The Trial Grounds located on the surface of the Eastern Sea were unexpectedly vast, dotted with countless small islands along the way. The larger ones spanned hundreds of miles, while the smaller ones could be circled in just a quarter of an hour. Not every island was occupied by monstrous creatures, nor did every one bear the Demon Vermilion Fruit.
Three days had passed, and the few Demon Vermilion Fruits on the outer ring of islands had long been picked clean. Most of the two hundred disciples participating in the trial had moved to the inner sea area, leaving Li Fei and her four companions behind in the outer ring, enjoying a rare few days of leisure.
Baili Gelin ran barefoot along the beach, lifting her skirt to reveal a pair of snow-white calves as she dashed toward the azure sea. Golden light flickered in her palm as her Supreme Harmony Art pierced through a fish, sending it belly-up to the surface.
She held up the large fish and ran back triumphantly, startling Yan Fei, who was building a fire, and Lu Li, who was gathering dry wood.
"Look! How about this fish?" She tossed the fish in front of them like a prized treasure, beaming with pride. "Much bigger than the one you caught yesterday, right, Senior Brother Lu?"
Lu Li's gaze lingered on the fish for only a moment before flickering over her exposed calves and arms. His brows furrowed again, and he turned away without a word. Yan Fei watched his retreating figure and chuckled awkwardly. "What's with him?"
Baili Gelin shrugged. "Who knows? Such a prude! How can you catch fish without rolling up your sleeves or showing your legs? Women in the Eastern Sea walk around with their chests exposed all the time! He might as well poke his eyes out!"
Yan Fei tried to mediate. "Gelin, you're not from the Eastern Sea, so maybe Senior Brother Lu is just looking out for you. Girls from the Central Land have such fair skin—it’s bound to draw attention if you show it."
Just then, Li Fei and Lei Xiuyuan emerged from the island's thickets, one carrying an armful of wild fruits and the other holding five full water pouches.
The moment Baili Gelin spotted Lei Xiuyuan, her eyes lit up. "Lei Xiuyuan! Start a fire and grill this fish! We've been waiting for you!"
Lei Xiuyuan's skill at grilling fish and meat was unparalleled. The same ingredients, once handled by him, tasted entirely different. If he ever gave up cultivation, he could easily make a fortune as a chef.
Without hesitation, he started the fire, gutted the fish, and split it into two halves to roast slowly over the flames. Soon, the mingled scents of fishy brine and savory aroma rose in the air, drawing even Lu Li back despite himself. The group stared eagerly at the two fish halves, waiting to dig in.
Li Fei washed a couple of fruits and sat on the sand, nibbling on one while admiring the scenery. The sky was a clear blue, the endless sea stretched before her, and the silver sand at the island's edge felt as soft as cotton. The seaside beauty was utterly mesmerizing. It was a shame Ri Yan was asleep again—otherwise, he could have enjoyed this tranquil and stunning view too.
Suddenly, one of the fruits beside her was snatched away. Lei Xiuyuan sat down next to her with a skewer of grilled fish, taking a bite of the fruit first. His brows furrowed slightly. "...So sour."
Nonsense! It was perfectly sweet! Li Fei grabbed the fruit back and took a bite, glaring at him. "Hey, it's clearly sweet."
Lei Xiuyuan laughed and reclaimed the fruit, saying calmly, "Hmm, now it is sweet."
He was doing it on purpose again! Li Fei wanted to jump up and pummel him. Was this really so fun? Was it?!She turned her head away, ignoring him. The fruit that had tasted sweet now seemed bitter in her mouth. He lightly tapped her head a few more times, but Li Fei still refused to look back. She silently gazed at the distant horizon where the deep and light blue waters blended together. After what felt like an eternity, she suddenly noticed several small black dots rapidly approaching from that direction.
Li Fei abruptly stood up, squinting for a moment before exclaiming in alarm, "Someone's coming!"
The group, who had been eating fish, immediately grew alert. Yan Fei swiftly extinguished the fire, while Baili Gelin cast an Illusion Spell to conceal any traces of their presence on the beach. Li Fei raised her hand and layered an Invisibility Spell over them, masking both their spiritual energy and the scent of the Demon Vermilion Fruit.
Before long, the sound of rushing wind filled the air as two figures landed on the sand—Ye Ye and Ji Tongzhou. Ye Ye was covered in blood, his expression dazed, while Ji Tongzhou supported him, his face etched with worry. "Are you alright?!" he cried.
Baili Gelin nearly screamed in shock and was about to rush forward when a sharp gust of wind overhead made her freeze. A massive crab demon descended from the sky, carrying several people on its back, their attire resembling that of Sea Sect Disciples.
Ji Tongzhou helped Ye Ye retreat a few steps, his voice icy. "I never expected the Sea Sect to be so vicious and deceitful! What reason do you have to attack us out of nowhere? Aren’t you afraid of provoking conflict between our sects?"
A woman standing atop the crab demon retorted angrily, "It was your Mountain Sect who attacked first! My junior sister is still missing—her fate unknown! We’re only returning the favor!"
Yan Fei gasped. "That’s my senior sister’s voice! She’s okay!"
Another voice from the crab demon sneered, "Why waste words with them? The Mountain Sect is full of scum—kill them on sight!"
The crab demon suddenly raised its massive claw, swinging it down at the two. Ji Tongzhou, unable to endure any longer, summoned a fiery lotus at his chest, ready to strike. But just then, an enormous, grotesque green Centipede demon emerged from nowhere, blocking the attack. Baili Gelin yanked both Ji Tongzhou and Ye Ye onto the Centipede demon’s back, her face pale with fury. "Think you can bully the few with your numbers? I’ll keep you company!"
Before she could finish speaking, vines erupted from the sand, twisting like giant serpents and ensnaring the crab demon, rendering it helpless. As Baili Gelin prepared to unleash her Li Fire Art, someone abruptly grabbed her arm. Lu Li’s cold voice hissed in her ear, "Have you lost your mind? Killing your own sect members?"
She shook him off, about to retort, when Li Fei dispelled the Invisibility Spell. Yan Fei dashed forward excitedly, waving and shouting, "Senior sister! Senior sister! Over here!"
A striking young woman with short, dark hair and intricate black markings on her forehead leaped down from the crab demon. Seeing Yan Fei unharmed, she burst into tears. "Heavens be praised! You’re safe! I was terrified those bastards had killed you!"
Yan Fei urgently explained, "Senior sister, it’s a misunderstanding! The Mountain Sect has good people too! They saved me and even helped me retrieve the Demon Vermilion Fruit! Look—" She pulled out two carefully wrapped fruits from her robe.
The woman eyed Li Fei and the others suspiciously, letting out a cold snort but saying nothing.Li Fei had already cast a healing net over Ye Ye, whose injuries were far more severe than Yan Fei's earlier wounds. A bloody hole had been pierced through his right abdomen, leaving him in critical condition. These Sea Sect disciples had truly struck with vicious force! She couldn't help feeling furious, yet ultimately it was the Mountain Sect's Long Mingzuo who had provoked this incident. After a pause, she turned to Ji Tongzhou and asked, "What happened?"
Ji Tongzhou seemed momentarily stunned to see them all gathered here. After a long pause, he finally replied, "I happened to meet Ye Ye and these Sea Sect disciples, so we formed a temporary team. But this morning, we encountered that woman—I don't know what she said to them, but they suddenly attacked without warning. Ye Ye couldn't react in time and was gravely injured like this. They outnumbered us, and with Ye Ye's condition worsening, I had no choice but to flee with him to this place."
Lu Li frowned deeply and stepped forward. "Every grievance has its cause, every debt its debtor. As fellow Sea Sect disciples, how could you harm innocent people?"
Four more Sea Sect disciples leaped down from the crab demon's back. One of them sneered coldly, "What good are these Central Land scoundrels anyway? They started this conflict—they should bear the consequences!"
Baili Gelin studied them closely, finding them increasingly familiar—they seemed like those Guangshenghui members they'd encountered before. Suddenly, she too jumped down from the Centipede demon's head, striding forward until she stood directly before them. "I was wondering who it could be. So it's you lot."
The group noticed she wore Eastern Sea attire, revealing generous glimpses of snow-white skin, radiant and dazzling—it was none other than the beauty from the Myriad Immortals Assembly they'd met at the tavern.
Shi Cheng Tian, the leader of Guangshenghui, immediately smiled. "So it's Miss Ge Lin! Why are you still mingling with these Mountain Sect thieves? Why not join our side? We already have two Demon Vermilion Fruits—just one more and we'll complete the trial. Then we can easily capture a couple of Mountain Sect members and breeze through the rest!"
Baili Gelin's blazing eyes fixed on him as she suddenly smiled sweetly and whispered, "How impressive. Was it you who injured him?"
At first, Shi Cheng Tian merely smiled without answering. But though her smile was charming, her eyes glinted with cold fury, sending a faint chill down his spine. He replied solemnly, "Miss Ge Lin, why trouble yourself with anger over a few Mountain Sect thieves? You belong to the Sea Sect now—don't forget where your loyalties lie."
Baili Gelin took slow, deliberate steps toward him. Sensing danger, Shi Cheng Tian refused to retreat for the sake of pride, yet he was both unwilling and reluctant to engage her in magical combat. This was supposed to be a conflict between Mountain and Sea Sects—how had it turned into infighting among Sea Sect disciples? He immediately summoned an Earth Defense, watching her warily.
She walked right up to him, pressing so close they nearly touched, then raised her eyes to study his face intently. Shi Cheng Tian hadn't expected her to close the distance like this—suddenly, her delicate fragrance enveloped him, her pale face so near it was both intimidating and tantalizing.
She examined his brows, nose, lips, and chin with meticulous attention before parting her crimson lips to whisper, "I'll remember your face. Always."
Remember his face? What did she mean?
Baili Gelin turned away with a cold laugh, walking off as she declared, "One day, I'll repay you tenfold for the pain he suffered! If you value your life, stay hidden in Guangshenghui and never show your face again!"
At these words, the Sea Sect disciples erupted in fury. The female Guangshenghui disciple stepped forward and snapped, "Is that a threat?! If you've got the guts, settle this today! I'll gladly spar with you!"She flung out a talisman paper, which transformed into a massive tiger demon wreathed in flames upon hitting the ground. Its thunderous growls were utterly ferocious.
Baili Gelin didn't even glance back as she leapt onto the Centipede demon's back, seating herself beside Ye Ye. Seeing his lips blue-white and his face covered in blood, with several strands of long hair stuck to his forehead by the gore, she gently brushed them aside and slowly wiped away the dried blood with her fingers.
The female disciple from Guangshenghui grew even angrier—they were completely ignoring her. The lone tiger demon stood pitifully on the beach, but if she recalled it now, where would her pride be?
"Too scared? You coward!" she shouted furiously. The tiger demon leapt into the air, pouncing toward Baili Gelin.
A massive ice pillar suddenly plummeted from the sky, encasing the tiger demon in solid ice. Lu Li's palm shimmered with cold light as he spoke icily, "Why must the Ocean Sect fight amongst ourselves here? Please recall your tiger demon, miss. Let this matter end here. This is the first gathering of the Mountain and Ocean Sects—let us not defy the elders' intentions."
As he finished speaking, the ice pillar shattered, and the tiger demon fell to the ground, where the Guangshenghui disciple retrieved it into her talisman paper. She glanced back at Shi Cheng Tian, who shook his head. "...Let's go."
The scent of Demon Vermilion Fruit clung to all of them—this was what unsettled him most. There were only four of them, yet they had obtained so many Demon Vermilion Fruits? Clearly, each was formidable. If this continued, who knew who would come out worse?
Yan Fei looked around hesitantly, torn. Her senior sister pulled her along. "Yan Fei, let's go. From now on, we must be more careful about who we trust. Don't fall for those wicked Mountain Sect tricks again."
Yan Fei was reluctant but had no choice. Things had escalated so suddenly, and it was her senior sister who had provoked it, angering Ge Lin to such an extent. She had no face to stay. She took out a carefully wrapped Demon Vermilion Fruit from her robe and handed it to Lu Li, murmuring, "I'm sorry. I'm leaving. Thank you. This is for you."
Watching them all depart, Lu Li secretly sighed in relief. He turned to glance at Baili Gelin, his brow furrowing as he prepared to step forward and reprimand her—only for his sleeve to be caught by Li Fei. She shook her head at him. "Don't go over. Let her be alone for now."
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