When that voice rang out, Chu Feng felt a gentle force envelop him, carrying him swiftly backward.
When his body stopped drifting and the force surrounding him dissipated, Chu Feng was startled to find a familiar old man standing beside him. This old man was none other than Zi Ling's grandfather — Zi Xuanyuan.
However, Zi Xuanyuan at this moment still gave Chu Feng an overwhelming impression of strength. Even though Chu Feng's cultivation had soared dramatically thanks to the power of the forbidden medicine, he still could not see through Zi Xuanyuan's true level of cultivation. Moreover, from the calm and composed look on the old man's face, it was clear he had not the slightest fear of the Jie Xingpeng before them.
"And who might you be?" Jie Xingpeng's sword-like brows shot upward as he asked coldly.
"I am a friend of Chu Feng." Zi Xuanyuan squinted his eyes slightly and replied amicably.
"A friend? I asked for your name." Jie Xingpeng snorted coldly.
"Ah, you want my name. This old man is called Zi Xuanyuan." Zi Xuanyuan smiled apologetically.
"You're Zi Xuanyuan?" Upon hearing that name, Jie Xingpeng's expression actually changed, a flash of shock appearing in his eyes.
"Hm? Has this young man heard of this old man's name before?" Zi Xuanyuan asked with a smile.
"Heh. Many years ago, the overlord of Qinzhou was the Dimal Palace. The Dimal Palace had a deep foundation and had dominated Qinzhou for three hundred years, suppressing all other forces within the region. No faction in Qinzhou could hope to rival the Dimal Palace."
"But the then-obscure Supreme Fortress suddenly rose to prominence over a decade ago, defeating the Dimal Palace and becoming the new overlord of Qinzhou. And all of that was connected to a single old man."
"This old man came to the Supreme Fortress and took up the position of Guest Elder. It seemed simple enough on the surface, but in reality, it brought about a complete transformation of the Supreme Fortress. Within just a few short years, the sect expanded rapidly until it surpassed the Dimal Palace and became the dominant force in Qinzhou."
"And that legendary old man — wouldn't that be you, Zi Xuanyuan?" As he spoke, Jie Xingpeng's eyes remained fixed on the old man with an odd gaze.
"Hahaha, who would have thought this old man had become so famous? Although, outsiders don't really know the full story. It seems your Jie clan has done quite a bit of secret investigation." Zi Xuanyuan laughed heartily, then said with a touch of nostalgia: "This old man does indeed have a connection with the previous master of the Supreme Fortress. We were old friends, and at his request, I stayed on as a Guest Elder to look after the fortress for a while."
"At that time, the Dimal Palace was far too overbearing. Seeing the Supreme Fortress gaining momentum, they attacked it repeatedly — scheming in the shadows and oppressing openly, throwing the entire fortress into turmoil and panic."
"This old man simply could not stand it any longer, so I went to the Dimal Palace and had a little chat with the Palace Master. To my surprise, he actually took the initiative to submit a memorial to the Jiang Dynasty, declaring that his Dimal Palace was inferior to the Supreme Fortress, and begging that governance of Qinzhou be handed over to the Supreme Fortress."
"Though this outcome wasn't what I had expected, I must say, the Palace Master of the Dimal Palace did give this old man quite a bit of face."
"Today, I would like to take young friend Chu Feng with me. I humbly request that Clan Leader Jie let young friend Chu Feng go. I wonder whether Clan Leader Jie might also grant this old man a bit of face?"
Zi Xuanyuan wore a gentle smile, and while his words sounded soft on the surface, they actually carried a hidden edge — a demonstration of his strength, meant to make Jie Xingpeng back down of his own accord.
"Since the esteemed elder Zi Xuanyuan has spoken, this junior naturally must give you face. Today I will let Chu Feng go. However, if we meet again in the future, I'm afraid I can't guarantee that I won't make a move against him." Jie Xingpeng said.