“Sigh, alright.” Seeing Chu Lingxi’s firm resolve, Chu Feng didn’t press further.
Everyone has their own choices, and Chu Feng respected hers.
“Chu Feng, have you mastered the Fire Qilin Curse my mother gave you?” Chu Lingxi asked.
“Not yet,” Chu Feng replied.
“Instead of wasting time here, you should focus on mastering that Fire Qilin Curse.”
Chu Lingxi spoke with not just concern but also a hint of frustration, like she was disappointed in him.
“I’ll master it,” Chu Feng said with a cheeky grin.
“But it doesn’t matter now, since… your duel with Linghu Hongfei has been canceled,” Chu Lingxi added.
“Canceled?” Chu Feng was surprised and quickly asked, “Lingxi, what happened?”
“I don’t know the details. Master Liangqiu got the news. If you’re curious, ask them,” Chu Lingxi said, flying out of the hall.
Chu Feng followed her to the palace where Master Liangqiu, Gu Mingyuan, and the others were staying.
“Chu Feng, why… why do you look so weak?”
Master Liangqiu and Gu Mingyuan were instantly alarmed upon seeing Chu Feng’s frail state.
They hadn’t seen him since he began fusing with the Heavenly Divine Body and were unaware of his condition.
Seeing him so weakened, they were naturally worried.
“No need to worry. He did this to himself, paying the price for chasing Heavenly Divine Power,” Chu Lingxi said first, her face unhappy, her tone carrying a trace of resentment.
Convinced that Old Man Ox-Nose was a fraud, she genuinely didn’t want Chu Feng to continue.
But his persistence upset her.
“Chu Feng, why not give it up? I’ve known that Ox-Nose longer than you, and he’s truly unreliable,” Master Liangqiu said, his face full of concern.
“Chu Feng, Master Liangqiu wouldn’t lie to you. That Ox-Nose has long been infamous. In the entire Ancestral Martial Starfield, probably no one but you would trust him,” Gu Mingyuan added, equally pained.
Chu Feng didn’t respond directly, just smiling.
His smile gave Master Liangqiu and Gu Mingyuan their answer.
He was determined to continue.
Seeing this, they didn’t press further, not wanting to put him in a difficult spot.
“Master Liangqiu, I heard Linghu Hongfei canceled our duel. What’s going on?” Chu Feng asked.
“I don’t know the specifics. Chengfeng sent word that Linghu Hongfei called it off.”
“Likely, the Linghu Heavenly Clan’s conflict with the Starfield Master Realm has run into trouble.”
“After all, they’re facing the Wuming Clan, who’ve dominated the Ancestral Martial Starfield for years,” Master Liangqiu said.
“Is that so?” Chu Feng found this explanation reasonable.
“But this is a good thing. You can focus on cultivating here for a while, since you trust that Ox-Nose guy,” Master Liangqiu said with a faint smile.
“This isn’t something he can just cancel. Even if the duel’s off, what he did to Lingxi can’t be erased. Sooner or later, I’ll settle that score,” Chu Feng said.
“Let me handle my own matters. I’ll defeat him myself,” Chu Lingxi insisted.
“Then I’ll defeat him after you do,” Chu Feng said.
“If I defeat him, I’ll kill him outright. You won’t get the chance,” Chu Lingxi countered.
“That’s fine, as long as the grudge is settled,” Chu Feng said with a light smile.
“Chu Feng, I’m taking Lingxi back to the Wanzhou Ancient Clan,” Gu Mingyuan said.
“I’m heading back too,” Chu Xuanzhengfa added soon after.
“Alright,” Chu Feng nodded, not asking further.
He suspected they might not have urgent matters but simply didn’t want to stay, given their dislike for Old Man Ox-Nose.
In truth, Chu Feng didn’t want them to linger either, so this suited him.
“Chu Feng, before I go, there’s something I’d like to discuss privately,” Gu Mingyuan said suddenly.
“Sure,” Chu Feng agreed promptly.
Gu Mingyuan led him to a quiet place, just the two of them.
“Chu Feng, I know you’re stubborn, but I still want to persuade you.”
“If, after seventy-nine days…” Gu Mingyuan began, but Chu Feng cut in:
“Senior, if you’re trying to convince me to abandon saving Senior Zhu, please don’t.”
“Chu Feng, I just don’t want you to throw your life away. If even Senior Zhu couldn’t return safely from the Mirror Heart Land, what makes you think you can save him?” Gu Mingyuan asked.
“Senior, we live to do what we believe is right. Otherwise, it’s a life worse than death.”
“If I abandon Senior Zhu, I’d never find peace for the rest of my life.”
“So, please don’t persuade me. Let me persuade you instead,” Chu Feng said.
“Persuade me?” Gu Mingyuan was taken aback, unsure what Chu Feng meant.
“If I’m not mistaken, you have feelings for Senior Chu Xuanzhengfa, don’t you?”
“Don’t deny it, Senior. I saw it—the emotion in your eyes for him,” Chu Feng said.
“Leave grown-up matters alone,” Gu Mingyuan replied.
“Senior, you clearly like him. Why treat him so coldly?” Chu Feng pressed.
“Chu Feng, love exists in this world, but so does reality.”
“Since I was young, I wanted a powerful martial cultivator to protect me.”
“So, I set a goal: my husband must be stronger than me, or I’d rather stay unmarried.”
“I know Lingxi told you about me and Chu Xuanzhengfa.”
“I won’t hide it. Back in that ancient formation, it was just the two of us.”
“To escape, I tried breaking out multiple times, and he saved me each time, nearly dying for me on several occasions.”
“Honestly, in those special circumstances, I did fall for him.”
“I even considered marrying him.”
“That’s how Lingxi came to be.”
“But once we left the formation and returned to the Ancestral Martial Starfield, back to normal life, I realized I couldn’t accept him.”
“In this brutal martial cultivation world, strength means authority.”
“So, I couldn’t accept a man weaker than me,” Gu Mingyuan said.
