Previously, Su Bai had asked Xu Changge to purchase some Legacies concerning the Hundred Arts of Cultivation, as well as Materials for Spirit Medicine and Artifact Refining.
The Storage Pouch contained these items.
When Su Bai opened it, nearly everything she had specified on the Jade Slip had been bought!
This must have cost quite a few Spirit Stones.
She hadn't expected Xu Changge to have such abundant wealth.
At the same time, Su Bai realized something.
That is, when Xu Changge bought these things, she definitely didn't disguise her identity.
She spent so many Spirit Stones in Baifeng Town and bid multiple times at the auction.
She was surely targeted!
In other words, that group of robber cultivators outside had already noted this fat sheep on their list of targets when Xu Changge was carelessly spending Spirit Stones.
Their following Xu Changge back was premeditated!
"Those robber cultivators won't leave anytime soon. I will patrol Wumu Island, so you don't need to worry. Just rest well."
Su Bai took out the Storage Pouch she had prepared long ago, which contained the Spirit Stones she had saved up, along with some of Yan Xi's private wealth.
After handing the Spirit Stones to Xu Changge, Su Bai left.
This time, Xu Changge being targeted by robber cultivators was partly Su Bai's fault.
If the items on the Jade Slip she gave to Xu Changge had been fewer, Xu Changge wouldn't have needed to spend so much in Baifeng Town to gather them all.
This counted as helping her out.
Knowing this, Su Bai's resentment towards Xu Changge for bringing the robber cultivators back lessened considerably.
However, the threat still existed.
"A total of five Cultivators at the Qi Refining Peak stage..."
That's a bit tricky.
If there were only one, Su Bai might have had some ideas.
But five Qi Refining Peak Cultivators—although Su Bai felt she could defeat them, if these people wanted to flee, she wouldn't be able to stop them.
"Never mind. The Formation is activated anyway, so they can't just stay outside forever, right?"
After thinking about it, although this matter was troublesome, it wasn't a major crisis.
Such situations were common in the Cultivation World.
Moreover, the Formation on Wumu Island relied on a Second-tier Spiritual Vein. If used only for defense after activation, the consumption was small.
Su Bai didn't believe those robber cultivators could squat outside for a year or half a year.
As she temporarily stopped considering the matter...
That night.
Xu Changge arrived.
Su Bai was practicing meditation and sensed someone outside her Formation.
She opened her eyes with some confusion.
Then she saw Xu Changge standing outside the Formation.
She hadn't used a Flying Artifact when she arrived.
Su Bai opened the Formation and asked with some doubt:
"Xu... Fellow Daoist Xu, it's so late. Is there something you need at my place?"
Hearing Su Bai's address to her, Xu Changge wasn't surprised; this wasn't something that could change in a day or two.
"I came because I have something to discuss."
"Just the two of us?"
"Just the two of us."
Before dawn, Xu Changge left.
Su Bai's expression was somewhat grave, and at the same time, she realized she had underestimated Xu Changge, or rather, underestimated the schemes of those Upper Sects.
"It's fortunate that we are in the same camp now. If someone schemed against me like this, I wouldn't be able to bear it."
Sighing heavily, Su Bai turned and entered the underground pit she had dug.
Last night, Xu Changge came to find Su Bai to ask her to do something.
Send out distress signals to the Island Masters and Cave Masters of the other islands in the Star Luo Archipelago, inviting them to jointly crusade against the evil Cultivators.
But this was only on the surface.
When Xu Changge was in Baifeng Town, she deliberately exposed her wealth to see if any robber cultivators would target them.
The result was obvious: not only were there robber cultivators, but there was also an evil Cultivator among them.
The effect was very good.
Xu Changge didn't use her full strength while fleeing back. Yang the Old Daoist and Lu Ning being injured was true, but it was also a self-inflicted injury scheme arranged by Xu Changge.
As a Disciple of an Outer Sect Elder of the Qingzhu Sword Sect, compared to ordinary Disciples, even if she wasn't highly valued, she was still superior to ordinary Loose Cultivators.
Those few Qi Refining Peaks could contend with ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivators. Xu Changge might not be unable to handle them, perhaps even do better.
She deliberately feigned weakness to lure the robber cultivators back.
Then, using this as a reason, she sought help from her nearby neighbors.
There was a very important point here: although the robber cultivators were targeting Xu Changge, there was an evil Cultivator among them.
The nearby neighbors would have to take action to kill the evil Cultivator.
However, in the Star Luo Archipelago, these Island Masters were located in remote areas, and their backgrounds were not entirely clean.
More or less, they had all been pirates, or perhaps even robber cultivators or evil Cultivators behind the scenes.
Just like Xu Jing, who was eliminated before.
When Xu Changge's Bloodline branch was destroyed, the Cultivators on the nearby islands must have known.
They were even aware of Xu Jing's identity as an evil Cultivator.
Now that Xu Jing's Bloodline branch had been completely wiped out by Xu Changge, Xu Changge returned to rebuild the Family.
Currently, the Xu Family only had one big cat—the Qi Refining Late Phase Xu Changge—and dozens of small cats, all of whom were low-level Cultivators at the first or second level of Qi Refining.
The three original Qi Refining Late Phase Cultivators of Wumu Island had two injured on an outing.
Only Xu Changge still had fighting strength, plus the Qi Refining Middle Stage Su Bai, who was currently very weak due to Body Refining.
Xu Changge used this as bait.
To see whether the surrounding people would choose to unite with Wumu Island to slay the evil Cultivator, or ally with the evil Cultivator to carve up Wumu Island.
As for whether Xu Changge's actions carried any risk...
Su Bai had been somewhat worried at the time.
In response, Xu Changge merely smiled faintly and took out the waist token representing the Qingzhu Sword Sect.
At that moment, Su Bai understood.
When coming to Wumu Island, Xu Changge had told Su Bai that the Upper Sects wanted to expand their territory.
Their sphere of influence covered the entire Zhang Country.
Previously, when they were crusading against evil Cultivators, Yan Xi hadn't interfered because the fight for territory was already heating up.
Although the Star Luo Archipelago wasn't large, it was still territory.
Naturally, it had also been targeted.
Whether the surrounding Island Masters agreed or refused Su Bai's request for aid, the outcome was already set.
If they agreed, the evil Cultivator would be killed, and Wumu Island would be safe.
Moving forward, the Xu Family would need time to develop and Cultivate new Foundation Establishment Cultivators. Only after the Xu Family had Foundation Establishment Cultivators would they slowly plot for the other islands in the Star Luo Archipelago.
As for refusal.
Xu Changge would directly summon the Upper Sect Cultivators and, under the guise of eliminating the evil Cultivator, cleanse the Star Luo Archipelago.
This would bring the entire Star Luo Archipelago completely under her control.
Su Bai touched her forehead, which was perfectly smooth.
But her heart was already drenched in a cold sweat.
Xu Changge was too calculating and ruthless.
She was no match for her.
However, now, Su Bai had to go out to seek external help.
At this moment, Su Bai could only hope that her nearby neighbors had some sense, understood that crusading against the evil Cultivator was the major issue, and wouldn't bring trouble upon themselves because of it.
After Su Bai changed her clothes in the underground pit, she used the Breath Concealment Art, altered her appearance slightly, and left Wumu Island.
The sun had risen by then.
But a shadow had completely enveloped the Star Luo Archipelago.
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