Chu Feng put on a new pair of clothes with a wave of his sleeves before walking up to Xia Xingchen and pushing the Cosmos Sack to her once more, saying, âElderâ¦â
Xia Xingchen took the Cosmos Sack before stuffing it back into his arms, saying, âEnough! I said that itâs all yours. Continue prattling on, and Iâll really beat you up!â
âThank you, elder,â Chu Feng decided to accept the gift with a smile at her insistence.
However, Chu Fengâs gratitude made her face stiffen, as guilt seeped into her eyes. She could see what was happening inside the stone hall through the formation, so she was aware of the bald elderâs arrival and the torture Chu Feng suffered.
That was no light torture at all.
Chu Feng could have suffered a bit less if she wasnât so determined to grasp the complete Heavenly Dome Immortal Method, and that was why she felt conscience-stricken. However, she couldnât help but be surprised when she saw how unfazed he was.
âBrat, why do you look so unfazed?â
Xia Xingchen had used a valuable recovery treasure to heal his injuries, but someone who had just been through such intense torture should have been shaken up by the experience. Yet, Chu Feng didnât seem affected at all.
âWhy would I be fazed? Itâs all superficial injuries,â Chu Feng replied with a grin.
âYou call that superficial injuries?â Xia Xingchen was at a loss for words.
âWhat else would you call that? That baldie didnât really damage my soul as he wanted me to stay conscious throughout the torture. Itâs mostly just superficial injuries. Itâs fortunate that Iâm born with thick skin,â Chu Feng boasted.
âYou donât just have thick skin. You have a strong mind too,â Xia Xingchen said.
She was familiar with the bald elderâs means. He was not bragging when he said that he had become the Enforcement Hallâs Hall Master by the merit of his torture means. There was hardly anyone who wouldnât succumb to his torture.
While the bald elder avoided damaging the soul in his torture, the pain he inflicted reverberated in the soul. There were no lack of people who had lost their minds to his torture. His torture had bred inner demons in the hearts of many, crushing the bright future of talented prodigies.
Yet, Chu Feng was completely unfazed.
âYes, I do have a strong mind. What do you think about my performance, elder?â Chu Feng asked gleefully.
âItâs satisfactory,â Xia Xingchen replied.
âMay I ask you a question then?â Chu Feng asked.
âAre you interested to know why Iâm leaving the Heavenly Dome Immortal Sect?â Xia Xingchen asked.
âIs there more to the situation?â Chu Feng asked.
âYes, thereâs more to the situation. I can tell you if youâre interested, but youâll have to keep it a secret. I donât want anyone else to know about it. I have not shared the real reason even with my maid,â Xia Xingchen said.
âActually, I wanted to ask about something else,â Chu Feng clarified.
âWhat is it?â Xia Xingchen asked.
âAre you really enemies with Chu Xuanyan?â Chu Feng asked.
An enigmatic smile crept onto Xia Xingchenâs face when she heard the question, and she replied with a question of her own, âAre you sure you donât know Chu Xuanyan?â
âTruth be told, I do know him. Heâs my father,â Chu Feng replied.
Xia Xingchen wasnât surprised by the revelation. âI know.â
Chu Feng also wasnât surprised by Xia Xingchenâs response. âElder, it looks like you do have a way to verify my blood ties with him. Do you have something related to my father on your wrist?â
He was initially skeptical that Xia Xingchen would have a way to test his blood ties with his father, but he changed his mind upon seeing how she treated him afterward.
Xia Xingchen had exerted herself greatly to twist the key for the third time so that he could access the Immemorial Meditation Method, and it would take a long time for her to recover. There was no reason for her to go this far to help a stranger like him.
And after sacrificing herself for his sake, she advised him to leave instead of helping her to activate the cultivation formation, as they had previously agreed on. That was as good as her giving a free lunch to him!
That led Chu Feng to think that Xia Xingchen had figured out that he was Chu Xuanyuanâs son, and that prompted her to help him out. That was also why he refused to betray Xia Xingchen despite the torture he was put through.
âWhy did you refuse to admit it earlier?â Xia Xingchen asked.
âMy apologies, but I was wary of you,â Chu Feng replied.
âItâs fine. I wasnât lying when I said that your father is an enemy. I do have something from your father on my wrist, but it isnât anything good,â Xia Xingchen said as she presented her wrist to Chu Feng.
Chu Feng initially placed his hand on her wrist, but he couldnât sense anything. It was then that he remembered what Xia Xingchen had done earlier, so he conjured a dagger and cut his palm. With blood on his palm, he grabbed Xia Xingchenâs wrist once more.
Soon, he sensed something hiding inside Xia Xingchenâs wrist. It was not exactly an insect or an item, but it harnessed tremendous killing power. It appeared to be from the Ancient Era.
âMy father left this in you?â Chu Feng looked at Xia Xingchen as he asked.
âYes. Itâs a treasure from an ancient remnant. Your father planted it into my wristâs soul. This treasure is extremely hard to detect. The only ones who can sense it are me, your father, and his descendants,â Xia Xingchen said.
âElder, what grudge do you have with my father?â Chu Feng asked with a frown.
The treasure was so potent that even Xia Xingchen, despite being a rank three True God level cultivator capable of raising her cultivation by three cultivation ranks, couldnât free herself from its influence.
âWe were fighting over a treasure. He used his means; I used my means. I eventually lost and ended up like this,â Xia Xingchen remarked with a casual smile despite the deadly threat buried inside her wrist.
âWhy did you help me then?â Chu Feng asked.
âYour father planted this treasure in me to coerce me into working with him. I didnât want to, but I had no choice if I wanted to live. I ran into danger later, and he could have left me to the lurch, but he saved my life. For that, I owe him one.
âI thought that I could return the favor to you since youâre his son. Iâd call it quits after opening the stone hall for you; whether you can grasp the Immemorial Meditation Method or not is none of my business. I didnât expect you to be so loyal as to throw your life away to protect me.
âDamn it. Now I owe both your father and you a favor,â Xia Xingchen spat in annoyance.