The threads of karma remained motionless.
"What have you done?" it shrieked, its voice sharp and piercing.
The Yellow Springs Netherworld Flower twirled its blossoms, its blood-red petals like pairs of prying eyes, fixated on Bai Shengyi.
Bai Shengyi curled her lips into a smile of defiance, though her eyes held no mirth.
"Didn't you think I could do nothing? What are you afraid of then?"
As she spoke, Bai Shengyi formed a hand seal. The Heavenly Mechanism Sword, blazing with flames, tore through the void like a roaring wave from her Sea of Consciousness.
"Chunhong's Third Sword, Boundless!"
What of karma?
She cultivated the Way of Reincarnation, embraced karma of her own accord, and dictated her own destiny. She had transcended the Heavenly Dao rules of this realm. Why should she fear this insignificant karma!
Her sword swept across the carpet of flowers, severing the faintly discernible karmic threads into pieces!
As if sensing danger, the Yellow Springs Netherworld Flower immediately exuded a rich, intoxicating fragrance. Then, an endless sense of death surged towards Bai Shengyi's heart. Unhurried, Bai Shengyi swung her second sword.
"Boom!"
Flames and sword light intertwined, their immense power colliding with the karmic threads, instantly severing them completely!
The sense of death dissipated with them!
"Ah!" the grey wisps let out a miserable cry, their color visibly fading. Clearly, they had suffered heavy losses in this exchange.
"You actually comprehended the rules? Grasped your own Dao? No! How is this possible!" its voice was incredibly shrill, shouting in disbelief. "How old are you? This is impossible!"
"Why is it impossible?" Bai Shengyi’s gaze turned cold. She spoke with confidence and arrogance, "Just because you cannot achieve something, does not mean others cannot?"
She smiled, driving another dagger into the opponent's heart, word by word.
"My master Chunhong's Way of Karma was originally a benevolent path: sow good karma, reap good fruit. You Prison Fiends twisted it into an evil path. With such limited vision, I fear your clan will be annihilated before you achieve your goals!"
Standing amidst the sea of flowers, Bai Shengyi felt her comprehension of the Way of Reincarnation deepen and strengthen. Karma has reincarnation, life and death have reincarnation. The Way of Reincarnation she walked was one where she controlled everything. Therefore, even the flowers and the grey wisps here had to obey the karma she forged, her will.
"Break!"
Her crimson lips parted slightly, and the Yellow Springs Netherworld Flowers withered one after another. The grey wisps wailed incessantly, turning into a pile of smoke.
Within the Gate of the Underworld,
The woman deep within the sea of flowers suddenly opened her eyes, awakening from the illusion.
Her movement was like flipping a switch. The Yellow Springs Netherworld Flowers, which had been tightly entwined and dug into her flesh, seemed startled. They immediately and swiftly loosened their grip on the woman's skin, retracting like a tide, receding behind her.
In an instant, they vanished from her surroundings.
"They ran off so fast. Sigh, I wanted to take a few flowers as a thank-you gift for Dao Lord Yanhua." Bai Shengyi chuckled faintly. "Thanks to this excursion, my origin and Dao heart have become even purer."
In the past, to save Yue Shuxin, her origin had been severely damaged. Although it had been mostly repaired after her advancement to Mahayana, there were still lingering hidden ailments. Now, this journey through the illusion had been immensely beneficial.
Bai Shengyi surveyed her surroundings. She should now be within that sect's inner world. She hadn't expected the inner sect to be such a world.
In the black space, besides the bronze door ahead that emitted a faint light, one could only see the red Yellow Springs Netherworld Flowers and a silent river not far away.
She and the Yellow Springs Netherworld Flowers stood on one side of the river. The other side of the river was a dark unknown.
The Yellow Springs Netherworld Flowers seemed to understand her words. They rustled and fled further away.
Bai Shengyi suddenly narrowed her eyes, staring intently at the flower pistils, observing the grey wisps floating between them. She took a step forward.
The flowers, as if startled, suddenly jumped into the nearby river and drifted towards the opposite bank!
Bai Shengyi followed, and just as she was about to cross the river, her heart suddenly tensed. An inexplicable palpitation made her quickly retreat.
However, after waiting for a while, the river water remained undisturbed.
The river surface was clear and calm, with no movement save for the ripples caused by the flowers, as if it were stagnant water.
Bai Shengyi dared not act rashly. She was already a Mahayana cultivator, yet she could still feel such an ominous premonition. This river water was definitely not simple. If she had no other matters to attend to, she would have been curious to venture across. However, she thought that if she didn't leave soon, Feng Wuya and Luo Feihua and Zhu Wu would surely be worried to death.
Her gaze deepened, and Bai Shengyi turned back towards the bronze door.
She did not see that the river water suddenly began to bubble, and a dark shadow emerged from the depths. All the Yellow Springs Netherworld Flowers withered completely.
Bai Shengyi felt as if she had spent several days in the illusion. In reality, less than half an hour had passed outside the Gate of the Underworld.
Dao Lord Yanhua struck the barrier with her palm every so often. Seeing the actions of the three children inside, she raised an eyebrow.
"Trying to send a signal for help?" her blood-red lips parted and closed, her gaze condescending as she smiled maliciously, like a cat toying with a mouse. "Do you think I would give you a chance to ask for help? All the spiritual energy here is sealed by me. Don't worry, I will grant you a swift death."
Saying this, she struck the barrier again. This time, tiny cracks appeared on the barrier.
With Bai Shengyi absent, the Reincarnation Brush, as a mere pen, could not exert its full power. It was close to its breaking point.
"Feihua, Wuya, the barrier is breaking!" Zhu Wu retreated in a panic. Suddenly, his left foot tripped over his right, and he fell to the ground.
"Zhu Wu!" Luo Feihua rushed to help him.
At that moment, a soft sound came from behind, followed by the sound of palm wind breaking through the air.
"Feihua!" Feng Wuya immediately spread his arms to shield Luo Feihua, throwing out all his defensive talismans and treasures!
However, these items could not block Dao Lord Yanhua's movements even for a moment. Seeing the palm wind piercing through the barrier, in a flash of lightning, Feng Wuya turned around, embraced Luo Feihua, and used his back to try and block Dao Lord Yanhua's attack.
"Bang!"
A loud explosion erupted in his ears. Feng Wuya felt no pain. He numbly looked up, his hands still holding Luo Feihua, and exclaimed, "Shengyi!"
"Dao Lord Yanhua, bullying a few Golden Core juniors, do you have any shame?"
Bai Shengyi's gaze was incredibly cold. She retracted the Heavenly Mechanism Sword, and the Reincarnation Brush naturally fell into her hand, emitting a dazzling azure light. "Wind and Snow!"
As the two words fell, it was as if a deity descended,
Wind and snow howled, sweeping out like a world-ending dragon!
Dao Lord Yanhua's pupils constricted, and she hastily defended. Just as she met the great dragon, her heart suddenly tightened, and she made a swift somersault to dodge.
"Whoosh!"
An arrow, emitting a pale white flame, pierced through the spot where she had just been!
She recognized this flame. Bai Shengyi had used it before; it was the Dragon Chasing Starfire, one of the divine fires.
Just as Dao Lord Yanhua thought Bai Shengyi only knew these moves, another flaming arrow shot towards her!
"Blazing Sun Scarlet Fire!"
Dao Lord Yanhua's heart suddenly harbored an intent to retreat. She had never expected Bai Shengyi to possess two divine fires!
And they were the Dragon Chasing Starfire and the Blazing Sun Scarlet Fire, which were most effective against Prison Fiends!
"You little bitch! I'll let you off for today!"
Having made her decision, Dao Lord Yanhua no longer hesitated. She turned and prepared to leave.
Bai Shengyi raised her eyebrows coldly. "Old hag, I am the most polite. You let me enter the bronze door, and now you want to leave so easily? No way!"
The Reincarnation Brush, as if in unison with her thoughts, transformed into a long sword, its edge sharp, its sword intent reaching towards the heavens!
One sword stroke traversed east and west, carrying the tide of time, charging forward!
"Fourth Sword." Her crimson lips curled into a cold, indifferent voice that seemed to carry the heartless indifference of time. "Heavenly Slash."