Yun Xi felt her heart lift with joy. At long last, the Seven-Colored Lotus had bloomed. She did not know whether it could repair her damaged dantian, but no matter what, such a treasure of heaven and earth was bound to be of use. Even if it could not heal her directly, she might be able to exchange it for an elixir capable of doing so.
Beside her, Dian Dian was already drooling a small puddle. The elegant fragrance wafting from the lotus was unbearably enticing for a mouse. He was certain that if he could swallow this lotus, he would at least advance to the fourth rank. That was no illusion.
Still, Dian Dian forced himself to gulp back his saliva and sent a voice transmission. "Master, this Seven-Colored Lotus can definitely help you. But how should we use it?"
"No need to rush. I will consult a senior first."
Just as Yun Xi spoke, the Xianling Grass emerged on its own, its tone calm, as though it had been expecting this moment all along. "At last, this flower has opened."
Yun Xi immediately caught the implied meaning. She sent her own voice transmission. "Xiao Xian, can this Seven-Colored Lotus heal my dantian?"
The blades of the Xianling Grass trembled lightly. "Of course it can. You must fuse this lotus with your dantian as soon as possible. With the protection of its seven layers of petals, it will be as though your dantian has seven shields surrounding it. Even if you suffer the same kind of attack again, your dantian will not be damaged."
Yun Xi's joy soared, but soon suspicion followed. "Xiao Xian, how do you know this? Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
The grass shook its leaves again. "Master, you never asked. Xiao Xian thought you already knew."
Yun Xi blinked. Thinking back, she realized she truly had never asked.
Before her severe injury, she had entrusted the Xianling Grass to her master so that it could help him in his Divine Transformation breakthrough. She herself had nearly been struck dead by lightning. By the time she regained consciousness, two years had already passed.
Though her recovery in the Qingye Pool had greatly aided her, the Xianling Grass had also contributed. After her master Yu Ling returned it to her, the grass had tirelessly infused her with spiritual power, helping to repair her body until she awoke. After that, it had returned quietly to her inner space, and they had hardly spoken. She had only been logging into the spatial chat group, consulting its mysterious experts, and had entirely forgotten to ask Xiao Xian directly.
Seeing Yun Xi remain silent, the Xianling Grass continued. "This injury of yours was grave. To hasten the blooming of the Seven-Colored Lotus, I took the liberty of burying a supreme-grade spiritual vein beneath it. Only with such abundant energy could it bloom ahead of time. Otherwise, you would have had to wait at least another thousand years.
Master, this trip to the secret realm has nearly exhausted your gains. Your master's breakthrough to Divine Transformation consumed one supreme-grade vein. The lotus' early blooming consumed another. Healing your body over the years has consumed a high-grade vein. Now only one remains."
It rattled off the account like a calculating merchant, clearly hinting that Yun Xi's balance with it was running dangerously low.
Yun Xi wiped the cold sweat that wasn't there from her brow and drew a deep breath. "I understand. Once I am healed and able to leave the sect, I will take you to search for more veins."
After saying so, she logged into the spatial chat group to confirm matters.
But only the "Sacred One" was online. All the other members were absent.
Yun Xi gritted her teeth and sent a message. "Senior Sacred One, this junior seeks guidance. Might you be willing to advise me?"
"Speak."
The reply was a single character. Curt and uncompromising.
Yun Xi's lips twitched, but she quickly sent her query. "Senior, may I ask if the Seven-Colored Lotus can heal damage to the dantian?"
"What grade is this lotus?"
Yun Xi thought for a moment, then replied, "It should be ninth grade, I think."
"Be precise."
That single reply carried such dismissal it nearly made Yun Xi choke. To avoid further scorn, she immediately sketched the lotus' exact blooming form with her divine sense and sent it over.
After a pause came the reply. "Barely counts as ninth grade. It can repair the dantian.
For seven consecutive days, drip a single drop of heart's blood onto the lotus' core each day. After seven days, you may fuse the lotus with your dantian. The lotus will heal the damage and also shield your dantian henceforth."
Yun Xi's eyes sparkled. She bowed in thanks through the chat, then quickly logged off. Interacting with that senior was simply too much pressure.
"Dian Dian, Xiao Xian, I now know how to use the lotus to heal my dantian. Guard it well in the space. I must make preparations here."
"Yes, Master," both answered crisply.
Returning her divine sense to her body, Yun Xi could not suppress the smile that tugged at her lips. What she thought would haunt her for years had finally found a solution. Yet she wondered—how long would the fusion take?
Her musings were cut short as the Hive jade pendant at her waist pulsed twice. She sent her divine sense into it and found a new task from Ancestor Hao Yi: screen the sect's elite disciples and determine their potential so that the sect might secretly arrange protection.
Yun Xi rubbed her temples. Her workload had just increased again. For a brief moment, she felt as though she had returned to her past life, nothing more than a weary cog in some vast machine. She muttered under her breath, half in jest, "Ah, the cycles of fate. This is one enormous wheel."
Still, though she complained, her hands moved swiftly. She called up the records of five hundred years' worth of elite disciples, then began tracing their cultivation histories in detail.
Among the names were Sheng Yuhong, Wei Yunqing, herself, and many she recognized: Qin Tongshuang, Long Daoyu, Ye Tianhua, Mu Ningzhu, Zhao Jinmu, Song Ke, and several disciples of the Wei family. Some she had crossed paths with, others she only knew by reputation, but all were marked as talents under special cultivation.
Yun Xi ordered her two assistants to deliver every jade slip containing records of over a thousand elite disciples to her study. She began combing through them one by one, tracing their paths from birth to sect entry, their cultivation techniques, family background, training experiences, friendships, sources of spirit stones, even who admired them.
And then she stumbled on something intriguing. Many of these disciples had once intersected with a few particular male or female cultivators.
For example, some had been saved during training by a certain female disciple, or had rescued one themselves. Others had been openly pursued, while still others had formed mutual attachments with partners, training side by side. Once paired, both partners' cultivation rose with startling speed, complementing each other perfectly, a matter often gossiped about within the sect.
Yun Xi stroked her chin in thought, then recorded her findings and sent a transmission slip to Ancestor Hao Yi. She had intended to head to the rear mountain to present it in person, but before she could move, Ancestor Hao Yi appeared directly in her chamber.
"Greetings, Ancestor Hao Yi."
Yun Xi bowed respectfully and invited her to sit.
Hao Yi leaned back casually against the jade table. "Have you discovered something new?"
Yun Xi first presented the jade slip she had previously prepared, the one analyzing the suppression of Weiyu Realm.
Though Hao Yi's face remained calm as she read, inwardly her heart roiled like a stormy sea. She looked up, still composed. "Anything else?"
"Yes, Ancestor. While examining the sect's elite disciples, I uncovered another issue. Please take a look."
With that, Yun Xi offered her second jade slip.