As Jiang Chen smiled, Lin Feng furrowed his brow and narrowed his eyes slightly.
Ning Xian and Qiu Liaoxi observed Jiang Chen and Lin Feng, aware that a conversation between them was about to unfold.
At that moment, they both realized a misunderstanding had occurred between Lin Feng and Jiang Chen, and they hoped it would be resolved.
"Lin Feng," Jiang Chen began earnestly, "now that your Dantian has been restored, why not return with me to the Starry Abyss Sect?"
"The Starry Abyss Sect is among the most powerful sects on this continent, boasting ample resources and advanced techniques to aid your progress, enabling you to rise swiftly," he proposed thoughtfully.
"Return to the Starry Abyss Sect? Hah!" Lin Feng scoffed. "Have you forgotten how the Starry Abyss Sect treated me?"
"I shall never forget those humiliations, and you, don't feign kindness towards me. Have you forgotten how you treated me when I was expelled from the sect?"
"You even manipulated my relationships with Li Kai and Liu Qing using two pills, subjecting me to public humiliation..." he recounted bitterly, gradually delving into the events that had transpired at the sect's main gate.
Upon hearing this, Ning Xian and Qiu Liaoxi were astonished. 'What!? Young Master Jiang Chen would engage in such manipulative tactics?' they thought, never expecting to hear of such actions.
Jiang Chen sighed, a weary expression on his face, and began explaining, "I did offer to help you remain in the sect at that time, but you rejected me, believing I intended to harm you."
"I merely wanted you to comprehend that, with my influence, harming you would be all too simple, and there would be no need to resort to any schemes!"
"It seems you still haven't grasped my original intent, and you continue to harbor resentment," he stated, a trace of disappointment in his voice.
'So that's how it was,' Ning Xian and Qiu Liaoxi thought in stunned realization.
'Did Lin Feng previously reject Jiang Chen's offer, forfeiting the chance to remain in the Starry Abyss Sect?'
'He believed that Young Master Jiang Chen intended to harm him, but Young Master Jiang Chen merely sought to demonstrate his lack of ill intent.'
'...'
A flurry of thoughts raced through their minds. Currently, it seemed that Lin Feng harbored an unwarranted bias against Jiang Chen.
"Hehe!" Lin Feng sneered with disbelief. "Employing two precious upper-grade Clarity Awakening Pills to showcase your vast power?"
"Young Master Jiang, your extravagance surpasses even that of a Mysterious Platform realm cultivator!" he mused scornfully.
Upon hearing this new revelation, Ning Xian and Qiu Liaoxi's faces were etched with puzzlement once again. The Clarity Awakening Pill was an incredibly valuable resource for those in the Spiritual Awakening realm and a treasure for individuals in the Mysterious Platform realm.
The decision of Jiang Chen to use two Clarity Awakening Pills to sever the relationships between Li Kai, Liu Qing, and Lin Feng appeared excessive and illogical to them.
"Extravagance?" Jiang Chen chuckled dismissively. "Do you consider two Clarity Awakening Pills extravagant?"
"I'm afraid you have no idea just how many precious pills I possess," he said with a confident smirk. His self-assured demeanor evoked the image of a peasant attempting to estimate a nobleman's wealth.
Promptly, the doubts in Ning Xian and Qiu Liaoxi's hearts subsided considerably, and they came to perceive Jiang Chen as even wealthier than they had initially imagined.
"Hmph!" Lin Feng snorted with disdain. "Regardless, I refuse to return to the Starry Abyss Sect!" He felt repulsed by the memory of those who had once fawned over him.
With the Burning World Red Lotus, even the Heavenly Origin realm would be insignificant. Once he came into his full power, he would be able to dominate the entire Mysterious Truth Continent, with the Starry Abyss Sect merely being one among many.
Furthermore, it was the Burning World Red Lotus that had healed his Dantian. Should he return to the Starry Abyss Sect, it might arouse the curiosity of certain individuals. If the Burning World Red Lotus were exposed before he had fully matured, his demise would be all but certain.
"Lin Feng, I understand that for your Dantian to have healed, there must be some hidden secrets," Jiang Chen said, his tone laced with understanding.
"But you need not worry that someone will covet you because of your secret; I, too, have secrets. When I claimed to possess numerous precious pills, it was no fabrication, and the Red Sun Seven Flowers Pill is one such example."
He smiled faintly, a glimmer of confidence in his eyes, "Furthermore, I also possess medicine capable of healing Dantian injuries."
"What?" Lin Feng's expression shifted, and he asked incredulously, "You have medicine that can heal Dantian injuries!? How is that possible!"
"Do you recall?" Jiang Chen asked, his tone more matter-of-fact. "At the sect's main gate, I expressed my admiration for you."
"That was no lie but the result of prior assessments I had conducted on you. Do you remember those minor conflicts we had? Those were the tests."
"Had you remained at that time, I would have bestowed that pill upon you," he revealed, with an undertone of straightforward honesty
"However, you stormed off from the sect's main gate in a fit of rage and impulsiveness."
"Fortunately, you encountered a fortuitous opportunity and managed to heal through some means, but I wonder if there were any side effects?" Jiang Chen inquired with feigned concern. He was well aware that the healing of Lin Feng's Dantian, as a protagonist, could not have any side effects. He deliberately posed the question to lower the other party's guard.
As anticipated, Lin Feng was readily deceived. He had restrained himself several times before. Now that he could look down on Jiang Chen, he naturally didn't want to let this opportunity slip by.
Yet, he wasn't foolish. To conceal the Burning World Red Lotus, he merely sneered inwardly, 'Side effects? Hehe! My Burning World Red Lotus, if I were to reveal it, would make your eyes pop out of your head!'
"Lin Feng," Jiang Chen spoke softly when Lin Feng remained silent. "Give it some thought; return to the Starry Abyss Sect with me."
"No need, I have already accepted Master Qiu as my alchemy mentor and will not return to the Starry Abyss Sect!" Lin Feng declared coldly, then nodded to Qiu Liaoxi, who smiled faintly and was quite pleased.
"Very well, it's merely my personal gesture of goodwill," Jiang Chen responded, his tone unruffled, not taking offense.
"If you cannot let go of your biases against the Starry Abyss Sect, then don't return," he advised, his voice maintaining an air of indifference.
Ning Xian and Qiu Liaoxi felt relieved to see this, and their esteem for Jiang Chen grew slightly. They had anticipated that Jiang Chen would be displeased, but they didn't expect him to be so magnanimous.
"Hmph," Lin Feng grunted in response and ceased speaking.
At this moment, Jiang Chen spoke once more, his tone appearing sincere. "How about this?"
"I invite you to join my Jiang Clan as an honorary guest," he offered, the sincerity in his voice unmistakable. "This won't affect your master-disciple relationship with Alchemist Qiu, and you can also gain access to some additional resources."
"Join your Jiang Clan as an honorary guest!?" Lin Feng questioned, his expression reflecting a blend of doubt and astonishment. He genuinely couldn't comprehend why Jiang Chen would extend such an offer to him.
Could it be that Jiang Chen truly harbored no ill intentions?
Was his initial use of subtle tactics to manipulate him actually just a test?
Had his effort to keep him at the sect been genuine?
Reflecting on all that Jiang Chen had done, Lin Feng found himself somewhat perplexed. However, the intuition that had always guided him prompted a deep-seated suspicion that something about Jiang Chen seemed off, leading him to promptly dismiss those thoughts.
At this moment, Jiang Chen nodded at Lin Feng and said encouragingly, "Yes, join my Jiang Clan as an honorary guest, how about it?"
"You can rest assured, I won't let you suffer any disadvantages," he assured, his voice filled with a persuasive confidence.
"No need," Lin Feng shook his head, his tone firm.
"Still, thank you for your kindness, Young Master Jiang," he expressed with a courteous nod, appearing somewhat grateful on the surface, but inwardly he was smirking.
With the Burning World Red Lotus, his confidence and self-esteem had soared to the point that he didn't even care about a mere Jiang Clan in Autumn Glory City, let alone accepting Jiang Chen's generosity. Thus, his refusal was clear and unequivocal.
This left Qiu Liaoxi and Ning Xian somewhat baffled, but they chose not to bring it up directly. After all, Lin Feng was a disciple recently accepted by Qiu Liaoxi, and one who would potentially inherit the mantle. It wouldn't be proper to cause him any embarrassment.