Spiritual pressure was not the same as Mental Power. Rather, it was a technique used to attack an opponent's mind.
Such a technique would not directly harm the body, but it could shatter a person's spirit, causing them to break down — or even go mad.
The spiritual pressure that the war faction elder was currently unleashing against Chu Feng was an especially formidable one.
His intention was clear: even if he couldn't drive Chu Feng mad, he wanted to force him into a mental breakdown — to crush him psychologically.
Chu Feng had no grudge against this man. It was their very first meeting, yet the elder had already resorted to such vicious means. It spoke volumes about just how ruthless this war faction elder truly was.
However, such a technique might work against other juniors — but against Chu Feng, it was utterly useless. Not for any other reason, but because Chu Feng's greatest strength was precisely his Mental Power.
"Hm?"
When the war faction elder saw that he had already unleashed his most powerful spiritual pressure, yet Chu Feng's expression had not changed in the slightest, his own face shifted with evident surprise.
"Senior, I am indeed Chu Feng. However, I believe there is one matter you have mistaken — I have never committed any great evil. I wonder what you mean by that?" Chu Feng asked calmly, without exposing the elder's vile actions, acting as though nothing had happened at all.
Truthfully, he had no other option. If he publicly accused the elder of using spiritual pressure against him, the elder would never admit it. Instead, he would turn around and bite back, and Chu Feng would be the one left in serious trouble.
"Your wicked deeds are known to all the world," the war faction elder said.
"Known to all the world? Those are merely rumors. For a senior to accuse a junior like this without having witnessed anything firsthand — that is truly unfair."
"Or could it be that the senior himself is simply the sort of person who believes every idle tale he hears?" Chu Feng asked.
"Hmph." The elder's brow furrowed deeply at those words, clearly having never expected that, on their own territory, Chu Feng would still dare speak to him like this.
He chose not to continue arguing with Chu Feng, however, and instead turned around to declare: "I say this Chu Feng is full of bandit air and cannot be trusted. The Dragon King's tomb — a person like him absolutely must not be allowed inside."
"Elder, the agreement was clearly made beforehand — that if I brought Chu Feng here, he would be allowed to take Tingyu to try the Dragon King's tomb. Why the change now?" Yaojiao Guang grew anxious, for this matter was of great importance.
"Times have changed. When Tingyu's condition was better, a trial was indeed possible."
"But Tingyu was reckless. She took advantage of the Dragon King's tomb opening on its own and barged in alone, soaking in the Inheritance Pool for a full eight hours and collapsing from exhaustion — suffering a dangerous backlash."
"She has since regained consciousness, but her body is still extremely weak. If she enters the Inheritance Pool again, it would be no different from seeking death," the war faction elder said.
"Thank you for your concern, Elder, but Tingyu can still hold on." At that moment, a graceful figure walked in through the palace doors. The young woman had a lovely appearance, though her true form was that of a demon beast — she was none other than Yaojiao Tingyu.
"Tingyu greets all the elders, Father Emperor, and all esteemed seniors." Yaojiao Tingyu politely bowed to the crowd, then approached Chu Feng and looked him over with a mixture of joy and amazement.
"Young Master Chu Feng, we meet again at last."
"Princess Tingyu, it's good to see you," Chu Feng replied courteously.
"Young Master Chu Feng is truly remarkable. I still remember back on the Immortal Island, your cultivation was only at the Martial King level, while I was already a third-grade half-emperor. Now we meet again — I am still a half-emperor, but you have already reached the seventh grade. How am I supposed to feel about that?"
"Princess Tingyu, you flatter me. Your words make Chu Feng quite ashamed," Chu Feng said, recognizing that Yaojiao Tingyu was only teasing without a hint of sarcasm, and so he took no offense.
"Tingyu, your complexion still doesn't look good. In this state, you wouldn't be able to enter the Inheritance Pool at all, would you?"