After Severing Her Emotions, the Whole Sect Was Overwhelmed with Grief - Chapter 12:

Chapter 12: Absolute Admiration

Those who had just been cursing Bai Ying stood frozen, their faces burning with shame. Wasn’t Bai Ying supposed to wait for Lin Yizhi and the others to die, loot their belongings, then escape using the Life-Saving Talisman? But why did she suddenly kill the Flying Centipede that several people together couldn’t handle?

“So powerful…”

“Was the Flying Centipede really that easy to kill? Then what were Lin Yizhi and the others doing just now?”

“Maybe Bai Ying didn’t heal them because she knew she could easily take down the centipede herself?”

Everyone was murmuring and speculating in disbelief.

Su Yu’s face was filled with pride. “I told you, my Senior Sister isn’t that kind of person. Every single one of you owes her an apology!”

Ruan Xinyou’s expression turned sour, but her eyes were filled with a different light—greed. She stared at Bai Ying through the Mirror of Heaven and Earth. Bai Ying really was worthy of being the protagonist. To grow so strong so quickly… Ruan Xinyou desperately wanted to absorb all of her luck. If she could have it, wouldn’t she grow just as fast?

She glanced bitterly at Xiao Yu, only to find that his eyes were fixed firmly on Bai Ying’s image in the mirror.

Inside the trial, Lin Yizhi was still frozen in place, unable to believe what he’d just seen. Bai Ying had taken down the Flying Centipede so easily, making everything they had done earlier seem completely laughable.

But before he could recover from the shock, a strange, rumbling sound tore through the stillness. Lin Yizhi looked up sharply, only to see a massive Flying Centipede, three or four times the size of the last one, slowly descending from the sky. It stretched several meters long, its entire body pitch-black, with countless legs writhing through the air. A terrifying aura radiated from it.

“This is bad… That’s a Mutated Centipede King! It’s at least at the pseudo-Golden Core Realm. We’re no match for that thing! Run!”

Lin Yizhi scrambled to his feet, dragging the others as he tried to flee. He’d seen Flying Centipedes before, but never anything like this.

But just as he took a few steps, he saw another seven or eight ordinary Flying Centipedes swarm out from behind the Centipede King.

The crushing pressure made Lin Yizhi’s heart pound wildly. Even with a Life-Saving Talisman, he wanted nothing more than to get out of there. Fear had already overpowered reason.

Yet at that exact moment, Bai Ying didn’t retreat. Sword in hand, she charged forward without hesitation.

“Bai Ying, are you crazy?!” Lin Yizhi yelled, grabbing her arm.

Bai Ying responded coldly, “Move.”

In front of the Mirror of Heaven and Earth, no one could believe what they were seeing.

“She’s mad! She might have been strong just now, but can’t she see the situation now? There are so many more Flying Centipedes this time—and a mutated one too! Is she trying to die?”

“She’s trying to show off, but she clearly doesn’t know her limits…”

Before they could finish speaking, they saw Bai Ying sweep her sword through the air. Sword energy burst out, striking the Flying Centipedes rushing toward her.

Her movements were precise and deadly. Though her cultivation level wasn’t enough to kill them outright, every strike landed on their vital points. She dodged two of the centipedes’ attacks and then leapt forward, thrusting her sword straight into another centipede’s abdomen.

“Stab!”

That centipede was flipped into the air, impaled by her sword.

Within just a few breaths, Bai Ying had knocked all seven ordinary Flying Centipedes to the ground.

Lin Yizhi and his companions were stunned.

They could clearly sense Bai Ying was only in the early Foundation Establishment Realm, yet her actual combat prowess was terrifying. It was as if she had experienced thousands upon thousands of battles—every move was flawless, as if rehearsed countless times.

“Is she even human…?”

One of the cultivators beside Lin Yizhi shook his head, even forgetting to run. “She’s incredible. Dodging while attacking—I can’t even tell if she’s retreating or fighting.”

“Did you see? She took a few steps back and still struck one of the centipedes right in its weak spot.”

“This is insane…”

Though they knew they were supposed to be Bai Ying’s enemies, they couldn’t help but be completely awed. With her level of combat skill, no one could imagine how terrifying she’d be once her cultivation improved even further.

Now that Bai Ying had taken control of the battlefield, the others finally snapped out of it and charged forward with their Treasure Artifacts.

Bai Ying glanced at them and, seeing they could barely hold off the remaining ordinary centipedes, she jumped again—straight toward the Mutated Centipede King.

Her sword struck its abdomen, but despite the power of the blow, it seemed to have no effect at all.

Everyone watching held their breath.

But Bai Ying had killed countless such mutated centipedes in her past life. She knew exactly what would happen. Without hesitation, she summoned her incense burner-type Treasure Artifact. The moment the Centipede King sprayed a torrent of poison at her, she activated the artifact and absorbed it all.

Lin Yizhi stared in shock. How did she know it would use poison just then? How did she react so perfectly, as if she’d anticipated the attack?

“Hey!”

Still stunned, Lin Yizhi heard Bai Ying call him, and he jolted.

“Are you done standing there? If so, help me surround it.”

He and the others quickly ran over, raising their swords and encircling the Centipede King. Their hearts pounded with excitement. Never in their lives had they imagined they’d be part of a siege against a Mutated Centipede King.

A pseudo-Golden Core Realm beast—just one step from truly forming a Golden Core! Something like that was completely beyond their ability to fight.

But as long as Bai Ying stood there calm and composed, they felt a surge of courage as if they’d been anchored. They could do this.

Bai Ying gave commands calmly, directing them to specific positions. While they attacked, she threw a few stones near them—only a few pieces, yet they all felt their cultivation rise dramatically.

No one else could guess how she did it, but Bai Ying knew: she was using those stones to create a Spirit Gathering Formation. It could instantly raise a cultivator’s strength.

“Attack now!”

The group charged again.

Bai Ying then summoned her artifact. The poison she had just absorbed was now fired back at the Centipede King like a barrage of arrows. The purple venom shot straight into the beast’s eyes. The Centipede King let out a pained shriek.

With a rapid series of hand seals, Bai Ying raised the incense burner again. Under the power of Spirit Stones, the artifact unleashed a terrifying wave of spiritual force. Her gaze sharpened, and she aimed a finishing blow.

BOOM!

The explosion was deafening. The overwhelming force pierced through the Centipede King’s body like a blade. The monster struggled for only a moment before crashing to the ground, lifeless.

Lin Yizhi and his group were speechless.

All they could feel was overwhelming admiration.

She was too powerful.

They stared at the fallen corpse of the Centipede King, unable to believe it.

Outside the Mirror of Heaven and Earth, the crowd had already erupted into chaos.