Chapter 30 Matryoshka Dolls Who could resist the affection of a fairy sister? ...
That night, the two talked a lot, and Bai also learned many secrets about the mainland that he had never known before from Zhong Jiuli.
She became even more determined to cultivate diligently, even if not to break through the void and return home, but to restore the glory of the Wilderness State.
After daybreak, the three of them, along with the Hundred Flowers Valley disciple, began their journey, traveling day and night.
More than half a month passed, until this morning, as the sun was rising, Bai walked at the front as usual. When she took a step, she suddenly felt a slight resistance, as if she were passing through an invisible membrane.
The surrounding scenery suddenly changed; the secluded valley vanished without a trace, replaced by a magnificent palace complex. The waterfalls, pools, white lotuses, and countless rare birds, beasts, herbs, and flowers had all disappeared without a trace.
Only this desolate and ancient grand hall has stood here for countless years.
Bai didn't dare to move and immediately turned around to look behind her. Fortunately, Zhong Jiuli and Liu Xianyue's figures appeared behind her one after another.
The group of people were equally astonished upon seeing the scene before them.
Looking up at the colossal palace before her, Liu Xianyue exclaimed in amazement, "Could such a magnificent palace have been the residence of those ancient gods?"
"Maybe there were giants in the past?" Bai guessed wildly. "Let's go, we'll find out if we go take a look."
The group flew forward at full speed. The palace was much larger than they had imagined. It took them most of the day to finally get close to the vast square in front of the palace.
The plaza was paved with huge blue stones, and above that were massive stone steps that seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see. Each step was about half a person's height, and these steps were clearly not built for humans.
However, this is not the time to study the stone steps.
In the center of the square, nearly a hundred cultivators from the Wilderness State were fighting against the man in black robes.
The group of men in black robes formed a sword formation, their swords pointing outwards in unison. On the other hand, while the people from the Wilderness State appeared to be united against a common enemy, there was little trust among them, and many harbored their own agendas. Despite outnumbering the enemy, they were currently at a disadvantage.
The fierce battle below was still raging, and no one noticed Bai Ye and his group's arrival for the time being.
Upon seeing this, Bai immediately flew out and stood above everyone's heads, whistling down.
The sudden whistle drew everyone's attention. The fighting crowd stopped what they were doing and looked up at the sky.
The cultivators of the desolate state all stared in astonishment at the person above them.
The newcomer appeared to be about fifteen or sixteen years old, dressed in red, with his full head of silver hair tied up high, the ribbon fluttering in the wind. He carried a heavy, jet-black sword on his back and stood in mid-air, a slight smile on his lips and bright eyes like stars. He was the very image of a spirited young swordsman.
Bai also smirked, revealing a set of seemingly harmless white teeth, and said, "I heard you were looking for me? Now I'm here."
"It's her, the one who killed the Sixth Young Master!" A man in black robes recognized Bai Ye and exclaimed in surprise.
"Yes, it's me," Bai replied loudly. As soon as she finished speaking, she drew her sword and slashed down in mid-air.
A crescent-shaped sword aura swept out towards the group of black-robed cultivators.
With a loud "boom," the ground exploded, sending debris flying. Several black-robed cultivators were struck by the sword energy and sent flying.
The sword formation was instantly breached.
"Form the formation, kill her, avenge the Sixth Young Master, and whoever takes her head will be rewarded with a bottle of Nascent Soul Pills!" the leader of the black-robed men shouted.
The Nascent Soul Pill was extremely tempting to this group of black-robed cultivators who were at the Foundation Establishment and Golden Core stages.
In an instant, all the black-robed cultivators turned their swords around, the tips flashing with cold light, and unleashed a barrage of sharp and incomparable sword energy towards Bai Ye.
Bai was not afraid of the group's counterattack. She dragged her heavy sword and charged down.
As he moved, the heavy sword was already swung out.
The two sword energies collided. Before the explosion, a dazzling light erupted from the center of the impact, and a violent shockwave swept outwards, blowing away all the stone slabs within a hundred feet.
Everyone was shocked. The black-robed cultivator who had seen Bai Ye before was especially trembling. In such a short time, this boy had become much stronger. He was truly a prodigious talent and would surely become a major threat in the future.
Amidst the billowing dust, Bai Ye's swooping figure finally arrived. She brandished her heavy sword and slashed down at the leader of the black-robed men.
The man in black robes raised his sword to block. The heavy sword, carrying immense force, slashed down with tremendous force; how could an ordinary black iron sword possibly withstand it?
With a "crack," the black-robed man's black iron sword shattered into pieces the instant it came into contact with the heavy sword.
He was shocked. A rune flashed in his palm, and he vanished from his spot. In that instant, his companion's back was exposed.
The man turned his head in surprise, only managing to let out a short scream before Bai Ye's heavy sword fell.
With this strike, the man was smashed into a bloody pulp by the heavy sword.
In an instant, blood, flesh, and bone fragments flew everywhere.
Bai quickly spun around to dodge, not wanting to be covered in blood and gore. As she turned, she swung her heavy sword again, cleaving another black-robed man in two at the waist.
Blood, flesh, and intestines spilled onto the ground with a "whoosh," and a hot, foul stench filled the nostrils.
"Ugh~" Bai couldn't help but gag. The moment she relaxed her guard, dozens of longswords attacked her.
Bai also quickly drew his sword and fought again, wreaking havoc in the crowd.
Her swordsmanship followed an extremely powerful and fierce path. Every now and then, cultivators were unable to dodge in time and were crushed by her heavy sword, their flesh and blood flying everywhere.
Bai fought with increasing ferocity, his moves becoming ever more fierce. The Nine Forms of the Heavy Sword seemed simple and brutal, but in reality, the great way is simple: one force can overcome all techniques. No matter how many skills or sword moves you have, they are all illusory in the face of absolute power.
This kind of wide-open fighting style would probably exhaust an ordinary cultivator after only a few moves. But Bai Ye's physique had been tempered several times, and he had consumed countless rare and precious herbs. During the more than half a year he spent with Zhong Jiuli, he had been fed countless delicacies.
Her physical strength far exceeded what ordinary people could imagine. Even without using any spiritual power, her physical strength alone was enough to overwhelm the vast majority of cultivators present.
High in the sky, Zhong Jiuli watched silently as the figure wielding the sword stood in the arena.
The warlike bloodline of the White Tiger clan is awakening within Bai Ye. The young boy, barely grown up, already possesses an invincible aura.
The land of Lizhou, which has been silent for thousands of years, may finally regain its former glory of sweeping across eight prefectures in the hands of this little tiger.
On the other side of the battlefield, many cultivators from the desolate state finally came to their senses, and many of them unleashed their magical treasures and joined the great melee.
Meanwhile, many others took advantage of the chaos of the battle to flee in panic toward the massive, winding stone steps that stretched as far as the eye could see.
With the arrival of cultivators from the Wilderness State, the previously stalemate in the battle instantly shifted.
The black-robed cultivators suffered a crushing defeat, instantly collapsing into disarray. They fled in panic, each employing their own methods to escape in all directions.
After all, their leader had already fled several miles away when he was defeated by Bai Ye.
In the blink of an eye, only Bai Ye and a group of disciples from the Desolate State remained on the huge plaza in front of the hall.
Those independent cultivators without any sect or faction had already fled during the most intense part of the battle; they were well-versed in the art of self-preservation.
Zhong Jiuli chuckled softly from high above.
Liu Xianyue knew what she was laughing at, so she laughed along with her: "When you're out there training, you have to learn from these rogue cultivators. Throughout history, those exceptionally talented young masters from famous families always talked about chivalry and justice, but most of them ended up failing miserably."
"But look at these rogue cultivators, they've 'protecting themselves wisely' ingrained in their very bones, and it's often these people who live the longest!"
Liu Xianyue changed the subject and said, "But I think your little tiger is a bit reckless."
“She’s not one of those righteous cultivators who only know how to ‘fight for justice,’ she’s very smart,” Zhong Jiuli said protectively before flying downwards.
Seeing this, the other two also fell down.
Below, the group of people had already mingled together. A large group of cultivators surrounded Bai Ye and showered her with compliments, making her little face flush red.
One tall hat after another was placed on their heads, until they were so covered in white hats that they were too embarrassed to even touch the corpses on the ground.
She suspected that these people were trying to use this method to keep her occupied so that they could divide up the storage bags once she left.
"Second Senior Sister~" A clear voice called out from outside the crowd.
Several disciples of Hundred Flowers Valley surrounding Bai Ye turned around upon hearing the sound. When they saw the girl falling from the sky, smiles immediately appeared on their faces as they went to greet her.
The Hundred Flowers Valley disciple who had been traveling with Bai Ye for more than half a month excitedly said to her senior sisters, "Second Senior Sister, it's so great! I've finally seen you all again."
The reunited sisters immediately became very affectionate, sharing their experiences in the secret realm.
The other cultivators thanked Bai Ye, and after thanking him, they reached out to touch the corpse on the ground. After touching the storage bag, they all ran up the stone steps.
Before leaving, those people urged Bai Ye and the others to hurry up as well.
It is said that there may be a great lineage here, which is why the black-robed cultivators from the ancient states are blocking people here and preventing the cultivators from the barbaric states from getting close.
Bai wasn't surprised by the news at all, but what surprised her was why those people, while rushing to seize the treasure, didn't forget to check their storage bags.
She had planned to wait until those people left before sneaking off to search the body. Now that plan had completely fallen through.
Just as she was frowning and looking resentful, the disciple from Hundred Flowers Valley led her senior sisters to express their gratitude.
The woman in the lead was about twenty-five or twenty-six years old. She was extremely gentle and graceful, with a striking red dot between her eyebrows. She was the one who had been called Second Senior Sister earlier.
At this moment, she bowed to Bai Ye and the others, a gentle smile on her lips: "Fellow Daoist Bai, thank you for saving our junior sister. Hundred Flowers Valley will always remember this kindness."
Bai hurriedly waved his hand: "It's okay, it's okay. You were only implicated because of me, so there's no need to thank me."
"Fellow Daoist Bai, you are mistaken. Those cultivators from Guzhou are merely using this as an excuse. Even without you, they would have found another pretext to make things difficult for us."
"That's right, we still have to thank Fellow Daoist Bai for saving our lives." The disciples of Hundred Flowers Valley behind her echoed in unison.
These young female cultivators, all possessing considerable cultivation, gazed intently at Bai Ye, their eyes, like pools of autumn water, brimming with smiles.
Faced with the direct gazes of these fairy-like sisters, Bai was immediately at a loss. Her ear tips blushed at a visible speed, and her bright eyes were slightly lowered. She only dared to stare at the stone slab on the ground, as if there were some great runes engraved on the stone slab under her feet.
I wonder if Hundred Flowers Valley considers looks when accepting disciples. These young ladies are all beautiful, with delicate features, red lips and white teeth; some are as gentle and charming as the second senior sister. It's really embarrassing for the little tiger to see such a group of fairy-like girls standing together staring at you.
"Why is Fellow Daoist Bai so shy?" A disciple of Hundred Flowers Valley covered his mouth and chuckled.
As soon as she spoke, the other disciples of Hundred Flowers Valley joined in the laughter. For a moment, the sounds of warbling birds and laughter, like pearls falling on a jade plate, echoed in the spacious square in front of the hall.
Bai was even more flustered by the laughter. She secretly raised her eyes and cast a pleading look at Zhong Jiuli, looking like a little puppy wandering around outside alone, being teased by the neighborhood ladies, pitifully seeking help from its owner.
Seeing this, Zhong Jiuli smiled slightly, stepped forward to block Bai Ye, and said with a smile, "Now that you have reunited with your fellow disciples, we shall take our leave here. The opportunities in the secret realm are fleeting, so please do not miss this golden opportunity to find treasure."
Upon hearing this, the second senior sister of Hundred Flowers Valley nodded slightly, raised her delicate hand, and led her fellow junior sisters in a graceful bow. When she looked up, her gaze swept over the group, finally lingering on Bai Ye for a moment longer, and she smiled, "Then we shall part ways here. We still need to find our senior sister, so we won't compete for the secret realm's inheritance. Farewell, everyone!"
"Goodbye." Bai Ye quickly returned the greeting with a cupped hand.
The two groups parted ways, and Bai watched the group of beautiful women walk away into the distance.
"Tsk tsk..." Liu Xianyue suddenly leaned closer and said in a very disdainful tone, "When they were here just now, you didn't even dare to lift your head, but now you dare to peek at their backs. What? Can't bear to part with those beautiful ladies? Do you want me to help you catch up with them?"
Bai Ye immediately bristled upon hearing this, "Liu Xianyue, don't talk nonsense! When did I say I couldn't bear to part with you? I'm just being polite, you know?"
As she spoke, her eyes kept glancing at Zhong Jiuli, as if afraid that she might misunderstand.
When she looked up, she saw Zhong Jiuli looking at her with a half-smile.
Bai also explained somewhat flusteredly, "Zhong Jiuli, don't listen to her nonsense, I'm not reluctant to part with them."
"Okay, I understand." Zhong Jiuli responded softly, her voice languid and slightly intoxicatingly hoarse.
She reached out, her cool fingertips pinching Bai's burning earlobe, her fingertips gently caressing the soft earlobe. "The smell of blood is too strong here, don't stand here."
Bai was also pinched so hard that he shuddered.
She felt that Zhong Jiuli was being unreasonable; whenever she tried to get closer, she would be pushed away. But this person was different; he would pinch her ears and rub her cheeks at the drop of a hat.
That's so unfair!
Bai gritted his teeth and glared at her, but deflated when he met her smiling eyes. Oh well, who could resist the affection of a fairy sister? Even if she treated you like a puppy.
"Let's go, stop being so affectionate."
Liu Xianyue's voice came from above the stone steps. She had already climbed the steps, but when she looked back, she found that the two people were still standing in the same place. So she had to turn around and call out.
"Coming!" Bai Ye felt as if he had been granted a pardon and hurriedly responded, turning around and running to free his bright red earlobe from Zhong Jiuli's grasp.
Zhong Jiuli withdrew her hand, watching the figure flee in panic. As she rubbed her fingertips together, she could still feel the other person's warmth.
She shook her head and chuckled, realizing how strange she was, always unable to resist wanting to get close to the little tiger.
Perhaps it's because I've been lonely for too long that I'm easily tempted by this vibrant color.
On the endless stone steps, the three of them took several steps at a time, seemingly running slowly but actually moving at an extremely fast pace.
Two hours later, they finally arrived at the gate of the great palace.
The majestic palace gates soar into the clouds, and ancient totems are engraved on the bronze doors. Ancient creatures that have been seen in the outside world can now be seen on the doors.
Nearly a hundred cultivators had gathered in the plaza in front of the hall. There were cultivators from the Wilderness State and cultivators from the Ancient State. The two groups stood clearly separated on either side of the bronze gate, wary of each other.
They seem to have been here for quite some time, but now they are all standing outside the door, probably blocked by the tightly closed bronze door.
The moment the three appeared, they immediately shattered the delicate atmosphere of peace.
"You have some nerve!" From the Sima family camp, a young man in a blue brocade robe suddenly stepped forward, his sinister gaze fixed on Bai Ye like a venomous snake. "You killed my sixth brother and still dare to swagger in front of me like this? I think you're courting death!"
Almost at the same moment, a clear, melodious female voice came from the other side, "Little one, over here~~"
Bai didn't even glance at the Sima family, looking straight towards the source of the sound.
The disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect, dressed in pristine white robes, stood out in the crowd, with Li Chengfeng at the head of the group waving with a smile.
Bai turned to look at Zhong Jiuli, and seeing her nod, he then walked towards the Heavenly Sword Sect.
How dare a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator treat him so disrespectfully in front of everyone? And he's just a nobody from a desolate state; he, the young master of the Sima family, could easily suppress him.
"Stop right there!" the blue-robed youth shouted, and a crimson whip flew out from his sleeve. The whip transformed into a ferocious blood python in mid-air the moment it flew out, aiming straight for Bai Ye's back.
Bai didn't stop walking, seemingly oblivious to the murderous intent emanating from behind.
Just as the blood python was about to touch her, she turned to the side, effortlessly avoiding the attack.
The blood python grazed past her clothes and crashed heavily onto the stone slab in front of the hall, sending shards of stone flying and creating a small crater about a foot deep in the ground.
"Tsk." Bai casually dusted off the corner of his clothes, looked up at the young man in blue, and a slightly mocking smile appeared on his lips. "Why are all your family members like this..."
"So bad at it...and loves to dance?"
She drew out the last few words slowly.
"You! How dare you!" The blue-robed youth roared in anger, his face turning a deep purplish-red. He bit his fingertip and smeared his blood onto the whip.
In an instant, the long whip in his hand burst forth with a dazzling red light, and the blue-robed youth, wielding the whip, attacked Bai Ye.
A commotion immediately erupted among the onlookers.
"Why are you hitting me again...!"
"The Sima family is really shameless. They already said they wouldn't fight."
Whispers spread through the crowd, and although they were whispers, the voices were so loud that no one present could miss them.
Just an hour ago, the two sides were fighting fiercely here. However, after a long and chaotic battle, both sides suffered losses but no clear winner was achieved, and the balance was barely maintained.
At this moment, the Sima family launched another attack, causing many cultivators from the Wilderness State to frown. This was Wilderness State territory, yet a group of outsiders were acting arrogantly, while the people of their own state were gradually backing down.
Such forbearance will only embolden the other party.
Within the Heavenly Sword Sect's ranks, Li Chengfeng had already gripped the hilt of his sword, ready to intervene and rescue them at any moment.
However, it seems unnecessary.
In the arena, Bai Ye drew his sword the instant the young man got close.
She drew her heavy sword from her back with a backhand motion; the dark blade sliced through the air, accompanied by a muffled whistling sound.
"Nine Forms of Heavy Sword, First Strike, Breaking the Formation!" Bai Ye shouted, his heavy sword already slashing down.
When the first sword strike came down, the blue-robed youth raised his whip to meet it, but the moment their weapons collided, his expression changed immediately. This was not a sword strike at all; it was clearly a mountain pressing down on him!
With a "crack", the bluestone slab beneath his feet split open.
Before he could catch his breath, Bai Ye's second sword had already arrived.
This sword strike was three times faster than the previous one, and the sound of a tiger's roar and a dragon's cry could be faintly heard as the blade clashed.
The blue-robed youth hastily set up several defensive barriers, all of which shattered instantly. He raised his arm to block, and the wrist guard on his wrist lit up with a burst of spiritual light, barely managing to block the second sword.
His eyes widened in disbelief. How could a Foundation Establishment cultivator possess such terrifying physical strength?
It should be noted that Bai Ye's two sword strikes did not involve any fluctuations in spiritual energy; they were simply sword techniques, yet they had already left him in such a sorry state.
"Wait..." He opened his mouth as if to speak.
However, Bai would not allow him to beg for mercy. The moment he uttered those words, the third sword had already fallen.
The protective gear on the young man's wrist shattered instantly under the sword strike, and the bones in his arms, which were braced in front of him, were broken in an instant. He himself was sent flying backward by the impact of the sword strike.
With a loud crash, it landed on the bluestone slab, creating a deep crater, from which spiderweb-like cracks spread outwards.
The entire room fell silent.
Everyone was stunned. This boy, who looked no more than fifteen or sixteen years old, had actually crushed a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator with three sword strikes using only his physical strength.
Bai sheathed his sword, turned his head to look at the young man who had climbed out of the pit, revealing a mouthful of white teeth, and smiled innocently, "See? You got angry when I said you were bad. If you're bad, then practice more."
"Pfft!" The blue-robed youth was so angry that he spat out another mouthful of blood, his face turning from red to green.
Zhong Jiuli smiled. This guy is so annoying as soon as he opens his mouth, but he's also really cute!
Liu Xianyue didn't hold back at all, bursting into laughter, her head full of jewels jingling loudly.
Once the first person started, laughter instantly spread like a tidal wave. Just as the laughter reached its peak, a whooshing sound suddenly came from the sky.
A streak of purple light pierced the sky, descending with overwhelming power.
After he concealed the radiance around him, everyone could see that the newcomer was a young man dressed in a purple and gold robe.
"Big brother!" The young man in blue robes rushed over as if he had seen a savior.
The purple-robed youth didn't even glance at him, his icy gaze fixed directly on Bai Ye.
"Those who insult the Sima family shall be executed! Come and face your death!" he said coldly, his voice not loud, but carrying an air of arrogance.
Bai also curled his lip, silently complaining in his heart: "As expected, novels never lied to me. After beating the little one, the big one comes; after beating the big one, the old one comes. It's like a nested doll!"
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