Yan Hua Daojun had already fled tens of thousands of miles, yet she could still feel the dangerous aura pressing in from behind.
She instinctively raised her hand to defend, her Yellow Springs Jade Blossom blooming vibrantly in her palm. However, the moment it touched the sword light, it was shattered into flying petals.
No one was there to appreciate this beautiful scene, for Yan Hua Daojun stared at her suddenly aged palm in utter shock: "Bai! Sheng! Yi!"
She roared in fury, her shrill voice piercing the air.
Soon, however, she had no time for anger. Deep terror replaced it.
"What have you done? What exactly have you done! Ah!"
Yan Hua Daojun let out a scream, watching in horror as her smooth skin transformed into hideous wrinkles, peppered with numerous brown age spots.
With a wave of her hand, a water mirror appeared in mid-air. Catching sight of her face, she screamed again.
She had aged!
Crucially, the aging process continued. She knew Bai Sheng Yi had employed the rules of time upon her, and if she didn't stop it, she would die!
Yan Hua Daojun was utterly panicked, fleeing the scene without regard for anything else, desperate to find help.
"Master, can I eat this?"
Yan Hua Daojun had fled in such haste that she didn't notice a mischievous vine snatching half of her Yellow Springs Jade Blossom's main branch.
Bai Sheng Yi stroked the flower branch. Finding it harmless to the Dream-Chasing Vine, she told it, "Yes, you can."
The Dream-Chasing Vine obediently clutched its spoils and began to devour them.
Although Bai Sheng Yi appeared unharmed on the surface, the fierce battle had left her with surging blood and qi, and her spirit was utterly exhausted. The fourth sword, in particular, which contained the supreme rules of time, had completely drained her spiritual energy and mental strength.
If another Yan Hua Daojun were to appear, she would have no choice but to desperately lead Luo Fei Hua and the others to flee.
"A Yi, wuwuwu..."
As if summoned, Luo Fei Hua, supported by Feng Wuya, approached and threw herself into Bai Sheng Yi's arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
"A Yi, I'm so sorry. It's all my fault. If I hadn't followed you secretly and caused trouble, you wouldn't have been dragged into the bronze door." Luo Fei Hua was filled with self-reproach. Usually as resilient as a willow, she wouldn't cry even when severely injured, but now she wept buckets.
Feng Wuya stood by awkwardly.
Zhu Wu lowered his head, "It's not Fei Hua's fault. If I hadn't called you, you wouldn't have..."
"Enough!" Bai Sheng Yi interrupted them, smiling. "You two coming to see us off, Feng Wuya and I, couldn't be happier. How could we possibly blame you? Besides, even if you hadn't come, those who wanted to kill us would have eventually. It has nothing to do with you."
Bai Sheng Yi’s words were slightly awkward but clearly spoken.
Feng Wuya nodded in agreement, "Fei Hua, please stop crying." Looking at Luo Fei Hua's heartbroken state, his own heart ached.
Luo Fei Hua buried her head in Bai Sheng Yi's embrace, her sobs muffling her words.
Bai Sheng Yi gently patted Luo Fei Hua's shoulders, comforting her, "It's okay now, it's all over."
After a while, Luo Fei Hua's emotions subsided. She raised her head, briskly wiping her eyes, and released Bai Sheng Yi. "A Yi, you should hurry on your way. Don't miss the grand competition."
Time was indeed short, so Bai Sheng Yi didn't linger. She stepped forward and hugged Luo Fei Hua again. "Mm, try to relax. We'll be back."
Hearing her gentle voice, Luo Fei Hua felt an even stronger urge to cry.
How could someone so powerful and outwardly cold be so gentle?
She nodded emphatically, pushing Feng Wuya to leave quickly. Seeing them summon their Immortal-Seeking Ship, she waved vigorously. "A Yi! Wuya! You must both return safely!"
"Don't worry!"
The Immortal-Seeking Ship sped away, leaving behind a trailing afterimage and Feng Wuya's prolonged reply.
"Fei Hua, let's go back too."
After the two had departed, Zhu Wu said softly. He stood quietly to the side, his presence almost imperceptible, as if worried Luo Fei Hua still blamed him for the trouble he had caused Bai Sheng Yi earlier.
Luo Fei Hua hadn't actually dwelled on that incident, but she keenly felt that Zhu Wu was indeed acting strangely. However, she couldn't quite pinpoint it, so she pretended not to notice anything.
"Mm, Little Wu Zhu, let's go too." Her voice still carried a hint of hoarseness. "I wonder when they'll be back."
Zhu Wu nodded in agreement. "Yes, it would be great if we could also go and participate in the grand gathering."
The moment the two left, four figures appeared at the location.
"Yellow Springs Jade Blossom. Has Yan Hua Daojun of the Supreme Sect made her move? We are a step too late." One person's voice was deep; judging by his cultivation, he was already at the mid-stage of Nascent Soul.
"What a pity," another mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator lamented. "We failed to complete the madam's orders and couldn't avenge Miss Xue Lan."
The other two cultivators were both late-stage Nascent Soul. They exchanged a glance, and one said, "It's not a pity."
"Brother Chang, what do you mean?"
"The two who made the move are both Great Ascension cultivators. Either the female cultivator named Bai Sheng Yi has a Great Ascension cultivator accompanying her, or..."
He paused, and the other late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator added, "The intelligence provided by Sect Master Lu of the Fang Lan Sect was incorrect. Bai Sheng Yi has already reached Great Ascension."
"Hiss..." The other two mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators gasped. "How is that possible! Even if we were delayed due to investigating the Myriad Universe Minor Realm, how could it be so soon? That female cultivator was merely a slave abandoned in the Divine Abandoned Continent. How could she have reached Great Ascension? Brother Li, you must be mistaken."
Chang Wu Yu said coldly, "Whether I'm mistaken or not, we'll report back to the madam first."
With that, the four figures departed.
No one noticed that a cultivator was still hidden there. He had arrived at some unknown time and used some unknown method to conceal himself beneath the spot where the bronze door had appeared. Only when no one else was present did he reveal himself.
"The Nether River Gate has also appeared. Will the recovery of the Heavenly Stair not be far off?" He tilted his head slightly, revealing a face with a three-point resemblance to Zhu Wu, and a pair of oily green, sinister eyes. "It seems I must urge that useless individual to quickly retrieve the 《Heavenly Talisman Pupil Sun Record》 back to the Zhu family."
Meanwhile, within the City of Female Return.
Lü Fuping swayed her figure, her smile radiant. "What do you think Bai Sheng Yi is up to now? With the people sent by Madam Rong and Yan Hua Daojun making their move, she's likely dead or crippled, wouldn't you say?"
Her disciple behind her flattered, "The Sect Master's calculations are divine. That Bai Sheng Yi will surely not escape."
"What is she?!" Lü Fuping said with annoyance and resentment. "Lu Zi, remember this: if she somehow survives and comes to participate in the grand competition, within the minor realm, give her a good 'welcome' from our sect!"
"Yes." Lü Zi responded respectfully, then whispered a reminder, "Sect Master, Sect Master Li wishes to see you."
A trace of impatience crossed Lü Fuping's face. "I've done everything he asked, yet he still hasn't found Yi An. Fine, I'll endure it for now. I'll go see him."
Lü Fuping, who had gone with a troubled heart, was soon utterly bewildered by the grand vision painted by Li Tingyun.
"The Sect Master means that the Supreme Sect will allocate some of its excess quotas to us?"
Besides Lü Fuping, Rong Bugui was also present. He was both shocked and unable to contain his joy.
"Sect Master, it is highly possible that the Myriad Universe Minor Realm contains Azure Dragon Scales and Phoenix Nirvana Heart Fire this time. Not to mention, this is an entirely new realm, surely filled with treasures. Is the Supreme Sect truly willing to share some quotas with us?"
As Rong Bugui spoke, Lü Fuping couldn't help but glare at him fiercely.
This brainless fool, why remind Li Tingyun? Wasn't it better to gain some benefits from Li Tingyun?
Rong Bugui, however, thought Lü Fuping was even more brainless. He had heard that Lü Fuping had suffered a great loss on her trip to the Divine Abandoned Continent, so why hadn't she learned her lesson?
Did she not consider whether Li Tingyun was the type of person to give generously without ulterior motives?