Yunxi's divine sense had already noticed who barged in, but since she had already said everything that needed to be said, she didn't bother to stop them. She simply sat back to watch the scene unfold.
When Du Ruolan rushed in, she was startled to find only three people in the council hall. Yunxi sat in the main seat, with the Patriarch and Martial Uncle merely keeping her company. Yunxi's eyes, curved in a half-smile, landed on her, and Du Ruolan's courage faltered in an instant.
Yunxi made no move to speak, so Wei Lingtao frowned and said,
"Du Ruolan, what business do you have barging into the council hall?"
He didn't even bother to call her "sister-in-law." Not only did Wei Lingyue's cultivation lag behind his, but Du Ruolan's own daughter had long disdained the Wei family. When the clan was in crisis, she had never once lent a hand, and instead had demanded resources. His loyalty had already tilted entirely toward Yunxi, and his tone toward Du Ruolan grew colder.
Du Ruolan trembled slightly, then bowed and said, "It was rude of me. I only came because I heard Yunxi had returned and wanted to ask about Yunqing's situation."
Yunxi glanced at the submissive Du Ruolan, a mocking smile tugging at her lips as she said lightly,"I just came out of seclusion and haven't seen Yunqing in the sect. You can always send her a message talisman."
Du Ruolan's head snapped up at Yunxi's self-address and she swallowed hard. "You… formed a Yuányīng?"
"What's wrong? You didn't get such an important piece of news? Or did Wei Yunqing simply not mention it to you?"
Yunxi raised an eyebrow.
Du Ruolan quickly lowered her gaze. Her daughter had only told her that Yunxi had been gravely injured by her master's Divine Transformation lightning tribulation and had been forced into seclusion. At that time, she had secretly rejoiced, even hoping Yunxi would perish from her wounds. No one had told her that Yunxi had already formed a Nascent Soul, and Yunqing had never mentioned it.
Wei Lingtao's expression grew complicated. Du Ruolan was foolish, and her daughter was selfish and self-serving. If the Wei family raised more disciples like them, their decline was only a matter of time.
Without another word, Wei Lingtao waved his sleeve, sweeping Du Ruolan out of the hall. He then issued a quick order to have the Elders take this chance, under the guise of reorganizing the clan, to uproot all of Du Ruolan's planted spies. She was to do nothing more than remain quietly as Wei Lingyue's wife.
Once the annoying presence was gone, Yunxi took out her spirit beast pouch and pulled Dian Dian out from her Space. She tapped its little head and said, "Dian Dian, help the Patriarch check the clan's disciples. See if any evil cultivators have slipped in."
Dian Dian rubbed its face with its tiny front paws, blinked its beady black eyes, then nodded obediently. Yunxi handed it over to Wei Lingtao.
Wei Lingtao cradled the adorable creature in his palm with a smile. "So this is your spirit pet. It's very well-behaved and cute. This is a Xunzong Mouse, isn't it?"
He gently stroked its fur the way Yunxi had.
"Yes. His name is Dian Dian. He's a mutated Xunzong Mouse, and his nose is extremely sharp. He can smell the aura of evil cultivators. Any disciple who has had close contact with them recently will be found out. Patriarch, you should take full advantage of his gift.
While I can't guarantee the Wei family will never have spies again, for now, there won't be any hidden threats."
"Good. I understand. I'll take Dian Dian for a round. Your Martial Uncle will stay here with you."
With that, he hurried off with Dian Dian in hand, knowing Yunxi would not stay long in the Wei family and that these hidden dangers were best eradicated quickly.
Yunxi turned to Wei Lingkai and they began talking casually about what had happened in the sect and family since their respective seclusions.
"Martial Uncle, I see your Shengji has fully recovered. You've also formed a Golden Core now. I believe your cultivation path will be smoother from here on."
Wei Lingkai only sighed. "Yunxi, I can fool others, but not you or Ancestor Chen Yin. Even though I've formed a Golden Core, this is the limit of my cultivation. I plan to return to the clan after Ancestor Chen Yin successfully forms her Nascent Soul and take on the duty of training our juniors."
Yunxi frowned. "Your Shengji hasn't fully recovered?"
Wei Lingkai nodded. "That evil formation severely damaged the source of my Shengji. Using the compensation from the Xiao family, I forced my way into forming a Golden Core. That's already the best result. I didn't expect that array to be so sinister."
He rubbed his chest, and Yunxi fell silent. She hadn't expected his injuries to remain. Offering a soft "Excuse me," she extended a thread of divine sense into his meridians through his wrist. After a moment, she withdrew and said, frowning, "Martial Uncle, your heart meridians are very weak."
"Yes. That formation was sinister because it didn't destroy my heart meridians completely but made them grow weaker over time. No matter how I nurture them, they can't return to their former state."
He didn't hide anything from Yunxi, knowing her higher cultivation allowed her to see through his condition at a glance.
Yunxi drummed her fingers lightly against the armrest, thinking through the Yixian Gate's legacy recipes for restoring Shengji. She finally recalled a high-level formula called "Origin Reversal." The main ingredient was leaves from the Shengji Tree, and by coincidence, she had obtained a stunted Shengji Tree from a secret realm.
This potion's effect was exactly what its name suggested: to trace back a cultivator's foundation, using Shengji to heal and restore the body. It was a high-grade concoction that even she would struggle to refine at her current level.
"Martial Uncle, don't give up so early. The Yixian Gate has a potion that might help, but with my current cultivation, I can't refine it yet. I'll need more time."
Wei Lingkai had long given up hope. He had only told Yunxi his plans so she would understand his future choices, not to seek her help. He grew solemn. "Yunxi, you've already done much for me. Don't let this affect your cultivation. Could you instead write down the list of required spirit plants for me? I'll search for them myself."
Yunxi nodded, appreciating his attitude. This was the right way for family members to support one another. If they only took from her, she would inevitably grow weary one day.
She took out a blank jade slip and listed all the plants needed for the Origin Reversal Potion, omitting the Shengji Tree, which she knew he could not find in the Wei Region.
After carefully memorizing the list, Wei Lingkai handed the jade slip back. "Yunxi, I've remembered all the plants. Keep the formula with you."
Yunxi erased its contents and looked up. A familiar figure stepped into the hall.
Wei Lingkai wasn't surprised. He stood and said, "You two haven't seen each other in a long time. Have a good talk. I'll go help the Patriarch handle clan matters."
He nodded to Wei Lingyue as he passed and left the council hall.
Yunxi stayed seated in the main chair, smiling. "Father, it's been a while. How have you been?"