"Southeast Region, Qingxu Temple, Tang Xiaoqi."
Seven plain words, spoken calmly by Xiaoqi, not loud yet clearly transmitted to everyone's ears present. His gaze remained tranquil, as if simply stating a most ordinary fact.
However, these seven words landing in Yan Feng and his companions' ears were like stones splashing into a calm lake, instantly creating waves.
"Southeast Region?"
"Qingxu Temple?"
"Tang Xiaoqi?"
Yan Feng's haughty smile slightly stiffened, then as if hearing something extremely laughable, the corner of his mouth opened wider, and along with the several Blazing Sun Sect disciples behind him, they burst into even more unbridled laughter.
"Haha! I wondered who it was, turns out it is someone who really ran out from that barbarian land!" Yan Feng said with exaggerated tone, the wine cup in his hand swaying, the amber-colored spirit wine "Flame Burning Knife" inside rippling along, "Qingxu Temple? Never heard of it! Looks like Star Oracle Hall's standards for issuing 'Dao Inquiry Invitations' are getting lower and lower, any cat or dog can get one."
His disciples behind him immediately chimed in:
"Brother, there is no need to waste words with this kind of person, simply disgracing your status!"
"That is right, Southeast Region cultivators are probably not even as good as our Blazing Sun Sect's outer disciples."
"Kid, if you know what is good for you, get out of Tian Shu City yourself, this is not a place you should come to!"
The surrounding diners also showed various expressions. Some shook their heads and sighed, feeling this cyan-robed cultivator was in trouble; some showed indignation, disgusted by Blazing Sun Sect's arrogance; some were purely watching the drama, hoping for conflict to escalate.
Zhao Tiezhu was trembling with anger, teeth grinding loudly. If Tang Xiaoqi had not signaled him earlier not to be impulsive, he would have already smashed a punch over. In his heart, he could be insulted, but insulting his senior and his senior's sect was absolutely not acceptable!
Facing Yan Feng and others' ear-piercing mockery and the complex gazes around, Tang Xiaoqi however still sat as steady as a mountain. He did not even look at Yan Feng's somewhat twisted face from pride, but instead fixed his gaze on that cup of constantly swaying spirit wine in the other's hand.
That cup of "Flame Burning Knife," the wine liquid mellow, radiating hot spiritual power and wine fragrance, in the restaurant's special glazed cup, refracted an attractive luster.
Yan Feng saw Tang Xiaoqi had no reaction, just staring at his wine cup, and thought the other was afraid, not daring to meet his gaze, his heart even more pleased, the intention to humiliate even stronger. He deliberately raised the wine cup before his eyes, toward Tang Xiaoqi's direction, making a motion to taste, while saying: "What? Never seen such fine spirit wine in barbarian lands? Want this young master to treat you to a cup? Just kneel down..."
His words abruptly stopped.
Because just as his words fell, in his eyes, that cup of "Flame Burning Knife" originally rippling with amber luster and radiating hot wine fragrance, before his eyes, in a completely unreasonable way, silently... disappeared!
Not spilled, not fallen, just so soundlessly, thoroughly vanished!
Not even a trace of water vapor, a wisp of wine fragrance remained!
As if that cup had been empty from the start!
Yan Feng's smile instantly froze, the hand holding the wine cup stiff in mid-air, eyes wide as bronze bells, filled with extreme shock and disbelief. He even subconsciously shook the cup, then lowered his head to look at his own hand and beneath his feet, confirming the wine liquid had not spilled out.
Nothing! Absolutely nothing!
His several Blazing Sun Sect disciples behind him also noticed the anomaly, laughter abruptly stopped, each like a rooster being strangled, dumbfounded looking at that empty-as-air wine cup in Yan Feng's hand.
The surrounding diners also noticed this bizarre scene, one by one showing uncertain colors.
"Wine... where did the wine go?" a Blazing Sun Sect disciple subconsciously mumbled.
Yan Feng abruptly raised his head, his gaze like a viper dead locked onto Tang Xiaoqi who was still calmly sitting there. He was not stupid, instantly understanding this bizarre phenomenon was definitely inseparable from the seemingly ordinary cyan-robed cultivator before him!
Not a spell fluctuation, not a spiritual power leak, he did not even feel any energy impact! How did the other evaporate his wine without him being aware in the slightest?!
What level of refined control over spiritual power, divine sense, and energy rules did one need to achieve such subtlety? At least he, Yan Feng, absolutely could not do it! Even many Nascent Soul elders in his sect probably could not achieve such traceless subtlety!
A chill instantly rushed from the soles of Yan Feng's feet straight to the top of his head! All his previous arrogance, all his sense of superiority, at this moment, was shattered by this silent yet bizarre-to-the-extreme method!
When he looked at Tang Xiaoqi again, his eyes had completely changed. That was no longer the disdain of looking at a "barbarian cultivator," but had become deep wariness, suspicion, and even... a trace of indescribable fear!
This guy, definitely was not as simple as he appeared on the surface! That trace of heavy pressure he felt at South View Square was absolutely not an illusion!
Tang Xiaoqi then slowly raised his head, his gaze calmly meeting Yan Feng's uncertain eyes, the corner of his mouth seeming to curve up with an extremely faint, almost invisible arc, as if saying: "Now, are you sober?"
He did not speak, but those calm, waveless eyes were more oppressive than any words.
Yan Feng's throat rolled, wanting to say some harsh words to save face, but the words at his mouth, he could not get out no matter what. He felt like a clown, all his arrogant posturing appearing so ridiculous and pale before the other party.
He stared dead at Tang Xiaoqi for a few seconds, his face alternating between green and white, finally, squeezing out a single word from between his teeth:
"Let's go!"
Having said that, he no longer cared about any face, abruptly turned around, almost fleeing, taking his several equally terrified and bewildered companions, quickly leaving "Hundred Flavors Hall" in disgrace, even forgetting to pay the bill.
The main hall fell into a strange silence.
Everyone's gaze focused on Tang Xiaoqi, full of curiosity, probing, and awe. Though most did not clearly see what exactly happened just now, Yan Feng's suddenly changed face and his hasty departure had already explained everything - this cyan-robed cultivator from Southeast Region, a name no one had heard of, using some method they could not understand, had made Hidden Dragon List ninety-seventh ranked Yan Feng suffer a loss, and even dare not continue entangling!
Zhao Tiezhu only reacted at this moment, looking at Yan Feng and others' sorry figures retreating, then looking at his senior sitting steadily, a surge of unspeakable excitement and pride rising in his heart! He just knew, his senior was the most formidable!
Tang Xiaoqi acted as if nothing had happened, picked up chopsticks, took a bite of the spiritual dish on the table, tasting it carefully, and even said to Zhao Tiezhu: "The taste is not bad, you try it too."
Zhao Tiezhu hurriedly sat down, nodding vigorously, also beginning to eat heartily, only feeling this table's food was more fragrant than ever before.
With this incident, the name "Tang Xiaoqi," and his background from "Southeast Region Qingxu Temple," along with his mysterious deed of making Blazing Sun Sect's Yan Feng suffer, began to quietly spread in this "Hundred Flavors Hall" and even in a smaller range.
Everyone realized that this seemingly ordinary cyan-robed cultivator was probably a dark horse that could not be underestimated!
And Tang Xiaoqi, still calmly dining, as if that silent confrontation just now was just an insignificant little interlude before the meal. His target was never opponents at this level. His gaze had long been cast toward those names further ahead on the "Hidden Dragon List," toward that upcoming, true genius confrontation!