I Was Forced To Marry The Phoenix Empress-Chapter 139: Meeting with the Team

"I apologise, I showed Young Master Chen an unsightly side of mine," Feng Ning said with a forceful smile while removing the last traces of tears with her index finger.

Not waiting for Yi Chen to answer, she immediately turned towards Feng Min, who was raising a ruckus and said sharply.

"Feng Min, don’t trouble Brother Qin! Let’s go and regroup with the others. They must be waiting for us." She said in a voice which had a much higher pitch than before.

"Yes..." Feng Min responded with a bitter expression as they began moving through the passage once again.

Yi Chen glanced towards Feng Ning, whose gaze was focused on the path ahead. Her plain forehead now had a few lines of creases on it, while her lips seemed tightly pursed.

Knowing that she was going through turmoil in her mind right now, Yi Chen felt like comforting her a little, but couldn’t think of any words from his side that could release the tension on her face.

Just then, the path in front of them widened, and an enclosed hall filled with people became evident.

Several meters ahead of this hall was a giant door, and it was thanks to the light that was coming inside through it that the hall looked much more illuminated than the passage they had just walked through.

Beyond that door was the fighting stage.

Yi Chen’s eyes scanned through all the status panels that were visible in front of his eyes in a well-practised manner, on the lookout for any anomaly.

’There are more Fifth Level cultivators than I was told...’ Yi Chen furrowed his brows subtly.

"Look! There they are!" Feng Min exclaimed while pointing towards a particular direction.

However, the next instant, a frown formed on her face as she couldn’t help but mutter to herself.

"...but why do they all look so dispirited?"

Feng Ning too noticed this change as her eyes fell on the cultivators from the other minor clans who were looking towards them with amusement apparent on their faces.

Taking in a deep breath, she made her way towards her team the next instant.

"You all...what’s with your expressions?" She asked the next instant.

"Sister Ning..."

A Fifth Meridian Refinement Stage cultivator who was familiar with Feng Ning answered the next instant.

"It’s those He Clan scoundrels...just when we thought that victory was on our side, they ended up giving several of their cultivators to the Kai clan!"

The man pointed towards his right as Feng Ning and others’ gazes soon fell on a group of people who were staring towards them with a gleeful expression. They were the ones who held the first rank among the Minor Clans.

"Now, the Kai Clan has two Sixth Meridian Refinement Stage cultivators just like us...Not only that, but they’ve also been provided with five additional Fifth Meridian Refinement Stage cultivators and thus now possess a total of eight of them!"

Anxiety and worry were apparent on the man’s face as he finished narrating everything to Feng Ning.

"This..."

An expression of deep worry also formed on Feng Ning’s face when she heard this, as her eyes scanned the cultivators from the Kai clan who gave out a much stronger presence than she had anticipated.

’Can we really win today...’

A doubt surfaced in her mind as her eyes soon landed on her own team members, who were looking towards her with eyes filled with hope and worry.

Her chest couldn’t help but feel constricted while looking into their eyes, which were full of trust. The thought of her being unable to live up to that trust continuously gnawed at her heart.

It was at that moment that a resolute voice filled with assurance sounded from behind her and attracted everyone’s attention.

"Don’t worry, Sister Ning!" the person said with conviction apparent in his voice and continued.

"So, what if they now have another Sixth Meridian Refinement Stage cultivator amongst their mix? I won’t be defeated by the likes of them, no matter what!"

"It’s Brother Wei..." a lady cultivator gasped.

"Indeed, with Senior Brother Wei Tian’s strength, we still have an equal chance of winning." A Fourth Meridian Refinement Stage expert said as her eyes twinkled.

"Yes, the outcome is still not decided. We shouldn’t worry beforehand." Another cultivator sighed in relief.

Whispers began circulating among the team members when they saw Wei Tian, who had just arrived at the hall.

’So, he’s Wei Tian...’ Yi Chen thought to himself while glancing through the man’s status panel.

He was the unaffiliated cultivator who had taken his seat for the entrance test.

Apart from his Cultivation Level, there was nothing else eye-catching about his status panel if one ignored the extra information.

’Wants to enter the Heavenly Azure Dragon Sect?...Thank you for telling me something which I already knew,’ Yi Chen snorted when he read the extra information.

Meanwhile, when Feng Ning heard Wei Tian’s trust-inducing words, she couldn’t help but feel the crushing weight which had been pressing down on her shoulders lighten.

"Thank you for your support, Senior Brother Wei Tian. If not for your decision to join us, our sect would really be in a precarious position today," She bowed respectfully towards him as a feeling of relief and thankfulness welled up in her heart.

"Sister Ning praises me too much. As a clansman, it’s my obligation to fight under such circumstances," Wei Tian answered with a respectful bow, which won not only Feng Ning’s approval but also the hearts of other female cultivators who were observing him.

"Still, I want Senior Brother Wei to know that our clan deeply appreciates your help and will go to any lengths to help you after we avert this crisis," Feng Ning answered sincerely.

"Haha, just Sister Ning’s saying that is enough," Wei Tian laughed with a flattered expression on his face.

Meanwhile, Yi Chen, who was observing this exchange from the side, was feeling two types of emotions currently.

A part of him was relieved to see that the tension on Feng Ning’s face had greatly relieved.

However, his other part couldn’t help but feel bitter while glancing towards Wei Tian.

Since the other party had stolen his seat, his having misgivings towards him was justified. However, the cause for Yi Chen’s bitterness at the moment was something else.

’Why is this bastard so good looking...’

Not only the few women cultivators from their team but also the women from the top ten minor clans were stretching their necks like cranes to get a glimpse of Wei Tian’s appearance at the moment.

With long, well-groomed hair, sharp facial features and a well-built body, Wei Tian possessed the innate ability to pull attention towards himself, especially from the opposite gender.

Yi Chen clenched his jaw in irritation as he saw this scene.

Which man didn’t like being ogled at by a bevy of women? Yi Chen certainly did!

However, thanks to his appearance in his previous life and this one, that dream of his is destined to never bear any fruit.

Therefore, seeing Wei Tian experiencing and enjoying something which he (Yi Chen) had no hope of experiencing in this life, how could Yi Chen not feel bitter?

’Life is truly unfair...’

With a disgruntled snort, Yi Chen forced himself to look away.

The other men of the minor clans also had an uncomfortable expression on their faces at the moment.

Meanwhile, now that Feng Ning’s worries were resolved, she decided to address the next most pressing issue, which could drastically affect their performance: The Team’s Morale.

Turning towards her teammates, she said with a tone that no longer had any traces of the doubts she was harbouring in her mind earlier.

"Just like what Senior Brother Wei Tian had said earlier, nothing would happen to our clan as long as we, the peak cultivators, stand tall.

So, just focus on doing your best and leave those burdensome and worry-filled thoughts for us to bear, you understand?" 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"Yes, Senior Sister Ning!" the teammates responded in unison as their voice reverberated in the entire hall and made the previously gleeful minor clans’ cultivators raise their caution.

"Good!" Feng Ning nodded in a satisfied manner and busied herself with interacting with the other fifth and fourth-level cultivators who had an important role to play in today’s matches.

While she was doing this, a lot of prying eyes were watching the Feng Clan’s members with interest.

After sensing these gazes, Yi Chen thought to himself.

’Looks like I should start my act now.’

The next instant, Yi Chen’s shoulders slouched inconspicuously, his fingers turned a little fidgety, and his gaze became shifty whenever he met the eyes of a minor clan’s cultivator by ’accident’.

"Isn’t he the newly added Fifth Level cultivator?" Someone from one of the minor clans whispered.

"Hmm, yes... his young appearance matches what we were briefed about," His colleague answered.

"Hehe, looks like he’s too overwhelmed since it’s his first time in such a tournament," a nearby teammate answered.

A similar conversation began taking place among the team members of the minor clans as they carefully analysed the other members of the Feng Clan’s team as well.

All of a sudden, the entire hall turned quiet, and the sound of footsteps was the only sound which echoed there.

Coming to a stop, the owner of those footsteps finally addressed everyone who was present.