"Lingyun Zhou? Is he Ling Bufei's father?" This thought flashed through Bai Siyao's mind as she heard the withered elder's cold voice, "Now that you've seen enough, you can leave."
Hu Ernian burst into laughter, mocking, "All I did was take a glance, and you're guarding him like he's a treasure. The life of the young sect master sure is precious!"
The withered elder snorted in response, saying nothing more, though the pressure he released was palpable.
Bai Siyao clutched at her chest, her face turning red. "Why… am I struggling to breathe?"
Turning around, Bai Siyao noticed that Bai Menglian's face didn't look good either. Though she was more cultivated and could endure better, the strain was apparent.
Without hesitation, Bai Siyao pricked her finger, swiftly drawing an array on the ground and pushing her siblings inside.
"Stay here and wait for Elder Yiming!"
As she turned to leave, Bai Menglian called after her, "Where are you going?"
"To have a look." With that, Bai Siyao's figure vanished into the night.
"Sigh…" Bai Menglian sighed anxiously. Ever since her younger sister absorbed their granduncle's power, she'd become increasingly independent. But this was a battle between cultivators of the Nascent Soul stage—she mustn't become collateral damage.
Standing on the cobblestone path, Bai Siyao took out three copper coins and cast a quick divination.
Within the barrier of this spiritual domain, light was stripped away a mere ten feet ahead, and her five senses were dulled. Only through secret techniques could she navigate her way.
She silently thanked herself for having absorbed her granduncle's power upon returning—if she had remained at the Qi Refinement stage, she'd be utterly powerless.
"Found it." Bai Siyao put away the coins and proceeded forward, guided by the faint glow of her pearlescent bead.
In the observation pavilion, Ji Xingge pointed at Ling Bufei upon hearing Hu Ernian introduce herself. "So, they really did come to settle scores with you! And you still deny it?"
Ling Bufei merely glanced at her without responding, his look conveying, "Is this really the time to argue about who's right? How childish." Ji Xingge was instantly fuming again.
Though Ling Bufei couldn't summon even the faintest flicker of fire, his presence alone was enough to drive anyone mad. The frustration he caused was lethal.
Above the Star-Catching Tower, two Nascent Soul masters had already clashed. The fierce waves of spiritual energy echoed like muffled thunder in the sky, and it was clear neither had gained the upper hand.
Meanwhile, a voice, refined and elegant, sounded from the side, "A guest from afar, my friend—why not show yourself and join me for a cup of wine?"
"Lord Shaoyang," Ling Bufei murmured softly in the pavilion.
The Nascent Soul cultivator who presided over Fengwu City was named Shang Shaoyang, and people called him Lord Shaoyang.
Hu Ernian's tone betrayed her surprise, "You're back so soon?"
She had deliberately employed tricks to hinder Lord Shaoyang, certain she could buy some time. Yet how long had it been? Barely a quarter of an hour, and he had already freed himself!
Shang Shaoyang, not caring to explain, smiled and said, "Madam Hu, your grudge with the Ling family is not something Fengwu City wishes to involve itself in. However, you must not cause trouble here. How else will Fengwu City maintain its standing in the future?"
The withered elder added, "Hu Ernian, both Lord Shaoyang and I are here. If you leave now, it's still not too late!"
Fengwu City, with such a large population, was no place for a battle of this scale. Besides, with Shang Shaoyang standing on his side, it was necessary to show some respect.
But Hu Ernian merely laughed. "Old fool, did you think I'm the only one interested in the young sect master?"
As if her words were a signal, shadowy figures slowly emerged from the darkness, surrounding them in all directions—there were several of them!
An aged voice followed, "Withered Elder, it has been a while."
"Po Qianjun…" the withered elder's voice grew heavy. "You're also at death's door—why meddle in these outside grudges?"
The elder called Po Qianjun replied calmly, "Precisely because I'm nearing the end, I need to resolve a few things before I die. Is Lingyun Zhou's son here? Hand him over, and we can avoid unnecessary conflict today."
The withered elder let out a bitter laugh, "Hand him over? How could I ever face Brother Jiang again? You might as well kill me now."
"No need to get so worked up," Po Qianjun said placidly. "At my age, I'm not that bloodthirsty. I just need to ask him a few questions—after that, who knows, I might let him go. But if you hand him over to someone else… well, that's a different story."
Suddenly, a playful young voice chimed in, "Senior Qianjun, why are you monopolizing the business? This boy belongs to all of us. You can't hog him for yourself."
"Ji Yuansi…"
Even Shang Shaoyang's mood darkened. Normally, it was rare to see Nascent Soul cultivators, yet now so many had gathered. If a fight broke out, Fengwu City might be reduced to rubble, and the foundation of the Shang family would be destroyed.
In the pavilion, Ji Xingge, though unable to see the figures, grew increasingly anxious upon hearing the voices.
"It's over—there are at least three of them… Lord Shaoyang won't stand with us. His first priority is to protect Fengwu City, and in a real fight, he won't be able to help. What do we do? My father hasn't responded yet!"
As she rambled on, she turned to see Ling Bufei sitting down and sipping tea, unbothered, which infuriated her even more. "Aren't you even a little worried? These people are all after you!"
Ling Bufei, in the middle of lifting his teacup, nearly dropped it as she almost knocked it over. Instantly, he scooted three feet away. "Don't touch me! Trying to take advantage of me?"
"Now's hardly the time!" Ji Xingge exploded with anger. "What are you, some chaste maiden afraid of losing her honor? Acting like a single touch will ruin you."
Ling Bufei remained indifferent, even adding, "Of course. Only my wife can touch me. All other busybodies can keep their hands to themselves."
Ji Xingge couldn't help but laugh in exasperation. "Fine, fine. You're the pure and virtuous young sect master, and I'm unworthy, alright?"
"As long as you know."
Ji Xingge took a deep breath, silently repeating to herself not to get angry. Now was not the time for that. The situation was clear—the withered elder couldn't possibly fight off three opponents, and their enemies had come prepared. The call for reinforcements might not even get through. What now? Where was the way out?
The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became. Everywhere seemed like a dead end—there was no escape.
At that moment, Ling Bufei spoke again, "Ji Xingge, what's your connection to me? They're coming for me—what does it have to do with you? Fengqi Valley isn't big, but it's not small either. They won't want to cross your Ji family."
Wait, was this his way of trying to absolve her? Ji Xingge felt touched, thinking that this boy still had some decency, still remembered their childhood bond…
Just as she was lost in thought, the ground beneath them shook violently as the battle above raged on! Firelight flashed over Ji Xingge, as her family's secret technique shielded her. Remembering that Ling Bufei didn't know any spells, she quickly turned around.
"Young master!" Baili Xu rushed to Ling Bufei's side, clasping his hands together to form a protective barrier around them both.
But the aftershocks from the Nascent Soul cultivators' fight were overwhelming. Baili Xu, only at the Golden Core stage, had his barrier shattered after a brief tremble.
The observation pavilion swayed precariously as rocks tumbled down.
Seeing Ling Bufei stumble, almost falling over, Ji Xingge managed to shout, "Watch out!"
A deafening crash came from the side. The decorative rock was struck by the aftermath of the fight, exploding in a shower of debris. A dark figure, along with the broken stones, hurtled toward Ling Bufei!
Baili Xu and Ji Xingge hurried toward him, but the ground shook again, stopping them in their tracks. They heard Ling Bufei grunt, his body pinned beneath something heavy.
When the shaking finally subsided, Ji Xingge, dizzy and disoriented, rushed to help him. But when she saw his state, she burst into laughter. "So much for your purity, eh?"
There lay the young sect master, trapped beneath rubble, with a woman sprawled across him. Her face was obscured, but one hand was firmly gripping the front of his robe, tearing it open and exposing his chest.