After hearing Chunwu's words, the shock on Xiayu and Dongxue's faces deepened even further. They both turned their gazes toward Qiuzhu and asked, "Qiuzhu, is this true?"
At that moment, Qiuzhu's face carried a hint of embarrassment. She gave Chunwu a rather helpless look before speaking, "Last year, when I went out with Chunwu for training, we did indeed encounter Murong Xun." Though Qiuzhu didn't go into detail, her words effectively confirmed that the story was true.
"Whew~~~" After the confirmation, Xiayu let out a long breath of relief, then said, "This matter should stay between us. Chunwu, you must not mention it to anyone else, and Wuqing, junior brother, please help us keep this secret as well."
"Rest assured, senior sisters. Wuqing may not have many virtues, but keeping secrets is one of them," Chu Feng assured with a smile.
"Mm, it's really nothing serious. It's just that if this sort of thing gets out, it's bound to be used by people with ulterior motives. If it were to stir up conflict between the Ethereal Immortal Peak and the Immortal Execution Archipelago over this matter, the cost would far outweigh the benefit." Xiatian seemed afraid that Chu Feng might harbor any resentment, so she further explained the reason behind her request for secrecy.
Following that, accompanied by the four beauties, Chu Feng arrived at the summit of a truly magnificent mountain peak. The peak was massive, and at its center lay a vast plaza.
Quite a few people had already gathered on the plaza, for today was the day the Martial Pattern Wonderland opened. As such, all the elder-generation powerhouses who were permitted to enter the Ethereal Immortal Peak had come to witness this grand event that occurred only once every six years.
However, compared to the elder-generation experts, the younger generation was far fewer in number — not for any other reason, but because large parts of the Ethereal Immortal Peak were forbidden zones, and this particular peak was the most restricted of all. Aside from those who had obtained qualifications to enter the Martial Pattern Wonderland, no one was allowed to set foot here.
This meant that every young cultivator who appeared in this place possessed exceptional strength. The weakest among them were First-rank Martial Lords, and some of the more formidable ones had already stepped into the realm of Fourth-rank Martial Lords.
"Look — are those the four great beauties of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter?"
"Wow, so they're the Ethereal Immortal Peak's four prized disciples? Not only are they as beautiful as flowers, like celestial maidens from the heavens, but their strength is incredible as well!"
"The one wearing the green skirt — that must be Miss Qiuzhu, right? She's absolutely stunning. Truly worthy of being one of the three great beauties of the Eastern Ocean Region. Whoever manages to marry her would be blessed for three lifetimes. If he could spend just one night with her, it would be worth dying for, even if he perished the very next moment!"
"You've really got an overactive imagination. Forget about Miss Qiuzhu — even if it were Xiayu, Chunwu, or Dongxue, if I could have just one of them, I'd willingly give up everything I have and devote myself to loving and cherishing her with all my heart."
"You guys are dreaming like crazy. These four beauties aren't fish that belong in any ordinary pond. They can only be admired, never defiled."
The appearance of the four Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter beauties attracted a great deal of attention. The love of beauty was human nature, after all, and even prodigies of extraordinary status were no exception.
"Wait — who's that in the middle of the four?" But soon, someone with sharp eyes spotted Chu Feng walking alongside the four beauties, chatting and laughing with them as though they were the best of friends.
This sight instantly made many people sour with displeasure. In the blink of an eye, countless gazes filled with jealousy and resentment were directed at Chu Feng.
"That guy is called Wuqing — the only First-rank Martial Lord to receive the Ethereal Immortal Token. Don't let his rank fool you; his true strength is terrifyingly powerful," explained a young man who had attended the evening banquet that day to a scowling Second-rank Martial Lord who had earned his qualifications through the selection trials.
"He's still just a First-rank Martial Lord no matter what. That shouldn't be enough to have the four great beauties of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter revolving around him, should it?" the Second-rank Martial Lord retorted coldly, his tone laced with both sourness and irritation.
"Heh, brother, you really shouldn't say that. Do you know why the number of spots in the selection trials was suddenly increased from forty to forty-one?" the young man asked with a smile.
"Oh? Do you know?" the Second-rank Martial Lord asked with curiosity. For anyone participating in the selection, the addition of one extra spot was indeed something everyone was eager to understand.
"The day before the selection, Fairy Ethereal hosted a banquet and invited her old friends."
"My master happened to be on the guest list, so I was fortunate enough to attend that banquet as well — and this Wuqing was also present," the young man continued.
"And then what happened?" Upon learning that this Wuqing had actually attended such an exclusive banquet, the man grew visibly envious, and the look he gave the young man gained a few more degrees of respect.
"Have you heard of Master Wuya?" the young man asked in return rather than continuing his story.
"Master Wuya? Of course I've heard of him. He's a legendary elder — a genius when it comes to barrier techniques, one of the few in the Eastern Ocean Region who became a Gold-robed Spirit World Master without even having reached the Martial King realm."
"Armed with his overwhelming strength and that Dragon Rune Sword of his, he was invincible among Martial Lords. My own martial uncle was defeated by him and lost an arm."
"Though he lost an arm, my martial uncle never bore a grudge against Master Wuya, because he lost fairly and squarely. Even my own master acknowledges that Master Wuya is the number one Martial Lord in the entire Eastern Ocean Region," the man recounted proudly, as though being associated with Master Wuya in any capacity was itself an honor.
"Heh. At the banquet, Master Wuya questioned whether Wuqing was qualified to possess the Ethereal Immortal Token."
"In order to prove that he was, Wuqing challenged two of Master Wuya's disciples to a duel — the loser would forfeit their Ethereal Immortal Token. In the end, right before everyone's eyes, Wuqing, relying solely on his First-rank Martial Lord cultivation, defeated Master Wuya's two disciples one by one and stripped them of their qualifications to enter the Martial Pattern Wonderland." The young man spoke with a grave expression.
"No way? I heard that one of Master Wuya's prized disciples, Zhu Tianming, was a Third-rank Martial Lord. He received the Ethereal Immortal — wait, no... Are you saying that Zhu Tianming was also defeated by Wuqing, and that's why an extra spot opened up in the selection?" The Second-rank Martial Lord's eyes went wide with sudden realization, though his face was still etched with shock, unwilling to believe what he was hearing.
"Heh, that's not all. Wuqing's master is a reclusive expert of unknown identity, and he also has the backing of Daoist Nun Qiushui from the Yuanyang Platform."
"You might not know Daoist Nun Qiushui — she's very low-key, and few people are aware of her existence. But let me tell you plainly: Daoist Nun Qiushui is a Martial King. At the banquet that night, she nearly killed Master Wuya simply because he was giving Wuqing a hard time. In the end, it was Master Wuya who had to offer his Dragon Rune Sword as compensation and apologize to Chu Feng before he narrowly escaped with his life."
"And furthermore, she warned everyone — told every single person not to harbor any delusions about Wuqing, because his master not only kills without batting an eye, but his strength surpasses even that of Daoist Nun Qiushui." The young man continued his story.