Chapter 5: Deep Thoughts, Junior Brother Xia
"Is this... first-level spiritual pressure?" Wei Shutong was the first to react. He knocked the ground with his dragon-head crutch, and his figure, clad in a suit, left a dark afterimage as he instantly appeared in front of Xia Feng.
He reached out and touched the moon-white spiritual flow emanating from Xia Feng. His usually serious and indifferent expression softened, and he stared at Xia Feng with wide eyes, filled with confusion. "Boy, did you worship some evil god? Did you obtain some kind of forbidden external item?"
"What kind of nonsense is that? I've been practicing diligently for over half a year, and you accuse me of cheating?!" Xia Feng replied righteously. "Am I, Xia Feng, that kind of person?"
The Evil Demon Heart was now an organ within him, a part of his body. How could it be considered an external cheat? If anything, it was an internal one.
Zhao Jie stepped forward at this moment, his gray eyes narrowing slightly. "This pure and clean spiritual pressure doesn't carry the slightest hint of an evil god's aura. It doesn't seem to be power obtained from an evil deity. It seems... Old Wei, you've truly raised a remarkable son!"
"There aren't many first-level spiritual masters at the age of eighteen in the entire empire. Good, very good!" Wei Shutong patted Xia Feng's right shoulder, his usual indifference replaced by a rare smile.
Qi Xiao, however, stood frozen in place, staring at Xia Feng in disbelief. He muttered under his breath, "Impossible. I just measured his spiritual pressure a few days ago, and he was only at the level of an apprentice spiritualist. How could he suddenly—"
"Shut up," Zhao Jie interrupted coldly, his gray eyes glaring at Qi Xiao. "You brainless fool!"
Qi Xiao choked, his expression turning ugly as he opened his mouth to argue.
Zhao Jie cut him off. "You and your brothers have been scheming all day long. Now, use that pig brain of yours to think about why Xia Feng only revealed his first-level spiritual mastery today."
Qi Xiao was stunned by his master's words. After a moment, realization dawned on him.
Although Xia Feng was now a first-level spiritual master, he had only recently been promoted and knew very few spiritual techniques. He still couldn't defeat his senior brothers. That's why he had been pretending to be a useless apprentice spiritualist all this time! He let his senior brothers look down on him, never taking him seriously, until today, when he had no choice but to reveal his true strength. This guy had been biding his time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike!
I have to say, this junior brother of mine is truly cunning. He's deceived everyone for years!
Qi Xiao's eyes turned cold as he glared at Xia Feng, who maintained a faint smile, a sense of resentment brewing in his heart.
"It's almost certain that an eighteen-year-old first-level spiritual master will reach the third level before the age of twenty-five. There's even a possibility he could become a super-level spiritual master," Wei Shutong said, tapping his dragon-head crutch. He turned to Zhao Jie. "President Zhao, wouldn't it be a waste for such a talented individual to leave the Six-Tails Society and marry into the Mu family?"
Zhao Jie was silent for a moment before nodding. "You're right. I'll discuss this with the Mu family. With his talent as a bargaining chip, and by offering some concessions, we should be able to change the marriage arrangement from a son-in-law situation to a normal marriage."
As he spoke, he glanced at his visibly shaken disciple and added coldly, "Additionally, since Xia Feng won't be marrying into the family, he's still eligible to compete for the position of Vulpix. The deadline remains set for one year from now."
"According to the traditions of the Six-Tailed Society, we'll arrange for you to enter the Evil Dragon Forest. You'll be allowed to use any means necessary to fight with real stakes. So, prepare well over the next year, especially your spiritual techniques. The evil energy in the Evil Dragon Forest is incredibly dense."
Evil Dragon Forest?
Xia Feng was momentarily stunned. He had never paid much attention to the competition for Vulpix in the past, but he hadn't expected it to involve entering the Nightmare Dragon Forest.
What a coincidence!
But a year from now? By then, the opportunity would have long passed. His heart was only active for less than three days.
"Uncle Zhao," Xia Feng spoke up suddenly, causing Zhao Jie to frown.
"If you're about to ask for an extension, don't bother—"
"Isn't the day after tomorrow the opening day for this year? I want to enter the Evil Dragon Forest the day after tomorrow!"
"What?" Zhao Jie nearly choked, his gray eyes narrowing sharply. "What did you say?"
Wei Shutong's expression also tightened. "Boy, do you realize what you're saying? Qi Xiao has been a first-level spiritual master for years and has mastered far more spiritual techniques than you can imagine. Do you really think you can challenge him so soon?"
"That's right," Xia Feng replied, clasping his fists respectfully. "I hope the two masters will grant me this opportunity."
Qi Xiao hadn't expected this twist. He had thought his plans were completely ruined, but now this fool was jumping into the pit himself.
"Qi Xiao, what do you think?" Zhao Jie asked calmly.
Qi Xiao almost laughed. Even though Xia Feng was a genius, he was far too arrogant.
Although he despised Xia Feng internally, he maintained a gentle smile. "Since Junior Brother Xia is so confident and doesn't want to wait another year, I have no objections."
"Xia Feng, will you reconsider?" Wei Shutong frowned, his voice deep with concern.
Xia Feng smiled and shook his head. Reconsider? I'm about to die—what's there to reconsider?
"Good!" Zhao Jie couldn't help but laugh. "Very good! You've got courage! Old Wei, you've truly raised a remarkable son. In that case, we'll meet at the entrance of the Evil Dragon Forest at noon, two days from now."
Zhao Jie tossed a piece of gold paper to Xia Feng. "Here, this is a fragmented version of the Six-Tails Spiritual Clothe. The One-Tailed Spiritual Clothe is the standard technique all first-level spiritual masters in our society learn. You're far behind Qi Xiao in this regard. How much you can learn in two days depends on your luck."
"Alright, everyone, dismissed." Zhao Jie waved his hand and left with Qi Xiao.
As Wei Shutong passed by Xia Feng, he paused and shook his head, patting him on the shoulder. "The concentration of evil energy in the Evil Dragon Forest is extremely high. Spend the next two days studying the 'Evil-Removing Spirit Clothe.' As for the 'One-Tailed Spirit Clothe,' even a genius would need at least two months to master it. You won't be able to learn it in such a short time, so don't waste your energy on it."