On a dead tree branch less than a li away from the battlefield.
A young girl wearing pale blue Daoist robes was swinging her legs, a Bronze Compass in her hand and a piece of foxtail grass in her mouth.
She was a Core Disciple of the Tianyan Sect, Bai Zhiqiu.
“Whoa…”
Bai Zhiqiu watched the figure dressed in snow-white clothes in the distance, her large eyes sparkling with excitement.
“Wow, did that big sister just instant-kill that Golden Core Stage Demonic Cultivator?”
As the most outstanding disciple of the Tianyan Sect’s younger generation, Bai Zhiqiu had already stepped into the peak of the middle Golden Core Stage, only one step away from the Golden Core Stage. Her judgment was, naturally, extremely sharp.
“Let me calculate this pretty sister’s background…”
Bai Zhiqiu gave a mischievous laugh. Spiritual energy surged from her fingertips as she adjusted the compass.
Buzz—
However, in the next moment, the needle on the compass began to spin wildly. An obscure and terrifying aura surged back through the compass as a backlash.
“Pfft!”
Bai Zhiqiu’s face turned pale as she suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. The top-tier spiritual tool compass in her hand even let out a crisp “crack,” a fissure splitting across it.
“Damn! This is so fierce?!”
Ignoring the blood on the corners of her mouth, Bai Zhiqiu stared wide-eyed at the ruined compass in her hand, feeling both heartbroken and shocked.
“Even I can’t calculate it? This is just too interesting!”
Her Tianyan Sect cultivated by following the Heavenly Dao and deducing fortune and misfortune.
Could there actually be someone in the same generation who could cause her to suffer such a severe backlash?
“No, no, this person definitely has a huge secret. I have to follow and see!”
Bai Zhiqiu’s eyes darted around, looking down at a pack of Rank 2 spirit beasts, the “Deadwood Venomous Scorpions,” foraging in the Deadwood forest below.
Although these spirit beasts were only Rank 2, their numbers were large and their venom was potent. If a group swarmed them, even a Golden Core cultivator would have a headache.
“Hehe, this is perfect for putting on a show.”
Bai Zhiqiu wiped the blood from her mouth, pulled a giant abacus out of her Storage Bag, then intentionally messed up her hair bun and rubbed some black soot onto her pristine Daoist robes.
She took a deep breath, adjusted her expression, and instantly transformed from a shrewd fortune-teller into a pitiable and dazed young girl.
“Help—!!!”
—
Wu Yan was just about to lead the group away from this place of trouble when she heard a piercing cry for help coming from ahead.
“Is someone there?” Gu Jian raised his sword, ready to rush forward.
“Wait.” Wu Yan stopped him, releasing her Divine Sense.
In her perception, there was indeed a cultivator with a chaotic aura being besieged by a pack of Deadwood Venomous Scorpions. That cultivator’s aura was roughly at the early Golden Core Stage, but at the moment, she seemed extremely panicked and weak.
However…
“Something is a bit off.” Wu Yan narrowed her eyes slightly.
“How could an early Golden Core Stage cultivator be chased and beaten by a pack of Deadwood Venomous Scorpions?”
‘Heh, of course it’s off.’ Wu Yan (Inner) snickered secretly.
‘That girl’s aura is robust, and her spiritual energy flows as smoothly as a loach. She’s clearly playing with those scorpions. Besides, her cultivation has almost reached the threshold of the Golden Core Stage.’
However, Wu Yan (Inner) did not intend to tell Wu Yan. After all, she still wanted to see some entertainment.
“Let’s go take a look.”
Since she was a righteous sect disciple, she naturally couldn’t turn a blind eye.
When the group arrived, they saw a girl with twin tails and a large abacus on her back surrounded by dozens of Deadwood Venomous Scorpions.
“Ah! Don’t sting me! My butt!”
The girl screamed while waving her abacus in a flurry. With a few clacks, she sent several scorpions flying in a seemingly panicked manner.
“A member of the Tianyan Sect?” Yu Qingyao looked at the Daoist robes on the girl and frowned. “Judging by the clothing, she’s a Core Disciple. Why is she in such a pathetic state?”
Although the girl seemed to be in constant danger, her footwork subtly followed the principles of the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams. Those scorpions couldn’t even touch the hem of her clothes.
Acting?
This word immediately jumped into Yu Qingyao’s mind.
“Gu Jian, Qingyao, help her.” Wu Yan said calmly.
Gu Jian and Yu Qingyao attacked immediately. Sword Chi and flames flew out, quickly dispersing the pack of Deadwood Venomous Scorpions.
“Wow! I’m saved!”
Seeing this, the girl immediately rushed over clutching her abacus, her face covered in “post-disaster” tear stains as she lunged toward Wu Yan: “Thank you, benefactors, for saving my life! Wuu wuu wuu, I was scared to death!”
Wu Yan shifted slightly, avoiding her bear hug.
“Tianyan Sect, Bai Zhiqiu.”
The girl wasn’t embarrassed either. She sniffled and blinked her big eyes as she introduced herself. “I originally wanted to perform a divination to find a treasure spot, but I calculated wrong and fell into a scorpion nest. Fortunately, I met all you kind-hearted fellow Daoists, otherwise I can’t imagine what the consequences would have been.”
“Bai Zhiqiu?” Yu Qingyao said in surprise, “That ‘Little Divine Diviner’ who is rumored to never miss a calculation?”
“Oh, that’s just praise from my fellow disciples. I actually get it wrong quite often. Look at today, didn’t I almost end up as scorpion food?” Bai Zhiqiu spread her hands with an innocent face.
Wu Yan looked at her, her dark eyes seemingly able to see through a person’s heart.
“Since you are fine, we will part ways here.” Wu Yan didn’t want to bring a piece of trouble along with her and turned to leave.
“Don’t go, Sister!” Bai Zhiqiu hurriedly followed, sticking to Wu Yan’s back like a piece of molasses. “It’s too dangerous here. A weak woman like me who can only do divinations definitely won’t survive the night! Sister, you are so powerful, just take me with you! I can read Feng Shui and find spirit herbs. I’m really useful!”
Wu Yan stopped and looked back at her.
The two’s gazes met in the air.
Bai Zhiqiu still maintained her innocent and naive appearance, but a hint of hard-to-detect scrutiny flashed deep within her eyes.
Wu Yan remained silent for a moment.
“Gu Jian, Yu Qingyao, and the remaining two of you, what do you think?”
Wu Yan decided to leave the decision to the others.
“Let’s take her, Eldest Senior Sister. I think this girl is quite pitiable.”
Gu Jian was still as brawny and straightforward as ever, believing the girl upon seeing her pitiable state.
Yu Qingyao thought for a while and eventually agreed to bring Bai Zhiqiu along.
She also wanted to see exactly what kind of tricks this Bai Zhiqiu was trying to play.
As for the remaining two, they naturally had no objections.
“Since that is the case.” Wu Yan retracted her gaze and spoke calmly, “Follow if you can keep up.”
“Understood! Captain!” Bai Zhiqiu immediately gave a clumsy salute, smiling like a cat that had successfully stolen a treat.
Seeing this scene, Yu Qingyao felt it was somewhat of an eyesore for some reason.
She walked to Wu Yan’s side, glared warily at Bai Zhiqiu, and whispered to Wu Yan: “Eldest Senior Sister, this person is slick-tongued and cannot be trusted.”
Wu Yan looked at the Yu Qingyao beside her, the corner of her mouth curling up almost imperceptibly.
“It doesn’t matter. Having her in the open is better than having her in the shadows.”
With that, Wu Yan turned and continued forward, her white clothes appearing exceptionally pure and cold against the desolate backdrop of Deadwood Ridge.
Bai Zhiqiu looked at Wu Yan’s back and lightly flicked one of her abacus beads.
“Tsk, I can’t see through her. I can’t see through her at all. This Secret Realm trip is really getting more and more fun.”
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