“Hmm? Sect Master Jing Qiu, what do you mean by that?”
Uncle North stopped stroking his beard, sat up straight, and wore a solemn expression.
Uncle Nan’s face was grave, and a hint of displeasure flickered in his eyes.
Although Xu Yi was not a guest elder of their Fire Talisman Sect, ever since she exposed the despicable nature of the Heavenly Array Alliance and vindicated their ancestors, the Fire Talisman Sect owed her a great favor.
As elders of the Fire Talisman Sect, they naturally could not stand idly by while Xu Yi was bullied by outsiders.
Even if Xu Yi were in the wrong, they would still shield her. Moreover, this time, Xu Yi was standing on the side of justice.
“Elder Xu Yi of your sect wantonly injured someone and forcibly abducted my junior disciple to the Fire Talisman Sect. Does she not owe me an explanation?”
Jing Qiu’s words were blunt, without much consideration.
The Bright Moon Pavilion was declining under her leadership, and she could not allow others to look down on it.
Before the two uncles from the north and south could explain, Xiao Yi anxiously spoke up, “Master, it wasn’t that Sister forcibly brought me here. I came with her willingly.”
“Wen Yi!”
Jing Qiu was furious and slammed her palm heavily on the table, leaving an indentation.
Uncle Nan secretly glanced at it, his lips twitching with a hint of pain, yet he maintained an impassive facade.
When Xiao Yi heard her Master call her by her full name, she knew her Master was angry. She shrank her neck and, suppressing her fear, continued, “Master, I’m not lying. I truly came willingly.”
“Good! Good!” Jing Qiu laughed in extreme anger and looked coldly at Uncle North. “Elder Xu Yi of your sect certainly has impressive methods. In just a month, she could make my disciple turn against me. I am impressed.”
After Jing Qiu took over the Bright Moon Pavilion, her greatest fear was being looked down upon. Therefore, she not only imposed strict requirements on her disciples but also projected an unsmiling demeanor externally, believing this was the only way to deter outsiders.
However, she never expected that the disciple she had carefully nurtured would openly contradict and retort to her in front of outsiders. This made her both furious and heartbroken. Her previously calmed anger surged back, burning even more fiercely.
“Master…”
“Silence!”
Jing Qiu’s furious roar commanded Xiao Yi to be silent. She then turned her attention back to Xu Yi. “Why has Xu Yi not appeared yet? Is she going to let a mere child fight her battles?”
Wang Yang’s fists had been clenched since Jing Qiu began speaking. He had held back repeatedly, almost grinding his teeth to dust.
Upon hearing Jing Qiu mention Xu Yi again, he could no longer restrain himself and stepped forward, declaring loudly, “Sect Master Jing Qiu, Elder Xu is in seclusion and cannot meet with you. I witnessed the entire situation at the birthday banquet that day. If there is anything you do not understand, you can directly ask me. I will tell you everything I know.”
Jing Qiu’s gaze swept coldly over Wang Yang. “Heh, what a coincidence. Your Sect Master is in seclusion, and Elder Xu, who recently attended a birthday banquet, is also in seclusion now. I didn’t realize everyone in your Fire Talisman Sect was so diligent, seizing every opportunity to cultivate.”
Jing Qiu’s latter statement was practically a mockery thrown directly in the faces of the Fire Talisman Sect members, causing their expressions to change drastically.
After speaking, Jing Qiu felt some regret, but the words were already out. She was unwilling to apologize, and the atmosphere instantly became rigid.
It was at this moment that an extremely overbearing and scorching airflow erupted outside the assembly hall. The doors and windows were abruptly blown open, and the room’s temperature instantly soared.
“What is this…”
Uncle North and Uncle Nan exchanged glances and then dashed towards the direction of the divine wood, leaving Jing Qiu far behind.
Wang Yang reacted a beat slower. After the two uncles left, he also exclaimed and hurried after them.
The assembly hall was instantly left with only the three from the Bright Moon Pavilion.
Jing Qiu’s face turned ashen with shock, and then she felt a burning sensation on her skin.
She had been ignored?
She was a Sect Master!
The Fire Talisman Sect was merely a fringe sect, and they dared to treat her like this?
Jing Qiu felt her dignity being torn away, then thrown to the ground and trampled upon fiercely.
With a thought, she vanished from the assembly hall in the blink of an eye.
She was determined to find the two elders from the north and south and demand an explanation!
“Xiao Yi, look at you. You’ve angered your Master. You’ll have a hard time when we get back.”
Wang Biyun, feeling delighted, did not forget to threaten Xiao Yi, her eyes full of malice.
Xiao Yi shivered, covered her ears, and ran out.
She wanted to find her sister. Her sister would save her.
Jing Qiu did not deliberately search for the traces of the two elders from the north and south but was instead guided by the spiritual fire energy towards the place where it was most abundant. Sure enough, she found the two elders there.
However, even after finding them, she had no inclination to demand an explanation. She stared at the sea of fire before her in shock, her throat feeling as if something were blocking it, rendering her speechless.
Azure flames stretched endlessly, forming a magnificent sea of fire. Heatwaves rolled, the air distorted, and the firelight dyed a large portion of the sky azure.
Jing Qiu stood there for only a few breaths before her skin began to feel a burning pain. She had no choice but to retreat several steps, her heart filled with inexpressible shock.
Suddenly, she noticed what appeared to be two phantoms within the sea of fire.
The two phantoms, one tall and one short, exuded a strange harmony.
Jing Qiu looked around but did not see anyone matching Xu Yi’s appearance. She wondered if the people from the Fire Talisman Sect were telling the truth and if Xu Yi was indeed in seclusion.
Could it be…
Jing Qiu’s gaze fell upon the sea of fire, azure flames flickering in her eyes.
Boom!
A sudden, loud noise echoed through the sky.
A streak of purple lightning flashed through the clouds, and a terrifying pressure descended from the heavens. Everyone present froze. This was a lightning tribulation!
The people of the Fire Talisman Sect had only one thought.
Xu Yi was about to break through!
“Everyone, retreat quickly!”
Uncle North, barely maintaining his composure, used his spiritual energy to push the Fire Talisman Sect members backward, widening the distance again.
Jing Qiu also retreated, her emotions complex.
The scene before her had proven that the Fire Talisman Sect had not lied. However, Xu Yi’s impending breakthrough was not good news for her.
Xu Yi’s cultivation was at the late stage of the Spirit Severing realm. After this breakthrough, she would be at the early stage of the Integration realm, equivalent to her own cultivation. Her authority in Xu Yi’s eyes would be infinitely weakened.
It would be even more difficult for her to get Xu Yi to apologize.
Why did it have to be at this time…
Why at this very moment!
Wang Biyun harbored the same thoughts.
As soon as she arrived, she heard the Fire Talisman Sect members say that this was Xu Yi facing a lightning tribulation.
Once the lightning tribulation passed, Xu Yi would become an Integration realm cultivator, someone even her Master would have to regard with respect.
Why was Xu Yi so lucky?
Wang Biyun gnashed her teeth in hatred. The recently healed palm of her hand was once again clawed until it bled.
In her heart, she cursed maliciously, wishing that Xu Yi would perish under the lightning tribulation! It would be best if she were utterly annihilated by the lightning, her soul scattered and her path extinguished!
Deep within the Fire Talisman Sect, in a cave.
A middle-aged man with an honest face suddenly opened his eyes, a look of confusion on his face. He wondered which fellow Daoist was undergoing tribulation at his Fire Talisman Sect.
Suspicious, he was unable to continue his seclusion in peace. He decided to leave his cave dwelling and head towards the direction of the lightning tribulation.