Yunxi hadn't expected Wei Zonghao to be so adamant, so she smiled and said:
"Alright, I'll accept it. Don't look so serious."
She lifted the lid of the box. Inside lay a doll about the length of an adult's palm, carved from an unknown type of wood. Its face was completely blank, making it look slightly unsettling.
Wei Zonghao, watching Yunxi examine the Substitute Puppet, explained: "This kind of puppet is a single-use defensive treasure made by a puppet master. After you recognize it with a drop of blood, its face will appear.
Once the face manifests, you'll need to insert a strand of your divine soul into it. That way, the Substitute Puppet will appear identical to you and can deceive enemies."
Yunxi nodded, channeling spiritual power to cut her fingertip. A drop of blood fell onto the puppet and was instantly absorbed. The puppet's face slowly formed—it was a perfect miniature of Wei Yunxi herself, even the small dimple at the corner of her lips was identical.
She immediately felt a faint connection with the puppet. Raising her hand, she drew out a thin strand of her soul from between her brows, severed it with spiritual power, and flicked it into the puppet's body.
In an instant, her perspective shifted; she was looking at herself and Wei Zonghao through the puppet's eyes. The sensation was surreal.
The puppet sat up on its own, moving its stiff limbs slightly before looking back at Yunxi.
Yunxi swept her sleeve, storing the puppet in her bracelet so it could be deployed instantly in case of danger.
Seeing this, Wei Zonghao finally relaxed and smiled.
"Zonghao, tell me about your adventures over the past few years."
"Alright! Back then, I left the sect partly to avoid Wei Yunqing, and also because I was stuck at a bottleneck. I took a random mission and left…"
Wei Zonghao began recounting everything that had happened since they parted ways.
"Halfway through my travels, I received word from Zongyu that you were gravely injured. I rushed back to the sect, but you were in seclusion, and Wei Yunqing was also in seclusion. I heard she'd had a stroke of fortune from her misfortune and advanced to late-stage Golden Core.
Once I confirmed you were fine, I teamed up with Zongyu again and set out to gather heavenly treasures that could nourish your body. We headed for the Baohua Mountain Range. After an accident involving a newly discovered secret realm, that area became a hotspot for adventurers and treasure hunters.
Zongyu and I actually stumbled upon the cave mansion of an ancient puppet master there—the same one who made this Substitute Puppet. But since both of us were only at late Foundation Establishment, barging in was beyond us.
We used the resources we obtained from Baohua Mountain to exchange for advancement materials, returned to the sect, and went into seclusion to attempt forming our Golden Cores. I succeeded first, and I planned to wait until Zongyu advanced so we could explore the cave together.
But he couldn't comprehend sword intent and was still far from forming his core. He urged me to go ahead with others, so I invited Zongjin and Senior Brother Song Ke to join me on the expedition."
Wei Zonghao talked until his throat was dry, recounting years of experiences. Yunxi pushed him a cup of spirit tea and smiled. "I didn't expect you to still be in touch with Song Ke."
"Of course. You remember Senior Brother Song, right? He oversaw our entrance assessments. I heard he got a great opportunity in that Baohua Mountain secret realm and is now at the peak of mid-stage Golden Core, only a step away from late-stage. That's why I asked him to come along.
He was lucky and inherited the puppet master's legacy. I took all the cultivation resources that master left behind, so it worked out for both of us. After we returned to the sect, he went into seclusion. He should reach late-stage Golden Core soon."
Yunxi couldn't help but sigh. "If only you had gotten that inheritance."
Wei Zonghao waved his hand. "I only want to refine my alchemy skills. Taking on too much would only slow me down. Besides, I'm not interested in puppet-making, so I didn't compete with Senior Brother Song.
And I didn't lose out. While he was receiving the inheritance, I stripped the cave mansion of every useful resource. It's enough to take me all the way to Nascent Soul."
Wei Zonghao's attitude was calm, his heart at ease.
Satisfied with his mindset, Yunxi switched topics and told him everything about the Wei family's troubles in Kunyu City.
Wei Zonghao's face darkened, and he ground his teeth. "So that's why my eyelid wouldn't stop twitching before I returned to the sect. These evil cultivators are despicable!"
"I'm telling you this to remind you to stay cautious. Don't fall into their traps. When you team up with others, be careful. And don't reveal you're from the Wei family when working with unfamiliar cultivators. Better to avoid unnecessary trouble."
"I'll remember that. I plan to go into seclusion for a while now that I'm back, to sort through everything I gained on this trip. Then I'll prepare for the Five Region Grand Tournament."
Wei Zonghao already had his plans in motion.
"Given the evil cultivators' recent activity, I don't think the Five Region Grand Tournament will be peaceful. If you're not ready, don't participate. I've already mentioned this to the family."
Wei Zonghao considered her words seriously. "If I can reach mid-stage Golden Core before the tournament, I'll compete. If not, I'll wait for the next one."
"Good. That's wise."
The two talked until the sun set and the moon rose, before Wei Zonghao reluctantly left to visit his parents.
The next day, he returned to Yunxi's courtyard, this time to exchange alchemy insights. Yunxi, now more advanced in cultivation and wielding a strange flame, had improved her pill refinement rate significantly and offered him valuable advice. Wei Zonghao gained a great deal, though his fiery gaze on the flame made Zi Yan uncomfortable. After each pill was refined, it darted straight into Yunxi's dantian, making her laugh with amusement.
At that moment, a message talisman flew to Yunxi. She scanned it with her divine sense, a smile forming on her lips. She turned to Wei Zonghao. "Grand-Aunt Chenyin has successfully formed her Yuányīng. She's now a Nascent Soul Zhēnjūn!"
"Really? That's wonderful news!"
Wei Zonghao's grin nearly split his face.
To Yunxi, this good news was perfectly timed. It would greatly boost the Wei family's morale.
"Come on. Let's go tell the Patriarch."
The two immediately went to find Wei Lingtao.
When Wei Lingtao heard the news, he was overjoyed. Having one Nascent Soul cultivator in the family was already a powerful deterrent, but two was an entirely different level of security. He laughed heartily. "I'll have the clan prepare to welcome Ancestor Chenyin home."
Yunxi nodded. "Make preparations first. I'll return to the sect to check on Ancestor Chenyin. I'll contact you afterward."
"Good. You and Zonghao should both go. Tell Ancestor everything—don't hide anything, good or bad."
Wei Lingtao instructed them solemnly.
The siblings nodded in agreement and set off back to the sect together.
Just as Yunxi descended in front of the sect gates, another message talisman flew to her. A quick sweep of her divine sense revealed it was from Yu Ling, summoning her back. Xiao He had reached the Western Region and was investigating the news about his sister's "death" near the Su family's territory.