Ancestor Hao Yi got straight to the point when she saw Yunxi. She explained that, after careful selection across the five regions, they had gathered two hundred cultivators capable of attempting the Out-of-Body stage. Some had been suppressing their cultivation with great effort, while others still needed more time in seclusion.
After the Yunxiao Sea incident, cultivators throughout the Weiyu Realm understood how grave the situation was. As long as the evil god's body remained sealed within the Weiyu Realm, evil cultivators would never truly give up on invading.
They could not count on heroes like Ran Xi Zūnzhě and the other three to turn the tide every time. Though the sealed ground had been forced back beneath Yunxiao Sea, the four great figures had all but vanished. No one knew how badly they were injured or whether their immortal paths had been cut short.
Thus the realm-wide ascension plan won broad support. Everyone wanted to gamble on it. Even if the overall plan failed, those participants could at least enter the Spirit Realm smoothly, and afterward find ways to help the Weiyu Realm avert destruction.
Hearing this, Yunxi felt the burden settle heavier on her shoulders, but it was still a good beginning. She smiled. "Many thanks, Ancestor. I will restore my cultivation as quickly as I can."
Hao Yan narrowed her phoenix eyes. "During your sleep, aside from your master, we allowed only Han Lian, Xun Kun, and Yun Chen to see you. After confirming you were fine, they left.
The Wei clan's Ancestor, Wei Chenyin, came to beg Yu Ling to let her see you. Your master refused, but told her you were in no mortal danger, only overly depleted and asleep. When you have time, you should visit the Wei clan."
Yunxi nodded. "I understand."
"And one more thing," Hao Yan added after a pause. "Wei Yunqing's soul lamp has gone out. The one in the sect's Soul Lamp Hall and the one stored at the Wei clan extinguished at the same time."
Yunxi did not hide anything. She recounted how she had slain Wei Yunqing. Although Yun Chen had delivered the final blow and Xun Kun had helped, she did not mention them.
"Wei Yunqing was a fool, used to the end without ever realizing it. She spent forty years undoing the first seal on the evil god's body, then had her heart's blood stolen by Long Ya's blade spirit, which planned to use the Wei bloodline to make clan souls into offerings for the second seal.
Fortunately, I felt something was wrong. I searched the fake sword spirit and learned the evil cultivators' plan. Only then could I break the situation at the last moment. Otherwise I would have been even more wretched. As it was, I slept ten years.
Most importantly, Wei Yunqing's soul origin was not her own at all. It belonged to someone else. If not for my beast Li Li, we might have let that soul fragment slip away."
Even now, speaking calmly, Yunxi still ground her teeth.
Ancestor Hao Yi and Hao Yan traded a grave look. They had not expected this layer to the story. No wonder the Wei clan had shut their ancestral grounds after Ran Xi fell asleep and kept so low-key even now.
Hao Yi Ancestor rubbed her fingers thoughtfully. "Ran Xi, in that case, Wei Yunqing may not have been an evil cultivator's chess piece. Or rather, she came to the Weiyu Realm with some other purpose and only happened to help the evil cultivators indirectly."
Yunxi narrowed her apricot eyes. "Ancestor, your analysis sounds right. I believe that soul fragment descended specifically to suppress me."
"Oh? Why do you think so?"
Yunxi cleared her throat and spoke of Wei Lingyue's grudges with his two Dao companions across the years, the complicated ties between the sisters, and the competition and struggle for resources that had followed.
She concluded, "There was no blood feud between Wei Yunqing and me. It was that Wei Lingyue could not hold the bowl level. He wanted both, and to keep his pitiful self-esteem, and that erased my last bit of affection for him as a father.
But Wei Yunqing seemed to have bitten down on me. She kept comparing herself to me all the way along. She advanced quickly, even faster than most in our batch. Her combat power had some water in it, but she caused me enough trouble.
At first her hostility was because she fancied the sect master's eldest disciple, Sheng Yuhong. I focused on the dao and had no interest in romance. Later she saw I felt nothing beyond ordinary fellow discipleship toward Sheng Yuhong and she gave up on him. That is clearly abnormal.
I stumbled into evil-cultivator deployments several times, and Wei Yunqing always happened to act, whether deliberately or not. That is why I conclude the soul fragment came down expressly to suppress me."
Hao Yan's phoenix eyes widened a notch. After a moment's thought, she said, "If your guess is correct, we absolutely cannot let that soul fragment return to the main soul. Once the main soul reads its memories, it will know the plan failed and will likely strike at you."
Yunxi nodded. "Hao Yan Zūnzhě is right. I think so too. That soul fragment is still imprisoned in the Soul-Confining Mirror. I will find it a proper end."
"Good. When the four of you have recovered your cultivation, we will initiate the realm-wide ascension plan," Hao Yi Ancestor decided.
"Understood."
Yunxi exchanged a few more words with them and returned to Lingxue Peak.
After she left, Hao Yi sighed. Hao Yan arched a brow. "Senior Sister, why sigh? Are things not moving in a good direction?"
Hao Yi waved a hand. "Ran Xi's path ahead will not be easy. She has done nothing, yet already a powerful opponent is watching from the shadows. Think about it. To let a soul fragment grow stably in one realm without arousing suspicion, would that person be easy to deal with?"
Hao Yan was unconcerned. "Everyone has their own fate. Perhaps precisely because that person exists, Ran Xi will grow faster. She is a Divine Transformation cultivator not yet a hundred years old.
If not for burning a layer of cultivation to activate the demon-slaying array, she would already be an Out-of-Body cultivator before a hundred. Genius does not even begin to cover it. I believe she will surpass us all."
—
After leaving the rear mountain forbidden grounds, Yunxi flashed to Dan Peak to see Wei Zonghao.
Zonghao was studying a new medicinal formula in a jade slip. He had received it after advancing to late Nascent Soul from Yuhuo Zhēnjūn. He was now master of the peak and lived alone in the main hall at the summit.
The instant Yunxi's figure appeared, he sensed her, looked up sharply, and saw her smiling. He blinked in disbelief, then finally sprang to his feet.
"Yunxi, is it really you?"
"It is. What, ten years apart and you do not recognize me?"
Wei Zonghao had already reached her side, concern etched on his face. "Is your body alright? Have your injuries healed? Any lingering effects? When did you leave seclusion?"
Yunxi smiled, dimples showing. "I am fine. Do not rush. Sit and we will talk slowly."