Chapter 46 - Is It Funny That the Reincarnated Senior Sister Is Also Being Pursued?

What a great opportunity! Bai Lian's eyes brightened. She had no idea who was attacking the defensive formation of Taixu Villa, but it was clear that the attack was highly effective. Not only had it shaken the entire formation and drawn the attention of everyone in the villa, but it had also interrupted the Fake Xie Cai's attempt to leverage the formation’s power to enhance his own strength. Now, with the Fake Xie Cai suffering backlash from the formation, his combat strength had suddenly plummeted—perfect timing for her to execute her plan. The Fake Xie Cai seemed to sense this as well. With a wave of his hands, the people suspended in the air were moved in front of him, intending to use these mortals to obscure Bai Lian’s vision and movements. As for himself, he planned to flee directly. Being the core of the Taixu Villa formation, he was intimately familiar with the layout. If he managed to escape, it would be like a fish plunging into the ocean, never to be found again. It was at this moment that Mu Jianli’s voice suddenly came from outside the door. "Senior Sister, I'm here to help you!" "Jianli, stop him for me!" Rushing over after sensing the commotion, Mu Jianli didn’t hesitate for a moment. She drew her Qiushui Sword. Having spent so much time with Bai Lian, there was no need for many words. She only knew one thing— All she had to do was follow the advice of her senior brother; he would never lead her astray! Taihua Sword Bind! As the Qiushui Sword traced a dazzling trajectory through the air, the Fake Xie Cai's retreating motion immediately froze. He roared in fury, trying to break free from the constraint Mu Jianli had cast. But Bai Lian wouldn’t give him this chance. Lunging forward, she formed a sword-like gesture with two fingers, and directly pointed at his forehead. The Fake Xie Cai’s actions completely stopped, his gaze fixed blankly ahead. At times, his expression changed, while at others, it was devoid of emotion. "Senior Sister, did it work?" Mu Jianli moved beside Bai Lian, maintaining the Taihua Sword Bind to prevent a sudden outburst from the Fake Xie Cai. Bai Lian shook her head. The primordial spirit is essentially the foundation of a cultivator. Whether it’s Fengchu Qinxin or Qianyuan Wuxiang, the presence of the primordial spirit cannot be ignored—it's practically the cultivator’s essence. Once the primordial spirit is damaged, at best, it leads to inner demons; at worst, it results in death, rendering any mighty power futile. The Fake Xie Cai before them had clearly had his primordial spirit controlled, unable to maintain self-awareness, and was forced to become the puppet of Taixu Villa. Her use of the Returning Dream Technique from the Taixuan Heart Sutra aimed to awaken a sliver of true spirit within the Fake Xie Cai’s primordial spirit, hoping to restore his original consciousness. However, the primordial spirit is too ethereal and complex; even the Returning Dream Technique might not succeed. "Whether he can regain his true spirit depends on his own resolve. But from what I see, his primordial spirit is nearly dissipated; even if he regains it, he probably won’t live long," Bai Lian said with a sigh. Though living in chaotic times inevitably leads to such experiences, she had once been a law-abiding modern person. In the three years since her reincarnation, she had stayed within her sect, training, and had never witnessed death firsthand. This Fake Xie Cai was a fellow disciple of the Tianxu Shenque sect—in a sense, her peer. Watching him on the verge of demise, while being powerless to help, filled her with deep melancholy. Perceiving Bai Lian’s mood, Mu Jianli quietly held Bai Lian’s small hand in hers. Her reincarnated senior brother had indeed become more sentimental, but that’s alright—she would always be by his side. They didn’t have to wait long before the light returned to the eyes of the Fake Xie Cai. Mu Jianli stepped slightly forward, shielding Bai Lian behind her. However, the Fake Xie Cai didn’t suddenly attack but instead glanced at them, smiling faintly. "Taihua Sword Sect friends, you’ve finally arrived." Bai Lian and Mu Jianli immediately relaxed; being able to recognize their origins indicated that the Fake Xie Cai had regained his senses. Bai Lian bowed and said, "I am Bai Lian from the Taihua Sword Sect, and this is my junior sister, Mu Jianli. May I ask who you are?" “I…” The Fake Xie Cai hesitated, then slowly said, “I am Lian Xingjian of the Tianxu Shenque…” Upon hearing this, Bai Lian’s pupils contracted, and she blurted out, “You’re the chief disciple of Tianxu Shenque, Lian Xingjian?” Lian Xingjian seemed taken aback, “Does Bai Daoist know of me?” Bai Lian didn’t actually know Lian Xingjian personally, but she had heard Mu Xinghe mention this master brother of Tianxu Shenque before. If Mu Xinghe was the most talented array master in the history of Tianxu Shenque, then Lian Xingjian was the most gifted in actual cultivation among the current disciples. At the age of only twenty-one, he had broken through to the Soaring Cloud stage, and by twenty-three, he had reached the sixth level. It was a remarkable comparison—as she was already nineteen, and it was only through leveraging memories from the game and relentless effort over the past few years that she barely reached the threshold of the Soaring Cloud stage. One could say Lian Xingjian was the extraordinary talent of the cultivation world, the benchmark set by elders in other sects, and the object of envy for all young cultivators. However, two years ago, Lian Xingjian, aware of his too-fast progress and unstable temperament, decided to leave the mountain for training. This was a necessary path for all young cultivators. Cultivation is inherently about defying nature, and locking oneself in a room leads nowhere; only by experiencing hardships can one attain enlightenment. After leaving the mountain, Lian Xingjian traveled, upholding justice and eliminating evil, earning considerable renown. Yet, when everyone thought he would rise to fame, he suddenly disappeared while visiting the Taihua Sword Sect. This didn't concern most people, as retreats tend to be calculated in years. Moreover, his soul tablet in the Tianxu Shenque hadn’t shattered, so no one paid much attention to his disappearance. Even in the game, Lian Xingjian had been missing for years, and his soul tablet dimmed gradually before Tianxu Shenque realized something was amiss with their disciple. This led to the unveiling of a series of events. Mu Jianli also displayed a look of shock. In their previous life, Bai Lian and Lian Xingjian were the ones everyone compared. Debates about who was the most outstanding genius in the cultivation world were endless. Even in this life, with Bai Lian reaching Qinxin ninth level by nineteen, effectively replacing Lian Xingjian as the prodigious talent, comparisons with Lian Xingjian persisted. Being Bai Lian’s junior sister, she naturally supported her own senior unconditionally, which was why she knew of Lian Xingjian as a rival. It was unexpected that such an unparalleled talent of Tianxu Shenque would falter within the confines of a mere Taixu Villa… Bai Lian said, "Who among the young disciples hasn't heard of Brother Lian's great name?" "I just can't understand how someone as gifted as Brother Lian ended up in such a predicament." "As far as I know, when Brother Lian descended the mountain, your cultivation was already at the sixth level of the Soaring Cloud stage. Even if you couldn’t defeat the ancestor of Taixu Villa, you should have been able to retreat safely." "A genius…” Lian Xingjian said, seemingly lost in thought, gazing emptily into the distance, “What of a genius? Throughout history, countless have been exceptionally talented, yet how many have truly attained the path?” “No matter how talented, in death, one is just a mound of dirt.” He smiled bitterly, “I… failed my master's teachings, flaunting my meager talents, only to fall victim to the schemes of the esoteric sect’s envoys.” “The way I am now, it’s all of my own making.”