"Senior Brother Jin, who is this Elder Bai you just mentioned? Our sect doesn't have an elder named Bai?" Qu Xiaoxiao asked, tilting her head in confusion.
"Junior Sister Qu, you suspect me too?" Jin Biao's brows furrowed, his gaze sharp. "Elder Bai is an elder of the Hall of Medicine. Do I need to state his full name?"
Qu Xiaoxiao flinched instinctively. She had intended to help Xu Yi question Jin Biao, but it seemed her attempt had failed.
The disciples of Xuan Qing Sect turned their attention to Xu Yi. Since Xu Yi suspected something was amiss with Senior Brother Jin, she had to produce evidence to prove it.
Under everyone's gaze, Xu Yi touched the ground with her foot, her figure rapidly closing in on Jin Biao. The disciplinary ruler in her hand glowed with a faint green light.
"Senior Sister Xu!"
A cry of alarm erupted from the Xuan Qing Sect group. However, driven by their trust in Xu Yi, no one stepped forward to intervene. They could only wait anxiously for the two to engage.
Xu Yi's speed was astonishing. In the blink of an eye, she was before Jin Biao's face. The disciplinary ruler, carrying a chilling gust of wind, swept towards him. The sharp whistle as it cut through the air pierced their eardrums, and the swirling, distorted air currents sent shivers down their spines.
The disciples of Xuan Qing Sect stared with disbelief, their eyes wide. Was Senior Sister Xu serious?
Jin Biao, at the center of the vortex, could feel the threat of Xu Yi's attack even more intensely. He wanted to draw his saber to resist, but he was holding Hong Shengyi, preventing him from freeing his hands. He could only retreat, channeling his spiritual energy to block.
"Xu Yi, we have no enmity between us. Why are you attacking me!" Jin Biao roared in anger. His only reply was a scorching beam of light from the ruler. As the ruler swung, the surrounding vegetation withered and curled at an alarming rate, emitting a foul odor. Accompanying it was a world-shattering sense of pressure.
Jin Biao was aghast. Xu Yi's attacks were all deadly, showing no intention of holding back. If he didn't retaliate now, he would be severely injured by this strike. Jin Biao used his spiritual energy to support Hong Shengyi's body, then drew a saber from his storage pouch.
"Xu Yi, you're forcing my hand."
Xu Yi responded with a cold laugh. Jin Biao no longer hesitated. Gripping the saber, he poured his spiritual energy into it with all his might.
*Boom!*
The roar of the saber sounded like thunder exploding on the grassland. Even from the distant exit, the thunderous sound could be heard. Someone had already made a move. This sound acted like a spark, igniting the tense atmosphere. A hot-headed cultivator was the first to act. Immediately after, several beams of spiritual light began to flicker from different directions. The great battle had finally commenced.
On the other side, although the number of combatants was far fewer than at the exit, the conflict that erupted here was more intense. The green ruler's light and the white saber's glow collided, making the very earth tremble. The disciples of Xuan Qing Sect had to use their spiritual energy to shield their ears while also controlling their bodies, leaving them flustered and their minds blank.
The collision of two different spiritual energies churned up violent air currents. Jin Biao, seeing the air currents surging towards him, reached out, embracing Hong Shengyi's body and retreating with her. Just as he thought he could evade the blast, a killing intent that made his scalp tingle erupted from behind him. His lips felt dry. When had Xu Yi appeared behind him?
In this moment of crisis, Jin Biao had no time to think. He instinctively decided to block this fatal blow with his saber. Consequently, Hong Shengyi, whom he had been holding, became a hindrance. He released her, supporting her with his spiritual energy, then turned to swing his saber. Simultaneously, he tossed an arrow from his storage pouch towards Xu Yi. From their brief exchange, he had already determined Xu Yi's strength. He used both moves to ensure absolute certainty.
However, when the saber's light and the arrow pierced through Xu Yi's figure, missing their mark, he suddenly felt an ominous premonition and sharply turned his head to look behind him. Hong Shengyi, who had been floating behind him, was nowhere to be seen. Turning his head again, he saw Xu Yi standing beside Ji Buwang, cradling the unconscious Hong Shengyi in her arms. How had she done it? Jin Biao found it incredible. He felt like a monkey, being toyed with by Xu Yi.
"Xu Yi, what do you want?" Jin Biao looked at Xu Yi with a mixture of wariness and anger. "I know you suspect me, but you have no reason! You can't find any evidence because I am Jin Biao! Return Junior Sister Hong to me immediately!" Jin Biao's body erupted with unprecedented power, his voice like rolling thunder.
"Who said I have no evidence." Jin Biao's escalating momentum was broken by Xu Yi's quiet words. Jin Biao paused, then sneered, "Impossible, I am Jin Biao."
Xu Yi shook her head and smiled faintly, "You don't believe me? Then look at the reactions of the other disciples of Xuan Qing Sect."
Jin Biao immediately turned to look at the Xuan Qing Sect disciples. However, the disciples, who had shown signs of wavering earlier, now looked at him with defensive eyes. Some even had red-rimmed eyes, their gazes filled with hatred.
"You..." Jin Biao was utterly confused. Why was this happening? He had acted entirely according to Jin Biao's personality and behavior, without any flaws. He shouldn't have been recognized.
"You must be wondering," Xu Yi said calmly. Jin Biao did not reply this time, his hands clenched into fists.
"Your imitation was flawless, yet it still couldn't hide your true nature." Xu Yi spoke as she carefully set Hong Shengyi down. True nature? Jin Biao frowned. What was his true nature?
"Look, you don't even know what your true nature is, how can you possibly play the part of a flesh-and-blood person."
"What exactly do you want to say?" Jin Biao asked impatiently. He only wanted to know how he had been seen through.
"The real Jin Biao wouldn't abandon Hong Shengyi for his own safety." Jin Biao had chosen to support Hong Shengyi with his spiritual energy and place her behind him to block Xu Yi's attack. However, behind him were the residual air currents from the clash between the two combatants. This meant that Jin Biao's action could have put Hong Shengyi in danger.
"The real Senior Brother Jin wouldn't abandon Senior Sister Hong! Who are you!" It was Lu Ziang who spoke. He was the closest to Jin Biao and Hong Shengyi and knew their feelings for each other best. The moment Jin Biao set Hong Shengyi down, he knew the person before him was definitely not his pure-hearted Senior Brother Jin. But where was the real Senior Brother Jin, and why did this person have Jin Biao's weapon and know everything about them? Lu Ziang already had a guess, but he was unwilling to believe it. He could only glare, hoping for an answer that completely contradicted his guess.
"Hahahaha, what are you talking about? This guess is ridiculous. Why can't I abandon Junior Sister Hong? Aren't I the one to decide when it comes to our lives? I am Jin Biao, whether you believe it or not." After a moment of silence, Jin Biao suddenly burst into laughter. Even when exposed, he refused to admit it. This was because he knew they wouldn't dare to do anything to him. Who was he? He was Jin Biao, the real Jin Biao.