"If you don't scram now, I'll break your legs!" Zhang Han said darkly and angrily; his appearance was indeed frightening, but his heart was filled with unspeakable bitterness.
Feng Wuchen's straightforward accusation made him totally convinced, but with Yu Wanxiong present, he dared not show any submission to Feng Wuchen; otherwise, he would have to be replaced as the manager.
"Your chances are gone, and furthermore, Pavilion Master Yu, after your many years of Alchemy, you must have accumulated a considerable amount of fire poison in your body, right? Elder Feng often suffers from fire poison too, and that kind of pain is not something ordinary people can withstand. Every Alchemist has fire poison in their body, and as it happens, I know how to remove it, hmph!" Feng Wuchen said coldly with a laugh, turning to leave gracefully.
Feng Wuchen's words were like a death sentence for Zhang Han, who was filled with panic at heart, wishing he could immediately kneel down, knock his head on the ground, and bark like a dog.
Yu Wanxiong furrowed his brows with a complex look in his eyes; he found that the Feng Wuchen standing before him was very different from the Feng Wuchen of before.
Yu Wanxiong didn't know whether or not he should believe Feng Wuchen's words.
After leaving Wanbao Pavilion, Feng Wuchen went to his own shop to take some Seven-colored Elixir and then returned to the Feng residence.
"Third Young Master, the Family Head and Madam have been waiting for you for a long time!" A guard hurried to greet him as soon as he arrived at the mansion.
Feng Wuchen didn't need to guess to know what was going on.
In the hall, Feng Zhengxiong and Xiao Qingqing sat in the main seats, with the three Elders seated separately, and both Feng Yuan and Feng Zhan were also present.
Upon entering the hall, without waiting for Feng Zhengxiong and the others to speak, Feng Wuchen took the initiative to say, "Father, I know what you want to ask, but this is my secret, and it must not be leaked, otherwise, it will attract great trouble."
"This..." Feng Zhengxiong and Feng Qianyang exchanged puzzled glances.
"Chen Er, does your recovery and your ability to see through Elder Su's cold poison have something to do with your secret?" Xiao Qingqing asked.
Feng Wuchen nodded solemnly, "Yes, my helping Elder Su was also for the sake of the Feng family. We have already fallen out with the Yang family, the Mo family is at odds with us, and Wanbao Pavilion has been at loggerheads with our Feng family over the Seven-colored Elixir. Our Feng family is truly beset with crises."
"You helped Elder Su remove the poison to show them?" Feng Qianyang caught on to Feng Wuchen's implication.
"Tianyan Academy holds a lofty status in our Empire; we can use them to suppress the Yang and Mo families as well as Wanbao Pavilion. Even if they join forces, they will have to consider Tianyan Academy," Feng Wuchen said with a light smile.
"If that's the case, why did you reject Elder Su? Wouldn't joining Tianyan Academy be even more beneficial for our Feng family?" Second Elder Feng Yunshan asked with perplexity.
Having found a random spot to sit, Feng Wuchen smiled and said, "Joining Tianyan Academy is indeed advantageous for our Feng family. However, the things we can't have are what make us want them even more."
"I see, you clever boy. In the whole Empire, only you could help Elder Su remove the cold poison. If he wants to survive, he will certainly come to you. With Elder Su as our pawn, neither the Mo family nor the Yang family would dare act rashly," Feng Zhengxiong laughed heartily.
"Who would have thought, Third Young Master, that you would possess such brilliant tactics? No wonder you repeatedly refused Elder Su. But doesn't this delay your cultivation?" Feng Qianyang praised.
Shrugging his shoulders indifferently, Feng Wuchen said, "There's no need to worry about cultivation. Going to Tianyan Academy would actually interfere with it."
"Perhaps Chen Er has encountered some serendipity," Feng Zhengxiong guessed in his heart, as that was the only explanation that could convince himself.
"Is he really Chen Er?" Xiao Qingqing wondered to herself in amazement, eyeing Feng Wuchen unblinkingly.
Feng Wuchen had changed too much. The old Feng Wuchen never cared for family affairs and would never speak like he did today. Moreover, his performance on the stage was extremely stable and calm, and even when facing a powerful figure like Elder Su, he showed not even the slightest hint of panic.
What could have caused such a great change in Feng Wuchen? Could it be because of Mo Ling'er?
It didn't seem likely; Xiao Qingqing could tell that there was no anger or sorrow in Feng Wuchen's eyes, only confidence and pride.
"Chen Er, concentrate on your cultivation. Mother believes in you. Don't think too much about Mo Ling'er. Mother will find you someone better," Xiao Qingqing encouraged, feeling inexplicably reassured seeing the confidence in Feng Wuchen's eyes.
"Father's cultivation is on par with Mo Kun, so we should first aim for Father to achieve a breakthrough. That way, we can suppress both the Mo and Yang families. It's also time for the Great Elder to break through in his Alchemy realm," Feng Wuchen thought to himself.
However, the most important thing now was to improve his own cultivation, as he was to have a decisive battle with Yang Tian in a month.
The higher the level of cultivation, the more difficult it was to advance, but Feng Wuchen was absolutely confident that he could defeat Yang Tian in a month's time.
Before returning to his room, Feng Wuchen used the same mysterious technique to help Feng Qianyang remove some of the fire poison. Feng Qianyang's shock was beyond words, and he finally understood why Elder Su valued Feng Wuchen so highly.
After lunch, Feng Wuchen hurried back to his room, took out the Seven-colored Elixir, swallowed it, and immediately started cultivating the Supreme Dragon God Technique.
The Supreme Dragon God Technique was incredibly forceful. Coupled with the Seven-colored Elixir, Feng Wuchen's cultivation speed was even more frightful than before.
"The Seven-colored Elixir is truly a treasure for the Body Refining Realm; no wonder it's so sought after. I'll be able to break through to the Fifth Layer of the Body Refining Realm tonight!" Feng Wuchen thought, ecstatic.
Feng Wuchen greedily absorbed the Spiritual Energy and the Elixir, with the Spiritual Energy from all around converging upon him, forming a 'Three Flowers Gathering at the Top' formation.
If someone were to see this, they would be astonished.
...
"Reporting to the Pavilion Master! There is news," a guard said, rushing into the main hall of Wanbao Pavilion.
"What news?" Yu Wanxiong asked unhurriedly.
"Just now, Feng Wuchen, the Third Young Master of the Feng family, easily defeated Yang Bufan who was at the Sixth Layer of Body Refining Realm, despite only being at the Fourth Layer himself," reported the guard.
"Oh? Feng Wuchen defeated Yang Bufan? A Second Grade Martial Soul waste has this kind of ability?" Yu Wanxiong asked in surprise.
"It's absolutely true. Not only that, he could see at a glance that Elder Su had cold poison in his body and expelled some of it on the spot. Elder Su himself said that even Fifth Grade Alchemists have a hard time expelling his cold poison, and Feng Wuchen used some unknown method to easily get rid of the poison. As a result, Elder Su wanted to take him as a direct disciple and even considered recommending him to the Great Elder of Tianyan Academy, but Feng Wuchen refused!" The guard reported every detail faithfully.
"Expel cold poison?" Hearing this, Yu Wanxiong stood up in shock, recalling what Feng Wuchen had said to him before he left.
When Feng Wuchen left, he clearly stated he could expel fire poison. Yu Wanxiong wondered if he was starting to regret it now.
...
Over the course of one night, Feng Wuchen took two bottles of Spiritual Liquid and smoothly advanced to the Fifth Layer of the Body Refining Realm!
Looking at his own fist, Feng Wuchen sneered, "With my current strength, I'm afraid it would take just one punch to defeat Yang Bufan!"
Breaking through to the Fifth Layer of the Body Refining Realm, Feng Wuchen felt not only a breakthrough in his cultivation but also that his body had become even more robust.
"The Supreme Dragon God Decision is a cultivation technique that strengthens both internal and external aspects. Thus, as my cultivation grows stronger, my body will also become more powerful, and my combat abilities will definitely surpass others. At that time, even without breaking the opponent's moves, I'll still be able to defeat them!" Feng Wuchen exclaimed jubilantly, so excited he couldn't put his feelings into words.
"Yang Tian, just wait, in one month, watch me beat you until you're searching the ground for your teeth!" Feng Wuchen sneered viciously.
Having just broken through in cultivation, Feng Wuchen wanted to continue training, aiming to break through to the Sixth Layer of the Body Refining Realm within two or three days, not wanting to waste time.
"Third Young Master!" But at this moment, Xiaolan's voice came from outside the door.
"What is it?" Feng Wuchen frowned and asked.
"A young lady is looking for you," Xiaolan's voice came in through the door.
"A young lady?" Feng Wuchen was slightly startled, and after thinking about it, in Unmatched City, aside from Mo Ling'er, he didn't know any other young ladies. Who could be looking for him?
"Who is it?" asked Feng Wuchen.
"I don't know, Young Master, you'd better go and see," Xiaolan urged.
"I'm on my way," he replied.
In the Feng family hall, Feng Zhengxiong and Xiao Qingqing were sizing up a young girl dressed in green. The girl stood gracefully, with a unique aura, jade-like skin, and an exquisite face – clearly, a beauty in the making.
She appeared to be only fifteen or sixteen years old but was well-developed, with a shapely figure that promised to be stunningly beautiful in two or three years.
The girl's extraordinary beauty made Xiao Qingqing marvel.
"When did Chen Er get to know such a pretty girl? Not telling mom about such a big matter... This young girl is definitely not ordinary, far prettier than Mo Ling'er! This is wonderful," Xiao Qingqing thought joyfully to herself, instantly taking a great liking to her upon their first meeting.
The beauty of the young girl indeed surpassed Mo Ling'er by too much, whether in terms of temperament or looks, Mo Ling'er couldn't compare to her.
Where did such a beautiful young girl come from? Feng Zhengxiong and the three elders were all very curious and what shocked them was that the young girl was already at the Sixth Layer of the Qi Refining Realm!
To reach such a level at fifteen or sixteen was truly a genius among geniuses; it would be difficult to find a second one throughout the entire Flame Empire. The young girl's talent was exceptional, incomparable to ordinary geniuses.
"Xiao Xiao, come sit over here," Xiao Qingqing invited with a joyful smile.
The young girl, named Ling Xiaoxiao, walked over obediently, her face bearing a sweet smile.
"Xiao Xiao, can you tell auntie where you come from?" Xiao Qingqing asked with a smile, gently stroking the girl's black hair with her wrist.
"The Mainland," answered Ling Xiaoxiao succinctly.
"The Mainland?" Feng Zhengxiong and the three elders' faces instantly stiffened, astonished as they looked at Ling Xiaoxiao.
The Flame Empire was far from the mainland. Had Ling Xiaoxiao come all the way here by herself? Feng Wuchen definitely couldn't have been to the mainland; he had been with the Feng family for all his sixteen years, a fact that everyone in the family could attest to.
But Ling Xiaoxiao seemed to recognize Feng Wuchen, which baffled them all.
At that moment, Feng Wuchen entered the hall and saw Ling Xiaoxiao sitting beside his mother, which caused him to stop in his tracks.
"Brother Feng!" The moment she saw Feng Wuchen, Ling Xiaoxiao's pretty face immediately revealed a joyful smile, and she hurried over.
Feng Wuchen stared in astonishment at Ling Xiaoxiao; she was indeed very beautiful, but he found he had never seen her before and didn't recognize her at all.