"Brother Kong Sheng, was that wound inflicted by Chu Feng and the others?" Kong Zheng walked up to Kong Sheng and asked.
"No, it was that monster. But the monster didn't do it on purpose — I was simply careless," Kong Sheng replied.
"A monster?" Upon hearing this, the Supreme Elder of the Kong Heavenly Clan turned his gaze toward the direction of the churning pool.
Whoosh— Suddenly, his figure moved, his robes fluttering as he soared directly into the rippling, surging waters.
"As expected of a True Immortal," Chu Feng murmured, his eyes narrowing slightly.
That had been the epicenter of the explosion. Although the detonation had already ended, the violent ripples still raging within were terrifying in their own right — none of them, Chu Feng included, had dared to approach. Yet this Supreme Elder of the Kong Heavenly Clan treated those fierce and domineering energy ripples as if they were nothing at all.
"Chu Feng, weren't you acting all high and mighty? What happened to that big mouth of yours now?!"
"And you, you wretched woman — didn't you say you don't give a damn about our Kong Heavenly Clan? Didn't you look down on Heavenly-level bloodlines?"
"Let's see you act smug now!"
Kong Zheng swaggered up to Chu Feng and the others, gesticulating wildly, putting on full display what it truly meant to bully others while riding on someone else's authority.
"Pah." Right at that moment, Zhao Hong actually spat at Kong Zheng.
Everything happened far too suddenly, and Kong Zheng had never in his wildest dreams expected that, under these circumstances, Zhao Hong would still dare to spit at him. Caught completely off guard, the glob of saliva landed squarely on his face.
"You — you wretched woman, I'll beat you to death!" Kong Zheng flew into a towering rage. His arm swung around in a wide arc as he delivered a vicious slap aimed at Zhao Hong's cheek.
But just then, a sweeping wave of oppressive aura swept through the air. Kong Zheng let out a wail as he tumbled repeatedly through the air, blown thousands of meters away from Chu Feng and the others.
"……"
At that moment, forget about Kong Zheng — even Chu Feng and his companions wore expressions of surprise. That oppressive aura had come from behind Chu Feng. One of the Kong Heavenly Clan's own had struck.
"Have you lost your minds? Why are you hitting me instead of dealing with them?!" Kong Zheng scrambled to his feet, his fury reaching its peak as he actually lashed out verbally at his own elders.
"Kong Zheng, watch your manners." Just then, the True Immortal powerhouse had already flown out of the pool and landed back in his original position.
"Supreme Elder, it's not that I'm being disrespectful — it really is those elders bullying me! That wretched woman bullied me, and instead of helping me, they actually helped her! I just..." Kong Zheng dropped to one knee, his face twisted with grievance.
"Kong Zheng, what I meant was — you must not be rude to Young Friend Chu Feng and his companions," the Supreme Elder said.
"WHAT?!!!" Upon hearing this, Kong Zheng's entire body shuddered. His jaw dropped, and the expression on his face was as though he had been struck by lightning — utterly stunned.
What was going on? He had brought these elders here specifically to deal with Chu Feng and his group. How had it come to this, where not only were they not backing him up, but they were reprimanding him instead?
"You three young friends, my name is Kong Xunlian, Supreme Elder of the Kong Heavenly Clan."
"I am well aware that some misunderstandings arose between you and my Kong Heavenly Clan previously. On behalf of the Kong Heavenly Clan, I offer my apologies to the three of you. I humbly ask that you do not hold these grudges in your hearts." As Kong Xunlian spoke, he actually bowed to Chu Feng and his two companions.
"Supreme Elder, you... what are you doing?!" Both Kong Sheng and Kong Zheng were completely dumbfounded.
This was Kong Xunlian — a Supreme Elder of the Kong Heavenly Clan, a figure who enjoyed supreme status within the clan. Given his seniority, even the Clan Chief of the Kong Heavenly Clan had to show him a measure of respect. When had anyone ever seen this great figure bow to someone? That was simply unthinkable. And he was doing it for three juniors?
"The two of you, silence!" a voice transmission suddenly rang in the ears of Kong Sheng and Kong Zheng. It was from an elder of the Kong Heavenly Clan — the same one who had struck at Kong Zheng earlier.
"You two have been wandering outside for so long that you probably don't even know what Chu Feng and his companions have accomplished."
"You are all juniors, yet the gap between you two and those three is as vast as ten thousand miles." That voice transmission came from none other than— "Elder, we..." Kong Sheng and Kong Zheng both found themselves at a loss. They were not entirely ignorant of Chu Feng's exploits — on the contrary, they had heard plenty. But based on what Chu Feng had done previously, surely it wouldn't warrant this elder reducing them both to absolutely nothing in comparison? And surely it wouldn't warrant their supreme-status Supreme Elder bowing and apologizing to three young juniors?