Inside the pavilion, Gu Qingfeng sat with his eyes closed, brows furrowed, his expression grave and his face somewhat pale. As the vitality within that gray Lonely Star grew increasingly vigorous, the Spiritual Power within his body grew more chaotic—so chaotic it was beginning to slip beyond his control. It wasn't just the Spiritual Power; his blood and qi were the same, flowing backward and rampaging wildly.
Just then, Kang Zhengqi's figure flashed forward as he arrogantly and sharply shouted, "Hey, you surnamed Gu! Do you know who this young master is?"
Gu Qingfeng was in no mood to deal with these little brats right now. He slowly rose to his feet, considering finding a place to meditate and regulate his breathing.
Not far away, Lan Feier saw Kang Zhengqi foolishly seeking trouble with Gu Qingfeng. She wanted to rush over and stop him, but she really didn't want to get close to Gu Qingfeng. She sent a secret voice transmission: "Kang Zhengqi, what are you doing? Come back at once!"
"Fei'er, don't worry. This is Elder Shi Tong's place. I know my limits; I won't go too hard on him!"
Lan Feier felt like crying but had no tears. She knew full well how powerful Gu Qingfeng was. For Kang Zhengqi to now brazenly go and provoke him was pure suicide!
"Damn it! You're no match for him at all! Come back!"
If Lan Feier hadn't said that, it might have been fine. But hearing those words, Kang Zhengqi naturally felt extremely indignant. He retorted, "I'm no match for him? Hmph!"
As his voice fell, brilliant light shimmered around Kang Zhengqi's body—a dazzling, multicolored radiance. He was one of the Fengyun Nine Spirits, also a genius of the Ninefold Flowing Color. Among the younger generation of the Fengyun Branch, he was the most famous aside from Lan Feier. Seeing Gu Qingfeng seemed about to leave, he immediately manifested his Ninefold Flowing Color.
"Stay right there!"
As everyone knew, Ninefold Flowing Color was the true embodiment of the Great Natural Order's Color Spirit. Only Ninefold Flowing Color contained the powerful momentum of the Grand Natural Order.
The powerful momentum of the Grand Natural Order erupted, instantly turning the surroundings into a scene of violent storms and flashing lightning, utterly terrifying.
"No!"
The moment Kang Zhengqi manifested his Ninefold Flowing Color, Lan Feier could no longer care about awkwardness or not. She rushed over because she understood better than anyone that Kang Zhengqi was playing with fire, courting death!
However, as she rushed forward, she suddenly realized something was amiss. Gu Qingfeng, who had been about to leave, had for some reason suddenly halted. Moreover, his face was deathly pale, beads of sweat dotted his forehead, and he looked as if he were enduring something. Taking a single step seemed incredibly difficult, as if he couldn't even stand steadily, forcing him to lean against a nearby stone pillar for support.
"Hmph! A nouveau riche is just a nouveau riche!"
Seeing Gu Qingfeng unable to even stand steadily under the momentum of his Grand Natural Order, Kang Zhengqi was immensely pleased. The arrogance in his expression grew even more unrestrained as he said haughtily, "You get a stroke of luck one day and think you're invincible under heaven. You ran rampant in the Flaming Sun Region because that place is full of trash. Before my Ninefold Flowing Color, you can't even stand straight!"
The surrounding crowd watched this scene unfold and couldn't help but murmur among themselves.
They could all see that the momentum of Kang Zhengqi's Ninefold Flowing Color Grand Natural Order was extremely powerful. They could also see that under the enveloping momentum of the Grand Natural Order, Gu Qingfeng's face was ghastly pale, his forehead covered in sweat, truly unable to stand steadily.
Many were disappointed by this sight. They had originally thought this Gu Qingfeng was something special, but now it seemed he was nothing much after all.
Even though back in the Flaming Sun Region, he had beaten Jingtao and killed Long Fei—Jingtao possessed a Natural Color Spirit, and Long Fei also possessed a Natural Color Spirit, a Sevenfold Jade Color at that—but that was only a Sevenfold Jade Color. The difference between sevenfold and ninefold might seem small, but in reality, they were incomparable. The Ninefold Flowing Color of the Great Natural Order was considered perfect. Precisely because it was perfect, it contained the momentum of the Grand Natural Order.
"Zhuo Feng! Open your eyes and see clearly!"
Kang Zhengqi stood with his hands behind his back, the momentum of the Grand Natural Order contained within his Ninefold Flowing Color burning like flames that enveloped the entire pavilion. Seizing the moment, he mocked, "If you're cowardly, you're cowardly. If you don't dare, you don't dare. Don't make excuses in the future, hmph! A mere little nouveau riche scared you so much you didn't even dare to make a move. And you still call yourself the leader of the Fire Cloud Nine Young Masters? What a disgrace!"
Zhuo Feng stood there dumbfounded, eyes wide, utterly unable to believe what was happening before him.
Indeed.
Back in the ancient pagoda of the Black-Raven Secret Realm, he had personally witnessed how Bai He's Ninefold Flowing Color momentum couldn't budge Gu Qingfeng at all, and how he himself had been bloodied by the latter's Spiritual Power. He also knew very well that Kang Zhengqi's strength was at best on par with his own, perhaps even inferior. How could merely the momentum of the Grand Natural Order suppress Gu Qingfeng to this extent?
He didn't believe it, and he couldn't understand it.
And Lan Feier believed it even less, understanding it even less. She knew better than Zhuo Feng just how terrifying Gu Qingfeng was. Forget one Kang Zhengqi; even ten, a hundred Kang Zhenggis might not be able to budge him.
Lan Feier still remembered clearly: back in the Black-Raven Secret Realm, she, along with Shui Yunruo, Chen Yue, Xiao Shanrou, and Qingzhu—five of them—had exerted their utmost and still couldn't do a thing to this guy. She herself possessed a Four Realms Ninefold Flowing Color, plus an Innate Treasure Body, and an 81-revolution Golden Core. Shui Yunruo and Chen Yue were on par with her, while Xiao Shanrou and Qingzhu were Nascent Soul experts. The five of them joining forces hadn't been able to shake this guy.
And Kang Zhengqi's Great Natural Order Color Spirit was only at the First Realm, Ninefold. The Grand Natural Order momentum it contained wasn't that strong either. How could this be...
"Your Fire Cloud Branch and our Fengyun Branch both belong to the Chibang. We share the same breath and branches, so to speak."
At this moment, Kang Zhengqi was wildly arrogant, his demeanor overflowing with smugness.
Indeed.
Earlier, Zhuo Feng hadn't dared to make a move against Gu Qingfeng. Yet after he stepped forward, merely using the momentum of the Grand Natural Order had suppressed Gu Qingfeng to the point he couldn't even stand steadily. This had earned him plenty of face in front of so many people. And he intended to add fuel to the fire, saying,
"Jingtao, Zhuo Feng said he'd make this nouveau riche surnamed Gu kneel and apologize to you, and that he'd repay tenfold how he beat you that day. Since he can't do it, I'll stand up for you..." As Kang Zhengqi was speaking, Lan Feier couldn't hold back her anger and snapped, "Kang Zhengqi, that's enough! Are you finished or not? Withdraw your Color Spirit's momentum!"
"Fei'er, this nouveau riche surnamed Gu dared to lay hands on Jingtao. That means he doesn't take our Chibang seriously. Why are you pitying someone like him?"
"I told you to withdraw the Great Natural Order Color Spirit!"
Seeing that Lan Feier was genuinely angry, Kang Zhengqi, though very displeased, had no choice but to withdraw his Great Natural Order Color Spirit. He glanced at Gu Qingfeng disdainfully and said, "You, surnamed Gu. This time, out of respect for Fei'er, I'll let you off for now. But this matter isn't over. It won't be over. I believe you'll eventually learn what consequences await those who show disrespect to our Chibang."
"Gu... Gu Qingfeng... Are... are you alright?"
Lan Feier frowned slightly, asking softly. Although she didn't know what exactly was wrong with Gu Qingfeng, one thing was certain: this guy definitely wasn't being suppressed by Kang Zhengqi's Grand Natural Order momentum.