Clearly, they could never have imagined that Chen Fei was a Qi Practitionerāand a Qi Practitioner with such a terrifying cultivation level at that. Even Zhu Longying, a Mid Innate Ancient Martial Artist, was being toyed with in the palm of his hand, completely powerless to resist!
However, just as this horrifying realization shocked the crowd, the flaming hand gripping Zhu Longying's neck emanated an even more terrifying aura. It caused the terrified man's pupils to contract in absolute despair. He could feel the deadly fluctuations from that flaming hand; the power was so frightening it made his scalp tingle and his entire body tremble. At that moment, he had no doubt that if the force from that flaming hand increased by even the slightest fraction, he, Zhu Longying, would die right here.
As this thought sunk in, Zhu Longying's heart filled with boundless regret and fear. In the next moment, he gritted his teeth, his expression frantic as he cried out for help, "Senior Brother Sunx, please, you have to help me!"
Hearing Zhu Longying's cry of "Senior Brother Sunx," the crowd froze for a moment before their expressions turned strange. The only person Zhu Longying would call Senior Brother Sunx nowadays was, it seemed, the one and only Sunx Tianzheng...
"Hmph! Useless trash."
A cold snort echoed from a distance, and soon, a group of four or five people walked through the rapidly parting crowd. The leader was a man of about twenty-eight or twenty-nine with an exceptionally cold demeanor, messy hair, and slanted eyes, as if his every action was calculated to showcase how extraordinary and prominent he was.
A buzz of whispers immediately went through the crowd.
"'Hissā¦ It's him, Sunx Tianzheng! Could he have been watching coldly from a distance this whole time?'"
"'Who knows. But aren't those few with him the ones who've caught the eyes of the Purple Flame Palace's higher-ups? They've already been confirmed as disciples, right? This Sunx Tianzheng's influence is truly frightening!'"
"'What can you do? They say he possesses a physique extremely suited for cultivation, a rare find even among the Five Great Immortal Sects. His future potential is bound to be terrifying! People like us are on a completely different level. No wonder those guys, despite also being chosen by the Purple Flame Palace, are still fawning over himā¦'"
"'So he's going to step up for Zhu Longying now?!'"
As expected, this was none other than Sunx Tianzheng, the most talked-about figure in the Immortal Ascension Valley recently.
"Senior Brother Sunx, save me!" Zhu Longying cried out again, his face a mask of panic.
However, Sunx Tianzheng didn't even glance at him. He stared expressionlessly at Chen Fei, a faint, icy glint in his eyes. After a long moment, a cruel sneer spread across his lips. "There's a path to heaven, but you refused to take it. Hell has no gates, yet you barged right in. After offending my Sunx Family, you still dare to show your face before me, Sunx Tianzheng?!"
A chill ran down the spines of the onlookers. So, there really was a grudge between Sunx Tianzheng and this Chen Fei.
"I'm standing right in front of you," Chen Fei retorted, his words equally piercing as he faced Sunx Tianzheng's condescending attitude. "But what can you do about it?"
*I'm right here. But what can you do about it?*
"You... you're courting death!" Hearing Chen Fei's taunt, Sunx Tianzheng's eyes instantly turned frigid. Wisps of killing intent emanated from them, causing the surrounding atmosphere to turn icy.
This time, however, Chen Fei simply ignored him. His cold gaze fell upon Zhu Longying's face, which was a mask of bluster and fear. Slowly, another chilling remark tumbled from his lips. "You may have been chosen by the Purple Flame Palace, but it seems your parents failed to teach you any manners. And another thingā¦ I really can't stand people with a filthy mouth."
The moment his words fellā"AHHH!"āa wretched scream echoed.
The flaming hand released Zhu Longying's neck, swung high, and viciously slapped him across the face. The blow left his face a bloody mess and sent teeth flying. It was a miserable sight.
HISS!
The crowd gasped sharply again. They couldn't believe Chen Fei still dared to act with Sunx Tianzheng right there.
At the same time, Sunx Tianzheng's expression turned hideous. His eyes were locked coldly on Chen Fei as he took a step forward and commanded, "Enough! Stop it."
Chen Fei turned to look at him, his face devoid of expression. This only made Sunx Tianzheng's face darken further, as if he'd been deeply insulted. He spoke again, his tone overtly hostile, "Are you deaf or dumb? Didn't you hear me? I told you to stop!"
A cold light flashed in Chen Fei's dark eyes as he finally looked squarely at Sunx Tianzheng. This guy is getting way ahead of himself, isn't he? So full of himself. And he had the audacity to use such a commanding, scolding tone.
The onlookers speculated among themselves. It seems Sunx Tianzheng felt that being ignored before was too presumptuous. Plus, now that he and Zhu Longying are both disciples of the Purple Flame Palace, he feels compelled to step inā¦
Although Sunx Tianzheng might not be as strong as Chen Fei, he had been accepted by the Purple Flame Palace and was clearly held in high regard by its elders. So, for him to step forward and order Chen Fei to stop, it should have been a simple matter. How could Chen Fei possibly defy him? To thoroughly offend Sunx Tianzheng would be no laughing matter; it would be tantamount to offending the Purple Flame Palace itself. Besides, Zhu Longying was now, officially, a disciple of the Purple Flame Palace. No matter how audacious Chen Fei was, he couldn't possibly refuse to give the Purple Flame Palace face, could he? Did he even have the right to?
Everyone felt this was logical. Sunx Tianzheng was the most valued new disciple of the Purple Flame Palace, which in turn was the most powerful and dominant of the Five Great Immortal Sects present. Thus, everything seemed to follow a natural, foregone conclusion.
"Interesting," a few men and women with extraordinary auras remarked from a distance, their arms crossed as they watched the events unfold with keen interest. As fellow chosen disciples of the Five Great Immortal Sects, they were naturally curious to see if Chen Fei would give Sunx Tianzheng face. Deep down, they rather hoped to see the arrogant man suffer a setback. But was that even possible? This was the Purple Flame Palace they were talking about.
At this moment, Chen Fei's indifferent gaze was fixed on Sunx Tianzheng's gloomy and arrogant face. The man's deliberate displays of superiority and prominence were far too obvious. This kind of person was no different from Zhu Longying. A sudden stroke of luckāthe salted fish flips overāand they immediately forget who they are. This was their moment of extreme self-inflation, a state in which they naturally assumed everyone must and should bend to their will without the slightest defiance.
But would Chen Fei play along?
"Say that again?" Chen Fei asked, his expression cold as the indifferent words slowly left his mouth.
"Hm? He..." Hearing Chen Fei, the crowd's pupils constricted slightly. With words like that, is he really planning to show Sunx Tianzheng no face at all?
"You want me to say it again?" Sunx Tianzheng's face grew even darker, looking as if it might drip water. A naked glint of chilling malice and ferocity appeared in his eyes. Staring daggers at Chen Fei, he bit out, "I said, stop. Now!"
SLAP!
With a flick of his fingers, Chen Fei's flaming palm materialized again and slammed viciously into Zhu Longying's bloodied face. The force of the blow sent him flying, knocking him unconscious as he hit the ground. At the same time, a cold laugh echoed in everyone's ears.
"If I stop just because you tell me to, wouldn't I lose a lot of face?"
HISS!
A fresh round of gasps rippled through the scene. Even the chosen disciples of the Five Great Immortal Sects watching from afar looked on with stiff expressions. Clearly, they never expected Chen Fei to be so brazen as to defy Sunx Tianzheng, even knocking Zhu Longying out cold right in front of him.
"Youā¦ you have some nerve!" Seeing this and hearing those words, Sunx Tianzheng's face turned completely ashen with rage. His teeth ground together with a fierce, exasperated cracking sound. His opponent's actions had caused him an incredible loss of face; his dignity was in tatters.
"Watch your mouth and get lost," Chen Fei said coolly, looking up at Sunx Tianzheng with a hint of disdain in his eyes. "Otherwise, I guarantee you'll share his fate."
WHOA!
These arrogant words sent another wave of shock and disbelief through the crowd. Their faces went rigid. Chen Fei was just too audacious, telling Sunx Tianzheng to watch his mouth and get lost? How was that any different from slapping him across the face?
"Junior Brother Sunx, why waste your breath on this ignorant brat? Just kill him."
At that moment, a middle-aged man with silver-streaked temples suddenly stepped forward. He swept his hawk-like gaze toward Chen Fei and spoke with a faint smile.
BOOM!
The instant the man's last word fell, a terrifying surge of True Qi erupted from his body. It kicked up a visible shockwave that swept viciously toward Chen Fei. The power of the blast was so immense that even the many Mid Innate Ancient Martial Artists present felt their expressions change instantly, a flicker of horror appearing in their eyes.
"It's Liang Ruchun! That man reached the Later Stage of the Innate Realm a decade ago! He was also chosen by the elders of the Purple Flame Palace..."