Wei Yunxi instinctively stored the Seven Stars Soul-Shattering Staff into her storage ring, then quickly activated the room's formation and darted outside. She needed to see how much damage she had caused, and whether the newly unearthed spirit stones could cover the cost.
By the time Yunxi appeared in the courtyard, the other disciples staying there had already stepped out of their rooms, all curious about what had just happened.
"Senior Brother Sheng, what's going on?"
Everyone tried to steady themselves and looked toward Sheng Yuhong.
Sheng Yuhong's face was grave as he said, "It seems something has happened in the Baohua Mountains. I'll go check it out with Uncle-Master Feng. You all stay here and do not act rashly."
As soon as he finished, his figure flickered and vanished.
Yunxi glanced around the courtyard, carefully observing. The tremor from earlier had passed, and there were no visible cracks on the ground. Only then did she finally relax. Fortunately, it hadn't been her swing that caused it.
She walked over to Qin Tongshuang and Mu Ningzhu, frowning slightly as she asked, "Senior Sister Mu, do you think something went wrong with that secret realm?"
Mu Ningzhu shook her head. "I don't know yet. We'll find out when Senior Brother Sheng returns, but it definitely has something to do with the emergence of the secret realm."
Qin Tongshuang furrowed her brows in thought and remained silent for a moment. After Mu Ningzhu finished speaking, she said softly, "Senior Sister Mu, Yunxi... I think the emergence of the secret realm may have alarmed the demon beasts within the Baohua Mountains. They might have gone into a frenzy."
"You mean a beast tide?" Mu Ningzhu caught on immediately.
"It's just my guess," Qin Tongshuang replied, not denying it.
Long Daoyu, who had been eavesdropping nearby, gasped and hurried over. "Uncle-Masters, if that's true, shouldn't we leave Baohua City right away? At our level, still in the Qi Refining stage, getting caught in a beast tide would be suicide."
This time, Qin Tongshuang didn't reply. Yunxi, however, nodded in agreement.
Suddenly, Mu Ningzhu looked up at the sky and took a deep breath. "Too late."
"Huh? Why?" Long Daoyu exclaimed.
Yunxi followed her gaze and saw golden array patterns flickering as the formation above the city closed. The glow indicated it had fully activated.
"The city's grand defensive formation is now in place. We can't leave until it's deactivated," Mu Ningzhu explained to the others.
Long Daoyu opened his mouth, speechless for a long while, then finally let out a strained voice, "So... we're staying to fight the beast tide?"
"Most likely."
The mood in the courtyard turned heavy. A beast tide was no small matter.
Yunxi couldn't help but wonder if her metaphorical butterfly wings had flapped a little too hard, stirring up something as disastrous as this. Whether they would survive it was another matter.
Just then, Sheng Yuhong returned.
"The city's grand array has been activated. All cultivators who entered the Baohua Mountains are retreating to the city, with the beast tide close behind them.
The guards in the City Lord's Manor won't be enough to handle this. All cultivators in the city will be called to help. The mission to repel the beast tide will be issued soon. I'll accept it on behalf of Haoran Sect.
You should all prepare yourselves. Don't miss this chance for real combat experience. Before the city gets flooded with other cultivators, replenish your supplies. If you lack spirit stones, buy from our affiliated shops."
"Yes, Senior Brother Sheng," the group responded in unison.
Following his advice, the disciples sprang into action.
Those in the Qi Refining stage rushed to the front yard. The Foundation Establishment disciples paired off and left the compound to restock at shops throughout the city.
Yunxi didn't dare delay. She pulled Qin Tongshuang along and ran straight to Lintai Pavilion. They were greeted by the same Qi Refining stage attendant from before, though this time his expression was grim and his smile was gone.
"What do you need, Daoyou?"
Yunxi didn't waste time. "I need a defensive artifact, a flying artifact, two thousand blank talisman papers each of first and second grade, and beast blood for drawing talismans. Bring these first. I'll let you know if I remember anything else."
Beside her, Qin Tongshuang also listed her needs. She requested a defensive artifact as well, and an offensive formation disk.
"Very well. Please wait a moment, Daoyou I'll go get them."
Yunxi and Qin Tongshuang exchanged a glance and entered a private room.
"Do you think we'll make it back to the sect safely?" Qin Tongshuang asked.
"We will. Since a beast tide has occurred here, the sect will definitely send reinforcements. We just have to survive the first wave."
"I agree. If we go out to hunt the demon beasts, we should form a team."
"That's true, but I've now reached Foundation Establishment, so we may not end up assigned together. Be careful, alright?"
"I will."
Neither of them had ever faced a situation like this before. The tension dulled their desire to chat further. When the attendant brought in the items, they quickly picked what they needed without haggling over prices. After paying in spirit stones, they stored their purchases in their bags.
Yunxi noticed that Qin Tongshuang didn't seem short on resources either. She bought a fourth-tier formation disk without batting an eye, along with a bell-shaped defensive artifact capable of withstanding a full-powered blow from a Nascent Soul stage cultivator.
Of course, while she was silently judging Qin Tongshuang, the latter had similar thoughts about Yunxi.
After all, Yunxi had chosen a simple-looking magnolia hairpin made of white jade. It turned out to be a high-grade defensive artifact that could resist three full-strength strikes from a Nascent Soul cultivator. Then there was the flying artifact, a cloud-hued escape vessel. Though small and only fit for two, it could be powered by spiritual energy or spirit stones and matched the flight speed of an early Nascent Soul cultivator. A true must-have for fleeing danger.
After leaving Lintai Pavilion, the two of them headed straight for Baidan Hall. Pills were essential. They stocked up on those for healing, restoring spiritual energy, and detoxification before rushing back to the sect outpost.
All throughout the city, cultivators were moving quickly. Shops selling pills, talismans, artifacts, and formations were all crowded. Clearly, others had also realized the severity of the situation and were rushing to gather resources.
Back in the rear courtyard, Yunxi and Qin Tongshuang split up. They had to refine their newly acquired artifacts. Going into battle without any defenses was no different from marching to their deaths.
Yunxi returned to the room where she had cracked the floor earlier. After activating the soundproof formation, she sat down on her cushion and rubbed her temples.
Just then, Dian Dian cautiously peeked its tiny head out from her collar and sent her a voice transmission.
"Master, did something bad happen?"
Yunxi had already sensed Dian Dian's presence. The little one had stayed hidden while they were out, but now that they were back, it had popped out.
She pulled Dian Dian out and said, "The anomaly in the Baohua Mountains triggered a beast tide. My fellow disciples and I are now stuck in Baohua City. We'll probably have to fight off the tide when it reaches the city."
Dian Dian's ears twitched. It hadn't expected its master to be this unlucky.
"I forgot to buy a spirit beast pouch. For now, stay in the room and keep cultivating. I might be called to battle at any moment."
"Master, Dian Dian wants to go with you!"
The little one wasn't about to miss a chance to prove its loyalty.
"Alright. Do as you wish."
With that, Yunxi set Dian Dian aside and began refining the new defensive artifact she had just bought.