." Just then, an elder from the Punishment Division began ushering Chu Feng away, clearly unwilling to let him exchange any more words with Elder Hongmo and the others.
"Elder Hongmo, Elder Wei, Elder Zhou — what must I do to get you out of here?" Sensing the urgency, Chu Feng quickly sent a voice transmission. He could not simply stand by and do nothing, leaving the three elders to their fate. If there was even the slightest chance of helping them, he would walk through fire and water to do it.
"Chu Feng, don't worry about us."
"The Punishment Division wouldn't dare do anything to us. Go back."
"As long as you two are safe and sound, we old men can rest easy." Yet Elder Hongmo and the others merely smiled faintly, offering Chu Feng no hint of a solution.
And the more they acted this way, the more uneasy Chu Feng became — because it likely meant that he truly had no way to rescue the three elders, and their situation was dire indeed.
After leaving the Punishment Division, Chu Feng and Bai Ruochen returned together to the Shura Division. Their brows were furrowed, they were silent, and their hearts were incredibly heavy.
"Master, there is a guest who wishes to see you." It was only when a maidservant appeared that the oppressive silence between the two was broken.