Questions arose one after another. Wei Ji also looked troubled:
"Fairy Bai, other sects have dispatched many experts at the half-step Nascent Soul stage this time... and some have even reached the Nascent Soul stage..."
Wei Ji's voice trembled, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. The Xuan Tian Sect disciples behind him were all pale-faced, and some even had their legs trembling slightly.
Bai Ying's gaze swept over the group of demoralized cultivators, and she sighed inwardly. The Xuan Tian Sect had relied too heavily on True Person Ting Lan over the years, and its disciples, pampered and spoiled, had long since lost their edge.
"We were able to obtain the Dao Source Fruit before entirely thanks to our sect leader's ability to conceal himself," Wei Ji continued, his fingers unconsciously stroking the hilt of his sword. "To put it bluntly, we took advantage of the chaos while others were scrambling for it. Now that the sect leader is gone..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning couldn't be clearer—without Master Tinglan, they wouldn't even have the right to fish in troubled waters.
The disciples around him whispered among themselves, their doubts rising and falling.
"Are we just going to our deaths with only a few of us?"
"I heard that the Netherworld Valley has sent two Nascent Soul stage elders this time!"
"How about... we go back..."
Bai Ying's lips curled slightly, revealing a cold smile. She didn't explain, but simply slowly raised her right hand.
In an instant, an ancient and boundless aura burst forth from her palm, causing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to tremble.
"Buzz—"
A bronze seal flew from her sleeve, growing larger with the wind, and in an instant transformed into a massive seal, three zhang square, hovering above everyone's heads. The seal was covered in ancient runes, radiating a chilling aura. Even more astonishingly, a dragon scale flew from Bai Ying's waist, transforming into a blue dragon shadow that coiled around the ancient seal, its roar echoing through the heavens.
"This is that immortal artifact?!" Wei Ji exclaimed in shock, staggering back several steps. Although he had seen Bai Ying use this immortal artifact before, he only felt the power emanating from it when he was close to it.
All the disciples present looked at the immortal artifact. Those with weaker cultivation levels immediately knelt down, unable to lift their heads due to the overwhelming pressure.
Bai Ying, her robes fluttering, stood beneath the Kongtong Seal. Though slender in stature, she exuded an aura of towering grandeur. Her voice, though soft, carried clearly to everyone's ears:
"Is anyone else quitting now?"
A deathly silence.
All the doubts came to an abrupt end.
The disciples stared wide-eyed at Bai Ying with awe.
That's a legendary celestial artifact! And it seems to be even stronger than their sect's supreme treasure, the Xuan Tian Seal.
Wei Ji's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard.
In this quiet moment, a child's voice suddenly came from the mountain gate:
"Uncle Wei! Wait for me!"
Everyone turned around and saw a boy of about ten years old running up, panting, carrying a sandalwood box in his hands.
"Mingxin? What brings you here?" Wei Ji recognized him as the Daoist boy beside Master Tinglan.
The boy ran up to Bai Ying, bowed respectfully, and then handed the wooden box to Wei Ji: "The sect leader asked me to deliver this. He said that with this talisman's help, you will definitely be able to obtain the Dao Source Fruit."
Wei Ji quickly opened the wooden box, inside which were seven neatly arranged purple-gold talismans, each emitting mysterious spatial fluctuations.
"The Universe Concealment Talisman!" Wei Ji exclaimed with mixed feelings of surprise and delight. "Our sect leader actually brought out such a treasure!"
He whirled around and yelled at his still-stunned disciples, "What are you all standing there for? With these talismans and Fairy Bai's magical artifacts, what are we afraid of? Let's go!"
The disciples, as if waking from a dream, rallied their spirits and boarded the flying boat.
Bai Ying put away the Kongtong Seal and the dragon scales, and was the last to step onto the deck.
As she passed by the boy, he secretly slipped her a jade slip.
"Master said that if the fairy is in danger, crushing it will allow it to withstand an attack. Please, fairy, protect the disciples of my Xuantian Sect."
Bai Ying nodded slightly and put the jade slip into her sleeve.
The flying boat slowly ascended into the air, passing through the flowing light of the mountain-protecting array, and headed towards Tianque Mountain in the northwest.
Bai Ying stood at the bow of the boat, letting the strong wind blow through her hair, her gaze fixed firmly on the churning sea of clouds in the distance.
She knew what Wei Ji and the others were worried about—without Master Tinglan in charge, the Xuantian Sect's team was indeed outnumbered and outmatched.
But she knew even better that with her current trump cards, what could a Nascent Soul cultivator do even if he came in person?
She was determined to have that Source Fruit!
—
Bai Ying gazed into the distance. The outline of Tianque Mountain had already appeared on the horizon, its towering peaks shrouded in a layer of gray, gale-force winds, with flashes of lightning and distant thunder.
She had witnessed the fierce winds in her past life and knew their power.
If an ordinary cultivator were caught in it, he would be reduced to dust in no time.
According to Master Tinglan, the fierce winds will only lessen slightly three days before and after the Dao Source Fruit matures, giving people an opportunity to take advantage of the situation.
"Fairy Bai, shouldn't we discuss a strategy?" Wei Ji asked worriedly. "Without Senior Brother here, we should be even more careful. That Dao Source Fruit will attract the attention of various sects, and even some reclusive old monsters might make a move... We should be cautious and wait for an opportunity to act when they are fighting over it."
Wei Ji wanted to tell Bai Ying how they had secretly obtained those Dao Source Fruits before.
My senior brother's concealment technique is impressive, but every step is extremely dangerous. Snatching food from a tiger's mouth requires skill.
Unexpectedly, Bai Ying took out an ancient-looking animal hide map from her bosom and spread it out on the deck: "There are three entrances to Tianque Mountain. We'll take the most dangerous one, 'A Line of Sky'."
"A narrow passage?!" a disciple exclaimed. "That's a dead end! Steep cliffs on both sides, a narrow path in the middle, and there are so many monsters there... If we get blocked by them, we're finished!"
"It's precisely because it's dangerous that few people take this route," Bai Ying pointed to the mark on the map. "And from here, we can reach the summit directly, at least two hours faster than other routes. Only in this way can we ensure that the fruit isn't taken by others."
Wei Ji looked at Bai Ying in disbelief, his eyes filled with shock.
"Guarantee those fruits won't be taken away? What are you talking about? Do you mean...?"
Wei Ji dared not continue speaking.
Bai Ying smiled gently at him.
"Of course we should pick all those fruits."
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