The torrential rain gradually subsided, turning into a gentle patter on the eaves. Inside the room, silence reigned, indicating that the news Bai Li Gelin had just brought was far from pleasant.
This simple six-year appointment had yet to be fulfilled smoothly, with a series of setbacks leaving everyone exhausted. Sea Extinction, Heavenly Thunder Fire Sea, Overseas Foreigners – these events sounded like ancient legends, seemingly distant from each of them. Yet, unbeknownst to them, the footsteps of these events were already at their doorstep.
Ye Ye sighed, “I thought it would take at least a few more years. Didn’t expect it to come so quickly. But it’s not all bad. Gelin going to the Central Plains is reassuring, at least. It saves us from another year or two without news.”
Bai Li Gelin could only respond with a bitter smile. Ye Ye flicked her forehead and continued, “It’s good that you’re evacuating with the Sea Sect disciples. We’ll wait for you and Lu Li at Lu Gong Town.”
Still not forgetting Lu Li? Bai Li Gelin’s bitter smile deepened. Just as she was about to speak, Ji Tongzhou suddenly stood up and opened the window. The farthest horizon was turning an almost transparent blue. The sudden rain seemed about to stop, ready to transform back into a normal summer day.
He stared for a moment, then said softly, “I’ll leave first. Take care, all of you.”
Ye Ye was stunned. “Leave? Where are you going? We haven’t finished our six-year reunion yet. You haven’t even shown us that battle with Xiu Yuan!”
Ji Tongzhou turned back with a faint smile, “Seeing you all is enough. That battle was just a jest. There will be opportunities to meet in the future. Why rush?”
His gaze lingered on the door in the courtyard that had remained closed since it was shut. He felt desolate one moment, resentful the next, then utterly defeated, yet still reluctant to leave.
Unable to let go completely, but unwilling to stay and witness his defeat or watch their intimate moments with a burning heart. His pride no longer allowed him to remain.
Ji Tongzhou rose on his sword, disappearing in an instant. Ye Ye rushed to the window, looking up for a long while, his expression bewildered. “He left!”
Bai Li Gelin sighed with a smile, “You truly didn’t notice anything?”
“What?” Ye Ye turned around to see the three girls looking at him as if he were an idiot, leaving him even more confused.
Su Wan stood up and stretched, “I’m exhausted from not sleeping all night. I’m going to rest for a bit. Gelin, don’t forget to introduce me to some East Sea men later! I’ve discovered that the men here are just my type!”
With Sea Extinction looming, this girl was still thinking about East Sea men. It was hard to tell if she was carefree or simply oblivious. Bai Li Gelin promised with a wry smile. Soon after, Ye Ye left with Bai Li Changyue to rest as well.
Gelin rummaged around the room, packing some necessities. As she opened a drawer by the bed, she found a broken jade forehead ornament. She paused for a long while before picking it up to examine it closely.
The broken edge of the jade ornament bore scorch marks from fire-based immortal techniques. Bai Li Gelin rubbed it with her fingertip, unsure of how to feel.
After an unknown amount of time, there was a sudden knock on the door. Startled, Bai Li Gelin quickly stuffed the jade ornament back into the drawer before rushing to open the door. To her surprise, Bai Li Changyue was standing there silently. “Sister? Weren’t you going to sleep? I was just packing!”
Bai Li Changyue gently pushed her back into the room, closing the door behind her. She asked calmly, “How does Lu Li treat you?”
Bai Li Gelin nearly jumped at the question, exclaiming, “What are you talking about, Sister? Do you think I’m involved with him?”
Bai Li Changyue’s gaze swept over her belly, noticing the silver chain of the Nine-Headed Bird pendant tucked into her collar. She smiled, “You’re wearing his pendant. Isn’t that involvement enough?”
A flash of anger crossed Bai Li Gelin’s face. “This isn’t… never mind, I can’t explain! Sister, can you please not mention him? I despise him!”
Changyue pushed her further into the room, seating her on the bed. She shook her head and sighed, “You’ve always been one to suffer alone since you were little, Gelin. It’s fine if you can hide it well, but when it’s obvious, and you won’t let anyone ask about it, what am I to you?”
Gelin felt a sudden bitterness in her throat, which she forcefully swallowed down, but her eyes began to moisten. She said softly, “Sister, you and Ye Ye are so good together. He’s good to you, and only you; you’re good to him, and only him. Such a relationship is wonderful. But fairy-tale romances are rare and unattainable. The world is full of couples who share a bed but not their hearts, sometimes not trusting each other, or trusting only to be deceived in the end.”
When she returned to the Ten Thousand Immortals Sect after the East Sea trial, for the first month, she felt refreshed. Years of inner conflict had been resolved in an instant, and her cultivation had even progressed significantly as a result. Lu Li continued to ignore her as usual, truly becoming a stranger as she had suggested. If this life had continued, perhaps she wouldn’t have experienced the painful events with Zhen Yunzi and Qin Yangling today.
“Ye Ye probably didn’t tell you about how he was nearly killed by Sea Sect disciples during that East Sea trial, did he?” Bai Li Gelin turned to Changyue with a smile. “I guess he wouldn’t. He’s the type to save face in front of you.”
Changyue was surprised, “There was such an incident?”
Gelin continued smiling, “Yes, those people were disciples of the Guangsheng Sect, led by someone named Shi Chengtian. I made a life oath to return all the pain Ye Ye suffered to that person.”
Even after reconciling with Changyue, she hadn’t forgotten this oath. Ye Ye was her family, and she was determined to avenge his unwarranted severe injury. She just didn’t expect the opportunity to come so quickly.
It was during a joint trial between the Ten Thousand Immortals Sect and the Guangsheng and Wenji Sects. Sea Sect trials often focused on magical duels, with demon extermination as a secondary concern. It was common for fights to break out at the slightest provocation. Before she could find someone to team up with, she encountered Shi Chengtian’s group.
The female disciple from the Guangsheng Sect beside Shi Chengtian harbored a grudge against her. Upon seeing her, she immediately summoned a tiger demon to attack, sneering, “Are you going to hide behind a man this time? Dare you come out and fight me fair and square?”
Bai Li Gelin deliberately provoked her, “I don’t want to duel with an ugly woman.”
The female disciple’s face turned green with anger. Seeing Bai Li Gelin’s cheerful demeanor, with her dimpled smile, Shi Chengtian intervened, “Let it go. Gelin is alone, we shouldn’t bully her with numbers. Miss Gelin, why are you by yourself? Why don’t you join our group? I’ll protect you, consider it an apology. How about it?”
Bai Li Gelin looked him up and down, then coldly smiled, “Do you have the guts to duel with me?”
She turned to Master Shen with a sorrowful look. As the sect leader, he would undoubtedly be at the forefront of dealing with this Sea Extinction, facing a nine-in-ten chance of death. She had been too willful as a daughter, not staying by his side to serve him well all these years. In the few remaining days, she would have to accompany her father constantly.
The more Bai Li Gelin thought about it, the more alarmed she became. Her sister had mentioned last night that various immortal cultivators seemed to be gathering near the East Sea in increasing numbers. She hadn’t expected this anomaly to come so quickly, with the sea level dropping so early. Was gathering disciples from the first to third bottlenecks about evacuation?
Soon, Master Shen slowly turned around, his face ashen. As the leader of the East Sea Ten Thousand Immortals Sect, he held significant influence throughout the Sea Sect. This immortal, who usually remained unperturbed even in the face of heaven-shaking events, now wore a trace of grief on his face.
He scanned the hall, and the confused clamor of the disciples gradually subsided. The Luxin Hall fell into a deathly silence.
He suddenly spoke, “At the hour of Mao today, the East Sea water level has dropped by an inch. Five thousand li to the east of the sea surface, thunder clouds are gathering densely. The thunder disaster will strike within months, and Sea Extinction will soon be upon us.”
He paused, then continued, “Despite our utmost vigilance, we still couldn’t ensure everyone’s safety. Last night, the seals of five trial grounds were broken. The beasts and fierce creatures within have broken through the barriers and escaped en masse. From now on, no disciple is allowed within a hundred li of the East Sea! The corpse before the hall is the consequence for those who disobey.”
After he finished speaking, the Luxin Hall remained deadly silent. The disciples were unable to process the information.
Master Shen spoke loudly, “Instead of being dazed, you’d better start packing! The Mountain Sect elders have already begun heading towards the East Sea. All sects here in the East Sea must start evacuating disciples to the inland Central Plains, starting with you less-cultivated disciples. This evacuation is no trivial matter! It will be years before you return. Think carefully about what to bring! Don’t forget anything, as our Sea Sect items aren’t available in the Mountain Sects of the Central Plains!”
These words struck like thunder from a clear sky, instantly awakening the bewildered disciples. Faced with this sudden uprooting and the possibility of never seeing their long-time masters and sect leader again, the Luxin Hall suddenly erupted in sorrowful cries. Some were grief-stricken and reluctant to leave, others were shocked and at a loss, and some were in despair and fear.
Hearing about Sea Extinction was entirely different from experiencing it firsthand. The increasingly intense anomalies in the East Sea in recent days have already left countless people feeling oppressed. Although they hadn’t encountered any real danger yet, the evacuation of disciples once again made them feel the formless terror of this natural disaster.
Master Shen frowned and spoke sternly, “Why are you crying? What are you afraid of? Didn’t we survive the most painful Sea Extinction five hundred years ago? Back then, I and these elders were just like you…”
Before she could leap up, she felt teeth sink into her arm, nearly crushing the bone. The pain made her whole body shudder. The next moment, a heavy weight pressed down on her, accompanied by a foul stench. She was pinned to the ground by several demonic creatures, unable to summon any defense. She could only close her eyes and wait for death.
Suddenly, a large splash of thick, foul-smelling demon blood drenched her entire body. The Guangsheng Sect disciples cried out in surprise. Bai Li Gelin quickly opened her eyes to see that the creatures that had pounced on her were already decapitated. A figure stood before her, with several crescent-shaped silver lights swirling and dancing around him. It was Lu Li.