Free Web NovelChapter 1606: Misplaced Trust
"Mm? Are you talking to me?"
The Unrivaled Young Emperor raised a brow, his expression turning instantly dark.
Since the day he had met Fairy Qingping, she had never dared to rebuke him. She would not even raise her voice in his presence. She always followed behind him and obeyed his every word.
Yet now, after only a few months apart, she was actually scolding him to his face.
This version of Fairy Qingping was unfamiliar to him. It made him feel a strange sense of distance.
Then his eyelid twitched, and anger surged within him.
The two of them were far too close. Even he had never shared such intimacy with Qingxue, yet Ling Feng had gone further than him.
Jealousy flared in his chest, and his gaze toward Ling Feng grew colder by the moment.
Ling Feng took a slow breath and shrugged. He cupped his fists toward the Unrivaled Young Emperor and spoke calmly, "Senior Brother Qin, if you want to settle accounts with me, we can do so after we return to the sect. For now, I have fulfilled my promise. I've brought Senior Sister Yu back to you."
A trace of warmth rose in Fairy Qingping's heart. She lifted her eyes and gave Ling Feng a grateful look.
The Unrivaled Young Emperor only grew more furious. He let out a cold, disdainful laugh. "Who do you think you are? She's my woman. I'll treat her however I please. Since when is it your place to lecture me?"
Ling Feng shook his head. He had no interest in wasting words on him. His goal was to find Saint Lady Hui Yue and locate Lin Mu and the others.
There was no need to complicate matters further.
"Senior Sister Yu, congratulations on finding the person you were looking for. I'll take my leave."
Ling Feng gave her a final salute and prepared to depart.
"Wait, Ling Feng... Junior Brother Ling."
Fairy Qingping caught herself mid-sentence and corrected her words. Her voice softened. "Take care of yourself."
Ling Feng nodded slightly, then leapt away.
Despicable Donkey looked disappointed. After all that, there had been no fight. That simply did not feel right.
Fairy Qingping stood there, watching Ling Feng's figure fade into the distance. She lingered in a daze, an unexpected emptiness settling in her chest.
The feeling startled even her. She quickly reassured herself, "I just got used to him carrying me. That's all..."
"Hmph. Quite the close relationship."
The Unrivaled Young Emperor clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking loudly. He turned sharply and fixed Fairy Qingping with a cold stare.
"Senior Brother Qin, it's not like that. He only saved my life. My leg was injured, so he carried me. I didn't..."
"That's enough. You don't need to explain."
Impatience flashed across his face. He looked her up and down for a long moment before snorting coldly. "Why are you still standing there? Come with me."
"...Alright."
Yu Qingping nodded. For the first time, she realized that Senior Brother Qin had become rough and overbearing, almost like a stranger.
...
As Ling Feng drew closer to the bottom of the mine, each step became more difficult.
It was easy to imagine how terrifying the clash below must be between Saint Lady Hui Yue and her opponent.
"As expected of someone with quasi Half-Saint strength. Even with her elemental force suppressed by the Forbidden God Domain, she can still unleash such terrifying power."
Ling Feng narrowed his eyes. Although his current strength rivaled a third-level Great Emperor in the Divine Destiny Realm, he was not arrogant enough to think he could compare to peak Great Emperors.
The gap between the third and fourth levels of the Divine Destiny Realm was a clear dividing line. Most Great Emperors would spend hundreds of years without ever crossing it.
Even those he had met on Black Current Island, like the Violet Lightning Sword Emperor, had remained at that level for over a century without progress. They were already considered outstanding among third-level experts.
Breaking through to the fourth level meant entering the ranks of mid-tier Great Emperors. That was not an opponent Ling Feng could handle.
Still, within the Forbidden God Domain, with his Dragon-Elephant Divine Strength and Devouring Flame, an unexpected opportunity might allow him to create a miracle.
He touched the bridge of his nose and let out a faint, cold chuckle.
"That Unrivaled Young Emperor has been lingering nearby. He must have his own schemes. Most likely, he's also after the treasures the Blood Shadow Alliance is searching for."
Ling Feng's eyes narrowed slightly as he shook his head.
"This man is ambitious and utterly ruthless. He has no real sense of loyalty to the sect."
If the Unrivaled Young Emperor had even a shred of regard for his fellow disciples, then with his physical strength, he would have been formidable within the Forbidden God Domain. He might not have been weaker than Elder Longyue. If the two had joined forces, the disciples outside would never have fallen into such a miserable state.
Instead, he ignored their lives and hid within the depths of the mine, waiting for the perfect moment to strike and seize the final advantage.
"Senior Sister Yu really has poor judgment to fall for someone like him."
Ling Feng shook his head.
Despicable Donkey grinned and chimed in, "If you think she chose the wrong man, why not just take her for yourself?"
Ling Feng let out a dry laugh and rolled his eyes, ignoring the donkey as he continued forward.
At last, half an hour later, Ling Feng quietly reached the edge of the mine's deepest level.
Ahead lay a massive pit, roughly one li in diameter and just as deep, clearly excavated by human hands.
The inner walls of the pit glittered with countless elemental crystals.
Even someone like Ling Feng, who was no stranger to wealth, could not help but feel his eyelids twitch at the sight.
As for Despicable Donkey, it was already drooling shamelessly. If not for the danger below, it would have rushed down and tried to carry off every last crystal.
Of course, within the Forbidden God Domain, spatial treasures could not be used. With only its hooves, there was no way it could take much away anyway.
