Chapter 30: Brigitte’s Territory

What holy and pristine wings those were!

With a gentle beat in the air, they rippled like water, sending forth a silver wave of light. The sky had long since darkened, and as the moon emerged, the girl standing high above the leader tilted her head slightly. Her waterfall of long silver hair cascaded freely, shimmering with subtle light under the moonlight. Each strand seemed imbued with mysterious power; its color was so pure and dazzling that she appeared like a sprite born of the first winter snow—possessing the ethereal spirit of the world, yet untouched by a single speck of dust.

She possessed a face of breathtaking beauty. Her fair skin held a faint glow, and her blue eyes, like the brightest stars in the night sky, were deep and distant, radiating a chill that kept others at a distance. It was an innate arrogance that made one fear to meet her gaze directly.

For some reason, as the leader watched her, he felt a strange, palpitating unease. He couldn't help but speak:

"Soul-Wounding Bird..."

"I have a name."

A flash of weary, haughty disdain crossed the beauty’s brow. Her voice was ethereal:

"My name is Xue Yuan."

Xue Yuan—she was the princess who had stirred the entire Tiandou City four years ago!

The leader quickly realized his lapse in composure. He cleared his throat and sneered, "Hmph, just a wanted criminal who has been lucky enough to survive until now."

"Whether or not I committed those acts, you people of the Spirit Hall know better than anyone."

Though the girl was petite, her gaze was as proud as if she stood atop a freezing peak. With a light tap of her toes against the void, she surged forward toward the heart of the Star Dou Great Forest as if she had borrowed the wind’s strength!

The Soul-Wounding Bird was once hailed as the continent’s premier agility-type spirit master. In an instant, she was gone, leaving only a rainbow streak across the night sky where her wings had cut through the darkness. The leader was not slow either. Relying on the vast gap in their spirit power, he gave chase to Tang Xi with great speed.

Tang Xi had not felt her spirit in a long time. The wings that had once been severed by blades had regrown, and as the free wind brushed her face, the faint phantom of a giant bird appeared behind her. She was filled with excitement, but sensing her pursuer closing in, she slightly adjusted her trajectory, veering toward the deepest center of the Star Dou Great Forest.

The distance between them fluctuated, but neither slowed as time passed, and they covered thousands of miles in a flash.

Tang Xi’s spirit power was, after all, inferior to the Spirit Saint behind her. Pushing herself to escape at such high speed had exhausted her reserves. Seeing the leader closing the distance, Tang Xi’s warm blue eyes narrowed. A silver light, the color of moonlight, flickered within them, and a mark on her forehead glowed; in an instant, her figure vanished before the leader’s eyes.

The leader’s pursuit faltered, but he quickly regained his senses.

*Her previous concealment skill?*

He knew of this ability, which made tracking her far easier. The leader sneered, unleashing a surge of spirit power that swept arrogantly across the surroundings.

His mental detection quickly picked up Tang Xi’s presence. Just as he was about to catch up, a gruff voice suddenly erupted from the depths of the forest:

"Audacious human! How dare you act so wantonly in my territory!"

With the arrival of this voice, a powerful pressure descended from the sky. Tang Xi, hidden in the void, was forced into visibility, and both she and the leader were slammed from the air onto the ground.

Tang Xi felt as if a giant hand were crushing her. She let out a muffled groan, straining to use her wings to brace herself against the earth, attempting to lift herself up.

The owner of that pressure sensed her spirit and, for some unknown reason, immediately lifted the burden from her. The leader, however, was not so fortunate; he was pinned firmly to the ground, his face pressed into the dirt.

Tang Xi stood where she was, holding her heart, and looked around at the empty surroundings in surprise. Given the content of the words, this senior who had suddenly intervened must be a spirit beast, and one capable of human speech—its cultivation must have reached the hundred-thousand-year level!

The leader struggled to lift his head, gritting his teeth as he apologized loudly to the void:

"My apologies, Senior. This woman is my target. Once I take her away, I will depart from your domain immediately."

"Noisy."

The gruff voice spat the word with extreme impatience. In the next moment, the leader let out a shrill cry as his lower body was visibly crushed, his legs twisted to the side at a grotesque angle.

As the leader continued to scream in agony, Tang Xi felt a chill of horror. If this being wanted to kill her, she would have no chance to resist!

Tang Xi tucked away her wings and stood quietly to the side. The gruff voice spoke again, this time directed at her:

"This is the dwelling of Lady Bi Ji. She dislikes the stench of blood. Now that this man’s legs are broken and he cannot pursue you, you may leave at once."

Such a clear difference in attitude raised questions in Tang Xi’s heart, but she knew well that there was no such thing as a free lunch. She performed a salute toward the void and said earnestly:

"Thank you, Senior, for your intervention. I am not sure what honor Xue Yuan possesses to deserve your favor, but if there is anything I can do to assist, I will not refuse."

The gruff voice let out a dismissive, cold laugh:

"What could a little brat like you do to earn Lady Bi Ji’s favor? It is merely because your spirit is somewhat unique that Lady Bi Ji specifically ordered you to be spared. Scram now; I have no interest in chatting so much with humans."

"Thank you, Senior."

Tang Xi bowed respectfully, lowered her head, and as she stepped back, she raised her eyes. A cold light flashed through her warm blue irises.

The leader felt a chill run down his spine. Before he could react, his entire body was encased in silver energy; already severely wounded, he was rendered completely immobile.

Terrified, the leader looked at Tang Xi’s cold, noble face and finally felt the threat of death. He stammered, "W-what are you doing!"

Tang Xi controlled the silver energy, leading him step by step back in the direction they had come. Hearing the leader’s fearful questioning, an angelic smile—yet one with a demonic edge—appeared on her face, and her ethereal voice drifted through the quiet forest:

"That senior let you go, but I did not."

"I cannot dirty that senior’s territory, but once we leave this area, I have many questions to ask you."