Fortunately, even though the Ethereal Fairy's gaze was sharp, she still couldn't see through the Divine Thunder within Chu Feng's Dantian. At most, she could detect that there was a special power within his blood — but this uniqueness wouldn't make one think of Chu Feng as strange. Rather, it would make one think him powerful.
Because this was a power that ordinary people did not possess, and a power that carried absolutely no side effects. It was a power that truly belonged to Chu Feng, one that seemed capable of growing alongside him. This spoke volumes — Chu Feng's cultivation talent was extraordinary!!!
As for the Ethereal Fairy, although she had noticed that Chu Feng was different, her expression remained as calm as a gentle breeze. Without the slightest change, she asked evenly, "You are Qiu Canfeng's disciple?"
"Senior, this junior is Chu Feng, and I am indeed Master Qiu Canfeng's disciple." Chu Feng cupped his fists and bowed respectfully, answering truthfully.
"Why do you not show your true face?" The Ethereal Fairy had noticed that Chu Feng wore a mask to conceal his features, but she didn't seem to have seen through to his real appearance.
"Senior, this was my master's instruction. However, in the presence of Senior, I would not dare hide anything." As he spoke, Chu Feng removed the Hundred Faces Mask from his face, revealing his true features.
"Junior Brother Wuqing, you…" When she saw Chu Feng's real face, the Ethereal Fairy showed no reaction — but Jiang Wanshi's face was full of astonishment.
She had long known that Wuqing was not Chu Feng's real name and that he had concealed his true appearance, but this was the first time she had actually seen what he really looked like.
She had previously assumed that Chu Feng's real face wouldn't differ much from how he appeared now. But at this moment, she discovered it was entirely different from what she had imagined.
The real Chu Feng, while not devastatingly handsome by any measure, had a unique air of sharp heroism between his brows. He looked far more pleasant and comfortable than his disguised self — just from his face alone, one could tell that this person was destined for great things.
But what shocked Jiang Wanshi the most was Chu Feng's actual age. From his appearance alone, he could hardly even be called a young man — calling him a youth would be far more accurate.
For a youth to have already stepped into the Martial Lord realm — this was virtually unheard of. Jiang Wanshi couldn't help but marvel at just how powerful Chu Feng's cultivation talent truly was.
"His cultivation may not yet be at the absolute peak, but his talent is quite good. Qiu Canfeng's eye for potential is truly keen."
"My Martial Emblem Wonderland here at the Ethereal Fairy Peak will open in a few days. Would you be willing to enter it?" the Ethereal Fairy asked.
"This junior would be willing." This was a rare opportunity — how could Chu Feng possibly refuse?
"Take this. When the Martial Emblem Wonderland opens, you won't need to go through the selection process. You may enter directly. And from now on, you are free to come and go from this Ethereal Fairy Peak at any time." As she spoke, the Ethereal Fairy handed a token to Chu Feng — it was an Ethereal Fairy Token.
"Chu Feng thanks the Senior." Although Chu Feng already possessed one of these tokens, receiving one personally bestowed by the Ethereal Fairy herself was an honor.
"Wanshi, how old are you this year?" The Ethereal Fairy turned her gaze to Jiang Wanshi.
"Senior Ethereal, Wanshi has just turned twenty-two this year," Jiang Wanshi answered respectfully.
"Mm. With your aptitude, entering the Martial Emblem Wonderland in six years should not be a problem. But you'll need to work harder — don't disgrace your master's name," the Ethereal Fairy said.
"Wanshi will double her efforts."
Though Jiang Wanshi still wore a smile on her face, Chu Feng could tell that she was already feeling enormous pressure.
After all, the Ethereal Fairy had bestowed an Ethereal Fairy Token upon Chu Feng upon their very first meeting. Yet Jiang Wanshi, as Qiushui Fuyan's most accomplished disciple, had visited numerous times and still hadn't received one. This meant the Ethereal Fairy was not particularly impressed with her.
"Qiushui, I'll be leaving now. As for that child, you can explain the situation to Chu Feng." Having left those words, the Ethereal Fairy vanished on the spot, not even stepping through the palace doors.
Afterward, Qiushui Fuyan brought Jiang Wanshi into the palace hall where Chu Feng was waiting. Once she had closed the doors, she spoke to them both: "The Ethereal Fairy's temperament is simply like that, but her nature is truly good. Don't take it to heart."
As for Qiushui Fuyan's words, Chu Feng simply offered a faint smile. People were different from one another. Some appeared wonderful on the surface but harbored vicious hearts within — projecting righteousness outward while doing every manner of evil behind the scenes.
Others weren't skilled with words and gave off an impression of cold aloofness, yet possessed hearts that yearned to relieve suffering. He felt the Ethereal Fairy was precisely this kind of person, so he didn't mind at all. Instead, he asked, "Senior Qiushui, the child that Senior Ethereal just mentioned — is that Yan Ruyu?"
Hearing Chu Feng's words, Qiushui Fuyan looked momentarily surprised. Then she smiled: "You're quite perceptive. The Ethereal Fairy has already seen Yan Ruyu. Not only is Yan Ruyu in her care now, but she also spent the entire last night working to expel the demonic creature from Yan Ruyu's body. Unfortunately, the demonic creature within Yan Ruyu isn't so easily removed."
"According to the Ethereal Fairy, the demonic creature within Yan Ruyu likely originates from ancient times. It was originally formless — and it seems Yan Ruyu cultivated some kind of special technique, which allowed this formless inner demon to be reborn within her body."
"That's right. Yan Ruyu once cultivated a forbidden Mystic Art. Could it be that the demonic creature that seized her body was reborn through that?" Chu Feng asked, somewhat startled.
"That is most likely the case. Though it sounds inconceivable and utterly improbable, the Ethereal Fairy says that in ancient times, there did indeed exist such an evil demonic creature that used this method to achieve rebirth."
"However, this creature could only possess the body of the very first person to cultivate that technique. This means that from the moment Yan Ruyu first began cultivating it, she had already been marked."
"The Ethereal Fairy explained that, in principle, this demonic creature should have remained parasitizing Yan Ruyu's body all along — allowing her to grow while it silently devoured everything about her. Once the timing was ripe, it would seize her body in one decisive move, achieving complete rebirth."
"But the current situation is clearly unusual. Something must have gone wrong, forcing the demonic creature to reveal itself ahead of schedule. This is why Yan Ruyu's consciousness still persists, resulting in the struggle between her and the demonic creature for control of her body."
"And I believe the person who caused that little accident — that would be you?" Qiushui Fuyan asked.
"That would be me." Chu Feng nodded with an embarrassed expression.
"Oh, you." Seeing Chu Feng nod and admit it, Qiushui Fuyan narrowed her eyes slightly, a faint smile emerging — as though she already knew exactly what had forced the demonic creature to surface early.
But Qiushui Fuyan neither criticized him nor pointed it out. Instead, she said to Chu Feng, "Though you bear some fault, there's no need to blame yourself. Because if it weren't for you, the only thing awaiting Yan Ruyu would have been death. The sliver of hope she has now — you could say you won it for her."