Yu Ling gave a slight nod, his normally cold features shadowed with rare heaviness. Things had unfolded almost exactly as Yun Xi had guessed, yet even he had not expected two Divine Transformation cultivators to infiltrate Lingxue Peak at the same time.
Had Ancestor Hao Yi not intervened in secret, he might truly have failed to protect his little disciple. It was clear the defensive formations of Lingxue Peak would need another round of strengthening.
Though the intrusion had lasted less than the time of one incense stick and had not alarmed anyone beyond Lingxue Peak, Yun Xi did not return to meditation to heal her wounds. Instead, she clung to her master's side in the courtyard, pulling conversation in every direction, eager to know more about what had happened.
Leng Ruohan assumed Yun Xi had been frightened and humored her by staying in the little courtyard halfway up the mountain. The first thing he did, however, was place his fingers on his disciple's wrist to check her recovery.
Yun Xi obediently extended her arm. A thread of spiritual energy flowed into her meridians, circulated once through her body, and then withdrew.
Leng Ruohan retracted his hand, nodded in satisfaction, and said, "Most of your meridians have already healed. Only some finer channels remain damaged, but do not worry."
"Yes, Master. I understand."
Yun Xi knew her condition better than anyone. The real trouble lay in her torn dantian.
Leng Ruohan's gaze deepened as he added, "As for your dantian, I will find a way."
He was not entirely confident, but he had to try. After all, her injuries had been because of him. Otherwise, his disciple would already be recognized as the most promising young Yuányīng Zhēnjūn in the entire Weiyu Realm, a fact no one could deny.
Yun Xi could see her master's worry. Not wanting him to dwell too much, she smiled lightly."Master, you need not be so anxious. I believe when the boat reaches the bridge, it will naturally straighten. My dantian will heal in the end."
"Of course. I am already searching for a method to mend it. Your only task is to rest well and not think too much."
Leng Ruohan was not skilled at comforting others. In truth, he had yet to find any effective solution for repairing a shattered dantian, but he could not bring himself to say that aloud.
Yun Xi, however, was not overly distressed. Her heart remained steady. She had already formed her Nascent Soul. Even if she could not progress further, her lifespan was still many times that of mortals. With careful planning, her life could still be brilliant.
Afterward, Yun Xi asked about the evil cultivators. "Master, have the infiltrating evil cultivators and those who fell to corruption within the sect been fully rooted out?"
"Some of them. Those already identified have been sent to the Law Enforcement Hall. Outwardly the sect seems calm, but inside, everyone is on edge."
"And Zuo Qiu?"
That was the name she cared about most.
At the mention, Leng Ruohan's face grew colder. He shook his head. "No trace of him yet. But we have discovered that an evil cultivator lured disciples into smuggling the Soul-Nurturing Stone—where Zuo Qiu's spirit resides—out of the sect."
Yun Xi's brows knitted. "Evil cultivators infiltrated even the Law Enforcement Hall?"
"Yes. Which is why the Hall was purged. Ancestor Hao Yi personally oversaw it."
What he did not say was that the purge had been more than a simple check. During that period, many disciples of the Law Enforcement Hall vanished, and the elders and disciples who oversaw intelligence and analysis had all been taken away. For now, the "Hive" was directly under the Sect Master's control.
Yu Geng had even taken time from his busy schedule to visit Lingxue Peak. One reason was to check Yun Xi's recovery; the other was to confide his frustration. It was Yu Geng who had told him that the Hive had been completely uprooted.
Leng Ruohan could still recall his junior brother's expression at that time, his tone unusually grave.
"Senior Brother, I never imagined the Law Enforcement Hall itself would be compromised, much less the Hive. That place is the sect's eyes and ears. If it were truly seized by evil cultivators, my tenure as Sect Master would end."
Leng Ruohan, too, had not expected the rot to run so deep. He frowned and asked, "Have the evil cultivators infiltrated this far already?"
Yu Geng had nodded. "Yes. Fortunately it was discovered early. When you faced danger during your Divine Transformation, it was not only Zuo Qiu tampering with the formation, the Law Enforcement Hall also provided cover. Otherwise the other Divine Transformation Ancestors would have sensed something.
I also bear blame. I never suspected that the sect's most central institution, the Law Enforcement Hall, could be compromised. If not for Yun Xi risking her life to break that sinister array and aid your advancement, the truth might never have been uncovered."
Those had been Yu Geng's heartfelt words.
Leng Ruohan's eyes glinted with icy light. "If Zuo Qiu's schemes and the evil cultivators' plan had succeeded, and I had failed and perished during my breakthrough, the sect would not tolerate the loss of yet another Divine Transformation cultivator. Zuo Qiu would have gained exactly what he wanted."
"Indeed. That is why Ancestor Hao Yi acted with thunderous decisiveness. He stabilized the sect with unparalleled speed. The reputation of the 'Umbral Rain' is well earned."
Yu Geng's sigh still echoed in his ears.
Leng Ruohan had then raised a brow. "Did the Umbral Rain deploy many of its forces?"
Yu Geng had shaken his head. "I do not know. I only know that every problematic disciple has been captured."
That had been the truth. The only thing he received was a jade slip listing the implicated elders and disciples of the Law Enforcement Hall, along with their interrogation results. Where they had been taken afterward, he did not know.
Leng Ruohan, however, understood. This was Ancestor Hao Yi tracing corruption from the bottom upward. When someone finally dared lay hands on his little disciple, that would be the moment the sect's greatest hidden traitor was dragged into the open. He had not expected that day to arrive so soon.
Back to the present, Yun Xi was startled by her master's words. She had never imagined the Law Enforcement Hall itself would be compromised. That explained how Zuo Qiu had escaped so smoothly.
Just as she was about to ask more, a transmission talisman flew into Yu Ling's hand. He caught it with a wave, read the contents, then turned to her.
"Yun Xi, Ancestor Hao Yi has summoned me. I will first send you to the great hall at the peak."
Yun Xi had only time to nod before her master swept his sleeve, sending her into the mountain's great hall. The protective formation activated behind her.
Sighing softly, Yun Xi drew out a fresh meditation cushion, sat cross-legged where her master usually cultivated, and propped her chin on her palm, staring blankly into space. She had no intention of circulating energy to heal.
After a time, she reached into her space and pulled out Dian Dian.
"Dian Dian, how is Fei Xia recovering?"
The little beast was not surprised by the sudden change of setting. Shaking its signature black ears, it replied, "Master, Fei Xia is still wrapped inside the cocoon. It shows no sign of breaking out yet, but its aura is much stronger than before."
"That's good."
Dian Dian's beady black eyes turned curiously. "Master, how are your injuries?"
"My meridians are mostly healed. It is only the wound in my dantian that is troublesome."
Dian Dian scratched at its ears in agitation. "Then what do we do? When a human's dantian is damaged, it is very difficult to continue cultivating."
"Then we will find a way to repair it. If it cannot be repaired, I will set you free before I die."
Yun Xi meant every word. The lifespan of a beast cultivator far outstripped that of humans, which was why their advancement was slow.
But the next instant, Yun Xi found the tiny creature had thrown itself onto her lips entirely.
===
Handbook Update!
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