Liang Yifei furrowed his brow in confusion as he pondered.
Mi Ling noticed his reaction and couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. "It seems like your knowledge is somewhat lacking," she remarked with a hint of superiority in her tone. "But I suppose it's not something that an ordinary person would be expected to know."
As though her remark didn't annoy him, a small smile played on his lips. With a snap of his fingers, multiple void cracks begin to materialize through the secret realm, Sending a shudder through the air and causing the ground to tremble. The gaping maw of each crack seemed to draw in all the energy around it, creating a vacuum that only added to the earthquake-like vibrations. With every moment that passed, the cracks grew wider and the tremors more intense, as if they were devouring everything around them.
The moment Mi Ling saw this, her expression turned ugly. Her delicate hands flew into action, forming intricate seals one after another. With each seal, a dao rune sprung forth and darted towards one of the cracks. Miraculously, the instant the runes made contact with the cracks, the chaotic energy and pressure pouring from them began to dissipate on the spot.
As Mi Ling turned her attention back to the Peacock, her eyes widened in shock as she realized that both Liang Yifei and the Peacock were nowhere to be seen. She quickly scanned the area with her divine sense but found no trace of them. She cursed under her breath, realizing that she had been outsmarted.
"How did he...?" she murmured to herself, her mind racing with thoughts of how Liang Yifei had managed to escape with the Peacock without her noticing. She felt a pang of anger and frustration rise within her.
"He's cunning, I'll give him that," she muttered to herself as she scanned the area once more. But there was no sign of Liang Yifei or the Peacock. It was as if they had vanished into thin air.
Looking at the void cracks, she realized with horror that they were starting to expand again and the runes she summoned began to dissipate. If she didn't act quickly, the secret realm would collapse. Taking a deep breath, she concentrated all her energy and began to dispel the cracks one by one.
It took her a considerable amount of time and effort, but eventually, after what felt like hours, she finally managed to dispel all the void cracks, and the secret realm stabilized once again.
Exhausted, Mi Ling let out a heavy sigh. However, her mind was still preoccupied with thoughts of Liang Yifei and the Peacock. She needed to find a way to track him down.
Lost in contemplation, Mi Ling murmured under her breath, "So he possesses the ability to manipulate the void, that's how he escaped from the cave back then. Perhaps I really underestimated his capabilities. Nevertheless, I'm not going to let him slip away again."
But there was no time to dwell on Liang Yifei's abilities. As she turned her head to look at the secret realm entrance, she saw two figures emerge from the shadows - Bai Shun and Li Yan.
"Mi Ling, what happened here?" Bai Shun asked, his voice filled with puzzlement.
"We were worried about you," Li Yan said as soon as he saw her. "You've been gone for a while, and we finished revising the plan without you. What happened?"
Mi Ling took a deep breath and composed herself before answering. "There was an accident in the secret realm," she said calmly. "But there's nothing to worry about. I took care of it."
Bai Shun and Li Yan nodded, relieved to hear that everything was under control. "What was it?" Bai Shun asked curiously.
Mi Ling pondered for a moment before answering. She didn't want to reveal too much information about Liang Yifei and the Peacock. "It was just a minor disturbance," she said vaguely. "I took care of it."
Bai Shun and Li Yan exchanged a glance but didn't press further. They knew that Mi Ling was a capable cultivator, and if she said everything was fine, then it probably was.
"Let's get back to the plan," Mi Ling said, trying to change the subject. "We have a lot of work to do."
Bai Shun and Li Yan nodded, and the three of them began to discuss their next moves. But even as they talked, Mi Ling couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled in her stomach. With his ability to manipulate the void, finding Liang Yifei in a short time would be impossible. However, she knew that he would eventually reach out to her. His true intentions were not to acquire the Peacock but rather to gather information - a fact she was certain of.
Meanwhile, Liang Yifei and the Peacock appeared in the middle of a grand hall, surrounded by luxurious furnishings and intricate decorations. The walls were adorned with paintings of landscapes and mythical beasts, and the floors were made of polished marble that reflected the golden light streaming in from the windows.
The Peacock was visibly shaken and confused, having been abruptly taken from the secret realm and transported to a completely different place. It flapped its wings anxiously and let out a series of distressed squawks.
Liang Yifei took a step towards the Peacock, causing it to recoil in fear. He could sense its fear growing even stronger, but he paid it no heed.
"Stay still," he said calmly. "I won't hurt you."
Slowly, he reached out and touched the Peacock's feathers, causing a surge of energy to flow from his hand into the bird's body. The Peacock struggled for a moment, but then its body relaxed, and a serene expression appeared on its face.
The hall's silence was broken by the appearance of a familiar figure - Yang Wu. His eyes widened in surprise as he noticed the Peacock, and he couldn't help but let out a chuckle."I had no idea you were a bird lover,".
Liang Yifei turned to face Yang Wu, his voice collected and calm. "Yang Wu, I'm entrusting you with the care of this Peacock. Keep its existence a secret, and make sure it is well-fed and comfortable."
Yang Wu's tone took on a serious overtone, understanding that Liang Yifei was not joking around. "Do not worry, master. I'll make sure it's looked after," he replied, bowing respectfully.
With a firm nod of agreement, Liang Yifei turned and made his way out of the grand hall. He had much more important matters to attend to, and he knew that the Peacock was in good hands with Yang Wu.
As he strode purposefully down the hallway, his mind raced with thoughts and plans.
At the end of the hallway, he pushed open a pair of ornate doors, revealing a large library filled with ancient books and scrolls. Before the invasion, he moved almost everything he collected with Yang Wu and instructed him to procure any valuable and ancient manuscripts he may come across.
He settled himself down at a large desk and began to look through the books and scrolls that were spread out before him. The smell of the old pages filled his nostrils, and he couldn't help but feel some nostalgia. His mind was completely focused on the task at hand.
Hours flew by as he worked tirelessly. Driven by a fierce determination to find answers, the sun slowly began to set, casting a warm glow over the room and highlighting the dust that had settled on the books and scrolls.
Finally, as darkness began to envelop the horizon, Liang Yifei looked up. A satisfied smile crossed his face. He had found what he was looking for.
He stood up, stretched his limbs, and took one last look around before heading out into the night.