Sect Master Yu Geng looked over the three Dao names Yunxi had circled and nodded. "Not bad. All three suit you."
Yunxi smiled and nodded. "Thank you for taking the trouble, Sect Master. I will visit Master shortly and let him make the final decision."
Seeing his opening, Yu Geng continued, "Yunxi, besides confirming your Dao name, I asked you here to discuss another matter. It concerns succeeding to the position of Lingxue Peak's Peak Lord. I trust your master has mentioned this to you."
Yunxi nodded. She had known the Sect Master would not summon her to Haoran Peak only for the small matter of a Dao name. She replied with a smile, "Sect Master, Master has indeed spoken to me about it. I would prefer to take the Peak Lord's seat after the Five Region Grand Tournament."
Yu Geng nodded with satisfaction, then frowned. "You intend to participate in this Five Region Grand Tournament?"
"Yes."
"I have received word that evil cultivators plan to use the tournament to target the elite disciples who participate. You must consider this carefully."
Yunxi knew the message she had sent back to the Hive must already have reached the Sect Master. The Hive had its rules. He could access the latest intelligence but might not know the source. She did not bring it up, only thought for a moment before answering,"Thank you for the warning, Sect Master. I will seek Master's opinion."
"Good."
Just as they finished discussing business, Zhou Lingchuan entered the main hall carrying a stack of jade slips. Clearly the Sect Master was about to be busy again. Yunxi took her leave, Dao names in hand, and went to find her own master.
After she left, Zhou Lingchuan said, "Master, this niece-disciple of Master-uncle Yu Ling looks different from the rumors."
Yu Geng sipped spiritual tea. "How so?"
Zhou Lingchuan thought it over. "On the surface she seems young and gentle, her manner easygoing, her voice soft. But her eyes give me a strange sense of clarity, as if they could see through everything."
"It seems you see more clearly than your senior brother. Yunxi's innate aptitude is average, but her comprehension is exceptionally high. She has even had an epiphany. Since embarking on cultivation, she has hardly met a bottleneck.
However, every breakthrough of hers has been perilous. You could say that everything she has today was won by her own strength. Even your Master-uncle Yu Ling merely passed on the cultivation method. He did not guide her step by step. She did the rest herself. So when she succeeds to Lingxue Peak, no one will object."
"I see."
Then, a little gossipy, Zhou Lingchuan asked, "Master, does Senior Brother perhaps have a crush on Martial Uncle Yunxi?"
"Ahem. That is not your concern. In future, speak less about Yunxi in front of your senior brother."
Sect Master Yu Geng felt he had enough to worry about and waved him off.
Zhou Lingchuan's eyes glinted. He agreed cheerfully, planning to help with sect affairs and then take a walk around the sect.
At that moment, Yunxi had already entered the Hive and found Yu Ling Zūnzhě, who had stolen a moment from his busyness to sip tea.
Yunxi saluted and took a seat opposite him with a smile."Master, not busy today?"
She poured herself a cup of spiritual tea.
Yu Ling Zūnzhě set down the cup and said gravely, "After receiving your message, I dispatched the worker bees to collect as much information as possible, to see if we can find any traces. After hearing of this, Ancestor Hao Yi sent Hao Qing Zūnzhě to Mingjian Gate. We hope Haoran Sect and Mingjian Gate can secretly coordinate during this Five Region Grand Tournament."
Yunxi swallowed the warm tea, feeling gentle spiritual power flow into her body. With a comfortable sigh, she said, "Master, the information Xiao He brought is half true and half false. I judge it is mostly a test of him by the evil cultivators. But their intent to cause trouble during the tournament is certainly real. As for constructing a passage connecting the Evil Region, I think the likelihood is low."
She poured herself another cup.
Yu Ling Zūnzhě's lips curved. "Your assessment matches Ancestor Hao Yi's. Building such a passage is not as simple as talk. To connect two regions, one must command the laws of time and space, and once the passage is formed, it must be maintained by power.
A disturbance that large would certainly alarm Divine Transformation Zūnzhě, especially in the Central Region. There are plenty of hidden seniors there. They are not so easily deceived."
Yunxi sighed. "It is a pity Xiao He only just established contact with us. The evil cultivators do not yet trust him. The five regions' joint purge left them short on claws, so they have to use Xiao He. If we had more time, he might be able to dig up more."
Yu Ling Zūnzhě's tone was calm. "No matter. If soldiers come, we block them. If water comes, we dam it."
Yunxi then spoke of meeting the Su family's young master Su Qingzhuo, and how she had told him to investigate the Su family quietly.
Yu Ling Zūnzhě rubbed the jade cup. "The sect has already sent people to look into the Su family. If evil cultivators hid in a Su family secret realm, there is certainly a problem. But reaching the Su family's core is difficult. Su Qingzhuo's appearance is timely. It seems you are not only Su Qingzhuo's benefactor. You may be the Su family's benefactor as well."
He knew well that Yunxi was a "variable." Anything she touched tended to veer into the unpredictable. He had never intended to keep her confined to the sect. Letting her succeed to Lingxue Peak was also to make it proper and convenient for her to deploy the peak's resources.
Hearing this, Yunxi showed a small, satisfied smile. The dimple at the corner of her lips appeared, brightening her face. She courteously poured her master a cup and casually mentioned her meeting with Sect Master Yu Geng.
"Sect Master is worried Lingxue Peak will lack successors. Once you take the Peak Lord's seat, he will hasten you to accept disciples."
"Huh? Take a disciple? That's not appropriate! Not appropriate at all!"
Yunxi waved both hands in protest. She felt she simply wasn't cut out to be a master and didn't want to lead any disciple astray.
Yu Ling Zūnzhě laughed. "Do not fret. No one is asking you to accept disciples now. Accepting disciples depends on fate, just as when I took you in. When the time comes, you will feel it.
But you will ascend sooner or later. Lingxue Peak must have a successor. Our lineage has always taken disciples late, valuing quality over quantity. It is entirely your decision."
Only then did Yunxi relax. Her eyes turned as she thought of how her master had accepted her when his cultivation was already at late peak Nascent Soul. She could do the same, take her time and find an excellent seedling.
Watching her apricot eyes whirl, Yu Ling Zūnzhě knew she was hatching other schemes. Amused, he asked, "What else did the Sect Master say to you?"
Yunxi put away her little thoughts and answered seriously, "The Sect Master prepared a list of Dao names. I chose three and came to ask for your decision."
She reported the names.
Without a moment's hesitation, Yu Ling Zūnzhě said, "Take Ran Xi. It suits you best."
Yunxi rose and saluted. "Many thanks, Master, for bestowing my Dao name."