News travels surprisingly fast in the cultivation world.
Before long, word spread like wildfire about the clash between a seed of Shenqi Academy and the daughter of the Sect Master of Xile Sect.
Rong Bugui, who had been discussing Yun Youyue's defection with the sect elders, could no longer sit still upon hearing the news. He rose and hurried out.
Shenqi Academy's residences were adjacent to Xile Sect, so he arrived quickly.
A throng of cultivators, from various sects and schools, were gathered around, watching the spectacle. Rong Bugui's brow twitched as he looked at his daughter, utterly suppressed and humiliated by Bai Shengyi.
"Little friend Bai, I wonder what my daughter did to make you disregard the friendship between Xile Sect and Shenqi Academy, and act with such great force?" Rong Bugui questioned with a cold, stern voice.
He stared intently at the female cultivator before him and was immediately startled.
In such a short time, Bai Shengyi had already reached the Nascent Soul stage?
Although he couldn't discern if she was in the early or middle Nascent Soul stage, this advancement speed made Rong Bugui's heart pound.
He then looked at her simple red attire, which exuded an unparalleled boldness and freedom. Her posture was upright, her demeanor extraordinary, and even as she gripped someone, she remained steady, calm, and radiating captivating charm.
No wonder Yun Youyue's first demand was to eliminate this woman. If Bai Shengyi continued to develop, she might become another Qin Si!
With this thought, Rong Bugui's gaze fell upon the silent Qin Si beside them.
If Bai Shengyi continued to be this outstanding, would Qin Si, as the Dean, still be able to hold his position securely?
Rong Bugui felt that he and Li Tingyun's persistent worries might be on the verge of a solution.
Bai Shengyi was unaware of Rong Bugui's thoughts, but she keenly felt the threads of malice, especially Rong Bugui's calculating gaze, which was as displeasing as ever.
She sneered, "Putting aside the fact that Shenqi Academy and your sect only share a relationship of being schemed against, your words are already displeasing to my ears. What do you mean by 'great force'? I was merely teaching Miss Rong a lesson."
Her voice was indifferent, uttered lightly.
However, Rong Bugui was stung by the combination of soft and hard, his face turning ashen.
"Oh? Bai Shengyi, by what right do you?"
He no longer feigned affection by calling her "Little friend Bai" and made no attempt to hide his displeasure. Before his words even finished, he suddenly struck out at Bai Shengyi with a palm!
"Bang!"
In a flash of lightning, Qin Si coldly blocked the blow.
"Ah!"
Hearing his daughter's scream, Rong Bugui turned his head. He saw Bai Shengyi, who had been gripping his daughter's neck moments ago, now holding her by the collar with one hand while the other conjured a green spiritual energy arrow and fiercely pierced his daughter's hand.
"Bai Shengyi!" Rong Bugui exclaimed sternly.
Rong Xuelan cried out, "Daddy, save me! This bitch is a lunatic, Daddy, kill her... Ah!"
Bai Shengyi pierced Rong Xuelan's hand with another spiritual energy arrow.
"Miss Rong, your words are displeasing to me."
Bai Shengyi's tone was calm, but Rong Xuelan was so terrified that she immediately shut her mouth, even letting out a hiccup.
Devil! This woman is a devil!
Rong Xuelan looked at Bai Shengyi with fear, but Bai Shengyi didn't even glance at her.
"Sect Master Rong, you should be careful. Otherwise, I fear my hand might slip and pierce Miss Rong's dantian." Bai Shengyi smiled, and the spiritual energy arrow in her hand suddenly transformed into green elemental light spots and vanished into the air.
Though the threat was gone, Rong Bugui's expression grew even more grim.
The divine sense of a late-stage Soul Transformation cultivator was incredibly powerful. He could hear the suppressed laughter and whispers from the surrounding cultivators without any effort.
Everyone knew that he, a powerful figure, couldn't even deal with a junior.
Rong Bugui was so enraged that he wished he didn't have this daughter. However, thinking of Rong Xuelan's mother, he had to grit his teeth and say, "What exactly do you want?"
"Sect Master Rong, you can't be that foolish, can you?" Bai Shengyi exclaimed, her voice rising in feigned surprise. "Your daughter attempted to kill me and my friends. The fact that I haven't killed her yet is already giving face to you and Xile Sect. Are you expecting me to release her for free?"
Bai Shengyi looked at Rong Bugui with an expression that seemed to say, 'How shameless can you be?' She then sighed softly, "The atmosphere in your Xile Sect is truly unacceptable."
Rong Bugui almost spat out a mouthful of blood!
He longed to kill Bai Shengyi, but Qin Si, standing beside her, possessed combat power no less than his own. Even Li Tingyun had stumbled before Qin Si, making him even more reluctant to engage in a fight.
"Dean Qin, aren't you going to manage your academy's students?"
"What are you looking at our Dean Qin for?"
Bai Shengyi and Rong Bugui spoke simultaneously. Hearing the implication in Rong Bugui's words, and before Qin Si could respond, she fired another arrow into Rong Xuelan's hand, eliciting another scream from her.
"Miss Rong, it seems your father doesn't want to save you."
A flicker of hatred crossed Rong Xuelan's eyes. Bai Shengyi, however, seemed surprised. The hatred didn't seem directed at her, but at Rong Bugui?
Interesting!
Could it be that this father and daughter, Rong Bugui and Rong Xuelan, were not on good terms?
With this thought, Bai Shengyi continued, "Sect Master Rong, you don't need to ask our Dean Qin. Everyone knows Dean Qin can't control me?"
"Right, Dean Qin?" Bai Shengyi asked Qin Si.
Qin Si frowned. He disapproved of Bai Shengyi's method of drawing all the animosity onto herself.
Bai Shengyi, however, urged him, "Dean Qin?"
Her voice rose, light and carrying a hint of a "warning," as Bai Shengyi subtly signaled Qin Si to nod quickly.
In her view, this matter became complicated when Qin Si was involved.
The current situation was perfect. It could be framed as her personal grievance or as the academy defending its rights. Regardless, the academy was in the right.
As for whether others would perceive it as the academy asserting dominance over Xile Sect...
Bai Shengyi curled her lips. It all depended on whether the Sect Master of Xile Sect would save his daughter.
"Mmm," Qin Si nodded helplessly, but still added, "Sect Master Rong, your daughter was indeed excessive. Calling me 'Junior Sister' – she is likely even more angered than Junior Sister."
Bai Shengyi: "Sect Master Rong, don't hesitate. If you don't want to save your daughter, just say so. I can resolve her for you, and you won't be criticized."
Rong Bugui's brows twitched even more fiercely!
With Bai Shengyi's words, if he didn't save Rong Xuelan today, everyone would likely believe he was heartless and neglected his own daughter. In that case, Rong Xuelan's mother would surely not spare him!
"What nonsense are you spouting!" Rong Bugui took a deep breath, suppressing his anger. "Of course, I want to save her. Bai Shengyi, just tell me directly, what will it take for you to release Xuelan."
"It would have been better if you said that earlier."
Bai Shengyi chuckled lightly.
Rong Bugui couldn't maintain his composure, his face instantly contorting.
Yet, Bai Shengyi acted as if it were an offhand remark and immediately continued, "My demands are not excessive. Several of my friends were injured and frightened, and my cultivation time was also wasted. Sect Master Rong, it's not unreasonable for you to provide some compensation for Miss Rong, is it?"
Rong Bugui gritted his teeth, "You name it!"
"Twenty thousand high-grade spirit stones, four mid-grade Earth-tier spirit artifacts, one Holy-tier Nuo Chun Flower, one Holy-tier Jiao Liu Guo wood, and forty eighth-tier Huichun Pills. Is that excessive?" Bai Shengyi asked with a smile.