"Chu Feng, you actually broke Lord Dugu Lingtian's record."
"You're way too incredible — I could accept it if it were some other place, but how did you manage to break the record at the Crouching Dragon Destiny Tower of all places?"
At that moment, Li Fengxian, Li Muzhi's grandfather, suddenly appeared. Seeing Chu Feng's name hovering above Dugu Lingtian's on the Crouching Dragon Destiny Tower, he couldn't stop sighing in admiration.
An undisguised smile spread across his aged face.
"Maybe the heavens have blessed me, so I've got a tough life," Chu Feng said with a joke.
"Regardless, being able to remain here is a good thing."
"Oh right, Chu Feng, I have two things to tell you. The first is good news — the Sect Master has agreed to let you enter the Abandoned Land to get engaged to Zi Ling."
Li Fengxian said.
"Really?"
Chu Feng was ecstatic. Although this was what he rightfully deserved, when the matter was actually confirmed, he still felt incredibly excited.
After all, the Sect Master had been so hostile toward him — he had genuinely feared she would find another way to make things difficult.
But most importantly, Chu Feng could never forget why he had come to the Crouching Dragon Martial Sect in the first place.
Wasn't he here for Zi Ling?
Just thinking about it — he would see Zi Ling soon — Chu Feng's heart was filled with indescribable excitement.
"So… what's the other thing?" Chu Feng asked.
From the way Li Fengxian spoke, the second matter sounded like it might be bad news.
"The second thing might not necessarily be bad."
"Yu Ting has been cultivating at my place this whole time — you should know about that."
"She's been in seclusion, and it's been quite a while now."
"But just now, the Sect Master forcibly took her away," Li Fengxian said.
"Took her away? Don't tell me… she's going to be punished?" Li Muzhi asked with concern.
"The Sect Master already knew Yu Ting was with me. If she intended to punish her, she would have done so long ago. My guess is… it probably has something to do with the engagement to Zi Ling."
"The Sect Master wants you to enter the Abandoned Land in two hours."
"And since this is an engagement, Zi Ling naturally needs to be prepared on her end. The best person to help with those preparations would be none other than Yu Ting."
Li Fengxian said.
Chu Feng strongly agreed with Li Fengxian's analysis.
"Oh right, where's Brother Duan?" Chu Feng suddenly asked.
He had been too overjoyed to notice before, but now he realized Duan Liufeng was nowhere to be seen.
It was worth noting that not only was Duan Liufeng gone, but Zuoqiu Youyu had vanished as well.
However, unlike Duan Liufeng, Zuoqiu Youyu had most likely stormed off in a rage after seeing that Chu Feng had broken Lord Dugu Lingtian's record.
"Elder Duan had matters to attend to and left," Li Muzhi said.
Although he didn't know what had called Duan Liufeng away, Chu Feng felt it must have been something truly important — otherwise, given how much the man cared about him, he would have stayed.
But right now, all Chu Feng could think about was Zi Ling.
The thought that he would see her in just two hours made Chu Feng surprisingly nervous.
This incredible feeling made him feel more like a human being than a mere cultivation-obsessed monster.
Perhaps this was the greatest happiness of being born human.
Emotions might be uncontrollable, but they were what most truly reflected the depths of one's heart.
"Zi Ling, oh Zi Ling — since we parted in the Lower Realm, so many years have passed without us seeing each other."
As Chu Feng sighed inwardly, scene after scene from the past surged back into his mind.
He recalled the first time he had met Zi Ling — he had still been a youth, and she had been even younger than him.
In the blink of an eye, so many years had gone by, filled with countless tribulations and worldly affairs.
"My Lord, could you take me there early?"
Because Chu Feng was so impatient, Li Fengxian agreed to bring him to the Abandoned Land ahead of schedule.
However, he still had to abide by the Sect Master's requirement — he could only enter once the appointed time arrived.
Standing outside the Abandoned Land and gazing at its entrance, Chu Feng felt a bittersweet taste in his heart.
The entrance was situated at the base of a mountain peak, and the peak itself radiated an overwhelming sense of desolation.
He could only imagine what the Abandoned Land itself must truly be like.
Thinking of Zi Ling — that she had been sent here on his account — made Chu Feng's heart ache.
"Chu Feng, congratulations."
"Take this — with this token, you may come and go freely."
Li Fengxian handed a special waist token to Chu Feng.
The time had come.
Chu Feng was now permitted to enter the Abandoned Land and see Zi Ling.
"My Lord, can I bring Zi Ling out with me?"
Chu Feng asked.
"I don't know about that — but the Sect Master never specifically said you couldn't."
"You can try for yourself. If you can bring her out, wouldn't that be even better?"
Li Fengxian said.
"Thank you, my Lord."
Chu Feng fastened the token to his waist and stepped inside.
Wanting to keep things a bit mysterious and give Zi Ling a surprise, Chu Feng even employed a technique to conceal his figure.