"What right do you have to be arrogant? Who do you think you are?" The Second Young Master's voice dripped with contempt as a crowd surged in. Luckily, the private room was spacious enough to accommodate them easily.

To the Second Young Master's right stood a long-bearded elder, his face ruddy, his eyes flashing with golden light.

"Scram," Chen Feng stated flatly, barely sparing them a glance.

"You..." The Second Young Master roared, veins throbbing on his face, about to order his Twelve Guards to move when a hand shot out to stop him. "Elder Shu, you..."

The elder, addressed as Elder Shu, glanced at Chen Feng and his companions. "This old man, Bai Wangshu, is somewhat known on the Continent. I see you are all youths, prone to impulsiveness. I won't make things difficult for you; please leave quickly!"

With that, he tossed two high-grade crystals forward. "This meal is on me!"

"Elder Shu..." The Second Young Master was baffled that Elder Shu not only yielded but offered to pay, yet this old man was notoriously eccentric. Since he had made up his mind, so be it. He reluctantly told Chen Feng and the others, "For Elder Shu's sake, I'll spare you this once. Now, get out!"

At this moment, Xiao Hu shouted at the top of his lungs, "Boss, do you think these two are idiots? Otherwise, how could they be so simple-minded?"

His voice was loud, and the youths burst into raucous laughter. To act pretentious in front of them—wasn't that asking for trouble?

"You... You refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit! Twelve Guards!" the Second Young Master bellowed.

"Present!" The twelve men behind him responded in unison and stepped forward.

"Hold on," Wangshu called out, looking at Chen Feng and the others. "This old man dislikes bullying the young. You should leave quickly. If a fight breaks out, you will be the ones to suffer!"

"And if we refuse to leave?" Ben Si demanded angrily.

"Perhaps you haven't heard of this old man's reputation! I am a peak expert of the Sacred Domain, in seclusion for over 200 years. The clan leaders and lords of the Three Great Territories and Four Great Domains call me brother. Although you are being unreasonable today, I shouldn't resort to bullying a group of youngsters. Go on, leave!" Bai Wangshu declared with feigned benevolence.

His words, instead of provoking anger, stirred curiosity. These were figures from the Three Great Territories and Four Great Domains, yet no one had ever heard of such an immensely powerful person. Based on his tone, he sounded nearly as formidable as the Fist Emperor!

"You know the clan leaders and lords of the Three Great Territories and Four Great Domains?" Ben Si couldn't help but ask.

"Of course! We often drink together! A month ago, the Lord of the Golden Crow Demon Territory invited me to his residence. I was in deep meditation and had no time, so I politely declined."

Ben Si started, muttering inwardly, My father invited him for drinks? How have I never heard of this? A month ago... A month ago, I was in closed cultivation preparing for the competition; perhaps I truly didn't know!

"Do you know the Fist Emperor?" Di suddenly asked.

When the Second Young Master heard Di’s voice and saw her beautiful face, his desire flared, and he nearly drooled. If Bai Wangshu hadn't been present, he would have pounced long ago.

"The Fist Emperor?" Bai Wangshu stroked his beard, gazing out the window with an air of smug satisfaction. "The Fist Emperor and I are old friends. We were drinking together just the other day. His tolerance for alcohol is truly impressive!"

Long Xiaojiang, Di, and Angelisa exchanged glances and simultaneously let out soft laughs.

Di's eyes glinted. She stood up, poured a full cup of wine, and approached them. "It seems you are indeed a great master, sir. We are deeply honored to meet you here! Please forgive us for the previous exchange!"

"No matter, no matter. I am a man of broad tolerance and never bother myself with the trivialities of younger generations!" Bai Wangshu swelled with pride at the compliment.

"Heh heh, then please have this drink, senior!" Di suddenly flicked her wrist, the movement as fast as lightning. The cup shot out like an arrow, aimed straight for the elder's mouth. With a loud crack, it smashed against his face, shattering into countless pieces.

"Ah... How dare a junior launch a sneak attack on me!" Bai Wangshu roared in fury.

Di smiled faintly without answering, twisting her wrist, condensing her jade fist, and delivering a blow to his chest.

The wretched Bai Wangshu let out a miserable cry, immediately losing his balance, flying backward, and slipping on the stairs, tumbling down.

The Second Young Master and the others were stunned dumbfounded. What in the world was happening?

Ben Si was equally perplexed, staring at Di in astonishment. "What was that..."

"He was faking it. Everything that old man said was a lie!" Di explained, then turned to Chen Feng, noticing him casually eating, seemingly having known the truth all along.

"How did you figure it out?" Ben Si asked.

"When I mentioned my master, he claimed to know him and even drink with him. But my master never drinks alcohol!" Di laughed, biting her lip as she looked at Chen Feng. "Iori Yagami, how... how did you see through it?"

Although she knew his name was Chen Feng, she habitually called him Iori Yagami; it felt more intimate that way.

"His footing was unsteady, his vital energy insufficient, and his muscles were entirely slack. His true cultivation level hasn't even reached Dou Zun. How can you trust anything such a person says?" Chen Feng stated plainly.

Only then did everyone regard Chen Feng with admiration. None of them had noticed these details; yet, he had pointed them out so simply.

It was understandable; these people had grown up in ivory towers, never experiencing the life-or-death situations Chen Feng had endured. To survive, he had developed the habit of assessing everyone’s movements and strength upon meeting them.

"You guys..." Even the Second Young Master, dumb as he was, now knew he had provoked someone tough. He opened his mouth to speak but found no words.

"Xiao Hu, toss them all down," Chen Feng commanded.

Xiao Hu had been waiting for this order. With a triumphant look, he sprung up, grabbed the Second Young Master by the head, and threw him directly down. The Twelve Guards tried to resist, but they were no match for Xiao Hu, and each one tumbled down the stairs.

Wangshu, who had been knocked to the ground by Di, was just struggling to stand when a loud crash echoed from above, followed by a scream, as the group fell and piled on top of him...

Whether it was the old man or the Twelve Guards, they might manage to bully citizens in a town, but when they encountered true masters, they were finished.

After this minor disruption, the relationship among the twelve people smoothed out considerably. Chen Feng now understood why Fist Emperor had sent them out so early: it was for practice—how else could a team hone their coordination?

Ben Si found accommodations, and they settled in. There was no rush to travel; it was already dark, so there was no need to hurry.

They stayed in a quiet, spacious small courtyard where everyone had a private room. Chen Feng took the leftmost room, with Ling Feng staying next door.

Standing in the courtyard, Chen Feng pondered what Fist Emperor had told him. The Icebound Demon Garden was not as simple as imagined; it contained not only demonic beasts but also other bizarre races, such as the Behemoth Clan and the Elves... they were all within!

They absolutely must not antagonize these races. Although their individual power might be inferior to theirs, they were rare races protected by the gods. Fighting them could sometimes summon avatars of those gods!

Behemoth Clan? Elves? These were races he'd only encountered in novels from his past life. He would meet them soon!

It had been over five years since he arrived in this world, transitioning from naivety to maturity, through countless trials and brushes with death. Recalling it now felt like a dream.

He could never see his parents or classmates from his past life again. He remembered once wildly playing The King of Fighters with his roommate, Da Bing, when a wave of emotion washed over him. During an intense match where he was using Kyo against Da Bing, the arcade machine suddenly exploded!

He had imagined a thousand ways to die, but never expected this. To die this way, and then be transmigrated here—life was truly unpredictable.

Arriving in this world, he gained power incomparable to his previous life. Was this a blessing or a curse?

"What are you thinking about?" Ling Feng's soft voice came from behind him.

"Nothing much," Chen Feng replied with a smile, looking at Ling Feng.

He could tell her about his transmigration, but Chen Feng didn't want to; explaining it would be too troublesome.

"The journey to the Seven Temples ahead is fraught with danger. Are you afraid?" Chen Feng asked.

"Afraid? Where you are, there is no fear," Ling Feng stated calmly.

Chen Feng's heart stirred, and he pulled her tightly into his embrace, greedily inhaling the faint, delicate fragrance of youth emanating from her. Suddenly, he felt that coming to this other world was the right choice.

What was the purpose of living one's life? Nothing more than happiness! Having someone who loved and understood him, a few friends who would face death with him, and the freedom to do what he loved... That was enough!

If one worried and thought too much, what meaning was left in living?

Having resolved this, Chen Feng let out a long breath, feeling his spiritual power undergo a metamorphosis, growing stronger again!

After reaching the Sacred Domain, spiritual perception usually extended one thousand meters in radius. Chen Feng, being inherently extraordinary, could reach three thousand meters, which was why his instant movement speed was faster than Jin Du’s!

Why had he worked so hard since transmigrating? This knot in his heart, like a fishbone, suddenly dissolved, and the growth rate of his spiritual power became extraordinarily fast. In an instant, his spiritual perception expanded like a whirlwind to five thousand meters!

"You broke through?" Ling Feng's eyes widened as she felt the spiritual energy permeating the air, surprise coloring her voice.

"What's happening?" Everyone in the room sensed Chen Feng's change and rushed out.

Whoosh!

Just then, a sharp cry echoed from nearby. The wall tops were lined with layer upon layer of men clad in golden armor and iron helmets—they were city guards!

"Hmph, cross me, and all you deserve is death!" A cold, sinister voice drifted in from outside the courtyard. It was the Second Young Master. "Fire the arrows!"

He roared, and ten thousand arrows immediately descended like a torrential rainstorm from the sky! (To be continued. For future developments, please log on to www**com for more chapters, support the author, and read legitimate content!)