Chapter 6 Ninth level of qi refinement!

"Is it over? It seems so," Liu Feng commented. He wiped the sweat off his forehead. Through the eyes of his two skeleton soldiers, he noticed that the animals had gone crazy and started running in desperation. What could be the reason?

"Something is approaching, definitely something strong to make all these animals run like that," Liu Feng thought. He ordered his two skeletons to move forward, being careful not to be destroyed by the animals running frantically.

"It was in this place that I last felt my daughter's presence before she disappeared."

"Alright, let's take a look to see if we can find the little one. She must have grown a lot. I hope she'll be happy to see me, probably she will."

"Is that the voice of the sect elder?" Liu Feng wondered in his mind, panicking instantly, as she might be able to sense him or might have already sensed him. "Okay, what do I do, what do I do?" Liu Feng quickly thought, ignoring the fact that he can hear what others are saying and the sound of the surroundings through his skeletons.

"Maybe I should pretend that I'm being attacked by my skeletons? It's not a bad idea, I don't know what she'll do if she finds out I can control undead creatures." Liu Feng thought, giving a command to the other skeletons close to him - at least closer than the other two. Liu Feng didn't forget to step out of the bush where he was hiding. He hoped neither of them had noticed he was hiding.

The seven skeleton soldiers waiting for Liu Feng's command lit their green and ghostly flames within their eye sockets. The seven skeleton soldiers turned their faces toward Liu Feng, as he had stepped out of the bush on his own, making it appear as if his skeleton soldiers were attacking him.

The first skeleton attacked him with its sword, but Liu Feng easily dodged. He was already at level 3, so a skeleton with the same speed as an average person wasn't a problem for him. He mentally apologized for what he did and then punched the poor skeleton soldier's head, shattering its skull into pieces. Liu Feng also noticed that his two skeleton soldiers were destroyed.

After easily defeating the first skeleton, Liu Feng felt a little guilty for destroying his own soldiers, even if they were just undead creatures. However, he knew he couldn't let the knowledge of his ability to control skeletons be revealed, especially if the sect elder was the one he wanted to join.

As the other skeletons approached, Liu Feng had an idea. He decided to use his ability to control the undead to give the impression that he was being attacked by the remaining skeletons. Intent on avoiding any suspicion, he began to fight against the skeletons under his control.

Liu Feng skillfully dodged the attacks from the skeletons and occasionally pretended to be hit, though he suffered no real harm, as he was far above their level. He also had to be careful not to overdo it, as he didn't want to raise suspicions that he was protecting himself too much from blows that he knew wouldn't harm him.

While the fake fight continued, Liu Feng struggled to control his anxiety. He wasn't sure if the sect elder was really present, watching him, or if it was just his paranoia. Either way, he couldn't let his guard down. He continued to act as if he was in trouble, while carefully observing the surroundings, trying to sense any movement or strange presence.

Liu Feng was about to destroy his skeleton soldiers altogether, but before he could do so, they were easily destroyed. "I thought I told you to stay out of the forest; I guess I wasn't clear enough," an irritated voice sounded, and Liu Feng knew it was the sect elder. "Because of this, you will... What!" Zhang Mei exclaimed in surprise, realizing that the boy's cultivation level had increased.

"What was that scream? Is she going crazy?" Meng Jie next to her complained. She took a quick look at Liu Feng and saw that he was at the 3rd level of qi refinement, nothing special. Then she looked at Zhang Mei and immediately understood what was happening. "So that trash of a man is looking for new wives. I pity this boy if he passes the test," Meng Jie thought, but she soon stopped caring as it had nothing to do with her; she just wanted to find her daughter.

"It's nothing, you don't need to worry," Zhang Mei said. She didn't care about what Meng Jie had just called her; she was too shocked to care about it. She also wouldn't tell Meng Jie the reason she was a little shocked; she couldn't be too shocked, as she had seen many geniuses, being one herself. She didn't disclose it because who knows if Meng Jie wouldn't want to take this boy in front of her to her father's territory.

"Sorry, I heard a powerful roar and wanted to help my friend who was still inside the forest..." Liu Feng said. He tried to reveal some things but of course wouldn't mention the skeletons. "Alright, but still, you shouldn't have disobeyed me. And speaking of your friend, where is he?" Zhang Mei asked. She used her senses but didn't feel anyone's presence, not even the one who was using those skeletons. She thought that the one from the Corpse Valley must have come to this forest on the same day she brought the participants.

"I have no idea. When I arrived here, there was no one. I looked for him, but couldn't find him," Liu Feng replied. He didn't want her to think he already knew where his friend was, as that would raise a lot of questions from Zhang Mei, and that wasn't what Liu Feng wanted. "Who was the person who summoned those skeletons?" Zhang Mei asked curiously, as she had never seen anything like that before. She had seen living corpses from the Corpse Valley, but never skeletons. She wondered who this person was, but she wasn't too curious, as she noticed the skeletons weren't so strong in cultivation. Therefore, she didn't find it very interesting.

"I have no idea. When I arrived here, they came to attack me," Liu Feng lied. He hoped the sect elder hadn't sensed his presence enough to uncover his lie. "The conversation is great, but have you seen a fox with new different colors on its body?" Meng Jie asked impatiently. She hoped this boy in front of her had information about her daughter.

Liu Feng had noticed the presence of the woman next to the sect elder, but he hadn't paid attention to her as he was putting all his focus and words into not saying anything wrong that could raise more suspicions from the elder. Liu Feng noticed that one of the fox ears on top of her head was twitching and contracting. He realized she was angry and quickly replied, "No, I haven't seen any here."

Meng Jie wasn't expecting a helpful response, but deep down, she hoped that the boy in front of her had some information, but to her disappointment, he didn't.

Zhang Mei, beside Meng Jie, spoke gently, "Please wait a moment, stay here while I lead him out of this dense forest. I promise to be quick." Her eyes scanned the bodies of the animals on the ground, showing latent curiosity. "This young man carries many secrets, which I will soon uncover," she pondered inwardly.

With composure, Meng Jie replied, "Alright, I'll wait here while you return." Her voice reverberated calmly, but it also conveyed the unwavering trust she had in her friend. "So, shall we go?" Zhang Mei asked Liu Feng, who was about to nod in agreement when the ground suddenly trembled.

"What disturbance is this? Is someone approaching? No, I don't sense any presence," Meng Jie murmured to herself, maintaining her composure. "Look there, I sense the aura of two people," Zhang Mei revealed, sharpening her senses. "I sensed it too, but let's avoid attacking hastily," Meng Jie replied, staying composed. Soon, stairs appeared on the ground in front of them, and audible footsteps of two people resonated.

"We finally made it out! Being in the darkness was unbearable. Fortunately, we obtained something valuable," a male voice exclaimed with relief. Liu Feng was surprised to recognize who it was. And he wasn't the only one, as Zhang Mei also made the same connection.

"Finally, the light! The darkness was suffocating me," a female voice echoed enthusiastically, causing Meng Jie's eyes to widen as she also recognized the voice. "My daughter..." Meng Jie whispered, seeing her offspring emerging hand in hand with another young man. Meng Jie's spiritual pressure grew, directed toward the boy. "Meng Jie!" Zhang Mei warned sternly, pouring her own spiritual pressure to prevent the oppressive force from harming Chen Tao.

"Mom, you're here..." the girl exclaimed, but her fox ears drooped as she realized she would face reprimand. "I told you not to wander away from me, didn't I? Yet, you disobeyed. And who are you, young man? Take your hands off my daughter," Meng Jie roared, revealing her fierce desire for vengeance. Liu Feng felt the intensity of the moment, almost fainting and kneeling, but he held firm. He had never experienced such fear, but he wouldn't let unconsciousness overcome him.

"Meng Jie, he's with me. If you dare to harm him, you'll have to go through me first," Zhang Mei shouted, her voice echoing with a mix of determination and protectiveness. "Thank you, Elder. My name is Chen Tao, and I am your daughter's husband," declared Chen Tao with conviction, his gaze steady and fearless. The girl beside him blushed in embarrassment at his words, trying to hide the smile forming on her face, while her nine fox tails wagged happily, revealing her inner joy.

"You brat! What did you say!" Meng Jie yelled, ready to attack. "Meng Jie, stop. If you attack, so will I. Your daughter will surely get hurt in our fight. Is that what you want?" Zhang Mei interposed, firmly positioning herself in front of Meng Jie, showing that she wouldn't hesitate to face her to protect the couple. "Are you deaf, Zhang Mei? Didn't you hear what this boy said? He said he's my daughter's husband. How could I, her mother, let her go through what I went through because of a petty crush?" Meng Jie said, her expression calm, but her gaze filled with murderous intent directed at Chen Tao. "It's your fault for feeling abandoned. It's not his fault that you weren't born with a good physique. And stop bad-mouthing my husband," Zhang Mei reproached with seriousness, not being shaken by Meng Jie's hurtful words.

"You'll be abandoned one day too. I want to see what you'll think about that after giving everything you had to end up like me," Meng Jie challenged, turning towards Chen Tao, but he remained unwavering in the face of her pressure and bloodlust.

"I will take him and have a little talk with this little one. I will make my own conclusion about whether he will stay with my daughter or not," Meng Jie announced, approaching the two. "Mom! I accept anything, but don't interfere in my life. I'm sure he's not like my father!" the girl yelled, bravely taking a stance in front of Chen Tao, demonstrating her unconditional support for her beloved. "I will judge whether he seems like it or not. I won't hurt him without reason. Don't worry," Meng Jie replied, staring into Chen Tao's eyes, realizing that this man was different from others.

"I wanted to take him, as he's at the ninth level of qi refinement, but I'll let you take him. I hope you don't dismiss him because I want to see him in the sects' tournament," Zhang Mei said with a hint of admiration. "If he passes my test, you can be sure he will participate. Otherwise, well, you know," Meng Jie replied with an enigmatic and mysterious tone, walking into the forest, leaving the words hanging in the air with a touch of challenge.

"Ninth level of qi refinement? Something incredible happened to you, Chen Tao. The important thing is that you're safe," Liu Feng sighed with relief, realizing the magnitude of Chen Tao's developed abilities.