Yunxi lifted a hand and caught the two message talismans, opening them one by one. One was from Ancestor Hao Yi, asking her to come to the back mountain. The other was from Feng Jiaqing, telling Yunxi he had already arrived in Haoran City.
Turning, Yunxi cupped her hands to Peak Lord Yuhuo."Peak Lord, Ancestor has called for me."
Yuhuo chuckled."Off you go then. Keeping you on Dan Peak for a month was plenty for me. I need to sort those new formulas anyway. See to your business."
"In that case, Yunxi will take her leave."
She flashed away from Dan Peak.
Entering Ancestor Hao Yi's quiet cultivation grounds behind the mountain, Yunxi bowed respectfully. "Ancestor summoned Yunxi. Do you have instructions?"
Ancestor Hao Yi nodded. "There is an issue I need you to handle. A Golden Core trial secret realm has gone wrong. It appears to be under the control of evil cultivators. Go verify it and deal with them."
He tossed her a jade slip. Inside were the location of the secret realm, the anomalies discovered, and the reasons Haoran Sect had set it under watch.
After reading it, Yunxi said, "Ancestor, I will depart at once."
"Good. Be careful."
"Yes."
Task in hand, Yunxi sent a message talisman to report to her master. Before she even left the sect gates, a reply from Yu Ling Zūnzhě winged over with only two words: "Be careful."
Yunxi tucked the talisman away and stepped out of the gate. The two late Foundation Establishment gate guards did not recognize her. They exchanged a glance and began whispering through sound transmission.
"I've never seen this female cultivator."
"Me either. She looks young, but her cultivation should be above ours."
"A Golden Core Elder?"
"Not sure."
At that moment they saw Yunxi halt, and their whispering stopped.
Yunxi looked at the somewhat bedraggled Zhao Jinmu and smiled. "Junior Nephew Zhao, have you just returned from training?"
Zhao Jinmu hadn't expected to meet Wei Yunxi here at the sect gate. It had been nearly ten years since he last saw her, though he had heard of everything that had happened to Wei Yunxi.
When he went out to seek materials for forging his natal sword, he learned she had been severely injured and taken to recuperate in the rear mountains. He hadn't expected her to emerge from seclusion so soon. He bowed respectfully. "I pay my respects to Wei Yunxi Zhēnjūn. I heard you were grievously wounded. Have you recovered?"
Yunxi smiled. "I recuperated for seven or eight years and only came out recently. And congratulations on forming your Golden Core."
Zhao Jinmu was flattered. "My forming a Golden Core was thanks to the cultivation resources Wei Yunxi Zhēnjūn sent me."
"That was what you deserved."
After receiving the Yixian Gate legacy, Yunxi had never forgotten that the treasure map came from Zhao Jinmu. Although he had been forced by circumstance, the karma had been planted, and she had always intended to repay the fruit.
Seizing the chance today, she asked, "Junior Nephew Zhao, now that you have formed a Golden Core, are you planning to forge your natal sword?"
Zhao Jinmu nodded. "Yes. This trip outside was to collect materials for the natal sword."
"Have you gained anything?"
"I found two good forging materials and planned to melt down my current sword and reforge it."
He spoke honestly. There was nothing to hide.
With a turn of her wrist, a small jade box and a jade slip appeared in Yunxi's palm. She pushed both to Zhao Jinmu. "I obtained a fine forging material in a secret realm. Adding it to your natal sword should raise its grade. I will gift it to you.
Take this jade slip to Refining Peak and look for Xi Muran. He is the personal disciple of Yu Lian Zhēnjūn. He may be able to help."
Zhao Jinmu had no chance to refuse and could only accept the gifts, bowing in thanks. He knew very well that Wei Yunxi was doing this to balance their karma, and also because of the fallen Hua Xuanzi. She did it openly and upright, so he accepted it with equal frankness.
After they parted, Zhao Jinmu opened the jade box for a glance. His pupils shrank. He swiftly stored it away and, jade slip in hand, headed straight into the sect for Refining Peak.
Yunxi had given him a millennium "Violet-Gold Meteoric Iron Stone." In Weiyu Realm, this forging material could only be found within the "Five Great Perilous Grounds," places a cultivator had to be at least early Divine Transformation to tread. For Zhao Jinmu, it was something he wouldn't dare dream of at his current level. He hurried to Refining Peak to forge his natal sword as soon as possible.
Xi Muran was hammering a sword embryo when he suddenly sneezed. He glanced around warily, feeling as if someone had set their sights on him. The array outside his refining room was knocked, and he flicked a sleeve to open it with a frown. "What is it?"
A Foundation Establishment disciple bowed. "Martial Uncle Xi, an inner-sect disciple seeks an audience. He carries a visiting card from Lingxue Peak."
At that, Xi Muran replied immediately, "Invite him in."
"Yes."
When Zhao Jinmu met Xi Muran, he explained his purpose and laid out the materials he had collected.
The moment Xi Muran saw that small piece of millennium "Violet-Gold Meteoric Iron Stone," he understood this was a fellow disciple whom Wei Yunxi valued highly. With a grand wave, he took Zhao Jinmu directly to see his own master.
Just like that, Zhao Jinmu stumbled into Yu Lian Zhēnjūn's private refining chamber. He stayed there for half a year and forged his exclusive natal sword, "Shuoxi," which combined metal and wood attributes. He then smoothly entered the Five Regions Grand Tournament and made a striking debut.
Back to the present. Having repaid a strand of karma, Yunxi hurried to Haoran City. She had to meet Feng Jiaqing no matter what.
This time, she didn't alert the Wei family. She went straight to the inn where the Feng clan was lodging.
Yunxi flashed into Feng Jiaqing's room and greeted him with a smile. "Uncle, I trust you've been well."
Feng Jiaqing had been seated. Feeling a presence, he jerked his head up and saw Yunxi's flower-bright smile. He rose at once. "Yunxi, you've grown again. Last time I saw you, you were at Golden Core. Now I cannot even see through your cultivation."
"I received some opportunities and advanced to mid Nascent Soul."
Hearing this, Feng Jiaqing said "good" three times in a row, then frowned.
"Yunxi, I heard from the cultivator who returned to deliver news to the Wei family that you took several bolts of a Divine Transformation lightning tribulation on behalf of Yu Ling Zūnzhě and were gravely injured, then stayed in seclusion for nearly ten years. Is that true?"
"It's a long story."
Feng Jiaqing's expression turned solemn. "Then keep it short."
"All right."
Yunxi briefly recounted what had happened, but she did not mention that the hidden attacker was Zuo Qiu. At this stage, that matter remained confidential within Haoran Sect.
Feng Jiaqing asked anxiously, "Was that person caught?"
"Rest easy, Uncle. They were caught. They cannot run."
"That's good. I had thought a great sect was safer. I did not expect a traitor like that. Truly..."
Feng Jiaqing shook his head as he spoke.
"Uncle, it is only a few cultivators who could not resist temptation. This is why in daily cultivation we must cultivate the heart. If one trains without cultivating the heart, the dao heart is unstable and one will be bewitched by evil cultivators. Those who fall to temptation will never meet a good end."