Chapter 84

Chapter 84: Decisive Action

Because Yun Xi displayed early Foundation Establishment cultivation openly, the rest of her journey went much more smoothly. She had been teleported to the outer area in the first place, so after rushing for two days, she ran into fellow disciples. However, they were being surrounded and attacked.

The unlucky group being attacked was none other than Sheng Yu Hong’s group of seven. In a way, their current situation had been indirectly caused by Yun Xi and Long Dao Yu.

That day, after killing the three-headed snake, Sheng Yu Hong’s group found nothing in the snake’s lair. In the end, they could only leave the underground pit the snake had dug and quickly leave the battlefield. But they were still targeted by a team of Foundation Establishment cultivators who were training outside.

Those people believed Sheng Yu Hong’s group must have obtained treasures on the three-headed snake’s territory, so they tracked them all the way, intending to kill and steal.

After Sheng Yu Hong noticed they were being followed, he sent a voice transmission to Mu Ning Zhu and Du Yu Ling. He wanted to play along and turn the tables. Both sides were Foundation Establishment cultivators, and it was not clear who would win.

A few days later, Sheng Yu Hong found a chance. He used a swarm of tiger-headed bees to set a trap and lure the pursuers out.

After the fight, Sheng Yu Hong’s side gained the advantage and killed three of them. From then on, the grudge was set. The survivors fled, then gathered more companions to take revenge.

Calling it revenge was just an excuse. In the end, the goal was still to kill and steal.

This time, Sheng Yu Hong’s group fell into the other side’s trap. Thankfully, Sheng Yu Hong was no pushover and led his fellow disciples in an effective counterattack.

Yun Xi, with a Concealment Talisman on her, stayed far away and secretly released her spiritual sense to observe. She had no intention of helping yet. She had only just reached Foundation Establishment and had never taken part in a group brawl in the cultivation world. She wanted to watch first.

On the other side, both sides were already fighting fiercely. Sheng Yu Hong also hated being harassed again and again. He used a move called “Fire Dragon Slash” to force them back for the moment, then shouted, “Form up!”

As his voice fell, the other side sensed danger and retreated quickly, but they were still too late. Six people were trapped under the sword formation, desperately swinging their swords to block the attacks falling on them.

“Fei Xu, why aren’t you moving?!” someone trapped in the formation yelled, clearly calling out their hidden trump card.

Yun Xi saw everything clearly with her spiritual sense. A figure appeared behind Sheng Yu Hong’s group of seven. With a raised hand, the person formed a spell and launched seven golden swords at the seven of them from behind, trying to break their sword formation.

Yun Xi made a decision instantly and acted. She flashed forward, pushing the Thousand Shadow Wind-Supporting Technique to its limit. Seven afterimages stretched out behind her as she blocked the sneak attack for Sheng Yu Hong’s group. Then she shouted, “Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters, focus on the enemy. Junior Sister will stop this person!”

The enemy thought Yun Xi was Sheng Yu Hong’s hidden backup. They regretted it, but they also sped up their attacks.

This was Yun Xi’s first time fighting a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Luckily it was one-on-one. She spread her spiritual sense wide, staying aware of everything around her. With the footwork of the Thousand Shadow Wind-Supporting Technique, she dodged attacks while still countering when she could.

With Yun Xi holding the hidden attacker back, Sheng Yu Hong immediately increased his pressure. The other six also strengthened their control of the sword formation. The strikes falling inside became even denser, and the cultivators trapped within could barely keep up.

Sheng Yu Hong and the others could tell that this little junior sister had only just reached Foundation Establishment. They were afraid she could not hold on. If she fell, they would have to split their attention to deal with attacks from behind. So without needing reminders, they poured out spiritual power like crazy, speeding up the kill.

“Grind them down!” Sheng Yu Hong roared.

Sword light flashed inside the formation, and the six cultivators trapped within were all shredded.

Yun Xi also heard that roar. She tapped her toes on the ground and flashed to block the cultivator she had been fighting.

“Get out of my way!” The man clearly wanted to flee. He formed hand seals while charging forward, and a hundred condensed golden swords shot toward Yun Xi.

Yun Xi retreated quickly while tossing out a thick stack of talismans to block the attack. She did not want to gamble her life.

That brief delay cost the sneak attacker his chance to escape. Sheng Yu Hong’s sword light swept past and took his head off. The battle ended there.

Sheng Yu Hong put away his sword and looked at Yun Xi’s young face. “Thank you, Junior Sister, for helping in time.”

Even without Yun Xi, he could have blocked that sneak attacker. But if he had done that, it would have been easy for the people inside the sword formation to escape. Then the other side would keep harassing them, which would be a huge headache. So this thanks was sincere.

Yun Xi immediately cupped her hands and returned the courtesy. “Senior Brother Sheng is too polite. We are all sect disciples. How could Junior Sister not help? Besides, I was able to escape the three-headed snake’s control because fellow disciples acted. Wei Yun Xi is deeply grateful.”

Only then did Sheng Yu Hong understand. The little girl in front of him was the junior sister Long Dao Yu had mentioned, the one who had left them a clue to track after she was taken by the three-headed snake.

Mu Ning Zhu sheathed her sword and hurried to Yun Xi’s side, delighted. “Junior Sister Wei, you’re already at Foundation Establishment?”

Only then did Yun Xi turn and say, “Yes! I was lucky this time. Before the underground pit collapsed, I activated a teleportation talisman and escaped. But it sent me into a Red-Beaked Falcon’s nest. In the nest, I found a broken old storage bag with a Foundation Establishment Pill inside. At the time, I was even happy about my luck.

“Then the Red-Beaked Falcon came back. It was a Third Rank Red-Beaked Falcon. When I saw the situation was bad, I swallowed that Foundation Establishment Pill and forced a breakthrough. Then I used the Thunder Tribulation to drive that Red-Beaked Falcon away. That’s how I saved my life.”

Yun Xi spoke as if still shaken, mixing truth with lies. Being teleported into the Red-Beaked Falcon’s nest was true. Using the Thunder Tribulation to drive it away was false. She was just selling the idea that an opportunity always came with danger, without making others too jealous.

Mu Ning Zhu sucked in a cold breath. “Yun Xi, you’re way too bold! Weren’t you afraid the Red-Beaked Falcon would attack you right after you finished tribulation?”

Yun Xi scratched her head. “Senior Sister, I wasn’t thinking that much at the time. I just thought I couldn’t waste the Foundation Establishment Pill, and I couldn’t let the Red-Beaked Falcon take it for free. No matter what, I had to gamble. And now I’m at Foundation Establishment, aren’t I?”

Mu Ning Zhu still looked disapproving. Sheng Yu Hong stepped in at the right time. “That was Junior Sister Wei’s opportunity. If she had hesitated, we would’ve been attacked from both sides just now. Fortunately, Junior Sister’s Dao heart is firm. She dares to think and dare to fight, so she was able to help us at a critical moment.”

Yun Xi only gave a silly grin and did not say much.

In the end, the storage bag from the sneak attacker became Yun Xi’s spoils. The rest were divided among the other seven. Yun Xi did not participate.

They found an open spot and set up an isolation array, then finally rested. Only then did Yun Xi ask about Qin Tong Shuang.

“Tong Shuang and I fled in different directions. I don’t know how she’s doing now.”

Mu Ning Zhu smiled. “I’ll send a message talisman and ask.”

Yun Xi tapped her head. “Right! How did I forget? I’ll send it myself!”

She still was not used to the cultivation world’s way of communicating.

Not long after the message talisman was sent out, a reply came back. Yun Xi learned that they were already moving toward the exit of the Bao Hua Mountain range and had also met up with Long Dao Yu. She stopped worrying.

Just then, a pillar of light shot up from deep within the Bao Hua Mountain range, soaring straight into the sky and drawing everyone’s attention.