"Senior Xuan Yuan, I admit defeat!!!" Finally, Jie Xingpeng let out a loud cry.
Just as those words left Jie Xingpeng's mouth, Zi Xuanyuan withdrew his palm, a faint smile playing on his lips. His expression remained relaxed, as if he hadn't expended any effort at all.
But looking at Jie Xingpeng, the clan leader of the Jie clan, a Heaven Martial Sixth Stage expert, his face was now deathly pale. Sweat poured down in streams as he gasped for air in great, ragged breaths. Even the palm that had clashed with Zi Xuanyuan's was trembling slightly, as if his strength was completely drained.
"Senior Zi Xuanyuan is truly extraordinary. This junior admits defeat. I take my leave today."
With a grim expression, Jie Xingpeng bowed to Zi Xuanyuan, gave Chu Feng a deep, meaningful look, and then, with a sweep of his sleeve, dissipated the surrounding barrier. Without another glance, he transformed into a streak of light and fled into the distance.
"Wow, Elder Xuan Yuan, I didn't expect you to be so formidable. Even Jie Xingpeng is no match for you." After Jie Xingpeng left, Chu Feng's mouth hung wide open as he scrutinized Zi Xuanyuan, his eyes sparkling with stars of pure admiration.
"Hmph, just a junior who dares to compete with me? If I had used a fraction more force just now, he would have been reduced to a pulp," Zi Xuanyuan snorted coldly, his face filled with pride.
"Elder Xuan Yuan, if you could have killed him so easily, why didn't you do so just now?" Hearing this, Chu Feng's already wide-open mouth seemed to stretch even wider.
"Cultivating martial arts is never easy for anyone."
"I have never taken a life lightly. Even that Black Toad King, who once intended to harm my precious granddaughter, I spared out of mercy—both it and its son." Zi Xuanyuan chuckled softly.
"What? Wouldn't that be like releasing a tiger back to the mountain, causing endless trouble later?" Chu Feng was utterly baffled, unable to comprehend Zi Xuanyuan's actions.
"The Black Toad King? Even after another hundred years of cultivation, it would be no match for this old man. Moreover, its nature isn't wicked. I spared its life, and it is already grateful beyond words. How could it possibly seek revenge against me?" Zi Xuanyuan shook his head.
"I wasn't talking about the Black Toad King. I was referring to Jie Xingpeng. After all, the Jie clan is a massive force, and they possess strange weapons. They cannot be underestimated." Chu Feng said, worry etched on his face.
"Heh, the Jie clan? Apart from that old monster who has been in seclusion for over a hundred years, who among them can compete with me? Even if that old monster emerges, he may not necessarily gain any advantage against me."
"Within the Nine Provinces Continent, apart from the current reigning ancestor of the Jiang Dynasty, whom would this old man fear?" Zi Xuanyuan flicked his sleeve, his face a mask of disdain.
"An old monster in seclusion for a century? Could it be... could it be that peerless genius from back then?" Chu Feng was deeply shocked.
"Who else could it be? That's the only reason the Jie clan and the Spirit World Guild sit so securely upon the throne of the top power. Others don't know they're in secluded cultivation, but this old man knows full well," Zi Xuanyuan said with a curl of his lip.
"That... over a hundred years, and they're still alive? Elder Xuan Yuan, then what level should their cultivation have reached by now?"
Chu Feng pressed with curiosity. His relationship with the Jie clan was now one of open hostility.
One Jie Xingpeng was already formidable enough. To now learn of another monster who had lived for a century and dominated the continent a hundred years ago—Chu Feng felt this was anything but good news.
"They should be... hmm, wait. You little brat, are you trying to probe this old man's cultivation level under the guise of curiosity?" Zi Xuanyuan looked at Chu Feng with contempt.
"N-no, of course not! This junior truly had no such intention. It was merely curiosity." Chu Feng hurriedly shook his head, his neck creaking like a rattle-drum. Even if the Jie clan's elder was a monster, Zi Xuanyuan's strength was equally monstrous. Chu Feng dared not provoke him.
"You little brat, you are truly audacious. There is nothing you wouldn't dare to do."
"Rest assured. Today was a one-time exception. From now on, no matter what peril you find yourself in, this old man will not lift a finger to help. Even if I watched as they peeled the skin from your body and beat you to death before my eyes, I would merely stand by and watch."
"Pfft!" Hearing this, Chu Feng nearly spat out a mouthful of blood. Nothing could sting quite like Zi Xuanyuan's words.
"Alright, you'd better run along now. I believe Jie Xingpeng won't be following you anymore." Without waiting for Chu Feng's reaction, Zi Xuanyuan simply waved him off.
"Regardless, Chu Feng is grateful for Elder Xuan Yuan's life-saving grace. Should an opportunity arise, I will surely repay this kindness." Chu Feng respectfully cupped his fist and bowed.
He held no grudge against Zi Xuanyuan for saying he wouldn't save him again. After all, they were not related. There was no reason for him to help, and this one rescue was already a great fortune. Chu Feng felt he should be grateful for this kindness and engrave it in his heart.
"Alright, hurry and leave. Otherwise, when Jie Yanqinlei and the others catch up, don't expect me to intervene."
"Ah, right. Take this and keep it on you. Do not leave Qingzhou for the next month." Suddenly, as if remembering something, Zi Xuanyuan produced a triangular blue talisman from within his robes and handed it to Chu Feng.
"A positioning talisman?" Chu Feng's pupils contracted. As a Spirit World Master, he naturally recognized it. It was a positioning talisman. As long as Chu Feng kept it on his person, its owner could locate him with ease.
Of course, while positioning talismans could pinpoint a location, they had range limitations. This blue one was of an extremely high grade—not something an ordinary blue-robed Spirit World Master could refine. Presumably, only someone of Vice President Gao's stature could create one, and even that would require considerable effort.
"Don't bother looking so surprised. It wasn't this old man's idea to find you. It was that girl who asked me to give this to you. The reason I intervened today was also at her request." Seeing Chu Feng's baffled expression, Zi Xuanyuan shot him a glance.
"Zi Ling?"
Hearing this name, Chu Feng felt a warmth spread through his heart. Ever since returning to the Supreme Villa, Zi Ling had gone into seclusion for cultivation and refused to see anyone. Chu Feng had thought her ungrateful, that she had forgotten the life-saving grace he'd shown her and turned her back on him. He never imagined the girl was still thinking of him.
"Alright, this old man will take his leave now. Take care of yourself." As he spoke, Zi Xuanyuan clasped his hands behind his back, rose gracefully into the air, and vanished in the blink of an eye. His speed was indeed far beyond what Chu Feng could hope to match.
Chu Feng didn't dare to delay either. A considerable amount of time had already been wasted, and the effects of the forbidden medicine wouldn't last much longer. He had to find a safe haven as soon as possible.
Thus, he urged the Azure Dragon beneath him. With a flicker of his figure, he sped off in the opposite direction from Jie Xingpeng's retreat, clearly having no desire to encounter the Jie clan leader again.
Chu Feng's speed was astonishing—too fast even for a Heaven Martial Fifth Stage cultivator to follow. He vanished over the horizon in the blink of an eye. Shortly after his departure, within a layer of clouds, Zi Xuanyuan materialized and chuckled softly: "This brat may harbor ill thoughts and possess a fierce killing intent, but... he is worthy of my granddaughter after all."