When Xu Tiaotiao glanced at Bai Yuanzhou out of the corner of her eye for the fifth time, the young man could no longer hold back.
"Although I am handsome and dashing, and countless people admire me, you can't see it that way!"
Xu Tiaotiao was caught red-handed, and a blush instantly spread across her cheeks. She retorted angrily, "I have no feelings for you!"
Bai Yuanzhou retorted, not to be outdone: "Then why are you staring at me like that!"
"I, I just..." Xu Tiaotiao said haltingly, her voice growing softer and softer.
"But what?" Bai Yuanzhou pressed.
"Alright, stop fooling around." Yao Tong came to Xu Tiaotiao's rescue. "Fellow Daoist Xu is just curious because you and Fellow Daoist Bai Yuanshi are both disciples of Wenyuan Academy, and your names are so similar. Is there any connection between you?"
Mentioning Bai Yuanshi, Bai Yuanzhou became smug: "We have a long history! He's my older brother, my own brother!"
Upon hearing this, even Lu Zhaozhao couldn't help but turn her head and ask, "Really?"
"Of course it's true!" Bai Yuanzhou exploded at the slightest provocation, his mouth tumbling out incessantly, as if afraid they wouldn't believe him. "I'm three years younger than my brother, and I joined the sect a few years later. My brother became famous early on with the help of our ancestor, but we are genuine brothers! See this safety lock around my neck? My brother and I have a pair, and our names are written inside!"
As she spoke, she pulled out the gold lock from her neck to show everyone.
Everyone was amused by his appearance. Xu Tiaotiao blushed and asked, "Then, can you introduce me to your brother? He saved my life in Nancheng, and I want to thank him in person..."
Before she could finish speaking, Bai Yuanzhou exclaimed as if facing a formidable enemy: "No, no, you can't! Don't even think about disturbing my brother's Dao Heart! He can only be mine!"
Hearing his words, Xu Tiaotiao blushed with embarrassment, stomped her foot angrily, and hid behind Yaotong.
Gao Yi jokingly asked, "Your brother is a disciple of Master Bu Lu, and you are a disciple of Master Qing Song Zi. Your brother is your master's junior brother. So, do you call your brother 'Uncle-Master' or 'Brother'?"
His nonsensical use of "brother" confused Bai Yuanzhou, who then grabbed the bamboo slip and threw it at him.
"Hahahaha." Laughter filled the street.
Even though Lu Zhaozhao was always on edge, she couldn't help but laugh out loud at this moment.
Such journeys are always quick, and before long, an ancient vermilion gate appeared before them.
"Have we... arrived?" Bai Yuanzhou asked uncertainly.
Gao Yi stepped forward, pushed the door open, turned around and shook his head.
"Are we supposed to break down the door? Is this some kind of test for us?" Xu Tiaotiao asked repeatedly.
Jin Ke had a fiery temper, so he drew his sword and slashed fiercely at the door.
"No!" Before Lu Zhaozhao could finish her words of protest, Jin Ke's sword strike was bounced back from the door exactly as it had been.
"Thump." Jin Ke couldn't dodge in time. Cen Jianwen quickly stepped forward and waved a talisman. The talisman immediately turned into a shield, neutralizing the attack.
Jin Ke, pale-faced, thanked Cen Jianwen, while the others looked at the strange door with displeasure.
“This door is really strange. We can’t push it open or cut it open. We can’t possibly not even get into the entrance!” Jin Ke said.
These people were all among the best in their sects, so naturally they were unwilling to leave disappointed without finding anything.
Having read the book, Lu Zhaozhao naturally knew how to enter.
So she gently brushed away Yao Tong's hand that was holding hers, walked to the door, and knocked three times.
"Senior Sister Lu, there's no one inside this barrier, why are you knocking?" Bai Yuanzhou noticed her action and asked, puzzled.
Lu Zhaozhao simply replied, "Let's give it a try. It won't get any worse than it is now anyway."
Bai Yuanzhou nodded, agreeing with her point, and went to the door to wait with her.
After a while, the door remained locked. Bai Yuanzhou was somewhat disheartened and prepared to get up and search for other methods with the others.
Just then, the door creaked open a crack, startling everyone present, who stared blankly at the opening.
A pale hand gripped the doorframe from the inside and slowly opened the door.
Lu Zhaozhao quickly pulled Bai Yuanzhou back several steps, and the others also picked up their weapons and stood in front of them, watching the people inside the door warily.
The door was slowly opened, revealing the owner of those hands.
He was a man dressed in a light yellow Taoist robe, wearing a tall hat, with white hair and a youthful face. He was surrounded by a circle of light yellow talismans, and he seemed to lack a bit of human warmth.
"Be careful, that talisman is strange," Cen Jianwen whispered.
Among them, he was the most skilled in talismans, and upon hearing his words, everyone gripped their weapons tightly.
Unlike their tense demeanor, the Taoist priest appeared extremely relaxed in both expression and movement.
After leaving the house, he carefully closed the door, wiped the lion head inlaid on the door with his sleeve, and then turned around, bowed to them, and said expressionlessly, "I am here to guard the door. Anyone who wishes to enter must defeat me. Swords have no eyes, so I hope you will consider this carefully. If you leave now, I will not harm you."
After speaking, he stood in front of the door like a gatekeeper, quietly watching Lu Zhaozhao and the others.
Lu Zhaozhao exchanged glances with the people around her, signaling them not to make any rash moves.
"What are we waiting for? Let's go! I refuse to believe that so many of us can't beat him." Jin Ke spoke first.
Yao Tong shook her head and said softly, "This person is strange. According to the secret treasure of our sect, this person seems to be a Nascent Soul expert."
"Nascent Soul!" Bai Yuanzhou exclaimed in shock. "Isn't it only for those below the Nascent Soul stage to enter?"
"How cunning! This arrangement is clearly designed to prevent anyone from entering!" Gao Yi said resentfully.
“The owner of this place definitely wouldn’t want anyone to come in, are you stupid?” Bai Yuanzhou retaliated as soon as he found an opportunity, clearly still remembering the grudge he had held against him for teasing him earlier.
"You!" Gao Yi wanted to retort, but was interrupted by Xu Tiaotiao.
"Senior Sister Lu, what do you think?" Xu Tiaotiao looked at Lu Zhaozhao.
Everyone quieted down and looked at Lu Zhaozhao.
Seeing that Lu Zhaozhao hadn't spoken for a long time, Cen Jianwen assumed she didn't know what to do, so he said, "Actually, if we join forces, we might not be able to defeat him."
“Fellow Daoist Cen is right,” Lu Zhaozhao said. “That person looks different from ordinary people. Look at his feet.”
Looking at it, everyone could see nothing wrong except for a pair of muddy shoes.
"Senior Sister Lu, stop keeping me in suspense." Bai Yuanzhou was getting a little anxious.
Lu Zhaozhao then explained telepathically, "His shoes are deeply embedded in the ground, hence the muddy conditions. This suggests that his abilities are mostly related to the land. It wouldn't be surprising if he were to use earth-遁 (earth-遁 is a type of magic that can move mountains) or other similar abilities later on. The most urgent task is to sever his connection with the land during the competition. We'll trap him in the air later. Fellow Daoist Cen, I remember your sect has a spell that can sever space. I'll leave that to you after that."
Cen Jianwen nodded in agreement, and Lu Zhaozhao whispered, "Next, we have a tough battle to fight."
As soon as he finished speaking, the magical artifacts that had been protecting him all turned towards the Taoist priest.
The Taoist priest remained calm, slowly forcing a cold smile, and said, "Commendable courage."
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