Chapter 124: Nothing More Than This

Feng Chuxun followed behind Shen Qingyun in silence. His somber mood seemed to materialize into an aura that radiated from him, infecting everyone nearby.

Sensing Feng Chuxun’s dejection, Shen Qingyun slowed his pace to walk beside him.

"Feeling frustrated?" Shen Qingyun asked, casting a slight glance at Feng Chuxun’s profile.

"Yes," Feng Chuxun nodded.

"Me too." Shen Qingyun tilted his head slightly, his eyes narrowing. "But what can we do? Our cultivation is too low; in front of the powerful, we don't even have the right to negotiate."

"So, strive to become stronger!"

Feng Chuxun did not respond. He knew that the most powerful force in the Southern Region was right here, yet because of his age and cultivation level, he was barred from entry. If Zixiao Academy wouldn't take him, where else could he go?

After a moment of silence, Feng Chuxun asked, "Boss, if you were to draw that dark red halberd of yours, could you fight them?"

Shen Qingyun was taken aback, surprised by the depth of Feng Chuxun’s resentment and that he had set his sights on the Heaven-Suppressing Halberd. Still, he answered truthfully: "Perhaps I would have a fighting chance, but the odds of defeat would be higher. After all, the wielder's cultivation is too low."

"In other words, if you were at my level of cultivation, you could fight them using the halberd?"

Shen Qingyun blinked. "Something like that. Do you want me to go and teach them a lesson?"

"No," Feng Chuxun shook his head, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. "Boss, your abilities are so great, why can't you be my teacher? If you taught me, my achievements would surely be no less than those at this so-called Zixiao Academy!"

Shen Qingyun looked at him and smiled. "Have you forgotten? I told you that our paths are different. All I can do is offer guidance on your path of the sword; the ultimate journey must be walked by you alone."

"Proud as you are, you wouldn't want to reach the pinnacle only to have me pushing you from behind, would you?"

Feng Chuxun fell silent. Shen Qingyun was right. Proud as he was, if he ever had the chance to reach the peak, he wanted to do it step by step, relying on his own strength.

"Then what shall we do next?" Feng Chuxun asked, dropping the previous topic. There was no point in asking about things for which the outcome was already clear.

"Didn't I say? We are going to finish what we started." Shen Qingyun’s lips curled into a faint, confident smile.

"There's still something left to do?" Feng Chuxun looked puzzled; he genuinely had no idea what was left unfinished.

"Of course there is," Shen Qingyun said. "Aren't we supposed to challenge the students of Zixiao Academy?"

"Ah?" Feng Chuxun was startled. His own strength was what it was; challenging one or two was fine, but any more than that, and he would truly be out of his depth.

*Does he really think everyone has his abnormal combat strength?* Feng Chuxun muttered to himself, feeling a twinge of envy. He could fight a small tier above his level thanks to his sword intent, but Shen Qingyun was truly different. He was shrouded in so many impossibilities and wonders that he could fight across entire realms.

As if seeing through Feng Chuxun’s thoughts, Shen Qingyun smiled and consoled him: "This time, I'll take the lead, and you can provide support. How about that? Once we're finished, I'll teach you that technique you've always wanted to learn."

Hearing the latter half of the sentence, Feng Chuxun’s eyes lit up. "Really? Then I want to learn that move of yours—the Sky-Filling Golden Swords!"

"Sky-Filling Golden Swords?" Shen Qingyun paused; what a strange name. But seeing this rare glimpse of youthful spirit in Feng Chuxun, he decided not to correct him. He nodded and said, "Fine, I will teach you that move." As he spoke, he sighed inwardly. He was struggling to keep his secrets hidden. Could Feng Chuxun truly be trusted?

...

In the pavilion, only after Shen Qingyun and Feng Chuxun had departed did Ye Zhong and Cheng Feng gradually recover. The unfathomable power had caused a tremor deep within their souls, even sparking an instinctual urge to worship. It was this that had prevented them from striking at Shen Qingyun immediately.

Given that Shen Yi was still present, the two of them tacitly buried the incident, choosing to dismiss it as an illusion. After all, Shen Qingyun was merely a Foundation Establishment youngster.

"Let us continue the game," Ye Zhong said flatly, though the hand holding his white piece froze in mid-air. Seeing Ye Zhong’s strange behavior, Cheng Feng asked in confusion, "What is the matter with you?"

Ye Zhong sighed, set the white piece down, and gestured for Cheng Feng to look at the board. "See for yourself."

Cheng Feng blinked and looked down, sharp intake of breath escaping him. At some point, the white pieces had been completely cut off—he had been checkmated!

"This..."

"It was him," Ye Zhong said in a low, heavy tone.

"But he only placed one piece. How on earth did he do it?" Cheng Feng asked, his eyes filled with unconcealed shock. He and Ye Zhong had always played to a draw, yet this young man had ended the game with a single move!

"Forget it. Let us look at that letter." Ye Zhong shook his head; there was no point in continuing the game now. He reached out to pick up the recommendation letter Shen Qingyun had left on the table.

"What is this?" When Ye Zhong opened the envelope and read the contents, he could no longer maintain his composure.

Seeing Ye Zhong’s rare display of agitation, Cheng Feng grew curious about the letter's contents and couldn't help but ask, "What does it say?"

Handing the letter to Cheng Feng, Ye Zhong laughed mockingly. "Old Cheng, it seems the two of us old fools have misjudged someone this time."

Cheng Feng’s hand stiffened noticeably, then he put the letter down and smiled at Ye Zhong. "That’s you. I didn’t do anything."

Looking at Cheng Feng, who was now distancing himself from the situation, Ye Zhong shook his head helplessly. He turned his gaze toward Shen Yi, who was standing there obediently, and asked, "Mentor Shen, where did you encounter those two?"

He paused, then added, "Tell me every single detail without leaving anything out."

Shen Yi trembled as he spoke, recounting the situation exactly as he had encountered Shen Qingyun and his companion, without the slightest omission.

Ye Zhong swept a meaningful glance over Shen Yi and said, "So, you are saying they fought their way in from the main gate. The students of the Five Palaces couldn't capture them even by ganging up, and even you, having intervened personally, were defeated by that man. You have quite the talent, Mentor Shen!"

Shen Yi felt his face burn with alternating waves of heat. Ye Zhong’s words felt like an invisible slap to his face—loud and stinging.

"Enough," Cheng Feng interjected at the right moment to smooth things over. "Mentor Shen simply underestimated that youngster. According to his account, that young man is indeed rather peculiar."

Ye Zhong rolled his eyes at Cheng Feng. It was always like this: Cheng Feng played the good guy, and he took the blame. It was why the students called him pedantic and stubborn, while Cheng Feng was considered open-minded and approachable.

Cheng Feng smiled, immune to the eye-roll, then suddenly recalled something. "Then, the 'unfinished business' he mentioned earlier, that would actually be..."

"Oh no!"

...

"The Zixiao Three Palaces are nothing more than this."

Shen Qingyun, holding a halberd condensed from spiritual power, looked down from above at the person curled up like a shrimp at his feet. He then swept his gaze over the onlookers, his lips curling in disdain. "Are you really students of Zixiao Academy?"