Chen Feng had thoroughly weighed the pros and cons; standing perfectly still, a plan had already formed in his mind: allow himself to be captured in order to infiltrate the place and rescue Ling Feng.

Reasil chuckled, "A mere youth at the Second-rank Dou Zun level, and you are this wary? I shall demonstrate for you right now!"

Kozmo scoffed, ceasing his argument, thinking to himself, Let him capture me. The last time I chased him, he was only a First-rank Dou Zun, and that bizarre instantaneous movement gave me a headache. Now he's Second-rank; let's see how you manage to catch him!

It seemed the people within the Violet Garden Demon Territory were far from united; internal conflict was evident.

Chen Feng was unaware of Kozmo’s thoughts, but from the brief exchange, he had certainly sensed the friction between them, which immediately sparked an idea.

Reasil fixed his gaze upon Chen Feng. "Boy, come quietly with me, lest I use force. I might consider sparing your life, but provoke me, and I swear I will flay your skin off!"

"Very well, I will go with you. But could you perhaps refrain from binding me? As a mere Second-rank Dou Zun, I surely cannot escape your grasp," Chen Feng replied smoothly.

Veins pulsed visibly on Kozmo's forehead; he nearly exploded in rage. He had pursued this boy for days without success, only for Reasil to secure his capture with a single sentence... If he allowed the boy to be taken away like this, he would lose all face before the remaining Six Deputy Lords.

"Hold on a moment! What trickery are you scheming, you little brat?" Kozmo roared.

"Trickery? I am a Second-rank Dou Zun. What trickery could I possibly play against a master such as him?" Chen Feng pointed at the darkening face of Reasil. "His strength is far superior to yours. I know I cannot flee, and I fear being killed if captured by him, so naturally, I must take the initiative!"

Hearing this, Reasil's eyebrows arched into a wide smile. He glanced at the nearly enraged Kozmo and laughed, "So this is what you meant by hard to capture, warranting an apology to the Lord... Haha... I see he knows how to behave..."

Reasil's pointed sarcasm ignited Kozmo’s fury. His eyes wide open, he glared at Chen Feng, the rage surging: "Only he would kill you? You think I wouldn't kill you?"

It was understandable why he was so angry. Chen Feng's actions were too blatant; how could someone who had tracked him for so long not realize what was happening? Thus, the furious roaring erupted continuously.

Chen Feng gave a faint glance, choosing silence. He knew that speaking now was worse than saying nothing.

Kozmo interpreted his calm demeanor as contempt, fueling his rage even further. With a grand sweep of his hand, a colossal palm, coalesced from the very elements of heaven and earth, materialized in the air. Before it even descended, it carried an immense pressure that bore down directly upon Chen Feng.

Chen Feng immediately felt his breath constrict, his muscles freezing instantly. It was only then he grasped the true gulf between a Dou Zun and a Dou Sheng. Setting aside the destructive power, the sheer imposing aura alone made it difficult for a Dou Zun to draw a full breath.

The concept of leveraging the might of heaven and earth sounded abstract, but anyone who had experienced an earthquake understood it: this kind of inhuman power instilled a primal, inexplicable terror if your own strength was insufficient.

Staring up at the massive hand above him, Chen Feng felt a sense of the sky collapsing and the earth shattering. He felt profoundly insignificant, utterly unworthy of note. However, this fleeting thought vanished as quickly as it arrived, replaced by an expression of disdain and coldness, because he knew Reasil would never permit Kozmo to kill his captive.

As expected, a massive boom echoed from the sky simultaneously, and another shadowy hand blocked Kozmo's assault.

Reasil let out a cold snort. "Kozmo, are you showing me no face? You hunted him for days and couldn't catch him, yet now that I have, you intend to silence him for fear I steal the credit?"

Kozmo’s face flushed crimson. "Reasil, don't slander me! I suspect this brat is trying to pull a fast one, that's why I attacked!"

"A trick?" Reasil sneered. "You couldn't catch him, but I could. You call it a trick. If you had caught him, you wouldn't be saying this, would you!"

"You..." Kozmo roared one last time. "Fine, Reasil, you win this round!" With that, he spun around and departed, vanishing as swiftly as a whirlwind.

Seeing him go, Chen Feng sighed inwardly. He had hoped the two would clash, meaning his calculated plan had misfired somewhat, but achieving this much was still satisfactory.

Once Kozmo had left, Reasil fixed Chen Feng with a cold stare. "Don't think I don't know you're trying to sow discord between us. Let me tell you, stop playing these petty games around me. If I weren't already at odds with him, I wouldn't have tolerated this!"

Chen Feng quickly nodded. "I was not trying to sow discord. You misunderstand. In my eyes, your cultivation far surpasses his; otherwise, the Lord would not have sent someone of your stature!"

This statement simultaneously flattered him and explained his motive—a perfectly aimed shot.

Reasil's expression softened considerably. Cultivators who reached the Dou Sheng level were rarely fools; Chen Feng's tone certainly suggested understanding. However, even the mightiest enjoy flattery, and Chen Feng had just given him a high compliment, bringing him immense satisfaction and causing him to dismiss the matter.

The Violet Garden Demon Territory had seven Deputy Lords, ranked by merit and status. Kozmo was the lowest, the Seventh Deputy Lord, while Reasil was the Sixth. If Kozmo were to seize all the merit from this endeavor, Reasil’s position as Sixth Deputy Lord would be jeopardized. Thus, they habitually opposed each other in the race for credit. Even without Chen Feng stoking the flames, their conflict was inherent. However, Chen Feng willingly submitting to Reasil would undoubtedly boost the latter's prestige and humiliate Kozmo, further cementing the rigid tension between them.

Although neither admitted to being manipulated by a mere Dou Zun youth, Chen Feng’s divisive maneuvering had clearly achieved some effect.

"Let's go..." Reasil stated, turning and flying off in one direction.

He did not bind Chen Feng, merely keeping him under slight spiritual surveillance. Finding the youth obediently following behind eased his mind.

Subduing the enemy without a fight was the optimal method. If he returned with the boy unsecured after this, his reputation would soar even higher. Not only would Kozmo be unable to catch up, but he might even have a chance at vying for the Fifth Deputy Lord position by year's end...

Chen Feng sneered inwardly. There was no doubt they had captured Ling Feng, but their internal disunity was a clear opportunity he could exploit to rescue her and make his escape.

The only uncertainty was whether Ling Feng was still alive.

Yet, Chen Feng held a strong premonition that she was unharmed, given the faint, instinctive resonance that had developed between them since their blood merged... an almost palpable connection where he could sense her life or death...

Reasil led Chen Feng for three days before arriving before a massive teleportation array.

They stepped inside, and with a flash of light, they vanished, reappearing in an unfamiliar setting.

Stepping out of the magic array, Chen Feng opened his eyes and surveyed his surroundings. The environment resembled an island, densely covered in unnamed shrubs. The air was fresh, and the ambient Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi was more than double what it had been on the mainland!

"Is this the Outer Sea Continent? But it should be an island!" Chen Feng muttered, realizing, "This must be the Violet Garden Demon Territory they spoke of."

"Greetings to the Sixth Deputy Lord!" Two sharp shouts rang out ahead. Chen Feng looked forward to see two armored warriors emerge from the thickets lining the path—low-ranking guards, judging by their attire, tasked with watching the island approach.

Yet, seeing these soldiers, a wry smile touched Chen Feng’s lips: both men were at the Second-rank Dou Zun level...

The fact that mere guards were Dou Zun rank spoke volumes about the strength of the Violet Garden Demon Territory.

On the mainland, a Dou Zun was considered a power beyond measure; here, they seemed common.

Reasil merely nodded, not sparing the guards a glance, and continued forward with Chen Feng in tow.

"Who is the Sixth Deputy Lord escorting? Seems like just another Second-rank Dou Zun?" the two guards conversed as the pair moved away.

"Who knows? The Lord must have some grand undertaking that people like us couldn't possibly comprehend!"

"But that Second-rank Dou Zun doesn't seem simple. I just met his gaze for a second, and my heart felt a jolt of panic!"

"You felt it too? Me too. Strange. A few days ago, the Seventh Lord captured a woman, quite young-looking, but I couldn't even discern her cultivation. What is happening lately? Are all these young ones becoming Dou Zuns?"

"Forget it. Let's get back to our posts..."

After a brief exchange, both returned to their respective guard stations.

Chen Feng followed Reasil slowly, advancing deeper. They passed dozens of checkpoints, both overt and hidden patrols, and the closer they went, the higher the ranks became. The final few hidden sentries astonishingly reached the Seventh-rank Dou Zun level!

Chen Feng was so shocked he almost couldn't speak. A Seventh-rank Dou Zun, thrown onto the mainland, would be universally revered, treated as an honored guest in any of the Four Great Empires. Here, they were mere sentries...

The disparity was almost unimaginable.

"With such might across the Outer Sea Continent, conquering the Four Great Empires should be effortless. Why have the Empires managed to maintain their status quo?" This question suddenly occurred to Chen Feng, sparking confusion.

"There must be some restriction limiting the expansion of the Outer Sea Continent forces, or perhaps... the people of the Outer Sea Continent simply look down upon the Four Great Empires?"

This thought flickered and vanished; Chen Feng knew this was absolutely not the time to dwell on such matters. (To be continued. For what happens next, please log onto www**m for more chapters, supporting the author and genuine reading!) First published.

For more novels, visit storyread.net.