Silence.
Deathly silence.
Yun Youyue's fingernails dug into her palm, but she couldn't feel the pain. She had never imagined that Bai Shengyi would employ such a drastic measure.
Xia Xilou couldn't help but frown. From the beginning, he had only targeted Qin Si and Qian Ying because he knew that given their personalities, they would disdain using such methods for explanation.
Because in the eyes of many, taking a Dao Oath was often forced, a humiliation. Therefore, high-level cultivators, unless absolutely necessary, would never take a Dao Oath.
If Bai Shengyi knew Xia Xilou's thoughts, she would likely have mocked him unreservedly. If one could prove their innocence in a simple way, why endure suffering? It was only when she was wronged that she would feel humiliated!
"Junior Sister, doesn't the Shadow Stone on Youyue's hand prove everything?"
Seeing Yun Youyue lowering her head and remaining silent, Xia Xilou took a deep breath and walked up to Bai Shengyi with immense familiarity, attempting to change the subject.
"Vice Dean Xia can just call me Bai Shengyi," Bai Shengyi said, quietly retreating two steps towards Qin Si. "Are you saying the Shadow Stone is more convincing than a Dao Oath? Or are you simply trying to pin the blame on Senior Sister Qian Ying and me?"
Bai Shengyi was not easily fooled.
Without waiting for Xia Xilou's reply, she continued, "If not, why don't you have her take an oath? If everyone starts fabricating stories and slandering others like Yun Kai, will anyone dare to let disciples from their peak cooperate or train with disciples from other peaks?"
Who couldn't drag others down?
Who couldn't label others?
If everyone worried about their disciples' belongings being stolen during training, wouldn't they also worry about being framed and slandered?
Qian Ying immediately chimed in, "Junior Sister is right. Yun Youyue, hurry up, don't waste everyone's time."
Qin Si was even more direct.
He directly focused on Yun Kai and his daughter. "Yes, take it. If you don't... hehe..."
His words trailed off, followed by a dismissive, low chuckle that made many tremble.
Indeed—
"Ah!"
Yun Kai suddenly cried out in surprise. The man who had just stood up with Yun Youyue's support trembled and knelt on the ground, blood seeping through the fabric on his calf.
"Father!"
"Junior Brother!" Xia Xilou could no longer hold back, the gentle mask cracking for the first time. "Junior Brother, you are forcing your Senior Brother's hand!"
With a wave of his hand, a folding fan appeared. With a gentle flick, spiritual light transformed into butterflies and flew towards Yun Kai, attempting to resist Qin Si's spatial power.
Time passed quickly. Qin Si's expression remained unchanged, but Xia Xilou's face grew increasingly grim.
His movements became stiffer and stiffer, until eventually, even his hands began to tremble violently.
Seeing the fan in Xia Xilou's hand about to fall to the ground, a much greater pressure emanated from above the main hall. Some disciples on the main peak cried out in alarm.
"A Great Venerable has come out of seclusion!"
Amidst the clamor, a bolt of purplish-black lightning struck directly at Yun Kai's location, exploding with a deafening boom!
However, Yun Kai and Xia Xilou were enveloped in a protective barrier and remained unharmed.
Qin Si raised his hand to wipe the blood trickling from his lips, stepped forward, and inadvertently shielded Bai Shengyi behind him.
"Venerable Song Sheng."
Qin Si's phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, and Qian Ying seemed to brace herself for a confrontation.
In contrast to their somewhat heavy moods, Xia Xilou eagerly strode forward to greet the newcomer.
"Master, you have finally emerged from seclusion!"
"En."
With a deep, resonant voice, a man walked down from the air as if treading on solid ground, his hands clasped behind his back.
His movements seemed slow, so slow that everyone could clearly see them, yet in reality, they were incredibly fast. In the blink of an eye, he had arrived before them.
"Congratulations, Great Venerable, on emerging from seclusion and advancing your strength!"
Yun Kai was the first to offer his congratulations loudly. His resonant and earnest voice instantly pulled everyone's thoughts back.
Everyone rushed forward to offer their felicitations, their faces beaming with joy. However, their true thoughts remained their own.
In the Divine启 Academy, Venerable Song Sheng, Venerable Qingyun, and Venerable Qinglan were known as the Three Great Venerables.
These three were called a genius talisman master, the progenitor of artifact refining on the continent, and an all-rounder, respectively. They were the cornerstones of the Divine启 Academy. Even the elders and peak lords within the academy would respectfully address them as "Great Venerable" to show their respect.
Ten years ago, Venerable Song Sheng suddenly announced his seclusion. Following that, Venerable Qingyun took Qin Si as his sole disciple and entered strict seclusion. Subsequently, power within the Divine启 Academy rapidly shifted. The Dean disappeared, Qin Si, the Vice Dean, suddenly took office, and Vice Dean Xia Xilou went on a long journey...
"Song Sheng? Song Sheng?" Bai Shengyi couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
So, the Song Sheng mentioned by those people in the Qianyun Secret Realm was someone Feng Wuya couldn't find because the name was wrong?
But wasn't Venerable Song Sheng in seclusion all this time? How did he give the secret realm key to those three Golden Core cultivators? What was their relationship?
Furthermore, since Venerable Song Sheng was called a Great Venerable, meaning he was one of the Three Great Venerables, why did he have such a low presence within the academy? They had never heard of him!
Bai Shengyi's doubts piled up one after another, but she had no opportunity to ponder them further at this moment, because her voice, though small and low, had been heard by those who were paying attention.
"Junior Sister, this is my Master. You should call him Senior Uncle," Xia Xilou said, although he didn't state it explicitly, his tone carried a hint of reproach, feeling that Bai Shengyi was impolite.
He then turned to Venerable Song Sheng and said, "Master, let me introduce you. This is Junior Brother, the sole disciple accepted by Senior Uncle Qingyun before he went into seclusion. And this is Junior Sister, accepted by Junior Brother on behalf of Venerable Qinglan."
Venerable Song Sheng nodded and looked at Qin Si with a smile. "I know you. You were the one bullying Little Xilou just now, weren't you?"
As he spoke, he suddenly attacked!
Lightning surged out, crackling as it assaulted Qin Si!
Despite striking without mercy, his words were accompanied by the same gentle smile as Xia Xilou, and he falsely said, "Since Senior Brother Qingyun is in seclusion, I will grudgingly teach you some manners in his stead."
Venerable Song Sheng's move was sudden and unexpected. Before anyone could react, Bai Shengyi instinctively tried to help Qin Si. However, Qian Ying quickly reached out to pull her aside.
Yet, Qian Ying's movement was fast, but Venerable Song Sheng's was faster.
A ray of light was split off from the lightning attacking Qin Si and swiftly shot towards Bai Shengyi!
"I had forgotten about you, little girl."
"Junior Sister! Quickly dodge!" Qin Si and Qian Ying exclaimed in unison.
The Xuanjing Tiger let out a tremendous roar, its wide wings smashing the thick lightning in front of Qin Si into pieces. Qin Si stepped forward, preparing to help Bai Shengyi.
But the space before him was as hard as stone, trapping him in place.
"Venerable Song Sheng!"
Qin Si roared, making a decisive choice to stop suppressing his true strength and unleash his Nascent Soul and even higher cultivation.
At this moment, his killing intent was unrestrained. Spiritual energy surged wildly around him. Countless ice crystals and snowflakes transformed into sharp arrows, piercing the air with a sharp whistle as they attacked Venerable Song Sheng!
"Overestimating yourself."
Venerable Song Sheng sneered. A hammer surged into his hand, which he slammed towards Qin Si. Simultaneously, an even thicker bolt of lightning shot directly towards Bai Shengyi.
Blatant malice.
Unconcealed.
"Master, be careful!"
Bai Shengyi, having narrowly blocked Venerable Song Sheng's attack with the Pen of Reincarnation, was already severely injured.
Before she could even pop two pills into her mouth, she heard the urgent cries of the Pen of Reincarnation and the QIngmeng Vine.
Bai Shengyi looked up and saw a purplish-black bolt of lightning, unlike any heavenly lightning she had ever seen. Within the flashing electrical light, an ominous and dangerous aura emanated. It was flying towards her at an alarming speed, less than three meters away.
Time seemed to stand still, stretching infinitely.
Bai Shengyi could clearly see that on the main hall, Qian Ying and Qin Si were blocked by Venerable Song Sheng. Mu Xing, Wen Jiu, Yin Lingyue, and others tried to help, but they were all blocked by Xia Xilou, Yun Kai, and the others. No one could help her!
The lightning drew closer, even closer…
This was deadly!
It seemed she could only sit and wait for death.
But the more desperate the situation, the more she felt like she was going to die here, the more Bai Shengyi refused to yield, the clearer her mind became!
She took a deep breath, channeling all her spiritual energy with all her might. She would not give up until the very last moment!
Just as Bai Shengyi's Pen of Reincarnation transformed into a long sword and was about to clash with the lightning, a earth-shattering roar erupted from outside:
"Song Sheng, how dare you!"
The lightning that had been bearing down on Bai Shengyi actually cracked like a bean sprout.