"Damn, you ugly freak are way too arrogant. Senior Sister, teach him a lesson, show him how high the sky really is!"
"Exactly, Senior Sister, show this ugly freak what you're really made of when you're serious. If you weren't careless, he wouldn't stand a chance."
Sun Yihan and the others all felt that Xue Jian had only beaten Jiang Wanshi through trickery. So when he started shouting, they saw their chance for revenge and began yelling themselves, full of bluster.
However, amidst their clamoring, Jiang Wanshi's beautiful brows were tightly knitted, and she remained silent for a long time.
While it was true that her earlier clash with Xue Jian ended in her defeat due to carelessness, she, as a purple-robed Spirit World Master, knew very well that being able to conceal a powerful formation to such an extent meant Xue Jian was strong—stronger than she could manage.
Now, with his blatant provocation, it was clear Xue Jian was supremely confident he could beat her again. This was a ploy.
Xue Jian had deliberately used underhanded methods to win earlier, but he likely could have beaten her honestly too. He hadn't, which was part of the act.
He wanted Jiang Wanshi to believe she only lost because she was careless. Then, when he provoked her again, she would naturally accept the challenge. At that point, he could rely on his superior strength to defeat her once more. That would be a massive loss for her pride.
Though she was furious, her keen insight into Xue Jian's strength had allowed her to see through his scheme.
It put Jiang Wanshi in a terrible dilemma. Accepting the challenge was risky, but refusing wasn't an option either. She felt utterly stuck, unsure of what to do.
"Miss Jiang, why not accept? I can defeat him for you," Chu Feng's voice suddenly whispered into her ear.
"You? With your cultivation at just the sixth level of Heaven Martial, are you claiming to be a purple-robed Spirit World Master too?"
Under normal circumstances, Jiang Wanshi would have ignored Chu Feng. But after what just happened, her view of him had shifted dramatically. He had seen through Xue Jian's tricks from the very beginning and even tried to warn her, but she hadn't believed him. Had she listened, the outcome would have been completely different.
So, despite his seemingly unimpressive cultivation in her eyes, she now felt Chu Feng was no ordinary person—at the very least, he was also a Spirit World Master.
"Please, Miss Jiang, use your Mental Power to sense my palm," Chu Feng transmitted with a smile.
"Mhm." Wasting no time, Jiang Wanshi covertly extended her Mental Power to observe Chu Feng's palm.
"What is this?!" When her Mental Power reached his palm, her delicate eyes widened in disbelief, a look of utter astonishment crossing her face.
Because at that moment, a formation was operating within Chu Feng's palm. It was invisible to the naked eye, but perfectly perceptible with Mental Power.
The formation Chu Feng was demonstrating conveyed two pieces of information to Jiang Wanshi. First, it proved he was indeed a purple-robed Spirit World Master.
Second, his mastery over barrier techniques was astonishing, far surpassing her own. It was incredibly powerful.
"Why are you helping me?" At this point, Jiang Wanshi no longer doubted Chu Feng's skill, but she couldn't understand his motives.
"I was entrusted by my Master to convey a message to Senior Qiushui. That is why I came. My Master and Senior Qiushui are old friends, so you and I are naturally on the same side. With an enemy causing trouble, it is only right to help," Chu Feng replied with a smile.
"Who is your Master?" Jiang Wanshi pressed.
"I cannot reveal my Master's name. But I assure you, I mean you no harm. If you don't believe me, there's nothing more I can say," Chu Feng answered.
"Miss Jiang, why the silence? Could it be that you are truly afraid?" At that moment, Xue Jian spoke up again, deliberately pushing her to accept.
"Senior Sister, why won't you agree? Teach him a lesson so he knows your power!"
"Senior Sister, is it because you don't have anything to bet? Here, I have a mid-grade Yuan Medicine left by our Master. You can borrow it." Her sisters, confused, chimed in as well.
"Xue Jian, if you hadn't used trickery just now, how could you have beaten Miss Jiang? Someone like you is not worthy of facing her again. Fighting you would only tarnish her reputation."
"If you're not convinced, I'd be happy to spar with you. The question is, do you dare?" Chu Feng stepped forward, his voice ringing clear.
"What? You?!" Chu Feng's sudden declaration startled everyone present. If he hadn't spoken up, people might have forgotten he was there. His challenge to Xue Jian immediately caused a stir.
"Kid, who are you? Do you think you're worthy of facing my cousin? Looking at your cultivation, even if you're a Spirit World Master, you're just a blue-robed one. What right do you have? Anyone from our side could swat you away easily," Xue Yi scoffed with contempt.
"Exactly! Who are you to represent us and spar with that ugly freak? We don't know you, so stop trying to curry favor. Don't embarrass yourself. We can handle this ourselves; we don't need your help."
It wasn't just Xue Yi and the others who looked down on Chu Feng. Even Sun Yihan and her friends were dismissive. When he tried to play the hero, they began mocking him harshly.
"Haha, kid, you're quite amusing. Trying to be the hero for someone, kiss ass, and they don't even want your help. Get lost! This matter isn't for trash like you to stick your nose into," Xue Jian finally spoke, not even bothering to look at Chu Feng. His disdain was palpable.
"Who said we don't want his help?" Jiang Wanshi's voice cut in. She turned to Xue Jian and said, "You want to fight me again? Fine."
"But first, you must defeat him. If you can't even beat him, you have no right to face me. I don't like fighting people who rely on dirty tricks." She pointed at Chu Feng.
"Senior Sister, what are you saying? You're really letting him fight that ugly freak for you? He's only at the sixth level of Heaven Martial!" Sun Yihan and the others were shocked, unable to comprehend their senior sister's thinking.
"All of you, shut up!" Jiang Wanshi mentally scolded her sisters, then looked back at Xue Jian. "So? Do you dare?"