Unexpected Confrontations and a Display of Power

Li Yunxi immediately rolled her eyes. How could she not sense Bai Lan’s fear? To utter such words, and for Qiu Hanyun not to rebuke her, was nothing short of a miracle.

As for what Qiu Hanyun was thinking at that moment, no one knew. Yet, Bai Lan had undoubtedly left a lasting impression on her, marking the first time since becoming a Luoshen Sect Elder that she had been left utterly speechless by a disciple.

However, Qiu Hanyun harbored no anger. On the contrary, she felt a sense of sudden enlightenment. After all, having become a Nascent Soul cultivator, it had been a long time since anyone dared to speak to her in such a manner. In a small place like the Eastern Sea Region, Nascent Soul cultivators were already considered peak powerhouses; who would dare to challenge her?

Meanwhile, within Luoshen Palace, Bai Yiren watched the scene in the mystic mirror with a faint, unreadable smile. It was a look of wry amusement, for they were always present for the Hundred Flowers Lecture.

She had never imagined that today, her junior sister would be retorted by her own disciple. That single retort had left Qiu Hanyun utterly speechless, a truly rare occurrence.

“This little girl is quite interesting,” Chen Xiangning remarked, a hint of exasperation in her voice. “To actually talk back to Third Senior Sister like that—even I wouldn’t dare.”

“Heh, quite bold indeed,” Hua Yushan chuckled, glancing playfully at Bai Yiren. “And why do I feel this little girl’s demeanor is so similar to Second Senior Sister’s? Both are like towering icebergs, just as Second Senior Sister was when she first joined the Luoshen Sect.”

Indeed, Bai Lan and Bai Yiren shared a strikingly similar aura, even more so than Ximen Xue. All three possessed a certain coolness, yet their ‘coldness’ differed. Bai Yiren’s was external, Ximen Xue’s was internal, while Bai Lan’s was an intangible quality.

Bai Lan didn’t need to feign being an iceberg; merely standing there, she exuded an icy presence. Her personality wasn’t inherently cold; rather, it stemmed from the mind of an adult male in her previous life, coupled with the discontent of having become a woman in this one. This manifested as a certain aloofness and an unwillingness to speak.

Why the reluctance to speak? Lately, the feminine characteristics of her body had developed intensely. Her formerly neutral childlike voice was now becoming increasingly sharp and agile. Every time she spoke, it felt awkward; she instinctively wanted to lower her voice, but doing so was exhausting. It was simpler to speak less, for each utterance felt as though another person resided within her body.

The lecture’s “farce” concluded without further incident. However, once Qiu Hanyun and the others departed, and the stipends began to be distributed, the situation became far more lively. This time, no one was willing to hold back.

“Move aside! Those who haven’t broken through to the Qi Refining Realm, step back! You haven’t even progressed, so why are you scrambling?” As the disciples began distributing stipends, those who had achieved Qi Refining instantly surged forward. They simultaneously shot warning glances at the uninitiated, silently urging them to behave.

Under pressure, the disciples who hadn’t broken through dared not advance. There was no recourse; it was the law of the jungle. Who could they blame for their lack of progress? Currently, only a small number had reached the Qi Refining Realm.

Consequently, most Qi Refining disciples received their stipends. Following them were the uninitiated disciples they protected, essentially their cohorts. Thus, Li Yunxi, with the aid of Bai Lan and Xue Linglong, also secured her stipend. Ultimately, those left without stipends were largely small groups lacking Qi Refining disciples and, by extension, protection.

“This? Sigh! Let’s go,” some muttered, comforting themselves. “This month’s stipend is clearly not for us. We might as well return and cultivate peacefully. Before reaching Qi Refining, these things are useless anyway.” The two thousand-plus disciples who hadn’t received their stipends could only console themselves.

After receiving their items, Bai Lan and the other two immediately distanced themselves from Hundred Flowers Terrace, intending to return to their residences. However, as they passed through a somewhat secluded flower grove, a familiar voice reached their ears.

“Where do you think you’re going?” the voice sneered. “This Princess has been looking for you three for a long time. This time, don’t even dream of leaving safely.” It was unmistakably Chen Xuan’s voice.

Just as expected, outer sect disciples emerged from all directions. Over a hundred individuals—excluding Chen Xuan and her six guards—including more than a dozen Qi Refining disciples and dozens who hadn’t yet broken through, surrounded Bai Lan’s trio. It appeared they had been waiting there in ambush.

It’s that woman again. So annoying, Bai Lan thought, feeling irritated the moment Chen Xuan stepped out.

She quickly assessed Chen Xuan’s cultivation: she was at Qi Refining triple-stage. Her six guards were at Qi Refining fifth-stage, clearly among the strongest in the outer sect. Most outer sect disciples were currently only at Qi Refining first-stage, and breaking through to the second stage wasn’t quick, requiring considerable talent.

“Huh? It’s her again,” Li Yunxi stammered, immediately hiding behind Bai Lan and Xue Linglong the moment she saw Chen Xuan. “This, Sister Bai Lan, Sister Linglong, what do we do?” After all, she was not yet a cultivator.

“I say, Princess,” Bai Lan began, a note of exasperation in her voice. “Are you truly never-ending? What exactly do you want?”

“What do I want? Don’t you know?” Chen Xuan commanded coldly. “I told you last time: offend me, and you three can forget about cultivating peacefully in the outer sect. Go! Seize them, and cripple them for me!”

This woman was an absolute nuisance. What was clearly a minor incident had, in her eyes, become a deep-seated grudge. Her declaration to cripple all three of them was no longer a laughing matter.

At her command, the dozen-plus outer sect disciples who had reached the Qi Refining Realm immediately surged forward.

Seeing them charge, Bai Lan truly had no intention of holding back this time.

“Linglong, protect Sister Yunxi,” Bai Lan instructed. “I’ll handle them.”

Though Xue Linglong felt a flicker of worry, Bai Lan’s tone assured her that she could manage the current situation.

“Please be careful,” Xue Linglong cautioned before immediately signaling Li Yunxi to retreat.

Once Bai Lan saw the two had retreated a safe distance, Cold Soul immediately materialized in her hand. This sword was clearly no ordinary weapon; at least, Chen Xuan recognized its distinction.

“A magic treasure?” Chen Xuan exclaimed, taken aback. She hadn’t expected Bai Lan to possess such an item.

As Cold Soul appeared, Bai Lan observed the Qi Refining disciples charging from all sides, then swiftly drew her sword.

The moment Bai Lan’s Cold Soul sword was unsheathed, it emitted a dazzling, icy radiance. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth flowed into the blade like shimmering light. This was Bai Lan gathering power, indicating it was no ordinary sword technique.

“One Sword Transforms into Luoshui.”

Icy light shimmered, and sword energy flowed. Before the disciples could even react, they were struck by streaks of frigid light, their bodies flung backward by its sheer force.

These ordinary Qi Refining disciples had only mastered a few simple moves of the Luoshen Sword Art. The technique Bai Lan unleashed, however, was an ultimate profundity of the Luoshen Sword Art—its most powerful strike.

“Ah!”

A chorus of startled cries erupted, all from the Qi Refining first-stage disciples.

However, Bai Lan had shown mercy with this strike, holding back from a killing blow. While this was her first real combat in this new world, it wasn’t Xue Yue’s first. Despite Xue Yue being only a few years old, in the Xue Clan, she had frequently engaged in battles since the age of five.