"Chu Feng, something doesn't seem right."
Even Yu Sha had sensed that something was off.
"It really doesn't seem right."
Chu Feng had also realized that the situation before him was rather strange.
Even if the Sacred Valley wanted to protect Shengguang Menglai and the other juniors, things didn't need to go this far, did they?
He had encountered quite a few people like Shengguang Baimei — unless they were truly on the brink of disaster, someone of that temperament would never bow their head so easily.
But right now, Chu Feng had only grasped a few bargaining chips. In truth, his life was still in the Sacred Valley's hands.
If anyone was closer to the brink of disaster, it was Chu Feng himself.
So why was Shengguang Baimei acting like this?
No matter how important Shengguang Menglai's identity might be, if he wanted to protect her, a few kind words would have sufficed.
Why go so far as to apologize?
He had practically… abandoned all dignity.
"Young friend Chu Feng, it has been a long time."
"Who would have thought that our next meeting would take place here, within my Sacred Valley?"
"Still, I suppose this counts as a rather special fate."
"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself earlier. This old man is called Shengguang Shishen, and this is my disciple — you have met him before."
Shengguang Shishen spoke with a warm smile.
"Brother Chu Feng, I am Shengguang Qianyu."
"It seems I am no longer a match for Brother Chu Feng."
Sensing the cultivation that Chu Feng now radiated, Shengguang Qianyu let out an embarrassed laugh.
Back then, Chu Feng had been nothing more than an ant before him.
But now, seeing Chu Feng again, the young man had grown so powerful that even Shengguang Menglai had been taken hostage. He knew… he was no match for Chu Feng either.
This reversal in status left him feeling deeply ashamed.
After all, even within the Sacred Valley, he was considered among the geniuses.
Yet compared to Chu Feng, the title of genius clearly didn't quite live up to its name.
Not for any other reason — it was simply that not much time had actually passed since the last time he had seen Chu Feng.
In such a short span, to have achieved such growth — he could only imagine how terrifying Chu Feng truly was.
"I never expected we would meet again like this."
"But senior, please don't blame me. It isn't that I, Chu Feng, wished to cause trouble — it's that someone in your Sacred Valley has been trying to harm me."
"What I have done here was out of necessity."
As he spoke, Chu Feng glanced toward Shengguang Baimei.
"Young friend Chu Feng, I already know the full story."
"Shengguang Baimei has realized his mistake. Why not give this old man some face and let the matter end here?"
"From this day forward, you, Chu Feng, and my Sacred Valley will be one family. No one in the Sacred Valley will ever dare to harm you again."
Shengguang Shishen said.
"Senior, those are easy words to say. If I were to release them, I have no idea whether you might immediately change your tune."
Chu Feng felt that part of the reason for their courtesy was likely the fact that he was still holding Shengguang Menglai and the others hostage.
"Young friend Chu Feng, I've told you — it was all a misunderstanding."
"If you still don't feel safe, then just keep them bound for as long as you like, until you feel secure enough."
Shengguang Shishen said.
"In that case, I have no choice but to keep them in discomfort for a while."
Chu Feng's meaning was plain — even though Shengguang Shishen and his disciple had spoken on the matter, and their attitude was quite sincere, he still had no intention of letting Shengguang Menglai and the others go.
They were his insurance — his trump card for survival. Unless he had absolute certainty, Chu Feng would not throw that lifeline away.
"Brother Niantian, it's time you showed yourself."
At that moment, Shengguang Buyu suddenly called out in a loud voice.
The moment those words left his lips, a familiar voice drifted down from the void not far away.
"Young friend Chu Feng, stand down."
As the voice echoed through the air, a figure materialized from the void and stood upon the horizon.
The newcomer was not a member of the Sacred Valley, yet he possessed the status to enter it freely.
It was the Daoist Niantian.
"Senior Niantian?"
Upon seeing Daoist Niantian, the tension in Chu Feng's gaze softened with a flicker of relief.
After all, Daoist Niantian had helped him before. The man's arrival eased quite a bit of the worry that had been weighing on Chu Feng's mind.
Once Daoist Niantian appeared, he waved his sleeve, and a vast barrier of light spread outward.