Tang Ru naturally didn't want to be blamed for destroying the spirit fields. She claimed that she had only spent spirit stones to hire someone in order to track down an old friend. Though the excuse sounded polite, anyone with a brain could see she was trying to find her former lover.
The problem was, Chen Feng had always been a near-invisible presence in the Outer Sect. Back when Tang Ru became a concubine, the only reason anyone remembered him was because he'd been the man she abandoned. Once the gossip died down after a year, no one paid attention to him anymore.
Now, Tang Ru's words had brought him back into the spotlight. But this time, he was missing. No one even knew when he had left.
Worse, Tang Ru's own confession revealed that the last place Chen Feng had been seen was the spirit fields in Sector B of Outer Peak Five. This made him the prime suspect for the Law Enforcement Hall.
And, as it happened, Yunxi and Zong Hao were the only ones in Sector B who had "timidly" harvested their spirit rice early. Everyone else's fields had been wrecked, and the destruction in Sector B was the worst in all of Outer Peak Five. That sealed it—Chen Feng became Suspect Number One.
When Yunxi heard about all this, the corner of her mouth twitched uncontrollably. It was practically a gift from the heavens. With Chen Feng vanished and no proof left behind, he couldn't defend himself even if he wanted to. His reputation was ruined, and even Tang Ru got dragged down with him.
Zong Hao rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Yunxi, I think that Chen Feng was targeting us."
Yunxi nodded, picking up his train of thought. "I think so too. He was probably trying to sabotage our sect task. Once we got punished, he'd make his move. But we were too cautious. We burned spirit stones to force the rice to mature and handed in the task right away. He was too late. Our fields were already empty. So the spirit insects moved on and destroyed the others instead.
Then things spiraled out of control. Once he realized how badly he'd screwed up, he bolted. Serves him right."
Zong Hao agreed. "He must've kept his plan a secret. No one else would've known. Tang Ru just happened to go looking for him and accidentally exposed him instead. What a textbook case of a deadweight ally."
"Exactly. Let's keep this to ourselves. Don't tell Zong Yu. Uncle's still away on his training trip. Best we stay low for now."
"I know. We got through this because we were smart. No need to make everyone else worry. We'll just be more careful with whatever task we take on next."
Yunxi nodded. "We've already completed this month's mission, and with all the chaos at Outer Peak Five, let's take a break for now. Rest for a month and decide what to do next."
Zong Hao suggested, "How about we head to the Outer Sect marketplace tomorrow? We can sell off the spirit rice."
Yunxi thought for a moment. "Let's wait on that. Since all the rice on Outer Peak Five was destroyed, prices are bound to rise soon. We should hold onto our stock for a couple of days. Even getting two more spirit stones per batch would be worth it."
"You're right. I forgot about that. In that case, let's spend the next couple days training in the Cultivation Hall and use up all our stored practice time."
Zong Hao was fully focused on increasing his cultivation now.
The next day, they headed straight to the Cultivation Hall. They didn't bother picking prime rooms—just took two next to each other and went in.
Yunxi activated a soundproof barrier, then sat cross-legged on her meditation cushion. She mentally reviewed everything that had happened over the past three months, making sure she hadn't missed anything. Once she was certain, she shifted her consciousness into the chat space.
Inside, the space was as she left it. Only four of the fruit baskets used for milk fruit were empty. One full basket remained. She decided to ask the Tribal Warrior if she could exchange for more milk fruit.
As usual, the screen displayed her online status. During her absence, the Tribal Warrior had logged on asking for help. It seemed their tribe had been hit by a once-in-a-millennium cold season.
Heavy snow had fallen for three straight months. Their stored food had run out. Many of the tribe's young and females were sick. Even the wild beasts, trapped in the snow and starving, had become increasingly aggressive and frequently attacked the tribe.
Luckily, the Tribal Warrior had some foresight and traded for a protective barrier, which kept their settlement from being overrun. But food shortage was now the main problem.
The males were forced to go out hunting, but they were frequently attacked by crazed beasts. Every expedition brought injuries or even casualties.
Survival is the Ultimate Truth had sent the tribe some medicine, helping the young and females get through the worst. Star Trek had provided nutrient fluid. Though the taste was awful, it gave the males enough energy to maintain their transformed combat forms.
Ox-Head Horse-Face and Ethereal Grace couldn't help the Tribal Warrior. One was a soul of the dead, the other didn't need food. They could only stay silent, powerless to assist.
Seeing the situation, Yunxi contacted the Tribal Warrior immediately.
[Fleeting Cloud]:"Warrior, how are things now? Has the cold season ended?"
A few moments later, the reply came.
[Tribal Warrior]: "The cold season has ended, but the snow was too heavy. Our homes were flooded, and we had to relocate the entire tribe. The wild beasts are starving after a whole season and have become extremely vicious. We're still desperately short on food."
[Fleeting Cloud]: "I'm sending you ten bottles of Bigu Dan. One pill will keep you full for a whole day. Try them out first. I'll also send one hundred jin of spirit rice. I grew it myself. It's high in energy, should be enough to sustain your tribe's warriors. Try cooking a batch and see."
That was all Yunxi could think of for now. Her publicly displayed cultivation was still only at the fourth level of Qi Refining. She had only just started preparing for alchemy and hadn't formally begun refining pills. The Fasting Pills she had were all stockpiled from the past year.
[Tribal Warrior]: "Xiao Yun, thank you so much. I'll convert what you gave into milk fruit for trade. Once the hot season comes, we'll start harvesting again. I'll send them to you then."
Clearly, he didn't want to take advantage of her for free. Yunxi had meant to trade for milk fruit anyway. And this was definitely a case of offering help in a time of real need. That the Tribal Warrior appreciated it only made her more willing. She sent the items through the chat space's transfer system.
Then she glanced at the group chat avatars. The one belonging to Deity was still gray, showing they hadn't logged on. She skimmed the chat log. Nothing new or useful to exchange. With that, she logged out.
When she opened her eyes again, Yunxi resumed her day's cultivation. She wanted to break through to the ninth level of Qi Refining as soon as possible so she could start refining pills.
On the other side, Wei Yunqing had been deeply frustrated after seeing Wei Yunxi again. That girl was her bane—always advancing just a step ahead. Clutching the pill bottle in her hand, she decided it was time to consume the pill Senior Brother Ye had gifted her. She was tired of being outdone by her three-spirit-root younger sister.
Without hesitation, she rented a premium cultivation room with spirit stones. After settling in, she swallowed the pill and began cultivating.
The moment it entered her mouth, the pill dissolved, releasing a surge of pure energy that rushed through her body like warmth. Then her meridians began to ache and swell. Yunqing knew this was the sensation of spiritual energy expanding the channels. She quickly began guiding the turbulent energy through her body in a steady cycle.
===
神祇 (shén qí)
神 (shén): "God," "divine," or "spirit." Often associated with higher beings in mythology or religion.
祇 (qí): A more archaic term for "earthly deity" or "local god," distinct from "神" (which implies a celestial or supreme god).
Together, "神祇" is a classical compound meaning "gods and deities", encompassing both celestial and earthly divine beings. It's a formal, almost reverential term—more literary than colloquial.
Parallel to "仙气飘飘" (Ethereal Grace):
If 仙气飘飘 is a "immortal" (仙, xiān), 神祇 is a tier above—closer to a primordial god.