"I underestimated this one."
"Brother, stay back. With me here… she can't hurt you."
Duan Liufeng snorted coldly, then prepared to strike once more.
The posture made it clear — he intended to teach the head of the Wolong a harsh lesson.
"Stop!!!"
But at that moment, an angry shout rang out.
Looking toward the source, the Wolong head, who had been displaying such a fierce demeanor, immediately shrank into a look of grievance.
Because the one who had spoken was the Sect Master.
The Sect Master was awake, and from her condition, she appeared to be doing quite well.
However… she still bore the appearance of an old woman, having yet to recover her former youthful beauty.
"Master, Elder Duan has been bullying this disciple."
Seeing that the Sect Master was unharmed, the Wolong head quickly ran to her side, trying to play the victim first.
"In front of me, you still want to put on an act?"
Yet when the Sect Master looked at the Wolong head, her gaze was filled with piercing severity.
"Master, this disciple knows her wrongs."
Upon seeing that look, the Wolong head was thoroughly frightened. The defiant young woman immediately dropped to her knees before the Sect Master.
"Sect Master, you're alright."
At that moment, Duan Liufeng and Chu Feng also approached the Sect Master.
Seeing her in good condition, they were both quite relieved.
As for the matter of the Wolong head — with the Sect Master present, they naturally had nothing to worry about.
"My body is fine. No need to worry."
"Chu Feng, what exactly happened just now? Tell me everything in detail."
The Sect Master turned to Chu Feng.
And so Chu Feng recounted the entire sequence of events to the Sect Master in full.
"Wen Xue, tell me the truth. What exactly was it that you planted inside Chu Feng's body?"
"Don't try to hide it from me. If you do, I'll lock you up again."
The Sect Master fixed her gaze on the Wolong head.
Although her eyes rested only upon the Wolong head, even Chu Feng and Duan Liufeng standing nearby could feel the crushing weight of that stare.
"Master, it was this disciple's life spirit."
"I was afraid that if Chu Feng knew it was my life spirit, he would refuse to return it, so I didn't tell him directly."
The Wolong head replied.
"Your life spirit was inside Chu Feng, and you didn't think to tell me?"
The Sect Master asked.
"This disciple… didn't want Master to know what I had done to Chu Feng."
The Wolong head said.
"So you do know that what you did was wrong?"
The Sect Master asked.
"Master, that was before I met you."
"This disciple has already changed her ways. She will commit no more evil."
The Wolong head hurried to explain.
"Wrongdoings must be paid for."
"That life spirit is now inside Chu Feng's body. Whether it should be returned to you or not — that is for Chu Feng to decide."
The Sect Master said this, then turned to look at Chu Feng.
"Chu Feng, whether you return it is up to you."
These words were spoken openly before everyone. But immediately after, a secret voice transmission reached Chu Feng's ears.
"Chu Feng, her life spirit is in your possession. If you die, her life will not be spared either."
"As long as you hold on to her life spirit, she has no way to take it by force. Her attack just now was simply an attempt to catch you off guard."
Chu Feng understood the Sect Master's meaning — she did not want him to return the life spirit.
"Sect Master, wouldn't it be better if I handed her life spirit over to you?"
Chu Feng also replied via secret voice transmission.
"That won't do. You know her origins — she is far from simple."
"She can sense where her life spirit is. If you give it to me, she'll keep pestering me for it."
"It would be better to keep it with you."
The Sect Master replied through secret voice transmission.