“Ruochu, could it be that you have ties with Master Liangqiu as well?”
“Why have you never mentioned this?” The Patriarch of the Li Heavenly Clan asked with a joyful expression.
In the entire Ancestral Martial Starfield, those skilled in the art of spirit techniques surpassing the level of the Nameless Star Meteor were exceedingly rare, and the first person he thought of was Master Liangqiu.
“Patriarch, it’s not Master Liangqiu,” Li Ruochu replied.
“Then who is it?” the Patriarch of the Li Heavenly Clan asked.
“Ruochu, come on, tell us!” Li Taiyi, an elder, urged anxiously.
“Elder Taiyi, you know this person too. You’ve even had some interactions,” Li Ruochu said meaningfully, looking at Li Taiyi.
“Oh?” At her words, the Patriarch, Li Zhankuang, and others turned their attention to Li Taiyi.
Li Taiyi’s expression shifted as he pondered, trying to recall which prominent figure he knew who possessed such exceptional spirit techniques—someone comparable to or even surpassing the Nameless Star Meteor.
But no matter how hard he thought, he couldn’t come up with anyone.
Though Li Taiyi, as a Supreme Elder of the Li Heavenly Clan, had some reputation in the Ancestral Martial Starfield, he was still insignificant compared to the starfield’s true powerhouses. Any interactions with such figures were fleeting, never amounting to real connections.
“Ruochu, stop keeping us in suspense. Who is it?” Li Taiyi asked.
“Chu Feng,” Li Ruochu said.
“What?”
Her words struck like a thunderbolt, shocking everyone in the Li Heavenly Clan.
“Ruochu, say that again?” someone asked.
“Chu Feng, of the Chu Heavenly Clan. Chu Xuanyuan’s son, Chu Feng.”
*Whoa—*
Li Ruochu’s confirmation sent shockwaves through the crowd. Everyone’s faces were filled with astonishment, their emotions too turbulent to calm.
At first, they thought they’d misheard, but now that Li Ruochu had clarified, there was no room for doubt.
“Ruochu, our clan is in crisis, and you’re joking?” Li Taiyi asked coldly.
“To break this formation, we need thorough preparations. Chu Feng is observing the outer situation. I’ll go see how much longer he needs.”
Li Ruochu turned to leave, but at that moment, a voice rang out:
“No need.”
It was Chu Feng. He appeared before the crowd.
“It’s really him?”
Seeing Chu Feng, the Li Heavenly Clan’s emotions grew even more complex.
Due to the Upper Realm Gate incident, relations between the Li and Chu Heavenly Clans had become strained. When the younger generation of the Li Clan challenged the Chu Clan, they were thoroughly defeated, further souring ties.
And the one who had defeated them, both at the Upper Realm Gate and later when the Chu Clan repelled the Li Clan’s youths, was none other than Chu Feng.
“Insolent Chu Feng, you dare show your face in our clan? You’re courting death!”
Suddenly, a surge of killing intent barreled toward Chu Feng.
It was Li Taiyi. His hatred for Chu Feng ran deep, and seeing him in their clan, how could he hold back?
“Taiyi, what are you doing? Chu Feng is a guest brought by Ruochu. Attacking him—where does that leave Ruochu?” Li Zhankuang demanded before Li Taiyi could act.
“A guest? Lord Zhankuang, others may be guests, but Chu Feng is definitely not. We must—” Li Taiyi began.
“Silence!” A furious shout cut him off.
It was the Patriarch of the Li Heavenly Clan.
“Even in war, envoys aren’t slain. Our clan and the Chu Heavenly Clan aren’t even enemies. What are you doing? Trying to disgrace the Li Heavenly Clan?”
Li Taiyi lowered his head, not because he lacked arguments, but because he didn’t dare defy the Patriarch.
Li Ruochu spoke up, “Elder Taiyi, are you seeking personal revenge? After all, back at the Wuma Heavenly Clan’s ruins, ahem…”
She trailed off, but her words made Li Taiyi’s face darken. That incident was a humiliating stain on his honor.
“Li Ruochu, do you not understand what the Li Ancestral Formation means to our clan? This isn’t just the place where you grew up—it’s the foundation of our ancestors for generations. In such a crisis, you bring *him* here? What are you doing? Betraying the clan?” Li Taiyi accused.
“Elder Taiyi, don’t throw around terms like ‘betrayal.’ Also, let me remind you—have you forgotten what happened at those ruins? The warnings those two gave you—have you forgotten them too?” Li Ruochu asked.
“You…” Li Taiyi’s expression grew strange.
Forget? How could he forget?
He still remembered the terrifying auras of those two women.
But he had doubts. If those women were truly close to Chu Feng, why hadn’t they killed him outright instead of leaving him as a loose end?
His doubts fueled his hatred for Chu Feng.
Yet, he was also afraid, which was why he had released his killing intent but hadn’t acted directly.
“It seems the Li Heavenly Clan doesn’t welcome me. Sister Ruochu, since that’s the case, I’ll take my leave,” Chu Feng said, preparing to depart.
“Chu Feng!” Li Ruochu panicked, grabbing his wrist, terrified he’d actually leave.
“I’ll stay if one condition is met: this man kneels and apologizes to me,” Chu Feng said, pointing at Li Taiyi.
“What did he just say? Did I hear that right?”
The Li Heavenly Clan members were stunned, even Li Ruochu.
Li Taiyi was a Supreme Elder of the clan. To demand he kneel to a junior over a verbal dispute was unthinkable.
“Chu Feng, if I heard correctly, you’re asking him to kneel and apologize?” Li Zhankuang asked, frowning, clearly displeased.
Li Taiyi’s status represented the Li Heavenly Clan’s supreme honor. For him to kneel to Chu Feng wasn’t just humiliating him—it was humiliating the entire clan.
Chu Feng could sense the displeasure on their faces, but he didn’t care. He said firmly, “Exactly.”
“You…”
The Li Heavenly Clan members, young and old, grew furious. They glared at Chu Feng with anger, but also found his demand laughably outrageous.
“Hahaha…”
Suddenly, laughter broke out. It was Li Taiyi.
His face showed no trace of anger, only a mocking smile, as if looking at a fool. “Chu Feng, asking me to apologize is one thing, but to kneel? I’d like to know—on what grounds?”
“On what grounds?”
“On this.”
*Boom—*
A dazzling aura erupted from Chu Feng, shooting into the sky.
“What is that?”
Everyone in the Li Heavenly Clan, from the younger generation to the elders, including the Patriarch and even the hostile Li Taiyi, felt their hearts tremble, their expressions shifting dramatically.
They could all sense it: what Chu Feng had unleashed was spirit power—and an extraordinarily powerful one.
“This power… could it be… Saint-level spirit power?”
An elder spoke, his voice trembling.
“What? Saint-level spirit power?”
At those words, the younger generation of the Li Heavenly Clan gaped, their eyes filled with shock, confusion, and disbelief.
If this was truly Saint-level spirit power, didn’t that mean Chu Feng was now… a Saint-cloak World Spiritist?
But to become a Saint-cloak World Spiritist at such a young age—how was that possible?
In the history of the Ancestral Martial Starfield, such a thing had never happened.
