Even Sheng Yuhong himself didn't realize that because of Yunxi's outrageous maneuver, the young girl who had nearly driven herself to death had instead helped him avoid the greatest calamity of his life.
The speculation Yunxi made after obtaining that memory fragment was already quite close to the truth.
In the original novel, Sheng Yuhong had rescued his fellow sect members from the clutches of a three-headed serpent, sustaining injuries in the process. But then, he was drawn into a stone chamber by a dying cultivator of immense power, who forcibly took over his body.
After being possessed, Sheng Yuhong didn't return to the sect immediately. He completed his mission, then used the excuse of training in the Baohua Mountains to remain in Baohua City. Only after erasing all traces of the possession did he finally return to Haoran Sect.
He used the Wushuang Sword Lightning Art as a bargaining chip, claiming he stumbled upon it during his time training in the mountains. He offered it to the sect, earning praise from the Sect Master, who even introduced him to Wei Yunxi, calling her his junior sister.
The one who had taken over Sheng Yuhong's body was once a powerful cultivator. Though his cultivation had regressed, his perception was still sharp. He found something strange about Wei Yunxi's luck, though he couldn't put his finger on what exactly was off.
It wasn't until he encountered Wei Yunqing that he instantly recognized her as the child of fortune in this world. After that, he no longer paid any attention to Wei Yunxi and instead began lavishing care on Wei Yunqing.
This left Wei Yunxi's affections with nowhere to go. She couldn't understand why her beloved Senior Brother no longer cared for her but treated her elder sister so well instead.
In young Wei Yunxi's eyes, Wei Yunqing was the sister who always fought her for everything. As children, she stole their father's affection. After joining the sect, she led other clan disciples in ostracizing her. And now, she had taken the Senior Brother she liked.
All these grievances built up until Wei Yunxi finally snapped. From then on, she constantly clashed with Wei Yunqing, while Sheng Yuhong always stood firmly by Wei Yunqing's side.
Blinded by jealousy and rage, Wei Yunxi eventually made an unforgivable mistake. She handed them leverage on a silver platter and brought about her own death, exiting the story early.
But the novel was written from Wei Yunqing's perspective. Sheng Yuhong's possession was glossed over entirely, with no mention of it at all.
Yunxi, however, had reached this point step by step through a series of coincidences, gradually uncovering truths the novel never revealed. Only much later would she truly understand the weight of it all.
Sheng Yuhong, having calmed his mood, didn't return to his meditation. Instead, he spent time sorting through the gains from his expedition into the Baohua Mountains.
Meanwhile, Yunxi, having completed her resource exchange with Star Trek, withdrew her consciousness from the space.
She was quite pleased with this exchange. Not only did she receive a set of interstellar body refinement techniques, but also a vial of mental suppressant and a dose of body repair serum, all to prepare for emergencies.
Star Trek, on the other hand, had obtained energy stones from Yunxi—five thousand low-grade spirit stones, a thousand mid-grade ones, along with some pills that could rapidly restore stamina. A mutually beneficial deal. Both sides were happy.
After finishing the trade, Yunxi opened her eyes. She had already etched the beginner-level body refinement technique into her memory. Next came the actual practice.
When they traded, Star Trek had offered a word of caution. Due to her young age, she shouldn't train in the more advanced techniques yet, as they could damage her bones and be counterproductive.
This was Yunxi's first time trying body refinement. She took Star Trek's advice seriously. After all, that system had been adopted across the entire Interstellar Alliance, so it was bound to be formidable.
The more she read through the foundational technique, the more convinced she became that it shared certain principles with the cultivation world's body refinement methods. This gave her a new appreciation for how different realms approached cultivation.
Yunxi exhaled softly, then opened her eyes. Today had been a rollercoaster, and her little heart had gone through a lot.
Turning her head, she saw Dian Dian curled up beside the cushion, snoring lightly. The little body rose and fell in sync with its breath, already entering a state of cultivation.
"Beast cultivation really is something else. They get stronger just by sleeping."
She mumbled to herself, changed into her sect robe, and tucked Dian Dian into her arms. Without a spirit beast pouch, this would have to do for now.
By the time she finished, the sky was already beginning to lighten. A new day was about to begin.
She swallowed a Fasting Pill and withdrew her third-rank formation plate just as someone knocked on her isolation barrier. With a wave, she deactivated the array and stepped out of the room.
The ones knocking were Qin Tongshuang and Long Daoyu. Yunxi greeted them with a smile.
"Did you rest well last night?"
"Pretty well. Couldn't focus enough to cultivate, so I just went to sleep."
Long Daoyu replied in his usual straightforward manner.
Qin Tongshuang had regained her cool demeanor. Her voice was crisp and distant.
"I didn't feel like cultivating either. Just spent time sorting through my harvest from the Baohua Mountains."
"Same here."
Yunxi nodded in agreement, then lowered her voice and asked,
"Has the sect responded yet?"
The two shook their heads in unison. Neither had heard anything.
Just then, Sheng Yuhong emerged from his room. After scanning the group, he spoke.
"Everyone, the situation in Baohua City is still unstable. Unless absolutely necessary, it's best to remain inside the stronghold. If you must go out, go in groups. I'll take a few disciples to gather information and return as soon as possible."
"Yes, Senior Brother Sheng (Martial Uncle)!"
Everyone responded. Sheng Yuhong then selected a few people. His gaze eventually landed on Wei Yunxi, including her in the team.
Feigning surprise, Wei Yunxi obediently stood beside Mu Ningzhu. Both she and Du Yuling had been chosen to join the outing group.
The others didn't grumble much after seeing that most of the selected were Foundation Establishment cultivators. With weaker strength, there wasn't much they could say.
Long Daoyu watched Yunxi leave with eyes full of envy and whispered to Qin Tongshuang,
"Junior Sister Qin, we have to work harder. Once we reach Foundation Establishment, we can follow Martial Uncle Sheng too."
Qin Tongshuang rolled her eyes internally, but still replied politely.
"I should get back to meditation. No time to waste."
With that, she turned and headed back to her room.
Truthfully, Qin Tongshuang had planned to invite Yunxi out to walk around Baohua City and maybe sell some of her wares. She also wanted to exchange pills and talismans with Yunxi. But she had been intercepted by Martial Uncle Sheng, and she had no desire to team up with a chatterbox like Long Daoyu. So she gave up and went back to cultivating.
Long Daoyu, sensing he'd been snubbed, rubbed his nose and went off to find someone else to chat with.
Yunxi, knowing her own place, didn't try to cozy up to Sheng Yuhong. Instead, she leaned in to speak quietly with Mu Ningzhu.
"Senior Sister Mu, my trip into the mountains was short, but I still gained a few things. I want to sell some pills and talismans I don't need. Which store in Baohua City would be best?"
Mu Ningzhu gave a faint smile.
"If you made the pills and drew the talismans yourself, you can sell them right here at our stronghold's trading hall. But if they're spoils from those bandits, take them to Lintai Pavilion. They won't ask questions about the origin of goods, as long as it's not too suspicious. Just don't expect top prices."
"Senior Sister Wei, I happen to be selling that three-headed serpent. We can go to Lintai Pavilion together."