Meanwhile, inside the other formation gate.
Yin Daifen, Fu Feiyue, and Yu Yin found themselves in yet another world.
This one was also a desert of yellow sand, and they too had just endured the same lightning punishment that Yu Hong, Bao Yue, and Kui Wu Di had suffered.
However, unlike Yu Hong’s group, to whom Chu Feng had at least granted formations that eased most of the pain, Yin Daifen’s trio had no such luck.
They had taken the full brunt of the lightning strikes with their bare bodies.
Fortunately, the punishment lasted only a short while.
Still, once the lightning dispersed, all three were panting heavily. It was clear the ordeal had cost them dearly.
Yin Daifen and Fu Feiyue managed to save face; the moment the lightning stopped, they immediately sat upright.
Yu Yin, on the other hand, could not even be bothered to get up. He lay sprawled on the ground, hurriedly swallowing medicinal pellets to recover.
Swish.
Suddenly, a figure materialised out of thin air. It was the old man.
The moment they saw him, a trace of joy appeared on their pale faces. Even Yu Yin scrambled to his feet and bowed respectfully.
They all believed they had just passed some kind of test and that rewards were finally coming.
Yet to their shock, the old man’s expression remained icy. With a flick of his wide sleeve, a formation gate appeared.
“The punishment is over. You may leave.”
He said to the three of them.
“What?”
The words left all three stunned.
“Senior, what did you just say? This junior didn’t quite catch it.”
Fu Feiyue asked cautiously.
“Can’t understand plain words?”
“I said your punishment has ended. You may leave now.”
“Hurry up and go, or the gate will vanish in a moment and the lightning will return. Then you’ll be trapped here receiving punishment for the rest of your lives.”
The old man stated.
“Senior, we endured the training. Shouldn’t we receive some kind of opportunity?”
“Why are you sending us away just like that?”
Yin Daifen blinked her large eyes, putting on a pitiful, aggrieved look.
Any man who saw her like this would surely feel sympathy.
But this old man was completely unmoved.
“Training? What makes you think you’re qualified for training?”
“You are failures. You have no right to the training.”
“What you just received was punishment.”
The old man declared sternly.
“Punishment? Failures?”
“Senior, you must be mistaken. How could we be failures? We all passed the trial, that’s why we’re here.”
Yin Daifen continued, her tone growing even more wronged.
“I remember perfectly clearly. You are failures.”
“The only two who passed the trial and earned the right to the training are Chu Feng and Long Xiaoxiao.”
The old man said.
“Them? On what grounds are they qualified?”
“Weren’t they eliminated?”
His words instantly provoked extreme dissatisfaction from all three.
“Because they accomplished the most important part of the trial: relinquishing.”
“Overcoming one’s inner demons was only the first step. Only by giving away the key could one truly pass.”
“That is why the trial was designed for pairs, yet only one from each pair could originally pass.”
The old man explained.
“Relinquishing? We had to give away the key?”
At those words, the three of them froze like wooden chickens.
The revelation struck them hard. For a moment they could not accept the truth.
“So… so Chu Feng did it on purpose? He deliberately gave me his key, and deliberately asked Long Xiaoxiao for hers?”
Yin Daifen asked.
“What else?”
“Did you really think he was that stupid?”
There was actually a hint of mockery in the old man’s voice.
“That bastard, that bastard!!!!”
Suddenly, Yin Daifen let out a furious roar.
Her ferocious expression was a complete departure from the gentle, lovely image she had projected earlier.
Seeing her rage like this, Yu Yin and Fu Feiyue instantly understood.
Yin Daifen had lied.
The key she obtained had indeed been given to her by Chu Feng, not won by defeating him.
Yet they didn’t particularly care whether she had lied.
Their own failure stemmed from not fully comprehending the stone tablet; they had simply been outmatched.
But compared to them, Yin Daifen’s situation was far more miserable.
She had been used by Chu Feng. He had exploited her greed to secure his own place in the training.
And at the start, she had actually believed she had gained the upper hand.
Only now did she realise she had merely been a pawn.
Chu Feng was not the fool.
She, Yin Daifen, was the real fool.
Indeed someone had been toyed with in the palm of another’s hand, but that person was not Chu Feng. It was her.
“Chu Feng, this isn’t over between us! I will kill you! I, Yin Daifen, swear I will kill you!!!”
Yin Daifen roared over and over, tears streaming down her face.
She was so enraged by Chu Feng that her insides felt ready to explode.
But it was useless. It changed nothing. She had been eliminated, while Chu Feng and Long Xiaoxiao were now receiving the true training.
…
Chu Feng led Long Xiaoxiao deeper into the desert.
A lone man and woman walking across the vast sands appeared tiny, yet the scene carried its own poetic charm.
After all, the man was extraordinarily ugly, while the woman was breathtakingly beautiful and incredibly sweet and clingy.
Such a sight was exceedingly rare.
Endless sand-laden winds howled past. Here there were no paths, no signs, nothing to guide the way.
Yet Chu Feng walked as though he knew the route perfectly, following an invisible trail.
Long Xiaoxiao trotted happily behind him.
Sometimes she danced lightly like a butterfly, sometimes she hopped like a bunny. Her mood was wonderful.
She didn’t need to worry about anything. She knew that as long as she followed Chu Feng, they would reach the training ground.
This, surely, was a sense of security.
The kind of security a girl most desires.
And Chu Feng gave her exactly that.
After they had walked for some time, a lake appeared ahead.
A lake in the middle of the desert, its waters crystal-clear and breathtakingly beautiful.
Most importantly, the lake contained extremely powerful martial energy and natural energies.
The rich medicinal fragrance drifting from it explained everything.
This was no ordinary lake water. It had to have been brewed from special herbs and rare treasures.
“Is this where we undergo the training?”
Long Xiaoxiao asked Chu Feng.
“According to the stone tablet, this is the final destination.”
“It should be here.”
Chu Feng replied.
“I thought the training would be some grand trial, but it turns out we just cultivate directly?”
“Well, that saves time.”
“Little Benefactor, turn around.”
Long Xiaoxiao suddenly said to Chu Feng.
“Why do I need to turn around?”
Chu Feng was puzzled.
“I’m going to take my clothes off. You can’t watch, can you?”
Long Xiaoxiao answered.
“Take your clothes off?”
Chu Feng’s expression changed at once.
“This lake water is so sacred, practically not of the mortal world. To cultivate in a lake like this, of course we must remove our clothes, otherwise it would be blasphemy.”
“What, do you want to watch?”
“If you really want to watch, it’s not impossible, but you’ll have to take responsibility for me.” Long Xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes into two crescent moons, smiling adorably.
“Fine by me. Go ahead and strip. You’re the one who insisted on stripping, so if I don’t take responsibility there’s nothing you can do about it.” Chu Feng said with a cheeky grin.
“Then I really will.”
As she spoke, Long Xiaoxiao actually began removing her clothes.
With her slender little hands, she slipped off her outer garment.
Soon her shoulders were revealed, snowy white and delicate, practically glowing under the sunlight.
This girl’s skin was truly exceptional.
Even though only her fragrant shoulders were exposed, it was already incredibly alluring.
Chu Feng just stared at Long Xiaoxiao without blinking once.
“Ah!”
Seeing him like this, Long Xiaoxiao, who had only been teasing him a little, instantly blushed. She hurriedly pulled her skirt back on.
“You’re no fun. How come Little Benefactor isn’t even blushing?”
Long Xiaoxiao huffed, puffing out her cheeks. This was completely different from what she had imagined.
“I, Chu Feng, never claimed to be some upright gentleman.”
“My creed is: a real man never lets a bargain pass him by.”
“Since you insisted on stripping for me, if I didn’t look, wouldn’t that be disrespectful to you?” Chu Feng said with a mischievous smile.
“Little Benefactor, you… you’re too naughty!”
“Hmph, I’m not playing with you anymore.”
Long Xiaoxiao shot him a cute glare, then spun around and leapt into the lake.
Of course, she jumped in fully clothed.
