Ji Wushuang ended the call and turned to Ye Xi. "Wait here for me."
Ye Xi, thinking Ji Wushuang was about to confront the Wu family, hurriedly said, "Junior Sister, don't be reckless!"
Ji Wushuang smiled. "No, I'm just going to fetch something precious."
"Huh?"
According to the trajectory deduced from the Celestial Diagram, Ye Xi's downfall stemmed from her entanglement with Wu Huayi due to the exotic treasure, the "aphrodisiac flower."
Ordinary Spring Blossom had no such effect on people, so the one causing trouble must be this mutated Spring Blossom.
Currently, the Spring Blossom hadn't bloomed yet, its buds still tightly closed. If it were to bloom, who knows who it might affect? Since that was the case, Ji Wushuang decided to destroy it first.
After speaking, she slipped into the water like a nimble fish, stealthily making her way toward the lake's center from the edge of the formation.
As Ji Wushuang drew closer, she sensed a pure and radiant aura emanating from the plant. Could it be a mutated spiritual herb of the light attribute?
Emerging from the water, Ji Wushuang gazed at the Spring Blossom, which was larger than her fist. Its beauty captivated her, and she hesitated. Destroying such a gorgeous plant seemed a pity.
Why not transplant it beside the Tianyuan Fruit Tree to keep it company?
Yes, that's the plan!
Diving to the lakebed, Ji Wushuang reached out to uproot the Spring Blossom. To her surprise, as soon as she touched it, its roots coiled around her wrist of their own accord.
The intimate gesture gave Ji Wushuang a faint sense of dependency from the plant.
Could it be...
Had it developed a rudimentary spiritual consciousness?
Ji Wushuang quickly surfaced, marveling at the silvery-white, breathtakingly beautiful plant. Her thoughts returned to Ye Xi's deduced trajectory.
In that trajectory, who ended up with this spiritual herb?
Was it Mo Lanyi?
Tsk, tsk. A light spiritual root paired with a light-attributed spiritual herb—Heaven truly favored her.
A sly smile curved Ji Wushuang's lips. Without hesitation, she uprooted the Spring Blossom entirely. Instead of placing it into her spatial stone, she let it cling to her shoulder. To prevent it from wilting, she shared a drop of the Tianyuan Fruit Tree's Life Spirit Spring with it.
The silvery-white Spring Blossom seemed to delight in the Life Spirit Spring, wrapping itself around Ji Wushuang's shoulder. From a distance, it looked as though a delicate flower necklace adorned her slender neck, elegant yet playful.
Timing her actions with the depletion of the formation's power, Ji Wushuang swam back to the formation's edge. Just then, a magnificent white bird flew in from afar.
The bird was entirely silver-white, its feathers shimmering with golden light. Its tail feathers trailed luxuriously, as if gathering all the world's praises.
Ye Xi rushed to Ji Wushuang's side, using her spiritual power to dry her clothes while murmuring, "It's actually a Bright Bird..."
"A Bright Bird?"
Ye Xi gave Ji Wushuang a look of disbelief. "The Bright Bird is your master's—our sect leader's—contracted spiritual beast! It's said to be descended from the divine White Phoenix."
Ji Wushuang admired the bird for a moment before it descended onto the emerald lake. From its back, a figure leapt into the air.
With each step, the surrounding spiritual energy surged.
Ye Xi focused her gaze and was startled. Not only had the sect leader arrived, but several elders had come as well. Even Yujian Daoist Yao Cang, who claimed to be in seclusion, was present.
Each of them was a formidable cultivator whose mere cough could shake the cultivation world.
Junior Sister truly was cherished!
Yet, with such a kind and thoughtful Junior Sister, Ye Xi felt no jealousy. Instead, she believed Ji Wushuang deserved all the favor and protection in the world—no amount could ever be excessive.
Wu Huayi, though unfamiliar with Lian Xing's appearance, recognized the Bright Bird and the overwhelming aura emanating from him. He hurriedly stepped forward to pay his respects.
"This junior, Wu Huayi of the Wu family in Yicheng, greets the esteemed seniors."
Lian Xing, dressed in an imposing and luxurious robe, exuded an aura of unapproachable majesty. His cold, unsmiling demeanor sent chills down Wu Huayi's spine.
"Where are the Wu family members?"
"I—I am..."
Before Wu Huayi could finish, his legs gave out, and his throat seemed to choke on an invisible force, rendering him mute and motionless.
Lian Xing's cold gaze swept over him, as if looking at an ant.
Wu Huayi understood Lian Xing's meaning.
He was unworthy of speaking to him.
With their strongest Nascent Soul cultivator unconscious and bleeding, no one from the Wu family dared utter another word.
Fortunately, they didn't have to wait long. The Wu family's patriarch soon arrived in haste.
The patriarch, Wu Neng, was a cultivator in the Integration Stage—a rarity among cultivation clans and the cornerstone of the Wu family's dominance in Yicheng.
Without interference from major sects, Wu Neng could easily contend with small sects and stir up storms.
Upon recognizing Lian Xing, Wu Neng's expression shifted. They had met long ago, back when Lian Xing was just a young cultivator. Over the years, Wu Neng had witnessed Lian Xing's meteoric rise while his own cultivation stagnated.
For thousands of years, Wu Neng had been unable to advance further. If he failed to break through within fifty years, his lifespan would end.
And Lian Xing?
He remained youthful, his strength still growing. It was said he had recently ascended to an even higher realm—a fact that stoked Wu Neng's envy.
If only...
If only he had been chosen as a personal disciple of Yunlan Sect's leader back then. He might have been the one commanding awe and admiration now.
But the sect leader had deemed his temperament unstable. Feeling his talent unmatched, Wu Neng had refused to serve under others and joined another sect instead.
When that sect was destroyed, he returned to the Wu family. By then, he had already reached the Integration Stage, becoming a towering figure. Yet, over the years, Lian Xing had surpassed him, while he remained stuck.
Looking at Lian Xing now, Wu Neng's eyes brimmed with bitter resentment.