"Bang!" Just at that moment, a deafening sound erupted as someone shot to their feet, exuding a formidable aura, and pointed a finger directly at the Wuya Hall Master.
"Wuya, I don't care about hearsay, but if you dare question the Fairy again, don't blame me, Old Zhao, for getting rough with you." This was an elderly man, tall in stature, his face radiating righteous fury. After hearing the Wuya Hall Master's words, he was trembling with rage, looking as though he might lash out at any moment.
"Old Master Zhao, I know you hold the Ethereal Fairy in great respect — and so do I."
"However, what I've said is neither hearsay nor empty talk. Everything I've stated is fact. If any of you don't believe me, you may ask the Fairy's four disciples. Miss Xia Yu, wouldn't you agree?" the Wuya Hall Master said with a grin.
Hearing his words, everyone's gaze turned in unison toward Xia Yu.
Under such circumstances, Xia Yu's expression darkened. She was absolutely furious at the Wuya Hall Master's behavior, but after all, he was an elder, and in front of so many senior figures, she couldn't afford to lose her composure. Yet she had no idea how to respond.
"That's right, our master did indeed issue an Ethereal Fairy token to Junior Brother Wuqing. But don't let his status as a first-rank Martial King fool you — he absolutely possesses the qualifications to enter the Martial Emblem Immortal Realm." Just then, Chun Wu suddenly stood up, gesturing toward Wuqing beside her as she spoke.
"Is that really true?!" "How can that be?!"
"Exactly! Even second-rank Martial Kings have to go through the selection. How can a first-rank Martial King possibly receive an Ethereal Fairy token?"
The moment these words were spoken, the banquet erupted in uproar. Many expressed their surprise at this revelation, but surprise was one thing — no one dared direct their dissatisfaction toward the Ethereal Fairy. As a result, all their sharp remarks inevitably turned toward Wuqing.
"Miss Chun Wu, you say this young brother has the qualifications to enter the Martial Emblem Immortal Realm, but how can you prove it?" Sure enough, some who were unwilling to accept this began pressing the question.
After all, when it came to connections, they had their own ties with the Ethereal Fairy, and in terms of cultivation, their disciples far surpassed Chu Feng. They simply couldn't accept it — couldn't stomach the fact that Chu Feng had received an Ethereal Fairy token while their own disciples had not.
"Proof? Our master's invitation is proof enough. Are you questioning our master's judgment with that attitude of yours?" Chun Wu retorted sharply, her words brimming with an unreasonable edge.
Such an attitude might have worked on her peers, but the people she was facing now were all her seniors — people who had personal ties with her master. They naturally weren't afraid of Chun Wu.
"Miss Chun Wu makes a fair point. As the saying goes, a great teacher produces worthy disciples. Perhaps it's because young friend Wuqing's master is someone of great standing that he received such special treatment?" someone remarked with a touch of sarcasm.
"Hmph, someone of great standing? Everyone seated here has status of their own! What makes him so deserving of this treatment?!" Sure enough, someone's dissatisfaction had been provoked.
"That's right. You all say young friend Wuqing's master is impressive. Then I'd like to ask Miss Chun Wu — just who exactly is this mysterious master that the Ethereal Fairy would make such an exception for and grant him this special treatment?" the Wuya Hall Master asked with a smile.
"This..." At that moment, Chun Wu didn't know how to defend Chu Feng any further, so she could only turn her gaze toward him. In an instant, Chu Feng became the center of everyone's attention.
Facing this situation, however, Chu Feng remained perfectly composed. He stood up, surveyed the crowd, and smiled faintly. "I'm afraid I cannot disclose my Master's name. To be honest, for certain people here, they aren't even worthy of knowing my Master's name — because they simply aren't on the same level."
"However, regarding the doubts raised by you senior figures, I, Wuqing, can provide you with an answer."
"An answer? And how exactly will you give one?" the Wuya Hall Master asked with a cold sneer.
"You've spouted so much nonsense and asked so many questions — all to tell everyone that I'm not worthy of entering the Martial Emblem Immortal Realm. But let me ask you this: do you think your two disciples standing beside you right now are worthy of entering the Martial Emblem Immortal Realm?" Chu Feng countered with a smile.
"Hmph, Tianming is a third-rank Martial King and has already received an Ethereal Fairy token. Tell me, does he qualify or not?"
"As for Diguang, he is also a second-rank Martial King. With his cultivation, even without an Ethereal Fairy token, he could easily stand out in the selection process." The Wuya Hall Master said this with great confidence.
"Yes, Senior Brother Zhu Tianming is indeed remarkable, especially in his attainments with Spirit World techniques — truly impressive."
"Previously, inside the Joyous Heart Palace, we worked together with the four senior sisters — Chun Wu, Xia Yu, Dong Xue, and Qiu Zhu — to unravel one of Ethereal Senior's treasures."
"Senior Brother Zhu Tianming not only helped the senior sisters and brothers gain benefits from it, but also caused Senior Sister Qiu Zhu's Mental Power to sustain damage, nearly rendering it permanently irrecoverable. For such a feat, I, Wuqing, must express my deepest admiration — I concede I cannot compare." Chu Feng looked toward Zhu Tianming with a cold smile, ostensibly praising him but truly mocking him.
"That's right, Young Master Zhu is truly formidable — worthy of being Ethereal Senior's prized disciple, having received his brilliant teachings in the art of barrier formation."
"Had Young Brother Wuqing not stepped in and used his powerful barrier techniques to unravel Master's treasure once more and restore Senior Sister Qiu Zhu's Mental Power, then thanks to Young Master Zhu, Senior Sister Qiu Zhu's Mental Power would have been permanently damaged, and she would never have advanced another step in the art of barrier formation in her life." Seeing this, Chun Wu quickly chimed in with a half-smile, piling on and adding fuel to the fire as they together humiliated Zhu Tianming for his actions in the Joyous Heart Palace.
"You—" Upon hearing this, the Wuya Observatory Master's face instantly turned green. He never could have imagined that Chu Feng would bring this matter up. After all, his own methods in the art of barrier formation were famous throughout the Eastern Ocean. Reaching the peak of Martial King and becoming a Gold-Robed Spirit World Master — that alone demonstrated the formidable power of his barrier skills.
And today, Zhu Tianming's actions inside the Joyous Heart Palace had clearly thrown all of his reputation away.
"What? Such a thing actually happened? The Wuya Observatory Master's disciple — isn't his barrier technique supposed to be extraordinary, hailed as a barrier prodigy? How could he make such a grave error and nearly ruin Miss Qiu Zhu's future?"
"Indeed, this is simply unbelievable. I wonder whether it's true or not. If it is, doesn't that mean this fellow called Wuqing is truly remarkable? At the very least, in the art of barrier formation, he has already surpassed the Wuya Observatory Master's disciple?" Sure enough, the words exchanged between Chu Feng and Chun Wu left everyone in great shock. They exchanged bewildered glances, never having imagined that Chu Feng's attainments in the art of barrier formation could be so high.
"This matter is true. As it happens, my disciple Gao Xiong was present today and can testify to it."
"Young Friend Zhu Tianming did indeed cause Miss Qiu Zhu's Mental Power to suffer damage through his mistake. Had Young Friend Wuqing not used a secret barrier technique to save her, the consequences today would have been truly disastrous."
"After all, Miss Qiu Zhu is one of the finest geniuses of our Eastern Ocean. If anything had happened to her, it would have been a loss for the entire Eastern Ocean." At that moment, the Centipede Elder — Gao Xiong's master — surprisingly stepped forward as well, speaking in support of Chu Feng.