Yu Geng understood what Sheng Yuhong meant and said mildly, "Sheng Yuhong, you are my eldest disciple and the sect's senior brother. Your cultivation is not slow. You simply cannot keep pace with Ran Xi. Your paths are different, there is no need to compare.
She walks a road of thorns and danger. Every rise in cultivation comes at the cost of nine deaths and one life. You advance one steady step at a time. Your foundation is solid, your state of mind is calm. That is your path.
There is no better or worse between the two. Do not force speed. The essence of a sword cultivator lies in enlightenment. If you only pursue speed, your sword heart will fall into chaos. Do you understand?"
Sheng Yuhong's expression shifted. He cupped his hands at once. "Master's teaching is right. I will remember it."
After that, Sheng Yuhong went to find Zhou Lingchuan. He wanted to say a few words to his junior brother before entering seclusion.
At that moment, Zhou Lingchuan was personally issuing the life-and-death seclusion token for Wei Yunqing, though the atmosphere was rather strange.
Wei Yunqing, the one who was to enter life-and-death seclusion, looked reluctant. She had wanted to resist, but fell silent under the glance of Zhang Lingrui Zūnzhě.
Beside them, Lin Keyang spoke in an even tone, "Matrial Nephew Wei Yunqing, you swallowed two pills that forcibly increased your cultivation just to survive. Ran Xi is worried that your realm is unstable and that evil cultivators may target you once you leave the sect, so she told us to accompany you into seclusion. Do not let her good intentions go to waste."
Wei Yunqing's mouth twitched at that. In her heart she sneered. As if. Ran Xi would never be so kind.
But at this moment she had no strength to resist. She was weaker than the others and watched by two Divine Transformation cultivators. Others might spare her for Ran Xi's sake. These two would truly act, and dare to act. She could not beat either of them.
She was certain that if she dared to say one word of refusal, what greeted her would be a storm of blows. She bowed her head and muttered, "I understand."
In that odd atmosphere, Zhou Lingchuan handed the life-and-death seclusion token to Wei Yunqing.
With Lin Keyang and Zhang Lingrui flanking her, Wei Yunqing left the Disciples' Hall and headed to the place where the sect's high-level cultivators underwent life-and-death seclusion.
Those cave dwellings were all protected by high-tier formations. Once activated, they could not be broken from within before the appointed time. For the next one hundred years, Wei Yunqing would truly have no choice but to cultivate in peace.
The two personally sent Wei Yunqing into the cave dwelling, waited until the restriction fell and the formation engaged, chatted a while longer to ensure nothing could go wrong, then finally left.
Wei Yunqing looked around the empty cave and nearly jumped with rage. In the solitude of the cave she cursed Yunxi, Lin Keyang, and Zhang Lingrui up and down, only then plopping onto the cushion with a huff, racking her brains for a way to escape.
Elsewhere, Zhang Lingrui sneezed, glanced back at the mountain where Wei Yunqing was in seclusion, and said darkly, "Hmph. She dares curse this Zūnzhě. When she comes out, I will make her pay."
Lin Keyang chuckled. "All right. First we go to the Wei Clan in Haoran City and finish the errand Ran Xi entrusted to us. Then we can take a proper trip."
"Fine. I will follow your lead."
They went to the Wei Clan in Haoran City. Seeing her former teammates successfully advance to Divine Transformation, Wei Chenyin was delighted and hosted them overnight.
They had come at Ran Xi's request to hand over a storage ring she prepared for Wei Chenyin.
"Chenyin, these are things Ran Xi asked us to bring you, cultivation resources. One of the potions is specifically for Wei Lingkai. Ran Xi refined it for him as a recovery potion."
Wei Chenyin swept the storage ring with her divine sense and immediately saw the potion Lin Keyang mentioned. She naturally knew the matter. She and Ran Xi had rescued the person from Xiaocheng City together. Wei Lingkai's vitality had been damaged. She knew exactly what this potion was for. She bowed at once. "Thank you for making the trip and handling this in person."
Zhang Lingrui said casually, "We accepted a task. We finish it faithfully."
Lin Keyang added, "Ran Xi also asked us to pass along a message. Increase the training of Wei Clan disciples. Do not be stingy with resources. There may be a hard battle with evil cultivators in the future. Prepare in advance."
Wei Chenyin answered solemnly, "Rest assured. After Ran Xi's warning, the Wei Clan has already increased our investment in the younger generation."
"That is best."
Wei Chenyin then asked about the Five Region Grand Tournament. Because of interference from evil cultivators, the tournament had ended abruptly. Rumors were flying across the five regions. Wei Chenyin wanted first-hand information. Ran Xi's breakthrough had been so sudden that she felt uneasy and asked directly.
Lin Keyang briefly recounted how the Shanhe Scroll had fallen under the control of evil cultivators and how all Nascent Soul participants had been drawn into the sealed land. He also explained why they were forced to break through two minor realms in such a short time, compelled to reach Divine Transformation.
Wei Chenyin frowned throughout. Lin Keyang summarized ten years of fighting in only a few sentences, but any cultivator knew how bitter that must have been. Nearly eighty percent of the Nascent Soul cultivators had fallen in the sealed land. If it had been her, she did not know if she could have held on.
She scowled. "Wei Yunqing has reached late Nascent Soul too. I fear it will not be long before she returns to the clan to throw her weight around."
Zhang Lingrui laughed. "Do not worry. Ran Xi anticipated this. Before we came, we already sent her into life-and-death seclusion. She will not come out for a hundred years, unless she advances to Divine Transformation on the spot."
Wei Chenyin could not help but laugh, her expression saying, you two really are thorough.
Early the next morning, Wei Chenyin personally saw them to the gate.
Many cultivators nearby witnessed the scene and began whispering at once.
"Did you see? Those are Divine Transformation cultivators."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course. Those are the robes only Divine Transformation Zūnzhě of Haoran Sect may wear."
"Seems the Wei Clan has found themselves two more backers. Otherwise, would Divine Transformation cultivators enter and exit the Wei estate in full view of us?"
"At last you said something smart. I heard Wei Yunxi also advanced to Divine Transformation. Why have we not seen her return to the clan?"
"As you said, if a Divine Transformation cultivator does not want to be seen, how would we know where to look?"
A slightly shifty-looking Golden Core cultivator piped up, "I heard the evil cultivators sabotaged the Five Region Grand Tournament, and that Wei Yunxi turned the tide and ruined their plan."
"Hiss, really? Daoyou, have you been to Huaxian Gate in the Central Region?"
The Golden Core man coughed lightly. "A friend of mine apprenticed under Huaxian Gate."
"Then can you tell us in detail?"
"What I can say is not as detailed as a message jade slip. This is a live record of the tournament compiled by the famed 'Know-It-All' Wan Daoyou. Do you want to see it?"
"See it, of course. I will look first."
A busybody snatched the jade slip and probed it with divine sense. He had barely finished when someone else pulled it out of his hands.
"Daoyou, this only records half. Where is the rest?"