The dance continued. But instead of a sea of beauties performing in unison, there was an obvious highlight. A gap formed around Long Yifei from the aura of her immortal earrings. The sacred daughters nearby couldn't approach her. They couldn't get back into formation. They could only dejectedly wave their arms and wiggle their hips to the choreography, all the while presenting a solitary stage that drew everyone's eyes.
Eventually, the dance came to an end. The applause from the crowd was loud but confused. Those with experience knew something abnormal had occurred. However, many didn't care as they were given a good show, one that highlighted an unquestionable talent. Even a country bumpkin could tell that Long Yifei was special. Her flawless face, her peerless physique, and her emotive and dynamic dancing; she was perfect.
As the sacred daughters left the stage, two prioresses approached Long Yifei. She felt a surge of apprehension but quickly calmed her heart. Whatever happened, she had the support of her master and that was all that mattered.
"Sacred Daughter Long? Please come with us, the judges would like to ask you a few questions."
The tone made it certain that this wasn't an invitation but an order. Long Yifei put on a steely expression and nodded. With one prioress in front and one behind, they filed off the stage and past the area where the sacred daughters were returning their special outfits.
"Wait," The prioress in front said and stopped, "You can return your dress now. Quickly."
Long Yifei paused and said, "Prioress, respectfully, I will take off the dress after speaking with the judges."
"You…" The older woman was momentarily stunned before shooting Long Yifei a sharp glare, "Fine!"
A few steps later, Long Yifei was standing before the panel of judges. Thirty-four Spirit King Realm abbotesses and one Spirit Emperor Realm cardinal, it was a formidable assembly capable of turning mortals into dust with their mere gazes. Now, all of their gazes were directed at her.
Immortal Dawn Euphony Li Shishi stood up and studied Long Yifei with narrowed eyes, "Sacred Daughter Long, you used a prohibited spiritual item and ruined the cohesion of the dance performance for your own benefit. Explain yourself."
Long Yifei tilted her head in a slight bow, "Abbotess Li, respected judges, venerable cardinal, please forgive this sacred daughter's action. I did not do it on purpose. It was because of the dress provided for the performance. It was tampered with. When I danced, it cut and pierced my skin, causing sharp pains that made it impossible to dance or even move about. I activated my spiritual item to protect myself."
"The dress? What a bunch of nonsense!" An abbotess muttered angrily.
Another abbotess snorted derisively, "Even if it is a little uncomfortable, you should have thought about others instead of being so selfish!"
Long Yifei kept her head down. She didn't have the right or the strength to retort to these people. But one day, she would. Their words only made her desire for strength even greater.
Li Shishi let the various abbotesses vent their frustrations over the ruined performance before waving her hand. The rosy dress that Long Yifei still wore was ripped away and landed in her hand. She studied it closely, flipping through the various layers of the garment.
She then tossed it aside with a cold harrumph. She peered at Long Yifei and then at the two prioresses who had escorted her here. The two women trembled under her gaze as if they had done something wrong.
"Tch, what a mess." She waved her hand dismissively, "Go, return to your seat. We still have to judge the dancing performance."
Long Yifei hid her confusion and bowed deeply, "Thank you, Abbotess Li."
She expected to be disqualified for her actions or even punished according to school rules. Now, it appeared as if she was going to get off lightly.
She turned and walked back toward her master in thoughtful silence. It didn't take too much effort to understand the situation. One of the prioresses in charge of the dance performance had tampered with her dress. Whether she was acting alone or at the direction of others was a minor detail. More importantly, head abbotess Li Shishi wanted to bury the issue to avoid more embarrassment. If Chen Wentian insisted on getting justice for Long Yifei, then it was possible to turn this small issue into a big one. It was better to pretend like nothing happened.
After Long Yifei left, Li Shishi sat down with a huff and turned to Cardinal Liu, "Master, I apologize for the unsightly scene."
Liu Haoxuan remained still and expressionless but her spiritual voice reached Li Shishi, "Mmm. This girl, Long Yifei, she is the one you mentioned? The divine daughter?"
"Yes, master." Li Shishi replied, "I suspect that various figures of the Seven Potentates of Jiannan will seek to suppress her during this end-of-year examination. They will try to get rid of her acolyte by any means."
"Good. Let them do as they wish. But you have to protect her life and virtue. We cannot afford to lose a divine daughter. She is the future of our Order."
"What if the Seven Potentates are unable to get rid of the acolyte?" Li Shishi asked.
Liu Haoxuan finally reacted, turning to Li Shishi with a piercing gaze, "Then get rid of him yourself. We can't have this little insect around our divine daughter any longer. They already have a very strong bond. It cannot progress any further. She cannot fall in love. We cannot have a repeat of that time…"
She trailed off as if remembering a bad dream. Her eyes flashed with alarm for a moment before calming down.
"Are you sure she is not related to that woman?"
Li Shishi nodded, "Yes, master. I have confirmed it. The years do not match. Long Yifei is thirty-five this year. Long Tao died eighty-five years ago. She also does not resemble Long Tao at all nor the man who tainted her. We have investigated her background thoroughly. Although there are uncertainties about her birth parents, she is definitely not related to Long Tao."
"Good, then let's proceed as you have planned."
"Yes, master. And one more thing. I have received word that many members of the Sororal Order have arrived in the Temple of the Clouds. They aren't hiding their intentions at all. They will try to obstruct us at every opportunity. Things will get messy."
"The Temple of the Clouds… such a nostalgic name. So many memories. So many years spent exploring the mysterious clouds and secret temples there. And fighting against those whores of the Sororal Order!"
With those words, her spiritual aura flared, the might of a Spirit Emperor frightening the surrounding abbotesses into silence.
Liu Haoxuan smiled beneath her veil, "I will head for the Temple of the Clouds and clean things up before your sacred daughters arrive."
"Yes, master. Thank you, master."
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