"Right now, I truly cannot rival
Hearing this,
This woman was too powerful. So powerful that she was unfathomable, impossible to read.
"Rest assured, your friends will be fine. There are five people who came to the Eastern Sea this time, myself included. Besides me, the other four are named Jiang Qisha,
"Within the Cursed Earth Gate, there are seven disciples who are particularly special. They were personally handpicked by the sect master after searching far and wide across the land—seven prodigies known as the Seven Sons of the Cursed Earth."
"The Seven Sons of the Cursed Earth are the sect master's direct disciples, holding the highest status. In the entire Cursed Earth Gate, all disciples—regardless of how strong or how old they are—must kneel and bow when they see these seven. Even the elders treat them with the utmost respect and dare not offend them."
"Because everyone knows that the future sect master of the Cursed Earth Gate will be chosen from among these seven. Even if one does not become sect master, they can still become a law-enforcement elder wielding great authority. From the day they entered the Cursed Earth Gate, their futures were already destined to be boundless—they would become the future rulers of the sect."
"And Jiang Qisha, Wu Kunlun, Zhao Yuetian, and Kuang Bainian are four of the Seven Sons of the Cursed Earth. So you should understand just how important Kuang Bainian's life is to the Cursed Earth Gate, shouldn't you?" Tantai Xue asked with a smile.
At that moment, Chu Feng felt a slight shock. He knew that Jiang Qisha and the others hailed from the Cursed Earth Gate, but he had never imagined they held such high status within it. No wonder they were so arrogant, so dismissive of everyone else, and yet possessed such extraordinary combat prowess.
Because they were the elite of the elite—the cream of the crop among geniuses—true dragons among men.
"In truth, setting aside their sect status, Kuang Bainian's life is equally important to Jiang Qisha and the others, because the four of them grew up together since childhood. They are as close as brothers, bound by deep affection."
"In the eyes of Jiang Qisha and his group, the lives of everyone in the entire Eastern Sea probably don't matter as much as Kuang Bainian's alone. So if I use Kuang Bainian to threaten Jiang Qisha, he absolutely won't act recklessly."
"As for those from the
"Thank you." Chu Feng cupped his fists and bowed deeply to Tantai Xue. Because right now, the greatest worry weighing on his mind—his deepest concern—was indeed the safety of Zi Ling and the rest. But after hearing Tantai Xue's words, that worry had genuinely eased quite a bit.
He felt that Tantai Xue would not lie to him, and he could also tell that Jiang Qisha was merely using
Especially now that his junior brother was being held hostage, Jiang Qisha would be even less likely to harm Zi Ling and the rest. Just as Tantai Xue had said, Zi Ling and the others were at least safe for the time being.
But after expressing his thanks, Chu Feng asked another question: "May I ask—what kind of power is the Cursed Earth Gate within the Martial Domain?"
Chu Feng felt that a grudge between himself and the Cursed Earth Gate was inevitable. Not for any other reason, but simply because Jiang Qisha and the others came from the Cursed Earth Gate—that alone destined him to stand on opposing sides with the sect. So he needed to familiarize himself with the Cursed Earth Gate's strength.
"A sect guarded by Martial Emperors—what kind of power do you suppose that is?" Tantai Xue replied with a faint smile.
"What? Martial Emperors?!" The moment those words reached his ears, Chu Feng's nerves instantly tensed.
Martial Emperors—whether on the Eastern Continent or in the Eastern Sea, they were beings of legend.
On the Eastern Continent and in the Eastern Sea, tales of Martial Emperors were countless, yet every single one of them existed only in myth. In these seas and on this land, the shadow of a Martial Emperor had long since vanished. They were a legend, a boundary, a height that no cultivator of the present age could hope to reach.
To the people of the Eastern Sea, Martial Emperors were nothing short of gods.
To think that godlike figures actually existed in the Martial Continent — that was naturally shocking.
"Martial Emperors? Of course they exist. But even on the Martial Continent, Martial Emperor powerhouses are not plentiful. And any sect that has a Martial Emperor standing guard is renowned as a major power across the entire Martial Continent."
"Now you should understand what kind of force the Cursed Soil Gate is, shouldn't you?" Tantai Xue smiled faintly, then added, "Chu Feng, I know what you're thinking. You're definitely planning to take revenge on the Cursed Soil Gate someday, aren't you?"
Hearing this, Chu Feng's brow furrowed slightly. He had indeed been thinking exactly that, but he hadn't expected Tantai Xue to see right through him. He increasingly felt that this woman was terrifying — there seemed to be nothing he could hide from her.
"I've heard of your exploits and know you're someone who always settles scores."
"But don't say I didn't warn you. The Cursed Soil Gate is no Immortal Execution Archipelago, and the Martial Continent is no Eastern Sea. You could run amok in the Eastern Sea all you wanted, but if you plan to stir up trouble on the Martial Continent, you'd better weigh just how much you're truly capable of."
"Perhaps in the Eastern Sea, you're the most dazzling rising star, but on the Martial Continent, fellows like you are a dime a dozen."
"Still, most of those who dare to act arrogantly and do as they please, relying on nothing more than a bit of talent and a bit of nerve, tend not to meet a pleasant end." Tantai Xue said with a cold smile, her words carrying a distinct edge of mockery.
"Thank you for your kind warning. I'll keep it in mind." Chu Feng clasped his fists toward her. Although Tantai Xue's tone was far from pleasant, he could tell it was a well-meaning piece of advice, so rather than taking offense, he asked with a hint of gratitude, "When do you plan to make your move against Jiang Qisha and the others?"
"Oh? You want to help me?"
"No need. With your current cultivation, you'd be of no help whatsoever. But if you'd like to watch the show, you're welcome to come."
"Keep this on you. I'll come find you when the time comes." As she spoke, Tantai Xue handed Chu Feng an exquisite jade pendant.
Chu Feng knew this jade pendant was a positioning talisman. It should bear Tantai Xue's imprint, and as long as he kept it on his person, she would be able to locate him.
"Then I'll be awaiting your word." After tucking the jade pendant away, Chu Feng said to Tantai Xue.
In truth, he still had many questions he wanted to ask Tantai Xue. But for one, he and Tantai Xue were not close; for another, the situation was dire and this was hardly the place for idle conversation. It also seemed Tantai Xue had no intention of traveling with them, so Chu Feng curbed his curiosity, asked nothing more, and chose to leave as quickly as possible.