Feng Wuya was overjoyed!
After two years, he finally saw his teammates!
He happily walked up to Bai Shengyi, disregarding the extreme danger of the place, and quickly said with a wide grin, "Where have you been these past two years? I searched the entire Sanghai Secret Realm and couldn't find you. Oh, not just you, I didn't encounter anyone else either, only met Sister Li once..."
Bai Shengyi also hadn't expected to run into Feng Wuya.
The Sanghai Secret Realm wasn't exactly small, and it was certainly much larger than the Liuguang Secret Realm or the Taoyuan Secret Realm she had visited before. It was filled with various perilous lands and spiritual mansions, and communication talismans couldn't be used. To find one's teammates could only rely on luck.
Furthermore, Bai Shengyi and Feng Wuya had initially agreed to act independently, and they hadn't arranged a meeting point after entering the secret realm. Thus, meeting each other was truly a matter of destiny!
"I was in the snowy mountains and the grasslands before, and then cultivating in a spiritual mansion recently. I'm also very surprised to run into you."
Bai Shengyi smiled, waved her hand, and added, "We can catch up later. Let's talk about this formation first."
"Oh, right! Yes! We came here to break the formation. Senior Brother Jing Fei said something might have happened outside the secret realm. If this formation is completed, it might affect the entire Shenqi Continent."
"Indeed." Bai Shengyi agreed. "When I arrived, I noticed that this formation and the altars complement each other. If we can't find the formation's eye for the time being, we can destroy the altars first."
"We've already destroyed twelve," Feng Wuya said with a proud smile, but then his face fell. "But we couldn't find the rest after we entered."
Aside from the mounds of white bones, there were no living creatures around. However, as Bai Shengyi walked around the bone mounds twice, she found nothing amiss.
If anything, some of the bones inside were quite fresh, still with traces of blood.
Li Xiaoxiao couldn't bear to look after a glance and quickly hid behind Bai Shengyi.
"Shengyi, this place is too sinister. Let's go to Senior Brother Jing Fei first. It'll be safer if everyone is together."
"Okay."
Jing Fei and another cultivator had already moved away from the bone pile and were resting nearby. Feng Wuya led Bai Shengyi towards them.
He pointed to the unfamiliar cultivator and said, "This is Senior Brother Jing Fei. He used to be the number one alchemist among the younger generation!"
As for the current number one alchemist, everyone acknowledged Bai Shengyi.
Seeing the person of legend, Bai Shengyi couldn't help but take a few more glances before greeting him with a light smile.
"Fellow Daoist Jing Fei."
"Fellow Daoist Bai."
A young man in a white robe embroidered with silver peonies smiled and nodded at Bai Shengyi. He held a blooming peony in his hand, its petals exuding wisps of vitality. He himself exuded an air of noble grace and refined demeanor, yet was incredibly approachable.
"I don't need to introduce Qi Zhou Zhengping, right? We joined the academy in the same batch."
Bai Shengyi smiled and nodded, "Yes, Fellow Daoist Qi Zhou, long time no see."
Qi Zhou Zhengping's pale and frail face cracked into a smile. "Martial Aunt Bai, have you seen Hu Ying?"
Bai Shengyi shook her head.
Qi Zhou Zhengping immediately looked dejected, clutching the jade flute in his hand. "Thank you, Martial Aunt Bai, for letting me know."
"Qi Zhou Zhengping has been searching for Hu Ying since entering the secret realm, almost to the point of obsession. It's said that Hu Ying is his shadow guard, but the way I see it, she seems more like his beloved?" Feng Wuya muttered softly.
Bai Shengyi smiled without replying and introduced Li Xiaoxiao, who was hiding behind her, to everyone.
"Since everyone is here for the formation, I'll be direct. This White Bone Mountain is not the problem. How about we head further west?" Bai Shengyi said with a smile.
Although the power of the Xingluo Dihuan couldn't be used frequently, it had now become her eyes. With a blink, she could see many things that others could not.
For example, grievances and resentments.
The west was where the resentment of the entire forest was most concentrated. Instead, this White Bone Mountain stood here, like a smokescreen.
Jing Fei's eyes widened in surprise. Bai Shengyi was indeed extraordinary. He could sense the dense death energy to the west because he cultivated the Way of Life, yet Bai Shengyi discovered it after only two glances.
He smiled slightly, "I agree."
Feng Wuya, Li Xiaoxiao, and Qi Zhou Zhengping also had no objections.
The group then continued westward.
As expected, they found three more altars along the way. After destroying the altars, a torrential rain suddenly began to fall in the forest.
The pattering raindrops struck like hard stones against people's hearts, causing immense unease.
"This rain is unusual," Feng Wuya frowned deeply.
Bai Shengyi said, "It can affect one's state of mind. We need to speed up."
"Why?" Qi Zhou Zhengping, who lacked spiritual artifacts or treasures to shield himself, was drenched and looked disheveled, appearing unwilling.
Jing Fei raised his hand, and the peony in his hand transformed into a giant petal, sheltering Qi Zhou Zhengping within it. He explained, "The heavens mourn, the earth grieves and collapses. This is a warning from heaven and earth."
It was said that the Way of Heaven, though devoid of emotion, possessed it. If the world faced a great calamity, it would issue warnings through natural phenomena.
Jing Fei knew this through his family's heritage. He couldn't help but glance at Bai Shengyi. What about Bai Shengyi?
This Fairy Shengyi was becoming more and more mysterious.
Bai Shengyi did not notice Jing Fei's scrutiny; she was communicating with the Samsara Brush.
"Has something really happened outside the secret realm?"
She could no longer afford to worry about Bai Murong and only wanted to destroy this formation first, and then look for the other two formations.
The Samsara Brush couldn't clarify. Through Bai Shengyi's eyes, it could also see the dark sky outside, resembling a scene of impending doom.
"Shengyi, Senior Brother Jing Fei, come quickly! There's someone here!" Feng Wuya, who had gone ahead to scout, suddenly shouted loudly.
Bai Shengyi and the others rushed forward. It was a female cultivator, lying on the ground, seemingly lifeless, her face as pale as a ghost.
The moment Bai Shengyi saw the person, her pupils constricted, and she suddenly swung her sword, attacking ferociously!
"Bang!"
Qi Zhou Zhengping strained to deflect the sword, blocking in front of the female cultivator, and angrily shouted, "Bai Shengyi, why are you trying to kill Hu Ying?"
"She's not Hu Ying!" Bai Shengyi explained.
This person was clearly Bai Murong!
If Bai Murong had previously resided in Bai Yiyi's body and, as a precaution, left Bai Yiyi's soul intact, then this time, Bai Murong had no choice but to use Hu Ying's Golden Core stage divine soul to nourish her own spiritual body to recover from her injuries.
Therefore, Hu Ying was already dead. The one living within her body now was Bai Murong.
Bai Murong, as if startled by everyone, opened her eyes and weakly said to Qi Zhou Zhengping, "Your Highness, your subordinate has finally found you."
"Hu Ying, don't be afraid, I won't abandon you." Qi Zhou Zhengping quickly administered a spirit pill to her and then carried her on his back. He then glanced meaningfully at Bai Shengyi, "And I won't let anyone kill you."
Bai Shengyi frowned deeply, "Qi Zhou Zhengping, I told you, she's not Hu Ying, Hu Ying is dead."
"She is!"
Qi Zhou Zhengping said emotionally, "Martial Aunt Bai, although I call you Martial Aunt, it doesn't mean you can meddle in other people's business. Do you understand Hu Ying better, or do I? If I say she is, then she is!"
Feng Wuya and Li Xiaoxiao exchanged glances.
Li Xiaoxiao timidly said, "Well, Fellow Daoist Qi Zhou, Martial Aunt Bai never speaks nonsense. Why don't you listen to what she has to say?"
Qi Zhou Zhengping directly carried the person away!