"Good, good, I knew it. How else could you have suddenly reached the fourth level, other than resorting to such underhanded tricks!"
Duke Rong's anger, which had just subsided, flared up again, even more intensely.
He said with disappointment, "It's one thing that you're useless, but you even lied to people. Today, I must teach you a lesson to prevent you from becoming even more crooked and bringing shame upon the Bai family!"
Saying this, without giving Bai Shengyi any chance to explain, he slapped towards Bai Shengyi's face with his palm!
Vast water spirit energy, accompanied by a strong gust of wind, was contained within this palm strike. If it had truly landed on Bai Shengyi, she would have been crippled, if not killed.
Bai Murong, having achieved her goal, suppressed the smile in her eyes. She looked up again with a worried expression, intending to persuade Duke Rong. However, she took a step back in feigned fright, thus failing to intervene. "Grandfather, please don't do this. Shengyi definitely didn't mean to lie to you."
Duke Rong grew even angrier, his Golden Core stage pressure unreservedly unleashed.
Bai Murong's qi and blood surged in reverse, causing her to spit out a mouthful of blood. Yet, she paid it no mind and instead fell to the ground, moving away from Duke Rong, anticipating Bai Shengyi's tragic fate.
Bai Shengyi was also enraged. Was this Duke Rong truly her own grandfather, and not Bai Murong's?
The Reincarnation Brush spun rapidly in her hand. Bai Shengyi shifted sideways, and with a backhand, gripped the brush and met Duke Rong's palm!
"Bang!"
Thick green spiritual energy and azure spiritual energy collided violently. The water splashes were intercepted by layers of leaves, and with a furious roar, the impact dissipated into nothingness!
"Pah!" Bai Shengyi spat out the blood foam from her mouth. She sensed her meridians' qi and blood flowing in reverse, even her vessels rupturing, and her mind seethed with anger.
Her mental power transformed into sharp blades, and the Reincarnation Brush reappeared in her hand. Bai Shengyi drew a semicircle in the air, the spiritual energy fluctuation forcing its way towards Duke Rong, while her mental power silently approached him.
Duke Rong was still in a state of shock. Although he hadn't used his full strength, he had still exerted seven or eight tenths of his power. If Bai Shengyi had truly reached the fourth level of Qi Refining by taking elixirs, she wouldn't have been able to withstand his palm strike!
He hadn't taken Bai Shengyi seriously at all and casually met the spiritual energy circle Bai Shengyi had conjured. However, in the next instant, years of experience sent a chill down his spine, and he instinctively leaped into the air.
But it was still too late!
"Swish!"
A gust of wind swept past his face, bringing with it a stinging sensation.
He had actually been injured!
He, a Golden Core cultivator, had been pushed to such a state by someone in the Qi Refining stage?
Duke Rong's pupils constricted. Bai Shengyi actually possessed such a capability?
"Crack!"
Before Duke Rong could react, he heard a familiar sound.
Someone had broken through a stage!
"Shengyi! You..."
Bai Murong's disbelieving cry made Duke Rong look towards Bai Shengyi, and then his eyes nearly bulged out!
Bai Shengyi, who had just been attacking him, had actually advanced under his immense and oppressive pressure!
Spiritual energy swirled into a vortex, lifting the leaves in the courtyard and swirling around Bai Shengyi.
She held a brush without a tip in her hand and directly entered a seated meditation in the courtyard. Her aura surged upwards, and wood element energy rushed into her body, then emanated from her, filling the surroundings.
Qi Refining fifth level!
So smooth!
Seeing Bai Shengyi advance as naturally as drinking water under such difficult circumstances, Bai Murong's face contorted with jealousy.
Why! Why did Bai Shengyi, a blind person, possess such excellent talent, and wood element spiritual energy at that!
She had worked so hard for so long, anticipating that as soon as she entered the Divine Revelation Academy, she would inherit the Bai family's medical texts and become the young matriarch. Why did Bai Shengyi have to advance at this moment!
Why couldn't Bai Shengyi just die!
Bai Murong roared internally, her eyes fixed on Bai Shengyi, praying for some accident to occur, such as Duke Rong continuing to trouble Bai Shengyi and interrupting her advancement...
However, to Bai Murong's disappointment, this did not happen.
With Bai Shengyi's advancement, Duke Rong naturally understood that Bai Shengyi truly possessed the strength of the fourth level of Qi Refining, and it wasn't artificially boosted by elixirs.
He frowned deeply and did nothing for the moment, intending to verbally admonish Bai Shengyi later for not explaining herself.
Surrounded by spiritual energy, Bai Shengyi was still filled with anger. Her mental sea churned with immense waves. The Reincarnation Brush vanished from her hand and flowed into her Dantian, circling the black mist. The black mist then expelled a large mass of spiritual energy, driving the spiritual energy throughout her meridians to circulate rapidly.
Splintering, healing, widening... her mental power spontaneously fused with the spiritual energy, repairing and widening Bai Shengyi's internal meridians. Bai Shengyi felt an indescribable comfort and ease spreading from her Dantian, as if she had received a divine enlightenment. Her ears became clearer, her eyes brighter, and the world more expansive.
In an instant, the sixth level of Qi Refining was achieved!
"She advanced again!" Duke Rong's voice was filled with profound disbelief. If this hadn't happened right before his eyes, he would never have believed it!
Cultivation was as difficult as climbing a mountain, progressing step by step. How could anyone advance two stages consecutively!
But now, it was happening right in front of him.
And the one possessing such talent was his granddaughter, his own descendant of the Bai family!
The eldest son's Bai Shengyi was not a waste; she was a genius!
Duke Rong was overjoyed. Seeing Bai Shengyi open her eyes, he uncharacteristically bent down and asked, "Shengyi, how are you feeling?"
Bai Shengyi: ?
She wondered if she had gone mad from cultivation, to be experiencing such hallucinations!
Bai Shengyi stood up and took two steps back before feeling safe.
"Now, do you still want my recommendation letter? If you do, I'll have to ask Uncle Two to talk to you." Bai Shengyi looked coldly at Duke Rong.
Duke Rong frowned deeply, nearly losing his temper again. "Can't you talk to your grandfather properly?"
Bai Shengyi sneered and stared at him coldly.
For some reason, Duke Rong felt his face flush. He flicked his sleeve and let out a cold snort, masking his embarrassment, and said stiffly, "Since you've already reached the sixth level, you naturally don't need to give up the recommendation letter. You are also a child of the Bai family, and Grandpa hopes you will get better and better, contributing to the Bai family."
Bai Shengyi felt nauseated by his words. She got up and returned to her room, saying, "I need to rest."
This time, Duke Rong didn't blame her. Instead, he nodded, "Then rest well. Remember to attend the Empress's birthday banquet with Grandpa tomorrow morning."
"Grandfather..."
Seeing Duke Rong's attitude towards Bai Shengyi clearly change, Bai Murong felt both hatred and panic. However, in front of Duke Rong, she maintained a sensible and considerate demeanor. "It was Murong's foolishness this time that almost ruined Shengyi's good fortune."
"With Shengyi's strength, she will surely pass the assessment if she participates. At that time, can I ask her to teach me? Otherwise, as her older sister, the gap between us will only grow larger, and she will like me even less in the future."
Bai Murong gave a bitter smile, her tear-filled eyes red.