"Senior Brother Jin!"
"Senior Sister Hong!"
"Senior Brother Jin!"
"Senior Sister Hong!"
Qu Xiaoxiao ran aimlessly, repeatedly calling out the names.
However, the two people she hoped for never appeared.
It felt like flames were burning in her heart. Even though her limbs were numb and her meridians screamed with sharp pain, she dared not stop.
Senior Brother Long and the others were still waiting for her to find Senior Brother Jin to save them.
She couldn't stop.
"Senior Brother Jin!"
Her hoarse voice sounded again.
...
"There's a little girl ahead? Did she get separated from her companions?"
Xu Yi's divine sense caught Qu Xiaoxiao, who was running and shouting. She glanced at Ji Buwang, her eyes filled with surprise.
The cultivators active nearby were at least in the Out-of-Body Stage. For a female cultivator at the early Nascent Soul stage to suddenly appear was naturally very noticeable.
Xu Yi had already sensed other divine senses focusing on the little girl.
The other party was likely in danger.
Ji Buwang's eyes were calm. "Perhaps she's bait."
Ji Buwang had long noticed Qu Xiaoxiao's presence but had never mentioned it, instead observing her from the shadows.
The West Water Domain's secret realm was a mixed bag, and this might be a trap set by some evil cultivator.
Ji Buwang could not yet determine the female cultivator's identity, so he chose to watch from the sidelines.
Xu Yi disagreed, shaking her head. "She doesn't seem like bait, but rather like a disciple of a sect."
The little girl's eyes were like a clear lake, easily seen through.
Ji Buwang did not commit. "You want to help her?"
Xu Yi pondered. "Let's observe for a while longer."
Although Xu Yi felt an inexplicable fondness for the little girl, she couldn't guarantee that her guess was entirely accurate.
Therefore, she decided to observe for a moment. If the other party was truly fine, it wouldn't be too late to inquire about the situation.
Before long, events unfolded as Xu Yi had anticipated.
Three men, who appeared refined and elegant, stopped Qu Xiaoxiao and spoke words that seemed gentle but were actually overbearing and unreasonable.
Qu Xiaoxiao stared blankly at the three men before her.
The prolonged repetition of the same actions had slowed down her thought process.
If she hadn't misheard, these three were asking her to hand over her storage pouch?
Qu Xiaoxiao was shocked by the hypocrisy of the three, but also at a loss.
She definitely couldn't defeat these three.
However, her storage pouch contained many items that were very precious to her.
She couldn't just hand over her storage pouch to others.
Her palm instinctively pressed down on the storage pouch at her waist, and her body assumed a defensive posture.
"You refuse a toast, only to be forced to drink a forfeit."
The three men opposite her saw Qu Xiaoxiao's reluctance and stopped pretense, moving forward to snatch it.
This secret realm was full of treasures. Even a cultivator of low cultivation was bound to have many good things in their storage pouch.
"Don't come any closer!"
Qu Xiaoxiao pulled out a large handful of talismans, clutching them tightly, her arm trembling slightly.
Senior Brother Jin, Senior Sister Wang, where are you?
Why haven't you appeared yet?
"Level five spirit talismans!"
Seeing the spirit talismans in Qu Xiaoxiao's hand, the three men opposite exchanged glances, halted their steps, and became even more excited.
Being able to casually produce so many talismans, didn't this indicate that her storage pouch held even better treasures?
It seemed they had stumbled upon a fat sheep.
Their chance to get rich had arrived.
The brief pause by the three allowed Qu Xiaoxiao's trembling pupils to steady for a moment, but the next moment, they began to shake violently again.
This was because the three were accelerating towards her, their magical treasures flashing with dazzling spiritual light.
In the moment of crisis, Qu Xiaoxiao became surprisingly calm.
After all, she was the daughter of an elder of the Xuan Qing Sect, and her Nascent Soul cultivation was achieved through her own hard work. She was not without any ability to protect herself.
It was just that in the past, she had the protection of her senior brothers and sisters, and the gap in cultivation made it impossible for her to stand on her own.
She instinctively chose to shrink under the protection of her senior brothers and sisters.
But now, she knew she had no one to rely on; she could only rely on herself.
"Sacrifice!"
Qu Xiaoxiao retreated sharply, and the talismans in her hand scattered outwards like a celestial maiden scattering flowers.
Qu Xiaoxiao summoned her defensive jade token to block in front of her, formed hand seals, and unleashed several streams of spiritual energy.
Guided by the spiritual energy, the talismans detonated with a bang.
Colorful spiritual lights bloomed together, their dazzling exterior concealing terrifying shockwaves.
"Suppress!"
One of the three men produced a dark green observation platform and shouted loudly.
The platform leaped forward, blocking in front of the three, preventing the shockwaves from reaching them.
The remaining two, one wielded a brush and cleaved a path through the shockwaves, while the other advanced rapidly through the path, his brush-shaped mountain emitting astonishing might.
The attack failed.
Qu Xiaoxiao had already expected this outcome, her eyes dimming, then she rallied her spirits.
She couldn't give up; Senior Brother Long and the others were still waiting for her to save them.
Qu Xiaoxiao drew her life-bound magical treasure from her storage pouch.
It was a dark green long flute.
The flute body was crystal clear, indicating it was no ordinary item at first glance.
Qu Xiaoxiao played the long flute, the mournful notes subtly hiding a killing intent.
The man pursuing Qu Xiaoxiao swayed involuntarily under the influence of the flute's sound, bloodshot veins appearing in his pupils.
The man's face immediately showed a pained expression.
"Buzz!"
Suddenly, the brush-shaped mountain in the man's hand vibrated violently, and the man's eyes quickly regained clarity, a trace of lingering fear flashing through them.
This long flute was definitely a magical treasure of level six or above; it could even affect him.
Another treasure!
The greed on the man's face could not be suppressed. His speed increased again, drawing closer to Qu Xiaoxiao.
The flute's sound became more rapid, but this time the man was prepared and was not affected.
Looking at the man's twisted and ferocious face, Qu Xiaoxiao couldn't help but feel despair.
I'm sorry, Senior Brother Jin, I've broken my promise after all.
"A grown man bullying a little girl, how can you be so shameless!"
*Slap!*
A woman's clear voice and a crisp sound rang out simultaneously.
Qu Xiaoxiao looked at the two unfamiliar figures in front of her in astonishment, unsure how to react.
The flute's sound abruptly stopped.
The man who had been swaggering towards Qu Xiaoxiao was now sitting on the ground in a sorry state, his cheek swollen high, and upon closer inspection, one could still discern the shape of fingers.
The man was stunned by the sudden slap, his mind a mess.
However, his companions realized that the person who had acted was not to be trifled with. The two quickly bowed and apologized, their attitude humble, wishing they could kneel and beg for forgiveness.
"Take him and get lost."
"We're leaving now, we're leaving now!"
Xu Yi watched with cold eyes as the two men dragged the man away, feeling as if the spiritual energy in the air had become purer.
She turned and examined Qu Xiaoxiao, finding a familiar look on her face.
"I..."
"What is your relationship with Elder Qu of Xuan Qing Sect?"
Qu Xiaoxiao's words were choked in her throat, her eyes widening as she suspiciously sized up the woman who asked the question.
She knows my father?
But why has she never seen me before?
And how could she tell that she had a connection with her father?
"The little girl is quite cautious. The talismans you held just now are uniquely crafted by Elder Qu, I wouldn't mistake them."