Chapter 99 How Can You Hit Someone?
Psychic ability?
Xia Feng was a little surprised. Someone actually dared to use psychic ability in front of Mu Qingtong?
Psychic spirit weapons could generally grant spiritual masters an immense boost in spiritual power—let alone the fact that Mu Qingtong was Alpha-level.
"Madam? Madam?" Gongsun Ze noticed Mu Qingtong staring at him without speaking. He felt both secretly pleased and confused. Had his attempt worked?
He blinked his peach blossom eyes and curled his lips into a charming, playful smile. "What's wrong, madam? Could it be you've fallen for me at first sight? You're so stunned you can't even speak?"
"Hurry up, get him away from me." Mu Qingtong's expression remained calm, but her impatient voice echoed again in Xia Feng's mind.
"Alright, alright, no need to rush." Xia Feng grumbled inwardly as he slowly stepped in front of Mu Qingtong, blocking Gongsun Ze's line of sight.
Gongsun Ze's smirk didn't waver. "Huh? Sir, didn't you notice I was having a lovely chat with this beautiful la—UGH!"
His words were abruptly cut short as a fist slammed into his abdomen, sinking deep. His peach blossom eyes bulged slightly, cracking with disbelief.
"Chat with your mother!"
While cursing, Xia Feng activated the Vermilion Bird Armor at full speed, his body engulfed in pale flames. The terrifying punch left a white mark on Gongsun Ze's stomach before sending him flying, crashing through rows of giant trees with a thunderous roar.
The forest trembled.
Xia Feng had deliberately avoided using his spiritual attire—the Vermilion Bird Armor was a spirit weapon that required only minimal spiritual pressure to operate, preventing his true power level from being exposed too soon.
Crack—CRASH!
The last giant tree wobbled before collapsing with a ground-shaking boom.
Dust billowed into the air.
"Cough—cough—" Gongsun Ze emerged from the settling dust, his face smudged and his expression dark. "Xia Feng! Have you lost your mind?!"
"Oh? So you do know who I am~"
Xia Feng stood atop a thick tree branch, looking down with a villainous grin. "If you know my name, then you should've known better than to mess with my grandmother. You looking to die?!"
Gongsun Ze's face twitched. He hadn't expected Xia Feng to abandon all pretense of gentlemanly conduct and outright curse at him, leaving him momentarily speechless.
"Brother Gongsun! Are you alright—?"
Yulina cried out, rushing to his side before glaring furiously at the man in the tree. "Brother Gongsun was only talking to that woman! How could you just hit him?!"
Ten fully armed knights swiftly surrounded Yulina, their cold eyes fixed on Xia Feng, poised to strike at any moment.
Tap—
Master Chen landed lightly beside Xia Feng, his robes fluttering. His cold gaze swept over the group below. "What's this? Looking for a fight?"
As he spoke, Mu Qingtong and Cai Kuihua also landed on the branch.
The atmosphere grew tense.
Though Yulina's faction had numbers, only Gongsun Ze, Yulina, and a golden-haired knight among them were second-level spiritualists—the rest were first-level.
Master Chen, however, was the only third-level spiritualist present. If a battle broke out, the outcome was far from certain.
Unless Chan Naxue's forces joined the fray and allied with Yulina, the four from the Holy Department would have no choice but to flee.
But Chan Naxue and Yulina were clearly rivals—the likelihood of them cooperating was slim.
Gongsun Ze stared coldly at the man in the tree before pulling the corner of his lips into a chuckle. "Forget it, Lina, let's go."
He patted Yulina's shoulder and turned away.
"Ah? Aren't you going to teach that lunatic a lesson?"
"First, we need to find the key and secure the Moon Goddess's Tears."
Gongsun Ze spoke calmly, his peach blossom eyes gazing at Yulina with tender affection. "Baby, you have to understand—right now, nothing is more important than helping you advance to the third level~"
"Brother, you're so good to me~" Yulina's eyes shimmered with a strange pink light as she smiled, dazzled. "Once I reach the third level, I'll make sure to get justice for you!"
Watching the Black Moon Church members retreat, Xia Feng's eye twitched slightly. Seriously, that group is full of weirdos. How does anyone in there even qualify as a saint or knight?
"We need to move as well."
Master Chen turned and spoke in a low voice. "Even though Wen Zaiye is dead, our orders are clear—bring him back, alive or dead. So our mission isn't over yet."
"Here's the plan: We'll split into four. Avoid engaging enemies if possible—just retreat. If you're ambushed or surrounded, fire a signal flare. This disaster zone isn't large. At my speed, I can reach you within a minute."
As he spoke, he pulled out two black bags and tossed them to Xia Feng and Mu Qingtong.
"The concentration of corrupt energy here is extreme. The two of you won't last more than two hours. Each bag contains five Wisdom Fruits—enough to resist the corruption."
"But let me be clear: This mission isn't simple. Success would be great, but failure isn't the end of the world. Don't gamble your lives on it. Stay cautious."
Master Chen kept talking, his tone heavy with concern for their safety. He didn't seem particularly hopeful about the mission—more like he was just going through the motions.
"Alright, let's move out."
The four scattered, vanishing into the forest depths.
Cha Naxue silently watched Xia Feng's figure fade into the darkness, her mind lingering on the moment he had sent Gongsun Ze flying with a single punch.
She knew exactly how vile Gongsun Ze's psychic ability was. Xia Feng must have sensed it too—that's why he struck without hesitation, consequences be damned.
Cha Naxue lowered her gaze slightly.
If Xia Feng were still by my side… maybe I wouldn't have to endure harassment from scum like Gongsun Ze every day.
The more she thought about it, the more regret gnawed at her. Selling Xia Feng to the Mu family in exchange for benefits had been a terrible mistake.
But who could've guessed her childhood friend would play such an unconventional hand? A genius hiding in plain sight for years before finally revealing himself.
"Master, I actually think we could ally with Xia Feng."
Panda spoke gravely beside her. "Even if there's misunderstanding between you now, a straightforward trade might work. Offer him the Moon Goddess's Tears and the Wisdom Fruits—each gets what they need."
"No."
Cha Naxue shook her head, her voice soft but firm. "He's a genius, yes, but still only first-level. Forget whether he can even find the key—even if he does, he likely can't hold onto it. In this situation, his help wouldn't change much."
The Moon Goddess's Tears contained residual spiritual imprints from the previous Moon Goddess vessel—useful only to devotees like her.
If she obtained them, not only would her comprehension of the Moon God's domain leap forward, but her spiritual pressure could skyrocket. She might even break through to third-level without additional resources.
That was why the Tears mattered so much—to her, and to Yulina.
(End of Chapter)