Hearing Feng Jiaqing's report, Yunxi's interest was piqued. She smiled. "How did they do?"
At that, Feng Jiaqing's face lit up as well. "They really brought honor to the Feng clan. When their team first reached the righteous versus evil battlefield in the Central Region, they were assigned to handle Golden Core evil cultivators. As they gained experience, they took the initiative to support Nascent Soul cultivators, teaming up to surround and slay Nascent Soul evil cultivators and earning solid merit. There were casualties too."
"In that case, rewards must be given. They are now a strong pillar for the Feng clan."
She handed Feng Jiaqing a storage pouch like the others and added, "The Central Region war was only a beginning. Do not assume victory means all is well. There is something in Weiyu Realm that the evil cultivators want. For the next hundred years, focus on raising clan's overall strength. The time I can shelter the clan is limited."
Feng Jiaqing accepted the pouch solemnly and nodded. "Rest assured, Ran Xi. Ancestor and I are clear on this. You have already done more than enough for the Feng clan. If we fail to measure up, that will be our own failing."
Yunxi nodded, satisfied. After he summarized the clan's development and rose to take his leave, Yunxi thought a moment and still spoke up. "Uncle, if the day comes that Yong and Qin wish to leave the Feng clan, let them go."
Feng Jiaqing blinked, then nodded agreement. Back in Haoran City, he relayed Yunxi's words to Ancestor Feng Feng.
After hearing it, Ancestor Feng Feng did not hesitate. "Since Ran Xi brought this up specifically, she must have her reasons. If one day Yong and Qin want to leave, we let them go. They are an asset, yes, but they are not of the Feng bloodline.
Only when the Feng clan itself grows strong can we retain the capable. Forcing them to stay would only breed disaster."
"You are right, Ancestor."
After Yunxi met with the Feng and Wei clans, she declined the flood of visiting posts. Five days later, however, a post from Yuxing City still found its way into her hands. Seeing the signature, she told the disciple beside her, "Invite her in."
Moments later, a stately, broad-shouldered beauty strode into the summit hall of Lingxue Peak. Smiling before she spoke, she bowed respectfully. "Mo Yuwan, City Lord of Yuxing City, pays respects to Ran Xi Zūnzhě."
Yunxi smiled slightly. "City Lord Mo, I trust you have been well."
Mo Yuwan returned the smile. "Thanks to Zūnzhě's blessing, Yuxing City has long been at peace. In the Central Region war, Yuxing City also sent cultivators, and their performance was respectable.
We even coordinated with a body-cultivator squad that the Feng clan from Haoran City dispatched. They said Ran Xi Zūnzhě saved them from fire and water and hold you in the highest regard."
From that, Yunxi knew she meant Yong and Qin. It made sense. As body cultivators, they would pair up naturally. But Yunxi understood Mo Yuwan had not come to speak of that. She smiled and nodded. "Their ancestor once helped me out of dire straits. Helping them was repaying that cause and effect.
Have you gathered all the spirit flora needed for the body-tempering medicinal agent? I remember my promise to refine a custom formula for you to help you break through to Divine Transformation."
That was precisely what Mo Yuwan had hoped to hear. Her eyes flashed, and the stone in her heart finally fell. When she learned Ran Xi had gone missing, she had been anxious enough to contact her old friend Yu Huo Zhēnjūn as a fallback and ask him to refine the medicine.
But Yu Huo's confidence was not high. He feared wasting the hard-won body-tempering ingredients and advised her to wait, insisting Ran Xi would return. She had to hold her patience.
Soon after, the righteous versus evil war erupted in the Central Region, and her attention shifted. When the war stalled, Ran Xi and the other three returned and shattered the stalemate, turning the tide at once. As soon as she received the news, Mo Yuwan headed for the Central Region.
By the time she arrived, Ran Xi had already returned to the sect. Mo Yuwan turned straight toward Haoran Sect, unwilling to waste a moment. Thankfully the result was good. Her post received an answer.
So when Ran Xi asked the crucial question, Mo Yuwan at once presented a storage ring and replied respectfully, "Many thanks, Ran Xi Zūnzhě, for agreeing to refine it for me. These are the spirit flora required for the body-tempering medicine. Please take a look."
Yunxi raised her hand, drawing the ring to her. A sweep of divine sense showed how much effort Mo Yuwan had spent gathering these spirit, demonic, and beast plants. She nodded. "If City Lord Mo has no urgent affairs, you may remain in Haoran Sect for two more days. Once I finish, I will have a disciple deliver it to you."
Mo Yuwan's smile blossomed. "That would be my honor."
Content, she left with a sect disciple to lodge at Guest Peak.
That very day, Yunxi drew the Ziyu Panlong Cauldron from her bangle, patted the coiled dragons on the cauldron's body, and smiled. "Ziyu, forgive me. Your master has been too busy fighting and advancing to refine medicines. Let's warm up with two furnaces, then refine the high-grade batch."
The Ziyu Panlong Cauldron trembled lightly in response. Yunxi summoned Zi Yan to preheat the cauldron, then refined the ingredients one by one, feeding them in order and beginning the brew.
Three days later, Mo Yuwan received her custom body-tempering medicinal agent from Yunxi's hand. Her excitement made her fingers tremble. She took the delivery ring, swept it with her sense, then said to the disciple, "Thank you for your trouble. Please convey my thanks to Ran Xi Zūnzhě. If ever there is need, send word to Yuxing City."
She handed over a Yuxing City token for the disciple to deliver to Ran Xi Zūnzhě. The disciple accepted with a nod and withdrew from Guest Peak.
Having obtained the medicine she had longed for, Mo Yuwan did not linger. She went to Haoran City, took the teleportation array back to Yuxing City, and at once announced seclusion to assault Divine Transformation.
Half a month later, the flying boat Haoran Sect had sent to the Central Region finally returned safely, proving the righteous versus evil war had truly ended.
Hao Yan, Hao Qing, and Hao Hui went straight to see Hao Yi Zūnzhě, giving a detailed account of the war and the sect disciples' performance. They also reported casualties, of course.
When reporting in, every Haoran Sect disciple who had fought received a sect reward, determined by the number of evil cultivators slain and the impact of the disciple's actions on the battlefield.
The reward soothed the veterans' hearts and gave them confidence to turn battle experience into cultivation gains. Retreating cultivators spiked overnight, and the closed-chamber rooms grew scarce.
Outside the sealed door of Wei Yunqing's death-closed seclusion, dust had grown thick. On this day, the stone gate rose without warning. A figure flashed from the chamber and shot straight toward Tribulation Peak.