386: reason

A mournful flute sound entered her ears.

A White-robed figure stepped on clouds and arrived.

The White-robed figure was like an immortal, like a god, with an indifferent expression. Her calm eyes seemed to contain a deep lake, and a white, translucent white jade spirit flute, crafted from precious jade as if naturally formed, gently played at her red lips.

The flute's melody contained an indescribable power, directly piercing the Divine Soul.

Only Xu Zhiyi, who was struggling to get up with a trembling body, remained unaffected.

"Senior!"

Xu Zhiyi stood up and called out to the White-robed figure who was slowly descending before him.

Although he was saved,

Xu Zhiyi's face showed no joy.

If what the Black-clothed figures had said was true,

his grandfather's safety... Thinking of this, Xu Zhiyi's pale, bloodless face grew even whiter.

His clenched fists tightened even further,

revealing the tendons and bones.

"Who... are... you...?"

"So... that... Divine Ability... was yours...?"

At this moment,

a hint of clarity flashed in the narrow, fox-like eyes revealed from within the black hooded robe.

A disjointed voice came from inside the black hood.

However, before the White-robed figure could reply,

the black hooded robe suddenly exploded.

A five-colored fluffy tail condensed, transforming into a sharp blade. The moment the words fell, it suddenly stabbed towards the White-robed figure.

"Whoosh..."

The moment the five-colored tail appeared,

the flute music abruptly stopped.

The White-robed figure held the white jade spirit flute in her hand and pointed it at the approaching five-colored tail, seemingly slow but actually fast.

Boom!

A huge clash of Qi erupted.

The White-robed figure's slender, jade-like fingers exerted a slight force.

The light emitted by the white jade spirit flute intensified.

"Hmph~"

The black hooded robe shattered into dust.

A humanoid figure grunted and rapidly retreated backward.

With a single strike, she had already fallen into a disadvantage.

The humanoid figure with the five-colored tail did not attack again.

Instead, taking advantage of the retreat, she changed direction, transformed into a five-colored light, and fled into the distance.

"You can't leave."

The White-robed figure reached out.

She held the white jade spirit flute in her hand and drew a circle in front of her.

"The tide of the sea, a prison drawn on the ground!"

The White-robed figure's heart stirred slightly.

The sound of crashing waves echoed in the silent mountain forest.

In an instant,

the mountain forest transformed into a sea.

The Heaven and Earth changed color.

Amidst the surging waves,

a streak of five-colored light slowed down increasingly in this mountain-forest-turned-sea that continuously pressed in.

"Damn it!"

The five-colored escape light stopped.

Her heart was heavy.

This suddenly appearing powerful Cultivator had completely disrupted her plans.

If possible,

killing both of them would have been the best option.

But clearly, she was no match for the White-robed figure.

At this point,

her only option was to escape with her life and then make further plans.

After all, as long as there was no evidence,

she could not be harmed.

"Damn it!"

The middle-aged woman, whose five-colored escape light revealed a hint of charm, cursed inwardly again.

"Innate Divine Ability, Five-Colored Spiritual Light!"

The middle-aged woman was trapped in the sea of mountain forests.

A fierce glint flashed in her eyes.

The five-colored fox tail on her back rapidly changed and expanded.

In a flash, a Spiritual Light, imbued with five colors and carrying five different auras, descended from the sky.

As it swept down from the gigantic five-colored fox tail,

it broke through the waves

and swept towards the White-robed figure.

Om~

The Five-Colored Spiritual Light did not possess immense power.

However, it emitted an unsettling and dangerous aura.

Wherever the Spiritual Light passed,

the sea tides along its path rapidly changed, seemingly regressing at high speed.

In just a short moment,

it had already transformed back into Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi,

disappearing into the mountain forest.

Li Shuwu's indifferent expression lessened slightly.

She secretly praised it in her heart.

"As expected of the Thousand Charms Fox Clan."

Li Shuwu had already recognized the identity of the charming middle-aged woman.

"Sea and sky merge, a heavy barrier forms."

Li Shuwu's white jade spirit flute moved slightly in her hand.

She waved her hand across in front of her.

It seemed as if she had drawn an insurmountable chasm in front of her.

Like the deep blue line where the distant sea meets the sky, it quietly spread out,

forming a deep blue barrier that connected heaven and earth.

The five-colored Spiritual Light arrived in an instant.

It swept down upon the deep blue barrier.

Om~

The barrier trembled slightly.

The deep blue color continuously transformed into Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi and dissipated.

Yet, invisible Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi continuously replenished it.

In a stalemate,

"Break!"

Li Shuwu's clear and cold voice rang out.

Her hand, holding the white jade spirit flute, pointed forward.

Boom!

The deep blue barrier suddenly moved forward.

Deep blue and five-colored light intertwined.

With a sudden bang, it exploded.

"Seal!"

Li Shuwu took a step forward.

She passed through the surging Qi.

The white jade spirit flute in her hand disappeared.

Her hands changed.

The remaining sea of mountain forests transformed into countless tiny chains,

all converging towards the fleeing figure.

Om~

The figure with the five-colored tail fell from the sky,

crashing to the ground.

Li Shuwu waved her hand,

dispelling the remaining magical power.

Behind her,

Xu Zhiyi, protected by the deep blue light, watched the White-robed figure slowly approach him.

"Senior."

Xu Zhiyi suppressed the chaotic thoughts in his mind.

He bowed respectfully to Li Shuwu.

"Mm."

Li Shuwu nodded gently.

Then, she waved her hand.

The figure that had fallen to the ground flew towards her.

"Who exactly are you?"

The beautiful, charming middle-aged woman was unable to resist and allowed Li Shuwu to manipulate her.

However, her heart was extremely heavy.

This White-robed figure was not any Golden Core True Person she knew.

Yet, she could achieve this much.

In just a few moves, she hadn't even had a chance to escape.

It was truly unbelievable.

"You don't need to know."

Li Shuwu's indifferent and cold voice echoed in the woman's ears.

"Was everything you said earlier true?"

Seeing the middle-aged woman, Xu Zhiyi could no longer suppress the anger and worry in his heart.

He hurriedly asked the woman.

"Hehe."

The middle-aged woman chuckled.

Clearly, she would not answer.

Now, only by biting her tongue and not speaking could she possibly have a glimmer of hope for survival.

Xu Zhiyi was anxious but helpless.

"It's fine, she will speak."

Li Shuwu, however, didn't care and said softly.

"Soul Bewitchment."

Li Shuwu lightly tapped the middle-aged woman's glabella with her finger.

As the former Pavilion Master of Tiannan Pavilion in Nancang Domain, the actual controller of a domain,

the strange and wonderful methods she knew were not few.

Making someone speak was merely the simplest thing.

Under this Divine Ability,

the middle-aged woman's eyes became unfocused.

"She's yours."

Li Shuwu withdrew her hand and said to Xu Zhiyi behind her.

"Thank you, Senior."

Xu Zhiyi did not forget to express his gratitude.

Then, suppressing his thoughts, he asked the middle-aged woman with unfocused eyes,

"Why did you want to kill me?"

"You... blocked... our branch's... path..."

"Removing... you... Hu Yi can... smoothly... marry Zhou Nanfeng... and gain the Old Ancestor's appreciation..."

The middle-aged woman's Divine Soul seemed to be struggling.

However, she still intermittently revealed the truth.

"Hu Yi, Nan Feng..."

It was because of this... Xu Zhiyi's heart was filled with an indescribable feeling.

"Is my grandfather alright?"

"I... don't know... that's not... my responsibility..."

Xu Zhiyi finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Connecting this second training mission with his grandfather's sudden deployment on an urgent mission,

Xu Zhiyi's guess began to form.

"Did anyone from the Zhou Family participate?"

Xu Zhiyi asked again.

"Yes, but I... don't know... who..."

Boom!

The conjecture was confirmed.

Xu Zhiyi's heart felt like it had been struck by lightning.

As for Li Shuwu, she was not surprised.

The reason she had followed him

was because of the extremely faint, elusive scent emanating from Xu Zhiyi.

This scent was so subtle that even an ordinary Golden Core Cultivator would not detect it.

And this scent originated from the mission Jade Slip that had appeared in Xu Zhiyi's hand multiple times.

It was likely that for the sake of caution, this scent, which probably only a demon from the Thousand Charms Fox Clan could detect, was specifically added for tracking purposes.