Chapter 101 I want to get rid of her boyfriend, I need to know this in three minutes...
Bai immediately retorted, "How can that be the same! My mother didn't go in voluntarily; she was captured and thrown in by you. The nature of the crimes is completely different."
Bai Qingji was too lazy to argue with her, so he just snorted and quickened his pace.
As the group talked, they passed through many palaces and approached the area where the back mountain was located. The surrounding environment was much quieter, and even the patrolling guards did not come here.
Finally, the group stopped in front of an ancient and tall stone wall, covered with moss and vines, which looked like it hadn't been visited for a long time.
“We’re here, this is it.” Bai Qingji approached the stone wall, parted the vines, and revealed the stone door that had been hidden.
She reached out and pressed her hand on the door, applying a little force, and the seemingly heavy stone door slowly opened in her hands.
Bai also curiously peeked inside. Behind the stone gate was a thick fog, with lush green forests vaguely visible, and an extremely pure spiritual energy wafting towards him.
She carefully sensed the cascading spiritual energy and discovered that it was indeed different from the spiritual energy outside, possessing a unique desolate aura.
Zhong Jiuli also sensed the aura emanating from behind the stone gate; the Bai family's back mountain was truly extraordinary.
Bai Ye looked at the stone wall beside him and asked, "If we don't go in through this gate, can we get to the back mountain by climbing over the stone wall?"
Upon hearing this, Bai Qingji suddenly burst into laughter, a very happy laugh.
"What are you laughing at?" Bai was also puzzled by the laughter.
“I heard that when my aunt was a child, she would always bring the children of her family to climb over the wall here. If you want to follow in her footsteps, I can wait for you to climb over the wall here once,” Bai Qingji said with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Bai's gaze fixed on the stone wall covered with vines.
In that instant, her gaze seemed to pierce through time, glimpsing the young Bai Shu, who was the fearless leader of the Bai family, leading a group of sisters of similar age, laughing and climbing and exploring on the stone wall.
Among that group of lively figures, there must be one who belongs to that unconventional Miss Bai Liu.
Imagining that scene, Bai Ye's lips curled up, "My mother has indeed been so outstanding since she was a child."
"Of course!" Bai Qingji's voice was full of pride. "Do you think my aunt is any ordinary person? She was originally recognized by the entire Bai family as the rightful young master."
"It was only after she left the Bai family that the position of young master fell to me by chance."
She didn't actually have much of an impression of that aunt; all her knowledge came from the descriptions of people around her.
I often hear people mention that there was once an aunt who was dazzling and flamboyant, fearless of anything, and even the stern great-grandmother couldn't do anything about her. She caused trouble in the mansion all day long, teasing cats and dogs, leaving everyone helpless.
It was a life she had never experienced, yet longed for. Vibrant, bright, and carefree—that was the kind of life she wanted to be.
"Hey, Bai Qingji, that's my mother. What are you so proud of?" Bai Ye looked at the other person's proud expression and couldn't help but wonder if this person was going to try to steal her mother away.
"I can't be bothered to argue with a brat like you who hasn't been weaned and only knows how to look for his mother all day long." Bai Qingji glanced at her coolly, then turned to the others. "Once we go into the back mountain, we won't be able to communicate with the outside world. If you have anything to say, say it now."
After she finished speaking, she took Qin Yanjing's hand and walked aside to whisper to her.
Seeing this, Bai also quickly grabbed Zhong Jiuli's hand and led her to the shadows behind the distant pillars.
The dim lighting obscured the figures of the two people.
"Once I see Mother and confirm her safety, I'll immediately go to Zhongzhou to find you. You don't need to keep following me around anymore," Bai said in a low voice.
"When did I follow you around?" Zhong Jiuli raised her chin slightly, her tone unconvincing.
"So many times, when I went to Xizhou, you were there too. When I came to the Bai family, you came to the Bai family too. Don't think I don't know. Actually, you just wanted to come and see me. You like me so much, don't you?"
As Bai spoke, his eyebrows and eyes became more and more lively, and his eyes and brows were full of smiles.
Upon hearing this, Zhong Jiuli felt a surge of reluctance. She reached out and pulled Bai Ye into her arms. The embrace was warm and tight, carrying Bai Ye's unique, refreshing fragrance, silently expressing her reluctance to part.
“This back mountain is very unusual,” Zhong Jiuli whispered in her ear. “You are not of the Bai family bloodline, so be careful in everything you do once you go in.”
"Yes, I understand." Bai rested his face on her shoulder and responded softly, "Don't miss me too much."
“…Hmm.” Zhong Jiuli responded softly, her voice so light it seemed to vanish into thin air the instant it left her lips.
However, Bai still heard it. She knew that Zhong Jiuli must be very reluctant to part with her. This departure meant that they would not see each other for a long time.
"Alright, it's time to go back." Zhong Jiuli patted her back lightly, released her embrace, and instead took Bai Ye's hand, their fingers intertwined, and they returned together to the stone gate.
Bai Qingji and Qin Yanjing, who were on the other side, had just finished speaking and returned to the stone gate.
Bai also looked at Jiaojiao, who was leaning on Liu Xianyue's shoulder, and instructed her, "Jiaojiao, you should stay with Sister Zhong and Sister Liu for the time being. I'll come find you when I get out, okay?"
"Ye Zai...can't you bring Jiao Jiao along?" Jiao Jiao's voice sounded a little aggrieved.
“No, you can’t enter the back mountain without a token,” Bai Qingji interjected.
"Alright then." Jiao Jiao's whole body went limp, her little face full of unhappiness.
Seeing her like this, Bai leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Don't be sad. Sister Liu is very rich. She's the richest woman in Kyushu! If you follow her, you'll eat and drink well every day. Order all the delicious food and put it on her tab. She has more spirit stones than she can spend."
"I can hear you!!!"
Liu Xianyue's temples throbbed with veins, and she flicked Bai Ye's forehead with a flick of her wrist in annoyance.
Before Bai could cry out in pain, she pushed him forcefully through the misty stone door.
"Hurry up and go, stop dawdling."
Bai also exclaimed in surprise, her figure staggering as she disappeared into the edge of the thick fog. In the last moment before being completely swallowed by the fog, she only had time to turn around and wave vigorously at Zhong Jiuli.
"Then we'll meet again, everyone." Bai Qingji chuckled softly, waved to the group, and stepped through the stone door.
The two figures were swallowed up by the thick fog one after another, and the open stone door slowly closed.
Liu Xianyue scooped up the dejected little turtle, held it in front of her, stroked its hairless head, and asked with a smile, "Is there any little turtle that wants to go to the Bai Family Restaurant with me?"
"Yes!!!" Jiao Jiao looked up instantly, all the dejection in her eyes vanished, leaving only anticipation.
She held her two little paws high, as eager as could be.
In Jiaojiao's little mind, being sad is okay, but she has to eat her fill first before she can continue being sad. Being hungry means being twice as sad.
Qin Yanjing was amused by the little turtle's change of expression and smiled. After her relationship with Bai Ye improved, she found the little turtle quite adorable.
With a smile in her eyes, she gently suggested, "Since you have come to my Baidi City, you are all guests. Why don't I be the host today and invite you to the Qin Family Restaurant? Although our Qin family is not as good as the Bai family, the food in our restaurant is just as good."
"That's great! The first time I met you, I knew you were the kind of person who loved to treat others to meals." Liu Xianyue smiled broadly upon hearing this.
She gently patted Zhong Jiuli's shoulder, "Snap out of it, your little tiger has already gone far away, you can't see him anymore. Come on, Miss Qin has extended a warm invitation, don't let her down."
Zhong Jiuli then came to her senses and nodded, saying, "Then let's go."
The three of them left together, leaving only the stone wall empty once again.
......
The Bai family's forbidden land.
Upon entering, Bai felt an overwhelming sense of desolation; the place seemed to be a region forgotten outside of time.
Surrounded by mountains, with clouds and mist rising from the peaks, an inexplicable pressure pressed down on one's head, making it difficult to breathe.
At the very front was an ancient stone staircase leading straight to the mountain peak. Bai didn't rush to wander around. This place was, after all, the territory of an Immortal Emperor. He would wait for Bai Qingji to come in first.
A moment later, Bai Qingji came up behind her and called out to Bai Ye, "Let's go, stay close to me."
"Should I go directly to my mother?"
“Hmm!” Bai Qingji raised his eyes and looked at the most majestic and imposing mountain in front of him. “Aunt should be in the inheritance pool on the mountaintop. Most of the Bai family disciples enter the forbidden area to go there.”
Upon hearing the news about her mother, Bai was also somewhat excited, but she also caught a key point: "Most of them? Could it be that there are still people who can't get in?"
“Of course, do you think just anyone can enter the Inheritance Pool? Let alone entering the Inheritance Pool, even those who successfully climb to the summit are extremely rare in the Bai family,” Bai Qingji explained.
"In my Bai family, this path up the mountain is called the Path to Heaven. Only by inheriting enough Immortal Emperor bloodline and gaining the approval of the ancestral will can one withstand the pressure of climbing the mountain and reach the summit."
After she finished speaking, she stepped towards the ancient stone steps in front of her.
Bai followed closely behind, looking up at the towering, endless mountain peaks, wondering if she could fly up to them.
As soon as the spiritual energy in her body began to circulate, the surrounding air instantly froze, and an extremely terrifying pressure pressed down on her shoulders like a giant mountain, causing half of her to sink into the ground.
With a "crack," the sound of the stone steps shattering rang out.
Bai Qingji turned around when she heard the noise, and was shocked by what she saw. She turned back to Bai Ye and helped her pull her leg out of the stone steps.
"What did you do? How did you suddenly crack the stone slab?" Bai Qingji asked urgently, his eyes quickly scanning the surroundings, afraid that something strange might have happened.
Bai forced an awkward smile, "I wanted to try flying, but the plane crashed before it even took off."
"You're really fearless. If you anger the ancestral will, she can wipe you out with just a thought." Bai Qingji warned her helplessly, "Don't mess around. Just follow behind me and climb up step by step."
"I was just thinking, I'm an outsider, right? Your ancestors probably wouldn't care about me, but who knew she'd care about outsiders too?" Bai muttered softly.
Bai Qingji glared at her, turned around and walked forward with her head down. After taking a few steps, she stopped, turned around and went around behind Bai Ye. "Fine, you go first. I have to keep an eye on you so you don't do anything reckless."
Stared at like that, Bai had no choice but to resign herself to her fate and climb the steps. Without turning around, she asked as if talking to herself, "Why do you think I can definitely climb up?"
Without thinking, Bai Qingji blurted out, "I don't think you can climb up there. Even I'm not sure I can reach the top."
"Tsk tsk, then you might really be a bit weak. I'm sure I can climb up." Bai Ye's lips curled into a smug smile. "Let's have a competition and see who reaches the top first."
Before she finished speaking, her figure shot upwards like an arrow released from a bow.
Watching the figure who had run dozens of feet away in the blink of an eye, a hint of surprise flashed in Bai Qingji's eyes. This guy's physique and bloodline were definitely extraordinary. The pressure of the Immortal Emperor, which was enough to make it difficult for the Bai family disciples to take a step, seemed to have no effect on her.
However, the surprise was only momentary. If Bai Ye, who did not have the blood of the Bai family, could run wildly here without any restraint, how could she, the legitimate young master of the Bai family, lag behind others?
"Let's compete then, I'm not afraid of you." Bai Qingji snorted lightly, quickening his pace as he chased after the figure.
Two figures, one in front of the other, silently chased each other along the misty stone path.
The stone steps receded rapidly beneath their feet, and in the blink of an eye, the two had already run across thousands of stone steps.
If any other members of the Bai family were here, they would surely shout, "Two monsters!"
Bai Ye's speed gradually slowed down, not because she couldn't withstand the pressure, but because she felt a sense of danger. It was as if monsters, eager to devour people, were lurking in the thick fog on both sides of the stone steps, their cold gazes fixed on her, ready to strike at any moment.
As soon as she slowed down, Bai Qingji caught up and passed Bai Ye, laughing loudly, "Good sister, can't climb anymore? I'm going to reach the top first."
Bai didn't have time to pay attention to her. A golden light flashed in her eyes as she tried to see what threat was hidden in the thick fog.
The next instant, the thick fog surged violently, and a Suanni formed from spiritual fog roared and pounced towards Bai Ye.
The beast's roar startled Bai Qingji, causing her to stop in her tracks and turn back. She instinctively wanted to turn back and help.
"Don't come any closer!" Bai shouted, gripping the large black sword and slashing down at the charging Suanni. The Suanni was instantly split in two and vanished into white mist.
"This should be a test from your ancestors for outsiders. Don't get involved." Bai Ye had been to the White Tiger Clan's inheritance site before, and Zhong Jiuli helped her then, which led to her being implicated.
Upon hearing this, Bai Qingji indeed did not intervene, nor did she leave; she simply stood on the stone steps and watched.
The thick fog around them churned violently, and countless ferocious beasts burst forth from it. Bai Ye moved nimbly through the beast horde, his heavy sword capable of piercing anything. With each strike, the ferocious beasts formed from the fog were shattered and returned to the fog.
"How come this guy seems to have gotten so much stronger in just half a month?" Bai Qingji muttered to himself.
The battle lasted for more than two hours before the thick fog gradually subsided and no new ferocious beasts appeared.
Bai leaned on her sword, breathing heavily, her cheeks covered in sweat. This level of combat shouldn't have made her this tired, but with ferocious beasts attacking her and an omnipresent pressure, it was like she was undergoing weight training.
She wiped the sweat from her face, looked up at Bai Qingji watching the show on the steps, and said with a smile, "You've wasted so much time waiting for me. If I overtake you later, don't cry, okay, my dear sister?"
"Pah!" Bai Qingji spat in annoyance, turned away from her, and continued rushing upwards.
She wasn't waiting for this guy; she was waiting because she didn't want to take advantage of him. Since they had agreed to a competition, it should be fair.
She didn't help because this was Bai Ye's test, and it might not be beneficial for her to act rashly.
The two continued running frantically up the stone steps, one after the other. When they were about halfway there, Bai was once again surrounded by ferocious beasts.
This time, the ferocious beast that appeared in the thick fog was much stronger than before, both in terms of speed and power.
Bai used all his skills and maneuvered for a long time before finally managing to kill all the ferocious beasts.
By this point, Bai Ye's spiritual energy in his dantian was almost completely depleted. Under the pressure of the Immortal Emperor and facing the siege of the beast horde, the consumption of his physical strength and mental energy was enormous.
"Fortunately... I've been cultivating with Zhong Jiuli every day recently, which has lit up quite a few stars, otherwise I really might not have been able to withstand this onslaught today." Bai secretly rejoiced in his heart.
Seeing her like this, Bai Qingji couldn't help but advise, "Why don't you stop going up? You might not be able to withstand the next wave of trials."
"When I see my aunt, I will tell her that you came to the Bai family to look for her."
Bai waved his hand, "No, what if you can't climb to the top? I won't feel at ease until I see my mother and confirm that she's safe."
"Suit yourself. If you die, there will be no one to compete with me for the position of young master." Bai Qingji muttered, his tone hard but without much malice.
She didn't try to persuade her any further, and turned to continue walking uphill.
Bai stopped trying to catch up with her and slowed down, climbing the stone steps while adjusting his breathing and frantically absorbing the dense, almost liquefied spiritual energy around him.
The spiritual energy in his dantian quickly returned to its full strength.
When they were about a third of the way from the summit, Bai stopped again, but Bai Qingji was also stopped.
When Bai Ye first saw Bai Qingji standing still, he thought she was tired and wanted to stop and rest for a while.
The moment she stepped onto the stone steps where Bai Qingji stood, she knew why.
The surrounding scenery changed rapidly, and a feeling of weightlessness suddenly overwhelmed me.
Bai remained calm, instead relaxing her body and leisurely observing the changing light around her. She had already figured out the routines of this kind of inheritance ground.
It's nothing more than testing physical strength, combat ability, and mental fortitude; it's just a few things over and over again.
When Bai Ye stepped back onto the ground, the surrounding scenery became clear.
She looked around and found herself in a huge arena, surrounded by swirling gray fog that faintly exuded an aura of death.
There was a person standing opposite her.
A clone that is exactly the same as her in height, appearance, clothing, and weapons.
Without the slightest hesitation, the opponent transformed into a blur the instant Bai Ye regained his footing, charging forward with a heavy sword.
"Heh heh! You little brat, you even know my Nine Forms of Heavy Sword?" Bai yelled and charged forward with his sword.
"Clang!" Two identical heavy swords collided, and a violent shockwave surged from the center of the arena outwards.
The immense recoil caused the two to fly backward uncontrollably.
Bai also felt a surge of blood and qi within her body. For the first time, she realized that her heavy sword was so difficult to withstand and possessed such great power that it almost made her vomit blood.
Just as he was about to fall into the gray fog, Bai suddenly exerted force in his waist and abdomen, twisting his body in mid-air. He stomped heavily on the railing at the edge of the ring with the sole of his boot, and landed back on the ring.
On the other side, the clone also steadied itself in the same way. Without pausing, it pounced on Bai Ye again as soon as it regained its footing.
"What kind of test is this? To make me clearly realize how strong I am, and then I kill myself, right?" Bai cursed inwardly, raising his sword to meet the attack again.
Her target wasn't the enemy, but the center of the arena. When she got close to the gray mist, she felt the destructive aura emanating from it, which was extremely terrifying; it could be said that touching it meant certain death.
Clearly, her clone was using the same strategy; both of them were rushing towards the center of the arena, and when they met there, they unleashed the same sword move.
Every charge, every parry, every sword swing—the two were perfectly synchronized, like looking in a mirror.
After hundreds of moves, Bai had figured out her opponent's style. The copy of her opponent could be said to have perfectly replicated all her moves and fighting style, but it seemed to lack the ability to adapt.
She was fighting Bai Ye based solely on Bai Ye's fighting instincts.
Bai also instantly changed his strategy, no longer pursuing head-on collisions. His sword moves suddenly became strange and unpredictable, even revealing weaknesses to his opponent.
The clone's reactions did indeed show a slight pause. She was still very strong, but she couldn't adapt to the situation like the real Bai. However, after only a few dozen moves, Bai managed to drive her to the edge of the ring.
"Get down here!" Bai shouted, delivering a powerful kick that sent the clone flying into the gray mist.
Bai stood by the arena, watching himself being enveloped and swallowed by the gray mist, gradually turning into nothingness.
Throughout the entire process, the clone made no sound, and its expression remained completely still, devoid of any emotion.
"Tsk!"
"Watching yourself die a gruesome death... that feeling... adds another topic to your life's conversation."
Before Bai Ye could finish her吐槽 (tu cao, a Chinese internet slang term for sarcastic or critical remarks), the surrounding space distorted, and when her vision cleared, she was back on the stone steps.
Almost simultaneously, Bai Qingji also woke up.
She clutched her chest in grief, her face pale and her breathing rapid; she was clearly still reeling from the shock.
"Hey, what's wrong? Are you upset about killing yourself?" Bai asked with concern.
Bai Qingji squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them again, a lingering fear in his eyes. He asked in a hoarse voice, "What killed you?"
"Isn't your illusion a battle against an exact replica of yourself, where you can only escape by winning?" Bai briefly explained his experience.
“No,” Bai Qingji said softly. “I didn’t encounter the arena; I encountered Yan Jing. We got married in the illusion and lived a life like a paradise. In the end… I killed her with my own hands to escape the illusion.”
"Oh my!" Bai's eyes widened as she complained, "Your ancestor is applying double standards! My illusion is clearly very perfunctory. Yours even uses that 'killing one's wife to prove one's Dao' stuff, how outrageous!"
"Boom!"
Golden lightning struck down without warning, landing directly on Bai Ye's head.
"Uh..." Bai also groaned, her whole body trembled, her full head of silver hair stood on end, and wisps of green smoke rose from the top of her head.
She stood frozen in place, feeling the electric current coursing through her body. This lightning was incredibly domineering, completely suppressing the profound lightning within her.
Bai Qingji looked at her amusedly, "Serves you right, I told you not to mess around."
A small green tree appeared above Bai Ye's head, its green light pouring down. After a long while, Bai Ye opened his mouth and exhaled a puff of black smoke, finally recovering.
She silently shut her mouth and said in her mind, "Xiao Wang, three minutes. I need to know everything about this Bai family Immortal Emperor!"
"What are you going to do?" Xiao Wang asked, puzzled.
"I'm going to get her!!! Where are her descendants' graves? I'll dig them up as soon as I find them," Bai said angrily.
She had never suffered such an injustice before. Someone actually dared to strike her with lightning, almost killing her. She didn't know what kind of lightning it was, that it caused such pain.
That's my mother's ancestor, you filial son!!!
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