Chapter 129: Fellow Daoist...

Zhao Feng wore black tactical trousers, a black windbreaker, and tan combat boots. With his hands buried in his pockets, he approached Zhai Xiangyu. Looking up at his towering frame, Zhai Xiangyu felt the pressure mounting instantly.

Zhai Xiangyu forced a stiff smile. "Fellow Daoist, we are ready to depart!"

Zhao Feng had changed his appearance. He had returned to his true form, no longer masquerading as Xiang Tao. Although he had changed his look, it was not out of fear of Xiang Tao, but rather to avoid unnecessary complications. Zhao Feng gestured toward the outside with his chin, signaling for Zhai Xiangyu to lead the way.

Zhai Xiangyu bowed respectfully, extending his right hand in a gesture of invitation. "Please."

Zhao Feng gave a faint nod. With hands still in his pockets, he strode toward the exit with his long, athletic legs.

Today, Hong Chang had traded her usual red dress for a black tactical ensemble: black trousers, a red windbreaker, and black combat boots. Standing at 1.8 meters tall, she looked heroic, striking, and alluring.

The two walked out of the seaside villa to find a red Range Rover parked on the road. Zhao Feng opened the door and climbed in, followed by Hong Chang. Once they were both settled, Zhai Xiangyu wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

"Phew! The pressure those two exert is immense!" Shaking his head, he got into the driver's seat.

"Vroom!" He started the engine and sped away.

The bright Nanhai Road was kissed by a gentle breeze. A crescent-shaped white beach hugged the vast ocean, and a coastal highway circled the island. The red Range Rover tore down the road like the wind, heading toward the southern tip of Crescent Island.

About twenty minutes later, the car pulled to a stop at the island's southernmost point. Zhai Xiangyu stepped out and personally opened the doors for Zhao Feng and Hong Chang. The two stepped onto the sand with their long, graceful strides.

Zhao Feng removed his sunglasses and glanced into the distance. "How many people have come?"

Zhai Xiangyu scratched his head, confused. Unsure if the question was born of pleasure or displeasure, he replied cautiously, "Thirty people."

"Too many. Ten at most." Zhao Feng’s words were less of a suggestion and more of a decree.

"But..." Zhai Xiangyu hesitated.

Zhao Feng’s voice cut through the air again. "Rare treasures and sites of favorable geomancy are inherently dangerous. Are you bringing all these people just to send them to their deaths?"

In truth, Zhao Feng’s concern was not born of kindness; he simply loathed the inconvenience. If these people were to perish, it would be of no concern to him.

Zhai Xiangyu took a deep breath. "But I have already given them my word!"

"That is your problem. Deal with it yourself," Zhao Feng said, cutting him off. "If I find more than ten people, I am pulling out."

"This..."

Just as it seemed the standoff would continue, a voice interjected. "Kid, aren't you being a bit too arrogant? By what right do you decide who stays and who goes?"

Zhao Feng turned to see a middle-aged man in a Tang suit approaching—it was Du Meng from the night before. Beside him walked Xiang Tao.

Upon turning, Zhao Feng’s gaze didn't linger on Du Meng; it fell directly upon Xiang Tao. Zhao Feng stood with arms crossed, exuding a spirited, imposing, and handsome air. Xiang Tao was equally handsome, though his eyes held a sinister glint.

Now in his true form, Zhao Feng was instantly recognized. "Zhao Feng?"

Zhao Feng remained silent. He swept a glance over Xiang Tao and turned his focus back to Du Meng. Honestly, seeing Xiang Tao again today stirred no ripples in his heart. He looked at him as one would a complete stranger, a realization that left Xiang Tao deeply unsettled.

Du Meng frowned and leaned toward Xiang Tao. "Xiao Tao, do you know him?"

"This..." Xiang Tao hesitated. "I must have mistaken him for someone else. If we knew each other, he wouldn't be this calm."

Du Meng nodded. "Understood." He turned back to Zhao Feng. "Kid, on what authority do you decide who stays and who goes?"

Zhao Feng offered a cold, mocking smile. "They are nothing but useless trash; going there would only be a death sentence."

"Hmph!" Du Meng was instantly incensed. A faint surge of spiritual energy began to radiate from him. "Kid, who are your elders? What is your sect? To call my Hong Kong Du family trash—you are the first."

Zhao Feng sneered. "Honestly, you aren't even qualified to know who my elders are."

"Hmph!" Du Meng snorted. "Today, I shall teach you a lesson on behalf of your elders!"

With that, Du Meng lunged forward, his hands curled into eagle claws, striking toward Zhao Feng’s throat with irresistible force. Zhao Feng smiled coldly, leaned back, and dodged the strike with ease. Du Meng was startled, but only for a moment.

"A genius, are you? It’s a pity that geniuses often die young." Unwilling to back down, Du Meng spat, and a streak of white light shot toward Zhao Feng.

"Pfft!" Zhao Feng scoffed. "Flashy and useless."

Without any wasted movement, Zhao Feng slowly extended his right arm, clenched his fist, and punched sharply into the void.

"Boom!" A sonic boom resonated through the air.

"Ugh!" Du Meng spat out a mouthful of blood. He stared at Zhao Feng in shock and terror, letting out a high-pitched, shrill cry. "How is this possible?"

Du Meng was the strongest among them, possessing the cultivation of the sixth level of Qi Refining—the very reason he acted so imperiously. He stared at Zhao Feng in disbelief. "Seventh level of Qi Refining? How is that possible?"

"To reach the seventh level at such a young age—are you a disciple of Zhongnan Mountain or Kunlun?"

Zhao Feng shook his head slowly. "I come from the Medicine Supremacy Sect, a forty-third generation disciple." He said it like a declaration to the world.

Du Meng trembled. "The Medicine Supremacy Sect? I’ve never heard of it. Which hidden sect is that?"

Zhao Feng chuckled coldly. "You aren't qualified to know."

Du Meng inhaled sharply, realizing he had kicked an iron plate. He found himself in a difficult position; he was riding a tiger and could not easily dismount. With all the other cultivators in the realm watching, losing face now would disgrace not just himself, but the entire Du family.

With a grim expression, Du Meng quickly pivoted. He looked at Zhao Feng. "Fellow Daoist..." His tone had shifted completely, abandoning the "kid" label for a respectful address.

Zhao Feng raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Something on your mind?"