Mu Ningzhu waved her hand and released a signal flare belonging to Haoran Sect. A burst of fireworks edged with purple exploded in the sky.
Zhou Langchen followed suit, firing his own distress signal. A sharp sword image appeared above the skies of Shuangshan City.
All the surviving cultivators released their own distress flares, and some even sent out communication talismans.
By the time City Lord Li tried to stop them, it was already too late.
Although the tribulation clouds had dispersed, no spiritual rain followed. This meant that Dian Dian's tribulation had not yet concluded.
Within Yun Xi's sea of consciousness, only Dian Dian's faint whimpering could be heard. The sound was growing weaker, and Yun Xi's heart tightened with worry. She called out through the soul contract imprint:
"Dian Dian, the tribulation lightning has already passed. You need to wake up. Don't let yourself get struck for nothing. You broke the evil formation and saved so many cultivators. There must be merit waiting for you. They'll definitely thank you with all sorts of nice things. If you don't wake up, then all those goodies will go straight to me instead."
Yun Xi kept painting a grand picture, coaxing and bluffing in hopes of rousing Dian Dian first before worrying about anything else.
Dian Dian's consciousness was hazy, and it just wanted to sleep forever. But a voice kept nagging beside its ears, not only talking nonstop but also poking at its pride. Eventually, it mumbled in irritation:
"Stop shouting. Let me sleep a little longer."
Hearing that response, Yun Xi finally let out a breath of relief. At least Dian Dian was still conscious. She immediately threatened:
"Dian Dian, getting bold now, huh? Growing wings and daring to defy me?"
Dian Dian shuddered. It recognized its master's voice, and its soul quickly returned to its body. It stirred its tail that had been broken by the tribulation lightning—and in the very next moment, spiritual rain began to fall from the sky.
Seeing the rain descend, Yun Xi's anxious heart finally settled. Qin Tongshuang, standing nearby, finally spoke:
"Dian Dian made it through."
"Yeah. If it really got destroyed by that lightning, I would've regretted letting it undergo its tribulation in such conditions."
That was Yun Xi's true thought. In her heart, all things had spirits, and especially a spirit beast like Dian Dian who had already recognized her as master. She had long considered it a companion—and a very useful one at that.
When the spiritual rain fell on its body, Dian Dian knew it had survived the terrifying lightning tribulation. It immediately began absorbing the heavenly blessing, healing the myriad injuries across its body.
As the spiritual rain mended Dian Dian's wounds, the charred fur on its body all fell off. In its place grew a new coat of soft white fur. Its tail, split into three by the lightning, regenerated in full. Even its internal bones became denser, radiating a gentle white glow.
A final golden light sank into the center of Dian Dian's brow. Its body trembled. A vast flood of information poured into its mind—it had awakened its bloodline inheritance and was about to fall into a deep sleep.
But before losing consciousness, Dian Dian still managed to notify Yun Xi:
"Master, Dian Dian successfully endured the tribulation and activated its bloodline inheritance. I'll be asleep for a while, don't worry."
Yun Xi's eyes lit up. That was excellent news. She immediately replied:
"Just focus on receiving the inheritance and stabilizing your cultivation. I'll handle the rest."
Of course, Dian Dian didn't need her reminder. It understood the importance of a bloodline awakening. As soon as it received her permission, it slipped into sleep.
Yun Xi had been guarding nearby all along. Once she confirmed Dian Dian had fallen asleep, she wasted no time in scooping it off the ground and cradling it in her arms.
Only then did Mu Ningzhu, who had remained by Yun Xi's side this whole time, finally exhale in relief. She still spoke softly though:
"Let's regroup with the other cultivators. City Lord Li took his son back to the City Lord's estate. Who knows what he'll do next—we'd best stay cautious."
Yun Xi nodded. She'd seen the sky light up with all those distress flares. It was clear things weren't going to end quietly.
But after a moment of thought, Yun Xi said:
"Senior Sister Mu, I think we'd better not get involved in what comes next. Let's report what we know and leave as soon as we can. Getting tangled up with evil cultivators is never a good thing."
Mu Ningzhu understood what Yun Xi meant. Escaping that evil formation had been thanks to her junior sister's spirit beast. They had already drawn enough attention. If Li Cangyuan had someone powerful behind him, and their plans had now been ruined, they would no doubt start targeting Yun Xi.
She nodded immediately.
"I understand. Once the Haoran Sect Jīndān Zhēnrén arrives, we'll make our exit."
"Alright."
As the two of them joined the gathering cultivators, several came over to thank Yun Xi. Mu Ningzhu handled the conversations while Yun Xi simply waved modestly, saying it was all a coincidence—her spirit beast just happened to be breaking through at that moment.
Zhou Langchen, Zuo Die'er, and Ming Ya also came over to thank her. They had all been transported away together earlier, so there was a bit more familiarity and small talk between them.
With a smile stiffening on her face, Yun Xi accepted Zi Jing's thanks. They exchanged communication talismans before Zi Jing invited Yun Xi to visit Hehuan Sect.
"Yun Xi, you're still young and haven't yet come to understand the joys of dual cultivation. Whether it's with men or women, the joining of body and spirit can bring great harmony and insight. It's not just desire—it's part of the natural rhythm of the Dao. Once you reach the Golden Core stage, I'll introduce you to a few junior disciples. Some have good looks, some have strong hearts, and all of them have decent talent. With the right partner, your path forward will become much smoother."
Yun Xi's mouth twitched. Were female cultivators in the cultivation world all this blunt? Even a ten-year-old child like her wasn't spared.
Mu Ningzhu's face darkened. But since her cultivation was lower, she could only smile through clenched teeth and say:
"Zi Jing Daoyou, thank you for your kind offer. Junior Sister Wei appreciates the thought."
Zi Jing gave a flirtatious smile, swaying her way off.
Only after they were gone did Mu Ningzhu turn to Yun Xi and say:
"Junior Sister Wei, just take what Zi Jing said with a grain of salt. Don't take it to heart. There are many paths on the Dao. I won't say her way is wrong, but your Dao heart hasn't yet solidified. It's best not to be swayed too easily.
Hehuan Palace cultivators are devoted to dual cultivation. Their disciples are deeply intertwined with members of other major sects and noble families. Because of these ties, even though their martial strength is lacking, they've remained one of the major sects."
Yun Xi understood immediately. It was all about leveraging pillow ties to build influence and find powerful backers. If one wasn't reliable, get a few more. When disaster struck, those disciples wouldn't stand by and watch their own sect fall.
Just then, a sword light streaked across the sky and landed at the gates of the City Lord's estate. Zhou Langchen immediately stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
"Martial Uncle, you've arrived."
The newcomer wore a white robe with a single jade pendant at his waist. His sword-like brows and starry eyes gave him a refined, upright air. After returning the bow, he swept his divine sense over the area and frowned.
"Langchen, why are you in such a sorry state? What happened that made you send a distress signal?"
Zhou Langchen gave a concise account of the situation and then sent a sound transmission detailing his suspicions to his Martial Uncle.
Master Jun's brows shot up. He gave a cold snort.
"Daring to collude with evil cultivators—how utterly foolish!"
Then he issued orders:
"Langchen, compile a list of all disciples lost to the evil formation. I will personally demand an explanation from City Lord Li."
"Yes, Martial Uncle."
With a Yuányīng Zhēnjūn now present, the cultivators on scene felt much more at ease—even if this Zhēnjūn wasn't from their own sect or clan.
The second wave of arrivals included Haoran Sect's Zhēnrén. Among them was Sheng Yuhong.