Wei Ji's face instantly turned deathly pale, and large beads of sweat rolled down his temples. His hand, gripping the Dao Yuan Fruit box, trembled involuntarily, his knuckles turning bluish-white from the excessive force.

"How...how could it be so fast..." he murmured, his lips trembling, his voice barely audible. The joy he felt when picking the spiritual fruit had vanished, replaced by a bone-chilling cold that shot up his spine and back to his neck.

But when he caught a glimpse of Bai Ying's ever-composed figure out of the corner of his eye, his wildly beating heart miraculously calmed down.

"That's right, we have Fairy Bai... Even the Golden Toad, who is at the half-step Void Refinement stage, couldn't do anything to Fairy Bai... and was even subdued by her."

Wei Ji silently recited the mantra in his mind, his gaze sweeping over the various sect cultivators who were eyeing him menacingly.

These so-called experts, the strongest of whom are only at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm, are probably not even as good as ants in front of that golden toad.

What do I have to be afraid of?

This thought surprised even himself. Faced with such a desperate situation, he wasn't even as afraid as before. He even felt that the White Fairy could defeat them.

As the red-robed cultivators of the Crimson Cloud Sword Sect saw other sects appear one after another, a sinister glint flashed in their eyes.

He swung his sword fiercely, the scorching sword energy leaving a charred mark on the ground: "Gentlemen! This Xuan Tian Fruit belongs to the capable! My Chi Xiao Sword Sect does not wish to fight with you here. This time, my sect has dispatched two Nascent Soul stage elders, and we must obtain at least four! If you all agree, I will not fight you to the death."

"What a joke!" The purple-robed elder from Thundercloud Pavilion was enveloped in a surge of lightning. "My Thundercloud Pavilion's 'Nine Heavens Lightning Summoning Technique' has reached its pinnacle. If we're talking about strength, we should take five!"

The white-clad woman from Cold Moon Valley sneered, a cold glint flashing in her sleeve: "You dare to boast here with mere lightning magic? My Cold Moon Valley's 'Mysterious Ice Force' is specifically designed to counter fire and lightning elements; we should be the ones calling the shots!"

The cultivators from different sects started bargaining on the spot, each offering their own opinion.

Some suggested dividing the spoils equally among the participants, others advocated for a contest to decide the outcome, and still others secretly gathered spiritual energy to prepare for a direct robbery.

They discussed the ownership of the Dao Source Fruit without restraint, completely disregarding the Xuan Tian Sect members, as if those precious spiritual fruits were already theirs for the taking.

Looking at this group of sanctimonious cultivators, Wei Ji felt a sense of absurdity.

They didn't even think to ask Xuantian Sect's opinion, and no one cared who these Dao Source Fruits actually belonged to.

This blatant survival of the fittest filled him with both anger and sorrow.

Just as the argument was escalating, a clear voice suddenly rang out: "Finished?"

Bai Ying stood quietly in the center of the crowd, the dragon scales on her fingertips gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

A gentle breeze stirred, causing her pristine white robes to flutter softly, making her appear like an ethereal being descended to earth. Her cool, clear eyes swept over the various sect cultivators who were eyeing her menacingly, and a faint smile played at the corners of her lips.

"Now that you've already divided it up..." Her voice was soft, yet everyone present heard it clearly, "then let me see if you have the ability to take it!"

Before the words were finished, the dragon scales suddenly burst forth with dazzling golden light, the brilliant light as dazzling as the sun, enveloping the entire forest in a golden halo.

A suffocating pressure filled the air, and even the surrounding vegetation trembled slightly.

Those arrogant cultivators were taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"Hahaha, did I hear that right?" The red-robed cultivator from the Crimson Sky Sword Sect laughed so hard he almost fell over, looking at Bai Ying with the eyes of someone looking at a fool. "A mere Xuan Tian Sect dares to spout such nonsense? Have they been blinded by this spiritual fruit?"

The purple-robed elder from Leixiao Pavilion stroked his white beard, his voice laced with sarcasm: "Little girl, I have some connection with your sect leader. Considering your youth and ignorance, if you obediently hand over the spirit fruit, I might spare your life." As he spoke, lightning crackled around him.

The cultivators from other sects also showed contemptuous smiles, and some even whistled.

They didn't take the seemingly frail girl seriously at all, treating her as a farce.

Bai Ying simply raised her hand, and the dragon scales transformed into golden light spots that surrounded her, shimmering with a dreamlike halo in the sunlight.

These points of light appear soft, yet they contain a chilling power.

"Isn't it the capable who gets it?" Her voice remained calm, yet carried an undeniable authority. "This fruit naturally belongs to me."

The way everyone looked at her was as if she were a dead person.

The purple-robed elder from Leixiao Pavilion frowned, his amiable expression vanishing, replaced by a chilling killing intent: "I've already given you a chance. Since you're so ungrateful, don't blame me."

His body crackled with lightning, and purple electric snakes darted through the void, emitting eerie crackling sounds.

The red-robed cultivator from the Crimson Cloud Sword Sect snorted coldly, "Why bother with her? Just snatch it. We'll divide it up after we get the Dao Source Fruit."

In an instant, dozens of sharp killing intents locked onto Bai Ying.

Although it was supposed to be a distribution, everyone wanted to be the first to grab that Source Fruit.

Cultivators from all sects unleashed their magical treasures, and in an instant, sword light flashed like rainbows, lightning crackled, and a chilling aura permeated the entire space, causing it to distort and deform due to the violent fluctuations of spiritual energy.

However, faced with this overwhelming offensive, Bai Ying simply sighed softly.

With a slight flick of her slender fingers, the golden light spots surrounding her suddenly accelerated their rotation, drawing mysterious trajectories in the void.

"Since you're so determined to die..." Her voice remained calm, yet it sent a chill down the spines of everyone present. "Then stay here."

The red-robed cultivator was the fastest.

He became one with the sword light, transforming into a crimson streak that shot through the air. Wherever the sword passed, the air was scorched, distorted, and crackled, emitting a piercing explosion.

"Die!" he roared, his face contorted in a ferocious grimace. The flames condensing at the tip of his sword had turned incandescent, a sign that he had pushed his fire-based techniques to their limit.

At this critical moment, an ancient Kongtong Seal suddenly appeared in front of Bai Ying. It precisely blocked the path of the fire dragon sword energy.

"boom!"

Amidst the deafening explosion, a breathtaking scene unfolded: the seemingly world-destroying fire dragon sword energy vanished silently the moment it touched the Kongtong Seal, like ice and snow melting away. The raging fire-elemental spiritual power was completely absorbed, leaving not even a ripple.

The red-robed cultivator's pupils contracted sharply, and the ferocity on his face froze instantly.

Before he could react, the dragon scale floating beside Bai Ying had already transformed into a golden lightning bolt.

"puff!"

After a soft sound, the red-robed cultivator froze in place, still in his forward-rushing posture.

A small hole between his eyebrows was slowly oozing blood. His wide eyes still held a lingering sense of disbelief and horror.