Xu Yi felt that the impact of all the news she had heard today was not as great as the possibility of Ji Buwang being her disciple.
Although Xu Yi had never fallen for anyone before, she understood that her feelings for Ji Buwang were different.
She also believed that Ji Buwang harbored unusual feelings for her.
The most compelling evidence was the warm embrace she received after entering the black hole.
However, because there were more urgent matters at hand and the unresolved issues between them, Xu Yi had no intention of making their feelings explicit.
Now, upon suddenly learning that Ji Buwang might have a master-disciple relationship with her, Xu Yi felt completely overwhelmed.
Why did it have to be Ji Buwang…
Xu Yi felt a pang of sadness.
After her sadness, Xu Yi discovered an even more incredible problem.
That was Ji Buwang's name.
If nothing unexpected happened, Ji Buwang's name was likely given by Ji Xiu, but Ji Buwang was eventually brought back to Xuan Ji Sect by her.
Could it be that in her previous life, she and Ji Xiu…
Xu Yi's head throbbed as if it were a large dou.
In her dreams, she had seen Ji Xiu. He was handsome and elegant, with a distinguished demeanor, a rare sword genius who appeared once in a thousand years, and indeed, he was very outstanding.
But she had also witnessed Ji Xiu's cold and ruthless side, even drawing his sword against her.
She didn't know what the Dean was thinking, making her deeply infatuated with Ji Xiu in her dreams, only to end up with grievous wounds.
Thinking of these things, she truly couldn't muster any good feelings for Ji Xiu.
Xu Yi shook her head, driving Ji Xiu out of her mind. She stopped thinking about matters related to Ji Buwang's identity and instead posed another question.
"What are your thoughts now?"
After knowing her difficult experiences, and after learning the true nature of Liu Jinghong, what would Ji Buwang's thoughts be now?
"Liu Jinghong allowed the demon race, which should have disappeared from the Kyushu Continent a thousand years ago, to linger until this day. I will help you eradicate the demon race completely and reclaim your title as the Demon-Slaying Ancestor."
Ji Buwang's words almost made Xu Yi lose control of her expression.
Demon-Slaying Ancestor, hehehe.
So Ji Buwang even knew her title.
Hearing him say it, Xu Yi felt inexplicably pleased, yet also a little ashamed.
However, Ji Buwang's declaration also completely reassured Xu Yi.
Their beliefs were aligned.
To eliminate the demon race and ensure that the Kyushu Continent would never again be threatened by them.
As for their feelings, they would let nature take its course.
After this incident, Xu Yi's heart knot was completely untied. Her gaze towards Ji Buwang became more frequent, and she would hum little tunes from time to time.
Xu Yi's cheerful mood was undisguised, causing Ji Buwang's brows to relax and a faint curve to appear on his lips.
Their current state of interaction was like when they first left Xuan Ji Sect, trusting and caring for each other.
The atmosphere between them was subtly changing.
...
"It's Silver Snake Grass."
Qu Xiaoxiao let out a small cheer, lifted her skirt, and ran towards the grassy area ahead.
Hong Shengyi and Jin Biao, sensing no unusual activity around them, did not stop her.
Silver Snake Grass was named for its resemblance to a silver snake, and after consumption, it could widen meridians, making it a Rank Six spirit grass.
The Xuan Qing Sect team had reaped substantial rewards in the secret realm during this period.
While expensive in the outside world, Rank Six spirit grasses were not uncommon in the secret realm.
They had even discovered a Rank Eight spirit grass before.
However, that spirit grass had not yet fully matured, and they could only abandon it with heavy hearts.
Qu Xiaoxiao was filled with excitement as she placed the Silver Snake Grass into her jade box.
This was her first time discovering a Rank Six spirit grass, and her heart was pounding with elation.
Clutching the jade box, she looked around, hoping to find more spirit grasses.
"Xiaoxiao, let's go."
Seeing Qu Xiaoxiao put away the Silver Snake Grass, the Xuan Qing Sect group continued their journey forward.
"Coming."
Qu Xiaoxiao, though somewhat reluctant, obediently responded. Just as she was about to follow, a faint glimmer caught her eye.
Her gaze instinctively followed the glimmer, and she was immediately overwhelmed with immense surprise.
"It's... it's Star Bloom Flower! It's Star Bloom Flower!"
The woman's sharp voice echoed over the grassy plain.
Not only the Xuan Qing Sect members heard it, but several other teams operating in the vicinity also heard it.
A flash of joy appeared in everyone's eyes.
However, after their initial joy, the Xuan Qing Sect members soon realized trouble was brewing.
Star Bloom Flower, a Rank Eight spirit flower, was difficult to distinguish from ordinary spirit flowers due to their similar appearance. The only difference was the faint starlight flickering at the center of the petals.
If Qu Xiaoxiao had discovered it and remained silent, quietly approaching to pick the Star Bloom Flower, no one would have noticed, and they might have assumed she had picked a wild flower.
But her current shout had alerted all the cultivators in the vicinity, making a scramble inevitable.
This area was the place with the most concentrated spiritual energy and the most level terrain in the secret realm, thus attracting many cultivators.
"Junior Sister Qu, hurry and pick the flower."
Jin Biao roared, quickly rushing towards Qu Xiaoxiao.
A Rank Eight spirit flower was a rare sight even in Xuan Qing Sect, and Jin Biao naturally had no intention of giving it up to others.
The rest of the Xuan Qing Sect members had similar thoughts, each transforming into a streak of light and speeding towards Qu Xiaoxiao.
At the same time, other cultivators were also searching for the Star Bloom Flower.
Qu Xiaoxiao, standing alone in a particular area, instantly drew more than half of the attention.
"The Star Bloom Flower is with her!"
A cultivator from an unknown direction suddenly shouted.
Responding to the alert from all directions, the cultivators rushed towards Qu Xiaoxiao as if driven mad.
Qu Xiaoxiao was still standing there blankly, not yet realizing the situation.
Hong Shengyi's eyes turned red with anxiety, "Xiaoxiao!"
This cry finally brought Qu Xiaoxiao back to her senses.
She had caused trouble.
This was Qu Xiaoxiao's first reaction.
Immediately afterward, she gritted her teeth, bent down, and plucked the Star Bloom Flower not far from her, clutching it tightly.
The Star Bloom Flower had another unique characteristic.
It could not be placed in a place without light; it had to be bathed in sunlight or moonlight.
In other words, the Star Bloom Flower could not be stored in a jade box and had to be refined on the spot by an alchemist.
If Qu Xiaoxiao dared to put the Star Bloom Flower in a jade box, it would immediately lose all its spiritual power and become an ordinary mortal flower.
Qu Xiaoxiao's arm, holding the Star Bloom Flower, trembled slightly.
Holding the Star Bloom Flower, she felt like she was holding a target that attracted attention.
The gazes of the surrounding cultivators were all focused on her, and she was likely to be surrounded and attacked.
This was Qu Xiaoxiao's first time experiencing such a dangerous situation, and nervousness and fear were inevitable.
But as a disciple of Xuan Qing Sect, she also had her own pride.
She could not be a burden.
Qu Xiaoxiao, holding the Star Bloom Flower, also moved towards Jin Biao and the others.
Fortunately, because they had been acting together all along, the distance between the two groups was not too great. Within a few breaths, Qu Xiaoxiao had reunited with Jin Biao and the others.
But before she could breathe a sigh of relief, she discovered that they had already been surrounded by other cultivators.
Greedy, burning gazes were all fixed on the Star Bloom Flower in Qu Xiaoxiao's hand.
Everyone knew that a fierce battle was about to begin.