Chapter 139: 139. Chapter 139

139. Chapter 139

Guan San is currently stroking the server; please complete your subscription to defeat him! The mouth of the pit was wreathed in mist like a fairyland, yet the bottom of the sinkhole was pitch-black, where one could not even see their own fingers. Atian did not know how long she had been falling, nor did she know exactly where she was. After the initial attack, the unknown creatures surrounding her had retreated, leaving her standing guard in place.

It was truly too dark here, so dark that there was not a shred of light. Even knowing that something was lurking nearby, she could not see a single outline. She could only barely judge the latter's position through the faint sounds made when it moved. However, after that thing stopped moving, the surroundings completely devolved into a world of silence.

Having lost her vision, her other four senses became sharper. The pulsing sensation of the Sword Wanjie in her hand, the sound of mana flowing through her meridians—Atian had never understood her own state as clearly as she did at this moment. She could even feel the fishy-smelling liquid flowing along the blade of Wanjie.

Oh my, this won't end well.

She thought nonchalantly, throwing herself heart and soul into perceiving the surrounding environment. The power within her body gradually gathered at her eyes, mouth, and nose. With the infusion of power and the concentration of her spirit, the scene of her surroundings gradually took shape in her mind.

This was a place similar to an underground karst cave, empty and hollow, with only hanging stalactites and sporadically distributed stalagmites as monotonous embellishments. She continued to expand her range of perception, sneaking toward the spot where "that thing" was sitting, but she gained nothing—the place she originally thought it was in was empty.

Atian immediately retracted her perception, and then discovered that directly behind her, a monster with a human face, beast body, dog ears, and two green snakes coiled around it was silently opening its mouth, which was filled with layers of sharp teeth. Without a second thought, she thrust her sword out backhanded. The sharp blade rubbed against the sharp teeth, emitting a sound that made one's scalp tingle, and the fishy liquid gushed out, permeating the ground beneath her feet.

She turned around and stepped on the monster's lower jaw, kicking it away. The latter slammed into a nearby stalactite, its four hooves scraping the ground as it struggled violently in silence. Atian walked up to it, stepped on its shoulder, and thrust her sword down, piercing its crown in one go.

A large amount of fishy liquid sprayed out. She took a step back, sensing that the commotion caused by the fight was rapidly attracting other things. She raised her sword once again.

Atian knew that this was only the beginning. She looked up toward the upper left, but it was still pitch-black. Yet, for some reason, she felt that something was not quite right.

"Sect Leader, Elder Li and Senior Brother Bai have arrived."

The Sword Attendant Boy's voice interrupted Duan Xuan's train of thought. The Water Mirror was playing the scene of Bai Tian bravely fighting the Shebi Corpse. He tapped his right index finger on the table a few times, rubbed his chin with his left hand, and said mysteriously to Li Ke, who had just walked over, "Junior Brother Li... don't you think..."

"I don't." Li Ke not only coldly interrupted the Sect Master but also shut him down.

Having been fellow disciples for so many years, he knew Duan Xuan all too well! If he let this Sect Master senior brother of his let his mind wander, they would never get to the point by this time next year.

Duan Xuan, having his topic rejected by his junior brother, was not angry. At his level of cultivation, it was not easy to get angry even if he wanted to.

As the Sect Master of the Beihai Sword Sect, Duan Xuan was not the composed middle-aged man the outside world imagined; instead, he possessed a very flighty temperament, which, combined with his appearance in his prime, made him seem just like a young and vigorous boy.

"Alright, alright," Duan Xuan shrugged, his loosely draped outer robe slipping due to his movement. His hair was disheveled, the tips brushing against his shoulders. "Then I'll get straight to the point."

"According to reliable sources, this year's Qingtan Assembly has been decided to be held at the Fangxian Dao on Luofu Mountain," he said, resting his head on his right hand and leaning against the couch. "Oh my, that's the Fangxian Dao, the head of the Four Great Immortal Sects! I'm so scared, I absolutely don't dare to attend the meeting alone!"

Saying panicked words with a lazy expression—when it came to the ability to disgust people, Duan Xuan could be considered one of the best in the cultivation world. Heaven knows his so-called "reliable source" was just sending a letter to the Sect Leader of the Taixuan Sect.

"Junior Brother Li, you must accompany me. Since I'm timid, I'll just bring more people, giving the little brats a chance to see the world," Duan Xuan said, lying through his teeth. "Xin Li, you go too, and be sure to protect your master well."

Bai Xinli, being named, silently took half a step back.

"When are we leaving?" Li Ke asked.

"In three days," Duan Xuan replied. "Junior Sister Luo asked me to wait three days, so I will wait and see. Let those fools enjoy themselves for a few more days."

Duan Xuan said he would wait three days, so he really waited three days. On the morning of the fourth day, the entire Beihai Sword Sect was in an uproar because the Sect Master was leaving the mountain gate. All the disciples scrambled to the plaza to see the Sect Master off, with only Luo Li and Atian missing.

The team heading to the Qingtan Assembly was not very large. Aside from Duan Xuan and Li Ke, only a dozen or so disciples led by Bai Xinli were chosen. Although it was not grand, it was a genuine display of setting off to attend the meeting.

"A chance to go out with Senior Brother! Yet I wasn't chosen!" Zhao Kuo's desperate cry voiced the inner thoughts of many. Consequently, the disciples who were cut felt a wave of sorrow rise in their hearts, and for a time, the entire Beihai Sword Sect was filled with a sorrowful atmosphere.

At the same time, by the sinkhole at the Martial Arts Arena, Luo Li sat on a rock, tapping her leg with her hand, humming a little tune off and on, and occasionally peeking at the bottomless sinkhole. Seeing no one, she continued to shake her head and sing.

Just as she reached the best part of her song, a blood-stained hand reached out from under the steep rock wall, gripping Luo Li's left ankle tightly and leaving a bloody handprint on it.

"Oh?"

The woman stopped humming. She raised her eyebrows as she watched the owner of this hand slowly climb up from the cliff that looked as if it had been carved by a knife and axe. She saw that the girl was stained all over with blood, her dress so dirty that its original color was almost unrecognizable, and the fabric was torn in many places. However, the black sword she carried on her back was sheathed in a scabbard covered in inscriptions, shining brilliantly under the morning light.

As soon as she climbed up, Atian collapsed to the ground as if exhausted. Three consecutive days of high-intensity fighting had pushed even her to her limit. There were several times when she even had the illusion that she would die down there.

But it was truly exhilarating.

She squinted her eyes, the corners of her mouth curling up in satisfaction.

Bai Xinli was far stronger than her; fighting him would only result in being suppressed by that overwhelming power. Song Zhicheng was too weak; fighting him was only enough to warm up.

This was probably the first time Bai Tian had unleashed all her power without reservation. Even covered in wounds, it was the most exhilarating battle she had ever had.

"Since you're out, let's go. I hope we can still make it in time." Luo Li said this, only to find that Atian had no reaction. Looking closely, she realized the young girl had already fallen into a deep sleep. She laughed out loud, hoisted the person up, and rushed toward the entrance of the Floating Island.

By then, Duan Xuan's group was about to leave the island. After Luo Li caught up, she shouted, "You forgot something!" and tossed the sleeping Atian over, who was caught by the quick-witted Bai Xinli.

"Fine!" Duan Xuan glanced at Atian in Bai Xinli's arms and nodded. "Bring her along, let's go!"

When Atian woke up, she found herself flying high in the sky, covered by a piece of clothing. She steadied her still-dizzy head, and just as she was about to get up, she was stopped by a hand.

"Keep it on, it's cold on the sword."

Bai Xinli, who was not wearing his outer robe, sat beside her; the object beneath them was naturally his Wuo Sword.

"Master saw that you were exhausted, so he let me bring you along," he explained.

"Where are we going?" Atian asked blankly.

"To attend the Qingtan Assembly," Bai Xinli thought for a moment; he also did not know if the word "attend" was appropriate.

Atian did not press for what the Qingtan Assembly was; she was not that curious anyway. Bai Xinli was right, it was very cold on the sword. Although she had reached Foundation Establishment, she could not ignore the bitter cold like him, so she could only silently wrap herself tighter in his outer robe.

Afterward, an awkwardness hung between the two.

Bai Xinli was not a complete stranger to Atian, but they could definitely not be called familiar either; they couldn't even find a topic for small talk.

To Atian's surprise, it was Bai Xinli who broke the silence first. "You... have you been living with Father and Mother all these years?"

"Mm." Atian nodded.

"Then can you tell me... how have Father and Mother been all these years?" A rare look of hesitation and embarrassment appeared on Bai Xinli's face.

This feeling was very fresh to Bai Tian. The only serious interaction she had with Bai Xinli before was in the Stone Chamber. Perhaps no one would believe it, but at that time, although she was defeated in terms of strength, she held the upper hand in terms of position—it was Bai Xinli who had a request of her, not her of him.

And now, they had another chance to interact. She suddenly realized that the young man before her, despite his astonishing Sword Cultivation, was only two years older than her.

Atian naturally would not refuse Bai Xinli's request. She began to recall every bit of her life with the Bai couple, from their preferences to the trivialities of daily life. When she spoke of how Lady Bai disciplined Master Bai, the young man beside her softened his brows and eyes, the corners of his mouth curving slightly into what was vaguely a smile.