Bai Ying slowly turned around, the mountain breeze lifting her pure white robes, which shimmered with a lustrous sheen in the sunlight.

The lotus seal on her fingertips rotated silently, each line flowing with an ancient and mysterious Taoist charm.

"What other tricks do you have up your sleeve?" Her cold voice rang out, each word carrying an overwhelming pressure that made everyone present tremble. "If not..."

The patterns on the lotus seal lit up one by one, and a terrifying spiritual pressure swept across the entire area. Within a radius of a hundred feet, the broken stones floated up and formed mysterious patterns in the void.

Even those cultivators with high levels of skill felt difficulty breathing, as if an invisible mountain was pressing down on their chests.

"Now it's my turn..."

The scene was deathly silent; everyone stared in disbelief at what had just happened.

They could hardly believe their eyes—this seemingly ordinary lotus seal could rival, or even surpass, the immortal artifact, the Xuan Tian Seal!

"This...this is also a celestial artifact?"

"No, it's probably even more terrifying than a celestial artifact!"

"Who exactly is she?!"

Whispers spread through the crowd, and everyone saw an unbelievable shock in each other's eyes.

Chu Wuchen's face turned deathly pale instantly.

Something's wrong with Xia Qingdai. The strength she's displayed far exceeds his expectations. If this continues, he's afraid he'll die here!

He no longer cared about saving face; in a flash, he transformed into a streak of black light and shot off towards the edge of the arena. His handsome face was now filled with terror; there was no trace of his previous arrogance left.

"I'll let you off the hook for today, but another day..."

"Bang!"

Chu Wuchen's body slammed heavily against the golden barrier, producing a muffled thud. To his horror, he discovered that the entire arena was already enveloped by an invisible barrier, making it impossible for even a flying insect to escape.

The runes flowing across the barrier exuded a chilling pressure, a power far beyond his comprehension.

Bai Ying walked slowly forward, and with each step she took, the array on the bluestone ground became more and more obvious.

A slight smile played on her lips, but her eyes held a chilling glint: "No need for tomorrow, today will suffice."

The lotus seal slowly rotated in her palm, countless lines running across its surface, radiating a suffocating pressure.

Bai Ying has always been clear about her gratitude and grudges—if her opponent stops short of killing her, she will leave room for maneuver; but if her opponent insists on taking her life, she will never show mercy!

Since Chu Wuchen had repeatedly tried to kill her, she naturally wouldn't hold back.

At this critical moment, a sharp female voice suddenly rang out: "Immortal Master Chu! Xia Qingdai is protected by a magical artifact given to her by Immortal Master Wei Ji. Please be extremely careful!"

The entire arena erupted in uproar. All eyes turned to the source of the sound—the very maid who had pushed Bai Ying onto the stage earlier.

Her face was flushed, her eyes filled with fear, but also with a hint of excitement.

This maid was Xia Yuwei's most loyal dog; she was always the first to rush to do whatever Xia Yuwei asked her to do.

Although she was terrified and her legs were trembling, she hoped that, as Xia Yuwei had said, she could kill Xia Qingdai.

However, she was completely oblivious to the way the surrounding monks looked at her as if she were an idiot.

"What is this idiot saying?"

"Wei Ji's magical artifact? How could Wei Ji possibly possess the Lotus Seal...?"

"Absolutely ridiculous!"

Xia Yuwei hid at the very back of the crowd, unconsciously twisting the handkerchief in her hand into a pretzel. A smug smile played on her lips, and a malicious glint flashed in her eyes.

Just moments ago, she was whispering with Duan Xiuyuan, confidently asserting that Bai Ying was merely bluffing because of the magical artifact bestowed upon her by Wei Ji.

"Just wait and see," she said to Duan Xiuyuan in a low voice, a cold smile playing on her red lips. "Once Chu Xianzhang breaks her magic weapon, this bitch will be exposed for who she really is..."

She was completely unaware that her carefully designed "brilliant plan" was utterly laughable in the eyes of these cultivators.

Bai Ying turned her head slightly upon hearing the voice, her gaze sweeping over the talkative maid with eyes as cold as a deep pool.

With just one glance, the maid felt an indescribable terror. She was struck dumb, her body stiffening as she stood frozen in place, her smug expression instantly turning to dust. She opened her mouth, but found herself unable to utter a sound.

"You're courting death!" Immortal Wei Ji sneered, and with a flick of his sleeve, a golden light flashed like lightning. The maid's eyes widened in disbelief as she clutched her bleeding throat and collapsed to the ground. Even in death, she didn't understand what she had said wrong.

Xia Yuwei's smile froze instantly.

She watched helplessly as her most loyal maid fell into a pool of blood, the sounds of mocking laughter rising and falling around her.

"Has this foolish maidservant lost her mind?"

"The Daoist aura emanating from that lotus seal is clearly something only a celestial artifact possesses!"

"If that old man Wei Ji possessed such a magical treasure, would the Xuan Tian Seal have become a prized artifact?"

Xia Yuwei was completely stunned.

She had no idea it would turn out like this; what were they talking about?

Every word those cultivators said felt like a knife stabbing into Xia Yuwei's heart.

She trembled all over, her nails digging deep into her palms without her even noticing. What terrified her even more was that Duan Xiuyuan was looking at her with unfamiliar eyes, the shock and disappointment in his gaze making her feel like she was being pricked by thorns.

She had just been so eager for Xia Qingdai to die that she had directly revealed her true nature.

"Brother Xiuyuan, I..." She tried to explain in a panic, but Duan Xiuyuan raised his hand to stop her.

"No need to say anything more." Duan Xiuyuan's voice was as cold as ice.

He suddenly felt that the girl in front of him was completely unfamiliar; the Xia Yuwei he liked shouldn't be like this.

How could she do such a thing?

No matter how bad Xia Qingdai is, she is still her older sister.

And she was the older sister who had suffered so much hardship in that rural village in her place for so many years.

If it weren't for Xia Qingdai, Xia Yuwei would be the one suffering today!

Xia Yuwei's face turned deathly pale, and she felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave.

Her eyes turned fiercely to Xia Qingdai on the stage. She couldn't understand why things had turned out this way when everything had been planned so well.

How could that woman she mistook for a country girl be so... terrifying?

At this moment, Bai Ying no longer paid attention to the farce. The lotus seal in her hand shone brightly, and countless black flames surrounded it, completely enveloping Chu Wuchen.