Bai Shengyi sensed an unusual restlessness in her spiritual energy today, a burning sensation in her dantian that felt on the verge of a breakthrough, causing her to frown.
The woman opposite her, Bai Shengyi, noticed the expression and mistook it for fear. Her posture immediately became more arrogant, and she tilted her chin higher.
"I am Yuan Bingxin of the Wushang Sect. What is your name?"
As Yuan Bingxin spoke, a commotion erupted below the battle stage.
"Wushang Sect? Is that a sect?"
"The Divine Revelation Continent has no sects."
"Never heard of it."
...
Most of the disciples remaining in the academy were those who had enrolled in the past two years. Even if there were senior disciples who knew the truth about the continent, they wouldn't say a word. Therefore, everyone looked at Yuan Bingxin with confusion.
Yuan Bingxin savored the feeling of being the center of attention. She contentedly stroked her hair, adopting an air of "It's your honor to know my name," and said, "Why aren't you speaking quickly?"
It was an honor for these discarded slaves to witness her match!
Bai Shengyi spun the Samsara Brush, smiling playfully, "So you're a disciple of the Wushang Sect. Miss, are you here to avenge that scrawny man from earlier?"
Yuan Bingxin glared fiercely at Li Yihui in the audience, flicked her whip, "Not at all! I saw you wield your whip skillfully, so I wanted to spar with you."
"I just flick it around when I'm bored; it's not worth your attention, Miss," Bai Shengyi said. She put away the Samsara Brush, and a vine whip appeared in her hand. "Miss, please."
In the span of a single sentence, her entire demeanor changed. The gentle, approachable smile vanished like eternal ice and snow, replaced by a sharp, formidable aura.
Yuan Bingxin realized that Bai Shengyi had subtly led her by the nose and, displeased, lashed out with her whip.
She was a fire spirit root cultivator, already at the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment, just one step away from Golden Core.
She could feel that Bai Shengyi's cultivation and strength were both considerable, making her a perfect stepping stone for her Golden Core.
Yuan Bingxin attacked with all her might, intending to defeat Bai Shengyi, but found that Bai Shengyi easily parried her whip, and the fire spiritual energy on her whip was thoroughly suppressed!
"You're also a fire spirit root?" Yuan Bingxin cried out in disbelief, her voice somewhat shrill!
Wasn't this woman a wood spirit root?
However, Bai Shengyi had no time to answer.
She was about to break through!
She couldn't hold back any longer!
Bai Shengyi decisively hurled the Samsara Brush. Dense spiritual energy formed a crisscrossing red and green net above her head, and she herself sat down on the ground to meditate.
"What is Junior Aunt doing?"
A disciple below asked in confusion.
"She's about to break through!" said a senior disciple, his face filled with emotion and envy.
When did this monstrous talent appear? She was about to break through after just one battle on the stage? And at such a dangerous moment?
Why hadn't he heard Bai Shengyi's name before?
But he didn't know that behind Bai Shengyi's rapid advancement in strength was her day and night cultivation, her unceasing dedication, and the immense effort and energy she had poured in.
Bai Shengyi never believed that talent determined everything; she believed more in the power of human will. Only through effort, and more effort, could one obtain what they desired.
For instance, strength.
With a deep accumulation, spiritual energy flowed slowly through her meridians, and everything proceeded naturally.
Yuan Bingxin was furious, her face turning pale, that she had inadvertently become someone else's stepping stone.
Seeing that Bai Shengyi was about to successfully advance, Yuan Bingxin gritted her teeth, took out a fire talisman, bit her finger, dripped blood onto it, and threw it out: "Phoenix Fire, control the nine heavens, go!"
A sky full of orange-red flames immediately enveloped the entire battle stage. The green spiritual energy outside Bai Shengyi's barrier was instantly eroded by the flames...
"Is that Divine Beast Fire?" Luo Feihua exclaimed in shock.
"Be careful," Feng Wuya shielded Luo Feihua and retreated several steps before realizing that the terrifying heat was gone. He had time to ask, "What Divine Beast Fire? Divine Beasts have been extinct on the Divine Revelation Continent for thousands of years; isn't it just a legend?"
"No."
Luo Feihua muttered.
Feng Wuya wanted to ask more, but then he heard Luo Feihua excitedly tugging at his sleeve, "Look quickly!"
Just as the green spiritual energy was about to be completely swallowed by the orange-red flames, the red spiritual energy of the barrier instantly intertwined with the green spiritual energy, emitting a powerful, dazzling light.
Everyone involuntarily closed their eyes. Only a few people saw that Bai Shengyi's barrier emitted a faint blue light, coiling around the orange-red flames.
At this moment, Bai Shengyi had successfully advanced, reaching the seventh layer of Foundation Establishment, finally crossing the threshold into the late stage of Foundation Establishment!
She stood up, the Meng Dream Vine obediently transforming into a vine in her hand. The long whip, carrying a pressure akin to a sword's edge, struck directly at Yuan Bingxin!
Yuan Bingxin hastily retreated, attempting to block with her spiritual whip.
But the whip directly severed the tip of her whip and, with an unstoppable momentum, pointed at her dantian, as if it would shatter her path of cultivation at any moment!
"I concede!" Yuan Bingxin broke out in a cold sweat and quickly said.
As soon as the words left her mouth, the whip seemed to gain sentience and changed its trajectory at will.
One whip struck the stage, leaving a sharp, sword-like imprint, testifying to the absolute control of its owner.
"Sorry, I have both wood and fire spirit roots."
Bai Shengyi smiled faintly, her eyes unrestrained and flamboyant.
Amidst the dazzling myriad of spiritual lights, at this moment, she was more dazzling than the lights themselves!
"Are you a sword cultivator?" Yuan Bingxin, completely reduced to a backdrop, asked resentfully again. If she weren't a sword cultivator, how could she possess such a chilling and sharp oppressive aura?
"No, I'm just an alchemist who refines pills."
Bai Shengyi smiled and descended from the battle stage. Seeing the still groaning Li Yihui, and considering their identities, she threw a pill to Li Yihui.
Li Yihui took it with suspicion, but after a while, the pain in his body was gone!
"What's going on? Those high-grade pills I took earlier didn't work!" Li Yihui exclaimed, standing up abruptly, and let out a curse.
Bai Shengyi became famous after two battles!
The cultivators watching the matches below, seeing her come down, exclaimed and applauded excitedly. A path was cleared in front of her by the crowd, and countless people watched her back with fervent gazes.
Fame spread throughout the world overnight; it was exactly like this.
"I finally understand why comparing goods makes you discard them, and comparing people makes you want to die. No wonder Bai Shengyi could be accepted as a disciple by Venerable Qinglan. It's only been this long, and she's already reached such a realm!"
"The key is that she's also an alchemist who refines pills! Dual cultivation of pills and combat, and judging by the effect of the pill she gave that scrawny man, it's definitely not bad. And her combat power is so strong. This is how we senior brothers and sisters live!"
"No, no... next time we meet, we'll have to respectfully call her Junior Aunt."
"But Bai Shengyi is truly formidable! Because of her, out of the three who were sparring, only one is still holding on, and they've also become much more reserved..."
Two senior disciples exchanged words as they walked, their speech filled with admiration for Bai Shengyi.
A cultivator in white clothes nearby listened for a while before finally approaching to ask them.
"Senior Brother Zhang, Senior Brother Mei, please excuse me for a moment. May I ask if the Bai Shengyi you mentioned is the Bai of 'white,' Sheng of 'prosperous era,' and Yi of 'wish'?"