The Out-of-Body evil cultivator's voice dripped with malice. He had clearly recognized Yunxi. Yunxi, though meeting him for the first time, narrowed her eyes at his tone and answered coolly, "Yes, it is this Zūnzhě. So what?"
"Hmph. Die." The Out-of-Body evil cultivator's tri-edged sword thrust for Yunxi's brow. Its razor sword intent surged with thick blood-fiend aura.
Yunxi frowned and chose not to meet it head-on. She activated Thousand Shadows Riding the Wind, slipping beyond the reach of his strike. At the same time, she spoke by transmission to Xiao Xian:
"Xiao Xian, hurry and replenish your master's spiritual power. This evil cultivator is tough. He hits hard."
Xiao Xian answered, exasperated, "Master, I am already doing my best. How long has it been since you found me a spirit vein? You promised so nicely, but this poor Xianling Grass got nothing. I even poured my backup reserves into you. Now you are worried."
Yunxi felt a twinge of guilt. It was not entirely her fault, but plans never kept up with change. Everything had been pushing her forward, good and bad arriving one after another. She had neglected her promise to the Xianling Grass.
Back on Azure Star, she had drained the upper-grade spirit vein Huaxian Gate paid her, using it to break through to the Out-of-Body stage. Then the Heavenly Gang Big Dipper Demon-Execution Grand Array had consumed eighty percent of her spiritual power. She had barely recovered a tenth. Facing an Out-of-Body evil cultivator put her at a disadvantage.
Knowing the foe was strong, Xiao Xian reminded her, "Master, you can temporarily draw aura from your space to help."
Yunxi's eyes brightened. How had she forgotten her space? She rarely relied on it, so she had not considered drawing aura from there. But ever since she fused the Misty Snow Domain into it, that space could feed her a steady stream of spiritual energy.
At the reminder, Yunxi reached out with her divine sense, linked with her space, and began channeling its aura to make up for her losses.
Her exchange with Xiao Xian took only two breaths. Meanwhile, after the first strike missed, the Out-of-Body evil cultivator unleashed a series of vicious attacks, each one lethal. The empty grounds of Huaxian Gate bore the brunt. One blood-red arc after another tore through the dense gray fog, the fierce sword intent even slicing Yunxi's robe.
Yunxi's frown deepened. Her robe could not be damaged, or her suppressed cultivation might surge. She had been dodging to win time for herself and her companions to recover. With her robe cut, she unfurled her Wind and Snow Domain ahead of time.
Since fusing the Misty Snow Domain, this was her first time spreading the Wind and Snow Domain. White snow blossomed into the gray fog. The air temperature plummeted.
Sensing danger, the Out-of-Body evil cultivator flashed, trying to escape the domain's boundary. Yunxi would never let him flee. She flashed ahead of his path. The Seven Stars Soul-Shattering Staff crashed down without hesitation, violet thunder lashing out to coil around his tri-edged sword.
A sharp sizzle sounded, like cold water hurled into boiling oil. The baleful energy steamed away by half in an instant. The Yaoguang star inlaid along the staff brightened, almost excited.
Though the evil cultivator caught the blow, he still staggered back a step, and that one step carried him into Yunxi's Wind and Snow Domain. By the time he realized something was wrong, great curtains of snow had begun to fall. What seemed soft and ethereal turned into blades in his eyes.
Yunxi finally let out a breath. With the foe locked in the domain, she had snatched back more time to recover. The next instant, she frowned again. The evil cultivator was venting poisonous mist within her domain, trying to force her to reveal herself.
Just then, Yun Chen appeared at her side wreathed in golden light. "Ran Xi, are you all right? I will help you."
"He is trapped in my domain, but it seems he knows me. I have no impression of him."
As Yunxi spoke with Yun Chen, she shaped the snowfall into ice blades, sending them in relentless waves to wear down the poison fog.
"Amitabha. Send me in. I will meet him."
"And me."
Han Lian flashed to Yunxi's side, and Xun Kun arrived last. He said nothing, but his gaze made his intent clear.
Han Lian's eyes were sharp. Seeing the cut in Yunxi's robe, she said at once, "Yunxi, the formation lines on your robe are damaged."
Yunxi nodded. "It happened while exchanging blows. I will send you in first."
"Good. Change robes. The three of us can hold him."
Yunxi flicked her sleeve and sent the three into the Wind and Snow Domain. She turned in place, changed into her spare robe, then swept away the gray poisonous fog the evil cultivator had released.
The Divine Transformation cultivators probing the perimeter had been testing the miasma with caution. Seeing the fog disperse and Yunxi reappear, they finally exhaled.
Hao Yan and Xiang Sizi flashed over and asked together,
"Ran Xi, are you all right?"
"Ran Xi, did something go wrong?"
Yunxi nodded to both and replied, "We are fine. Master Yun Yi of Yunmen Temple has been brought out by Yun Chen. An Out-of-Body evil cultivator who suppressed his cultivation is trapped in my domain for now. Once I finish him, I will explain everything."
The Snow Wolf King pair and Bai Feng padded up quietly, asking with their eyes how the fight was going.
"I will send you in to help. Try to capture him alive. I want to know what happened in the Upper Realm."
"Yes, Zūnzhě."
With their assent, Yunxi sent the three into the Wind and Snow Domain.
At once, Yunxi sensed strikes hammering her domain. She gave Hao Yan and Xiang Sizi a nod and vanished from before them.
Hao Yan and Xiang Sizi exchanged a glance. Watching the shimmering, sealed space before them, they fell back to a safe distance and kept their focus on the skies above Huaxian Gate.
When Yunxi reentered her domain, Han Lian, Yun Chen, Xun Kun, Bai Feng, and the Snow Wolf King pair had already ringed the Out-of-Body evil cultivator, taking turns to attack.
Han Lian, Bai Feng, and the Snow Wolf King pair fought like fish in water. Their ice attributes harmonized with the Wind and Snow Domain, making their strikes the fiercest and forcing the evil cultivator to eat several losses.
A thought from Yunxi sent the Mystic Frost Needle streaking out of her dantian. Ten thousand needles blossomed and rained toward the evil cultivator like a frozen storm.
Han Lian, Xun Kun, and Bai Feng struck at the same moment, the Snow Wolf King pair unleashing their heaviest blows. Their attacks landed together with the Mystic Frost Needle.
"Hmph. Cheap tricks."
The evil cultivator snorted coldly. His body shuddered and a layer of black-red armor sheathed him, trying to block everything.
It did blunt most of the storm, but he still grunted, eyes blood-red as he locked his stare onto Yunxi.