Su Yu stumbled out of the house, intending to search for Bai Ying elsewhere. Just then, the communication talisman belonging to Third Junior Brother Liu Qingyue suddenly lit up. “Senior Brother, I found Bai Ying. She’s at the market.”
When Liu Qingyue saw Bai Ying, his face was full of irritation. He had been making a hairpin for the Little Junior Sister, and it was almost finished. But now, he had been called out by his Senior Brother to look for someone. It was a complete waste of time. Looking at Bai Ying not far away, he let out a cold snort. She looked full of energy—where did she seem weak, like the Senior Brother had said? Worse, the audacity of her setting up a stall to sell Treasure Artifacts in such a filthy mortal market!
This was a commoner’s marketplace. Other than a few rogue cultivators, no proper sect disciples would ever stoop so low as to sell items here. It was utterly disgraceful. Liu Qingyue walked over, clearly annoyed, his eyes filled with disgust. The ground was covered in rotting vegetable leaves, and just walking through it made him feel nauseated. He even held his hand over his nose to block the stench. How could Bai Ying stand here so unaffected?
Bai Ying was still busy promoting the Treasure Artifacts she had refined, trying to sell them to passersby. But before she could speak, a mocking voice rang out behind her, sharp and sarcastic.
“Did the sect not give you any Spirit Stones? Is that why you’ve come here to humiliate yourself?”
Liu Qingyue grabbed Bai Ying’s wrist, trying to drag her away. “You’ve fallen so low that you’re now selling in a place like this? Can’t you at least learn from the Little Junior Sister? What you’re doing is utterly disgraceful. Come back with me now.”
Liu Qingyue had always seen himself as pure and noble. He never mingled with mortals and looked down on fellow disciples who did. Now seeing Bai Ying like this made him furious. He tried to drag her back to the sect to scold her, but Bai Ying flung his hand off.
“What I do has nothing to do with you.”
She couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to him and continued introducing her Treasure Artifacts to an interested customer. Liu Qingyue’s face turned even darker. Bai Ying treated him like air, ignoring him completely. He suddenly snatched the artifact from her hands and wrapped it with his spiritual energy.
With a loud bang, the artifact exploded on the spot. He had destroyed it right in front of everyone. “Now that it’s gone, you can come back with me.”
Liu Qingyue’s eyes gleamed with smugness. “Bai Ying, I’m warning you, stop making a fool of yourself. If you still won’t come with me, I’ll destroy every artifact you take out. Let’s see how you sell them then.”
Bai Ying froze. Her gaze locked onto the shattered remains of the artifact on the ground. Artifact refining wasn’t easy. If she hadn’t awakened her Divine Sense, she wouldn’t even be able to craft any at the Cliff of Reflection. In the past, a single artifact would’ve taken her a full month to refine. And now Liu Qingyue had destroyed it so easily, just like that.
Seeing Bai Ying unresponsive, Liu Qingyue reached out to grab her again. “Come with me!”
But he didn’t expect her to suddenly thrust out her palm and slam it against his chest.
“Get lost!”
A powerful force struck him, sending Liu Qingyue flying back several meters. He clutched his chest, stunned beyond belief.
Liu Qingyue trembled with rage. He never imagined Bai Ying would dare to strike him. Enraged, he raised his sword and aimed it at her.
“Looks like if I don’t teach you a lesson today, you’ll never learn your place!”
Bai Ying looked at the sword in his hand and let out a cold laugh. How ironic. It was the same as the sword Qin Zijin had stabbed her with. And now this sword—Liu Qingyue’s sword—was also one she had personally refined. Every one of them only knew how to use her refined weapons against her.
Unfortunately for them, she would never be hurt by them again.
Bai Ying spread her fingers and chanted softly. Liu Qingyue’s sword instantly slipped from his grasp and flew straight into her hand. She caught it easily and sneered.
“How laughable. You actually tried to use a weapon I made… to attack me?”
Liu Qingyue stared at his now-empty hand, rage flaring in his eyes.
“Bai Ying! You dare to mark this sword with a seal!”
His first thought was that she had tampered with the sword she gifted him. Otherwise, with the weapon already bonded, how could she take it back? What he didn’t know was that Bai Ying’s Divine Sense was powerful enough to erase his mark and reclaim it with ease.
She had no interest in explaining herself. Instead, she raised the sword and turned to the surrounding rogue cultivators.
“This sword—five lower-grade Spirit Stones. Anyone want it?”
The moment she spoke, everyone’s eyes lit up. The sword she held was a top-grade bone sword. Even the materials alone were worth more than five Spirit Stones. It was unbelievably cheap. In an instant, a crowd swarmed around her.
Liu Qingyue was furious. He released his full pressure, growling, “Let me see who dares to buy it!”
At the Foundation Establishment Realm mid-stage, his strength far surpassed that of any rogue cultivator present. Those who were just shouting excitedly a moment ago now fell completely silent.
“What about this then?”
Without another word, a burst of Spirit Fire suddenly flared from Bai Ying’s palm, and just like how he had destroyed her artifact earlier, she incinerated the sword.
“No one wants it? Then I’d rather destroy it.”
The surrounding crowd groaned inwardly, pained to see such a fine sword ruined. Liu Qingyue was so angry that veins bulged on his forehead. He clenched his jaw.
“Bai Ying!”
Su Yu arrived at that moment, just in time to see the scene unfold. Afraid the two would actually fight, he rushed to hold Liu Qingyue back.
Liu Qingyue’s eyes were wide with rage.
“You damn girl! I finally see your true colors! From now on, don’t ever come to me for spiritual energy transfers again. I sever all ties with you!”
Bai Ying’s spiritual root had issues, and her cultivation was slow. Every six months, she needed Liu Qingyue to transfer his spiritual energy to help her meet the sect’s trial standards. Now, Liu Qingyue was livid. He vowed never to help this ungrateful person again.
The Little Junior Sister was right! He should have kept that spiritual energy for himself. If it hadn’t been for Bai Ying dragging him down, he would’ve already reached the late Foundation Establishment Realm. Truthfully, he hadn’t wanted to keep helping her for a long time, but he didn’t refuse because of their connection as fellow disciples.
He never imagined Bai Ying wouldn’t even hesitate.
“Fine by me. I couldn’t be happier.”
Liu Qingyue hadn’t expected her to agree so readily and sneered coldly. In just a few days, it would be time for Bai Ying to absorb his spiritual energy again. He wanted to see how she’d manage without his help—he was determined to make her beg!
But what Liu Qingyue didn’t know was that Bai Ying’s spiritual root wasn’t the one with the problem. His own spiritual root was flawed. Bai Ying had never truly absorbed his power. Instead, she had been using the excuse to secretly repair his root to avoid damaging his pride.