"Master, I have a question." Qiong Meng Teng's voice was weak.
"Speak."
"In the illusion, why did you kill yourself?" Qiong Meng Teng mumbled, "Qin Xiaosi is clearly the root of all your suffering, shouldn't you kill him?"
This was actually the brilliance of the illusion. According to common sense, after Bai Shengyi experienced everything in the illusion, since she both hated and loved Qin Si, the way to break the deadlock should have been focused on Qin Si! After all, only by cutting off the problem at its root could it truly be solved.
However, Bai Shengyi was clearly very clear-headed.
First, she expressed her displeasure at Qiong Meng Teng's casual address, "Why are you also calling him 'Qin Xiaosi' like the Reincarnation Brush? Call him 'Qin Si'."
Then she explained to Qiong Meng Teng.
"Because this is my inner demon tribulation. Everything in the illusion is due to my worries and wild thoughts."
This was also why, even after breaking through the illusion, Bai Shengyi couldn't help but feel down.
Because through this illusion, Bai Shengyi deeply understood that she did not trust Qin Si as much as she thought she did, and they still had a long way to go.
However, Bai Shengyi would turn around and kill "herself" at the last moment because she firmly believed that the Qin Si in the illusion was merely a figment of her imagination.
Bai Shengyi was willing to believe that they would not reach that point in the future.
When she exited the spiritual mansion, the chess pieces on the board transformed back into lotus lamp stands and fell into Bai Shengyi's hands. Compared to before, the lotus lamp stands were even more lustrous and sacred.
"Sanqing Lotus Lamp, Earth-grade top-tier spiritual artifact, calms the mind and purifies the heart."
The function of the lamp stand imprinted into Bai Shengyi's mind. Immediately after, the scene flashed before her eyes, and Bai Shengyi found herself on the snowy ground outside.
"Human! You have the blood of my kin on you!"
Before Bai Shengyi could even steady herself, a sharp and hard scythe attacked her through the air!
Bai Shengyi quickly dodged, and as she looked up, she saw five mantis demons surrounding her, their human faces filled with malicious intent.
"Kill!"
The mantis demons clearly had their own way of identifying if Bai Shengyi was the killer of their kin. One by one, they confidently brandished their forelimbs and lunged at Bai Shengyi.
"Just in time!"
Bai Shengyi had just advanced to the Golden Core stage, but because she couldn't undergo the lightning tribulation in this secret realm, she was unsure of her current cultivation level.
Using these mantis demons to test it would be perfect.
"Spring Hong First Sword, Blooming Flowers!"
With her dantian overflowing with spiritual energy, Bai Shengyi unleashed her current ultimate move as soon as she made a move!
The long sword entered the wind and snow, like a swimming dragon returning to the sea, stirring up wind and clouds!
Petals of flying flowers spun and collided with the scythes, making "pipi-pala" sounds. Before long, some of the scythes were chipped.
Bai Shengyi could clearly feel that the power within her was like an endless stream. The spiritual energy storage that previously only allowed her to use "Blooming Flowers" twice, she estimated could now be used five more times!
She felt that once she had free time, she could comprehend the second level of the Spring Hong Swordplay.
The Golden Core stage was indeed worthy of being the final stage of cultivation on the Divine Revelation Continent. The energy was like a vast difference between a witch and a small glimpse. After just a few moves, Bai Shengyi had forced the mantis demons to trade injuries for kills, using self-mutilation to get close to Bai Shengyi.
The mantis demons clearly had grand plans, thinking they could turn the tables by relying on their close-combat advantage, but they didn't know that Bai Shengyi was already prepared.
"Boom!"
Two mantis demons that had just approached Bai Shengyi suddenly exploded, emitting a faint blue light and turning into the most dazzling fireworks on the snowy ground.
"Human! You killed our kin again!" The mantis demons were clearly stimulated and became even more enraged. "Kill her! Kill her!"
The remaining three mantis demons rushed towards Bai Shengyi with all their might, actually wanting to self-destruct and die with Bai Shengyi!
Bai Shengyi's pupils contracted. She rapidly increased the distance between them, and her mental power spread out, surging into the mantis demons' bodies.
"Boom—"
The sound of the explosion abruptly stopped, as if the fuse of gunpowder had been suddenly cut off.
Bai Shengyi raised her hand to wipe away the blood on her face, cut by the mantis demons' scythes, and her red lips parted, "Confine!"
A large net instantly ensnared the three mantis demons!
Raising her long sword, Bai Shengyi unhesitatingly pierced through the chests of the three demons. When the mantis demons fell to the ground, half-dead, she then used a fire to completely destroy them.
This place was not safe, so Bai Shengyi did not stay to tend to her injuries.
After all, who knew if there were any other mutated mantis tribesmen in this place?
It would be better to find a brand new, safer place.
With this thought, Bai Shengyi summoned Qiong Meng Teng, intending to leave immediately.
"Whoosh!"
The moment Bai Shengyi stepped forward, an arrow gleaming with cold light shot towards her forehead!
"Who?"
Bai Shengyi said coldly, and with a flourish of her sword, she cut the arrow in half.
But as soon as she cut it, three more arrows "swoosh swoosh swoosh" came in succession, each one aimed at her vital points, clearly intending to kill her!
Bai Shengyi's gaze instantly turned icy.
Qiong Meng Teng helped her wrap around one arrow, as for the other two—
Bai Shengyi retracted her long sword, leaped up, and with one hand catching an arrow each, she clasped them in her palm!
Immediately after, her spiritual energy transformed into a curved bow, nocked, and drew!
With a release of her hand, the sharp arrow shot back through the air!
"Ah!"
Bai Yiyi screamed and jumped out from a snowdrift not far away, frantically trying to dodge the arrow.
But Bai Shengyi's arrow seemed to have a mind of its own, actually changing direction midway and grazing her arm as it flew past!
"Bai Shengyi!"
Bai Yiyi roared in anger, but the second arrow followed closely behind. She didn't even have time to curse before she quickly dodged it.
"I wondered who it was, it turns out to be you, Bai Yiyi. Thank you for the lotus lamp stand, it allowed me to successfully form my golden core."
Seeing that it was Bai Yiyi, Bai Shengyi wasn't surprised at all.
She even felt that Bai Yiyi wouldn't be coming alone this time.
As expected, just as Qiong Meng Teng threw the arrow away, a man who looked somewhat familiar appeared beside Bai Yiyi and deflected the arrow.
"Junior Sister Bai, it's been a long time." Jiang Ye looked at Bai Shengyi, feeling a pang in his heart.
Just over half a year ago, he was still an unattainable existence for Bai Shengyi. He disdained people from ordinary families like Bai Shengyi, thinking that Bai Shengyi was merely a plaything for Jin Lingyun.
But in the blink of an eye, Bai Shengyi had left him far behind, and Jin Lingyun had also died.
"Who are you?" Bai Shengyi raised an eyebrow.
Jiang Ye's face darkened.
He hadn't expected Bai Shengyi to not even remember him, and he had just greeted her so familiarly, which felt like a joke!
"Senior Brother Jiang, don't waste your breath on her. She's the most cunning. I was calculated by her before," Bai Yiyi said tearfully and pitifully.
Bai Shengyi scoffed, "Bai Yiyi, so you're not just a troublemaker and a crybaby, but also a liar and a fabricator!"
"Bai Shengyi, don't bully Yiyi."
Jiang Ye stood in front of Bai Yiyi and said coldly, "We can overlook what you did to Yiyi before. As long as you return Bai Yiyi's lotus lamp stand to her, we'll let you leave."