At that moment, everyone shifted their gaze toward Liu Xiaoli and the others.
Those who had only arrived recently could still be forgiven. But those onlookers who had mocked Liu Xiaoli and her group earlier — every single one of them had turned deathly pale, their hearts flooded with regret and dread.
Especially that member of Hero City who had not only refused Liu Xiaoli and her companions but had even insulted them. Despite his considerable cultivation, his face was now ashen, cold sweat pouring endlessly from his forehead. His hands, the ones he used to wipe the sweat away, were trembling.
All because they had been disrespectful to Chu Feng's friends. They knew — they had committed an unforgivable sin.
They were afraid. Every one of them feared that Chu Feng would turn on them.
And what they feared even more was that if Chu Feng did act against them, no one would lift a finger to stop him.
Even if he killed them, not a soul would say Chu Feng was in the wrong.
So right now, all of them felt as though an invisible blade was pressed against their throats, convinced that death could come at any moment.
But Chu Feng did nothing of the sort. Instead, he walked over to Liu Xiaoli and the others, his face filled with apology.
"I'm sorry I came out so late. You've been made to suffer."
"Chu Feng, don't say that. Being able to see you again — that's more than enough for me." Liu Xiaoli's face was radiant with joy.
"Young friend Chu Feng, are you really going to refuse the Barrier Saintess's offer of reconciliation on our behalf? There were so many treasures."
But before Liu Xiaoli could say more, the elders of the Red Butterfly Association spoke up, their faces twisted with heartache.
To them, a little humiliation was nothing. But all those treasures — the legendary Twin Dragon Locket among them — those were things they could never obtain in their entire lives. And Chu Feng had given them up because of them. The guilt was crushing.
"Are treasures more important than friendship?" Chu Feng asked with a smile.
Everyone from the Red Butterfly Association froze.
Even the onlookers present were stunned.
Friendship?
In the world of martial cultivators, did friendship really matter?
It did. For some people, friendship truly carried immense weight. But even that had its limits.
So while friendship was important, it was never the most important thing. What mattered most was power. Was cultivation.
Because of that, in the world of martial cultivators, countless people had betrayed friendships for personal gain.
Even those who shared the same blood, the closest of kin, would turn blades upon one another over benefits.
Yet here was Chu Feng, faced with a treasure like the Twin Dragon Locket, and he had remained completely unmoved.
It was clear that in his heart, friendship had become truly priceless.
This realization left the crowd in awe — even shaken — and filled them with genuine admiration.
Because this was something none of them could have done.
"Lord Chu Feng, I'm sorry. I am truly, deeply sorry."
"I had no idea these people were your friends. If I had known… this humble one would never have dared refuse them."
At that moment, the very Hero City member who had turned Liu Xiaoli and the others away came running over, his face stretched into an obsequious grin.
"That's Lord Xu Lian."
When they saw the middle-aged man, many people let out gasps of surprise.
This Hero City member held the authority to accept or reject those who wished to join — a position that was hardly ordinary to begin with.
And relative to others, this man named Xu Lian was a notable figure in the Hundred Refinements Realm.
He possessed peak Martial Ancestor cultivation, making him one of the more outstanding independent cultivators in the realm.
Smack—
But in the very next instant, Chu Feng's palm cracked across Xu Lian's face — a clean, precise slap that landed squarely on his cheek.
The onlookers' jaws dropped. Even Liu Xiaoli and her group were startled.
That was no ordinary Hero City member. That was Xu Lian.
If Chu Feng had scolded them, they would have had nothing to say. But for Chu Feng to strike Xu Lian like this — they were genuinely shocked.
"Lord Chu Feng, you—"
Xu Lian stood there frozen, completely at a loss for what to do.
"Whether you allow them to join Hero City is your business. That's not my concern."
"But — you insulted my friends. That, I cannot overlook. That slap was a warning. If there's a next time, I'll cut out your tongue." Chu Feng's voice was ice cold.