A Narrow Defeat

Su Bai's heart sank slightly.

These two were dressed strangely, and not a trace of their aura leaked out. Their Cultivation Realm could not be discerned, lending them an eerie air.

If he could not beat them, he would call for help!

Following custom, Su Bai first used a Jade Talisman to send Bai Daoyuan a message requesting aid.

Only then did he step forward and warn them, "This is a Jade Mist Sect Resource Point. Unrelated persons, withdraw at once!"

Yang Sheng, standing to one side, wore a tense expression as well. Clearly, he too had noticed that there was something unusual about these two.

"Which one is the one you mentioned, whose talent is only a hair worse than yours?" One of the Purple Robe People ignored Su Bai and spoke casually to the companion beside him, as though no one else existed.

"Him." The other Purple Robe Person stood half a step behind, apparently of lower status. She uttered a single syllable and pointed at Su Bai.

"That voice... it is..." Though she had spoken only one word, Su Bai inexplicably felt a sense of familiarity.

But before Su Bai could search his memories carefully—

The first Purple Robe Person had already stretched out a hand toward Su Bai.

Though he was clearly a man, his fingernails were painted black.

Su Bai did not know what he intended to do, but he still instinctively drew his magic sword and gripped it in his hand.

"Sword Prison." The Purple Robe Person softly spoke two words, forming only a single hand seal.

The next moment, with a sharp swish, more than a dozen strands of Sword Qi condensed out of nothing around Su Bai.

The Sword Qi bent and linked together into a prison, its gaps barely half a foot wide, tightly enclosing Su Bai within.

He had not even used a sword. How had he condensed Sword Qi out of thin air from dozens of meters away? Su Bai's mind was filled with doubts.

At that moment, Su Bai did not dare move at all. The prison formed from Sword Qi was simply too close to him.

He could clearly sense the terrifying power contained within the Sword Qi. If he shifted forward or backward by even a few centimeters, he might be wounded by it.

Su Bai formed a hand seal, attempting to condense a Fireball Technique.

But the Spiritual Power rushing along the path of spellcasting rapidly collapsed under the influence of some inexplicable force.

This Sword Qi prison could actually obstruct spellcasting as well.

This was not a Spell Divine Ability that someone in the Qi Refining Stage could master, was it?

Could this person be a Foundation Establishment Cultivator? Su Bai's heart tightened.

Jingle, jangle.

A burst of Wind Chime bells rang out.

Without Su Bai noticing, the Purple Robe Person had already arrived before him.

Yang Sheng, at the side, was so frightened that he collapsed straight to the ground. He was truly timid to an excessive degree.

"Senior, why are you making things difficult for a mere Qi Refining Stage junior like me?" At this life-or-death moment, Su Bai was astonishingly calm.

"Making things difficult? Hehe." The Purple Robe Person circled behind Su Bai and extended those hands with black-painted nails.

They slipped through the gaps in the Sword Qi prison and rested against Su Bai's back.

After one's cultivation reached a profound level, one could use Spiritual Power to shield one's Spirit Root from others' inspection.

At this moment, Su Bai instinctively circulated his Spiritual Power to conceal his Spirit Root. Yet he could clearly sense that his Spirit Root was still being forcibly examined.

"What a pity. Why is it a Dual Spirit Root..."

The Purple Robe Person withdrew his hand and spoke toward the distance.

"Isn't exceptional Spirit Root aptitude even better?" The Purple Robe Person in the distance asked.

Though she had lowered her voice, it was still distinctly recognizable as a female voice.

"That is indeed the case for ordinary sects, but our Immortal Palace is different. Without inferior Spirit Roots blocking off their retreat on the Immortal Path, they will sooner or later grow fearful and withdraw while contending with the Heavenly Dao time and again and plundering all things beneath heaven."

"To us, his talent is too poor. He is not qualified to join us."

"To join us, one must at least have a Three Spirit Root."

Without anyone seeing how he moved, the Purple Robe Person had already left Su Bai's side and returned dozens of meters away.

"Let us go. We will take a look at the talents Jade Mist Sect found for us. There should be quite a bit of amusement there."

"He is somewhat special to her. Please spare him."

"Fine."

The male Purple Robe Person snapped his fingers. The Sword Qi prison dispersed, and the two Purple Robe People vanished into the Wind and Snow.

Once Sword Prison vanished, Su Bai involuntarily fell to his knees. The Spiritual Power Within Body had been thrown into disorder by Sword Prison and would need some time to recover.

Su Bai gasped for breath. That had been far too dangerous. He did not want to experience that feeling of having his life completely at another's mercy a second time.

A figure descended from the sky atop a Fan-shaped Magic Tool, slowly landing on the ground.

It was Bai Daoyuan.

Seeing Su Bai and Yang Sheng on the ground with their auras in disarray, he frowned slightly. "What did you encounter?"

Su Bai turned to look at Bai Daoyuan, trying to determine from his expression whether he had truly just arrived, or whether fear had kept him from showing himself until now.

But Bai Daoyuan's expression remained unchanged, revealing nothing unusual.

Only then did Yang Sheng climb back to his feet. Omitting some details of what had happened, he gave a brief account.

"They attacked Jade Mist Sect Disciples at a Jade Mist Sect Resource Point?"

"They are so arrogant, their crimes are truly heinous."

"From the meaning behind their words, they intend to head to Jade Mist Sect next?"

Yang Sheng and Su Bai both nodded in confirmation.

Bai Daoyuan did not dare delay either. He took out a Jade Talisman and began sending long-distance messages to the sect.

Using the Jade Talisman, he sent out multiple long-distance messages. They transformed into faint glimmers and shot skyward with whistling cries.

This place was only a hundred li from Jade Mist Sect, so the success rate for long-distance communication was extremely high.

If it were farther away, they would have to think of another method.

Bai Daoyuan examined the traces left Around Body and said, "The two of you should go back and recuperate for a few days. I will personally handle the patrols over the next few days."

His words left Su Bai somewhat surprised.

Though Bai Daoyuan was difficult to get along with, his loyalty to Jade Mist Sect was more than sufficient.

He had most likely truly only just arrived earlier, rather than being too frightened to come out.

Still, with the Purple Robe Person's strength, even if Bai Daoyuan had arrived, it would not have changed the outcome.

While Su Bai recuperated, the Outer Sect Competition among the Outer Disciples that he had missed finally began within Jade Mist Sect's mountain gate.

Jiang Han also participated in the competition.

Su Bai exchanged flying messages through Jade Talismans with his Fellow Disciples in the sect and learned of the Outer Sect Competition's progress.

The Outer Court Disciples had not mastered any profound spells. The Fireball Technique was already considered one of the spells with the highest Combat Power.

Having already advanced to Qi Refining Stage Four, Jiang Han relied on his Fire Attribute Talent to win repeatedly in the Outer Court matches, bringing considerable honor to Courtyard 32.

Only when he encountered several Disciples whose cultivation far exceeded his did he finally suffer defeat.

In the end, Jiang Han stopped at fourth place, only one step away from the top three, who received spirit pill rewards.