To halt her younger brother's bodily decay, Ye Yirui even set her sights on the Shengji Tree of Medicine King Valley. The elders noticed and barred her from approaching it again.
The Shengji Tree of Medicine King Valley was one of the few remaining in the Weiyu Realm and the primary herb for refining Shengji Dan. The yearly auction of Shengji Dan alone funded half the sect, so the elders would not allow Ye Yirui to act recklessly.
With no alternative, Ye Yirui placed her hopes once more on Haoran Sect's Wei Yunxi. When she learned Wei Yunxi had been gravely injured holding off thunder tribulation for Yu Ling Zūnzhě, she was more anxious than anyone, yet could not show it. Only when news arrived a short while ago that Wei Yunxi had emerged from seclusion did she finally breathe again.
Another half year passed. She could not wait any longer, and her brother's body could not afford further delay. Yet she dared not rashly bring him to Haoran Sect. She therefore commissioned Tianlin Flying Boat Firm to deliver a message jade, explaining Ye Yuchen's condition and requesting a medical visit.
The message went out, but no reply came. Ye Yirui's heart chilled bit by bit.
Just then the Medicine King Valley token at her waist pulsed twice. When her divine sense entered it, a spark lit her eyes. She stroked the ice coffin, her eyes reddening. "Yuchen, Wei Yunxi is coming to Medicine King Valley in the Central Region. You must hold on. Your sister will find a way to restore you."
She rose, laid a restriction with a wave, and left the underground chamber that housed the ice coffin.
Haoran Sect, Gongfa Pavilion
Wei Yunxi spent a day selecting three secret arts, one each for her wind, thunder, and ice roots. They covered flight from danger, forced elevation of cultivation, and a last desperate strike. She achieved what she came for, though her heart pinched when it came time to deduct sect points.
Back on Lingxue Peak, Wei Yunxi drew out the three jade slips and began studying them one by one.
The escape art was called "Omnipresence" One turned oneself into wind, everywhere and nowhere, slipping past an enemy's divine sense to flee.
The price was her spirit root. So long as one's root was thick enough, the art could be used repeatedly, yet no cultivator's root could withstand frequent abuse. When the root was too badly damaged, it would become a ruined root.
The force-elevation art was "Lament of Snow." When one's inner spiritual power was exhausted, one used divine sense as the scaffold to draw ice spiritual energy within ten thousand li and harness it as one's own, granting a brief, unbroken supply of power to slay the enemy. It lasted only half a stick of incense, about two to three minutes, and the price was irreversible damage to the divine sense.
The last-stand art was "Wrath of Thunder." When spiritual power was gone and divine sense too damaged to use, one sacrificed the thunder spirit root bestowed by the Heavenly Dao to call lightning down. It was effectively a mutual destruction art, never to be used unless absolutely necessary.
Dian Dian, who had stayed by her side, read through the three as well, his ears quivering."Master, these are powerful, but the price is too great. Please only use them at the very last moment. Dian Dian fears being unable to find treasures strong enough to repair the damage."
Right then, the urge to advance welled up fiercely in Dian Dian's heart.
Wei Yunxi smiled and rubbed his small head. "I know. They are for emergencies. In this realm the cultivators who could force me to such measures are few. Besides, Master still has my back."
Satisfied, Dian Dian flicked his ears and joined her in studying the arts.
While Wei Yunxi practiced on Lingxue Peak, sect tryouts raged. The Golden Core matches were exciting, Foundation Establishment entrants were the most numerous, and competition was fiercest there. A dark horse drew eyes nearly every day. Wei Yunxi followed the contenders only through the sect's message jades.
As the tryouts neared their end, Dian Dian scampered in with news. "Master, a friend on Spirit Beast Peak found the Shadowscale Serpent's trail."
Wei Yunxi set down the jade in her hand. That uneasy feeling returned. She arched a brow. "Is the Shadowscale Serpent hiding in Wei Yunqing's cave?"
This time Dian Dian was the one surprised. "Master, how did you know? Who informed you first?"
Wei Yunxi rubbed her temples. "I guessed. Wei Yunqing wants to compete with me in everything and seize everything from my hands. The notice said the Shadowscale Serpent was mine. Even if she found it, she would not tell me. I have not contracted it, so she will want to keep it for herself."
Dian Dian bobbed his head rapidly. "Master is clever. One guess and you had it."
"Who discovered the trail?"
"A red-maned horse on Spirit Beast Peak who has ties to Master. It said Master and another boy once saved it, and it carried you two back to the sect. In a mere twenty-some years Master is already a Zhēnjūn while it is still in its youth. It talked my ear off."
Wei Yunxi's apricot eyes turned. She remembered the red-maned horse she and Zonghao had rescued from an iron bramble thicket during the entry test. The horse had real spirit. She had not expected it to help her like this.
"How did it notice the serpent?"
"The red-maned horse likes to roam Spirit Beast Peak. It dozed off sunning itself on a slope by day. When it woke, the moon was already high. Too lazy to return, it decided to make do for the night. It saw the Shadowscale Serpent cultivating by swallowing moonlight, then remembered my request. It did not startle the serpent. Once it confirmed the serpent entered Wei Yunqing's cave, it had Flying Mist Butterfly bring me the message."
"I see. I will handle the rest. Ask the red-maned horse what thank-you gift it wants and carry it over later. Also remind our friends on Spirit Beast Peak to pretend ignorance and keep away from Wei Yunqing's peak. I do not want them turning into the serpent's food."
"Yes, Master."
Dian Dian leapt from the jade table and hurried off to find his friends.
Wei Yunxi flashed away from Lingxue Peak to see her master on Law Enforcement Peak.
"Master, the Shadowscale Serpent is in Wei Yunqing's cave."
Yu Ling Zūnzhě spoke lightly. "Mm. I have already received word."
Sitting below Yu Ling, Wei Yunxi asked directly, "Master, how do you plan to handle it. Should I make the trip?"
Yu Ling gave his eager disciple a look. "What, you actually want to snatch it. It is hardly a good thing."
"Heh. This disciple only fears that wicked creature will egg that fool Wei Yunqing into something that harms the sect."
"Rest easy. For now it cannot stir any great waves. We are not moving because Wei Yunqing will also go to the Central Region's Huaxian Set for the tournament. Ancestor Hao Yi wants to cast a long line for a big fish and see what the other side plans to do behind the scenes using her as cover."
Yu Ling did not conceal it and told Wei Yunxi Hao Yi Ancestor's decision.
Wei Yunxi understood at once. Since the evil cultivators meant to act and kill the five regions' elite disciples, the best way was inside help to match outside strikes. The Shadowscale Serpent had to remain in place.