Chapter 143: Flight within the Western Ridge

Ji Yao looked at Mu Baiyun with a helpless expression and negotiated with the small sapling: "Since we are already in, I trust Senior Brother Yun's character. If you don't believe me, how about having him swear a demon-heart oath? That should work!"

"Your word doesn't count. Let him speak!" The adolescent voice rang out once more.

Only then was Mu Baiyun certain that the youthful voice belonged to this peculiar sapling.

"You, you! You haven't learned much else, but you've certainly picked up this suspicious nature somehow. Senior Brother Yun is a man of honor. Look, if Senior Brother hadn't been so full of misgivings, I wouldn't have had to sacrifice this garment of mine."

Ji Yao tugged at her collar, only to realize that due to the emergency earlier, she had torn away half of her skirt's hem. Now, the trousers underneath were exposed, making her appearance rather incongruous.

Reminded by this, Mu Baiyun suddenly realized the situation and hurriedly removed his wide outer robe, intending to drape it over Ji Yao.

Ji Yao quickly stopped him, retrieved a black dress from her storage artifact, and slipped it directly over her clothes.

With no other choice, Mu Baiyun put his outer robe back on and cupped his hands in a salute toward the small sapling. "Thank you for your assistance just now. May I ask..."

Only then did Ji Yao remember she had yet to introduce Qian Xun to Mu Baiyun. She gently tapped one of Qian Xun's leaves and said with a smile:

"Its name is Qian Xun. It's a tree spirit and also my bonded partner."

Without waiting for Ji Yao to elaborate further, Mu Baiyun bowed deeply and said sincerely, "Thank you, Fellow Daoist Qian Xun. I hereby swear that I shall never reveal the slightest detail about Fellow Daoist Qian Xun to anyone. Should I break this oath, I shall never advance in cultivation for the rest of my life."

"Hmph, I trust her, so naturally I also believe that anyone she brings in is pure of heart." The youthful voice put on airs, causing Ji Yao to puff out her cheeks—that was certainly not what it had said initially!

"Thank you for the compliment, Fellow Daoist! May I ask where we are right now? Have we moved far away from the Demon-Sealing Ground?"

Remembering to inquire about the situation outside, Ji Yao answered Mu Baiyun on Qian Xun's behalf.

"This is Qian Xun's spatial domain. We should still be right there in that patch of grass. Qian Xun is stirring up commotion outside to provide cover for us and cannot leave too quickly, otherwise, we'll be detected in an instant."

Ji Yao shot Mu Baiyun a teasing glance, her look seemingly brimming with hidden meaning.

Blushing under Ji Yao's gaze, Mu Baiyun furrowed his brows and said with stern seriousness, "Junior Sister, you are a young lady. Do not constantly make light of such matters, and certainly never bring them up to a man!"

Stunned and feeling somewhat awkward, Ji Yao rubbed her nose, stuck out her tongue, and turned to question Qian Xun.

"Qian Xun, how is the situation outside? Is anyone still paying attention to that patch of grass?"

"Not anymore, but something else has happened outside, which has diverted the crowd's attention." Qian Xun's youthful voice carried an unusual gravity.

"What happened?" A vague premonition began to form in Ji Yao's mind.

The male cultivator who performed the transference technique at the very beginning appeared to be attempting escape when he was caught by some demonic entity, drained of his vital blood, and tossed right back.

Not good! They had to get away from here as fast as possible now.

Having heard Qian Xun's words, Mu Baiyun arrived at the exact same realization as Ji Yao. Just as he shifted his gaze toward her, he saw her give him a firm nod before addressing Qian Xun's true form:

"Qian Xun, forget about the outside! Hurry and move away! Cover as much distance as you possibly can from this place!"