Chapter 169 : Chapter 169
Chapter 169. A Shift in Her State of Mind
Though he muttered like that under his breath, Shi Ritian still kept his eyes fixed stubbornly on the direction Chu Feng had left.
There was a force surging unceasingly through his body, urging him to hurry after them, but Shi Ritian understood his own condition all too clearly.
In his current state, his body simply would not allow him to do anything that demanded significant power.
On the surface, it looked as though Chu Feng had merely blasted him into a crack in the mountain. In truth, however, it was not the rock that had trapped Shi Ritian at all. The real reason was that he had been suppressed by Chu Feng’s supreme power.
After repeated attempts ended only in failure, Shi Ritian was left seething with frustration. He could only grit his teeth and curse resentfully.
Forcing the words out from between clenched teeth, he said, “Chu Feng, you shameless little bastard, just you wait. One day, I’ll make you pay the full price for what you did today.”
Shi Ritian shouted in fury, his face full of hatred, yet there was nothing he could do in his present condition.
At that moment, above the void, clouds churned and rolled, presenting a scene of breathtaking beauty.
Chu Feng stood with his hands clasped behind his back, treading upon auspicious clouds as he passed through layer upon layer of cloud sea above the Nine Netherworld Treasury. The drifting clouds brushed against his hair, yet his dark locks only streamed higher in the wind, making him look all the more spirited and magnificent.
The fierce gale made his robes flap sharply, yet it could not shake him in the slightest. His figure remained just as lofty and imposing as ever.
The corners of Chu Feng’s lips lifted slightly, and a trace of a smile flickered through his eyes.
This trip into the Nine Netherworld had yielded immense gains. In particular, even he himself had not expected to break through directly to the Third Level of the Self-Severing Realm.
Now that the Check-In mission had been completed smoothly, the Nine Netherworld Emperor Flame had advanced another step, and his cultivation had leapt two levels in succession straight to the Third Level of the Self-Severing Realm. For some reason, Chu Feng now found himself rather looking forward to the next Check-In mission.
He wanted nothing more than to become overwhelmingly powerful. That way, anyone who dared oppose him could be made to pay the price without him needing to hesitate for even a moment.
Still, the greatest surprise this time had not been the increase in his cultivation. Rather, it was that young clan leader of the Seven-Colored Heaven-Devouring Python Clan—an unexpected delight.
Thinking back to everything that had happened within the Chaotic Mist, the smile in Chu Feng’s eyes deepened.
That Seven-Colored Heaven-Devouring Python beauty was not only stunning of face, but graceful in figure as well. A graceful and lovely woman was naturally one a gentleman would pursue.
When it came to beautiful women, Chu Feng had never made any attempt to hide his preferences. If he liked one, then he liked one.
Besides, in Chu Feng’s eyes, wasn’t it only normal for kings of old to have several women?
Chu Feng even believed that his body could benefit those women, so in his view, being with him was their best and ultimate destination.
Although that woman was still putting on a reluctant front, stubborn to the end, and even avoided his gaze like some startled little beast, the more she acted that way, the more Chu Feng found himself liking her.
How was one to explain that?
Perhaps it was simply a special kind of desire for conquest within him.
The women before had all thrown themselves at him. But this Cailin was fiercely individualistic, and that gave him a sense of novelty.
Still, who had Chu Feng not seen before?
He had seen plenty of women like this, ones whose words and hearts did not match.
Her mouth said no, but how could her heart’s true thoughts be hidden from her eyes?
Especially when he had crushed Shi Ritian just now, Chu Feng had seen that unusual light in Cailin’s eyes with perfect clarity.
That, too, was something that made him very pleased, because Chu Feng was extremely confident that it was only a matter of time before Cailin fell in love with him.
Chu Feng curled his lips into a smile, swept away all the stray thoughts in his head, and continued forward through the clouds.
This mission had already ended perfectly. He ought to be able to rest properly now.
Meanwhile, Cailin followed closely behind Chu Feng. From time to time, she lifted her eyes to steal a glance at the tall, slender figure ahead of her, then quickly lowered her head again, lightly biting her red lip, her eyes filled with complexity.
Cailin felt deeply conflicted now. On the one hand, she felt that she simply could not understand what kind of person Chu Feng was. On the other hand, she also felt that now that she and Chu Feng had already shared such complete intimacy, should she continue following him from now on?
Moreover, Chu Feng was clearly only a human, yet he possessed terrifying strength that even the Ancient Royal Clans could not hope to match. That much was beyond doubt.
He was overbearing and domineering to an outrageous degree, and yet when he had fought Shi Ritian just now, that calm and effortless bearing of his had also carried an indescribable... charm.
The moment that thought surfaced, Cailin shook her head violently, trying to cast the absurd notion out of her mind.
No, no. How could she think such things?
If not for Chu Feng, she should have been living a life above others within the Heaven-Devouring Python Clan by now. It was precisely because of Chu Feng’s tyranny and arrogance that she had fallen into such a state.
And yet, now she could not summon even the slightest hatred toward him. On the contrary, she even found him exceptionally charming.
That kind of thought made Cailin feel that she was in a very dangerous state. It even made her feel as though she had betrayed her own people.
But the more she tried not to think about it, the clearer that figure became. Especially the scene from before, when she and Chu Feng had entwined and united within the chaos, coming together in body and soul—it constantly reminded Cailin of the reality she now faced.
Because of those chaotic images in her mind, Cailin drifted after him the entire way in a daze.
Only when she finally came back to herself and looked around at the endless expanse surrounding them did she find that she could no longer hold back.
Gritting her teeth, Cailin urged herself forward, caught up, and stepped in front of Chu Feng. Lifting her head, she gathered her courage and demanded,
“You... where exactly are you going? We’ve been wandering around here for so long already. Don’t you have any destination at all?”
Seeing the stubborn-faced woman standing before him with such fierce momentum, Chu Feng paused.
With a trace of amusement, he tilted his head slightly and lowered his gaze toward the girl in front of him, whose cheeks were puffed out as she tried her best to look fierce. A smile flickered through his eyes.
Chu Feng did not answer at once. Instead, he slowly turned around, folded his arms across his chest, and looked down at her from above.
Cloud and mist drifted past his side. His black hair rose with the wind, making him look like an exiled immortal descended to the mortal world, yet with three parts laziness, three parts wild freedom, and four parts arrogant contempt for all under heaven.
His lips curved upward in a half-smile.
“Where am I going?”
Chu Feng arched a brow, his tone as casual as though he were discussing nothing more important than the weather.
“Does it matter where I’m going?”
Uh...
That answer...
Cailin froze.
That dazed little expression of hers was enough to make one’s heart itch.
Chu Feng stepped forward and bent slightly at the waist, drawing close to Cailin’s face.
Caught off guard by that sudden nearness, Cailin shrank back in fright, but how could her movements possibly be faster than Chu Feng’s?