When Lin Xiao heard the name "Binding Ji Treasure Formation," his expression finally changed slightly.
"Does this formation allow one to capture members of the Ji Stone faction?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Exactly." He Yi nodded. "According to the records in the incomplete manuscript, Ji practitioners possess a secret technique that allows them to use a Ji Stone to switch positions and escape. As long as they've pre-placed a Ji Stone in a hidden location, they can easily bypass any spiritual energy formations and leave, making them extremely difficult to capture or eliminate."
"But this Binding Ji Treasure Formation can prevent Ji practitioners from escaping through any means—whether using Ji energy, spiritual energy, or yuan energy."
After Lin Xiao expressed a mortal world cultivator's basic interest in the formation, he quickly returned to a façade of ignorance and asked, "If this formation is so powerful, why hasn't the Talisman Sect used it to capture the Ji Stone faction?"
He Yi seemed to remember something, briefly lowering his left hand toward his dantian before stopping, his tone filled with a mix of probing and thoughtfulness.
"Because this formation cannot be activated by spiritual energy. It requires a cultivator who can refine and control yuan energy to initiate it."
As his words fell, the room was momentarily silent.
Lin Xiao hesitated.
He hesitated about whether to admit the truth.
After all, the Ji Stone issue posed a great danger.
But his hesitation lasted only a moment. Before the silence grew too noticeable, he maintained his friendly smile and replied:
"Does the cultivation world have any leads on those who can control yuan energy? If there's anything I can do to help, I'll gladly offer my assistance."
From the start of the conversation, He Yi had been closely observing Lin Xiao's reactions.
Unfortunately, there was no clear flaw in Lin Xiao's behavior.
Except for that brief pause—a moment of silence too short to count as anything significant.
But that didn't prove anything. It might have simply been a delayed response.
Still, He Yi felt an instinct telling him that this conversation couldn't end here.
If Lin Xiao truly knew nothing, that would be one thing. But if he did know something about yuan energy—or if he himself controlled the power described in the ancient text—then losing the chance to cooperate with him, leaving the Binding Ji Treasure Formation unused, would be a grave mistake.
Yet He Yi also understood that he didn't currently have enough leverage to compel Lin Xiao to speak.
Remembering what Lin Xiao had said on the hill three days ago, He Yi reached into his robes and pulled out a small wooden carving.
"Since coming to the mortal realm, I've passed through many countries, towns, and villages. Only upon entering Pusi Country did I hear about—and see—a sect that is not spoken of with fear or distance by mortals, but rather with love and respect."
As he spoke, He Yi suddenly laughed at himself and added:
"To be honest, at first, I thought Lingxian Sect was just some group fishing for fame, or that you were scheming to use mortals for some ulterior motive."
"It seems I was being narrow-minded, judging a noble heart with my own pettiness."
With that, he held out the small wooden carving, motioning for Lin Xiao to take it.
"I got this when I deliberately passed through a small, remote village upon entering the Hufang Province. The villagers gave it to me."
Puzzled, Lin Xiao accepted the carving and examined it. He Yi explained further:
"I assumed that, if there were any schemes, they would be targeting populated places. A remote village like that would surely go unnoticed. But to my surprise, even a tiny corner like that was being looked after by your sect."
Hearing this, Lin Xiao didn't know how to respond. He carefully studied the wooden carving in his hand.
From the rough outline, it barely resembled a human figure. There was a head, a body, and limbs, with some vague detail showing that it wore a robe.
That was about it.
Clearly, the person who carved this wasn't particularly skilled.
But etched onto the figure's clothing were two small characters: "Lingxian." Although the carving itself was crude, the letters were carefully crafted, showing the carver's great effort despite the lack of skill.
"The village was very poor and isolated. The people there rarely leave, even once a year. This carving was made by an old woodcarver in that village. Every household there has a similar wooden statue, and when I told him I was planning to visit Lingxian Sect, he eagerly gave me one," He Yi said.
Hearing this, Lin Xiao looked at the simple wooden carving in his hand and smiled genuinely for the first time that day.
Seeing this, He Yi seemed to understand something.
Lin Xiao was not without desires. He, too, had something he pursued—something he wished to satisfy.
But his desires were not founded on harming others. They carried no malice. In fact, one could say they were filled with goodwill.
Just three days ago, He Yi had asked Lin Xiao why he treated mortals so kindly...
But looking back now, was there any need to ask why?
There were selfish people in the world, and there were indifferent people. So naturally, there could also be people like Lin Xiao.
It was just that the former types were more common, while the latter were rare. People grew accustomed to selfishness and accepted it, while those like Lin Xiao were seen as anomalies—people they were unwilling to understand.
With this new perspective, He Yi no longer felt the need to constantly probe Lin Xiao, because he suddenly believed that they shared the same goal in dealing with the Ji Stone crisis.
So he spoke:
"Lin Sect Master, you've witnessed firsthand the danger posed by the Ji Stone during the Huanyou incident. If left unchecked, we can't know where it will strike next..."
Sensing that his words might be too forceful, He Yi paused before meeting Lin Xiao's eyes resolutely.
"If..." He hesitated, then made a firm decision. "Forget it. I, He Yi, formally request to join Lingxian Sect!"
Before Lin Xiao could respond, He Yi pulled an item from his storage ring and held it in his hand.
"This is the identity token of a direct disciple of the Talisman Sect, crafted by the only seventh-grade artifact master in the Northern and Southern Spiritual Domains. Unless its owner dies or willingly withdraws their spiritual sense from it, even a Void Refining stage cultivator would find it difficult to completely destroy."
"Our sect's rules state: if the token remains, so does the disciple. If the token is destroyed, the disciple is automatically removed from the sect's roster."