Feng Xiaotian said nothing.
He felt that his earlier sense of superiority, derived from his academy and reputation, had been mercilessly shattered in the face of this overwhelming gap in strength and talent…
Not even a trace was left!
His throat went dry, as if blocked by something.
Looking into Dai Chengfeng's calm eyes, his tightly clenched fists had unconsciously loosened, his palms drenched in cold sweat.
The innate full soul power he prided himself on, along with his Stormwind Doubleheaded Wolf martial soul…
In the presence of the other's unknown yet immense pressure, they trembled ever so slightly!
Huo Wu instinctively took half a step back. The anger on her face had already been replaced by an indescribable mix of shock and fear.
As for her fire attribute soul power fluctuations?
They had vanished without a trace the moment the rose-gold soul ring appeared, as if doused with a bucket of icy water.
She looked at Dai Chengfeng, then at Ning Rongrong, who now exuded even more confidence thanks to his arrival, her proud smile radiating triumph.
A wave of intense frustration and helplessness overwhelmed her.
"How about it?"
Dai Chengfeng spoke again.
Feng Xiaotian heard him, took a deep breath, and forced down the shock that nearly suffocated him. He struggled to make his voice sound steady.
But it still carried a hint of dryness he couldn't fully conceal, along with unprecedented gravity.
He looked at Dai Chengfeng and asked in a low voice, "You… who exactly are you?"
His tone no longer carried its previous arrogance, only deep caution and curiosity.
After all, Feng Xiaotian could not fathom when such a terrifying young Soul King had appeared on the continent.
What kind of power could nurture such a monster?
Dai Chengfeng calmly met his gaze, offering no answer to the question. Instead, he repeated his earlier query in that same unruffled tone:
"Now, do I still need to give you face?"
Then, his gaze shifted slightly downward, landing on the jade ring still gripped by Ning Rongrong and Huo Wu.
"Do you still want to fight over this ring?"
Feng Xiaotian's face alternated between pale and flushed, fluctuating wildly. In front of a Soul King whose strength was unfathomable—especially one with such an inconceivable configuration of soul rings—
All his earlier threats and advantages seemed laughably feeble, like the antics of a clown.
Fight?
That would be inviting humiliation and might even bring unforeseen consequences.
Behind him, Huo Wu, despite her fiery and stubborn nature, knew the stakes. She bit her red lips, glaring at the jade ring that had sparked the dispute but dared not utter another word.
As for the skinny stall owner, he had already retreated behind his stall, trembling uncontrollably.
He wished he could transform into an object, terrified that the conflict among these soul masters might involve him.
Ning Rongrong watched Feng Xiaotian and Huo Wu, who moments ago had been arrogant and intimidating, attempting to overpower them with their prestigious backgrounds.
Seeing their speechless, pale faces after Dai Chengfeng displayed his absolute strength filled her with an indescribable sense of satisfaction and pride—more joyous than if she herself had won the fight.
Instinctively, she straightened her already slender waist and clung tighter to Dai Chengfeng's arm, like a little princess who had found her strongest protector after a victorious battle.
She lifted her chin, sending a triumphant signal to Huo Wu with her eyes.
Dai Chengfeng, seeing Huo Wu release the ring, ignored Feng Xiaotian's gaze filled with defeat and questions.
Instead, he turned to the stall owner, who was trembling like a leaf, and casually pulled out a gleaming gold coin from his soul tool, tossing it over.
The gold soul coin traced a graceful arc, landing accurately in the stall owner's arms.
"Boss, I'll take this ring."
His tone brooked no argument.
The stall owner fumbled to catch the gold coin, which was enough to buy half of his stall. Clutching it like a lifeline, he bowed repeatedly, his voice shaking:
"Thank you, great soul master! Thank you for your generous reward!"
"The ring is yours! It absolutely belongs to you! This humble one was blind…"
Dai Chengfeng said no more, reaching out and effortlessly taking the smooth, emerald-green jade ring from Huo Wu's fingers, who had lost all courage to fight for it.
Then, he directly grabbed Ning Rongrong's fair hand and placed the ring into her palm.
"Take it. It's getting late; we should head back."
His tone returned to its usual gentleness as he spoke to Ning Rongrong.
Ning Rongrong held the jade ring, still warm from Dai Chengfeng's palm, feeling a sweet warmth spread from her hand to her heart.
All her earlier grievances, unhappiness, and anger dissipated in that moment.
She obediently nodded, her voice soft and sweet:
"Mm! I'll listen to you."
Dai Chengfeng didn't linger further. He turned and led Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, and Hu Liena away.
Under the awestruck, envious, astonished, and complex gazes of the surrounding crowd, they calmly parted the throng and strode off.
It wasn't until the figures of Dai Chengfeng and the three girls disappeared at the end of the street that the suffocating aura finally dissipated.
The onlookers snapped out of their trance, erupting into even more fervent discussions, speculating about Dai Chengfeng's origins before gradually dispersing.
Only Feng Xiaotian and Huo Wu remained frozen in place.
Feng Xiaotian's expression fluctuated, eventually settling into a dark scowl. His tightly clenched fists whitened at the knuckles from the force.
Dai Chengfeng's unfathomable strength and nonchalant attitude pierced into his proud heart like sharp thorns.
Feng Xiaotian, the genius of God Wind Academy, had never faced such humiliation and disregard before.
Huo Wu looked at Feng Xiaotian's grim expression, wanting to say something but ultimately stomped her foot in frustration. She stared at the direction Dai Chengfeng and the others had left, gritting her silver teeth.
It was as if she wanted to etch Dai Chengfeng's handsome yet indifferent face firmly into her memory.
...
Walking back to the inn on the stone-paved road, Ning Rongrong still hadn't let go of Dai Chengfeng's arm. It was as if she feared that the figure who had descended like a god to rescue her moments ago would vanish if she loosened her grip.
She tilted her pretty face up, her crystal-clear, large eyes sparkling with undisguised excitement and admiration.
"Dai Chengfeng! You were so cool just now!"
Her voice was crisp and melodious, brimming with the unique cheerfulness of a young girl.
"Whoosh! Five soul rings lit up, especially that beautiful rose-gold soul ring!"
"Did you see the looks on Feng Xiaotian and that fiery dragoness? Their faces changed so dramatically!"
"Hahaha, serves them right for being arrogant and trying to intimidate us with their academy names. They hit a steel wall, didn't they?"
As she spoke, she proudly shook her little head. Then, seeking affirmation, she turned to look at Zhu Zhuqing and Hu Liena beside her:
"Zhuqing, Sister Nana…"
"Don't you think so?"
"Wasn't Dai Chengfeng just incredibly impressive?!"
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