Lin Xinyi didn’t know why, but ever since she gave the Danxin Jue to the other girl, a strange restlessness had taken hold of her heart.
After all, giving a proper cultivation method to a future enemy always brought a sense of unease.
“But she’s already in that state. Where would she get the energy to resist?~”
Though it was merely self-consolation, as Lin Xinyi imagined the girl begging piteously at her feet, she felt a strange sense of satisfaction.
Even if there was some risk, it was so small it could be ignored.
“Cultivating with shattered meridians is a dead end to begin with. And I will take away the very last bit of spiritual energy she manages to cultivate… Isn’t that a marvelous revenge?~”
Once she convinced herself, Lin Xinyi reached into her spatial storage and pulled out the bamboo hat that hid her presence.
Then, she put on the mask she used to conceal her appearance.
Her aura as a Nascent Soul expert was instantly suppressed.
‘Alright, it’s time to head back and take a look~’
Lin Xinyi wasn’t worried about any trouble at home.
After all, the pet Flood Dragon had already been killed by her own hand.
However, there was another pet at home that needed tending to; she couldn’t just abandon her.
At the thought of Qin Huaiyin’s delicate, pitiable appearance, the smile on Lin Xinyi’s lips deepened.
“Hiding your aura again? What kind of mischief are you planning this time?”
Lin Xinyi had been eager to see her dear eldest disciple, but Luo Qingyao’s voice suddenly rang in her ear.
Lin Xinyi’s brows furrowed slightly, though she didn’t show any outward dissatisfaction.
“The Immortal Venerable really does come out at the most inopportune times~”
She wasn’t surprised to see Luo Qingyao appear beside her.
After all, as long as she carried the ring, she couldn’t hide her movements from the woman.
“So where is this girl going? You’re not planning on leaving Qianqian here all by herself, are you…”
A trace of worry flickered in Luo Qingyao’s eyes.
It was clear she was still uneasy about leaving Bai Qianqian behind.
Seeing this, Lin Xinyi was momentarily at a loss.
“You were doing everything in your power to make me leave before, yet now that I’m leaving Bai Qianqian behind for a moment, you’re this worried. The Immortal Venerable certainly is fickle~”
“Uh, that’s not it. I just feel… it might be safer to keep her by your side now…”
‘Huh??’
For a moment, Lin Xinyi doubted her own ears.
In just a few days, Luo Qingyao’s attitude toward her had shifted as drastically as the distance between heaven and earth.
“You say she’s safer by my side?”
“I… I didn’t mean it like that…”
Luo Qingyao realized she had said too much and quickly denied it.
From her perspective now, the danger Lin Xinyi posed seemed almost negligible.
Since Bai Qianqian could resolve the side effects of the cultivation method herself, Lin Xinyi’s previously cruel words now seemed like nothing more than a childish tantrum.
As Luo Qingyao thought of this, her gaze softened considerably.
Not only was Lin Xinyi no longer a threat, but Bai Qianqian even seemed to have a good impression of her.
Looking at it this way…
“Sigh… Have you ever had a Dual Cultivation partner?”
“????”
Luo Qingyao’s question left Lin Xinyi completely stunned.
Why was she asking such a thing now?
Her first thought was that the woman was digging for information, likely plotting some wicked scheme.
However, Luo Qingyao simply sized up Lin Xinyi.
Although her face was a bit too charming, her figure and features were top-tier.
Furthermore, reaching the Nascent Soul Realm with such talent was commendable.
If she couldn’t stop Bai Qianqian, she might as well learn to accept it.
“What… What do you mean by that? Why are you suddenly asking me this?!”
Lin Xinyi stared intently at Luo Qingyao.
She found it harder and harder to understand what was going on in the woman’s head.
The sudden question was so jarring that the mask on her face almost slipped.
“Uh, I… I was just asking…”
Luo Qingyao acted as if nothing had happened and vanished once more.
As she disappeared, Lin Xinyi’s expression behind the mask was invisible, but there was no doubt it was a sight to behold.
‘What is wrong with everyone? Is my cruelty not enough?’
Lin Xinyi was baffled.
She hadn’t killed Bai Qianqian outright, but that was only to prevent her from reincarnating through soul possession.
Of course, she would never tell Luo Qingyao that.
Even if she hadn’t killed her, the fact that she had destroyed Bai Qianqian’s path of cultivation was a reality.
She hadn’t even tried to hide it; she had transmitted the manual right in front of the woman.
Yet, instead of hating her, Luo Qingyao actually felt she was safe.
“That woman has gone mad…”
The more Lin Xinyi thought about it, the more wrong it felt.
Still, she had to use this time to return.
It had been a while, and she needed to make sure Qin Huaiyin hadn’t done anything outside of her control.
Yet, Luo Qingyao’s attitude kept her feeling uneasy.
‘What exactly is that woman trying to do…’
Despite her unease, Lin Xinyi took comfort in the fact that Luo Qingyao was only a remnant soul and couldn’t cause much trouble.
So far, everything was still under control.
Her figure vanished into the mountains, and she soon soared high into the sky, looking down at the Bai Family Port in the distance.
‘There are cultivators stationed around here. Bai Qianqian shouldn’t be bothered by any trivial matters…’
Lin Xinyi shook her head and flew toward her sect.
Shortly after she left, several figures flickered into existence where she had just been standing.
“That person finally left. Why would a Nascent Soul cultivator come here…”
A white-bearded old man stepped out from the group.
He stared intently in the direction Lin Xinyi had gone, fearing she might return.
He was the Golden Core cultivator stationed at the port.
“Master, since they dared to intrude, why didn’t we report this to Senior Bai?”
A young man stepped forward, bowing with his hands clasped, and asked the question burning in his mind.
He had seen how wary the old man was of the departing figure.
The white-bearded old man sighed helplessly.
He had wondered the same thing.
But the moment that person appeared, Senior Bai had extended his divine sense, only to be forcibly repelled.
The gap between them was obvious.
Moreover, the person’s voice sounded so young.
Senior Bai himself had told him that this person absolutely must not be provoked.
Otherwise, how could they allow such blatant disrespect?
“You juniors always think that because there’s a Nascent Soul cultivator at home, you can do whatever you want. You’re truly naive…”
“But isn’t Senior Bai also a Nascent Soul cultivator? That person came in and spread their divine sense everywhere, completely ignoring us. We should at least…”
“Do you really think a battle between Nascent Soul experts is that simple? Once a Nascent Soul expert strikes, what’s at stake isn’t just one person…”
“But…”
“There are no ‘buts.’ I’m telling you, there are very few Nascent Soul cultivators in this world, and that person has likely been at the Nascent Soul stage for less than 100 years…”
The old man grew impatient with his disciple’s questioning.
He released a burst of spiritual power to push the youth back, gave them a glare, and returned to the high tower he guarded.
The young cultivators were left standing in mid-air, staring at one another.
All of them were at the Foundation Establishment Realm and were startled by their teacher’s sudden anger.
“You lot, go patrol the back mountains. Confirm if that person did anything dangerous during the few days they stayed here…”
The young cultivators were still wondering what to do when the old man’s voice transmitted directly into their minds.
They bowed to the empty air and flew toward the back mountains.
“Remember, as long as there’s no danger, ignore any items they left behind. Do not touch them…”
“Yes…”