In an instant, heaven and earth trembled.
Boundless formation power erupted skyward from every direction.
It then coalesced into a massive grand formation, sealing off this stretch of heaven and earth.
It was the Sect Master of the Sleeping Dragon Martial Sect who had activated the token in her hand.
And the power of the formation had actually reached the first rank of the Heavenly God Realm.
Yet upon seeing this situation, Wen Xue showed not the slightest panic.
"Master, I returned to visit you. It just so happened that Yao Yao emerged from seclusion, and the characteristics of her World Spirit nature manifested."
"I felt that since Yao Yao is ultimately a World Spirit, allowing her to cultivate normally would inevitably hinder the speed of her growth."
"By following me, I can help her gather vast amounts of origin energy, and Yao Yao's talent will be fully unleashed," Wen Xue said.
"Wen Xue, are you still going to remain obstinate? Must I resort to force against you?" the Sect Master of the Sleeping Dragon Martial Sect asked in a stern voice.
She did not believe a single word of Wen Xue's nonsense.
Wen Xue, meanwhile, dropped to both knees. She first placed the Universe Bag on the ground, then performed a grand bow of reverence.
"Master, your disciple is unfilial."
"But no matter how you regard me, in my heart, you will always be my Master."
"Wen Xue — this name is one I will never change from this day forward."
With those words, Wen Xue kowtowed.
She displayed the utmost respect for her teacher and reluctance to part.
The next moment, with a deafening boom, the sealing formation actually shattered.
Wen Xue vanished without a trace, and only the Universe Bag remained sitting on the ground.
"..."
The Sect Master of the Sleeping Dragon Martial Sect raised her head, gazing at the broken formation, her expression complex.
Only now did she realize that Wen Xue's true cultivation had already stepped into the Heavenly God Realm.
No wonder Wen Xue had been so fearless — it turned out the Sect Master's sealing formation simply couldn't hold her.
Wen Xue, relying on her formidable power, flew through the sky at tremendous speed.
But suddenly, she discovered that her velocity had slowed dramatically, until in the end she felt her body grow unbearably heavy.
She plummeted from the skies, losing all ability to stay airborne.
"Wen Xue, have you forgotten that this Sleeping Dragon Martial Sect still has me?"
An old man wearing robes, holding a horsetail whisk, but possessing the face of a monster appeared before Wen Xue without the slightest sound.
"My Lord, of course Wen Xue has not forgotten your existence."
"Were it not for the guidance you and Lord Long Xie provided, Wen Xue would never have achieved what she has today."
The moment Wen Xue laid eyes on the monstrous old man, sweat poured down her face like rain.
Even now, having unsealed her power and grown as formidable as she was, she still could not fathom the old monster's true strength.
She could be absolutely certain.
This was not a simple difference in rank.
The monstrous old man's cultivation existed on an entirely different level altogether.
"So you still remember Lord Long Xie and myself."
"And yet you dare to forcibly take Yao Yao away?" the monstrous old man asked.
"My Lord."
"Have you forgotten?"
"Wen Xue tried every means to contact you, to meet with you. It was you who refused to show yourself," Wen Xue explained.
Hearing this, the monstrous old man's gaze shifted.
Because it was true.
"So the reason you wished to meet us was to bring up the matter of Yao Yao?" the monstrous old man asked.
"Yes. I simply wanted to discuss it with you, my Lords. Had you agreed, my Master surely would not have obstructed me."
"It was because you never showed yourselves, refused to see Wen Xue, that I was forced to resort to such measures."
"Everything I just said to my Master was the absolute truth — I genuinely have Yao Yao's best interests at heart," Wen Xue explained.
"Then release Yao Yao," the monstrous old man said.
Wen Xue hurried to comply, forming hand seals. A treasure resembling a seashell floated into the air.
The shell was translucent, and inside one could see a little girl fast asleep.
This was Yao Yao.
Only now, compared to before, Yao Yao had grown considerably.
She now looked to be about six years old.
Her features were more refined than they had been in the past, having begun to fill out somewhat.
One could already faintly discern that she would grow into a beauty.
But in truth, her actual age was nowhere near six.
No one knew why her rate of growth exceeded her true age.
But that hardly mattered.
After all, Yao Yao had always been an extraordinary existence.
She was originally an evil spirit, yet nothing about her suggested such — she could cultivate in this world just like any martial cultivator.
"Is Yao Yao willing to go with you?" the monstrous old man asked.
"If she were willing, it wouldn't have come to this," Wen Xue said with an awkward laugh.
"You could force her to leave, but you can't keep her restrained forever. Do you really think this little girl will listen to you?" the monstrous old man pressed.
"I'll persuade her with gentle words. My Lord, rest assured — I would never use force against Yao Yao. I practically watched this little girl grow up. I couldn't bear to," Wen Xue said.
The monstrous old man flicked his horsetail whisk and forced the shell open.