Chapter Thirty-Nine: A Warning

Faced with Qin Zhang’s furious outburst, Xiao Yue seemed utterly unconcerned. He strolled up to Qin Zhang, smiled faintly, and said, “Lord Qin, you’ve come all this way to instruct newcomers—what a dedicated official you are.”

Qin Zhang flushed with shame and anger at these words; the sarcasm was unmistakable. At the same time, he was inwardly stunned—he hadn’t expected Xiao Yue to possess such strength, rendering him immobile with the slightest effort.

“Chu Feng committed violence in the Holy City. We are here to apprehend him. I advise you to hand him over at once. As for your insolence, I’ll overlook it for now,” Qin Zhang declared, still clinging to his airs of authority.

Xiao Yue laughed aloud and turned to Chu Feng. “Did you hear that? Lord Qin certainly throws his weight around.”

Never before had Qin Zhang suffered such humiliation. Enraged, he bellowed, “You—”

He had barely uttered a word when Xiao Yue spun around, fixing him with a piercing gaze. An overwhelming aura crashed down, chilling light flickering in his eyes as he barked coldly, “Do you have a death wish?”

Under Xiao Yue’s formidable presence, Qin Zhang was utterly dumbfounded. This attitude was entirely unexpected, and the sheer intensity of the pressure left their faces ashen, their bodies trembling.

Xiao Yue withdrew his aura and continued, “Chu Feng is a disciple of the Spirit War Pavilion. Should he have committed any offense, it is for us to handle, not for the likes of you to come here and seize him. However, if Lord Qin wishes, I will deal with this matter impartially. But your nephew will also have to come forward. If it is found that Chu Feng started the trouble, I will see to it that he is severely punished according to our rules.”

Xiao Yue had secretly witnessed the incident between Qin Hao and Chu Feng, and upon seeing Qin Zhang now, he surmised that this was all instigated by Qin Hao, hence his words.

Qin Zhang’s face turned livid. Xiao Yue had dragged Qin Hao into the matter, leaving him speechless. Should the matter be pursued, the one to suffer punishment would undoubtedly be Qin Hao.

But with Xiao Yue unwilling to show him any courtesy, there was little Qin Zhang could do.

At this point, Xiao Yue had no desire to argue further. He simply withdrew the chain of water and gestured, “You may go now. I won’t see you out.”

The two patrolling soldiers dared not breathe a word. The oppressive aura Xiao Yue had displayed earlier left them shaken; only those at the fifth tier and above could wield such dominance.

“You have some nerve. We’ll see what the future brings,” Qin Zhang spat, grinding his teeth before storming off with the two soldiers.

After they left, Xiao Yue eyed Chu Feng with a stern expression. “You rascal, always causing me trouble. Are you trying to send me to an early grave?”

Chu Feng smiled innocently. “It’s not that I seek trouble—trouble always seeks me. I’m the real victim here.”

“A victim, you?” Xiao Yue scoffed, moving closer. “Tell me, what have you done to Qin Hao this time?”

“I merely crippled his right hand,” Chu Feng replied lightly, as if it were nothing.

Xiao Yue rolled his eyes at this. He understood all too well what such a ‘crippling’ meant and his expression grew grave. “That grudge just deepened.”

Chu Feng shook his head. “That enmity was sealed long ago. I never wanted to get involved, but Qin Hao won’t leave me alone.”

“What grudge do you really have?” Xiao Yue asked.

Chu Feng then briefly recounted the sequence of events leading to his enmity with Qin Hao, focusing especially on the calamity in Ancient Qilin City, and finally the events of the previous night.

“I see now. It all makes sense—you’ve been more than merciful. Had it been me in Ancient Qilin City, I would have taken his life outright,” Xiao Yue remarked.

After a moment’s silence, Xiao Yue warned, “This grudge cannot be resolved. Be careful. Qin Zhang is not worth fearing, and the Qin family may have had influence in Ancient Qilin City, but here in the Holy City, they are nothing special. There is only one you must be wary of.”

Ever since Qin Zhang had created trouble for Chu Feng at the training ground, Xiao Yue had paid special attention to the Qin family’s power structure.

“Who is that?” Chu Feng asked.

“Qin Shu Huai, Qin Hao’s uncle. He is a Celestial Spirit Warrior, well established in the military. It’s said he holds a high position and is greatly respected. Once you enter the military, be on your guard against him.”

Chu Feng nodded, silently committing the name to memory.

Xiao Yue looked at him with a smile. “Well, you took a hit—nothing broken, I hope?”

“Nothing serious,” Chu Feng replied.

In truth, Xiao Yue was quite pleased with Chu Feng’s performance, considering his opponent was a third-tier Earth Spirit Warrior.

Xiao Yue nodded and asked, “You’ve already faced four Earth Spirit Warriors. What are your thoughts?”

“In the last fight, and the earlier one with the bearded man, they didn’t use their spirit forms, so victory came easily—they underestimated me,” Chu Feng said.

“That’s your advantage,” Xiao Yue affirmed. “If you come across a life-and-death foe, this element of surprise could turn defeat into victory—be sure to seize it.”

“But ranged spirit arts are really troublesome. My swordsmanship gives me no advantage there. That’s my weakness,” Chu Feng admitted.

“Recognizing your own weakness is important. But you must also understand your opponents. You may not be able to manifest a spirit form yet, but you should have some understanding of cultivation,” Xiao Yue said solemnly. “For example, if you face someone with a Fire Spirit Body, things will be much harder. You lack spirit power and must rely on your body to withstand the heat. If he’s at the second tier, you might hold your own. But against a third-tier warrior, the outcome is uncertain. Even if you can break through his spirit arts with your Domain Sword, you can’t dispel the heat.”

Chu Feng was inwardly alarmed—Xiao Yue’s words were truly enlightening.

Xiao Yue smiled. “What you lack now is a spirit artifact of the battle attire class. With one, even if you can’t channel spirit power, the artifact’s own strength can shield you from extreme heat or cold.”

Chu Feng nodded to himself, relieved that his weakness could be remedied.

Through these battles with Earth Spirit Warriors, Chu Feng had gained much insight, and Xiao Yue took the opportunity to teach him more about cultivators.

Then Xiao Yue asked, “Do you know why only those who have undergone spirit manifestation can cultivate?”

“I heard it’s because only through the spirit body can one sense heaven and earth and convert spiritual energy into their own spirit power,” Chu Feng replied.

“That’s correct, but your understanding is incomplete. The spirit body is a bridge between spiritual energy and the human body. Once you awaken its attributes, you can cultivate corresponding techniques. As you continue, the spirit body strengthens and nourishes the physical body, making the cultivator stronger as well. The body does contain some spirit power, but it’s limited. The spirit body is the true reservoir. Even without manifesting the spirit body, cultivators can use spirit arts, but their power is less than one percent of what they’d wield when transformed—perhaps even weaker than pure physical strength.”

“I see,” Chu Feng murmured. Everything Xiao Yue explained was new to him, deepening his understanding of the spirit body.

Xiao Yue went on, “When fighting a cultivator, the body is the key. Do not attack the spirit body lightly—it is a thing of the Spirit Realm, immensely powerful, far exceeding the physical form. Even ten times your strength may not suffice to damage it. Even if you do, at worst, the cultivator’s strength declines, but his life is not endangered. It’s just not worth it.”

Chu Feng marveled at the strangeness of the world—such a thing as a spirit body, foreign yet identical in form to one’s own. The thought prompted him to ask, “Where exactly is the Spirit Realm? Has anyone ever been there?”

Xiao Yue shook his head and sighed. “What we know is but the tip of the iceberg. The Spirit Realm seems to be everywhere, yet no one has ever truly found it. Perhaps only the gods know.”

He looked at Chu Feng again. “Once you’ve awakened your spirit body, you no longer need complex gestures to summon it—a thought is enough. Though brief, that moment is an opportunity. If used well, you can seize the initiative.”

Chu Feng committed Xiao Yue’s words to heart, knowing these insights might one day mean the difference between life and death.

“Be careful from now on, and don’t cause me any more trouble. I’m leaving,” Xiao Yue said.

Yet before departing, Xiao Yue deliberately mentioned the one-month agreement, rekindling Chu Feng’s curiosity. No matter how much Chu Feng pressed, Xiao Yue remained tight-lipped, acting mysterious.

“He’s doing it on purpose—absolutely on purpose!” Chu Feng glared at Xiao Yue’s retreating figure, his teeth itching with frustration.

Outside the Spirit War Pavilion, in the main hall of the Qin residence, Qin Zhang’s expression was icy. He had expected to capture Chu Feng smoothly, but not only had Xiao Yue refused to give him face, he had openly turned against him.

Qin Zhang was seething. In all his years in the Holy City, no one had ever dared treat him this way.

“Damn that Xiao Yue,” Qin Zhang cursed through gritted teeth.

His elder brother, Qin Yuancheng, sitting beside him, commented, “Third brother, Xiao Yue is merely an instructor in the Newcomers’ Camp—of the Twentieth Camp, no less. He should know the consequences of crossing our Qin family. For him to behave so abnormally, have you looked into his background?”

Qin Zhang replied, “Second brother, you don’t know—he might be a sixth-tier Earth Spirit Warrior.”

“Oh?” Qin Yuancheng’s eyes brightened. “A sixth-tier Earth Spirit Warrior is rare in the Twentieth Camp. Even the chief instructor is probably no more than that.”

“So what background could he possibly have? If he did, he wouldn’t be stuck in such a lowly position. With his strength, he could easily teach in the First Camp if he had any real connections,” Qin Zhang said dismissively.

Qin Yuancheng nodded, agreeing with the analysis, but added, “Our Qin family needn’t fear a mere instructor. Still, caution is wise—investigate his background thoroughly, then we’ll decide. As for Chu Feng, we can deal with him once he’s outside the Holy City.”

Qin Zhang nodded and then left.

That afternoon, Chu Feng was practicing his swordplay in the training room when the communication talisman at his chest trembled slightly. At once, he was overcome with excitement—Long Yue had returned. The girl who had occupied his thoughts for four years was finally back.