Heavenly Rebellion: The Human Race's Rise to Prominence
Chapter 52: Temporary Separation

Chapter 52: Temporary Separation

When Feng heard Elena mention that she was going to treat him to a meal, his eyes widened in surprise.

He hadn’t expected such an offer—after all, they were basically strangers who had only met by chance.

They barely knew each other, and just a few minutes ago, she had even threatened his life.

When Elena noticed that Feng didn’t immediately accept her offer, she suddenly felt a bit nervous.

She wasn’t sure why she cared about his opinion, but despite herself, she still spoke up.

"Only if it’s not a bother, of course."

She tried to keep her voice as calm as usual, though something about this situation felt unfamiliar to her.

All her life, boys her age had either gawked at her beauty, trying to win her favor, or pursued her because of her father’s reputation and status.

They all had an agenda—either for her face or for the power she represented.

If one of them managed to win her affections, it could elevate their entire family’s status overnight.

Because of this, she had grown cold and dismissive toward men in general.

They always wanted something from her.

Sometimes, she resented her circumstances.

If only I didn’t have such a pretty face... If only I didn’t have such a powerful father... Maybe then, I could have lived a normal life, just like any other child.

But in a world where power and influence were dictated by one’s cultivation base, values and principles could only take someone so far.

If she wasn’t strong enough, she would eventually be forced into a marriage she didn’t want—just to secure her family’s power.

That was why she worked tirelessly on her cultivation.

Feng, on the other hand, didn’t have such complicated thoughts in his head.

The first thing that crossed his mind when she offered to treat him to a meal was simple—free food.

Obviously, restaurants in Brightshore City would be wildly expensive, especially the high-end ones.

From what he had heard, a single meal in some of those places could cost hundreds, if not thousands, of spirit stones.

A broke guy like him would never be able to afford something like that.

Secondly, if a girl as stunning as Elena asked him out to eat, who was he to refuse? Was he an idiot or something?

Before Elena could say anything else, Feng quickly blurted out, "Hey, of course, I agree! What kind of idiot wouldn’t say yes to a free meal?"

When Elena saw his enthusiastic expression and heard his blunt response, her blue eyes suddenly sparkled, and she started to laugh.

"All right then, it’s a promise."

Feng immediately extended his hand toward her, grinning.

"We have to shake on it first—that’s just basic courtesy."

Elena hesitated for a moment.

While she had started to develop a somewhat positive impression of Feng, she wasn’t used to physical contact with members of the opposite sex.

But before she could overthink it, Feng grabbed her hand without hesitation.

The moment his fingers wrapped around hers, he was struck by how soft and smooth her skin was—it felt like pure white jade.

Without thinking, he gave her hand a firm shake, sealing the deal.

"All right, that’s a promise." Feng smiled as he let go of her hand, his gaze lingering on her pale blue eyes.

The warmth of her touch still lingered on his palm, making him feel a bit nostalgic.

Aii, I should have held on a bit longer, he thought, but he didn’t let his emotions show.

Instead, he quickly stood up and began cleaning up the utensils they had used.

Elena, however, still looked slightly dazed.

She had a sneaking suspicion that she had just been taken advantage of somehow—but she couldn’t quite put her finger on how.

Still, considering that Feng was the first friend she had ever made, she decided not to dwell on it too much.

Maybe I’m just overthinking things, she thought, shaking her head.

Pushing aside the strange feeling, she helped Feng clean up, happy that, for once, she had someone to talk to.

A few minutes later, with everything put away, the two of them shifted the conversation elsewhere.

"Now that you’ve finished your task, where are you heading next?" Feng asked, realizing that he, too, needed to continue his journey.

His goal was still Silverpine City, and though he didn’t know the exact date of the academy’s enrollment, he remembered that it was always around this time of year.

If he delayed too long, he might miss his chance.

"I’ll be staying here for a while. There’s something else I need to take care of," Elena replied casually, clearly downplaying whatever her true intentions were.

Like everyone, she had her own secrets to keep.

Feng simply nodded. "All right then. Since I’ve already warned you about the dangers of the forest, you should be fine—but just to make sure..."

As he spoke, he stepped toward her, raising his hand.

Dark-silver spiritual energy surged from his palm, creating a faint suppressive force in the air.

A powerful spiritual pressure radiated from him.

While it was ineffective against someone of Elena’s level, for those at the sixth level of Qi Condensation or below, this kind of suppression would be a massive advantage in battle.

"What is that?" Elena asked, her curiosity piqued.

The world was filled with all sorts of Heaven’s Pacts, each possessing unique attributes, yet she had never seen anything like this before.

"It’s called darksilver spiritual energy," Feng explained.

"Something unique to my Heaven’s Pact. This will make it easier for you to travel through the Blackwood Forest."

As he spoke, he placed his hand gently on her head.

Dark-silver energy flowed into her body, spreading through her meridians before leaving behind a faint spiritual energy mark.

This mark could be activated using her own spiritual energy, releasing a unique aura when needed.

"All right, it’s done," Feng said as he withdrew his hand.

"As long as you avoid the central region of the forest and stay clear of the Blackwood Ruler’s territory, that mark will keep spiritual beasts above the ninth level of Qi Condensation away from you."

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