Bai Yiyi was quite adept at destroying magical artifacts.
There was no mystery to it. She'd simply done it enough times.
After cutting apart so many of her Third Junior Sister's artifacts, she'd gradually developed a feel for it.
That was why she knew very clearly that Leng Qingqiu's jade pendant had only been split in two by her strike. It hadn't been destroyed outright. What turned it into powder was the pendant's own self-destruct program.
Generally speaking, materials capable of being forged into magical artifacts were extremely rare. Unless one was an obscenely wealthy big shot, even if an artifact was damaged, its owner would never simply discard it. Instead, they would keep the fragments, hoping for a chance to reforge it in the future.
Self-destruct mechanisms like this were usually only found in spy equipment. They were one-time-use artifacts that would destroy themselves after exhausting all their stored energy.
Some extreme versions could even erase all traces of karma, leaving even experts skilled in divination completely helpless.
Leng Qingqiu's experience in the martial world was shallow. This could be considered her first real journey away from home. Even so, she naturally understood what a self-destruct mechanism represented.
Her expression shifted from confusion, to shock, and finally to fury.
The jade pendant had been her self-selected reward when she joined the Righteous Path Alliance. She had thought she'd hit the jackpot. The ruins containing the Void Sword Technique and the Void Sword Casket had been found near the Righteous Path Alliance, guided by the so-called "Master" inside the pendant.
At the time, she believed she was the chosen one, aided by a remnant-soul old man and blessed with the peerless inheritance of the Void Sword Immortal.
But the instant the self-destruct program activated, she realized it had all been a smokescreen.
Someone among the upper ranks of the Righteous Path Alliance had arranged everything, using her as a weapon and sending her straight here.
She didn't know whether this malice came from her own family or from some other force pulling strings behind the scenes. But one thing was certain. This place was absolutely not somewhere a Foundation Establishment rookie like her should ever set foot in.
Even Golden Core experts would have to tread carefully here, keeping their heads down. As for her, coming here was nothing short of throwing her life away.
No.
They wanted me dead.
If Bai Yiyi hadn't had this kind of temperament, and if Ye Ling hadn't been hiding his true strength, then the moment she spoke out of line, today would already be the anniversary of her death.
Back then, she'd relied on the Tribulation Transcendence trump card in her hands and naturally hadn't taken Bai Yiyi, a mere "Nascent Soul Stage," seriously. It was only because Bai Yiyi was easygoing that she hadn't ended up completely finished.
All of a sudden, the way she looked at Bai Yiyi was filled with gratitude.
Thank you, mighty one, for sparing my life.
But what exactly were the people behind this trying to do?
Logically speaking, although the Leng Clan hated her for ruining their thousand-year plan, they wouldn't go so far as to want her dead. After all, they'd invested enormous resources in her. Even using her to produce better bloodlines would still have value.
So the ones who wanted her dead were likely another faction.
Could it be that this force was trying to kill with a borrowed blade?
To be fair, even the Leng Clan wouldn't have an easy time provoking a Great Ascension Stage rogue cultivator. In Leng Qingqiu's eyes, the Heavenly Gate Sect was no different from a rogue cultivator faction.
Rogue cultivators might lack power and backing, but precisely because they weren't bound by any organization, they could act without restraint.
Although the Leng Clan also had a Great Ascension ancestor guarding them, they couldn't cover everything. Unless every member of the Leng Clan stayed within their territory without taking a single step outside until that Great Ascension cultivator ascended.
But doing that would be no different from cutting off the Leng Clan's future.
The more Leng Qingqiu thought about it, the more frightened she became. She might hate the Leng Clan, but she didn't want to take revenge in this way.
She believed herself to be an upright person. She would never choose such a path. The future she envisioned was one where the Leng Clan begged her to return and take the position of clan head. She absolutely didn't want the Leng Clan to come to ruin.
"It seems you've figured it out, Envoy Leng."
Ye Ling couldn't fully decipher the meaning behind the fear on Leng Qingqiu's face, but he could clearly tell that the girl in front of him had been played.
Bai Yiyi might not understand what the self-destruct program implied, but Ye Ling had grasped it instantly.
This girl had been abandoned.
Once the jade pendant was gone, whether Leng Qingqiu lived or died, Heavenly Gate would never be able to trace the person behind her. The one left to take the blame would be Leng Qingqiu alone.
Sigh… With such poor judgment, she should have just stayed home and minded her own business. Why insist on running around causing trouble?
Ye Ling respected people who worked hard, but he had no patience for those who worked hard just to create trouble for others.
In his eyes, Leng Qingqiu was exactly that kind of person, which meant she needed to be sent away as soon as possible.
"Go down the mountain. We still have things to clean up here."
"…"
Leng Qingqiu knew she was in the wrong and didn't dare say much. Still, deep down, she was convinced that Ye Ling was a true powerhouse.
Even if he hadn't reached the Nascent Soul stage, he had to be at least at the Golden Core stage. Otherwise, how could he have defeated her so easily?
She had never sparred seriously with others, but back when she was still at the Qi Refinement stage, she had killed an ancient relic puppet with late Foundation Establishment strength.
If she could defeat Foundation Establishment opponents, then Ye Ling, who defeated her, had to be a Golden Core expert at the very least.
After sorting this out, she no longer dared speak loudly to Ye Ling. Instead, she stood up "obediently," bit her lip, and said, "Sect Master Bai, this armor is far too valuable. Ordinary clothing will be enough."
"Huh?"
Bai Yiyi was completely puzzled. She naturally couldn't understand the unspoken exchange between Ye Ling and Leng Qingqiu, and with her laid-back personality, she didn't think too deeply about it.
However, Leng Qingqiu's words made her hesitate.
Protective armor could automatically adjust to fit its wearer and even change styles.
But how could ordinary mortal clothing have such miraculous effects?
Bai Yiyi was petite and cute, while Leng Qingqiu was tall and upright. At around one point seven meters tall, Leng Qingqiu could easily look down at Bai Yiyi.
There was no way Bai Yiyi's clothes would fit her.
And besides—
"No!"
After thinking for a moment, Bai Yiyi shook her head firmly and said, "Those clothes were gifts from my Master and my Junior Sisters. I can't give them away."
Since she rarely went down the mountain, all her clothes were gifts from those closest to her.
Spirit Artifacts might be priceless treasures in the eyes of others, but to her, these ordinary yet adorable clothes were her greatest treasures. She wouldn't trade them even for a Dao Artifact.
Thinking that Leng Qingqiu was simply looking down on the armor because it was a defective piece, she quickly said, "Envoy Leng, if you don't like this defective armor, how about this one? Or this one?"
Without hesitation, she pulled out five sets of protective armor radiating immortal aura. Every single one was of superior Spirit Artifact quality.
One of them was even right at the boundary between Spirit Artifact and a higher tier, just one step away.
Master, I know you're rich, but you really can't just throw money around like this, can you?