Chapter 73: Bloom, Lotus Pill Blossom!

Chapter 73: Bloom, Lotus Pill Blossom!

Hesitating, Li Xiang glared at Jingwen, then retreated to Huis side.

Jingwen backed away, putting her hands up. I dont want to fight. Just leave me be.

Sure. Give me your outer robe, Hui agreed.

Eh?! Li Xiang asked, startled.

Jingwen shot him a horrified look.

Give me your outer robe, or Li Xiang will execute you.

Thats not justice, Li Xiang protested.

Jingwen! Stab that filth! Bai Fenfeng shouted.

Hui gave Jingwen a look. The rest of the Bai clan will be here soon. You should take a good, hard look at which side you want to be on. Bai Xues? Or

Jingwen, did you get seduced by that slut? Have you forgotten your mother? Bai Fenfeng howled.

Jingwen flinched. She glanced at Bai Xue, then at her mother. I I cant. Just let me be.

Give me your robe, and I will.

Hui! Li Xiang protested. If you want robes so badly, you can have mine. She reached for her belt.

Hui caught Li Xiangs hands and pinned them to her waist. His heart raced, adrenaline pumping. Close, that was too close! This small disciple is too young to be murdered by mob violence! O idol of Starbound Peak, please be more aware of your status! Never mind, never mind. Ill use my own.

Ruffling and shuffling caught his ear. Hui turned his head, mindful of Jingwens privacy.

Here. Jingwen held out her robes, tightening her loose inner robes against her body.

Bowing, Hui took them. Thank you for your contribution. Ill remember this.

She shook her head. I cant fight my mother, but I cant fight Xue, either. If this can help, then Im willing to do this much.

Hui drew his sword and slashed her robes apart. The black parts he set aside, but the white parts he slashed into even rectangular pieces. He gathered them up and stuffed them in his robes, then bowed to Jingwen, handing back the black pieces. I appreciate it.

Jingwen blinked. She accepted the black pieces, stunned. Hhuh?

Overhead, Bai clan cultivators appeared at the edge of the hole. One after another, they dove in, jumping into the battle. Swooping in on a sword, a man with long black hair joined Bai Xue in fighting Fenfeng. The two of them quickly forced Bai Fenfeng back to the lotus. Breathing heavily, she glared at the two of them, her sword drooping in her hands.

Give up! Bai Xue declared, pointing her fan at Bai Fenfeng.

Never. Bai Fenfeng slapped the barrier. It rippled under her hand. Light splashed from its surface and clung to her, sucking her down like a bucket of slime eating a heavy object.

Bai Xue slashed at Bai Fenfeng. The attack landed a second too late, deflecting off the barrier rather than Bai Fenfeng. Not even a ripple disturbed the barriers surface.

Bai Fenfeng laughed. Pathetic. Theres nothing you can do against my barrier but wait for the lotus to bloom. Watch on in despair as your traitorous half of the clan, and the entire filthy city, both get infected, helplessly lost to my lotus pills!

The lotus shivered. All around them, lotus roots wrapped around Bai clan cultivators from Bai Fenfengs family. Extensions of the barrier wound around each of them, separating them from the battle. Bai Xues cultivators attacked, but their slashes and bursts of frost and fire bounced off the barriers. Where they struck the roots, pale light shimmered. A narrow extension of the main barrier coated each of the roots, barely an inch from their surface.

Jingwen prostrated herself on the ground. Please.

Bai Xue waved her fan lazily over Jingwen. A pile of snow drifted down from the fan and buried Jingwens head. No.

Can everyone justshut up? Hui asked, irritated. Dammit, its my first time creating third-stage talismans. Its not easy!

Jingwen laid on the ground at Bai Xues feet, refusing to move. Bai Xue scoffed and turned away. What are you doing, Hui? We have to escape.

There. Putting the final touch on his talismans, Hui wiped his forehead. Five large flame talismans and seven of the barrier talismans Bai Luoren had taught him, two of them miniaturized, laid before him. He gathered up the talismans and separated them into two bundles, then climbed to his feet.

His knees crumpled. He fell back to the ground.

Whoa, Hui! Bai Xue shouted. She reached out and helped him up.

He waved his hand. I used a little too much qi, thats all. Im fine.

Concerned, Bai Xue pressed a hand to his side. A thin stream of energy passed to him.

Hui stood upright. He took a deep breath, circulating her qi through his ordinary dantian, then pushed her away. Thats enough. Theres still Bai Fenfeng to contend with. Bai Xue and Li Xiang can handle that woman. Shes well beyond this small cultivators abilities!

Did you advance a realm? Bai Xue asked, impressed.

He nodded.

She scooped an arm around his shoulders and scruffed his hair. Good job, good job! Genius, Xiao Hui is a genius!

Hui pulled away. Stop it. Dont get distracted.

But we have to go. When it goes off we dont want to be anywhere near it, Bai Xue said.

Hui shook his head. He glanced at his talismans, then threw two small ones out in front of him. A pair of miniature barriers spawned where they landed. Where the golden walls touched, the barriers merged, no longer two individual small barriers but one larger, strangely-shaped small barrier.

Looks like it works. I think I can do this. Hui took a deep breath. I can handle this. Trust me.

Bai Xue frowned at him. Are you really Hui?

He is. And hes telling the truth, Li Xiang piped up.

Bai Xues eyes widened. If Hui the coward is saying it, and he really means it, then

There was no need to say that, elder sister, Hui protested. I know Im a coward. You dont need to repeat it.

Eh, thats true. Its implied, Bai Xue agreed, nodding.

He scowled at her, then shook his head, clearing his mind. I dont want to put myself at risk, but I dont want to watch my friends, and everyone else in Twin Elemental City, turn into mindless plant-zombies. Like this, I can save everybody, and more importantly, keep that asshole Bai Fenfeng from winning.

Besides, those lotus pills are scary! Too scary for this small cultivator! To think, they can even infect cultivators high above my realm. More importantly, playing dead doesnt help against them! Theyre my true nemesis. If I can take a step toward eradicating them forever, all the better!

Oh? Youre really sticking around? I commend your courage or is it stupidity? Bai Fenfeng gloated. She hung in the air before the lotus pill blossom. A gold barrier wound around her body, ready to protect her from the dust. Even if you save yourselves, the cityand the clanare mine.

Behind her, the blossom spread its petals, flower widening. Lotus pill dust shimmered in the air. The barrier around the lotus flower stretched to bursting. Stress lines stood out on the barriers surface, the magic straining.

Hui stepped forward, raising his talismans. He swallowed. Master above, I hope this works.