The whimsical Heavens could be malicious to a cultivator as they could be benefic. The latter? An occurrence fairly rarer than the former. And yet, as Bai Qi resolved to use Kui Mulang's power, not caring about the cost that, this time, he would have to pay - it resulted that it wasn't required.

In fact, by a game of fate, one of Bai Qi's objectives was completed by itself!

Having felt the presence approaching in an interception course, Bai Qi resolved himself and, leaving the Bai sisters behind, rushed out to, in turn, intercept the former. He was ready for anything, including giving up his life, but it would turn out unneeded.

"Bai Qi!" A qi-infused whisper entered his ears just a moment before Bai Qi, concealing his presence, launched to meet one of the presences he had felt, one that had moved forward while leaving the other behind.

"He Delan?!" There was no need to guess who the voice owner was - Bai Qi was perfectly acquainted with both her voice and qi.

***

"We had to leave the manor. Several Warrior Kings were attacking the teleportation formation as well as the city entrance." He Delan's report was short, as she showed Bai Qi's to Ma Su's and the unconscious Chun Hua's and Fan Jia's location.

"I hoped that you did so. I decided to move away from the action to contact you and set up a meeting place. Regretfully, we got caught in an unexpected combat, so it took fairly longer than expected." Bai Qi's response was similar, only highlighting the crucial points while ignoring everything else.

"Yes, I felt the battle and decided to move towards you. How are the sisters?" With Bai Qi relaxing as soon as they met, He Delan was sure that the Bai sisters were alive. Yet, with neither of the [White Tiger] girls being present, she assumed they weren't in a state to do so.

"Wounded and exhausted, to no risk but will not be able to fight." Bai Qi had to make sure of what combat strength they could rely on before planning anything, so he asked after giving a straight response, "What about you?"

"Neither Ma Su nor I met any combat, and she has recuperated enough to fight. Fan Jia awoke, but I knocked her out. As for Chun Hua, she remains with no changes." He Delan responded similarly, aware of why Bai Qi could be asking such. Not that she didn't wonder,

"Understood."

***

Dutiful as always, at least since the events in [Heibei], Ma Su stood guard over the unconscious Fan Jia and Chun Hua. And while Ma Su had not been enthusiastic about He Delan going ahead alone, she was aware that the [Void Palace] elder had far more chances to avoid, or if needed to, escape any hostiles she would meet.

"Hmm?" With her senses at a minimum, concealing her presence to the utmost, Ma Su still managed to feel the approach of two different signatures. And while she was able to identify them, Ma Su still prepared herself for a fight, not dropping her guard even in response to the two qi strands meant to identify them as Bai Qi and He Delan.

She would only drop her guard as the two entered the empty store where Ma Su had chosen to crash in, having confirming qi, aura, and image.

"Master Bai Qi!" No one could be sure why Ma Su called Bai Qi out as master again, but she did and even bowed as she reported, "There were no incidents since senior He Delan left. I am at full strength."

"Drop the formalities, especially the master one." Bai Qi wryly smiled as he looked first at the now-turned-follower bandit. Then, his gaze moved on to the two peacefully sleeping girls at the very back of the room, which resembled a cloth store, low-grade spiritual, and several bundles of mortal cloth strewn on the desks, tables, and shelves.

*Swoosh*

Without any understandable reason or giving any explanation, Bai Qi suddenly threw a talisman toward Fan Jia, his right hand's fingers pinching in the activation seal.

"A barrier. Fan Jia should avoid any intake of my demonic essence." Bai Qi would not elaborate further, but he did explain his actions to the owners of the two surprised gazes that landed on him as he undertook this action.

***

It would only take a few moments after Bai Qi left for both Bai Ze and Bai Rui to understand what he intended to do. They hadn't examined the pills he threw them, entirely confident he was the only one who would never mean them some harm, and it turned out to be a mistake.

Thus, as Bai Qi returned, neither Bai Ze nor Bai Rui paid any attention to the ones accompanying him, their entire self, paralyzed, staring and growling at him in anger.

"You already protected me. So what kind of cultivator, friend, or individual would I be if I didn't do the same?" With two pairs of angry eyes from the front, and two pairs full of surprise from behind, Bai Qi could only sheepishly smile, giving out what appeared to be the only explanation. An explanation that was entirely true as well.

Sometime later, in a small abandoned house near the eastern wall.

Meeting up with He Delan and having calmed the Bai sisters, Bai Qi made everyone move to a nearby house, hardly anything but a wooden shack consisting of a couple of rooms. And inside the empty, showing signs of deterioration main room of it, he would start discussing their plan.

"The attackers are limited in number, or we would already encounter far more of them, not to mention that no declaration accompanied the attack." Meeting no objection, Bai Qi continued, "From what we know, they attacked the Main Arena, the Teleportation Formation, and the City Entrance. And while I don't doubt they also attacked other spots as the City's Palace, let's consider only these three."

"The arena is under attack by peak Warrior Kings. And there has been an Emperor aura flaring from time to time over the city, but inside the formation. So, I take your plan is to leave the city?" He Delan completed Bai Qi's overview of the situation, pushing the conversation to the main question.

"Indeed, and that leaves us with two, no, three options." Bai Qi nodded.

"To leave via the entrance or the teleportation formation, I understand, but what is the third?" Bai Ze joined the conversation, wondering aloud.

"Jump over the walls and enter the forest, where we can easily hide, right?" Ma Su, still influenced by her bandit times, immediately asked.

"Yes, as you all can feel - since a few breaths - the protective formation does not interfere with anyone but Warrior Emperors, at least for the exit part." Bai Qi nodded again, giving everyone time to feel the formation's edge, which was barely some two hundred feet from them.

"But, if the attackers have control over it, wouldn't that give us up?" Bai Rui, silent until now, asked before pointing up, where a presumably hostile Warrior Emperor aura flashed again.

"If crossing it normally, it would." Yet again, Bai Qi nodded before adding, "But, would a Warrior Emperor rush after us?"

"They may, but you weren't planning to leave by openly crossing it." He Delan spoke up and, after a minute pause, added, "You think that using the Void, we will be able to hide our tracks, at least enough for us to hide against any later pursuit."

"Mmm, that's why I consider we have three options, not that any of them seems entirely foolproof." Bai Qi agreed.

"All that said, I feel you already have a plan, don't you?" He Delan smiled as she looked into Bai Qi's eyes, who, in turn, could only shrug.

"I do. And yet, I prefer everyone to think about the options before telling about what I believe to be our best choice."

Bai Qi had always appreciated others speaking up. Even if their words and judgments went against his own. But this time, with only He Delan actually wording anything but an agreement to whatever he decided, no discussion would ensue. And how could it happen if even He Delan, the only one to offer something, reached the same conclusion as him?

***

The only change to the plan would be Bai Qi's intended destination. It changing from [Shoumen] to the [Void Palace], something caused by him being unaware of the repairs having finished for the teleportation formation for the latter. And so, just a few breaths after the discussion that never occurred, the group set off toward the teleportation formation of [Zihoadao].

While from one side, it seemed as the most dangerous destination, as no attacker would have overlooked the only way for reinforcements to arrive instantly, it was also the only of the three that could be damaged and wouldn't require many lookouts.

And indeed, a formation could be thwarted, blocked, and even destroyed, while the only path out of the city that led to a safe route over the sea and the several dozen places to enter the surrounding forest was not.

And while the attackers may have destroyed the formation, dooming Bai Qi's and He Delan's plans, both of the latter doubted it. The assaulters would have to consider a way out of the city, and there was none but the formation, at least if they weren't local, something unthinkable, as all the surrounding powers fell under the control of the [Great Forest Sect].

A teacup's worth of time later, half a street from the [Budding Lake] manor.

{So..?} Bai Qi asked the returning He Delan, who had scouted ahead while he and the others remained concealed at just enough distance to stay unnoticed by the possible defenders of the formation.

{Only two, both Warrior Kings. Ma Su and I should be enough to deal with them in a couple of breaths.} Following her transmission with the image of what her senses gathered, a 3rd and a 5th level Warrior Lord, neither displaying an aura capable of increased battle prowess, He Delan reported.

{The formation?} With He Delan's recounting missing that part, Bai Qi asked as his face denoted surprise at such a miss.

{We were wrong. No damage or interruption. The formation was only disconnected from the feeding.} He Delan smiled, revealing her joy about the fact. And indeed, why wouldn't she?

While the qi required for a teleportation formation was enormous, between her and Bai Qi's [Void Ring] contents, they could easily power several of them. Granted, the cost of Spirit stones, qi-holding treasures, and what else, everything to be left behind, would be enormous, but it was far easier than repairing or reconnecting other parts of the formation.

{Understood.} Bai Qi acknowledged the report, slightly smiling as he also hadn't expected such a boon from the attackers. A few moments later, he commanded, "Ma Su, He Delan, deal with them. Bai Ze and Bai Ru, please carry the girls. We rush towards the formation as they enter combat."