Yu Lin turned the Hive token in his hand and shook his head helplessly. "Still the same headlong temper."
Hao Yi smiled and explained, "She has guarded the Hive for thirty years without finding a trace of Wei Yunqing. She suspects Wei Yunqing is up to no good and wants to search personally. Now that you are out of seclusion, Yunxi naturally cannot sit still."
Yu Lin nodded. "Ran Xi has always been sharp. If she says so, something must have happened around Wei Yunqing. Let her go. She might gain something. Fortunately my realm has stabilized and I will not be closing up again soon."
Hao Yi glanced at Yu Lin, eyes full of comfort. "Looks like the potion Ran Xi refined truly works wonders. You only consolidated your realm, yet you have already reached the peak of Divine Transformation mid stage. With the right opportunity you can strike for late stage. Very good."
At that, the usually cool Yu Lin could not hide a flash of joy. "Ran Xi said the breakthrough potion she made for me was tailored. As long as the medicinal force is not fully absorbed, it can continue to stimulate my potential. I felt it this seclusion.
No wonder Divine Transformation cultivators across the Weiyu Realm are scrambling for the potions she refines. Good thing she can protect herself, otherwise I would worry about keeping her safe."
"This is her fortune. Since the disciples of Medicine King Valley from the Central Region joined Haoran Sect, Pill Peak opened a separate summit to recruit disciples with alchemy talent. With Ran Xi guiding them, Yu Huo, Zong Hao, Ye Yirui, and Dan Yang can now hold the fort on their own.
Pill Peak's potions go first to our disciples. The sect's overall strength has risen. Before you emerged, Hao Hui and Hao Qing also went into seclusion, saying they would not let you surpass them as a latecomer.
Mingjian Gate, Loose Cultivator Alliance, Baihua Tower, Hehuan Sect, and Xianmo Sect all leaned on their ties with Ran Xi to request medicine. For old times' sake, Ran Xi refined suitable potions for them, giving them ample face and making Haoran Sect's rise steadier."
In a few sentences, Hao Yi sketched the sect's development over the thirty years of Yu Lin's seclusion so he would be up to speed.
Yu Lin nodded. "Good. The evil cultivators are turtled up. We must raise our strength quickly. If there is another upheaval like the Central Region, the Weiyu Realm will truly be in danger. From what Ran Xi says, next time the evil cultivators may go all in."
Hearing that, Hao Yi's smile faded. His gaze hardened. "If they want to use our Weiyu Realm as a stepping stone, we will tear a piece of flesh from them. Let the evil cultivators learn we are not prey to be taken at will."
"How is Cao Yi's research on the 'Demon-Slaying Array'?"
Before seclusion, Yu Lin knew Ran Xi had assigned Cao Yi to dissect that grand array, in preparation for the possibility that the Evil God's body is unsealed. Hence the question.
Hao Yi was well briefed and replied, "Cao Yi's talent in arrays is unmatched, and he inherited formation lore from an ancient cultivator. He has already split the entire 'Demon-Slaying Array' into eighty-one sub-arrays. Five years ago, after surveying the terrain, he took Ran Xi's jade token and began laying them across the Weiyu Realm."
Yu Lin's lips curved. "Excellent news. I assume the other sects and clans will cooperate."
Hao Yi Ancestor said, "Any clan or sect with a little foresight cooperates fully. Even the White-browed Ape at the heart of the Baohua Mountains raised no objection. But the realm is wide. Some small-minded ones grumbled that Cao Yi's array sites sit on their turf and tried to hike the price."
Yu Lin's face chilled. "Do they not grasp the situation of the Weiyu Realm? At a time like this, how do they have the gall to quibble. If the realm falls, do they think they will have a path to live?"
Hao Yi remained unruffled. "Ran Xi sees this clearly. She said lower-level cultivators have limited vision and limited access to information. They value immediate gain.
If spirit stones can settle it, all the better. If not, we show courtesy first and strength after. With her backing, it will not get too ugly."
Yu Lin nodded. "Ran Xi is transparent. Even as her master, I admit some of her ideas surpass my own."
He meant every word.
"Student surpassing teacher is still credit to the teacher. Without your guidance, Ran Xi would not stand where she does. When she was still tender, you shielded her. Do not be too modest."
After the two exchanged more updates about the sect, the Western Region, and the Weiyu Realm as a whole, Yu Lin returned to sit in the Hive.
Meanwhile, Cao Yi, under the protection of Lin Keyang and Zhang Lingrui, was laying arrays in the mortal realm.
Ever since entering the mortal realm, Zhang Lingrui felt uncomfortable everywhere, especially the pitifully thin spiritual energy. Aside from swinging his sword each day, he cultivated by burning through spirit stones, and the rapid consumption pained him.
Lin Keyang fared better. As a body cultivator, he tempered his body with spiritual power daily. Since advancing to Divine Transformation, he had slowed his pace. Before leaving the sect, he specially visited Ran Xi to have her refine a tempering potion suited for Divine Transformation.
Of course, he would not take advantage of his friendship with Ran Xi. He had collected the tempering ingredients bit by bit over the years. Getting Ran Xi to personally refine it was already him pushing his luck.
Ran Xi had said she referenced City Lord Mo Yuwan of Yunxi City for this batch, combining the strengths of two formulas to maximize his physical toughness. He believed her.
Twenty years ago, Mo Yuwan had already broken through to Divine Transformation. With deep accumulation and Ran Xi's potent potion, she leapt straight to mid stage, making 玉星城 lively for a time and drawing many body cultivators.
Mo Yuwan was a shrewd city lord. She used the chance to screen candidates, keeping those with strength and decent character, and greatly bolstered Yunxi City's power.
Before entering the mortal realm, they had also laid arrays in Yunxi City. Mo Yuwan accompanied them the whole time and gave full support. Lin Keyang, also a body cultivator, sparred with her in private and grasped the threshold to break into Divine Transformation mid stage.
Zhang Lingrui had wanted him to return to the sect and seclude himself to break through, but Lin Keyang refused. He knew Zhang Lingrui's temperament, a bit headstrong. When Cao Yi lays arrays, someone must stand guard. If evil cultivators struck now, Zhang Lingrui would be pulled in two directions.
So he decided to wait until they finished setting the last array in the Western Region's mortal realm before returning.
The three concealed their strength, masked their faces, and worked at top speed, installing arrays across the mortal realm. They embedded spirit stones in advance so the arrays could be started by mudras alone.
Just as they were about to return to the cultivation world, Cao Yi suddenly said,
"Something just touched the array I laid."