Xu Yi dreamt of the star river once more.
In her dream, she was attached to an inconspicuous star, shedding all distractions, drifting through the star river with it, as if she belonged here.
After an unknown period, Xu Yi suddenly heard a cacophony of sounds.
She couldn't hear clearly, only that the speaker’s voice was loud, agitated, and faintly familiar.
With this thought, her consciousness gradually returned, and the vast star river became illusory and distorted.
"Is Senior Sister Xu really alright? She's been unconscious for a month."
"Her physical injuries have healed. As for why she hasn't woken up, it might be related to her soul."
"Elder Bai, what should we do?"
"..."
Xu Yi regained consciousness, and the fuzzy voices gradually became clear.
She turned her head and saw Long Haotian and the other two surrounding a white-bearded Daoist priest, speaking agitatedly.
The white-bearded Daoist priest lightly stroked his beard, tilting his head slightly to avoid their gaze, but his eyes met Xu Yi's.
He paused for a moment, then smiled, "You don't need to worry anymore, she's awake."
Long Haotian and the other two froze, turning their heads in unison. Indeed, they saw Xu Yi blinking, seemingly greeting them.
"Senior Sister Xu! You're finally awake!"
Chen Tao was the first to rush forward.
Long Haotian lagged a step behind, his brow furrowed in displeasure.
Xu Yi scanned their faces, remained silent for a long time, then sighed regretfully, "After a few months, you've all turned pale."
The three Xuan Qing Sect miners: ...
The excitement of reuniting with old friends was crushed by Xu Yi's words, leaving nothing but dust.
"Senior Sister Xu, the three of us disciples weren't dark-skinned to begin with. We were so dark before because... ahem, after leaving that place, our skin naturally recovered."
Chen Tao's face turned ashen as he recalled the days of mining.
Xu Yi smiled slightly and suddenly asked, "Where is Yang Mei? The little girl who was with me that day."
"Seeing your divine power that day, she had an epiphany and is now in closed-door cultivation to break through," Long Haotian finally answered before Chen Tao could speak, a slight smile curving his lips.
However, Chen Tao followed up, asking curiously, "Senior Sister Xu, was that black cloud you created that day really you? My senior brothers and I were almost scared stiff watching from afar."
Long Haotian and Wang Yian, who were scared stiff: ...
Xu Yi carefully chose her words to answer, but the ethereal white-bearded Daoist priest pushed the three aside and stood before Xu Yi's bed, asking, "How do you feel now? Do you have any discomfort within?"
Xu Yi closed her eyes and silently checked her condition, then opened them in surprise, "My injuries have all healed."
The white-bearded Daoist priest nodded proudly, "You took Xuan Qing Sect's finest spiritual medicine. It's understandable that your injuries healed so quickly. You don't know how much trouble you caused this old man when you were unconscious; they dragged me out every day... Hey, don't push me, I haven't finished speaking!"
As the white-bearded Daoist priest was getting into his stride, he was swiftly escorted out by Long Haotian and Wang Yian from either side.
"Elder Bai, we will personally apologize and thank you another day."
Bang!
The door closed, leaving Elder Xu outside.
The act of crossing the river and demolishing the bridge enraged him, causing a slight tremor that pulled out several strands of his white beard.
He looked at the white beard in his hand with heartache, snorted, and turned towards the Sect Master's residence.
In the room.
Xu Yi leaned against the headboard and solemnly thanked the three.
This thanks was not only for bringing her back to Xuan Qing Sect to recuperate but also for risking danger to rescue her.
When they first met, Xu Yi viewed them as fierce beasts.
Later, due to the secret realm incident, their relationship grew closer, and they could speak peacefully.
Now, Xu Yi had fully accepted the three into her circle of friends.
"Senior Sister Xu, you are too kind. You saved us before, and we are merely returning the favor," Long Haotian said, a flicker of unease in his eyes.
He found it strange for Xu Yi to speak so formally.
"Senior Sister Xu, who was pursuing you before? Was it that thing we encountered in Xiling City?"
Wang Yian suddenly asked.
Xu Yi shook her head, "It wasn't that. It was people from the Array Heaven Alliance."
She had no intention of hiding their identities. Sooner or later, she would dismantle the Array Heaven Alliance's signboard in front of all cultivators on the Kyushu Continent and give those people a resounding slap in the face.
"Array Heaven Alliance? How did you get involved with them?"
Hearing the name Array Heaven Alliance, Long Haotian and the other two looked grave and extremely puzzled.
"The people from the Array Heaven Alliance are like rabid dogs. I merely disciplined a vain array cultivator in Meng City, and they refused to let me go," Xu Yi said with disdain.
"Ahem, Senior Sister Xu, many disciples of our Xuan Qing Sect have joined the Array Heaven Alliance. You shouldn't say that outside."
Chen Tao cast a somewhat guilty glance at the closed doors and windows.
Xu Yi also realized the impropriety of her words and quickly apologized.
With that one sentence, she had offended a boatload of people. She was being arbitrary and peremptory, no different from some of the unreasonable people in the Array Heaven Alliance.
After apologizing, she humbly asked, "How much do you know about the Array Heaven Alliance?"
Although Xu Yi's injuries were no longer a major concern, she had been unconscious for a month, and her complexion was still a little pale. Coupled with her slender frame, she looked even more frail.
However, when she softly uttered this sentence, Long Haotian and the other two sensed the explosive anger simmering beneath her calm exterior.
"I..."
Chen Tao wanted to speak but realized he knew nothing about the Array Heaven Alliance and could only shut his mouth, silently looking towards Long Haotian with Wang Yian.
Among the three of them, only Long Haotian was most likely to know the background and details of the Array Heaven Alliance.
Long Haotian cleared his throat with a touch of reserve. He did indeed know some things about the Array Heaven Alliance.
"The Array Heaven Alliance was founded over a thousand years ago by Tuoba Yanghui, a ninth-level array cultivator. His goal was to enable all array cultivators to brainstorm, exchange ideas, and progress together. Due to his status, many array cultivators responded and joined.
After a thousand years of development, the Array Heaven Alliance became a special force on the Kyushu Continent, and its nature gradually changed. It not only became increasingly utilitarian but also gradually turned into a one-man show dominated by the Alliance Leader.
The current leader of the Array Heaven Alliance is named Qiu Yuanfeng, an eighth-level array cultivator. It is said that he is backed by a Mahayana stage ancestor from the Daqi Sect, which is why the people of the Array Heaven Alliance obey him unconditionally."
Long Haotian quickly revealed everything he knew.
Then, he saw Xu Yi lowering her brows, her face deep in thought.
Xu Yi felt as though thunderbolts were striking her.
She had not expected that the founder of the Array Heaven Alliance would have some connection to her.
No, to be precise, it was a connection to her junior sister, Liu Jinghong.
Wasn't Tuoba Yanghui an extremely fervent follower of her junior sister?
In her dreams, she had even clashed with Tuoba Yanghui.
A thousand years later, she had once again clashed with the organization founded by Tuoba Yanghui.
It seemed they were fundamentally incompatible.
What concerned Xu Yi even more was the leader named Qiu Yuanfeng.