“This realm’s space is collapsing, let’s leave first.”
Qin Si subtly stepped forward, positioning himself precisely where Qing Lan’s gaze fell upon Bai Shengyi.
“Uncle-Master Qing Lan, what do you think?”
Clad in ethereal green robes that billowed like ink wash paintings of misty mountain streams, Qing Lan’s voice, when he spoke, was as clear and crisp as a mountain spring.
“I’ll listen to you.”
Qin Si held Bai Shengyi’s left hand, his right hand forming a seal as he tore through space, preparing to exit. Bai Shengyi tugged his hand back.
“Wait, A’Si.”
Qin Si asked, “What is it?”
Bai Shengyi said helplessly, “Qing Meng Teng hasn’t returned yet.”
Just moments ago, Ni Jun had perished, and the red vine he was contracted with had become masterless and slipped away. Qing Meng Teng, upon seeing this, immediately gave chase. Bai Shengyi, confident that Qing Meng Teng could handle it alone, hadn't intervened. Now, she quickly used her contractual link with Qing Meng Teng to urge it to hurry.
“I’m back! *Hiccup*…”
Soon, Qing Meng Teng returned, wrapping itself around Bai Shengyi’s wrist dependently. Its jade-green leaves grew even brighter and more lustrous, and upon closer inspection, they even bore faint traces of red. Qing Meng Teng let out a satisfied burp and whimpered, “Master, I’m so full. I’m going to sleep for a bit, just a little sleep.”
That red vine was a fifth-tier Fire Silk Vine, its equal in rank. After devouring it, Qing Meng Teng felt sluggish all over, as if it were on the verge of another advancement.
“Sleep then.” Bai Shengyi stroked its small leaves before saying to Qin Si, “Let’s go.”
The group walked outwards. As they exited the secret realm, the space stabilized by their spiritual energy could no longer hold, collapsing and falling apart inch by inch. Sounds of crackling filled the air. The black and white light of the Eight Trigrams Yin-Yang Eyes remained dazzling. Disordered spiritual energy, vast and profound auras, and world-shattering natural phenomena seemed to portend something.
Yet, Bai Shengyi looked at Qin Si and then at Qing Lan, both of whom were remarkably calm. Weren’t they here for the realm’s barrier? Why were these two calmer than she was?
“You’re very good to this little thing,” Qing Lan suddenly remarked.
Bai Shengyi turned to look at him, her gaze meeting his eyes, as clear and pure as mountain spring water. Caught in a moment of daze, she felt a sharp pain in her fingertip and snapped back to attention. Qin Si had just pinched her fingertip with considerable force.
Bai Shengyi frowned slightly but said nothing, instead replying to Qing Lan, “Great Venerable Qing Lan, you may not know, but this vine has been with me for several years, so it’s naturally different from others.”
“The Snow Lotus I gifted you, I…”
“Uncle-Master Qing Lan!” Qin Si’s voice suddenly cut him off, a reminder: “Someone’s coming.” He then continued, “I believe the Eight Trigrams Yin-Yang Eyes exist to destroy the realm barrier. Before we came, I also heard its voice—” Qin Si pointed to the sky. If in his youth he hadn't known what that mysterious voice was, the one that admonished him to "mend the cracks in the Shenqi Continent" and warned that "the realm barrier would be breached from time to time," then after so many years, Qin Si had become utterly certain that the voice originated from—
The Heavenly Dao.
Not the Heavenly Dao of the Shenqi World, but the Heavenly Dao of the Shenqi Continent. A young and fragile Heavenly Dao.
Qing Lan’s gaze flickered. “What did it say?”
“It said, the realm barrier can be broken now.”
Qing Lan furrowed his brow deeply and murmured, “How could this be?” His voice was so low that neither Bai Shengyi, Qin Si standing before him, nor Sun Chongyang behind him could hear it. His usually cool and indifferent face displayed a rare hint of confusion.
Qin Si, as if he hadn’t noticed, continued, “So, please handle those who are coming, Master. A’Yi and I will go check on the condition of the realm barrier.” Qin Si’s request was reasonable. After all, it wasn’t just Nascent Soul or Soul Transformation cultivators drawn by these natural phenomena, but also Grand Ascension cultivators. As a junior, still only at the mid-stage of Soul Transformation, how could he possibly fend them off? Such matters naturally required an elder to step forward.
Qing Lan nodded absently, “You go.”
Qin Si didn’t delay, taking Bai Shengyi and vanishing from their spot. Before leaving, he also took along the few survivors. No sooner had he departed than Yue Bufan appeared at the same location.
“Where’s Alchemist Bai? Dean Qin? I, the old…”
“Father!”
Yue Yuan Gui’s urging voice came from behind, laced with weariness. Yue Bufan cleared his throat and asked the two before him in a feigned display of refinement.
“Daoist Qing Lan, and this young friend, have you by any chance seen Alchemist Bai Shengyi and Dean Qin of Shenqi Academy? This old… this venerable heard they just arrived and worried they might have encountered danger.”
Daoist Qing Lan had a close relationship with Shenqi Academy, even relocating his cave mansion there years ago. Although Yue Bufan was a bit rough around the edges, he understood social niceties. Thus, before Qing Lan could speak, he proactively declared his good intentions. He wasn't aligned with that old geezer Li Tingyun, so no collateral damage, please!
“They went on an errand,” Qing Lan replied coldly. He was still lost in his own thoughts, his tone somewhat perfunctory.
Yue Bufan was displeased. His face immediately fell. “Daoist Qing Lan, this old man…”
“Father!” Yue Yuan Gui, panting, caught up. Seeing that Yue Bufan was about to blurt out more without regard, he hastily interrupted, turning to Qing Lan and saying, “Daoist, please forgive him. My father is merely concerned for the safety of the two young friends.”
Yue Bufan still wanted to speak, but Yue Yuan Gui glared at him, “Father, think of Mother.”
Yue Bufan, recalling his wife’s stern gaze and angry roar, immediately quieted down. Burdened with such a fiery and sometimes unreliable father, Yue Yuan Gui, despite his desire to quit, also worried about Bai Shengyi, which was why he had rushed after Yue Bufan. However, his cultivation was lower than Yue Bufan’s, causing him to fall behind. Yue Yuan Gui didn’t expect to get an answer from Qing Lan, as everyone knew Daoist Qing Lan was proud, reticent, and rarely interacted with others. Yue Yuan Gui directly asked the young cultivator beside him, “Young friend…”
“It’s inconvenient for a junior to say!” Sun Chongyang immediately replied. What a joke! He wouldn’t dare speak of matters concerning Bai Shengyi and Dean Qin! Sun Chongyang desperately tried to lower his presence, regretting countless times that he hadn’t controlled the inherent nature of the Heavenly Dragon Snake and why he had come to the Sang Hai Secret Realm!
Yue Yuan Gui was rebuffed. Yue Bufan pulled him behind him, thinking it more reliable to ask Daoist Qing Lan directly. However, before he could speak, several whooshing sounds came from the wind. More people had arrived.
“Daoist Qing Lan? Mountain Master Yue Qing Shan?”
“Sirs, did you cause this natural phenomenon?”
The first sentence was spoken by Mountain Master Hua Ling, the latter by Li Tingyun’s ill-intentioned speculation.
“Bullshit!”
Yue Bufan, who had been anticipating meeting Bai Shengyi all morning but now didn't even know her whereabouts, and then had his conversation with Qing Lan interrupted by these two, was thoroughly irritated. He unhappily cursed, “Li Tingyun, did a donkey or a horse kick your brain? Don’t you see that I and Qing Yun also just arrived?” As he spoke, Abbot Ku Chan, Demon King Lin Qingyu, Mountain Master Hu Yu, Sect Master Xuan, and others also arrived successively. At this point, nearly all the Grand Ascension cultivators of the Shenqi World who were traveling outside had gathered here.