"Little Yu'er?"
Bai Shengyi, seeing the rarely seen Chui Yu, thought she was hallucinating.
So, the voice she heard earlier in the room was really Chui Yu's?
"Little Yu'er, why are you here too?"
With no one around, Bai Shengyi saw a thick chain piercing through Chui Yu's wings, locking it to the ground, her gaze chilling slightly.
"Little Yu'er, wait for me..." Bai Shengyi said, striding towards Chui Yu, but bumping into something hard. "Hiss..."
An invisible wall stood between her and Chui Yu. She then realized that all her chatter was just her talking to herself, as Chui Yu showed no reaction.
Bai Shengyi frowned, activating her Xingluo Dihuan, but her eyes stung.
"Who? Who is spying on this venerated one?"
A drop of blood trickled from the corner of Bai Shengyi's eye.
But Bai Shengyi couldn't spare a moment to wipe it away. A palm strike whizzed towards her. She retreated rapidly, but a long gash still appeared on her face.
Bai Shengyi stared, eyes wide, at the cyan figure that had appeared out of nowhere.
"Great Venerable Qinglan?"
A young cultivator in ethereal cyan robes, like smoke and mist, had a stern and indifferent expression, bearing a seven or eight-tenths resemblance to Qinglan.
However, his gaze towards Bai Shengyi was extremely cold. With a flick of his sleeve, another palm strike was forced towards Bai Shengyi.
"Presumptuous! Who permitted you to utter this National Preceptor's name?"
This time, Bai Shengyi did not dodge. Instead, she executed a graceful sword flourish and met the palm strike head-on!
The moment their powers clashed, Bai Shengyi's heart sank. She felt as if her sword had met a rock like soft tofu, her palms numbing from the powerful impact.
Was this National Preceptor also a cultivator? And what was his relationship with Great Venerable Qinglan?
Bai Shengyi pondered, exceedingly wary of the other party, yet maintaining a composed facade, appearing to have easily deflected the previous blow.
She glanced at Chui Yu, who was completely oblivious nearby, her heart sinking further. She then shifted her expression to one of curiosity and disdain.
"You are the National Preceptor of Great Sheng? Nothing more than this. It seems you captured the divine beast with that artifact of yours? A weakling like you doesn't deserve a divine beast. I challenge you!"
Xuan Qing knitted his brows: "Challenge?"
"Yes! If you win, you can ask anything of me. If I win, I want the divine beast!" Bai Shengyi said coldly, "Divine beasts are favored by heaven and earth, adored by all creation. Only the strong are worthy of possessing them!"
Initially, Bai Shengyi did not wish to act rashly without clarifying whether this place was an illusion or reality. However, what she saw through Xingluo Dihuan had changed her mind.
She saw that the Xuanjing Tiger locked by the chain was indeed Chui Yu. Although its surface appeared fine, in Bai Shengyi's eyes, countless silver-white light points were being continuously siphoned by the chain along Chui Yu's wings. If she didn't find a way to rescue Chui Yu soon, Chui Yu would likely be in grave danger.
But Bai Shengyi had assessed that the "wall" contained intricate rules that she couldn't break in a short time. Since she couldn't enter, her only option was to provoke him, to lure him out actively.
Therefore, seeing Xuan Qing pursing his lips without speaking, Bai Shengyi imitated Yun Youyue, tilting her chin up proudly, "What? Your Excellency, the National Preceptor, are you afraid?"
She was as provocative and arrogant as could be.
Xuan Qing shot her a cold glance: "My life has no word for fear, little girl. You have great courage!"
"I think so too."
Bai Shengyi nodded. If she weren't courageous, why would she be messing around here?
Xuan Qing was momentarily speechless, unsure whether she was genuinely foolish or feigning it.
But it didn't matter. This little girl's fate coincided with his junior sister's. She might be an excellent vessel.
He placed one hand behind his back, his profile now even more like Qinglan's.
"When do you want to compete?"
"Now!"
Bai Shengyi pointed to the area where the Xuanjing Tiger was located. "I see that place is spacious and would be the perfect venue for the match."
Seeing this, Xuan Qing, for reasons unknown, actually agreed.
"Alright."
...
On the steps of the Observatory Tower, two doorkeeping daoist boys were whispering. Upon closer inspection, although their attire and appearance resembled servants, both possessed late Nascent Soul cultivation!
"Bai Shengyi is still alive? Did the Sect Master withdraw the kill order again?" the male cultivator on the left asked incredulously.
The female cultivator said in a deep voice, "Shouldn't you be asking how Bai Shengyi managed to enter here?"
As soon as she spoke, the two looked at each other for a moment.
The male cultivator said timidly, "Could it be because of the Nine Revolutions Fortune-Seizing Array?"
The female cultivator couldn't help but roll her eyes, her disdain evident.
Every time she went on missions with these men, she felt a sense of superiority due to her exceptional intelligence. If it weren't for this person's decent cultivation and obedience, she couldn't imagine surviving a journey with such a teammate.
"If that array can truly find the Heavenly Mandate Sword by reversing time, do you think the Sect Master would have us split up with Ying Dan?"
The female cultivator analyzed, "I suspect she, like us, accidentally fell into a spacetime rift. However, judging by Bai Shengyi's suicidal tendencies, she probably doesn't even know this is a real world yet, does she?"
"If I hadn't almost died, I wouldn't believe this world was real either. Chen Min, why does the National Preceptor here look so much like Qinglan from Shenqi Academy? Also, can we still go back?"
The female cultivator named Chen Min said firmly, "We can definitely go back. Moreover, Shi Lan, perhaps we can truly find the Heavenly Mandate Sword! I have a premonition that the divine artifacts of Great Sheng might be related to the Heavenly Mandate Sword..."
As they spoke, neither of them noticed the leaves of the ivy beside the steps stir.
Chen Min glanced towards the beast-fighting arena and exclaimed in surprise, "Bai Shengyi is gone?"
"Did she go into the beast-fighting arena?" Shi Lan said, "That arena holds countless mysteries. Even you and I dare not enter alone. Bai Shengyi is probably finished."
At this moment, Bai Shengyi, whom Shi Lan and Chen Min were lamenting, keenly sensed that the "wall" blocking her and Chui Yu had disappeared. She stepped into the beast-fighting arena.
"Huh? You... Bai..."
"White Tiger? Are you truly the divine beast White Tiger?" Bai Shengyi excitedly interrupted Chui Yu's words, winked at Chui Yu, and then spoke to herself, "Being able to speak human language, you must be a divine beast without a doubt."
Xuan Qing's suspicion vanished, and his previous indifference returned.
"Let's begin."
"Alright." Bai Shengyi did not dare to be careless and directly drew her Chunhong Sword.
Chui Yu was stunned.
"Wait! You broken artifact, what are you starting?"
It stumbled to its feet, letting out a "howl."
"Broken artifact, have you forgotten? You are the guardian deity of Great Sheng. If you take action, the entire Great Sheng will be plunged into bloodshed!"
"White Tiger, do you mean he is a divine artifact embodiment?" Bai Shengyi frowned tightly, staring intently at Xuan Qing.