Chapter Twelve: The Formation of the Sect Leader Assassination Alliance

Words like ignorance used to be unimaginable for Tia; she could never have thought such terms would ever apply to herself. She had always been exceptional. With her superb acting skills, she could easily deceive everyone around her, becoming the ideal image in their hearts.

Before her father, she was the obedient and capable daughter. In front of Luo Lingxi, she was the talented and docile disciple. Among her peers at Shanghai Spirit Arts Institute, she was a motivated leader, able to unite the students. No matter the role, she was always a favored child of heaven—destined to be associated with words like greatness, brilliance, and extraordinary wisdom.

Yet now, she found herself branded with words like ignorance and narrow-mindedness. The shame roiled in her heart like a stormy sea. Her face grew paler and paler, but she could not refute it. She had believed that the power to pause time was invincible. But such confidence was shattered by Bai Yujing. With the lightest touch, the strength she had been so proud of collapsed.

Am I truly ignorant? Tia felt dazed. Bai Yujing, seeing her spirit broken, released his grip and returned to his seat, saying, "Let's eat."

The grinding sound of gears starting made Tia bite her lip. With a wave of her right hand, four bronze gears gathered into a streak of silver light, recomposing themselves into a famed sword. The gears on the walls, floor, and ceiling vanished, restoring the dining room to its original appearance. Tia sheathed her sword and sat obediently in her chair.

Liu Shuangling did not mock her. It wasn't that Tia was weak—the enemy was simply too overwhelming. Breaking the rules sounded simple, but it required power beyond human comprehension. Truly a monster.

Liu Shuangling sighed inwardly, but her eyes reignited with fighting spirit. Such a terrifying monster was exactly the kind she wanted to slay.

After breakfast, Tia and Liu Shuangling each cleaned half of the Qingyun Sect's territory. From then on, Tia would be in charge of buying groceries, Liu Shuangling of cooking. Cleaning duties would be shared between them.

Of course, Bai Yujing would not pay a single coin for groceries. The precious knowledge he imparted was a priceless treasure money could never buy; working for the Qingyun Sect and spending a little extra money was simply what disciples ought to do.

After finishing their cleaning, the two returned to the hall.

Tia noticed that the hall, once not particularly large, now seemed vast—like an endless plain. Bai Yujing stood at the front, hands behind his back, his sky-blue crane robe making him look like an immortal descended to earth. "Shuangling, operate the Qingyun Formula and transfer its power to Tia for me," he said.

"Alright," Liu Shuangling nodded.

Tia did not refuse. Compared to her current cultivation method, Bai Yujing's was undoubtedly stronger. Liu Shuangling pressed her sword finger between Tia's breasts, silently guiding Tia's spiritual pressure with her own.

When the process ended, Tia's spiritual pressure continued circulating within her body, never ceasing. Her emerald eyes brightened, instantly aware of the immense value of this method. She exclaimed sincerely, "What a marvelous cultivation technique."

Bai Yujing was secretly pleased but kept a calm expression. "Next, you may use any methods outside of your primary releases to battle."

He did not join in personally. The benefit of teaching geniuses was the ease; often, they would discover things for themselves through practice.

A sharp gleam flashed in Tia's eyes as she acted immediately. She was displeased with Liu Shuangling, too. If she couldn't defeat Bai Yujing, surely she could beat Liu Shuangling?

This senior sister truly had skills. Tia had always held herself in high regard and had never before encountered a peer who was an eighth-rank spirit master. More importantly, Liu Shuangling's spells and swordplay subtly surpassed her own.

Fortunately, Tia could dominate Liu Shuangling in martial arts. Her mastery of scriptures was also superior. As for the Yubu steps, both had trained in advanced techniques, so their speed was evenly matched.

Without using primary releases, victory or defeat was hard to predict. Previously, Tia would have been certain her released form was formidable. But after Bai Yujing's lesson, she no longer had such confidence, instead treating every opponent with caution.

"We can hardly tell who'd win like this. Should we use our primary releases?" she asked.

"Let's not," Liu Shuangling replied with a cheerful smile. She had never revealed her release abilities before Bai Yujing, hoping to keep them as her trump card.

Tia looked deeply at her senior sister. Hiding her release powers—who was she guarding against? The answer was obvious.

She glanced at Bai Yujing standing nearby; her true nature could not be concealed from him. Perhaps it was time to consider cooperating with Liu Shuangling to devise a way to take Bai Yujing down.

After all, when it came to leaving the Qingyun Sect, she believed they shared the same goal. If direct confrontation was impossible, then poison was the answer.

She pondered various methods to kill Bai Yujing. Bai Yujing sensed a hint of murderous intent from her but paid it no mind. With absolute power, any malice seemed adorable—like a one-year-old tiger baring its teeth at a person; no one would fear it, only want to pick it up and hug it.

He stepped forward leisurely. "In the previous battle, you both made some mistakes..."

He pointed out areas where they needed improvement.

Cool tap water splashed on her exotic, beautiful face. Tia straightened, beads of water sliding down her neck and disappearing into her ample "child's storehouse," the chill bringing a hint of comfort to her expression.

She leaned against the kitchen wall, glanced at the courtyard outside, and said, "Senior sister, let's join forces. Let's figure out how to deal with the sect master. He said himself we could ambush or assassinate him however we liked, so there's no need to hold back."

"Sure," Liu Shuangling replied with a smile, bending to scoop water, her shapely hips stretching her pants taut. She splashed water onto her face.

After their matches that morning, Liu Shuangling acknowledged that this junior sister was indeed her equal—possessing extraordinary talent and fighting instincts. Worthy of teaming up to face the "demon king."

Tia folded her arms beneath her chest. "With our current strength, we can forget about beating the sect master head-on; we'll have to resort to some unconventional tactics."

"I don't have any channels for that," Liu Shuangling said, spreading her hands. She had plans to conquer the world, but at this stage, she did not need to get involved in such matters yet. She intended to wait until she became a ninth-rank spirit master, mastered the ultimate release, and then slowly venture into the underground world, expanding her influence step by step. Liu Shuangling was not arrogant enough to think an eighth-rank spirit master could act without restraint.

Tia smiled. "With my current social status, getting access to those things is quite easy."

"Hey, we've got an order!" a voice called from outside, interrupting their plotting.

They stopped chatting and hurried out.