After exiting the illusion, Bai Shengyi encountered the old woman again. This time, the old woman said nothing but walked ahead briskly.
Bai Shengyi hurried to catch up. After walking for a short while, a familiar figure appeared before them – the Golden Core stage cultivator from the inn!
The Golden Core cultivator showed no trace of the anger he’d displayed earlier when seeking revenge for his granddaughter. Instead, he nodded joyfully and said, "Heh heh, old friend, have you brought me more snacks again?"
Bai Shengyi frowned tightly and quickly looked for the old woman leading the way, only to find she had vanished.
A thought flashed through her mind. Her long whip appeared in her hand, and she suddenly struck at the Golden Core cultivator, catching him off guard.
"Crack!"
The opponent’s body instantly turned into a puff of black smoke, evading Bai Shengyi's attack. It then coalesced into human form from the smoke not far away.
"Little girl, you’re too impetuous at such a young age!" he said, his voice growing hoarse and sinister. He formed his fingers into claws, and sharp nails grew out as he lunged at Bai Shengyi.
Bai Shengyi dodged with an aerial flip and said coldly, "You're a demonic cultivator, and you expect me to coax and flatter you? You'd have better luck dreaming!"
As she spoke, green vines grew wildly, instantly binding the middle-aged cultivator. She then whipped him fiercely again.
"Bang!"
A violent explosion erupted. The opponent simply snapped the vines with brute force!
Bai Shengyi grunted, swallowing the blood in her mouth, and continued her attack with a grim expression.
The Reincarnation Brush spun unceasingly, and the character "困" (Kon - trap) instantly ensnared the opponent. Immediately, Bai Shengyi channeled all her mental energy into a sharp blade, which silently pierced into his body.
"Ah!" The demonic cultivator shrieked, then grew even more furious. "Damn it! I will kill you!"
The demonic cultivator directly tore through Bai Shengyi’s net with brute force, enragingly whipping up a gale and hurling various objects around them at Bai Shengyi.
The sound of the wind carried the terrifying pressure of a high-level cultivator. If Bai Shengyi hadn't held onto the rooted Dream Binding Vine, she would likely have been blown away!
The blood in her body churned. She struggled to step out of the range of the wind attack, finding it difficult with every step, and could only defend passively.
"Damn it! Is the academy this messed up? Is this Golden Core demonic cultivator actually a genuine Golden Core stage cultivator?"
Bai Shengyi no longer dared to harbor any hope and quickly used all her strength to resist the opponent's attacks.
"Crack! Crack!"
Bai Shengyi manipulated the Reincarnation Brush with her left hand, drawing half an invisible sky curtain to block some of the attacking stools, leaves, and other objects. With her right hand, she wielded her spiritual whip, knocking away the attacking objects one by one.
"Ah! Zhaoge, save me quickly!"
Bai Shengyi seemed to hear Princess Mingyu's voice, but she looked around and saw no sign of that scumbag, Princess Mingyu. Instead, a large mass of yellowish unknown object suddenly appeared above her head and hurtled towards her!
The fierce and rapid offensive, the immense size, the heavy pressure, it was like Mount Tai crashing down, as if it would crush her to death…
"Get lost!"
Bai Shengyi roared, covering her whip with spiritual and mental energy. With all her might, she struck it away!
Bai Shengyi heard the object crash to the ground with a "bang!", causing the ground to seem to tremble thrice. She couldn't help but feel fortunate that her counterattack was timely, otherwise, she would have been the one crashing to the ground.
However, Bai Shengyi had no inclination to investigate what this object was. After this exchange, she discovered that although the Golden Core demonic cultivator appeared to be at the mid-Golden Core stage in terms of pressure and cultivation, his actual strength was greatly diminished, and he only knew this one move.
With this realization, Bai Shengyi devised a plan.
"Little Vine Leaf, can you lend me a hand?" Bai Shengyi patted the Dream Binding Vine.
The Dream Binding Vine obediently replied, "Of course, Little Vine Leaf will absolutely not be a slacker like the boss, Master. What do you need Little Vine Leaf to do?"
Even at this moment, it didn't forget to jab at the Reincarnation Brush.
However, Bai Shengyi couldn't scold it now. She pretended not to hear and whispered instructions into the Dream Binding Vine's ear.
The Dream Binding Vine attached itself to the green vines formed by Bai Shengyi’s spiritual energy. While attacking the opponent using the vines and whip, it inserted its fine tendrils into the opponent's flesh and blood…
The middle-aged cultivator, who hadn't transformed into smoke, didn't notice the Dream Binding Vine’s subtle actions. However, his movements grew slower, and the storm gradually subsided.
"Kon!"
Bai Shengyi wrote the character "困" again, and then immediately flung the Spirit Sealing Powder at the opponent.
"Whoosh!" The Spirit Sealing Powder rained down on the middle-aged cultivator. He shrieked and, waking from the dream woven by the Dream Binding Vine, thrashed about and scrambled everywhere.
"Ah, ah, ah… Get away!" He reached out to swat and jumped around, but crackling sounds echoed from his body.
Bai Shengyi watched helplessly as, in just a short while, the previously imposing and powerful middle-aged cultivator was burned by the Spirit Sealing Powder into a pile of black ash.
A gust of wind blew, and it scattered.
A moment later, Luo Feihua, who had been bound, appeared lying unconscious near the house. Bai Shengyi quickly untied her ropes and woke her up.
"Shengyi! Ximen Hongchun is a fake!" Luo Feihua said to Bai Shengyi as soon as she woke up.
Bai Shengyi replied, "I know. How are you? Seeing that Luo Feihua was unharmed, Bai Shengyi briefly recounted what had happened after she left.
"I suspect Chu Tianle and the others are trapped in some nested formations, or perhaps they’ve encountered other troubles. Should we try to find them and rendezvous first?" Bai Shengyi asked Luo Feihua.
Luo Feihua nodded. "If we can't find them, we’ll search for demonic cultivators first. After all, it’s possible this assessment is individual. In that case, the academy would try its best to separate us."
"Alright."
After the two reached an agreement, Bai Shengyi, seeing Luo Feihua still looked somewhat weak, helped her prepare to leave.
However, before they had taken two steps, Bai Murong ran over from a distance and blocked her path. "Stop! Shengyi, you can't leave! Have you seen Princess Mingyu?"
Bai Shengyi rolled her eyes speechlessly and walked around her, continuing to move forward.
Bai Murong didn't stop them again. Instead, she let out a "ah!" and quickly ran towards the mess not far from the house. Immediately afterwards, her ear-splitting scream echoed.
"Heavens, Shengyi, you killed Princess Mingyu! Are you insane?"
"Your Highness Prince Gong! Quickly stop Shengyi, she killed Princess Mingyu!" Bai Murong shouted loudly to several people who ran up behind her. "Sister Li, can you go help His Highness Prince Gong and the others? I'm worried they can't handle Shengyi."
Hearing Bai Murong say this, Bai Shengyi and Luo Feihua finally noticed Li Shiqing standing among their group.
Li Shiqing seemed about to greet them both, but upon hearing Bai Murong's voice, her expression became very complex, and she looked at Bai Shengyi with a disapproving gaze.
Luo Feihua frowned and said, "Bai Murong, why are you shouting nonsense? Did you see Shengyi attack? Don't always slander Shengyi with your words! We all know your malicious intentions towards Shengyi!"
Bai Murong took a step back, hiding behind Qin Zhao.
She said weakly and aggrievedly, "Fellow Daoist Luo, you're Shengyi's friend, and everyone knows you always side with her, regardless of right or wrong! Can you guarantee that Princess Mingyu wasn't killed by her? Besides her, it's only you here. If it wasn't her, it must be you!"