Chapter 130: Shielding

Throughout the journey, Bai Shengyun paced back and forth in front of Xie Yingying. Seeing him dressed in white as pristine as snow, Xie Yingying only felt a growing headache.

She feigned a smile and said, "Tell me, Bai Shengyun, why must you keep hovering in front of me?"

The smile that had been on Bai Shengyun’s face froze visibly, and the wicked charm he exuded dimmed significantly. Huo Tianqing, standing to the side, could not help but chuckle at her words.

Suppressing the coldness in his eyes, Bai Shengyun looked up with an air of delicate, wind-blown grace. "Yingying, I went to the trouble of changing my clothes just to surprise you, yet instead of winning a smile from the beauty, I have only earned your impatience." His voice was languid, laced with a hint of pathetic vulnerability.

The smile on Huo Tianqing's face stiffened, and his magnetic voice carried a trace of warning. "Bai Shengyun, do not push your luck."

When dealing with him, Bai Shengyun was far less restrained. His eyes darted toward Xie Yingying as he remarked, "Yingying, he treats me with such disdain, and yet you just stand by and watch? We are traveling companions; if he treats me this way, where does that leave you?"

Xie Yingying had intended to ignore him, but his words were not without reason. Feeling conflicted, she bit her lower lip gently. "Master..."

A vein pulsed on Huo Tianqing’s temple. As expected! Just as he had anticipated, Xie Yingying was taking his side again. This realization darkened his expression. Catching Bai Shengyun’s provocative gaze, Huo Tianqing curled his lips into a faint smile. "Why would I, as your master, bother to argue with an ignorant child?"

Enough! Looking at the arrogant tension between the two, Xie Yingying wished she could simply sink into the ground and disappear. What was all this even about?

Suddenly, Bai Shengyun leaned in, resting his chin against Xie Yingying’s collarbone. His red lips parted, radiating allure. Perhaps the term was not quite fitting for a man, but Bai Shengyun possessed a kind of seductive masculinity.

Unable to endure it any longer, Huo Tianqing struck. His sword aura was sharp and fierce, yet Bai Shengyun stood motionless. Huo Tianqing’s brow furrowed as he met the other man’s mocking gaze—only to find Xie Yingying standing before him, having intercepted the blow.

Xie Yingying’s hand trembled from the impact, and bright red blood seeped from small lacerations on her skin. Huo Tianqing froze, his expression complex.

Bai Shengyun let out a startled cry, lifting her hand to his lips. He gently sucked at the wound; the subtle pain mixed with a ticklish sensation, and the heat of his breath against her skin made Xie Yingying blush. She coughed lightly. "Master, please, do not hold a grudge against him."

Huo Tianqing snorted, offering no reply to her blatant favoritism.

Perhaps her words had some effect, for the remainder of the journey, aside from Bai Shengyun’s occasional provocations toward Huo Tianqing and his incessant flirting with Xie Yingying, everything proceeded smoothly.

Before long, the Peach Blossom Sanctuary of the Immortal Sect appeared before them. However, the darkness on Bai Shengyun’s face was almost ink-like in its intensity. He swung his sleeve, striking the silent barrier with a surge of power, but it yielded no reaction beyond a few ripples. His force was dispersed by a subtle, clever technique—a classic case of four ounces deflecting a thousand pounds.

"Damn it."

Seeing his visible displeasure, Xie Yingying stopped him from making further attempts. "I will go in myself. Wait for me here."

The words "wait for me" softened Bai Shengyun’s expression. Lifting his chin, he spoke with rare sincerity. "Can you handle it alone?"

Just as Xie Yingying was about to nod, Huo Tianqing cut in. "With me by her side, she will be perfectly fine."

"What do you mean by that?" Bai Shengyun arched a brow.

Huo Tianqing curled his lips, his eyes glinting with a hint of hard-to-detect triumph. "You are from the Evil Sect, so naturally you cannot enter. That does not mean I cannot." After all, he possessed the primordial essence of the Celestial Fox.

Swallowing the rest of his sentence, he did not wait for a rebuttal before turning to Xie Yingying. "Prepare yourself, let us head in."

Xie Yingying nodded, casting a hesitant, lingering look at Bai Shengyun. The usual wicked, charming smile was absent from his face. He had not expected Huo Tianqing to seize such an advantage. To have this much time alone with Xie Yingying must have been a delight for him—the faint smile on his lips said as much.

But what of it? Seemingly thinking of something else, Bai Shengyun’s expression brightened. He took Xie Yingying’s hand. "I cannot accompany you inside this time. You must take good care of yourself, lest someone take advantage of the situation while you are unaware."

His words were pointed, though it was unclear exactly who he was accusing. Xie Yingying chuckled, her tone tinged with helplessness. "Do not worry, I know what I am doing."

Satisfied with her response, Bai Shengyun let go. Huo Tianqing, unwilling to see them so close, felt a flicker of jealousy. "Do not waste any more time. We leave now," he said coldly. He could not stand another moment of Bai Shengyun’s affectation!

He truly wished that this detestable face would never appear before him and Xie Yingying again. Burying the malicious thought, Huo Tianqing closed his eyes, steadied his mind, and walked straight through the barrier.

Xie Yingying, urged by his command, dared not delay further. As she followed him, her sleeve was tugged by Bai Shengyun, who produced a collection of defensive talismans and shoved them into her hands.

"These are?"

"For protection. Use the purple gold bell to contact me."

Bai Shengyun knew time was short. He was brief, stuffing the artifacts into her hands all at once. The defensive treasures he produced were coveted items that people in the outside world would kill to possess. Yet, he not only produced so many at once but tossed them to her as if they were mere scraps. If word of this got out, countless people would be green with envy.

"Thank you."

Xie Yingying knew this was no time for false modesty. She stowed away the "scraps," and her figure gradually vanished from Bai Shengyun’s sight.

A shroud of white mist enveloped her, and when Xie Yingying opened her eyes again, Huo Tianqing was waiting for her a short distance away. His gaze sharpened as he noticed the small items in her hands. Clearly seeing that each one was a high-grade defensive artifact, he spoke with a hint of chill. "He is certainly generous to you."

Xie Yingying smiled and offered no response. Observing her surroundings, she steered the conversation elsewhere. "Master, have you discovered anything here?"

Turning to official business, Huo Tianqing became serious. Surveying the sacred land, he replied flatly, "All communication artifacts have lost their efficacy here."

"Lost their efficacy?"

Recalling something, Xie Yingying took out the purple gold bell and tried to signal Bai Shengyun. Just as Huo Tianqing had said, it was useless.

Huo Tianqing felt a twinge of dissatisfaction at the sight. Just as he was about to speak, a flash of white smoke appeared, and the youth from the Medicine Sect stood before them. Xie Yingying blinked, and as if sensing her question, the youth simply said, "If you wish to retrieve the sword, you must pass the test from last time."