The three seated figures opened their eyes almost at the same time. Zhang Yan was already on his feet, peering beyond the array barrier.
Mu Ningzhu and Yunxi released their spiritual sense nearly in unison, scanning the situation outside. Qin Tongshuang had already drawn her sword, alert and ready.
The moment Yunxi extended her spiritual sense, she caught sight of familiar faces. It was the disciples from Baihua Tower they'd encountered at the teahouse. But now, their group had been reduced in number. Only two remained, and they were under siege.
Their attackers were four cultivators clad in black, faces obscured. Yunxi probed their cultivation—each one was at the late Foundation Establishment stage. Her brows furrowed. Why had the Baihua Tower disciples provoked such formidable enemies?
Mu Ningzhu's expression darkened as well. She turned and instructed Qin Tongshuang, "Xiao Shuang, raise the array's defenses to the maximum."
"Yes."
Qin Tongshuang, understanding the gravity of the situation, immediately complied. She made a series of hand seals, boosting the barrier's defense, then silently returned to Mu Ningzhu's side.
Yunxi whispered, "Senior Sister Mu, those are the Baihua Tower cultivators we met the other day. Should we reveal ourselves?"
Mu Ningzhu kept her eyes fixed on the approaching six figures, her tone hesitant. "Let's observe a little longer. We still don't know the reason behind the conflict. Acting rashly might bring more trouble than it's worth."
Zhang Yan, who had remained silent until now, gripped his staff tightly and said in a low voice, "Martial Uncle Mu, those black-robed attackers look like evil cultivators."
Yunxi's eyes widened. She had read about evil cultivators, but this was the first time she had encountered any in person.
Unable to help herself, she stepped forward and stared at the four black-robed cultivators, trying to glean some clue from their behavior.
Mu Ningzhu's frown deepened. This wasn't just a matter of whether they should act—the real question was whether they could. Of the four of them, two were at early Foundation Establishment, and two were still in the late Qi Refining stage. How were they supposed to stand up to four late Foundation Establishment cultivators?
She glanced at Wei Yunxi, who was clearly brimming with curiosity. It gave her a headache. "Although Junior Sister Wei had reached the Foundation Establishment stage, she had barely any combat experience. If a fight broke out, she'd be charging straight to her death."
Meanwhile, the six outside were moving while fighting and getting closer by the second. Mu Ningzhu still hadn't thought of a strategy.
At this moment, Yu Qingcheng and her Senior Brother Liu Haotian, who were under siege, had clearly reached their limit. They hadn't expected these black-robed enemies to be so relentless.
Yu Qingcheng's phoenix eyes were full of frustration. She shouted, "Don't push your luck! This is Wei Yu Realm, not some lawless corner of the world. We've already sent a distress signal. If you don't want to be surrounded, you'd better back off now."
But the four attackers showed no reaction. They didn't say a word. Their strikes grew fiercer. Each of them wielded a curved blade that gleamed with an eerie red light every time it slashed, giving off an ominous aura.
Yu Qingcheng and Liu Haotian's robes were already torn with slash marks. Liu Haotian, in particular, had a gash across his face. The wound had begun to blacken, likely due to the influence of demonic energy, severely weakening his combat power despite being at the late Foundation Establishment stage.
Liu Haotian's handsome face had turned deathly pale, with a certain sickly beauty to it. He gritted his teeth and said coldly, "Junior Sister, stop talking. They're not letting us go. It's either run or die. I will never become someone's cauldron."
Yu Qingcheng bit her lip and said nothing more. She raised her hand and threw a second-grade lightning talisman, momentarily forcing their attackers to retreat, then grabbed her Senior Brother's hand and fled once again.
Inside the formation, the four hidden cultivators had heard every word of their exchange. It was a lot to take in, and their expressions varied.
The word "cauldron" struck a nerve with Yunxi. She had seen this term in cultivator miscellanies. evil cultivators often forced others to serve as cauldrons, absorbing their cultivation through violent means. It was a brutal and predatory method of cultivation.
"Martial Uncle Mu, what do we do?" Zhang Yan asked.
Mu Ningzhu didn't know either. Even if she wanted to help, they didn't have the strength to do so. If she got her junior siblings killed trying, it would be unforgivable. Her best option for now was simply to stay out of it.
Yunxi didn't want to get dragged into a mess either, but judging from the way the fight was headed straight toward them, it was only a matter of time before they were discovered. In that case, they might as well act first.
She spoke up, "Senior Sister Mu, we should make the first move instead of waiting to be exposed."
Mu Ningzhu frowned. "I'd like to, but the four of us wouldn't even make a dent in their lineup. We'd fail to rescue anyone and end up dying ourselves."
Qin Tongshuang stayed quiet, turning over the idea of using her emergency teleportation talisman to get them all out of there.
Zhang Yan only tightened his grip on his weapon. He knew he wasn't strong enough to join the battle and remained silent.
Yunxi's eyes lit up with a sudden thought. "Senior Sister Mu, what if we bluff?"
Mu Ningzhu turned to her. "Bluff how?"
Yunxi didn't waste time. "The array blocks outside senses. They can't tell who or what's inside. I'll say I'm out here training with my master, and we happened to come across injustice."
"You're trying to trick them into thinking there's a high-level cultivator inside?" Qin Tongshuang immediately caught on.
"Yes."
"What if they don't believe you?" Zhang Yan asked.
"Then we make them believe. I have a treasure my mother gave me for emergencies that can fake a higher cultivation aura. This is the perfect time to use it."
Yunxi hoped they could resolve this without a fight.
Mu Ningzhu's eyes lit up. She glanced at Yunxi, then reached into her storage pouch and pulled out a pair of white jade pendants that clearly belonged to high-grade artifacts.
"Wear these. If you're claiming to be a high-level cultivator's disciple, you'll need a few powerful-looking items."
She also handed over a new inner sect robe from the Haoran Sect, a subtle way to reinforce the identity.
Qin Tongshuang understood Mu Ningzhu's intention. As much as she didn't want to admit it, Yunxi, at only ten years old and already at the Foundation Establishment stage, really did have the potential to be a powerful cultivator's disciple.
She took out a white jade belt from her own storage pouch. It radiated a faint chill as she tied it around Yunxi's waist and whispered, "This was refined from a thousand-year ice crystal. It should help you look the part."
Yunxi gently touched it. The cold aura seeped into her meridians, making her feel oddly refreshed. She couldn't help but feel a bit envious.
Zhang Yan dug around his storage pouch for a long while but couldn't find anything suitable for a female cultivator. He gave up with a sigh.
Once Yunxi was fully equipped, everyone nodded in approval. She stepped forward, ready to exit the array.
Mu Ningzhu reminded her, "If the bluff doesn't work, retreat into the array. As long as we hold out until dawn, they'll withdraw. Don't try to be a hero."
Qin Tongshuang added, "If the situation turns dire, we run. As long as we act without regret, that's enough."
Zhang Yan said nothing, only watching Yunxi step out of the formation.
Her sudden appearance brought the battle to an abrupt halt. All six combatants froze.
With an arrogant tilt of her head, Yunxi declared, "Tch. Since when were evil cultivators this bold? Disturbing my master's peace? Are you leaving on your own, or shall I ask my master to step in personally?"