When Yunxi heard the news, her eyes lit up.
"Senior Sister Mu, does that mean the big shots have finished negotiating?"
Mu Ningzhu nodded. "Mm. The fact that the beast tide retreated yesterday means both sides have come to an agreement."
"Great! That's the best news. I was worried we'd be stuck here."
Yunxi was genuinely relieved.
"Tch, I thought you wanted to hone your skills a bit more in the middle of all that."
Mu Ningzhu teased.
Yunxi immediately put on an obedient face. "Senior Sister, you're always making fun of me. I know my own limits."
Mu Ningzhu shook her head. "I think you don't. Yesterday, you were the most aggressive of all, charging straight into the beast tide."
Yunxi made a face. "Heaven knows, Senior Sister, I got thrown into the middle of it by that Five-Colored Anaconda."
Off to the side, Qin Tongshuang's lips twitched in amusement. She stepped in to ease the mood. "Mu Shishu, don't blame Yunxi. It was her first time fighting against so many beasts, and she returned in one piece. That says a lot about her strength."
Mu Ningzhu softened her tone. "Just be more careful next time. If it weren't for Senior Brother Sheng, I might not have been able to reach you in time."
Yunxi nodded earnestly. "Don't worry, Senior Sister. There won't be a next time."
She could tell Mu Ningzhu truly cared for her as a younger martial sister. With Qin Tongshuang's involvement, they had clearly accepted Wei Yunxi into their circle.
As the three finished speaking, Sheng Yuhong arrived and announced, "Fellow disciples, there's no need to engage in battle today. Everyone is free to move around, but don't leave Baohua City."
"Yes, Senior Brother (Shishu)."
The crowd visibly relaxed. No battles meant no fresh wounds.
Mu Ningzhu turned back to Yunxi. "Come on, let's go hand in our missions and exchange for spirit stones."
"Alright."
"Shishu, wait for me!"
Long Daoyu quickly tagged along, still preferring to stick with familiar faces. Zhang Yan also joined them, and the five of them headed toward the City Lord's Manor.
There, a long line had already formed. With the temporary ceasefire, everyone was eager to convert their beast spoils into rewards.
While waiting in line, Yunxi spotted Yu Qingcheng's group surrounded by a cluster of fawning cultivators. Clearly, they were popular.
Qin Tongshuang, Long Daoyu, and Zhang Yan had never encountered disciples from Baihua Tower before, so Yunxi leaned in and explained quietly, "Don't look them in the eyes. They use charm techniques. Be careful not to fall for it."
"Oh! Got it."
The three quickly averted their gazes.
Yu Qingcheng seemed to notice and glanced over. Yunxi responded with a sweet, polite smile and nodded in greeting.
Yu Qingcheng's phoenix-like eyes shimmered with amusement as she returned a seductive smile. The gesture was so bewitching that Long Daoyu visibly shivered and mumbled, "Baihua Tower disciples really are something. That smile alone nearly paralyzed half my body."
"Shameful," Qin Tongshuang muttered coldly.
"Exactly," Yunxi added, giving him a disappointed look.
Long Daoyu chuckled sheepishly. "Just saying. I'll keep my distance, promise."
The group completed their reward exchange, stopped by Lintai Pavilion to restock supplies, and then headed back to their residence.
Yunxi shut herself in to draw talismans, not going out again. That afternoon, everyone received good news. The beast tide had officially withdrawn, Baohua City's defensive array was open, and movement was unrestricted.
Sheng Yuhong delivered the latest update. "The Divine Transformation elders from the western region and the great demon beasts of Baohua Mountain have reached an agreement to jointly manage the newly emerged secret realm.
"However, the secret realm is still unstable, and no cultivators may enter for now. Several Divine Transformation experts and demon beast leaders have sealed the area to stabilize it. Once it's ready, qualified cultivators will be allowed entry. So far, the minimum requirement is Golden Core, with no upper limit. The exact opening time is still undetermined."
The disciples from Haoran Sect whispered among themselves.
"Looks like we don't stand a chance."
"Yeah, you need to be at least Golden Core to enter. There must be serious treasures inside."
"Don't be discouraged! There's no set opening time. Maybe one of us will reach Golden Core first."
"True. Let's push ourselves."
Once the murmurs faded, Sheng Yuhong continued, "Disciples stationed at the outposts will stay to complete their assignments. Those who are injured can recover here and then return. The rest are free to make their own arrangements. Upon return, you may collect rewards for your contribution during the beast tide."
"Understood."
With that, the crowd began to disperse.
Yunxi decided to return to the sect. Her mission was complete, and she wanted to go into seclusion.
Mu Ningzhu asked her, "Junior Sister Wei, what's your plan?"
Yunxi smiled. "My task was to find you all. Since you're safe, I'm heading back to the sect.
"I gained quite a bit from this trip. I want to go into seclusion to consolidate my cultivation and improve my combat power. I can't rely on being lucky enough to always have someone save me."
"In that case, let's return together. It'll be safer that way."
"Sure."
Yunxi agreed readily.
Long Daoyu chose to stay behind, hoping to spend more time with his idol, Martial Uncle Sheng, so he didn't join them.
The next day, when the southern gate opened, Yunxi and Mu Ningzhu's group set off.
After leaving Baohua City, Mu Ningzhu flew on her sword. Qin Tongshuang used a flower-shaped flying artifact. Zhang Yan had a flying sword as well. Even though he couldn't fully ride it, he used it for transport.
Yunxi reluctantly took out her only spiritual sword and shakily rose into the air, wobbling behind the others.
Though the corners of their mouths twitched, no one laughed at her. Eventually, Mu Ningzhu flew over to guide Yunxi on the techniques of sword flight.
Yunxi gritted her teeth and kept at it. She knew that mastering sword flight was essential. No one would carry her when she needed to escape.
Fortunately, she had the wind spiritual root, which gave her natural affinity with wind. Once she learned how to stabilize her posture using wind manipulation, her flying became smoother. She even managed to speed up and keep pace with Mu Ningzhu.
After two days of travel, Yunxi had basically grasped the basics of sword flight. Since flying consumed spiritual energy, the group occasionally landed to rest and recover.
In areas unsuitable for flying, they traveled on foot.
Three days later, they reached Wanzuo Forest, a dense woodland just before Wanzuo City, which was the final stop before returning to their sect.
Flying through the forest wasn't feasible. The flying beasts inside would attack them, so they stored away their artifacts and walked.
They managed to travel about one-fifth of the forest before nightfall, then set up camp to continue at dawn.
No one slept deeply that night. They meditated to rest while Zhang Yan took the first watch.
But around midnight, the camp was suddenly disturbed by the sound of a fierce battle.