"What? Yesterday? How could that be?"
Wei Yunqing's voice rose with three quick questions, her tone sharp with disbelief. She could hardly accept that Wei Zonghao had already left the sect.
The disciple guarding the pill hall lifted his eyes to her and said calmly,
"What is so strange about that? Going out for training is common enough. Senior Brother Wei is no exception. If you have urgent matters, you can send him a transmission talisman."
With that, he cupped his hands and walked away.
Wei Yunqing felt her chest tighten with frustration, yet she forced her emotions down. She raised her hand and sent out a transmission talisman toward Wei Zonghao. Unfortunately, after circling once, the talisman flew back into her hand. It meant he was already beyond Haoran Sect's range.
Only then did Wei Yunqing give up completely. She lingered for a moment, then returned to her small courtyard. After laying down her protective barrier, her face twisted into an ugly scowl.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. The crisis could have been resolved smoothly, but Wei Zonghao's sudden departure had ruined everything she had so carefully arranged. How could she not be furious?
Everything had gone wrong ever since Ancestor Nan Feng's fall, when her father had come to her asking for a high-grade spirit plant. That request had caught her off guard, pushing events down a disastrous path.
When the news of Ancestor Nan Feng's death came from her mother, she had been utterly stunned. She immediately suspected foul play and, without hesitation, locked her suspicions on Wei Yunxi.
After all, the day before his death, Ancestor had sent her a transmission talisman, summoning her back to the family. He had said that he had exhausted all his connections and secured her a Yuányīng Zhēnjūn within the sect as her master. He wanted her to return to finalize the apprenticeship.
Yet just a day too late, Ancestor Nan Feng died. Because the talisman's contents had been so vague, she had no idea which Zhēnjūn had been chosen. Even if she wanted to seek them out, she had no clue which mountain peak to approach.
Later, when she learned from her father that Yun Xi had offered Ancestor Nan Feng a rare medicinal herb, her conviction solidified: Ancestor's death was undoubtedly Yun Xi's doing. That woman's courage was outrageous. But Wei Yunqing had no evidence.
Worse still, the clan leader and elders cared nothing for Ancestor's fall. They even invited Wei Chenyin, who had long been at odds with Ancestor, back into the clan. That left Wei Yunqing even more unwilling to return home, for she knew clearly she would find no support there.
Yun Xi's methods were becoming more seamless, leaving no loose ends. Wei Yunqing couldn't catch even a trace of her missteps. Instead, Yun Xi had seized the chance to spread word that Wei Yunqing had cultivated high-grade spirit plants.
Whether Yun Xi knew about the Enlightenment Fruit Tree or not was uncertain, but the rumors alone had created endless trouble.
These days, Wei Yunqing dared not leave Dan Peak at all. Even the disciples sharing the same peak were probing her for information about her plants, while disciples from other peaks watched her like hungry wolves.
With Ye Shaohua in closed-door cultivation, all their attention turned to her. She was sick of being constantly observed. After much thought, she set her sights on Wei Zonghao, hoping to use him as a shield.
That was why she had sought him out. As long as she could meet him and openly hand over her storage pouch in front of witnesses, everything else would be easy to manage.
Her plan had been flawless. Unfortunately, Wei Zonghao avoided her completely. That alone had made her furious, though she kept it hidden. Since they shared the same peak, they were bound to meet eventually. She simply didn't want to drag things out, so she had gone looking for him several days in a row.
But now Wei Zonghao had left the sect entirely, beyond even Haoran Sect's boundaries. All her plans had collapsed in an instant. How could she not burn with anger? Yet anger was useless. She needed to find another solution.
While Wei Yunqing wracked her brain for a way forward, Wei Yunxi had already taken her token to the entrance of the Qingye Pool.
She intended to enter a short seclusion. The spatial treasure she possessed had shown no reaction so far, and she wasn't certain it would function properly before the Baohua Secret Realm opened. She needed to prepare in advance.
The guard at the Qingye Pool was a handsome male cultivator whose aura marked him as Divine Transformation stage. Wei Yunxi immediately bowed with respect.
"Greetings, Senior. I, Wei Yunxi, have come to cultivate in the Qingye Pool."
She presented her identity jade token and the exclusive pass she had obtained from the task hall, valid for three months.
The man flicked his sleeve, taking the pass. With a light motion, he released a sphere of white light that struck her jade token. His tone was unhurried as he said,
"The pass has been verified. You may enter and choose any place to cultivate. When the three months are up, you will be automatically sent out.
If you happen to be in the middle of a breakthrough, the jade token will allow you to finish first before transporting you out. Any time you exceed the limit will need to be compensated with spirit stones or contribution points. Do you have any questions?"
That deep, mellow voice was pleasant to the ear. Unconsciously, Wei Yunxi's lips curved into a smile.
"I understand. Thank you for your reminder, Senior."
"Good. Go on."
The handsome cultivator waved his hand dismissively.
Wei Yunxi bowed again, then stepped into the stone archway carved from stalactite.
The instant she crossed the threshold, a rush of pure spiritual energy surged into her body. Every pore on her skin seemed to open eagerly, her whole being suffused with a sense of thirst and anticipation.
She looked around, finally seeing the Qingye Pool in its entirety.
At its core, it was a vast pool of water steeped in spiritual energy. Hidden within the mountain's belly, the chamber bore the marks of being carved by human hands. The pool had been divided into many smaller basins, each large enough for one cultivator to sit immersed and train within.
The dividing walls were made of stalactite as well, faint spiritual currents flowing within them. They were treasures in their own right, which explained why her reward only permitted three months here.
Several of the smaller pools were already wrapped in white mist, proof that cultivators were inside. The vacant ones were open for her to choose.
Wei Yunxi scanned the area but saw no obvious difference between them. So she sent a voice transmission to Dian Dian.
"Dian Dian, come out and help me choose a pool."
"Yes, Master!"
Summoned, Dian Dian wriggled out of her arms. It hadn't dared move earlier in front of the powerful guard, but now it sniffed the air earnestly before raising a tiny paw to point in one direction.
Wei Yunxi's figure blurred as she leapt toward that choice.
From afar, the handsome cultivator's eyes flickered with a brief white glow. His smile deepened slightly before he closed his eyes again, returning to meditation.
Wei Yunxi slipped into the pool Dian Dian had chosen. The moment she sat cross-legged, a veil of white mist rose around her, claiming the pool for her use.
Immediately, she felt the benefits. Even without circulating her cultivation technique, threads of spiritual energy seeped naturally into her body, filling her with a profound sense of comfort.
She summoned both Dian Dian and Fei Xia into the pool as well.
"Since we're here, let's not waste this chance. You've followed me tirelessly these past weeks without time to train. Now that we have such an ideal cultivation environment, focus on your practice for a while."
"Yes, Master!"
Both responded with delight. Inwardly, they praised their generous mistress. Any other cultivator would never allow their companions to share in such resources. Happily, they sank into the pool beside her, imitating her posture as they began cultivating.