Tianyan Sect, Peak of One Big Happy Family.
Chen Baiqing lowered her head slightly, looking at the book in her hands that had not been turned for a long time. The tea she had brewed earlier had long gone cold.
Originally, she had intended to brew it for her master, but he had left before finishing it.
Her fellow disciples had also been instructed by their master to cultivate properly. After some chatting and joking, they had each gone about their own business.
Chen Baiqing had also planned to leave, following her master's advice to cultivate well. She was not far from the Nascent Soul realm. But she had been called aside separately by her second senior brother.
Li Xingtian's expression was serious. He had not sat down, but stood straight.
Facing the situation that had been silent for a long time, Li Xingtian could only speak again: "Third Junior Sister, there isn't much time left. You need to make your choice. After this is over, you can tell Master that I deceived you, that I privately falsified Master's orders."
Chen Baiqing gently closed the book upon hearing this: "As far as I know, Master has already made thorough preparations for this trip to Yuzhou City…"
"That's not enough!" Li Xingtian slapped his hand on the table, his tone slightly sharp. "The Celestial Demons' methods go far beyond this. Master is certainly careful, but he has still underestimated them. Moreover, Master's cultivation is still only at the Integration realm. Those Celestial Demons are all at the peak of Tribulation Transcendence. It is far from safe!"
Chen Baiqing looked at her second senior brother's pressing expression and pursed her lips lightly.
Although her second senior brother's face was somewhat fierce, and regardless of how he spoke outside, among the fellow disciples he was probably the one with the best reputation.
His current sharp attitude showed he took this extremely seriously. As for deeper reasons, Chen Baiqing controlled her instinct not to think too much.
Trust the people of your own sect. This was her master's teaching.
Chen Baiqing looked up and asked: "Then why didn't you tell Master before he left?"
"Master wouldn't listen."
"How do you know Master wouldn't listen?"
"Because Master feels that doing so would be equivalent to selling out Wukong and the Radiant Buddha completely."
"Then why not discuss it with Eldest Senior Sister? Besides me, Eldest Senior Sister could also handle it."
"Eldest Senior Sister will mock Master to his face, but in reality she trusts him the most. She thinks whatever Master arranges is excellent, and she considers me foolish. She would only advise me not to cause trouble."
Chen Baiqing agreed with this assessment. She then asked: "Then why do you need me to do it, Second Senior Brother? You could handle it yourself."
"Because only you can do it. There are some things that would be useless if I did them. I would still have to explain a lot, but you wouldn't need to. Time is most urgent." Li Xingtian's expression was serious. "Master's safety—no amount of caution is excessive."
Chen Baiqing was silent for a moment longer. Then she looked up at Li Xingtian again, her tone extremely serious: "Second Senior Brother, I will naturally believe what you say. I can do what you ask. I only have one question for you."
Li Xingtian's expression paused, then relaxed. He slowly sat down: "Ask."
"Second Senior Brother, what exactly are you hiding?"
Chen Baiqing looked directly at Li Xingtian: "Second Senior Brother, as long as you answer me seriously, I will set out immediately."
Li Xingtian's gaze did not evade. He also looked directly at Chen Baiqing: "I cannot answer you. But I can only say that I would never harm Master or everyone."
Chen Baiqing took a light breath and slowly stood up: "Second Senior Brother, you've also learned Master's bad habits. But in the future, when Master hates me for acting on my own, you'll have to plead on my behalf. As long as everything turns out fine, I just don't want Master to hate me."
Hearing Chen Baiqing agree, Li Xingtian felt a weight lift from his heart and nodded lightly: "How could Master hate you? Everything is my idea alone."
"Additionally, there is one more thing. After you finish this matter, please return to the Tianyan Sect immediately and begin breaking through to the Golden Core realm."
"Strive to break through as soon as possible, even if it means your foundation is a bit watery."
Hearing this, Chen Baiqing's gaze tightened again on her second senior brother, who seemed like a different person these days.
Everything he said, everything he asked her to do, was strange and inexplicable. Even his attitude was urgently impatient.
It was as if he was preparing for the most desperate outcome for what Master was doing, even though Master's preparations were already at the extreme.
Regarding breaking through realms, Master always advised to take it slow, that a solid foundation was most important.
But her second senior brother now…
"Alright… Baiqing understands."
Chen Baiqing nodded again in agreement.
Hearing Chen Baiqing agree so readily, Li Xingtian's expression changed for a moment. He opened his mouth to speak, but then fell silent again.
Finally, he spoke slowly: "It's Second Senior Brother's problem… I just ask this of you, Third Junior Sister."
Chen Baiqing shook her head lightly, then cupped her hands: "I simply trust Second Senior Brother."
After saying this, Chen Baiqing turned and left.
From the very beginning, her second senior brother had stopped her and inexplicably discussed today's matter.
Li Xingtian's request was that on the day Master departed, Chen Baiqing would immediately transmit to the Western Niu Continent to meet Daoist Yuyang, falsely report Master's orders, and have the Taidao Sect summon their Tribulation Transcendence cultivators—even those in the Western Niu Continent—to depart for Yuzhou City immediately.
And they were not to hide their tracks. Instead, they were to fly at full speed, heading directly to Yuzhou City as fast as possible.
This was equivalent to showing their hand openly. Without Tribulation Transcendence cultivators holding the line, the Buddhas on the Pudu River had not yet fully left. And within, there was still the Venerable Buddha Runan.
The reason Venerable Buddha Runan's actions in the Western Niu Continent were not significant was largely because of the Tribulation Transcendence cultivators currently stationed there.
But once this move was made—
as long as the Buddhist sect was willing, they could march across the entire Western Niu Continent.
Wukong and the Radiant Buddha would absolutely not be able to escape with their lives under the hands of so many Buddhist Tribulation Transcendence cultivators.
Even the territory they had originally held firm in the Western Niu Continent would be cleanly returned to the Buddhist sect.
If it were lost again… there was an eighty percent chance it would never be recovered.
Opportunity only came once.
Once Chen Baiqing went to falsely report, she would have to bear the consequences of all these things.
This was equivalent to smashing all of her master's arrangements. The situation would absolutely become extremely chaotic.
Such behavior was no different from being a traitor.
When she had first heard Li Xingtian's proposal, Chen Baiqing had only wondered if her second senior brother was joking and had not taken it seriously.
But now, her second senior brother's seriousness made Chen Baiqing realize that he was extremely earnest.
Chen Baiqing's heart was heavy. In a situation like this, even if Master doted on her the most…
even being expelled from the sect, Chen Baiqing felt was very possible.
The reason Li Xingtian's words had moved Chen Baiqing the most was not his genuine emotional display or his anxious expression…
It was her master's safety.
The arrangements Master had made were indeed very solid. But what if? Master was only at Integration…
Whether it was the Western Niu Continent or all of Master's calculations—
none of it mattered compared to Master's safety.
If…
As long as Master was safe, Chen Baiqing felt that even being expelled from the sect would be acceptable.
Chen Baiqing suppressed her emotions and walked outward.
Li Xingtian watched Chen Baiqing's departing figure. His expression suddenly grew somewhat desolate, and he murmured softly: "It must succeed…"
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