Chapter 143: 143. Chapter 143

143. Chapter 143

Guan San is currently stroking the server, please complete your subscription to defeat him! Oh my, this really cannot be settled easily now.

She thought about it nonchalantly, fully immersing herself in the perception of the surrounding environment. The power within her body gradually gathered at her eyes, mouth, and nose. Following 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 vast, with only hanging stalactites and sporadically distributed stalagmites as monotonous embellishments. She continued to expand her range of perception, sneaking toward the position where "that thing" was sitting, but she gained nothing—the place where she originally thought it was 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, behind her. 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 foul-smelling liquid gushed out, permeating 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 in front of it, stepped on its shoulder, and raised her sword to pierce through its crown in one go.

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

Atian knew that this was only the beginning. She looked up toward the upper left, where it was still pitch black, but for some reason, she always felt that something was wrong.

"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 Shebishi. 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 think so." Li Ke not only coldly interrupted the Sect Master's words but also blocked them back.

Having been fellow disciples for so many years, he knew Duan Xuan too well! If he let this Sect Master Senior Brother let his mind wander, they would never get to the real business by this time next year.

Duan Xuan, whose topic was rejected by his Junior Brother, was not angry. At his level of cultivation, it was not easy to get angry.

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

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

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

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

"Junior Brother Li, you must accompany me. Anyway, I'm timid, so let's bring more people to give the little brats a chance to see the world," Duan Xuan said while lying through his teeth, "Xin Li, you go too, and you must protect your master well."

Bai Xinli, who was 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 for three days, so I will wait and see. Let those fools enjoy themselves for a few more days."

Duan Xuan said he would wait for three days, and he really waited for 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 Martial Arts Arena to see the Sect Master off, with only Luo Li and Atian missing.

The team heading to the Qingtan Assembly was not very large. Apart from Duan Xuan and Li Ke, only about a dozen disciples led by Bai Xinli were chosen. Although it was not grand, it was a genuine display of heading to the assembly.

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

At the same time, beside the sinkhole in the Martial Arts Arena, Luo Li sat on a mountain rock, tapping a rhythm on her leg, singing 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 was singing the best part, a blood-stained hand reached out from under the steep rock wall, grabbing Luo Li's left ankle tightly, leaving a bloody handprint on it.

"Oh?"

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

As soon as she climbed up, Atian collapsed on the ground as if exhausted. After three consecutive days of high-intensity fighting, even she had been pushed to her limit. Several times, 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, but found that Atian had no reaction. Upon closer inspection, she realized the young girl had already fallen into a deep sleep. She laughed out loud, directly hoisted the person up, and hurried toward the entrance of the Floating Island.

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

"Alright!" 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 in 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 covered, it's cold on the sword."

Bai Xinli, who was not wearing an outer robe, sat beside her, and what they were sitting on 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 didn't know if the word "attend" was appropriate.

Atian did not ask what the Qingtan Assembly was; she wasn't 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 total 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, "Have you... lived 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 if she said 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 needed her, not her who needed Bai Xinli.

And now, they had another chance to communicate. She suddenly realized that the young man in front of her, even with 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 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, vaguely forming a smile.

Bai Tian suddenly became curious, "Senior Brother, do you also have times when you miss home?"

Bai Xinli pursed his lips upon hearing this, "At first I missed it very much, and even made a fuss. As time went by, I got used to it."

"Then have you never thought about going back to see them?"

She continued to ask, which earned her a deep look from him.

"I cannot go back, and I must not go back."

"Why?"

Bai Xinli did not answer her. Instead, the Wuo Sword beneath them suddenly jolted. Atian looked up abruptly and discovered that the two of them had been surrounded by a group of men in black without them knowing. These men in black held various strange magical artifacts, and the leader cried out in a weird voice: "Bai Xinli! Hand over your life..."

He didn't manage to finish, and his companions didn't manage to speak either. The crisscrossing Sword Qi tore them to pieces in an instant, and blood droplets fell like rain.

Atian looked at the young man beside her in surprise, not because he had ended many lives in the blink of an eye, but because at the moment he struck, she felt that "Bai Xinli" had disappeared. Even though his body was still there, she just felt that there was no one beside her.

"Under the heavens, there are forty-eight fellow Daoists whose paths conflict with mine; therefore, it can only be a fight to the death."

Bai Xinli said abruptly. Only then did Atian realize he was answering her previous question, which could also be considered an alternative explanation for the origin of the men in black.

He had forty-eight mortal enemies in the struggle for the Great Dao, and he lived every moment in the crisis of being attacked, so he could not return home.

"My apologies."

Bai Xinli said, moving closer to Atian. He used his sleeve to gently wipe the blood droplets from her face; his own face actually had some as well, and against the backdrop of his raven-feather-like eyelashes and fair skin, he appeared somewhat bewitching.

Atian looked at him. To the young man before her, the favor of the Heavenly Dao was like a crown of thorns; the more one gained, the more one lost, but she did not ask him why he had to keep fighting.

Asking herself, she knew she would make the same choice.

This crown of thorns that reached the heavens—even if it pained her to the marrow, she would never be willing to take it off.

A stern Sword Intent spread over the sky and earth. The sharp gaze made her scalp tingle, and the overwhelming, terrifying power crushed her until her bones ached; she could even hear a creaking sound in her ears.

Her legs bent uncontrollably. The moment her body fell, she stretched out her arms to support herself on the ground, one knee slamming down heavily. Sweat as large as beans flowed continuously from her forehead down her cheeks, hitting the ground to form small, round dots.

However, the overwhelming pressure did not weaken because of her wretched reaction; instead, it came even more fiercely, forcing the arms she used to support her body to begin trembling slightly, and even the gaps between her bones began to ache.

She was going to be broken.

For the first time in her life, Atian felt such an intense sense of crisis. Compared to Bai Xinli, the power she had relied on in the past was fragile and vulnerable. She could trade punches with Song Zhicheng and easily snap a magical artifact that left Zhao Kuo helpless, but she could not withstand a single glance from Bai Xinli.

What is a gap?

This is the gap.

Having walked this path, it was not as if she hadn't experienced powerful Sword Intent or seen powerful cultivators. The former was like the Ancestor's Broken Sword, and the latter included the eccentric Tan Tianming and the smiling Guo Huai. However, the Ancestor's Broken Sword was, after all, an ownerless object, and Tan Tianming and Guo Huai were, after all, uncle-level figures whose cultivation was already rounded and perfect; how could they intentionally release it to scare a little girl?

But Bai Xinli was different.

At the age of twenty, he was at the age of forging ahead. He did not need to hide his light, nor did he need to intentionally feign incompetence. His prime was something that could not be covered or hidden.

Her body and spirit were stretched to the limit, yet deep within her heart, a stubbornness supported her to persist.

Cannot kneel, cannot kneel.

Once she knelt, she would truly be broken.

Scattered flames emerged from between her fingers, but as soon as they appeared, they were covered by a layer of thin frost, unable to stir up the slightest ripple.

She did not know how much time had passed, but the terrifying Sword Intent faded away like water. Having lost the pressure, the young girl trembled and collapsed onto the ground, unable to move even a single finger, only able to pant with dull eyes.

"Junior Nephew Xin Li is different from others; he lives year-round in the Stone Chamber of the Martial Arts Arena."

"Junior Nephew Xin Li has no choice but to be this way; you will understand once you see him."

More than just understanding, she had seen right through it.

With this level of Sword Intent and this level of pressure, if he stayed in the residential quarters, she estimated no one would be able to sleep at night.

Her clothes were long since soaked through, sticking to her body in a way that was extremely uncomfortable, yet Atian's spirit was inexplicably excited, and an urge to laugh out loud lingered in her heart.

What is a Sword!

This is a Sword.

What is the Dao!

This is the Dao.

Interesting, it is truly too interesting!

She also wanted a sword like this.

She also wanted a Dao like this.

She wanted it until her bones ached.

"Can you still stand?"

A cold male voice sounded above her head. This voice was not low, but it was sufficiently magnetic, carrying a metallic coldness.

Atian licked her lips and smiled, "You are a monster."

The other party was silent for a moment before giving an answer, "Thank you for the compliment."

After lingering on the cold ground for a while, Atian commanded her hands and feet, which had regained a little strength, to shakily climb up. Bai Xinli was standing five paces in front of her, as elegant as a jade tree, in the prime of his youth.

Supporting her knees and panting for a few breaths, she finally had the heart to examine the appearance of this nominal "fiancé."

Bai Xinli had been very good-looking since he was a child, as delicate and pretty as a girl. Although he no longer had the androgynous look of his childhood after growing up, he still made people want to clutch their chests and praise him as a "beautiful young man," especially those eyes—the pupils were black and round, as deep as if they had no bottom.

Atian felt she should whistle to show respect, but as a young lady of a prominent family, she held back.

Not having met for fifteen years, and whistling like a lecher the moment they met—even she couldn't do that!

Perhaps it was because the other party had deliberately suppressed his Sword Intent, but she no longer felt the sensation of needles on her back, and she had the leisure to think about this and that.

Although there was the status of "child bride" binding the two of them, Atian and Bai Xinli had never had any interaction other than "that glance" before. It would be strange to act politely as Senior Brother and Junior Sister, but if they were to converse familiarly... they really weren't close!

"Sorry," in the end, it was Bai Xinli who broke the awkward silence, "It was I who had Zhao Kuo bring you here."

Atian was stunned upon hearing this. She had thought he would ask about Master Bai or Lady Bai, but she had not expected that his first words would be an apology.

The fact that there was Bai Xinli's instruction behind the Beihai Sword Sect's strange actions did not actually surprise her. The "I calculated with my fingers that there is a predestined affinity with my Immortal Sect" in Zhao Kuo's mouth was entirely a lie to fool the Bai couple. If he could really calculate affinity, how would Atian have been picked up by Master Bai in Shengxian Town? And how would she have lived honestly in Guangkai Town for so many years?

She did not consider herself a smart person, but she was not a fool either. The moment Zhao Kuo returned, she had become suspicious of this Senior Brother of the Beihai Sword Sect.

The only connection between the Bai family and the Beihai Sword Sect was Bai Xinli; the only one who could make Zhao Kuo, who represented the Beihai Sword Sect, return was Bai Xinli.

Why was she so certain that Bai Xinli had such influence? This had to be discussed in the context of the Beihai Sword Sect's regular visits.

Once a year, through wind or rain, they did not just take a look and leave, but made a real visit to the door. These cultivators, who were rumored to be arrogant and aloof, were willing to bow to the mortal Bai father and mother—this was a treatment that even the county magistrate could not enjoy. At that time, she guessed that this fiancé she hadn't seen in fifteen years likely held an extraordinary position in the Beihai Sword Sect.

The facts were indeed as she had expected: the Senior Brother of the Beihai Sword Sect, recognized as the number one of the younger generation at the age of twenty, even surpassing fellow disciples who had cultivated for several times as long as him—how difficult this was!

Immortal cultivation is not like Enlightenment for a child; the earlier one starts, the more one can gain the upper hand. Immortal cultivation is more like cultivating a predestined affinity—it is simply the affinity between the Heavenly Dao and oneself.

When the affinity has not arrived, everything one does is in vain.

Bai Xinli entered the island at five. A five-year-old child had just learned the Thousand Character Classic, his bones had not even grown out, and his Sword Bone was only a sprout—how could one talk of cultivation? How could one talk of realizing the Dao?

This is what it means when the affinity has not arrived.