Chapter 44: What Did the Senior Leave Behind?

"Activate the formation!" Qi Hong's heart skipped a beat. Ignoring his injuries, he channeled all his spiritual power, summoning a barrier in an attempt to block the red light filling the sky.

The other elders also snapped back to their senses and forcefully mobilized their spiritual power. Spouting blood as they pushed their limits, they conjured a translucent barrier overhead in a split second.

However, it was completely useless. The barrier shattered the instant it touched the red light.

All the elders coughed up blood in unison.

"Master!" Jing, who suffered from severe social anxiety, cried out from behind.

Seeing that all defenses had failed and the overwhelming red light was descending, poised to pierce right through everyone—if only Senior Chu were here, if only...

Wait!

Jing suddenly remembered something. At the critical moment of life and death, he pulled a spherical object from his pouch and threw it into the air.

The next instant, a blinding white light flared up, and a screen of light abruptly materialized. Followed by a series of crisp, clanging sounds, the overwhelming red light was instantly blocked on the outside, unable to advance even an inch further.

"This... this is..." Qi Hong and the others stared in shock at the glowing little orb suspended in the air.

So many of them joining forces hadn't been able to withstand the red light for even a single second, yet this thing had blocked it just like that? Besides, the glowing aura surrounding them didn't look like a standard barrier at all!

"This is a magical artifact Senior Chu gave me earlier," Jing explained hurriedly, his social anxiety remarkably improved in the face of life and death.

Earlier, when he planned to train in the Endless Sea, although Senior Chu had already negotiated with the exotic beasts, she had still shoved this orb into his hands just in case, calling it a defensive artifact. He hadn't expected it to actually fend off this terrifying red light.

"Senior said that in a crisis, it can be activated with spiritual power!" He channeled his spiritual power into the orb, continuously expanding the layer of white light until it abruptly forced the overwhelming red light back by dozens of feet.

So that was it. Everyone let out a collective sigh of relief. "Senior is truly visionary, actually preparing such an artifact for you in advance."

If you had such a good thing, why didn't you take it out sooner?!

"Senior Chu..." Zhen Yi nearby froze for a moment, then suddenly raised his hand and shouted, "I! I have some too! Sister Xiao Ci gave me some things before as well."

Everyone instantly snapped their heads around to stare at him.

"Though it's not an artifact, just talisman papers." Zhen Yi weakly pulled out from his storage pouch—a massive stack of talisman papers.

The elders: "..." Is that just "some"? That's a whole stack, isn't it?!

As expected, Senior Chu was truly good to these brats, leaving each of them with a means to save their lives. The elders and beasts couldn't help but feel a tinge of envy.

"What are you waiting for? Hurry up and try them!" Yu Xuan urged, clutching his chest as he popped a medicinal pill.

"Oh, oh!" Zhen Yi hastily pulled out a single talisman paper and tossed it into the sky beyond the light barrier.

The next moment, a flurry of sword light erupted, slashing wildly toward the dense swarm of red light and actually pushing it back by a fair margin.

"It works! It really works!" Everyone beamed with joy and hurriedly urged Zhen Yi to continue.

Unfortunately, the puppets transformed into too much red light, and their extreme speed had already completely surrounded the area. Zhen Yi's talismans were limited in number; while they could hold off the threat temporarily, they weren't enough to carve out a path of survival for everyone, and there was no telling how long the light barrier could hold.

Thus, everyone collectively turned their heads to stare at the last remaining person behind the two disciples.

Spill it, what did Senior give you?

Feng Ting: "..."

Startled by the blazing gazes fixed upon her, she shuddered and instinctively tried to hide behind someone. Looking around, she remembered that Qiu Ci wasn't here, so she grabbed Zhen Yi by the collar and yanked him in front of her as a human shield.

"Sister Xiao Ci also gave me a talisman, but... there's only one!" Feng Ting peeked out weakly from behind Zhen Yi's shoulder.

"I knew it!" Everyone rejoiced. Huo Zhentian's eyes gleamed brightly as he hurried to say, "Don't be afraid, disciple! Senior Chu values you the most. Surely the talisman she left you is extraordinary and will definitely break through these eerie puppets."

Feng Ting drew out the talisman Qiu Ci had given her. "Then... I'll try it?"

Everyone nodded frantically.

Only then did Feng Ting mobilize her spiritual power to directly trigger the talisman in her hand. Instantly, a white light far more blinding than any of the previous talismans flared up. Countless talismanic characters flickered and began to spin, merging and swirling as if trying to form a magical array.

Seeing the white light grow brighter and brighter, the elders gasped in astonishment.

"This spiritual energy is several times stronger than before! This talisman is truly extraordinary!"

"We're saved! The talisman can actually merge with a formation; it's condensing a grand array!"

"Eh? Why does this formation look a bit familiar?"

"Could it be... a teleportation array?!"

"But some parts seem to... drawn backward..."

Crack!

Before they had time to voice their confusion, the next moment, a familiar figure abruptly materialized right before their eyes.

There sat the person cross-legged on the ground, cradling a long skirt in her lap. With a silver needle in one hand and the end of a thread held between her lips, she looked fully prepared to start sewing at a moment's notice. It was none other than the elusive Senior Chu herself.

Feng Ting: "..."

Everyone: "..."

Chu Qiucci: "..."

Silence hung heavily in the air for a split second!

"Senior... Senior Chu?" Qi Hong called out uncertainly, even rubbing his eyes, fearing he was hallucinating.

"Hi~~ How is everyone here?" Qiu Ci waved a greeting, spotted Feng Ting standing nearby, and immediately understood. "Oh, so Feng Ting used that teleportation talisman."

Only then did everyone realize that it really had been just a teleportation talisman, albeit a reverse-direction one that teleported the target straight to the caster.

So this was the trump card Senior Chu had left for Feng Ting?

Well... truly powerful. Is there anything more foolproof than Senior coming to the rescue in person?!

Just... why on earth was Senior Chu sewing a dress? Had Senior's life truly become so destitute?

Was this the reason she was late—because she found out her skirt was damaged halfway here?

Thinking carefully, ever since Senior arrived at the Profound Sky Sect, she had constantly protected the entire sect. Cultivation manuals and secret techniques were handed out casually, and rare heavenly treasures were given away by the pile—she possessed the absolute demeanor of an ultimate expert. Therefore, they had never once considered whether such an expert might be lacking in basic daily necessities, such as... spirit stones?

Furthermore, it seemed... they honestly... probably... genuinely had never issued any spirit stones or sect resources to Senior. Looking closely, what Senior was wearing right now was still the standard uniform of a miscellaneous chore disciple, not any sort of high-grade immortal garment.

So because of this, Senior had been forced to sew her own clothes!

The more they thought about it, the more they felt it must be true. The more they pondered, the more heartbroken they became.

They... were utterly damned!

(;Д`)

*****

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away.

Ban Mu, standing shirtless...

Stared at the spot where someone had suddenly vanished, remaining frozen in silence for three full seconds while feeling the gentle breeze brush against a certain exposed area.

The next moment, a roar of fury shook the heavens.

"You damned swindler, I will never share the same sky with you!"