Baili Xu immediately rushed forward. "Young Master!"
Ling Bufei glanced indifferently at Ji Xingge. "Who did you offend? Why are they following you here?"
Ji Xingge, already nervous, became furious at this comment. "Why are you pretending to be the victim here? Since when does Fengxi Valley have enemies? If anyone's hated, it's you, Young Master Ling!"
She suddenly started doubting her decision. They only met occasionally, and every time she left angry. If they actually got married, would being mad at him every day shorten her life? But that could wait—right now, the important question was, who was attacking them?
The viewing pavilion was perched on high ground, and from where Ji Xingge stood, the surrounding darkness was absolute. The Milky Way above had disappeared, real stars and moonlight were nowhere to be seen, and the lights of the city below had vanished completely. Only their pavilion remained, illuminated faintly by the glow of night pearls embedded in the shell decorations.
It was as though all light outside the pavilion had been swallowed up.
This was a divine ability barrier, something only those at the Nascent Soul level or higher could create. Simply put, it meant the entire space had been drawn into someone's spiritual control.
Given the high-end status of the Star-Plucking Tower and its powerful protective formations, for someone to act so brazenly inside the tower, the attacker must likely have already reached the Deity Transformation stage.
In this world, cultivators above the Integration Stage were mere legends. Deity Transformation was the highest level of mastery known. For someone of that level to act, they were in serious trouble.
Ji Xingge spread her hand, and a transparent pearl appeared in her palm, inside which burned a single feather. She clenched her fist, shattering the pearl into a wisp of smoke.
"I've already informed my father. But with such a grand display from the other side, they're unlikely to let anyone into the Star-Plucking Tower so easily. We'll need to figure out how to protect ourselves until reinforcements arrive."
After saying that, she glanced at Ling Bufei curiously. "Why aren't you worried? They're clearly coming for you."
Just then, a deep voice echoed from above: "Who dares come here? State your name!"
That voice…
Ji Xingge suddenly realized and pointed at Ling Bufei, shocked. "You brought a bodyguard with you?!"
Baili Xu responded matter-of-factly, "Of course, someone of my young master's stature cannot take unnecessary risks. What if he were captured and used to threaten our sect? The mighty Wujizong bowing to small-time criminals—impossible!"
Ji Xingge found herself speechless at his logic.
Wait, he had a Deity Transformation-stage bodyguard with him all this time… then everything I just said…
"Relax," Ling Bufei, noticing her dilemma, reassured her. "Uncle Master Kumu won't interfere with my affairs unless I'm truly in danger."
"Oh," Ji Xingge responded dryly, suddenly feeling like a complete fool.
Meanwhile, Bai Siyao had slipped away the moment the barrier descended.
When she spotted her panicked older siblings standing on the platform, half of the weight on her heart lifted.
"Big Sis, Big Bro!"
The moment he saw her, Bai Mengxing blurted out, "It wasn't my fault! I only touched it; I didn't break anything!"
Just before the incident, he had been pestering them to come and see the Starry River Array. Unable to refuse, Bai Siyao had brought him up to the platform. The array's mechanism was there, and Mengxing, unable to resist, had touched it. But as soon as he did, the surrounding area went dark.
In that split second, countless thoughts ran through Mengxing's mind.
Like, how much was the Starry River Array worth? Would the Bai family's entire fortune be enough to cover it? And if not, would he be forced to stay here working off the debt for the rest of his life? No, no, no—he was just about to enter Danxia Palace and become a disciple of one of the top three sects. His bright future was only beginning—he couldn't be stuck here!
Bai Siyao gave him a glance but only asked her eldest sister, "Are you two alright?"
"Second Sister!" Bai Menglian's heart finally eased upon seeing her, as if she had found her anchor. "We're fine, but what's going on? What is this thing?"
"This is a divine ability barrier," Bai Siyao explained. "A high-level cultivator is here."
Bai Menglian was startled. A divine ability barrier—someone at the Nascent Soul level or higher was involved? These barriers usually signaled the start of a duel. Was someone about to fight in the Star-Plucking Tower? This was bad. A duel between Nascent Soul-level cultivators could destroy Fengwu City, let alone the tower.
"Don't worry," Bai Siyao reassured her in time. "The Star-Plucking Tower has top-tier protections, and there are also high-level cultivators stationed in Fengwu City. The situation isn't as dire as it seems."
Hearing this, Bai Mengxing finally put the pieces together. "So, it's a high-level cultivator's duel, not my fault for breaking the Starry River Array?"
Seeing his relieved expression, Bai Menglian couldn't help but roll her eyes. "What are you thinking? Even if you broke the Starry River Array, at worst we'd pay for it. But if high-level cultivators are dueling, one wrong move and we could lose our lives!"
Bai Mengxing froze, his face finally showing a bit of panic. "Oh right, what do we do now? Second Sister, are we going to die?"
"Their target isn't us. Just stay hidden," Bai Siyao said. "Elder Yiming will notice something's wrong and come looking for us."
She glanced up. "Luckily, the Starry River Array serves as the switch for the Star-Plucking Tower's protections. Stay underneath it, and until Elder Yiming arrives, don't take a single step outside."
"Got it." Bai Menglian grabbed her brother and quickly dragged him down from the platform, hiding beneath it.
Bai Siyao handed them each a handful of talismans. "These are defensive. Use them if necessary. They're better than nothing."
Bai Menglian noticed that Bai Siyao's hands were empty and quickly asked, "What about you?"
Before Bai Siyao could answer, a deep voice boomed from above: "Who dares come here? State your name!"
Hearing that voice, she felt slightly relieved. As expected, Young Master Ling wouldn't be without protection. This person was at least at the Deity Transformation stage. With so many Nascent Soul cultivators inside the Star-Plucking Tower, as well as the Deity Transformation experts stationed in Fengwu City, they weren't entirely defenseless.
When no response came, the voice boomed again: "Sneaking around, afraid to show yourself?"
This time, a woman's bell-like laughter echoed through the air. "Kumu, old man, you're still alive?"
Kumu? Bai Siyao was surprised. So, it was Venerable Kumu of the Wujizong. He was a highly respected elder, said to be of the same generation as the late Sect Master Jiang, though he hadn't left the mountains in years. She had never seen him fight before, so his true power was unknown.
There was a brief silence before Kumu responded in a deep voice. "It's you, Hu Erniang."
Bai Siyao frowned slightly. Hu Erniang? She didn't know this name. Perhaps in her previous life, by the time she had mastered her divine arts, this person was no longer around. Was this the event that would end her life?
"Of course, it's me. Surprised, aren't you?" Hu Erniang's voice dripped with unspoken resentment.
Kumu, however, didn't answer her question. Instead, he demanded, "What are you doing here? This isn't a place for you!"
Hu Erniang let out a cold laugh, the bitterness finally seeping through. "Why am I here? Obviously, I've come to see Ling Yunzou's fine son!"