"Hee hee, it's fine, it's fine. I purposely disguised myself, so of course you wouldn't recognize me. If you could recognize me, how would I ever have any fun causing trouble?" Chun Wu grinned mischievously. After putting away the token, she asked Chu Feng, "Junior Brother Wuqing, did you remember what the Martial Mark Celestial Lotus looks like?"
"Yes. If I see it, I'll definitely recognize it." Chu Feng nodded.
"Then let's not stay here any longer. I'll take you to meet my three senior sisters. I heard that my eldest senior sister brought back something really fun from Master today." As she spoke, Chun Wu reached out her delicate hand, grabbed Chu Feng's large hand, and pulled him along as they ran toward another palace hall.
"Three senior sisters? Senior Sister Chun Wu, didn't you say the Ethereal Fairy only accepted four disciples? Where did three senior sisters come from?" Chu Feng asked in confusion along the way.
"There are four disciples." Chun Wu nodded first, then seemed to suddenly realize something. She broke into a bright smile and said, "Ohhh~ I get it. You must be thinking that since our names go Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter, and I'm the eldest, I should have three junior sisters. So when I said three senior sisters, you got confused, right?"
"Mm." Chu Feng nodded.
"Let me tell you the truth — that's just a blind guess from people who don't know. Among us four sisters, Xiayu is the eldest senior sister, Dongxue is the second, Qiuzhu is the third, and I, who everyone on the outside assumes is the eldest, am actually the youngest little sister."
"I'm only twenty-two years old this year. How could I possibly pass for the eldest?" At this, Chun Wu pouted her little lips, her face full of coquettish charm — irresistibly adorable.
This formal disciple of the Ethereal Fairy had completely exceeded Chu Feng's expectations. He had always assumed that as a disciple of the Ethereal Fairy, she would be unbearably arrogant. But who would have thought that Chun Wu would be such a playful and adorable girl — calling her a "girl" rather than a "young woman" seemed more fitting. All in all, Chu Feng rather liked Chun Wu's personality.
With Chun Wu leading the way, Chu Feng arrived at a palace hall that was not particularly large but was exquisitely refined. At its center stood a jade table, and around it gathered five men and three women.
The five men cut imposing figures, each possessing remarkable strength. Among them, four were Third Level Martial Kings, and one tall, broad-shouldered man was a Fourth Level Martial King.
Compared to the five men, the three women were even more impressive — two were Fourth Level Martial Kings, and one was actually a Fifth Level Martial King. Clearly, she was the most powerful presence Chu Feng had sensed from outside the hall.
Setting aside their strength, the three women's appearances were equally striking. All could be called peerless beauties. The Fifth Level Martial King in particular, while her facial features might not surpass Chun Wu's by much, possessed a unique aura that rendered her utterly perfect. Yet it was precisely that aura that lent her an air of untouchable distance.
In terms of both strength and beauty, this woman truly surpassed the other two, including Chun Wu. So without even thinking, Chu Feng knew who she must be — undoubtedly the renowned beauty of the Eastern Sea Region, Qiuzhu.
"Senior Sister Xiayu, Senior Sister Dongxue, Senior Sister Qiuzhu — look who I brought!" Chun Wu called out with a beaming smile as she entered the hall.
However, when everyone turned to look, their faces showed varying degrees of surprise and shock. In particular, Senior Sister Xiayu hardened her expression and snapped coldly, "Xiao Wu, men and women should maintain proper distance. How can you drag someone around and shout like that? Have you no sense of propriety?"
"Oh, come on, Senior Sister Xiayu, I wasn't dragging him around." Seeing this, Chun Wu quickly let go of Chu Feng's hand, then gave an adorable smile and pointed at him, saying, "His name is Wuqing. He came with Senior Qiushui from the Mandarin Duck Platform. Master granted him the Ethereal Fairy Token, so he can enter the Martial Mark Immortal Realm with us."
"Oh?" At these words, everyone's gaze shifted once more as they reassessed Chu Feng. But when they noticed his First Level Martial King cultivation, disappointment flickered in all of their eyes.
Because Chu Feng wore the Hundred Change Mask, which could conceal even his true eyes, they could not see the three types of lightning converging in his gaze. Naturally, they had no way of knowing that his current First Level Martial King cultivation was achieved through a special ability. They all thought Chu Feng was utterly mediocre — at least nowhere near their level — and paid him no real attention.
As a result, Xiayu, Qiuzhu, and Dongxue said nothing to Chu Feng and simply turned away. The five men greeted Chun Wu warmly and eagerly, but not one of them paid Chu Feng any mind.
Chu Feng had long grown accustomed to this kind of treatment. In this world, the strong ruled supreme. In the eyes of the powerful, the weak simply did not deserve their friendship — and among geniuses, this was especially true.
So Chu Feng did not blame them. After all, it was only human nature. Had it not been for his prior interaction with Chun Wu, she herself might have regarded him with that same dismissive attitude today.
"Senior Sister Xiayu, didn't you say you had something fun? Let me see it, let me see it!" Chun Wu bounced over and playfully tugged at Xiayu's sleeve.
"You girl, always playing around. Here — this is it." Xiayu pointed toward a sheet of white paper lying on the table.
"What is this?" Chun Wu blinked her big eyes and examined it with curiosity.
"This is the Mystifying Painting — a treasure of Master's that holds tremendous benefits for Spirit World Masters."
"Today, Master gave me this painting to bring over for everyone to try out," Xiayu explained.
"Oh? What's so special about this painting?" Chun Wu continued to ask.
"So special you can't even imagine." Xiayu smiled proudly, then with a flicker of her will, she channeled a strand of Mental Power into the white paper.
*Hum—*
The moment the Mental Power entered, the white paper immediately began to transform. Patterns appeared across its surface, rapidly coalescing into a landscape painting. Along with it came a line of text: "How many waterfalls are hidden in this painting?"
"How many waterfalls? What does that mean?" Chun Wu asked.
"Waterfalls are hidden within this painting, and each one is harder to discover than the last. Only a powerful Spirit World Master can see them."
"After you look, you can write your answer on the painting with your finger. If your answer is correct, you will receive a special force that can strengthen your Mental Power. If your answer is wrong, you will also receive a special force — except this force will not strengthen your Mental Power, but rather weaken it." Xiayu explained.
"That sounds like so much fun!" Hearing Xiayu's explanation, Chun Wu bounced with excitement. Eyes wide, she began to carefully examine the painting.
At the same time, nearly everyone present crowded around to take a closer look at this so-called Mystifying Painting.