Another Treasure Acquired

Upon Bai Yiren’s arrival, Qingxuan’s face contorted with murderous rage as he glared at her, knowing she was the one who had slain his wife.

“Bai Yiren, you dare kill my wife? This isn’t over between us!” Qingxuan bellowed, his voice laced with fury and a potent, palpable shockwave.

As a formidable demon in the Purple Mansion realm, Qingxuan’s power was naturally beyond Bai Yiren’s reach. Instantly, Luo Yan stepped forward, positioning herself before Bai Yiren. She unleashed an azure mana barrier, successfully intercepting Qingxuan’s potent attack.

Furthermore, Chen Xiangning and the other disciples brought forth their most formidable treasures. The Luoshen Sect, after all, boasted five spirit treasures, each imbued with unique and powerful effects.

The demon cultivators from Azure Dragon Palace could, at best, hope for a surprise attack. In a direct confrontation, particularly on foreign ground, they were guaranteed to suffer heavy losses.

“Palace Lord, let us withdraw for now,” a late-stage Nascent Soul realm demon cultivator from Azure Dragon Palace urged, quickly stepping forward to restrain Qingxuan. “We will avenge the madam, but this is not the time. A direct confrontation right now would prove disastrous.”

In truth, the Luoshen Sect possessed the complete capability to repel the invading demon cultivators from Eternal Blossom Island instantaneously. Their initial reluctance to unleash their full power was deliberate.

To explain, this invasion by the sea demons was intended as a rigorous trial for the sect’s disciples. Had the Azure Dragon Palace not covertly dispatched the Sea Abyss Worm King to ambush their rear, Bai Yiren would never have taken a life.

The other elders, too, were intentionally delaying, seeking to further test the disciples of the sect. This had been a silent agreement among them all.

Thus, when Bai Yiren struck down Bai Su, the other four were utterly taken aback. They couldn’t comprehend why Bai Yiren had suddenly resorted to such lethal force.

“Qingxuan, heed my warning,” Luo Yan interjected. “If you don’t retreat now, don’t blame me for ensuring none of you leave this place. Our initial intent was for your Azure Dragon Palace demon cultivators to serve as a trial for our Luoshen Sect disciples. However, you brazenly dispatched peak Golden Core demonic beasts to ambush our outer sect members. This is a clear violation of our long-standing agreement!”

Indeed, the Luoshen Sect and Azure Dragon Palace had a precise agreement: no demon cultivators were permitted to attack ordinary disciples if they surpassed their cultivation realm.

This ancient pact had never been breached by either side. It stipulated that Golden Core sea demons could only engage Golden Core sea demons, and were expressly forbidden from attacking ordinary Qi Refining cultivators. Likewise, Golden Core cultivators of the Luoshen Sect were prohibited from wantonly slaying Qi Refining sea demons.

This mutual understanding was the very reason for their structured battles: Nascent Soul versus Nascent Soul, Purple Mansion versus Purple Mansion, Golden Core versus Golden Core, and Foundation Establishment versus Foundation Establishment.

“Get lost!” Qingxuan snarled. “Your Luoshen Sect has certainly played its hand well. Our Azure Dragon Palace’s power wanes with each passing year. What meaning does that old agreement hold now? Are we simply to wait for your Luoshen Sect to decimate us? Luo Yan, I will swallow the vengeance for my wife’s death today.”

“However,” he continued, his face twisted in a grotesque mask of rage, “I must warn you: the agreement between me and your Luoshen Sect is null and void, effective immediately. From this moment forth, it is a battle to the death! If your Luoshen Sect disciples have any courage, do not dare leave Eternal Blossom Island. Retreat!”

Yet, despite his incandescent rage, he forced himself to endure. Even if he sought vengeance against Bai Yiren, this was not the place. The Luoshen Sect held too many hidden trump cards, making any attempt on Bai Yiren’s life utterly futile here.

With one last scorching look at Bai Yiren, Qingxuan signaled his subordinates, and they swiftly departed Eternal Blossom Island. The moment they vanished, the sea demons battling Ximen Xue and her companions immediately retreated into the depths, their departure as swift as their arrival.

The ominous dark clouds that had shrouded Eternal Blossom Island also began to dissipate.

With that, the battle finally came to an end.

“They’re finally gone,” Luo Yan sighed, a weariness in her voice. “Quickly, send the deacons managing the inner and outer sect disciples to assess the casualties.”

Undeniably, there would be significant casualties this time. Yet, such was the harsh reality of the cultivation world; a place of constant struggle, where only the fittest survived and the strong devoured the weak. Only those cultivators who navigated through countless dangers were deemed worthy of true strength.

“Second Senior Sister, why did you act so rashly?” Hua Yushan questioned, her voice tinged with disbelief. “You even resorted to Nine Heavens Embracing Moon. By killing Bai Su, we are now truly locked in an unending conflict with Azure Dragon Palace.”

Bai Yiren undoubtedly had her reasons, and Luo Yan had largely surmised the situation. However, she found it difficult to openly discuss the matter with the others.

Bai Yiren, for her part, paid little mind to the repercussions. Her thoughts were consumed by a different enigma: the peculiar change in Bai Lan. Though she hadn’t observed closely, it was strikingly apparent that Bai Lan now seemed to be a woman.

“Lan’er, what happened?” Bai Yiren mused, a hint of distraction in her tone. “The aura she exuded just now felt incredibly strange, and her physique…”

Once they were certain that the Azure Dragon Palace forces had truly departed, they returned to the core area. Bai Lan and the others, having just experienced their first large-scale demonic beast attack, would naturally require time to recover and adjust.

“Congratulations, Bai Lan,” Yun Yao’s voice resonated just as the demonic beasts retreated. “You have successfully defended against a beast invasion for the first time in your life. This is a valuable experience. To commend you, I bestow upon you a pair of Ice Crystal Profound Jade earrings and one thousand experience points.”

Bai Lan, who had been resting in meditation, paused, startled. She lowered her gaze to the ground before her, where a pair of shimmering earrings lay nestled in the grass.

Ice Crystal Profound Jade earrings, a ninth-grade magic treasure. They can withstand a portion of powerful cultivators’ pressure, weaken soul attacks, enhance one’s own soul defense, and possess the effect of clearing the mind and dispelling malevolence. This was the description that appeared before Bai Lan’s eyes.

Bai Lan furrowed her brow, then glanced around. She had little interest in such an item, but it would make a suitable gift for Xue Linglong. After all, it was a ninth-grade magic treasure; it would be a waste to refuse it.

Bai Lan reached out and picked up the earrings. However, the moment her fingers brushed them, the treasure instantly recognized her as its master, bypassing the need for a blood ritual. It immediately bound itself to Bai Lan.

The earrings transformed into two shimmering streaks of light, soaring to Bai Lan’s earlobes. She felt a faint prickling sensation, and then, a pair of dazzlingly beautiful earrings appeared adorning her ears.

“What?” Bai Lan sputtered, utterly speechless.

Bai Lan immediately reached up to touch her ears. She tried to remove them, but to her dismay, they wouldn’t budge—not without tearing her earlobes.

“Damn it, Yun Yao, what is the meaning of this?” Bai Lan demanded, realizing the earrings were stuck, and instantly questioned Yun Yao.

“This is a soul-bound treasure,” Yun Yao explained calmly. “Unless your spiritual power far exceeds that of the artifact, you will be unable to remove it.”

“What?!” Bai Lan sputtered, utterly speechless.

What in the world was happening? What kind of rewards had the Heavenly Dao Consciousness truly prepared for her? First a breastplate, and now a pair of earrings—it felt as if it were deliberately antagonizing her.

“You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?” Bai Lan accused. “Why are all these rewards items meant for women?”

“You are a woman now,” Yun Yao retorted, her voice even. “Should I not match you with suitable items? What purpose would it serve to reward you with things you can’t use?”

Bai Lan was once again rendered speechless. Though she yearned to unleash her frustration, an inexplicable force from the necklace would immediately emanate, dispelling any anger that arose within her.

“Me? Ugh! Forget it.” Bai Lan wanted to curse, but found herself at a loss for who to direct her anger towards.

Just then, Xue Linglong and Li Yunxi approached, having just finished tending to their injured fellow disciples.

“Huh? That’s odd, Big Sister,” Xue Linglong asked, her voice brimming with surprise. “Why do you suddenly have earrings on?”

Bai Lan, feeling utterly helpless, knew Xue Linglong would inevitably ask. Thus, she replied with a hint of exasperation.

“I found them,” Bai Lan replied. “They looked rather nice, so I simply put them on.”