After Yunxi stepped into the middle zone of the Polar Extreme Wind Zone, she immediately noticed it was no longer as easy to traverse as before. Yet she advanced steadily, carefully sensing the ferocious gales around her. This was wind spiritual energy, but far more violent and untamed than ordinary wind essence. She allowed a single thread of the polar wind to enter her body.
The moment it entered, it rampaged through her meridians like a beast discovering a new world, recklessly charging around in a frenzy.
Yunxi enveloped the wild current with her own wind spiritual power and guided it along the cultivation path of Thousand Shadows Riding the Wind. Before completing even one cycle, the raging wind was subdued, merging perfectly into her spiritual power.
Having refined that strand, Yunxi didn't recklessly draw in more. She pressed forward instead, prioritizing safety. Cultivating in a dangerous environment like this without caution would only lead to injuries.
At that moment, a male cultivator in Jihan Gate robes stumbled toward her, drenched in blood and battered by the wind.
Yunxi's eyes glimmered with suspicion. She couldn't immediately confirm his identity. Dian Dian was deep in slumber due to its breakthrough, so it couldn't help her sense if the man had been tainted by evil cultivators or even possessed by an evil spirit.
Since the battle at the Sealed Land, most of her spirit beasts were recuperating. Dian Dian had fought to the very end before succumbing to slumber, Fei Xia was focused on nurturing her offspring, and Cong Shan had been gravely wounded in the Sealed Land and had yet to awaken, healing within her storage space.
Thinking of Li Li, the red panda lazing about chewing grass in her space, Yunxi decided to rely on it instead. Li Li's unique eyes could see things others couldn't.
She sent her divine sense into the space to contact Li Li and summoned it out.
Li Li shrank to a small size and perched on Yunxi's shoulder, its black-grape eyes fixing on the staggering man. Moments later, it transmitted telepathically, "Ran Xi, he has two souls. One shines with normal white light but is asleep, while the other glows an ominous gray, just like the black-robed cultivators who entered our sanctuary. The gray soul is controlling his body."
Understanding dawned in Yunxi's eyes. Evil cultivators had grown cunning. They hadn't destroyed the original soul but suppressed it, taking control of the body to approach her. She wasn't sure yet what they were plotting.
"Thank you. I'll send you back to the space," Yunxi said softly.
Li Li flicked its black ears. "I'll stay out here. It's dangerous if you can't tell friend from foe."
It had already sensed the violent gales raging nearby. Only Yunxi's Nine Nether Dragon Umbrella shielded it.
"Alright," Yunxi replied briskly. If she could lighten her burden, why not?
As Li Li climbed into her spirit beast pouch, the man finally reached her side, coughing up a mouthful of blood. Struggling to breathe, he rasped, "Daoyou, please… save me…"
Yunxi shifted her umbrella, Hei Yao's barrier expanding to cover him. Only then did she speak,"Fellow Daoyou of Jihan Gate, what happened to you?"
The man collapsed to the ground, gasping heavily before raising his head. "Daoyou… I was betrayed…"
"Oh? Betrayed why?"
His face contorted with fury. "My teammate and I found a Wind Spirit Pearl in this zone. We sealed it with great effort, but then he ambushed me from behind to claim it for himself."
Yunxi's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. She suspected this was how evil cultivators lured experts deeper into pre-set traps. Those who could reach this zone weren't weak. In this harsh environment, victory wasn't guaranteed, so subterfuge was safer.
Feigning interest, she said, "Then I should send you out first. You can alert your sect for reinforcements."
The man shook his head stubbornly. "Daoyou, I cannot accept this! I discovered the Wind Spirit Pearl first, and I was the one who risked everything to trap it. If I leave, he'll surely escape with it. That treasure could push him into Divine Transformation. I won't let that happen!"
His teeth gnashed audibly in frustration.
"I see. So what do you want me to do?" Yunxi asked calmly.
The man glanced at her, voice hoarse yet determined. "If you kill him for me, the Wind Spirit Pearl will be yours. I swear I won't fight you for it."
Yunxi's reply was blunt. "This is our first meeting. I have no proof your words are true. The pearl isn't in your hands. If I kill him myself, I can just take it without you. Why should I cooperate?"
He retorted quickly, "You're right. But the artifact restraining the pearl is mine. Only I can unseal it. That's why he's chasing me so fiercely. If you won't help, I'll destroy the artifact before I die. No one will get the pearl."
Yunxi realized the evil cultivators' scheme was thorough. If she desired the treasure, she'd have no choice but to follow their plan.
Seeing her hesitation, he raised his hand and swore, "I, Feng Yan, swear to Heaven. If I speak a single lie about the Wind Spirit Pearl, let me die here in this storm!"
Heavenly law descended, sealing the oath.
From her pouch, Li Li whispered, "The oath bound his sleeping soul."
Because Yunxi hadn't sealed the pouch, Li Li could see everything outside.
Yunxi's eyes narrowed. "So, his story about the pearl might be true. This soul is baiting me into a trap."
Li Li thought for a moment. "Take him into the storm. If Heaven's law strikes his soul, we'll know."
"That would help the evil soul."
"We have to try."
Yunxi disliked risking innocent lives, but there was no other way. She needed to walk into their trap to rescue the captives, which meant playing along.
As Feng Yan prepared to speak again, Yunxi said, "Very well. Lead the way."
Feng Yan bowed gratefully. "Thank you, Daoyou. I will not break my word."
He pointed toward a direction.
Yunxi gestured for him to go first. He seemed to understand her intention and stepped boldly beyond the Nine Nether Dragon Umbrella's barrier into the slicing gales.
Li Li's eyes followed him closely. As the storm lashed his body, it whispered, "Ran Xi, his original soul wasn't harmed. The Wind Spirit Pearl must be real."