A furious roar shook the heavens, causing the surrounding trees to tremble. Leaves fluttered to the ground, and a powerful gust of wind swept through the area.
Bai Xiaochun nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard it. Looking up, he saw Elder Zhou with white hair flying in the wind, veins bulging, rushing toward him like an enraged beast.
In that moment, Elder Zhou's fearsome appearance bore an uncanny resemblance to his crazed phoenix from a month ago…
"**Bai Xiaochun!** You've wronged my phoenix! Even if Li Qinghou himself were here today, I would still **teach you a hard lesson!!**" Elder Zhou roared. His voice rolled like thunder as he raised his right hand and reached toward Bai Xiaochun from afar.
The space around Bai Xiaochun immediately felt frozen. He shuddered with terror and let out a miserable scream as a silver light shimmered on his skin. Simultaneously, a white glow burst forth around him — his **Spirit-Crane Shield** activated, forming a glowing shell like an eggshell from a distance.
"**Murder! Someone's trying to kill me!!**" Bai Xiaochun cried out, and with light flashing around him, he burst into motion, dodging the elder's pressure and fleeing as fast as he could.
Elder Zhou gave a surprised grunt. Though he hadn't used his full power, even a fraction of it from someone at the Foundation Establishment stage should've pinned a Qi Condensation disciple easily. Seeing Bai Xiaochun escape with a defensive shield, his expression darkened further.
"**Bai Xiaochun! Don't think I don't know everything! Since the moment you entered the kitchens, you've been messing with me! You ate all my ginseng and spirit beards! You even came up with the idea to flatten the food trays! And now you've drugged my phoenix!**
**Today, you'll learn that the sect is not a place for your nonsense!!**" Elder Zhou chased after him, his fury erupting.
"It wasn't me! Your bird snatched the pill by itself! It has nothing to do with me!" Bai Xiaochun cried out in despair. He ran at full speed, nearly a blur, terrified by Elder Zhou's seemingly boundless power.
Above him, the male phoenix let out a sharp shriek as if its feathers were plucked. Its entire body puffed up, pointing furiously at Bai Xiaochun with its wings. If it could talk, it would've screamed:
**"He's lying! He's the one who gave me the pill!!"**
"You… You…" Bai Xiaochun looked up at the phoenix, almost crying. How could someone as clever as him be **framed by a bird**!?
Hating it with all his heart, he glared at the creature and secretly vowed: once this mess was over, he'd find a stronger male bird to **dominate that phoenix**—even if they were both male!
"**Still denying it!?**" Elder Zhou's eyes blazed. He swung his sleeve, sending a wave of force flying toward Bai Xiaochun. But instead of stopping him, Bai Xiaochun just staggered slightly and used the momentum to **run faster**.
This stunned Elder Zhou. That amount of force would have knocked down any outer sect disciple — how was Bai Xiaochun still standing?
Bai Xiaochun grimaced in pain. That blow had really hurt! But he gritted his teeth and drew his **Golden Crow Sword**, pouring his spiritual power into it. A golden crow appeared, carrying him like a streak of light into the sky.
Elder Zhou coldly snorted and shot after him, the phoenix by his side.
On the ground, the disciples of Fragrant Cloud Mountain were thrilled to watch Bai Xiaochun being chased. They felt a sense of sweet revenge watching him flee for his life. Chen Zi'ang and Zhao Yiduo grinned broadly. Even Liu Ergou, the one who once called himself Lord Wolf, had tears in his eyes.
"**The heavens have eyes!!**"
In the sky above Fragrant Cloud Mountain, Bai Xiaochun screamed miserably — his cries so pitiful they chilled all who heard them.
"Elder Zhou, your bird is lying! I'm telling the truth! Your bird is a liar!" he wailed as he flew.
"**Shut up!!**" Elder Zhou roared. Hearing Bai Xiaochun repeat *"your bird"* over and over again made him feel more humiliated, especially with all the strange looks from onlookers. With a growl, he formed a seal and launched a blast of wind straight at Bai Xiaochun.
"I swear I'm telling the truth! That bird framed me!!" Bai Xiaochun pleaded, but the wind roared toward him. Terrified, he pushed himself to the limit and narrowly dodged the attack. It struck a mountain rock, punching a small hole into it.
"I'm the sect leader's junior! My master is Patriarch Spiritstream!" Bai Xiaochun cried out, invoking all his connections.
"None of that matters!" Elder Zhou shouted. Even he felt a little embarrassed chasing Bai Xiaochun like this. But with so many watching, and Bai Xiaochun acting like he'd been beaten half to death without even being touched — he got even angrier.
On another mountain, Xu Baocai looked on, his expression conflicted. He actually felt sorry for Elder Zhou.
"**Bai Xiaochun! Stop right there!**" Elder Zhou shouted as he closed the distance. The phoenix beside him chirped smugly, pointing its wings at Bai Xiaochun again and again.
"I'm an Honor Disciple! I've bled for the sect! I've earned merit for the sect!!" Bai Xiaochun screamed, running for his life. His voice echoed across all the peaks, and even disciples from Green Crest Peak and Violet Cauldron Peak looked up.
Many of them burst out laughing.
"Honor Disciples are for the dead!" Elder Zhou snapped. "I'll help you live up to that title!"
He had no intent to kill Bai Xiaochun, just to scare and punish him. He flicked his hand, sending a wind vortex spiraling toward Bai Xiaochun.
Hearing this, Bai Xiaochun's screams grew louder. Pouring all his spiritual power into the Golden Crow Sword, he burst through the vortex and flew between Green Crest Peak and the Dharma Peak.
Covered in silver light, Bai Xiaochun shot forward. His only hope now was the sect leader — Li Qinghou wasn't here!
"**Sect leader! Save me!!**" he howled.
Elder Zhou was shocked. This brat had escaped his pressure several times now — no wonder he survived the Luo Chen clan's hunt. Still, he couldn't let him keep running.
He chased after him again.
Lightning crackled in the sky as Elder Zhou summoned a thundercloud above Bai Xiaochun and sent a bolt crashing down.
Bai Xiaochun's eyes widened. The terrifying power in that lightning sent him into a panic. With red eyes, he formed hand seals and pointed upward — a surge of violet Qi rose and met the lightning in midair.
Elder Zhou was stunned. The lightning should've missed him — it was just to scare him. But Bai Xiaochun had actually **counterattacked**!
It was too late to fully withdraw the lightning.
The violet Qi formed a phantom cauldron that collided with the bolt. A thunderous boom erupted — both powers collapsed. Though the lightning still struck nearby, its force was halved.
Bai Xiaochun, pale-faced, screamed and kept running.
"**Master! Save me!! Patriarch Spiritstream! Save me from heaven!!**"
Elder Zhou hesitated. He looked at the fading lightning and then at Bai Xiaochun. He was astonished.
That bolt should've seriously injured a Qi Condensation cultivator — but Bai Xiaochun was only a little pale, barely harmed.
"**That was… Violet Qi into Cauldron Form!**" Elder Zhou recalled that Du Lingfei and Hou Yunfei had mentioned Bai Xiaochun's breakthrough. But this level… was beyond the seventh level of Qi Condensation. He was at least equal to the ninth level — maybe stronger!
Eyes glowing, Elder Zhou lost much of his anger. Still, Bai Xiaochun's screams were too annoying. He sighed and chased again, though slower.
**"Whether or not it was the phoenix's fault, this kid is too unruly. Better to give him a scare to keep him in line."**