Wei Chenyin made no attempt to shield the others in the council hall. He opened the message talisman, and the voice of the guard stationed at the gate came through. "Ancestor, people from Chunfeng Gate are here again."
Yunxi immediately guessed that this was the sect that wanted the Wei Clan's estate. She turned to Wei Chenyin and said, "Invite them in. If they want to take our clan's land, they'd better pay a price for it."
A gleam of joy flashed in Wei Chenyin's eyes. He casually sent back a reply talisman.
Yunxi then addressed Wei Lingtao. "Patriarch, take Zongjin and inform the clan members. Have them gather all belongings and be ready to depart at any time. We leave in three days for the new location Haoran Sect has chosen."
Wei Lingtao and Wei Zongjin agreed with undisguised relief. Yunxi added, "Turn the estate upside down if you have to, but take everything worth bringing. Don't leave Chunfeng Gate a single bargain."
"Yes!"
This time their response rang louder, and they quickly left the council hall.
Feng Feng raised his hand, sending message talismans to his own clan juniors, instructing them to pack swiftly so nothing would be left behind if they were forced to evacuate.
Feng Jiaqing, worried about his clan's younger members, was just about to excuse himself when he saw five figures marching toward the council hall with aggressive momentum. One look was enough to tell they were from Chunfeng Gate.
Yunxi's divine sense swept over them, discerning that the man in the lead had the highest cultivation among them, standing at the early peak of the Void Refinement stage. The ones trailing him were all Nascent Soul cultivators. It seemed they thought one Void Refinement cultivator would be enough to intimidate the Wei Clan.
Before the man stepped into the council hall, he noticed Yunxi's presence. The pressure radiating from her was clearly far stronger than his own. Assuming another clan or sect had also taken interest in the Wei Clan's land, he chose diplomacy first and clasped his hands politely. "I am Xifeng Chen of Chunfeng Gate. May I ask who Daoyou is? Have you also set your sights on this property?"
Ran Xi glanced at the group and said evenly, "I am Ran Xi, a disciple of Haoran Sect. I came to escort my clan to a new location. Since Chunfeng Gate wants this estate, I thought we could discuss compensation for relinquishing it."
The Chunfeng Gate cultivators hadn't expected the Wei Clan to have such backing. What they had planned to seize for free now came with a demand for payment, which naturally displeased them.
Before Xifeng Chen could reply, a Nascent Soul cultivator behind him snapped impatiently, "The Spirit Realm allows your kind to settle here. You should be grateful. Handing over this land is for the sake of guarding Yunxiao Sea. If your strength is lacking—"
He never finished his sentence. His body stiffened and collapsed, his Yuányīng forced out in confusion, only to be instantly consumed by a flicker of purple flame.
Xifeng Chen's eyelid twitched violently as his gaze shifted to Ran Xi, who sat calmly at the head of the hall.
Yunxi smoothed the embroidered formations on her sleeve and spoke in an even tone. "Xifeng Daoyou, shall we discuss the price for this land now?"
Xifeng Chen's expression darkened. "Ran Xi Daoyou, isn't this excessive? You attacked without warning and killed someone. Do you truly disregard Chunfeng Gate?"
Yunxi gave him a cold glance. "This Lord indeed does not regard Chunfeng Gate highly. What is there to respect about a sect that relies on dual cultivation to advance?
This Lord refrains from stirring up trouble not because I lack strength, and the cultivators of Weiyu Realm are not so easily bullied.
Our resources were limited in a small world, forcing us to ascend at the Out-of-Body stage, but that doesn't mean that was our peak.
Now that our entire realm has ascended, once the spiritual energy here balances with that of the Spirit Realm, we will break through our shackles. By then, you may not strut around so arrogantly.
When I was killing enemies at the Evil Cultivator's seal, you hadn't even faced them yet."
As her words fell, she unleashed a wave of killing intent, enveloping the four remaining Chunfeng Gate cultivators. Her gaze was indifferent, and she didn't mind using them as an example. They seemed to think lower-realm cultivators were easy prey.
In the blink of an eye, the situation reversed. Yunxi's killing intent sliced a bloody line across Xifeng Chen's face, while the three Nascent Soul cultivators behind him were dragged into a terrifying illusion of endless slaughter. Their souls trembled, unable to endure it.
This was why cultivators who relied on dual cultivation to advance were scorned everywhere. They lacked real combat experience and had advanced too easily, leaving their dao hearts unstable. Yunxi's killing intent overwhelmed them effortlessly.
Cold sweat beaded at Xifeng Chen's temple as he hastily cupped his hands. "Ran Xi Daoyou, my junior was rude. I apologize on his behalf. As for the price you mentioned for this estate, we can negotiate."
Yunxi withdrew her killing intent. She didn't enjoy being aggressive, but she wasn't afraid to be. Seeing Xifeng Chen's sincerity, she said, "Pay the Wei Clan one thousand top-grade spirit stones. Chunfeng Gate may take over this land in three days."
Xifeng Chen had expected a sky-high price, not this modest demand. He frowned. "Ran Xi Daoyou, are you certain you quoted the right grade of stones?"
Yunxi smiled faintly. "I quoted correctly. But do spread my words from today. Sometimes knowing when to stop is wise. As for the future, who can predict it besides Heaven itself?"
Xifeng Chen's face turned solemn. He clasped his hands. "Very well. I will remember this."
He touched his storage ring and placed one thousand top-grade spirit stones on the table.
Yunxi nodded, motioning for the Wei Clan to escort him out.
Once Xifeng Chen left, the tension in the hall dissolved. Feng Jiaqing grinned broadly. "Splendid! That arrogance we endured these past days is gone. Let's hope Spirit Realm cultivators know when to back down."
Yunxi shook her head. "Not necessarily. There will always be sects and families that throw their weight around. Still, after Chunfeng Gate spreads today's message, attitudes may shift. In the end, our own strength determines whether we can speak as equals."
Feng Feng agreed. "Ran Xi is right. Instead of wasting time bickering, we should settle somewhere secure and focus on growing stronger. Once the Evil God's body in Yunxiao Sea is dealt with, we'll return here on our own terms."
The Feng Clan soon departed.
Yunxi spoke briefly with Wei Chenyin, outlining the advantages and drawbacks of the new territory, preparing him mentally. Lin Keyang and Zhang Lingrui remained silent, knowing Yunxi was already painting those desolate mountains in the best possible light.
An hour and a half later, Sheng Yuhong and Zhou Lingchuan returned, bringing the latest news from Haoran City.
"You're saying the city lord of Haoran City has been replaced, and now a Unity-stage ghost cultivator from the Ghost Region oversees the city?"
Yunxi's tone was laced with uncertainty.
"Yes. He took over after we left and doesn't restrain those sects scrambling for land. As long as they pay him enough soul stones, he turns a blind eye."