After dealing with all of them, Chu Feng turned to look at Zi Xuanyuan and said with genuine remorse, "Senior Xuanyuan, I'm sorry. I, Chu Feng, arrived too late."
"Haha, Chu Feng, I didn't expect you'd make it to the Eastern Sea so quickly. And your cultivation has grown so fast — Zi Ling truly didn't misjudge you. The potential you possess is far too great. Sooner or later, you will surpass that Murong Xun. Not only can the Nine Provinces Continent not contain you — the Eastern Sea won't be able to either."
Zi Xuanyuan had always been fond of Chu Feng, and seeing him achieve what he had now made him absolutely ecstatic. He was thrilled beyond words, genuinely overjoyed for Chu Feng from the bottom of his heart.
"Senior Xuanyuan, I've heard that Zi Ling has been imprisoned. Is that true?" Chu Feng asked.
"Yes, it's true. Not just Zi Ling — her parents have been locked up as well," Zi Xuanyuan confirmed with a nod.
"What exactly happened? What went on?" Chu Feng pressed.
"It's a long story. After I returned, I learned that the Zi Family Patriarch had known about the Immortal Execution Archipelago's scheme all along. He knew from the start that the Archipelago wasn't genuinely interested in marrying Zi Ling — they only wanted the divine power bestowed upon her by the heavens."
"But for his own selfish interests, he chose to hide the truth. Even Zi Ling's parents were kept in the dark by him."
"So I pretended to submit and support the marriage between Zi Ling and Murong Xun. Once I had earned his trust, I set things in motion and ultimately forced the Zi Family Patriarch to reveal the truth. Many in the Zi family learned what was really going on, and Zi Ling's parents finally found out as well."
"When they learned the truth, Zi Ling's parents were consumed with regret. After all, they do love Zi Ling, so they tried to take her and flee — but they failed." At this, Zi Xuanyuan's face was filled with sorrow.
"Then, Senior, do you know where Zi Ling is being held?" Chu Feng asked. He didn't particularly care about Zi Ling's parents — his only concern was Zi Ling herself.
"I do. They're being held inside the Zi Family Patriarch's estate," Zi Xuanyuan replied.
"What level of cultivation does the Zi Family Patriarch possess?" Chu Feng asked.
"The Immortal Execution Archipelago has given the Zi Family countless benefits, and the Patriarch has squandered them freely for his own gain. He's benefited the most, and his cultivation is now the strongest in the entire family — a sixth-rank Martial King," Zi Xuanyuan explained.
"A sixth-rank Martial King? Does the Zi Family have any experts from the Immortal Execution Archipelago guarding it?" Chu Feng asked.
"They do. The Archipelago has always had experts stationed within the Zi Family, but they've been extremely secretive about it. None of us have ever seen them, and we don't know their level of cultivation."
"What we do know for certain is that this expert's strength is definitely above the Patriarch's. After all, the Archipelago doesn't trust the Zi Family Patriarch in the slightest," Zi Xuanyuan said.
After receiving this intelligence, Chu Feng fell into deep thought. A sixth-rank Martial King wasn't something he needed to fear — with his current cultivation, if he gave it everything he had, he could hold his own even against a sixth-rank Martial King. So the Patriarch himself didn't worry him.
But the hidden expert from the Immortal Execution Archipelago stationed at the Zi Family — that was something Chu Feng could not afford to ignore. Still, now that he was here, he wasn't about to leave empty-handed. He had to at least give it a try.
With a swift grab, Chu Feng reached out and hauled the Zi Family Patriarch's unconscious grandson from the pool of blood, slinging him over his shoulder. He then turned to Zi Xuanyuan and said, "Senior Xuanyuan, I'll have to trouble you to lead the way."
"This..." Zi Xuanyuan wasn't a fool. He could see exactly what Chu Feng intended to do here. He had been about to say something in protest, but remembering Chu Feng's stubborn nature, he ultimately held his tongue and silently took the lead.