Chapter 154: White Bone Sect escapes

As the night bled into dawn, the battlefield wore a gruesome visage. Craters marred the landscape, remnants of powerful elemental attacks.

The once vibrant disciples of the Jade Lotus Palace bore the brunt of the battle, sporting a mix of minor cuts and bruises, some even nursing more serious injuries.

However, their casualties were minimal compared to the White Bone Sect's devastating losses. Dismembered bodies, their bone-white remains stark against the dawn light, littered the ground.

For every fallen beauty of the Jade Lotus Palace, a gruesome tally of ten White Bone Sect disciples lay dead – a testament to the martial prowess of the righteous sect.

Liu Xue, despite the chaos, emerged relatively unscathed. Her agile movements and Wang Li's timely intervention had protected her from the brunt of the fight. Exhaustion, however, was etched onto her face, mirroring the state of the rest of the disciples.

Across the battlefield, Palace Mistress Jiu Lan and the White Devil Bone Queen, Baimo Zunzhe, mirrored each other in their exhausted state.

The dawn light glinted off their sweat-drenched robes, highlighting the numerous wounds marring their bodies. Their breaths came in ragged gasps, their movements sluggish with expended spiritual energy.

Baimo Zunzhe, eyes gleaming with a desperate glint, realized she was on the losing end.

Palace Mistress Jiu Lan, despite her injuries, still radiated an aura of formidable power. Knowing she wouldn't survive a prolonged fight, she let out a guttural roar.

"Disciples of the White Bone Sect! Fall back!" she commanded, her voice amplified by her cultivation technique. "Use the smoke bombs and disperse!"

Jiu Lan, recognizing the Queen's intent, issued a counter-command, "Disciples of the Jade Lotus Palace! Activate your wind talismans! Dispel the smoke!"

But it was too late. As if preordained, smoke bombs erupted from the White Bone Sect ranks, engulfing the battlefield in a thick, acrid cloud.

By the time the wind cleared the haze, the camp was deserted. The White Devil Bone Queen and her disciples had vanished, leaving behind a trail of looted resources and the decaying corpses of their beasts.

A frustrated sigh escaped Jiu Lan's lips. These demonic fiends always seemed to have a trick up their sleeve.

Despite the escape, this was still a victory for the Jade Lotus Palace. With renewed determination, the disciples set about securing the camp. Formations were erected, transforming the former White Bone Sect base into a temporary Jade Lotus Palace outpost.

Meanwhile, Palace Mistress Jiu Lan herself retreated into a tent, seeking refuge on a soft, feather-filled bed. The exhaustion from the battle weighed heavily upon her, every muscle screaming in protest. Recovering her spiritual energy and healing her wounds became her top priority.

Before long, worried disciples and elders flooded the tent, all eager to offer their assistance. But it was Liu Xue who acted first, swiftly drawing out a small pouch from her robes. It contained thirty glistening pellets, each emanating an aura of potent healing energy.

Considering her talent and the additional aid of the Nascent Soul Condensation Pellet, he was fairly confident she'd achieved her goal, especially with her history of attempting the breakthrough seven times already.

An hour later, the familiar sight of the combined camp of the Emerald Sea Palace and Azure Peak Sect came into view. Keeping his invisibility active, he navigated towards Shi Feiyan's secluded residence on the camp's outskirts.

Reaching her dwelling, he deactivated his invisibility and entered with practiced ease.

There, in a serene pose, sat Shi Feiyan, her alluring form bathed in the soft light filtering through the window. Her brow remained furrowed in concentration, her cultivation fluctuating wildly as she teetered on the precipice of a breakthrough. If left undisturbed, she would likely succeed within the next few hours.

However, Wang Li wasn't here to wait.

Approaching her with a silent step, he gently placed a hand on her forehead, his touch a comforting reassurance. "Maintain your focus, Feiyan," he whispered, his voice laced with power. "Use my energy to break through. Let it flow through you."

A gasp escaped Shi Feiyan's lips as a surge of warm, invigorating energy flooded her body. Recognition dawned upon her, and a radiant smile blossomed on her face, eyes still closed. Without breaking concentration, she channeled the powerful Yang Attribute energy provided by Wang Li, merging it with her own water-attribute essence.

The culmination was swift and smooth. Inside her dantian, a magnificent water-attribute Nascent Soul materialized, radiating an astonishing level of purity and power. It pulsed with newfound strength, a testament to both her talent and the unexpected boost from Wang Li.

"Congratulations, Feiyan," he murmured, his voice tinged with a hint of pride. "You've reached the Nascent Soul Realm."

Shi Feiyan's eyes fluttered open, shimmering with joy. "Thank you, Patriarch Wang," she whispered, her voice husky with emotion. "Thank you for everything."

A strange, charged silence hung in the air for a moment after Shi Feiyan's words.

"You know, last time you had me fooled. Touching my bare belly to break the seal? Really, Patriarch Wang? Couldn't you have just said you wanted to touch my midriff?"

Wang Li simply smirked, refusing to be baited. Shi Feiyan, however, wasn't finished.

"Did you like it, then?" she pressed, a teasing glint in her eyes. "Was my skin soft enough? Perhaps you'd like another touch?"

A faint blush crept up Wang Li's neck. "It was..." he admitted, his voice a low murmur, "indeed soft, delicate and worthy of another touch."

Shi Feiyan's blush deepened considerably. She hadn't expected him to turn the tables on her so quickly. Truly, this mysterious Patriarch Wang was as skilled in flirting as he was in cultivation.

The playful mood, however, dissipated as quickly as it had formed. Wang Li adopted a serious demeanor. "Feiyan," he began, "I have a proposition for you. How would you like to accompany me on an expedition around this desolate world?"