“Replying to Senior Brother, my sister and I once went to the Great Thousand Upper Realm to assist the Nine Profound Sect in breaking a formation, and there we met an opponent—that person was Chu Feng.”
“At the time, we didn’t know he was from the Chu Heavenly Clan,” Liangqiu Hongyue explained.
Hearing her speak so earnestly, even the skeptics had to believe her, and all eyes turned to Chu Feng, realising… this brash junior might actually have the chops to back up his confidence.
But while the elders looked at him with newfound respect, the juniors felt a bitter twist in their guts.
They might revere a powerful peer, but status mattered too.
Liangqiu Hongyue and Lanyue were true disciples of Master Liangqiu.
Wuma Shengjie, though from humble roots, was the child of prophecy.
But Chu Feng? A mere junior from the Chu Heavenly Clan—a lineage they scorned from the depths of their hearts.
It was like a group of noble heirs eyeing a talented commoner—his skill might shame them, but they still had the privilege to sneer at his lowly birth.
Instinctively, they despised him, resented him, envied him, and hoped he’d fail.
“So that’s what happened,” Liangqiu Chengfeng nodded, knowing Liangqiu Hongyue well. She was proud, and for her to admit a past defeat publicly meant she’d been pushed to a breaking point.
The one who’d driven her there was, of course, Wuma Shengjie.
Liangqiu Chengfeng had brought the sisters here, so he knew everything that had transpired since their arrival.
The sisters had initially tried to bond with Wuma Shengjie, but her aloofness rubbed them wrong—especially Hongyue, who likely harboured a grudge.
Over time, friction sparked between them, yet Wuma Shengjie wasn’t one to back down, and the sisters came up short in every clash.
After repeated setbacks, they’d marked her as a rival, so even if they couldn’t beat her, they’d rather lift Chu Feng than let her win.
“Young friend Chu Feng, could I trouble you to help us break this array?” Liangqiu Chengfeng’s voice reached out to Chu Feng.
“This must be Senior Liangqiu Chengfeng?” Chu Feng asked.
“Indeed, it’s me,” Liangqiu Chengfeng replied.
“It’s an honour for this junior to aid Senior in breaking the array, and I’d never shirk the effort.”
“But beyond this array lies an ancient ruin, which I’m quite intrigued by.”
“If I lend a hand, might Senior discuss with the Wuma Clan Leader to let me and my Clan Leader share a piece of the spoils?” Chu Feng said, clasping his fists.
“What? He’s bargaining?”
“Share the spoils? Who does he think he is?”
Chu Feng’s words sparked instant discontent, the juniors muttering complaints, and though the elders didn’t stoop to their level, they scoffed, casting disdainful looks his way.
The Wuma Clan Leader stayed silent. Initially, seeing the Chu Clan Leader, he’d considered asking for help, which would naturally mean sharing the spoils.
But learning Chu Feng’s identity changed his mind.
Wuma Shengjie was the Wuma Clan’s hope, and he didn’t want Chu Xuanyuan’s son stealing her spotlight on their turf.
As the Wuma Clan Leader, he’d rather avoid that scenario.
“Truth be told, young friend Chu Feng’s request isn’t unreasonable, but alas, I’m just a guest here with no authority to decide, so I’ll need to consult the Wuma Clan Leader,” Liangqiu Chengfeng said, then turned to him.
The Wuma Clan Leader felt cornered—Liangqiu Chengfeng’s stance was clear, what could he do?
So, right after those words, he spoke up, “Young friend Chu Feng, I can agree to your request, but… if you can’t break the formation, what then?”
His tone carried a light chuckle, phrased casually like a jest, avoiding any hint of hostility.
Yet in truth, he was testing Chu Feng.
The implication was clear: break it, and you join us in the ruin; fail, and you’re out—back where you came from.
To this, Chu Feng smiled faintly, “Senior, you’re the one asking for my help now, if I break it, great, if not, then it stays unbroken—what more do you want? After all, none of the seniors here have cracked it either, right?”
“This…”
“Shameless!”
Chu Feng’s retort drew hushed curses from the juniors, while even the big shots in the array core grimaced helplessly.
They hadn’t expected such a response.
Normally, no junior would dare speak to an elder like that.
But Chu Feng wasn’t normal—bold and thick-skinned, he dared to strong-arm Liangqiu Chengfeng and the Wuma Clan Leader.
Strong-arm? Absolutely—he was leveraging a mere chance to try for a share of the ancient ruin’s treasures.
What else could you call it?
“Lord Liangqiu Chengfeng, this kid’s clueless about his place, I say we kick him out now,” someone in the core spoke up—the same one who’d opposed the Chu Clan Leader joining and argued with Li Ruochu.
“If he doesn’t try, can you break it?” Liangqiu Chengfeng shot back.
“Even if he tries, he might not succeed, and besides, isn’t young friend Wuma Shengjie capable too?” the man argued.
“Exactly, no need to hand out such precious spots for a gamble, this is a rare ancient ruin,” others chimed in soon after.
They all balked at Chu Feng and the Chu Clan Leader sharing the spoils.
“Young friend Wuma Shengjie’s control does surpass my two junior sisters, but at her pace, breaking this array would take a year—are you willing to wait?” Liangqiu Chengfeng said.
That gave them pause—a year was indeed long.
But then again, to cultivators, a year was trivial, especially compared to rare treasures.
They opened their mouths to say they could wait.
Before they could, Liangqiu Chengfeng cut in, “You might wait, but I won’t.”
“This…” Their words died in their throats.
What more was there to say?
Liangqiu Chengfeng’s resolve was ironclad, and as a key figure in breaking the array—a Saint-cloak Spirit Formationist—they couldn’t do without him.
No matter how unwilling, they had to yield.
“It’s your call here, we’re just suggesting, since you’ve decided, let him try,” they said, forcing smiles despite their bitter resignation.
That’s the fate of the less puissant—even with their own status, their words carried no weight here, bending to Liangqiu Chengfeng’s will.
No choice—who could rival a Saint-cloak Spirit Formationist, the linchpin of this endeavour?
