Questions

Because Ling Xi's Starfall Spirit Array had been so overwhelmingly powerful, the white-robed Supreme's Supreme Dharma Body had been blasted apart. The backlash from its destruction instantly left her severely wounded.

The white-robed Supreme had clearly still had some trump card left unused and had intended to drag her injured body along as she played that Ancient Zither. But in the instant of her weakness, two Ice Chains coiled around her wrists.

It was an extremely peculiar sensation. The spiritual energy throughout her body was instantly sealed, impossible to mobilize, while that energy continued to surge in one direction, leaking outward from where the chains had wrapped around her.

A sense of powerlessness rose in the white-robed Supreme's heart.

What was even more unbelievable was that the one who had accomplished this was not the Spirit Array Grandmaster opposite her, but that Heaven Piercing Realm brat below whom she knew so well.

Spirit Locking Chains.

Among the many Ice Sculptures on the Ice Plains, this was currently the most useful one for Bai Ye. After forcibly opening the Ice Plains to use an Ice Sculpture, the fact that he could still stand here unharmed was at least seventy percent thanks to the Spirit Locking Chains.

Precisely because he had used them so often, he was the most adept at wielding these Ice Chains. He could better control the power they released and the cost he could bear.

He raised his head and met the white-robed Supreme's beautiful, incredulous eyes.

Just as every time he visited Qin Lian, he flashed a dazzling smile.

"Got you."

The hunt was successful.

When Ling Xi descended from the sky, the white-robed Supreme whose ability to move had been sealed was in her grasp.

The Spirit Locking Chains had only sealed the woman's spiritual energy for a short time before Bai Ye recalled them into the Ice Plains. The reason she was now behaving so obediently was entirely because Ling Xi had placed several exceedingly complex spirit arrays on her body.

In short, the Supreme expert before them had now lost most of her threat.

As for whether she still had a chance to escape, that depended on whether she was willing to fight them to the death.

If a Supreme expert truly disregarded her own life and forcibly detonated her Divine Soul and Supreme Sea, she would indeed pose some threat to them.

At the very least, their original goal of capturing her alive would go down the drain.

Then the night's gains would not have been worth the price they had paid.

However, judging by how quietly she was sitting now, she did not seem to have any intention of risking her life.

It seemed she understood that there was room for negotiation between them.

"Good work."

The moment Ling Xi landed on the ship, Bai Ye reached out and supported her by the arms, gently catching her and helping her plant both feet steadily on the deck.

Ling Xi tucked a slightly disheveled strand of hair behind her ear, her face somewhat pale.

That final spirit array had truly consumed a great deal of her spiritual energy. Even with several amplification spirit arrays supporting her, it had nearly drained her dry.

And this had only been an incomplete, flawed version. One could only imagine how terrifying the full version's consumption and power would be.

Bai Ye took two exquisite little bottles from his Mustard Seed Bracelet and handed them to Ling Xi.

"Spirit Replenishing Elixirs."

Just from the appearance of the bottles, it was obvious that the pills inside were extraordinarily valuable.

These were top-grade pills he had brought out from Ying Longcheng, treasures that could be considered among the City Lord's Mansion warehouse's finest reserves.

Normally, he would never use such rare items so casually. But if they were for Ling Xi, there was no need for hesitation whatsoever.

Ling Xi accepted the elixirs from his hand but did not take them immediately. Instead, she looked toward the pretty face revealed after the hood had been removed.

This was a female Supreme. She was fairly beautiful, but her expression had remained indifferent from beginning to end, robbing her naturally exquisite face of some of its charm.

"I didn't seal her voice. Ask her whatever you want to know."

After saying that, Ling Xi sat off to one side, leaving Bai Ye and the woman in white enough space.

Bai Ye nodded at her to show that he understood.

Her voice had not been sealed, yet she had not uttered a single word of her own accord since boarding the ship.

That meant she understood the situation and would not waste time on pointless matters. She was waiting for Bai Ye and the others to get to the point.

Tsk.

Bai Ye was all too familiar with this damned way of thinking.

"I've heard that zither piece before." Bai Ye crouched down, closing the distance between them as he smiled. "That was the Spirit Obscuring Soul Cleansing Melody, wasn't it?"

Upon hearing the words "Spirit Obscuring Soul Cleansing Melody," the woman in white's eyes shifted slightly as she looked in his direction.

Though her expression remained unchanged, that movement alone revealed her surprise.

"The Spirit Obscuring Soul Cleansing Melody is one of the Yan Tian Sect's secret arts." Bai Ye carefully recalled the contents of Si Qingyu's memory inheritance. "It is an internal cultivation art used to cleanse one's divine essence and spiritual roots, increasing the success rate of cultivating the Yan Tian Art. Its user must employ it alongside the Yan Tian Art. There is absolutely no chance it was ever passed outside the sect."

Increase the success rate of cultivating the Yan Tian Art?

The Yan Tian Sect's cultivation arts and spiritual techniques had only one requirement: the ability to maintain Absolute Rationality. Cleansing one's divine essence and spiritual roots was merely the Yan Tian Sect's internal term for it. Put simply, it meant washing away all of your emotions and feelings, forcing you to maintain Absolute Rationality.

That was also why everyone in the Qin Lian Opera House had lost their memories back then.

Because this was an eerie secret art aimed directly at the divine essence itself.

The reason Bai Ye had not lost that portion of his memory was because he himself was the ideal material for cultivating the Yan Tian Sect's arts. There was no need, nor was it possible, for him to undergo any further cleansing.

Thus, when the Yan Tian Sect still stood in the Great Thousand World, this zither piece was also used to identify which people were geniuses suited to the Yan Tian Sect's cultivation arts.

And the creator of this zither piece was Si Qingyu herself.

"Why do you know this piece?"

Bai Ye sat down cross-legged and spoke to the woman in white as though they were chatting about everyday matters.

Ever since returning from the Luo God Clan, he had been studying Si Qingyu's memory inheritance. It contained no cultivation arts or spiritual techniques, only a summary and understanding of the knowledge she had accumulated throughout her life.

Si Qingyu's description of the Spirit Obscuring Soul Cleansing Melody had been extremely detailed. Those minute details immediately reminded Bai Ye of what had happened in the Qin Lian Opera House. The descriptions matched perfectly. From that moment on, Bai Ye had basically been able to confirm that the Qin Lian Opera House was most likely connected to the Yan Tian Sect.

"How do you know that name?"

At last, it was no longer that androgynous voice. The woman's voice was hoarse as she stared at Bai Ye and asked her first question.

"I don't like having my questions answered with another question." Bai Ye looked at her and spread his hands. "How about this? Let's make a fair trade. You answer one question for me, and I'll clear up one doubt for you. Sounds fair, right?"

The woman watched him silently for a moment. Only after several seconds did she nod.

She could accept that proposal.

"First question. What's your name?"

Bai Ye spoke first.

Without any hesitation, the woman answered directly, "Yi Qingluan."

Decisive and straightforward, without the slightest bit of dragging things out.

A silver glint flashed through Bai Ye's eyes.

See Through Illusion.

Very good. She had not lied.

"Why do you know about the Spirit Obscuring Soul Cleansing Melody?"

"Because I've read records related to it."

He had not lied. He had indeed learned that the Yan Tian Sect possessed such a thing from relevant records. It was simply that those records came from the direct memories of the Yan Tian Sect's ancient Sect Leader.

"Why can you play the Spirit Obscuring Soul Cleansing Melody?"

Bai Ye asked his second question.

But this time, Yi Qingluan chose silence.

"..."

"Don't want to answer? Fine, then I'll keep asking." Bai Ye did not mind her attitude and continued, "Why was Qin Lian built in this place?"

Yi Qingluan's lips moved, but she still did not speak.

Clearly, she remained silent on this question as well.

"Why are you so concerned about news of the Cold Pool?"

"..."

"What is your relationship with the owner of the Cold Pool?"

"..."

"You..." Bai Ye narrowed his eyes. He pointed to his handsome face and said, "Don't you think my face looks very familiar?"

Only at this question did Yi Qingluan raise her head and look at Bai Ye, a trace of confusion flashing through her eyes.

Then she shook her head slightly.

Giving her answer.

"No."

"It's very unfamiliar."