The array cultivator who clashed with her in Mengcheng also bore the surname Qiu.
The fact that the other party could order Nascent Soul and Soul Transformation cultivators, who were of higher cultivation than himself, to hunt him down indicated that his identity was extraordinary.
He was highly likely a descendant of Qiu Yuanfeng, or at the very least, related by blood.
Xu Yi did not seem surprised, but instead smiled.
Since that was the case, she no longer had to worry about seeking out the wrong person for revenge later.
"Senior Sister Xu, your smile is rather chilling."
Chen Tao shivered.
Xu Yi glanced at him sideways, her face showing a hint of weariness.
Seeing this, Long Haotian, being perceptive, took Chen Tao away with Wang Yi'an, leaving her some space to rest.
Xu Yi slowly closed her eyes, many thoughts intertwining in her sea of consciousness.
In fact, with her current identity, she only needed to inform the elders of the Xuanji Sect about the matter. She believed that Qiu Yuanfeng would definitely lead Master Qiu to her doorstep to apologize, offer valuable gifts, and resolve the conflict amicably.
But this was not the outcome she desired.
She wanted the Array Heaven Alliance to cease to exist, or rather, for it to purge its impurities and become the pure Array Heaven Alliance it was in its inception.
However, her aspirations would undoubtedly shake the interests of a large portion of the Array Heaven Alliance. Even with the Xuanji Sect as backing, they would not accede to her demands.
Therefore, in the end, she would inevitably clash with the people of the Array Heaven Alliance. She had heard that the Array Heaven Alliance seemed to have some connection with the Great Artifact Sect. If she were to drag the Xuanji Sect into it as well, it would then escalate into a conflict between two sects.
Xu Yi did not wish for things to develop in such a manner.
She was the Grand Ancestor of the Xuanji Sect and was willing to bear the responsibilities of a Grand Ancestor. However, this did not mean she could use the Grand Ancestor's privileges with a clear conscience, pulling the Xuanji Sect, which should remain neutral, into the fray.
She was well aware of how much her status as Grand Ancestor was "watered down."
Wasn't the reason she was adventuring outside precisely to quickly gain the strength that matched her identity?
Therefore, she would not inform the Xuanji Sect about this matter. She would resolve it on her own.
An eighth-level array cultivator, a Tribulation Transcender.
Xu Yi once again felt the pressure of cultivation.
The thought of returning to the sect grew fainter, replaced by a firm decision!
Until she became a Tribulation Transcender, she would not return to the Xuanji Sect.
She would wander the Nine Provinces Continent until she possessed the strength to contend with the Array Heaven Alliance.
Having made her grand aspiration, she calmly examined her physical condition. Her cultivation, which had been at the peak of the late Nascent Soul stage, had now dropped to the middle Nascent Soul stage. The only benefit was that her meridians had undergone destruction and repair, making them much tougher than before.
Recalling the medicinal power she had prematurely exhausted, she gasped in pain, wishing she could have struck the old man another blow.
She placed her hand on her chest and, with a look of disdain, pulled out a charred storage bag.
This old man was a Soul Transformation cultivator; his storage bag should contain quite a few good things.
With that thought, she probed the storage bag with her divine sense and was then dazzled by the myriad of treasures within.
After a long while, she sighed softly, "The medicinal power this time was truly not used in vain."
She had heard about the Array Heaven Alliance's methods of accumulating wealth before. After seeing the contents of the old man's storage bag, she realized her previous assumptions had been too simplistic.
With just the leader of Bagua City amassing so much heavenly and earthly treasures, it was difficult to imagine the splendor of the overall leader of the Array Heaven Alliance.
"The Array Heaven Alliance."
Xu Yi murmured softly with her eyes closed, her expression unreadable.
Three days later.
"Senior Sister Xu, over there is where our Xuanqing Sect disciples normally cultivate."
Chen Tao stood to Xu Yi's right, diligently introducing her.
Long Haotian and Wang Yi'an stood to Xu Yi's left, smiling.
Long Haotian had fantasized more than once about Xu Yi arriving at his territory, where he would showcase his true demeanor as a Xuanqing Sect disciple to her.
He had initially thought this idea was far-fetched, but unexpectedly, it had materialized today.
He was in a good mood, so he didn't mind Chen Tao's fawning demeanor in front of Xu Yi.
In front of them was a vast platform, with nine square arenas erected in the center. Disciples were currently sparring on the arenas.
Many others were watching and cheering, creating a lively atmosphere.
Xu Yi often watched disciples' matches at the Xuanji Sect and was curious about the strength of the Xuanqing Sect disciples.
"Then may I go over there to observe a bit?"
Xu Yi's gaze fell upon the arenas.
"Of course, please do."
Long Haotian made a graceful invitation, and the four of them walked towards the arenas.
As they approached, Xu Yi chose an arena with the most people and stopped.
At this moment, two Golden Core stage disciples were sparring on the arena.
One wielded a saber, the other a sword. As they exchanged blows, saber energy and sword energy crisscrossed.
Xu Yi watched intently, occasionally nodding, which brought pleased expressions to the faces of the three Xuanqing Sect disciples who were paying close attention to her.
Finally, there was something that could restore their dignity.
After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the young disciple wielding the saber ran out of spiritual energy and was defeated with a sword strike.
"Senior Brother Lin wins!"
"Junior Brother Lin's swordsmanship has improved again!"
"..."
Cheers and applause erupted from below the arena.
Lin Chengze was about to jump off the arena when his sharp eyes spotted the few people standing at the back of the crowd. He exclaimed in surprise, "Senior Brother Long, Senior Brother Chen, and Senior Brother Wang, why are you all here!"
Everyone looked in the direction of his voice and noticed the three senior brothers behind them, immediately greeting them in unison.
Disciples from other arenas also stopped their matches.
Long Haotian said to the disciples, "This is our good friend whom we met on our last outing, Senior Sister Xu Yi."
"Greetings, Senior Sister Xu."
Xu Yi smiled slightly and nodded at everyone.
Long Haotian added, "Continue your sparring, don't get distracted."
"Yes!"
Although the Xuanqing Sect disciples were very curious about Senior Sister Xu, whom Long Haotian had brought back, they did not dare to disobey his instructions. Thus, they resumed their sparring, but their eyes kept darting in their direction, no longer as focused as before.
"Senior Sister Xu, let's go to another place..."
"Long Haotian, I finally caught you. Come and fight me!"
A figure charged towards Xu Yi like a charging bull, his gust of wind causing Xu Yi's clothes to flutter gently.
"Who is this?" Xu Yi asked softly.
Long Haotian's expression turned grim, and he reluctantly replied, "Feng Yu, a battle fanatic."
Feng Yu then noticed Xu Yi beside Long Haotian. His eyes lit up at first, but upon a closer look and recognizing Xu Yi's cultivation, his surging fighting spirit immediately dissipated.
He looked straight at Long Haotian, "I heard you've made significant progress since returning. Come and fight me, let me see what your current level is!"
"I have guests to entertain now. We can discuss sparring when I have free time."
Long Haotian rejected him very directly.
Once Feng Yu started fighting, he had no sense of restraint and loved to aim for the face. Long Haotian did not want to be seen wandering around the Xuanqing Sect with a bruised and battered face while accompanying Xu Yi.
"No, you must fight me. Otherwise, you're not leaving!"