Tianyan Sect, Tianyan Peak.
Lü Xuan sat in the main hall, jade tokens circling his body as golden light shimmered around him.
Chu Xingchen had used the Xuanqing Heavenly Sect's supreme treasure to conceal his aura and entered the Western Niu Continent alone. The remaining matters were ones he too had to share half the responsibility for with the Xuanqing Heavenly Sect.
For example, monitoring the Celestial Demons' movements and ensuring that at least during this period, they wouldn't go looking for trouble with Chu Xingchen.
They also needed a Tribulation Transcendence cultivator stationed near the Western Niu Continent, ready to provide timely reinforcement if anything went wrong.
Going through all of this, there was no shortage of things to handle.
And since the matters were important, Lü Xuan needed to preside over the arrangements himself, ensuring orders were issued efficiently.
Suddenly, Lü Xuan raised his gaze and looked outside the hall.
Bai Xuanling approached the hall with a long sword at her waist, dressed in a plain white gown, one hand resting on the sword's hilt as she walked slowly inside.
A warm smile appeared on Lü Xuan's face:
"What brings you to see me today?"
"Where's that kid Chu Xingchen?"
"He went to the Western Niu Continent to handle some business."
Bai Xuanling didn't ask why she hadn't been notified. Her situation wasn't something she could hide anyway—after all, what normal person treated pills refined by Chu Xingchen like candy? When Lü Xuan watched her pop pills, his expression turned ferocious, as if recalling some unpleasant memories from the past.
She turned to another question instead: "What about his group of disciples? Why haven't I seen a single one? Did my disciple run off with someone too?"
"Chu Xingchen gave each of them their assignments. It seems Lingyu is managing things now." Lü Xuan's expression was reflective. "Although Lingyu appears cold and indifferent on the surface, she can keep Chu Xingchen's diverse group of disciples in line, and they show her exceptional respect—even Chen Baiqing. That's somewhat unexpected."
Hearing this, the corners of Bai Xuanling's mouth twitched into a smile. She roughly understood the situation.
She had no idea who had taken the opportunity during her recovery period to make some moves ahead of time.
Lü Xuan lightly pinched a jade token in his hand, paused for a moment, and then spoke:
"Just focus on resting well. Chu Xingchen is a Mahayana cultivator now, and he carries the Xuanqing Heavenly Sect's supreme treasure. He can handle some things on his own. Your current situation is the more serious concern."
"Don't worry too much. The plan targeting you is entering its real testing phase. If it succeeds, you most likely won't need to keep swallowing Chu Xingchen's refined pills anymore."
Bai Xuanling didn't rush to respond. Instead, she found an empty chair and half-reclined in it, propping her face with one hand in a leisurely tone:
"So it sounds like everything's going well?"
"At least for now, that's indeed the case," Lü Xuan replied.
Bai Xuanling leaned back, closing her eyes as if relaxing.
Lü Xuan watched Bai Xuanling in her resting posture, held back for a moment, and then still spoke:
"That kid in the Western Niu Continent has already made his arrangements. Given your current condition, going along would be useless. If something really happens, who knows if you'd be a liability? Better to stay in the sect and wait until your situation is resolved before making any moves."
Bai Xuanling raised an eyebrow with her eyes still closed, her tone lazy:
"Why are you talking like I'm that kid's sidekick? Like I have to follow him around? You don't really need to say that to me, do you?"
Lü Xuan's tone was faint:
"Naturally it's a reminder. You're a Tribulation Transcendence expert—you can go wherever you want. If I don't say it in advance and wait until you're about to leave to say it, I won't be able to find you."
"Makes sense. Thanks for the reminder. I'll head out right now."
Bai Xuanling didn't indulge him after hearing that. She pushed herself up and turned to walk outside.
Lü Xuan watched her departing figure with a doubtful expression, unsure for a moment whether Bai Xuanling was serious or not.
But he quickly spoke up:
"You're serious? In your condition, how can you even fight?"
Bai Xuanling didn't turn around. Instead, she drew the spiritual sword from her waist and casually tossed it to the ground.
This spiritual treasure would be considered expensive outside, but within Tianyan Sect, it wasn't particularly precious.
Bai Xuanling had several in her spatial ring for emergency use.
Lü Xuan's movement as he stood up paused. Was this gesture meant to signal that Bai Xuanling was just joking?
Everyone in the hall turned their gaze toward Bai Xuanling.
Yanyun was also at Lü Xuan's side, watching Bai Xuanling walk to the hall's entrance with a worried expression.
Tianyan Peak was built atop a mountain summit, where long winds often howled.
Bai Xuanling didn't activate spiritual energy to protect herself. She let the wind blow her sleeves as she looked up at the sky and called out coldly:
"Qingming!"
The next moment.
Lü Xuan's figure flashed forward, and the elders inside the hall also rushed toward Bai Xuanling.
"Bai Xuanling! Are you crazy?!"
Lü Xuan's eyes widened, one hand tightly gripping Bai Xuanling's sleeve.
The elders also blocked in front of Bai Xuanling, their gazes turned toward Cangjian Peak, waiting for a streak of cyan light to come flying.
Bai Xuanling casually shook off Lü Xuan's hand with a relaxed expression:
"What are you doing? I was just afraid I'd forgotten my sword's name, so I was recalling it out loud."
Lü Xuan looked sideways toward Cangjian Peak. That streak of cyan light indeed hadn't arrived. His expression remained serious:
"This is no joke!"
"Then I'll joke anyway." Bai Xuanling's eyes narrowed.
Lü Xuan's eyes widened, but after a moment, he couldn't say a word.
Bai Xuanling's gaze swept over the people around her, and she said coldly:
"Disperse!"
Seeing that Bai Xuanling seemed genuinely angered—and that Qingming truly hadn't arrived—the various elders exchanged glances, bowed slightly with mixed expressions, and stepped aside.
A rainbow light shot out from Tianyan Peak at extreme speed, heading straight for Pearl Peak.
Only when Lü Xuan watched the rainbow light land back at Pearl Peak did he finally breathe a sigh of relief. But soon, a surge of anger rose in him as well. He breathed heavily twice, then suddenly burst out:
"I should've never agreed to be this sect master in the first place!"
Yanyun had already reached Lü Xuan's side and spoke softly:
"The fact that Senior Bai could joke around earlier was precisely because she could still control her emotions. Now that her emotional fluctuations are this volatile, it's clear her condition has worsened."
"She likely came originally to ask about progress, but ended up turning to other topics instead."
"Senior Bai didn't truly draw her sword and leave, so her rationality is still intact—it's just that her emotions are harder to control."
"Sect Master, Master, if you keep pressing this issue now, Senior Bai won't be far from actually drawing her sword and leaving."
Hearing this, Lü Xuan felt a chill run from head to toe. His anger and dissatisfaction instantly subsided. He turned to look at Yanyun and quickly nodded:
"You make sense… you make sense."
Yanyun also bowed to the surrounding elders:
"Please don't take offense. After all, Senior Bai's situation has reached the point where she's taking Chu Xingchen's pills."
The elders all waved their hands, indicating they didn't mind.
Yanyun gently touched Lü Xuan's arm: "Chu Xingchen is still at risk in the Western Niu Continent. Many arrangements still need your personal attention, especially communication with the Xuanqing Heavenly Sect. I'll go to Pearl Peak later to find Senior Bai and explain today's events clearly."
"Senior Bai likely just had a sudden flare-up. She might even come personally to apologize to you tomorrow."
Lü Xuan nodded gently, bowed to the elders, and returned to his main seat.
Yanyun bowed once more, then instead of returning to handle affairs, headed toward Pearl Peak.
Pearl Peak.
Bai Xuanling lay on a jade rocking chair, her eyes tightly closed, her mind continuously replaying memories from the past.
The scenes from the Tianyan Peak main hall just now were also running through her recollection.
Suddenly, lying on the rocking chair, Bai Xuanling spoke softly:
"Yanyun, apologize to your master for me later."
Yanyun walked to Bai Xuanling's side and said gently:
"Master won't mind."
"I mind."
"Is your situation becoming harder and harder to control?"
"Hmm…"
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