Jin Biao’s expression, as he spoke, was one of overwhelming dominance, showing not the slightest trace of compromise.
The faces of the Xuanqing Sect disciples were grim, and their indignation grew.
"You imposter! Senior Brother Jin would never speak to us like this!"
"Where did you take Senior Brother Jin? Hand him over immediately."
"What did you do to Senior Brother Jin?"
Xu Yi remained silent, instead narrowing her eyes to scrutinize Jin Biao’s expression.
His demeanor was calm, his gaze direct and unafraid, betraying no hint of guilt. He seemed confident of victory, as if certain they posed no threat to him.
From what did his confidence stem?
Xu Yi’s suspicion grew, her gaze becoming increasingly sharp.
While Xu Yi observed Jin Biao, Wang Yi'an and Long Haotian of the Xuanqing Sect were also sizing him up.
They had intended to find a flaw in this imposter, but the more they looked, the more alarmed they became.
For besides a subconscious reaction earlier, the Jin Biao before them showed no other signs of abnormality, as if the real Senior Brother Jin stood before them.
If not for Xu Yi’s previous test, they themselves would not have believed that the person before them was fake.
Could it be…
A guess simultaneously surfaced in both their minds, their eyes revealing a dark glint of hatred.
"Forget it. Since you don’t believe me, I’ll be going now. We will meet again."
Jin Biao laughed aloud twice, his figure transforming into a streak of light that vanished in an instant.
Many within the Xuanqing Sect instinctively lunged forward, only to be stopped by Long Haotian’s sharp shout.
"Don't chase!"
"But only he knows Senior Brother Jin’s whereabouts!"
Someone glared, shouting indignantly.
"With our current strength, we cannot stop him. Moreover, the Soul Severing Bell is about to appear. We must not split up; it’s a feint to lure the tiger away from its mountain."
Long Haotian’s words managed to pacify the agitated emotions of the crowd, but their morale was inevitably affected.
This was an internal affair of the Xuanqing Sect; neither Xu Yi nor Ji Buwang intended to intervene.
Xu Yi, at this moment, was pondering Jin Biao's parting words.
He had said they would meet again.
Xu Yi looked towards the horizon, lost in thought as the rosy clouds swirled.
Due to Jin Biao's appearance, the Xuanqing Sect disciples were unusually silent for the next period.
Everyone raised their heads, held their breath, and focused their attention on the colorful rosy clouds. The most dangerous moment was about to arrive.
Finally, the rosy clouds intensified, as if the entire world were draped in a veil of five colors.
For some unknown reason, Ji Buwang felt a stirring in his heart and glanced at Xu Yi from the corner of his eye.
The brilliant light illuminated Xu Yi’s face, softening her features, and her eyes seemed to sparkle with stars.
Ji Buwang inexplicably felt a dryness in his throat, his eyelashes trembling unnaturally, yet his gaze remained fixed.
Under the dangerously veiled rosy clouds, he lost awareness of the outside world, his entire being consumed by that one person.
Just as Ji Buwang was lost in his private, secret joy, Xu Yi suddenly turned her head to look at him.
In that moment, Ji Buwang felt as if he had fallen into a sea of stars.
*Dong! Dong! Dong!*
Sounds like muffled thunder echoed in his ears.
"Something seems wrong."
Ji Buwang watched Xu Yi's lips move, his thoughts feeling stiff and unable to function.
Only when Xu Yi's face registered confusion did he suddenly find his voice, "What is wrong?"
A flicker of suspicion crossed Xu Yi’s eyes, but she didn’t dwell on it. Instead, she pointed to the sky, "Look, the color of the rosy clouds doesn't seem as brilliant as before."
Ji Buwang followed the direction of Xu Yi's finger, his expression grave.
Xu Yi was correct; the rosy clouds had passed their peak intensity, yet the Soul Severing Bell had not appeared.
Could it be that the Soul Severing Bell was no longer in this secret realm?
No, if that were the case, the Monkey King would not have sent them to search for it in the first place.
Something must have happened to alter the timing of the Soul Severing Bell’s appearance.
Xu Yi and Ji Buwang exchanged glances, both recognizing the unease flowing beneath their calm expressions.
They had prepared themselves to face the Soul Severing Bell, but now, with this unexpected turn of events, all their previous information was rendered void.
It also meant that everything that followed was unpredictable.
Xu Yi sighed inwardly, "We can only wait a little longer."
Waiting for the new unknown to emerge.
Ji Buwang nodded. After a pause, he suddenly added, "Since things have come to this, there's no need to be overly anxious. When the boat reaches the bridge, it will naturally straighten."
Xu Yi looked at him with a touch of surprise, then raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Are you comforting me?"
"Yes."
Ji Buwang answered without hesitation.
The moment the word left his lips, he realized he had been too eager. His eyes flickered slightly, and his heart felt both apprehensive and expectant.
His behavior was not subtle; what would Xu Yi say next?
However, to his surprise, Xu Yi seemed to have asked casually. After receiving his answer, she simply nodded and shifted her gaze away.
Ji Buwang’s disordered heartbeat returned to normal.
What was he expecting?
With a great crisis looming, matters of romance should be put aside.
Ji Buwang understood these principles well, yet a sense of disappointment was unavoidable.
This emotion did not show on his face, but it only caused the aura he exuded to become more formidable.
Standing beside Ji Buwang, Xu Yi keenly sensed the change in the atmosphere around him.
She lowered her head, the corners of her lips lifting slightly.
Following Xu Yi and Ji Buwang, the Xuanqing Sect disciples also noticed the rosy clouds in the sky gradually fading.
Everyone was stunned.
"Rosy clouds appear, rare treasures emerge."
This was the mnemonic regarding the Western Water Domain's secret realm.
Now, with the rosy clouds fading and the Soul Severing Bell failing to appear, they seemed to see a glimmer of hope for survival.
Yet, upon closer thought, their not-yet-fully-elated moods plummeted once more.
Although the Soul Severing Bell had not appeared, the exit was now closed, and they could not leave this place.
While there was spiritual energy and spirit herbs here, there was no desire to remain.
Being trapped here was like looking at the sky from the bottom of a well, only to feel tedium and monotony.
They desired not just to survive, but to escape this place.
"Senior Brother Long, what should we do now?"
The Xuanqing Sect disciples looked expectantly at Long Haotian.
With Jin Biao missing and Hong Shengyi unconscious, Long Haotian, leveraging his reputation within the sect, became the new pillar of support.
"Don't worry for now. Let's follow Senior Sister Xu. Whatever they do, we will do the same."
Long Haotian's voice was unhurried, carrying a gentle, comforting tone.
From his appearance, one could not tell that he was currently unable to use his spiritual power; the fortitude he displayed allowed people to completely overlook his physical anomaly.
The disciples pondered for a moment, realizing they had no better plan, and all nodded in agreement.
Xu Yi had exposed the fake Jin Biao and rescued Hong Shengyi, earning the unwavering gratitude and admiration of the Xuanqing Sect disciples, which flowed like a mighty river.
Following Senior Sister Xu was far better than acting rashly on their own.
Long Haotian instructed Qu Xiaoxiao and another junior sister to look after Hong Shengyi, then walked with Lu Zi'ang to Xu Yi's side. He first expressed his gratitude for Xu Yi's intervention and then inquired about her plans, stating that they would follow her lead.
Xu Yi replied with a single word: "Wait."