When Yun Xi heard the offer, her eyes lit up. This could work. Smiling sweetly, she replied,"Martial Uncle Yu Huo, I'll trade alchemy for your guidance. Please give me a few pointers."
Upon hearing that, Yu Huo Zhēnjūn swept aside his robe and sat down beside Yu Feng, chuckling,"Of course, of course. Sharing knowledge benefits us all!"
Yu Geng, the Sect Master, glanced at his younger brother and thought he looked like a grinning fool. Not bothering to comment, he turned to Yun Xi and said, "Wei Daoyou, the legacy of the Yixian Gate was a personal opportunity you obtained. Since you're willing to share it with the sect, the sect will certainly not treat you unfairly.
I will personally exempt you from all sect tasks during the Golden Core stage. In addition, you'll receive an appropriate reward and contribution points from the sect. You can collect them at the Inner Sect Disciples' Hall. If you have any other requests, feel free to make them known."
Yun Xi was more than satisfied with the reward. Without sect tasks to distract her, she would have more time to focus on cultivating, refining pills, making medicine, drawing talismans, and studying formations. The reward itself would no doubt be generous, and sect contribution points could be exchanged for many useful items. It was everything she needed right now.
Still, after thinking it over, she spoke again, "Sect Master, this disciple would like to enter the newly opened secret realm in the Baohua Mountains for experience."
The Sect Master didn't reject the idea immediately. He paused, then said, "Wei Daoyou, you've just acquired the Yixian Gate's legacy. If you enter the secret realm now, it's likely other cultivators will target you. It won't be safe. Besides, you're not lacking in cultivation resources. Since this is the first time the secret realm is being opened, the danger level is unpredictable."
It was clear he didn't want Yun Xi to go.
But Yun Xi held firm, "Sect Master, I understand the risks. But what I lack now is real-world experience. My cultivation has advanced too quickly, and I want to temper that into actual strength. I don't want to be a hollow vessel, a fragile flower with no roots."
Yu Feng Zhēnjūn, sitting nearby, couldn't help but smile. In his eyes, this little girl was anything but fragile. If she were, those two Nascent Soul evil cultivators wouldn't have perished without even preserving their Yuányīng. Still, this wasn't the moment to expose Yun Xi's hand.
Though he was officially here to "protect" Yun Xi, he'd also been one of the first to explore the Yixian Gate's ruins—and had certainly reaped his share of benefits.
Yu Geng, hearing Yun Xi's explanation, understood her resolve. He couldn't force her to stay. Beyond her contributions to the sect, she was also his Senior Brother's sole disciple. After a moment of thought, he said, "Since you're determined to enter the secret realm, I won't stop you. But I also won't let you go in unprotected. I'll have Yu Lian Zhēnjūn craft you a magical item to disguise your appearance. Would that work for you?"
In truth, Yun Xi already had the Huadian immortal artifact to conceal her aura. She wasn't worried about being recognized. What she really wanted was the Sect Master's permission. Now that he was even offering her a disguise treasure, she was more than happy to accept.
Then, under Yu Huo Zhēnjūn's eager gaze, she handed over three jade slips to the Sect Master. She clearly explained that this was only a portion of the Yixian Gate's inheritance. It was all she had managed to comprehend and copy so far. The rest would only become available once she unraveled the seals in her Sea of Consciousness.
Yu Geng took the jade slips and reminded her, "These three are more than enough for the sect to study for some time. There's no need to rush the rest.
This legacy is likely tied to your cultivation. Before reaching the appropriate level, it probably won't fully reveal itself. And even if it did, without sufficient strength, you wouldn't be able to grasp it."
"Yes, Martial Uncle. I understand."
Yun Xi knew the Sect Master was being sincere, but she also knew the real reason: the Yixian Gate's legacy hadn't yet fully integrated with the jade token space. Once it did, she'd be able to enter the Scripture Pavilion and browse all their legacy texts. After she finished copying those, the inheritance would be complete.
With the formalities settled, Yun Xi quietly left the main peak's hall and returned to Lingxue Peak.
The first thing she did was begin cultivating. She focused on repairing the faint cracks in her meridians and refilling her empty dantian. Only after stabilizing her foundation did she begin tending to her courtyard.
Fei Xia and Dian Dian had long gone off to catch up with old friends. Although their recent journey outside had ended safely, it had been filled with enough twists and turns to leave them both wanting to decompress and share stories.
Yun Xi glanced at the Xueling Flowers she had cordoned off in the courtyard. The chilling spiritual energy wafted through the air, invigorating her body and opening every pore with a soothing sense of clarity.
After finishing these chores, she made her way up to the mountaintop of Lingxue Peak, where her master was still in seclusion. Just like before, she placed a mat down, sat cross-legged, and began recounting her recent journey.
"Master, I left the sect to search for my little uncle, who had been trapped. But I ended up uncovering a plot by evil cultivators."
Yun Xi transformed into a cheerful chatterbox, narrating everything that had happened in vivid detail. Of course, she said nothing about the jade token space. That was her ultimate trump card. Not even her master could know.
After she finished speaking, she sighed as always, "Master, I think I've made it onto the evil cultivators' blacklist. Before, they wanted me dead. Now, they probably want to capture me alive.
They won't give up on that Yinxi Grass formula. Even though I spread the word that the recipe was destroyed, I doubt they believe it. They might try to capture me and force me to make a new one.
It's so frustrating. Do these evil cultivators really think that just because they can hide their auras, they can do whatever they want in the Weiyu Realm and never be caught?
Because of them, I have to sneak around just to go train in a newly opened secret realm. Thankfully, the Sect Master has my back and is asking Martial Uncle Yu Lian to craft me a disguise artifact. At least now I can venture out without constantly looking over my shoulder.
Master, you really must reach Divine Transformation soon. I've already boasted about you to the City Lord Mo Yu. Once you ascend to Divine Transformation, I can ride your coattails and act tough. Next time, we won't have to trouble Ancestor Hao Hui."
Yun Xi rambled everything she wanted to say, then packed up her mat and patted herself down before heading back to her little courtyard.
Inside the hall, Yu Ling Zhēnjūn smiled quietly to himself. His little disciple was clearly thriving in the outside world. Every return brought surprises. At the same time, he felt the growing pressure of her hope—she truly expected him to reach Divine Transformation soon.
Yun Xi had no idea that every time she came to speak like this, her master heard and remembered every word. He knew exactly how she was progressing in her cultivation and growth.
After returning to the sect, Yun Xi realized that her cultivation wasn't yet sufficient. Though she had eliminated Li Chang by borrowing external force, who could say there wouldn't be another Li Chang?
Turning cultivation into true strength was not just an empty phrase.
Yun Xi planned to redeem both her sect contribution rewards from the inheritance and the upcoming sect competition rewards. She would use them to enter the Clear Liquid Pool and enter closed-door cultivation for a while.
But before that, she had two people she wanted to visit—her little uncle Wei Lingkai, and Zhao Jinmu.
When Yun Xi arrived at Wei Lingkai's courtyard, he was still in seclusion, likely restoring his vitality. She left behind a message talisman, then went to find Wei Chenyin.
Upon seeing her, Wei Chenyin couldn't help but exclaim, "Yun Xi, your cultivation is progressing far too quickly!"