"Yo! Old Feng, you can't say it like that,"
At this moment, across from the elder, a man in his mid-twenties, holding a feather fan, chuckled, "What if they're not willing to join your Dao Sect? Can you force them?"
"That's right! Who they belong to still depends on their own wishes!"
Hearing these words, the elder's expression clearly soured.
To put it bluntly, a monstrous talent with a heavenly aptitude of 98 points was incredibly rare, not an exaggeration to say it was a once-in-a-century occurrence.
Since such a figure had appeared, the other factions naturally couldn't sit still.
As things stood, with three other factions coveting the talent, the elder could only swallow his anger.
Otherwise, he would easily become the target of public criticism.
"Old Feng, your Dao Sect already has a peerless talent. Why compete with us? Even if the previous genius is monstrous, can they compare to the White-Clad Immortal?" the fan-wielding man narrowed his eyes and spoke again.
Upon hearing the mention of the White-Clad Immortal, everyone's expression shifted slightly, and they immediately fell silent.
After all, in that secluded realm, the mere four words "White-Clad Immortal" were enough to drive countless people to madness.
The reason for their frenzy, besides the White-Clad Immortal's invincible strength, was even more importantly, a declaration she made years ago:
"Among the younger generation, if anyone can see through my true appearance, they may become my lifelong companion."
This statement sent shockwaves through the entire secluded realm at the time.
It was a literal earthquake.
Because after she uttered these words, countless prodigies from various sects expressed their overwhelming joy, and even Dao Mountain itself trembled.
This showed how supremely high the White-Clad Immortal's status was in that place.
However, several years had passed.
Let alone catching a glimpse of the White-Clad Immortal's face, not a single heterosexual individual had even dared to approach within ten miles of her.
It wasn't because they were afraid to approach, but because no one could withstand the beating.
That's right!
No one could withstand the beating.
If there was one imperfection about the White-Clad Immortal, it was her "slight" violent tendency.
Coupled with her truly heaven-defying strength, the fate of those who attempted to approach her... was self-evident.
Yet, despite this, the White-Clad Immortal's status in that place remained unshakeable.
Even if these prodigies couldn't win the Immortal's heart, they were still willing to revere her as their goddess and become her most loyal protectors.
Therefore, with the existence of these protectors, the difficulty of approaching the White-Clad Immortal again increased several notches.
Thus, in the hearts of countless people, the name "Xia Baiyi" had already become a legend.
...
"Qing Mo! I disagree with you saying that!" After a long silence, the elder said coldly to the man with the feather fan, "I heard that one of your Demonic Cult's Grand Elders recently brought back a little girl with monstrous talent. If that's the case, what are you still competing for?"
"Nonsense... Nonsense! This... this is all a rumor! Our Demonic Cult..."
"Enough! Old ghost Qing Mo, you don't need to explain!" the sword-wielding man interrupted, "Your Grand Elder has already bragged about it to the ancestors of all our sects."
"Wh-what?"
Hearing this, Qing Mo felt his head spin.
How could such a thing be revealed to outsiders?
Shouldn't this information be suppressed and cultivated in secret?
"Grand Elder! What were you thinking!"
At this moment, Qing Mo felt a headache coming on.
"Alright! None of you need to argue anymore."
At this time, the only woman among the four spoke, "Once we find that genius, we'll let them decide for themselves how to choose!"
Upon hearing this, although the elder was reluctant, he could only nod.
"Then we must speed up. It's not suitable for us to linger outside for too long," Qing Mo said in a deep voice.
"Indeed!"
The middle-aged man said, "If I remember correctly, this place is closest to the Dragon Phoenix Pavilion. To find out who this genius is, we need to find some witnesses!"
"Well said! Let's go then!"
After the group finished their discussion and were about to head towards the Dragon Phoenix Pavilion, they all abruptly stopped.
Because in front of them, a spatial rift suddenly appeared.
Following that, a graceful figure in a simple white dress walked out from within.
The moment she appeared, it seemed to dim the full moon in the sky. Even the boisterous wind ceased its dance.
Snowy garments in the air.
A beauty of noble birth.
Upon seeing the woman before them, the breathing of the four visibly hitched for a moment.
"My lords! Please return!"
Xia Baiyi was shrouded in a hazy aura, and no one could see her true face.
Moreover, her tone at this moment carried an undeniable authority.
"White-Clad Immortal! You've arrived just in time. We wanted to inquire about..."
Regaining his composure, Qing Mo quickly spoke.
"I said... you can all go back!"
Before he could finish his sentence, a voice tinged with a hint of coldness interrupted him.
"This..."
Feeling the chill, the heads of the few felt a bit bewildered.
They all carefully recalled if they had said anything wrong before.
No!
The other three hadn't even spoken yet.
"Baiyi! We came out this time for that genius with a heavenly aptitude of ninety-eight points."
At this moment, the elder from the same sect as Xia Baiyi chuckled sheepishly, "May I know if you can tell us?"
In terms of seniority, this elder held a significant position within the Dao Sect.
He was an elder with real power.
Normally, any disciple of the Dao Sect would show him utmost respect and deference.
But now, facing this "ancestor" before him, his status seemed to have reversed, and he spoke with extreme politeness.
"Elder Feng, I know your intentions."
Xia Baiyi paused, then continued, "That person's talent is excellent, and I like her very much. In the future, I will personally guide her."
"Therefore, you may all return!"
Hearing this, Elder Feng was overjoyed and said, "Hahaha! Good! Good! Since Baiyi likes her, then you can guide her from now on."
After all, if she joined the Dao Sect, he was naturally happy to see it.
However, the expressions of the other three darkened.
"No!"
Qing Mo was the first to object, taking a step forward and saying, "White-Clad Immortal, you should still hand that person over. If she truly wishes to join the Dao Sect, we have nothing to say. However..."
Although he didn't finish his sentence, his meaning was clear.
The middle-aged man and the woman beside him exchanged a glance, then also stepped forward.
Their stance was the same as Qing Mo's.
"I think the three of you might have misunderstood something?"
Seeing the three's actions, Xia Baiyi slightly raised her jade-like hand. Without any visible energy fluctuations, she pointed towards the void.
Boom!
The space where the three stood instantly turned into nothingness.
"I wasn't asking for your opinion!"