Xia Yuwei's smile suddenly froze on her face, and the smug smile that had just been on her lips now looked particularly ironic.

The demon-patterned leopard abruptly changed direction mid-air, its sharp claws, carrying a foul stench, lunging straight at her!

Its scarlet beastly eyes reflected her terrified and distorted face, yet it remained oblivious to Bai Ying, who was right next to it.

"How could this be—" Xia Yuwei screamed hysterically, her carefully styled hair coming undone, and her hairpins jingling and rolling all over the floor.

"No! This is impossible! How could they attack me? They should have..."

Her voice stopped abruptly, as if she suddenly realized she had let something slip.

As she turned to flee, she was completely unaware that the embroidered gold-threaded hem of her skirt was torn by thorns. The sharp thorns ripped through her expensive silk dress, leaving streaks of blood on her fair legs.

Then she saw Bai Ying erect a barrier at that moment. Pale golden runes flowed across the transparent barrier, shimmering with a cold light in the sunlight.

Upon seeing this, everyone immediately rushed over, scrambling to squeeze through the barrier, even pushing and shoving each other.

Xia Yuwei hurriedly stumbled and rushed towards the barrier, but just as she was about to enter it, she was repelled by an invisible force at the last moment.

Her forehead slammed heavily against the spiritual energy barrier, instantly swelling up into a large bump.

"Sister! Let me in! Hurry! Let me in!"

Xia Yuwei frantically pounded on the transparent barrier, her nails scraping against the spiritual energy wall with a harsh sound. Her back was already soaked with cold sweat, her gorgeous dress clinging to her body, making her look utterly disheveled. Through the barrier, she saw those people, all staring at her with fear—no, staring at what was behind her...

Countless monsters surged out from the depths of the forest, and the ground trembled slightly under their trampling.

The fangs of the Ironback Wolf gleamed coldly, the claws of the Fire-Eyed Demon Ape still bore traces of undried blood, and the Crimson-Winged Eagle circling in the sky emitted a piercing cry.

The entire West Mountain seemed to have become a paradise for monsters, and Xia Yuwei was the only prey.

"No—!" Xia Yuwei closed her eyes in despair, the roars of the monsters echoing in her ears. Sharp claws and teeth were inches away, and she could even smell their foul breath.

The expected excruciating pain did not occur.

When she opened her eyes, trembling, she found that the ferocious beasts had mysteriously stopped three steps away from her.

They scratched anxiously with their sharp claws, their scarlet eyes flashing with indescribable fear, and they let out low whimpers, yet they dared not cross the line.

The demonic beasts outside the barrier sensed the terrifying aura emanating from Bai Ying and all cowered, not daring to approach.

The first demon-patterned leopard to pounce was pacing anxiously in circles, its sharp claws digging deep furrows in the ground.

Sometimes it would look up at the white firefly inside the barrier, its eyes revealing instinctive fear; other times it would look down and sniff the scent of beast-attracting powder emanating from Xia Yuwei, its scarlet eyes filled with struggle and longing.

"Xia Qingdai! What are you doing? Why are you ignoring Yuwei?"

Xia Mingde squeezed to the edge of the barrier, veins bulging on his forehead, his usually aloof face now filled with terror.

"You have a way to deal with that monster, don't you? Let Yuwei in quickly!"

His voice carried an undeniable command, yet it couldn't hide the tremor within.

Madam Xia's makeup was ruined by tears, and her carefully drawn willow-leaf eyebrows were now twisted beyond recognition.

"Qingdai, she's your sister! I know you don't like her, but how could you do such a thing? You let everyone in, but locked her out! How could you be so cruel!"

Her voice was shrill and piercing, yet she stood motionless, not daring to even extend her fingertips beyond the barrier. Her well-maintained hands gripped the handkerchief tightly, her knuckles turning bluish-white.

Others began to whisper, their voices low but exceptionally clear within the silent barrier.

"Xia Qingdai deliberately didn't let Xia Yuwei in."

"Does she want those demonic beasts to kill her? What kind of deep-seated hatred could drive her to do such a thing?"

"This is a bit too much..."

Bai Ying ignored these words and slowly walked to the edge of the barrier, looking down at the disheveled Xia Yuwei.

Her skirt remained perfectly still, as if not even the wind dared to disturb this fairy.

Sunlight filtered through the barrier, casting a faint golden hue around her, making her appear as if she were an untouchable celestial maiden.

"You just said they could never attack you, so who should they have attacked?" Bai Ying's voice was soft, but everyone present heard it clearly. "Is it because you think those monsters should have attacked me?"

These words exploded like a thunderclap in the crowd.

Those high-ranking officials looked at each other in bewilderment, and finally realized what was going on.

"I knew Miss Xia's words sounded strange just now..."

A young woman in a pale yellow dress covered her mouth with a handkerchief, but her eyes shone with an astonishing light. "Right? How does she know which monster should attack?"

"Could it be that Xia Yuwei orchestrated the attack on Xia Qingdai by that demonic beast? That's why she subconsciously said such a thing!" A middle-aged cultivator suddenly realized, stroking his beard as he spoke.

Young Master Li brushed the dust off his brocade robe, a shrewd glint in his eyes. "No wonder she was so certain the demonic beasts were after Xia Qingdai!" He deliberately raised his voice so everyone could hear. "So this was all a setup she orchestrated!"

Miss Zhao frowned: "I knew she wasn't a good person. She always pretends to be so gentle and virtuous, but it's all an act. At the flower-viewing party last time, she even pretended to accidentally push Miss Wang into the water."

As soon as she said those words, everyone looked at Xia Yuwei as if she were an idiot.

Those gazes were a mixture of shock, disdain, and a touch of speechlessness.

The young men and women who once fawned over her now shunned the edge of the barrier as if it were a plague.

Has she gone mad?

Xia Qingdai is so powerful that she even killed a Nascent Soul stage immortal.

How dare she scheme against her?