Looking back now, Sheng Yuhong realized how he had behaved at the time. His Master probably saw through some of it, and with Yu Ling Zhēnjūn's interference, his Master gave up on taking Wei Yunxi as a disciple.
In contrast, Wei Yunxi, who had taken Yu Ling Zhēnjūn as her Master, was improving at an incredible pace. Her strength had surpassed his, leaving him feeling inferior. After reaching the Golden Core stage, he had hoped they could explore secret realms together and draw closer, but she had not appeared at all.
Instead, it was Wei Yunqing who kept pestering him. He found it extremely annoying, and the coincidence of being placed in the same illusion only added to his frustration. Thinking about being in the same cocoon as her made him frown.
"Ugh!" Wei Yunqing let out a light sound, her eyelashes trembling twice. In the next moment, she was about to awaken.
Sheng Yuhong reacted swiftly, swinging a sword qi. Wei Yunqing was struck squarely and her head tilted, causing her to faint again.
He had not intended to kill her, partly out of respect for fellow disciples and partly because Wei Yunqing had not harmed him. Yet he had no desire to continue being entangled with her, so he decisively knocked her unconscious.
After this, Sheng Yuhong surveyed his surroundings. Countless cocoons hung suspended, some already broken. It was clear that someone had broken free from the illusion before him. Without hesitation, he stepped into the white mist.
Unnoticed by Sheng Yuhong, shortly after he left, a white thread silently wrapped around the unconscious Wei Yunqing. Moments later, she formed an independent cocoon and was hung up again.
Tricked by Sheng Yuhong, Wei Yunqing had fallen back into the illusion. If Yun Xi knew, she would probably howl to the sky in amusement. Yet this was not her fault; it was the male lead's doing.
Meanwhile, Yun Xi was on the first floating island, struggling to farm. From the moment she set foot on the island, a light barrier rose automatically, trapping her.
Frowning, Yun Xi formed hand seals to summon the Nine Nether Dragon Umbrella into her hand. She infused it with spiritual power, slowly opening it to cover herself, then began scanning the surroundings.
She noticed the soil was rich in earth energy and fertile, but almost all the vegetation was yellowed weeds. Only a few spirit plants survived, and their spiritual energy was pitifully low, seemingly drained by some force.
A ring of Qingtian trees grew around the island. They were less than fifty meters tall, dwarfed by the towering Qingtian trees common in the cultivation world. Sparse and weak, they gave Yun Xi the impression of struggling to survive.
As Yun Xi examined the island's flaws, a stone stele slowly floated up from the ground. Her divine sense instantly locked onto the black stele. Four golden characters appeared: Equivalent Exchange.
Yun Xi stared at the words for a long moment, unsure of their meaning.
Dian Dian stealthily poked its head out from Yun Xi's collar, sniffed, and blinked its black eyes, scanning the surroundings.
Fei Xia transmitted a voice: "Master, let me scout the area and see if there is anything else on the floating island."
"Okay."
Yun Xi had already searched the small island with her divine sense, but to avoid missing any key clues, she waved her sleeve and released Fei Xia.
Dian Dian also excitedly transmitted: "Master, I smell something particularly fragrant. There is a treasure here. Let me find it!"
Yun Xi laughed at Dian Dian's eager expression and pressed its head back gently: "You guide the way, and I will check it out. Be careful, it might be a trap."
"Yes, Master!"
Dian Dian obeyed readily. It knew its own weakness in combat, so it sniffed while leading her carefully.
Yun Xi walked slowly through the knee-high weeds, the Nine Nether Dragon Umbrella held above her head shielding her from harm.
After circling more than half the island, guided by Dian Dian, she arrived at a small soil mound. Only one small reddish-brown sapling grew there. It was less than half a meter tall, its leaves drooping as if near death.
Yun Xi swept her divine sense over the frail sapling once, uncertain, then twice more with closer inspection, noting even the leaf veins.
Dian Dian grew impatient, transmitting urgently: "Master, I cannot tell what kind of rare treasure this tree is, but it is definitely valuable. Dig it up quickly."
Yun Xi withdrew her divine sense, scratching her face: "Dian Dian, your nose is sharp. This really is a good treasure, though its poor nutrition has made it look rather pathetic compared to its prestigious name."
"Hmm? Master, what kind of tree is this?"
"The Life Force (Shengji) Tree."
"The Shengji Tree? But it does not look like the one in my inherited memory."
Dian Dian's black eyes rotated twice as it compared the sapling with the Shengji Tree from its memory. A realization came.
"Oh, it really is. How did it grow like this? Could it be mutated?"
Dian Dian analyzed carefully, recognizing the tree by the vein patterns on its reddish leaves.
The Shengji Tree was famous for its vigorous vitality. Every part was a treasure, the main ingredient for refining Shengji Pills. In critical moments, it could save a cultivator's life. Cultivators always wanted one when venturing out.
Currently, Shengji Trees in Weiyu Realm were extremely rare, with only ten surviving, scattered across various sects and cultivation families. Yunxi only knew of one in the Central Domain's Medicine King Valley, allowing them to monopolize Shengji Pills and thrive in the cultivation world.
Yu Ling Zhēnjūn had even prepared a third-grade Shengji Pill for Yunxi, though she had not yet used it. She had no intention of giving up this sapling. Though it would require care for some time, she could wait.
"Master, this sapling must be planted separately. Otherwise, it will draw vitality from nearby spirit plants as it grows. It is instinctive," Dian Dian reminded.
Yun Xi did not need reminding. She knew the growth habits of Shengji Trees very well. This was the only sapling on the island.
Most of the floating island's vitality had likely been absorbed by this sapling, leaving few surviving plants. Even the Qingtian trees appeared malnourished and had stopped developing.
Confirming that the sapling was worth taking, Yun Xi used a Spirit Searching Technique to ensure it was alive and harmless. She then released her portable medicinal garden.
Gripping her spiritual hoe, she dug out the Shengji Tree and temporarily transplanted it into the empty garden. She activated a containment array to prevent the sapling from draining the vitality of other plants.
After finishing, Yun Xi stored the portable garden. At that moment, she sensed the shimmering barrier above had thickened.
===
If you have been reading my historical translations, you probably know I keep a private glossary of ancient China terms in Google Docs. I usually share the link in the chapter comments. I realized some of you read on the app, and copying links there can be a hassle (´･ᴗ･`).
So I am officially uploading the glossary here on Webnovel under The Imperial Handbook: A Practical Guide to Ancient Chinese Society. This will make it easier to access, and I can keep updating it whenever I meet a useful term, office, rank, or cultural note. Whether you are new to history novels or want deeper context, I hope it makes your reading smoother and more fun. (๑˃ᴗ˂)ﻭ
If it helps, please add the handbook to your Library and give it a read. While you are there, feel free to add the rest of my handbook series as well:
• The Xianxia Handbook: A Guide to Cultivation and BeyondIn short: for all things Cultivation, Realms, and Daoist magic.
• The Imperial Handbook: A Practical Guide to Ancient Chinese SocietyIn short: for historical topics, courts, bureaucracy, and daily life in the past.
• The Webnovel Handbook: A Guide to Slang, Tropes, and Inside JokesIn short: for community slang, inside jokes, and fun tropes. The cover is ready, chapters will follow soon.
The Xianxia Handbook and the Imperial Handbook have passed vetting and are visible on my profile. Thank you for the support and happy reading!