“I thought this was a fated bond, but you turned out to be such a scoundrel. What a disappointment,” Chu Feng said to Ma Liang.
“Damn it, who do you think you are, ruining my plans? You’re asking for death!”
Ma Liang, not even bothering to dress, lunged at Chu Feng.
He was fast, reaching Chu Feng in the blink of an eye.
Raising his fist, he aimed straight for Chu Feng’s dantian.
He intended to cripple Chu Feng’s cultivation.
But Chu Feng didn’t dodge or flinch, letting the attack come.
Seeing this, Song Ge, who had held a sliver of hope, felt her heart sink.
Though her combat strength was compromised, her observation skills remained sharp.
She saw Ma Liang’s attack clearly, yet Chu Feng showed no reaction.
To her, Chu Feng’s strength seemed too weak to defeat Ma Liang, let alone save her.
Bang—
A muffled thud rang out. Ma Liang’s fist landed squarely, but Chu Feng was unscathed. Instead, Ma Liang clutched his fist, staggering back several steps, grimacing and letting out pained cries.
Song Ge was initially confused by Ma Liang’s reaction.
Then she looked closely and saw his fist was bloodied, flesh torn open, while Chu Feng stood unmoved.
“This…”
Song Ge began to scrutinize the unremarkable-looking man beside her, her eyes filled with utter shock.
Though she had seen him as a faint hope for rescue, she hadn’t held much expectation.
Especially just moments ago, she had abandoned even that slim hope.
Because she had no expectations, this outcome left her stunned.
“You… who are you?”
Ma Liang, now calmer, stared at Chu Feng with a grave expression.
Chu Feng moved in a flash, appearing before Ma Liang. Grabbing his head, he forced him to kneel.
Chu Feng didn’t answer his question, instead saying coldly, “Do you know the price of extracting a secret technique?”
“Sir, I was wrong, I was wrong!”
“Sir, please give me a chance. I’m a disciple of Yunyao Cave Heaven, and my master is Grand Elder Zhang Tao.”
“If you spare my life, whatever you want, my master can provide. A mere secret technique? My master has plenty.”
Ma Liang was terrified, knowing that forcibly extracting a secret technique would cost him his soul.
“Hmph.”
Chu Feng let out a cold snort at Ma Liang’s offer.
Then, a surge of power erupted from Chu Feng’s palm, and Ma Liang’s body began to tremble violently.
His face twisted in agony, but he couldn’t utter a word, not even a scream.
The ordeal lasted only a moment before Ma Liang collapsed with a thud.
He was dead, a lifeless corpse.
In Chu Feng’s hand was a glowing orb—the secret technique just extracted.
Song Ge stood frozen, her face etched with fear.
She hadn’t expected Chu Feng to kill Ma Liang so decisively.
It was too swift.
“Don’t be afraid, miss. This guy had to die.”
“If I didn’t kill him, who knows how many more he’d harm.”
Seeing Song Ge’s fright, Chu Feng quickly reassured her.
“Thank you, Senior, for saving me.”
Snapping out of her shock, Song Ge knelt before Chu Feng, offering a deep bow of gratitude.
Though she didn’t know Chu Feng or his identity, his words led her to guess he had killed Ma Liang to save her, filling her with gratitude.
Swish—
Suddenly, Chu Feng flicked his finger, and the secret technique shot into Song Ge’s body.
She froze, feeling the technique merge with her, granting her its power.
“Senior, you…”
Song Ge was baffled. Chu Feng had already done her a great favor by saving her.
Yet he gave her the secret technique too? It overwhelmed her with gratitude but also confusion.
Why would he give such a treasure to a stranger?
“It’s useless to me but useful to you. Can’t let it go to waste,” Chu Feng said to Song Ge.
His simple words dispelled her confusion.
Indeed, the secret technique was valuable to her, but to a true master, it was insignificant.
She had been too narrow-minded.
“Your great kindness, Song Ge will never forget.”
She knelt again to offer another deep bow.
But before she could, Chu Feng grabbed her arm, helping her up.
“You’re injured. Take this pill.”
Chu Feng handed her a medicinal pill.
Song Ge looked at it without hesitation and swallowed it.
She wasn’t without caution, especially after what happened with Ma Liang, making her wary of the pill’s safety.
But considering Chu Feng’s actions and strength, she chose to trust him.
As the pill took effect, her severe injuries began to heal rapidly.
As a martial cultivator, injuries were common, and such wounds typically required pills and healing arrays to ease, but full recovery took time.
Yet now, a single pill restored her completely, leaving Song Ge in awe of Chu Feng.
“Senior, this pill is incredible, practically a divine elixir,” she said with admiration.
“No more ‘Senior.’ I’m younger than you,” Chu Feng said with a smile.
“Senior, you’re younger than me?”
“But you…”
Song Ge was astonished.
At Chongxu Temple, she was considered a genius.
From disciples to elders, she had grown up surrounded by praise.
So, meeting someone of Chu Feng’s caliber, she assumed he was a senior expert, far older than her.
But now he said he was younger, which shocked her.
This meant she had met a genius far surpassing her.
And not just by a small margin.
Could it be that the person before her was a peerless prodigy?
