The Mustard Seed Layer is one of the most wondrous places in the world, where the darkness of countless years seems like a bottomless black hole, capable of swallowing everything.
It wasn't the first time Liu Tianyun had entered the Mustard Seed Layer, but when he turned his head, he was still startled by surprise.
In the boundless darkness behind him, clusters of bright lights gathered, dazzling like stars. However, he had no time to appreciate such beauty, only feeling his scalp tingle.
Void beasts.
His recent exchange with Bai Shengyi had attracted a large swarm of void beasts.
This was Bai Shengyi's objective!
Liu Tianyun realized this and immediately turned his head, only to see that the pair of Bai Shengyi and Qin Si had vanished.
"Damn it!"
Liu Tianyun spat out the two words with frustration.
As soon as he spoke, it seemed to act as a signal, causing the void beasts to instantly riot.
"Moo-ee!"
The void beasts let out a cry that was somewhere between a cow's and a deer's. The next moment, they appeared out of nowhere before Liu Tianyun, charging at him. They came one after another, ceaselessly, blocking Liu Tianyun, who wanted to pursue Bai Shengyi and Qin Si, and thus halting his progress!
On the other side, Bai Shengyi supported Qin Si, running and running, not daring to stop for a moment.
"Should we go directly to the boundary wall, or... A'si? A'si?"
Bai Shengyi suddenly felt a weight on her shoulder. When she looked up, she saw that Qin Si, who had been fine just moments ago, had actually fainted.
"Qin Si!" Bai Shengyi's heart jolted. She ignored the noise she had made and called out his name loudly.
But Qin Si still showed no reaction.
Bai Shengyi made a decisive move, stopping in her tracks, summoning the Qíng Meng Vine and the Samsara Brush to protect them, and immediately checked Qin Si's injuries.
The result was the same as her previous examination: merely some internal injuries. While severe, they were not fatal and could not possibly cause someone to faint! Especially not when Qin Si had just taken the appropriate medicinal pills!
But what was happening now?
Bai Shengyi furrowed her brows tightly, her heart filled with unease, her breathing growing more rapid.
No, she had to calm down, she absolutely had to calm down.
But her hand, resting on Qin Si's wrist, trembled non-stop. Worry and panic, negative emotions, seeped in without a trace.
She finally understood why the lead surgeon couldn't operate on their own relatives. Qin Si's merely unconscious state had already made her almost flustered and at a loss.
Bai Shengyi took a deep breath and probed Qin Si's body with her spiritual power.
This wasn't the first time she had done this. As early as when she was detoxifying Qin Si at the touring auction house in Qianlian Sea, Bai Shengyi had done the same. However, back then, when Bai Shengyi entered Qin Si's dantian, it was a mixture of ice and fire. Now, when she entered, it was empty.
That's right, completely empty.
Inside Qin Si's body, there was no spiritual energy left!
"How could this be?"
Bai Shengyi's eyes widened in shock.
...
Outside the Sanghai Secret Realm.
Li Tingyun was most concerned about the boundary wall and had no interest in exchanging pleasantries with the crowd. Seeing that he could not extract any information from Yue Bufan and Qing Lan, he walked directly into the depths of the black and white light.
Although the light was scorching and carried an exclusionary, overbearing aura, it did not significantly impede cultivators of the Mahayana stage.
However, after taking just two steps closer, Li Tingyun saw a sharp palm wind fan towards him, forcing him to step back.
"Qing Lan!" Li Tingyun roared, "What are you doing!"
Qing Lan looked up and said seriously, "No entry."
Li Tingyun seemed to hear a preposterous joke and laughed angrily, "On what grounds? The boundary wall concerns the continent of forsaken gods and the world of divine revelation. As the sect master of the Supreme Sect, how can I not enter?"
"If I say you cannot enter, then you cannot enter." Qing Lan looked at Li Tingyun with a directness that was almost naive, speaking without giving Li Tingyun any face.
Li Tingyun was enraged. He moved his body, forcefully trying to leave. However, as soon as he moved, Qing Lan also moved, immediately blocking him!
"Get out of the way!"
Li Tingyun roared. With his new grievances compounded by old ones, a trace of gloom and killing intent flashed in his eyes, and he began to fight Qing Lan!
"Sect Master Li, I shall assist you!" The sect master of Fanglan Sect, Lu Fuping, exchanged a look with the pavilion master of Qishan Pavilion, Daoist Master Qiyuan, and they leaped forward, attacking Qing Lan.
One against three, in an instant, Qing Lan was at a disadvantage.
Yue Bufan saw this and immediately became displeased, "Shameless old fellows! Daoist Qing Lan, I've come to help you!"
Lin Qingyu retracted his magnificent peacock fan, lifted his foot, and followed them out. Seeing this, the Lord of Huyu Mountain tugged at the sleeve of the Lord of Hualing Mountain.
The Lord of Hualing Mountain immediately said, "Your Royal Highness the Demon King! Please do not get involved in this mess. You and the Zen Master Ku Le are the highest in status present. Please try to persuade everyone. If this escalates, the consequences are unimaginable."
The space here was originally just a small barrier forcibly created by Qing Lan. As soon as Qing Lan and Li Tingyun began to fight, the small barrier immediately became unstable. It was only when Zen Master Ku Le, the Lord of Hualing Mountain, and the Sect Master of Xuan Sect intervened to reinforce the barrier that these Mahayana cultivators' battles did not affect the outside.
The Lord of Hualing Mountain feared that if the Demon King made another move, this place would truly collapse!
"But I also want to help Daoist Qing Lan," Lin Qingyu said with a playful smile, his magnificent face beaming, his pupils shining so brightly that they seemed to see through all of the Lord of Hualing Mountain's little thoughts.
The Lord of Hualing Mountain was startled. His hand subconsciously loosened, but in that brief moment, Lin Qingyu had already reached Yue Bufan and Qing Lan. With his intervention, Li Tingyun and the others were no match for him, retreating steadily.
When had Lin Qingyu become so close to Daoist Qing Lan?
The Lord of Hualing Mountain fell into thought, but soon, he regained his composure and went to ask Zen Master Ku Le and the Sect Master of Xuannü Sect, Xuan You, to mediate.
Zen Master Ku Le smiled and said, "Amitabha, Lord Hualing, do not worry. Several fellow Daoists are sensible and will not cause a major disturbance."
Xuan You said coldly, "If you want to manage it, you manage it yourself."
Meanwhile, on the other side, Li Tingyun was cursing in anger!
He never expected things to develop into this situation.
Daoist Master Qiyuan and Lu Fuping were originally inferior to Yue Bufan and Qing Lan in terms of cultivation and combat power. At first, the three of them could barely fight on par with the other two. However, with Lin Qingyu's entry, the three of them were suppressed and beaten.
Li Tingyun was extremely frustrated!
He had never encountered anything like this!
But Qing Lan was adamant, refusing to let him approach that area.
Li Tingyun took a step back, pausing his attack, and said with a dark expression, "Daoist Qing Lan, you must give me a reason why you won't let me enter."
Qing Lan's gaze drifted over him like mist, and he said faintly, "There is no reason."
"You!"
Li Tingyun's face turned even darker with anger. Just as he was about to resume attacking, he heard the voice of the Lord of Hualing Mountain exclaiming.
"Everyone, quickly look!"
The thunderous hurricane in the sky had ceased, and the black and white light of the Eight Trigram Yin-Yang Eye abruptly dimmed. The heavens and earth gradually returned to calm, as if nothing had happened just moments ago.
At this moment, Rong Bugui, who had just finished perfunctorily dealing with his daughter and had rushed here, looked around confusedly.
He couldn't help but ask his young disciple, "Where is the female cultivator I brought?"
"Ah? Master, you mean fellow Daoist Yun? Wasn't she just here?"