Chu Feng, not dead?!
The truth was right before their eyes. No matter how much they might wish to deny it, they couldn't.
One by one, they scrambled behind Shengguang Menglai, their eyes all fixed on her.
None of them said a word, but their gazes practically screamed the question: you told us he'd lost the power of this place — so then what was that?!
After all, they had long since assessed Chu Feng's cultivation. His own cultivation was nothing more than a ninth-grade Supreme.
But Shengguang Haoxuan was a second-grade Martial Ancestor.
If Chu Feng no longer possessed the power of this place, how could he possibly be a match for Shengguang Haoxuan?
"That shouldn't be possible. The power here is clearly gone."
"How did you do this?" Shengguang Menglai asked Chu Feng.
What she really meant was: how did you manage to defeat Shengguang Haoxuan?
"Miss Menglai, you truly underestimate me."
"Did you really think that without the power of this place, I, Chu Feng, couldn't handle you?"
The moment Chu Feng finished speaking—
BOOM—
A wave of oppressive might, vast and overwhelming as a hurricane, surged toward the young generation of the Sacred Valley.
Upon seeing this, Shengguang Menglai hurriedly released her own aura, managing to neutralize Chu Feng's pressure.
"That aura?!"
Soon enough, the others realized as well.
The pressure Chu Feng had released was extraordinarily powerful. Had Shengguang Menglai not stepped in, that pressure alone would have been enough to crush most of them to dust.
Second-grade Martial Ancestor. That was the pressure of a second-grade Martial Ancestor.
"You're a second-grade Martial Ancestor?" Shengguang Menglai asked.
"What's the matter? Did that white-browed old man not tell you the truth?"
"It seems you really did believe I was merely a ninth-grade Supreme," Chu Feng said.
"You… concealed your cultivation?" Shengguang Menglai asked.
"I never concealed anything. It was your Sacred Valley people who used something to suppress my cultivation."
"As for why they suppressed my cultivation — naturally, it was to protect you."
"A pity, though. That thing was powerful, but the cultivation grounds here also hide a special kind of power. Power strong enough to destroy whatever was suppressing my cultivation."
"I simply didn't expect that you, girl, were carrying a treasure capable of that — something that could steal the power I obtained from this place."
"After gaining the power here, I had been using it to destroy the thing suppressing my cultivation. In truth, I was nearly finished."
"But thanks to you, I was unable to use that power to directly destroy it."
"Still, I was only a little bit short."
"And thankfully, I am a Spirit World Master."
"That tiny bit — even without that power — posed no challenge to me."
Chu Feng explained.
"So that's why you tried to flee just now — to buy time and destroy the thing suppressing your cultivation?" Shengguang Menglai asked.
"That's right," Chu Feng said.
Hearing this, Shengguang Menglai glanced once more at Shengguang Haoxuan, who sat crushed beneath Chu Feng — utterly wretched.
Shengguang Haoxuan's combat strength was by no means weak. Under normal circumstances, he should have been able to fight Chu Feng on relatively even terms.
She hadn't witnessed the actual battle, but judging by the result alone, she could tell that the gap between Shengguang Haoxuan and Chu Feng was immense.
They were both second-grade Martial Ancestors, yet Shengguang Haoxuan was nowhere near Chu Feng's level.
"Chu Feng, what exactly did you do?"
"Why did Lord Bai Mei order your death?" Shengguang Menglai asked.
"Oh, so you already had orders to eliminate me in here, did you?"
"Heh…"
"If you've already been told to kill me, why bother asking? Do you really think that if I say I did nothing wrong — that the white-browed old man was wrong, that your Sacred Valley was wrong — you'd actually let me go?"
Chu Feng asked.
Hearing this, Shengguang Menglai's brow furrowed slightly.
Chu Feng was right. If the Sacred Valley had decided he must die, then even if Chu Feng had done nothing wrong, she would show no mercy.
She was, after all, a daughter of the Sacred Valley.
"Chu Feng, you truly are a remarkable talent."
"I'll admit it — among our generation, I cannot compare to you."
"Had I been given a choice, I would have liked to become your friend. But sadly, you are the one my Sacred Valley has marked for death."
"Now… I won't kill you directly. But… I cannot allow you to harm any more of my Sacred Valley's people."
"Will you surrender yourself, or will you make me take you down?"