Thus, Qiu Zhu hesitated no longer. With a mere thought, she caused the Ever-Changing Scroll to shift once more, then turned to Chu Feng and said, "Junior Brother Wuqing, Qiu Zhu's fate is now in your hands."
Chu Feng simply smiled with confidence. After scanning the scroll with his Celestial Eye, he said, "Senior Sister Qiu Zhu, please write down the six characters."
"Swish, swish." Without a moment's hesitation, Qiu Zhu moved her slender hand and traced the characters with her finger. In the blink of an eye, an elegant yet sharp script appeared on the scroll.
"Hum." The instant the six characters were completed, radiant light burst forth in every direction. A beam of light shot straight into Qiu Zhu's body. At that moment, her previously pale complexion was restored in an instant, and on her beautiful but ice-cold face, a charming smile finally surfaced.
"Qiu Zhu!"
"Senior Sister!"
"Sister, did it work?!" At the same time, Xia Yu, Chun Wu, and Dong Xue hurriedly gathered around, their faces beaming with joy.
"Yes, my Mental Power has been restored — it's exactly the same as before. This Ever-Changing Scroll is truly miraculous." Qiu Zhu nodded firmly, and the charming smile still lingered on her face. It was clear that she was genuinely delighted, overjoyed from the bottom of her heart.
"Junior Brother Wuqing, worthy of being the person Senior Qiu Shui brought here — truly someone who conceals his depths. I, Xia Yu, am deeply impressed." Seeing that Chu Feng had successfully helped Qiu Zhu, Xia Yu's attitude did a complete one-eighty. She even bowed to Chu Feng in gratitude.
"Junior Brother Wuqing, just now I was simply too worried about Junior Sister Qiu Zhu. If my words were offensive, please don't hold it against me." At the same time, Dong Xue also offered a sincere apology to Chu Feng.
"You two senior sisters are too kind. Being able to help Senior Sister Qiu Zhu is my, Chu Feng's, honor." Though Chu Feng didn't particularly like Xia Yu and Dong Xue, he could read the situation. Here at the Ethereal Immortal Peak, there was no need for him to make enemies of them.
Since they were willing to humble themselves and apologize, whether their sincerity was genuine or not, Chu Feng was magnanimous enough to let bygones be bygones and hold no grudges.
After that, Chu Feng deciphered the Ever-Changing Scroll once more. This time it was again Qiu Zhu who acted, and the result was not only success — she also once again obtained that miraculous power within the scroll that could enhance Mental Power.
"Junior Brother Wuqing, I owe this entirely to you. I truly don't know how I can thank you enough." At this point, her damaged Mental Power had not only been restored but strengthened even further. Qiu Zhu was in excellent spirits, and her attitude toward Chu Feng grew ever friendlier.
"Senior Sister Qiu Zhu is too modest. This Ever-Changing Scroll is Senior Piaomiao's treasure — I'm certain she can see through it. I was merely showing off just now. Even without me, I believe Senior Piaomiao could use this scroll to enhance your Mental Power." Chu Feng spoke with genuine humility.
"Junior Brother Wuqing, you're too humble. Master can indeed see through the Ever-Changing Scroll, but she also told us that the power within it is not something she will grant us. If we want to obtain it, we have to find our own way."
"And among our generation, only you, Junior Brother Wuqing, have been able to decipher it. That alone puts you above the rest of us. I believe that in the future, your mastery of barrier techniques will surpass ours even further." Xia Yu wore a gentle smile as she finally spoke the truth.
She had brought the Ever-Changing Scroll here today and invited several peers skilled in barrier techniques, all so she could rely on their strength to crack the scroll and reap the benefits for herself.
"Brother Wuqing, you really had us fooled. I never imagined that someone so young could have already reached this level with barrier techniques. I, Gao Xiong, truly failed to see the mountain for its height. Please accept my apologies." Just then, the man called Gao Xiong stepped forward and apologized to Chu Feng in person.
In fact, it wasn't just Gao Xiong — several other men also began trying to ingratiate themselves with Chu Feng. The Celestial Eye he had just displayed had completely won them over, and in their minds, Chu Feng had earned the right to be on friendly terms with them.
But they didn't know that in Chu Feng's heart, they would never be worthy of being his friends, because nothing disgusted him more than opportunistic sycophants who switched sides with the wind.
While everyone was exchanging pleasantries with Chu Feng, in a corner of the hall, Zhu Tianming clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. He stared at Chu Feng with a gaze of extreme malice and resentment for a long while before letting out a cold snort and turning to leave.
Afterward, Xia Yu put away the Ever-Changing Scroll. Once the Mental Power of all four sisters had been enhanced, she gave no one else the chance to benefit from it — and she certainly didn't let Chu Feng help that Young Master Li, who had been the first to touch the scroll only to have his Mental Power weakened.
It was plain to see that Xia Yu was not only deeply scheming but ruthlessly heartless as well. Everyone present had witnessed her true nature and understood that this woman was not to be trifled with. So when she put the scroll away, not a single person dared to protest. As for Young Master Li, he could only chalk it up to bad luck.
Afterward, Chu Feng had originally planned to leave and return to his quarters to rest, but Chun Wu clung to him and refused to let him go, insisting on showing him the beautiful scenery of the Ethereal Immortal Peak.
Unable to refuse her enthusiasm — and having some desire to explore the peak himself — Chu Feng began wandering through the one forbidden area after another that outsiders were prohibited from entering, accompanied by the lovely Chun Wu.
This casual stroll turned out to be an eye-opener. The more Chu Feng saw, the more astonished he became by the Ethereal Immortal Peak's true nature. Setting aside the unusual plants that couldn't be found anywhere on the outside, many of the rock faces here were carved with intricate runes and patterns.
These were the runes and patterns of grand formations — and powerful ones at that. The more closely Chu Feng observed and the deeper he studied them, the more his heart raced with awe. These runes and patterns were simply too formidable. He couldn't imagine what kind of existence had carved them.
"Egg, did you see that? Do you recognize anything on this Ethereal Immortal Peak?" Still marveling, Chu Feng couldn't help but ask Egg.
"I did. They're genuinely from ancient times, and they are indeed the patterns of a sealing formation. It seems this Ethereal Immortal Peak really is an ancient relic — and it's suppressing some very terrifying demon," Egg replied in a languid tone, as though she had just woken up.
"Really a demon?"
"Of course it's a demon, and a vicious one at that. Although I can't quite make out all the runes and patterns here, I can tell they're of an extremely destructive type. A formation carved with such patterns that can only seal it — do you think that's something simple?" Egg countered.
"So how strong do you think this demon would be if it were released?" Chu Feng asked.
"Heh, it should be able to destroy the Eastern Ocean Region without much effort," Egg said with a chuckle.
PS: Three chapters for today. On Saturday and Sunday, I'll have a small burst of updates.