Feng Wuya's reputation as a "busybody" was well-earned; he was exceptionally skilled at observing people's emotions and immediately noticed the anxious and slightly panicked expression on the face of the person who had just sought out Bai Yuyue.
Bai Shengyi frowned tightly.
She pondered whether she should follow and see what was happening.
Just then, her communication talisman chimed repeatedly, receiving several urgent messages.
"Junior Sister, please return quickly if there is nothing urgent!"
"A'yi, are you safe?"
"A'yi, where did you go?"
The first two messages were from Qian Ying and Qin Si, respectively. The last one was from Bai Qingjiang, along with others like Yue Bufan, Yue Yuan Gui, and Luo Feihua.
Feng Wuya, sensing Bai Shengyi's dilemma, offered, "Why don't I go take a look for you? I don't have anything to do right now anyway."
That would be ideal.
Moreover, Feng Wuya was an alchemist, and he could offer assistance if any issues arose.
"Then thank you, Wuya," Bai Shengyi agreed readily.
"Hey, with our relationship, do you still need to say thanks?" Feng Wuya waved his hand. "I'm still counting on you to guide me on refining the Spirit Root Impurity Removal Pill when you have time."
Bai Shengyi couldn't help but smile at Feng Wuya's playful demeanor.
"This friend of yours is quite good," Daoist Qinglan suddenly remarked.
Her clear eyes flickered, her expression unreadable as she looked at Bai Shengyi.
Bai Shengyi, who was sensing Qin Si's location, replied with a smile, "If Wuya heard Master's evaluation, he'd be very pleased."
The Great Venerable Qinglan was a figure deeply respected by countless disciples of the Divine Enlightenment Academy!
As they spoke, they tore through space, and in the next moment, they arrived at their destination.
"Who goes there?"
Two streaks of sword light flashed towards them!
Bai Shengyi's gaze deepened. Just as she was about to dispel the sword light, the space rippled and instantly swallowed the attacks.
In the blink of an eye, a figure appeared.
With slightly anxious phoenix eyes, he scanned her from head to toe before gently embracing her.
Bai Shengyi's heart stirred, and she patted Qin Si's back in return, "I'm back."
"Finally back." His voice was soft yet solemn, and Qin Si felt his own heart settle.
With many people present, Qin Si was mindful of not giving others any reason to gossip about Bai Shengyi, so he exercised extreme restraint. The embrace was brief and quickly broken.
Bai Shengyi coldly swept her gaze over everyone present.
Her cultivation having advanced, when she encountered familiar faces again, she met their intentionally exerted pressure with an equally uncompromising counter-attack.
"Bang!"
Jade-green spiritual energy and light-blue spiritual energy exploded in mid-air!
Bai Shengyi raised an eyebrow and sneered, "Sect Master Li, do you wish to fight me first?"
Cold and arrogant, she showed no deference to Li Tingyun at all!
Li Tingyun's face immediately darkened. "Youngster, do you know what you're saying?"
Green Fu Ping, seated below Li Tingyun, chimed in, "What impudent little girl is this? She has no manners whatsoever. This is where the sect leaders of various factions discuss matters. How dare you cause trouble here— Ah!"
Before Green Fu Ping could finish her sentence, she was sent flying by a vine!
Even though she reacted swiftly and executed a perfect mid-air flip to land steadily on the ground, she still felt utterly humiliated!
It felt as though everyone was staring at her, and Green Fu Ping's face burned with embarrassment.
Li Tingyun's expression grew even darker.
Everyone knew Green Fu Ping was speaking on his behalf. Being publicly embarrassed by Bai Shengyi was tantamount to him losing face.
"Daoist Green, perhaps you should find another way to speak. I, this Venerable, do not enjoy listening," Bai Shengyi stated with extreme assertiveness.
No one present uttered a sound.
Some were utterly stunned by Bai Shengyi's dominance, while others were rendered speechless by the realization of her Grand Ascension stage cultivation.
It wasn't until Bai Shengyi retracted her vine and slowly walked to an empty seat allocated to the Divine Enlightenment Academy that someone exclaimed, "You are a Grand Ascension cultivator?"
How old was this female cultivator? Not even a hundred years, surely?
Among the geniuses of the various sects, who wasn't older than her, yet who could match her cultivation?
Even more alarming was that with Qinglan Daoist, the Divine Enlightenment Academy now had three Grand Ascension cultivators!
This was already stronger than some second-rate sects in the Divine Enlightenment World!
It was important to note the strict control over the number of sect powers in the Divine Enlightenment World. This meant that regardless of the overall strength of all sects, there would always be fifteen first-rate sects, fifty second-rate sects, and the rest classified as third-rate.
This led to severe stratification among the sects. Within the first-rate sects, there might be ten Grand Ascension cultivators, such as in the Fanglan Sect where Green Fu Ping belonged, or there could be hundreds, like in the Profound Maiden Sect.
As for the Supreme Sect, although it had been honored as the foremost first-rate sect in recent years, its foundation could not compare to elder sects like the Profound Maiden Sect or Dongyang Mountain. The entire sect likely had only half the number of Grand Ascension cultivators as the Profound Maiden Sect, with many being early-stage Grand Ascension cultivators recruited in the past century.
If not for the Supreme Sect possessing the divine artifact, the Flying Cloud Seal, others would likely not have accepted its top ranking.
This was one of the reasons Li Tingyun had resorted to extreme measures to develop his sect in recent years.
He not only aspired for his sect to rival the one sect, two pavilions, and three mountains, but also to be the first to ascend.
"Does my being a Grand Ascension cultivator matter?" Bai Shengyi tilted her head, staring expressionlessly at the speaker.
Sect Master Fengyuan swallowed unconsciously. "It... it doesn't matter."
"Indeed, it doesn't matter," Sect Master Xuanyou of the Profound Maiden Sect interjected unexpectedly.
"Cultivation is not important, but your temper as a junior is too hasty. With such a disposition, how can you bear great responsibility?" Li Tingyun's face was darker than ink, and his words were particularly piercing.
Just as Bai Shengyi was about to retort, Yue Bufan, who had been unable to find an opportunity to defend his granddaughter, spoke first.
"Li Tingyun, are you not ashamed to say such a thing? What business is it of yours how my granddaughter's disposition is! I, for one, believe my granddaughter has an excellent disposition! Everyone at Yueqingshan believes my granddaughter has an excellent disposition! If she were to return to Yueqingshan with me, I would immediately entrust her with important responsibilities!"
Yue Bufan's rapid-fire speech left Li Tingyun wide-eyed.
So did everyone else present!
This was their second shock of the day.
Granddaughter?
This female cultivator was the granddaughter of the Mountain Lord of Yueqingshan?
Why had they never met her before!
Sect leaders present who didn't recognize Bai Shengyi immediately signaled their subordinates to collect her information. However, before they could obtain it, a third wave of shock struck them unexpectedly.
"My disciple's disposition is firm enough to shake the heavens and earth."
Daoist Qinglan's words, like wisps of smoke, cleansed the hostility in the room.
However, the audience was left reeling!
Being closely related to the Dean of the Divine Enlightenment Academy, capable of repelling the Sect Master of Fanglan Sect at a young age, the granddaughter of the Mountain Lord of Yueqingshan, and a disciple of Daoist Qinglan... Heavens! They were going mad!