After feeling that terrifying pressure, Chrysanthemum Douluo instinctively tried to summon his Martial Soul to resist.
Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum!
But to his horror, that usually domineering golden flower couldn't even unfurl a single petal.
There was no response at all!
It was as if some invisible force had pinned it down!
"How is this possible?!"
Chrysanthemum Douluo roared inwardly, cold sweat instantly soaking his back.
He was a Super Douluo at Level 95!
Throughout all of Spirit Hall, besides Pope Bibi Dong and Grand Elder Qian Daoliu, who could suppress him so completely that he couldn't even release his Martial Soul?
Yet this young man before him looked barely in his twenties...
Boom!
The next second, an even more terrifying pressure crashed down on him like Mount Tai bearing down from above.
Chrysanthemum Douluo felt his legs give way, and his whole body dropped to its knees against his will.
Crack!
His knees slammed into the wooden floor, and the tremendous impact sent spiderweb cracks spreading across it.
"Elder Ju!"
Hu Liena and the others trembled nearby.
They had thought the two of them would surely fight, battling until neither could gain the upper hand!
But in the end, the dignified elder of Spirit Hall, the Level 95 Chrysanthemum Douluo, had been forced to his knees by a single look from this man?
The shock of this scene was beyond anything they could have imagined!
"Just what level of powerhouse is this senior?" Yan swallowed hard, his voice trembling.
Lin Feng still wore that calm expression. Resting his chin on one hand, he looked so serene it made people uneasy.
He spoke slowly, his voice light, yet carrying a threat of death.
"You're eating my food on my turf, and you still want to leave without paying?"
"Chrysanthemum, you've got some nerve."
Chrysanthemum?
If anyone had dared address him with such an insulting name under ordinary circumstances, Chrysanthemum Douluo would have shown them exactly why flowers were so red!
As an elder of Spirit Hall, how could he allow anyone to trample on his dignity?
Even Ning Fengzhi, one of the sect masters of the Upper Three Sects, had to show him some respect.
But now, forget teaching the other man a lesson—he couldn't even stand, and at any moment, he might be killed!
Cold sweat poured down his forehead, and beads as big as beans rolled down his cheeks onto the floor.
His usually alluring, bewitching face had turned deathly pale, and even his lips were trembling.
Only now did he finally understand why Hu Liena and the others had been so respectful.
Hu Liena and the others watched the scene, their hearts practically leaping into their throats.
Yan's face turned from green to white and back again. He wished he could rush over and slap Chrysanthemum Douluo across the face.
Why had he come here acting like some big shot in the first place? Now he'd dragged himself into this mess!
Xie Yue and Hu Liena were even more nervous, their palms sweating. They feared Lin Feng might lose his temper and kill Chrysanthemum Douluo on the spot.
But they didn't dare step forward to plead for him, either.
They knew perfectly well just how insignificant they were.
If they rashly intervened, they might die even before Chrysanthemum Douluo!
The scene remained at a standstill.
Chrysanthemum Douluo knelt on the ground, trembling, his clothes soaked with cold sweat.
Lin Feng sat in a rocking chair, his expression so indifferent it made people uneasy.
The eerie atmosphere filled the whole restaurant with oppressive tension.
Meanwhile, Lin Feng had already begun grumbling inwardly.
Damn it, I warned him because I wanted him to pay up. How could he not understand that?
And those three little chives over there—couldn't they have reminded Chrysanthemum Douluo to say something?
I've made it so obvious, and you're still standing there like wooden statues!
Lin Feng raged inwardly, but kept his composure on the outside.
There was no helping it. He couldn't break character!
He gave a light cough and spoke again.
"Yue Guan, I'll ask you one more time."
His voice was still indifferent, but carried an unquestionable authority.
"Are you trying to eat and run without paying?"
He had made it clear enough. He might as well have told Chrysanthemum Douluo outright, "Hurry up and pay."
Chrysanthemum Douluo's lips quivered as he finally understood.
That was right!
Hadn't his conflict with this mysterious senior started over the bill for a meal?
Sixty-one thousand Gold Soul Coins.
Expensive—was it?
Not at all!
What was money compared to his life?
Forget sixty thousand. Even if it were six hundred thousand, Chrysanthemum Douluo wouldn't bat an eye as long as it kept him alive!
"N-no, I wouldn't dare! I'll pay the bill right away."
Chrysanthemum Douluo's voice shook like a sieve. He reached for the Storage Soul Tool on his left wrist with his right hand, preparing to take out the money.
But his hand was shaking as badly as someone with severe Parkinson's.
He didn't know whether it was because he was so nervous or because the suppression had made it difficult to circulate his Soul Power.
After fumbling for ages without managing to take out even a single Gold Soul Coin, he anxiously yanked the Storage Soul Tool from his wrist and tossed it at Hu Liena's feet.
"Nana, help me pay!"
Hu Liena stared at the gleaming Storage Soul Tool on the ground. It took her a couple of seconds to react.
She crouched down and picked it up carefully.
"Sixty-one thousand Gold Soul Coins..."
Hu Liena murmured to herself as she began taking out the money.
One coin, two coins, three coins...
At the sight of this, Chrysanthemum Douluo grew frantic!
What was she doing, counting the coins one by one at a time like this?
Every second felt like a year to him. The pressure weighing down on him made it hard even to breathe.
"Nana!"
Chrysanthemum Douluo's voice was so hoarse he sounded like an old rooster with its neck in a grip.
"Just give the senior every Gold Soul Coin in there! Stop counting!"
Hu Liena finally snapped out of it and hurried to the counter.
She tipped out all the wealth in the Storage Soul Tool in one go.
Clatter!
A pile of glittering Gold Soul Coins instantly covered the counter!
Besides the Gold Soul Coins, there were all kinds of precious gems and jade, and even several gold cards with enormous sums on them.
The heap of coins sparkled in the light, practically a little mountain of gold.
Yan and Yiyue stared, their eyes practically popping out of their heads.
Good heavens, Elder Ju was loaded!
Lin Feng looked at the pile of treasure on the counter and raised an eyebrow slightly.
How many points could all these Gold Soul Coins be exchanged for?
What a pity he could only accept the payment he was owed.
But on the surface, he maintained his unruffled expression. He glanced at the mountain of coins and silently thought:
"System, collect the payment."
The next moment, the heap of glittering Gold Soul Coins on the counter seemed to be snatched away by an invisible hand, instantly shrinking by a large amount.
Exactly sixty-one thousand Gold Soul Coins vanished without a trace.
The rest of the coins and gems remained quietly on the counter, perfectly still.
Hu Liena's eyes widened, and she instinctively rubbed them.
"W-what kind of technique is that?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo was still kneeling on the ground. Seeing that astonishing sight, he was even more stunned.
Such precise control was simply beyond his comprehension!
Lin Feng merely waved a hand. "I'm just a restaurant owner, not a robber."
"Honesty is the bare minimum."
Looking at the remaining coins and assorted gems on the counter, a trace of regret flickered in Lin Feng's eyes.
All that money was right in front of him, yet he couldn't take it all and exchange it for points. What a shame.
But as an owner with principles, he would take exactly what he was owed—not a single coin more.
That was what they called professional ethics in the restaurant business!
Then, Lin Feng snapped his fingers lightly.
In an instant, the terrifying pressure bearing down on Chrysanthemum Douluo vanished without a trace.
"Thank you for showing mercy, senior!"
Chrysanthemum Douluo hurriedly got to his feet and bowed deeply to Lin Feng.
But Lin Feng's next words made Chrysanthemum Douluo's scalp prickle, even though he had thought he'd escaped disaster.
"Now that the dine-and-dash matter is settled, let's talk about wasting food."