Laida's spiritual perception barely swept through the young girl before he imprinted all her preliminary information into his mind. Around thirteen or fourteen years old, late-stage Qi Cultivation—more precisely at its tenth tier. By such an age, reaching this level of cultivation already marked her as a prodigy with remarkable talent. At Laida's age when he was just beginning to cultivate.

Her aura exuded righteousness without the taint of malice, carrying faint traces of innate righteous energy. Though their cultivation levels differed greatly, her foundation proved deep and solid, her spiritual resonance steady yet profound. Clearly this girl hailed from a legitimate sect.

To call it salvation might still be generous when compared with those cloaked in black-green demonic qi surrounding her. As the petite figure rushed toward Qifeng at an unremarkable speed, four sickly green light trails pursued ruthlessly behind.

Judging by their aura pressure, they were clearly Foundation Consolidation cultivators—four of them total, led by a high-stage elder with decades of cultivation under his belt.

Don't mistake Laida's frequent interactions with Jin Dan or even Yuan Ying level cultivators for weakness. Across the world, in most circumstances, four Foundation Consolidation cultivators could command considerable respect and dominance within specific regions.

Especially when surrounded by countless disorganized Qi Cultivation practitioners, a quartet of Foundation Consolidation cultivators moving together certainly drew attention.

Though prodigiously talented, this girl's youth remained her greatest weakness. With merely late-stage Qi Cultivation against four Foundation Consolidation pursuers, her chances of escape dwindled rapidly. Within moments she'd be caught—if not for Qifeng's volatile temper, they might have already seized the child outright.

Laida never harbored interest in righteous deeds, and if he did, it was purely transactional. He stood with his hands behind him, gave a cursory glance to the spectacle before him, then lost all interest entirely.

Qifeng, however, operated quite differently from Laida. Her actions always followed her whims freely.

The moment she laid eyes on the girl—a delicate porcelain-like face framed by rosy cheeks—she immediately summoned a tendril of crimson mist. Though it appeared sinuously meandering through the air, its true speed proved terrifyingly fast. Within mere blinks, the ethereal red mist coiled around the child mid-flight. With an elegant finger sweep pulling her back to safety, Qifeng cackled playfully: "What business do you four lowly Foundation Consolidation scum have bullying a poor Qi Cultivation girl?"

The four cultivators had anticipated Qifeng might intervene. After all, high-stage practitioners rarely concerned themselves with trifles. They showed no real surprise—except for the lead elder whose aged visage clearly indicated at least a century of cultivation. Being called "little rabbit cub" still rankled his pride despite their expectations.

The four Foundation Consolidation cultivators halted mid-air. The leading elder executed a deep bow, hands clasped before him: "Esteemed senior, this disciple Miao Renjie from the Lingzhong Sect brings greetings along with these junior disciples." His posture exuded meticulous courtesy.

Lingzhong Sect? Even Laida felt a flicker of surprise. A rather infamous sect in Kangzhou not for their Yuan Ying level experts or overwhelming strength—but because they specialized uniquely in insect cultivation arts, each adept at nurturing deadly insect companions to perfection.

Cultivating insect companions proved an esoteric path offering little benefit toward immortality pursuits. Quite the opposite—cultivators often sacrificed vast portions of their vitality and even spiritual essence to feed these creatures. A practice notoriously draining on lifespan potential.

Yet why did so many remain obsessed? The answer lay in the power of these arts—their unpredictable nature made them exceptionally difficult to counter. Such insidious insect techniques often ensnared victims without them realizing it. Hence, though Lingzhong Sect's overall strength ranked average at best, their reputation remained formidable enough that few dared provoke them.

Originally Qifeng would have instantly annihilated such riffraff. But upon hearing "Lingzhong Sect," she tempered her killing intent slightly, languidly waving a hand: "Enough. Let bygones be bygones on account of our shared demonic cultivation origins. Scramble back to wherever you came from. This little girl now belongs under my protection."

The sect's elder Miao Renjie paled visibly at this pronouncement, calling out clearly: "We naturally must obey senior's decree. However..." His voice wavered as he continued, "...this child was personally ordered retrieved by our sect's Insect Demon Lord. Even if we had ten pairs of balls, could we dare defy the Insect Demon Lord's command?"

Insect Demon Lord—another infamous figure in Kangzhou wielding a fearsome reputation stained with bloodshed. Yet this man practiced remarkable caution, never provoking unmanageable forces while maintaining formidable personal strength. His notoriety as "the first Jin Dan killer" stemmed from slaying several high-stage Jin Dan cultivators before suddenly vanishing into seclusion decades prior to focus on his Yuan Ying cultivation breakthrough.

"Ahhh," Qifeng purred mockingly, her previous amusement turning sharp with the mention of this name. The Insect Demon Lord's sudden invocation clearly intended intimidation had now genuinely angered her. She let out a delicate snarl as killing intent flared: "Final warning—leave... or die." Her own standing in the world wasn't so fragile that she'd fear this Insect Demon Lord. And if he truly sought confrontation, hadn't Laida already claimed ownership of Qifeng's affections? Whether emotionally or physically, she had long considered herself Laida's woman.

Now with the Insect Demon Lord's name failing to intimidate them, the four Foundation Consolidation cultivators exchanged uneasy glances filled with mutual despair. Without this girl, their own survival prospects upon returning home remained uncertain. But confronting that enigmatic Jin Dan cultivator? Equally impossible. Four weaklings against even a newly promoted Jin Dan would be certain death. Especially since they weren't alone—the mysterious figures accompanying him posed equal threats.

Their faces darkened with as they realized how easily the girl's cute demeanor had lulled them into complacency, leading to this predicament. After brief deliberation through spiritual communication, Miao Renjie bowed with a pained expression: "Esteemed senior, we freely admit defeat in this encounter. But if you would deign to grant us mercy by revealing your name and origin, it might spare our lives." In a world where strength reigned supreme, these four wouldn't be cowering before a mere Qi Cultivation practitioner had Qifeng not reached Jin Dan.

Qifeng's origins traced back to the top-tier Yin Yang Hedong Sect. Though forced into apostasy under duress, her status as an infamous fugitive remained. Unfortunately for the sect, their repeated attempts to locate her had all failed—especially since she now aligned with the embattled Yinshe Sect. If Qifeng openly declared her affiliation and relationship with Laida, that would constitute a direct insult to Hedong Sect's dignity.

Thus she hesitated slightly before revealing herself. However, Laida's whispered words into her spiritual ear instantly changed everything. A single brow raised as Qifeng giggled sultrily: "I walk under my own name, sit without changing it—my surname is Qi, given name Feifei. If your Insect Demon Lord wishes to cause trouble, let him at least target the correct person."

A collective intake of breath rippled through the crowd. Even those mere Qi Cultivators recognized Qifeng's infamous reputation—the Tempting Fox who had betrayed her sect. Her notoriety stemmed from the massive bounty set by Hedong Sect—unclaimed for years despite her apparent Jin Dan cultivation achieved in just a few short years.

Most impressive to observers was how she boldly declared her identity under such scrutiny. The courage alone earned murmurs of admiration. Some indeed questioned if this was an imposter attempting to shift blame onto the real Qifeng Feifei—until realizing with all sect leaders gathered at Zaixing Peak, word would reach Hedong Sect within moments.

The Lingzhong disciples instantly understood their fates and vanished without delay—but not far enough away. They wanted to witness how Hedong Sect would deal with this woman. Perhaps if she were killed, there remained a sliver of hope to reclaim the girl rather than face the Insect Demon Lord's wrath alone.

Whispers surrounding Qifeng made her own heart pound like frantic stags. Declaring one's identity openly felt exhilarating yet terrifyingly dangerous. She weakly transmitted through spiritual connection: "Um... will this really cause trouble?"

"Some," Laida replied seriously, his tone betraying no trace of hesitation before adding with calm detachment: "But I won't let you suffer because I'm afraid of complications. Eventually we must resolve our differences with Hedong Sect. Why not settle it openly in front of all these sect leaders?"

Silence followed Qifeng's transmission before a fiery light ignited in her eyes. If Laida truly intended to shoulder this burden for her, then what did it matter? In this world where strength dictated truth, who would dare argue with the mighty? A warm current flowed through her heart as she realized—his words were already proof enough of commitment.