A young cultivator stepped forward after hearing Yun Xi's words.
"Daoyou, let us leave Xiafei Valley at once and spread the word that the offer to buy Tier 3 Flying Mist Butterfly eggs was a trap. We can't let more cultivators fall for it."
The others nodded in agreement.
Yun Xi clearly wasn't planning to leave until she had ground that Golden Core evil cultivator into the dust. She said,
"You can take the corpses of those four evil cultivators with you. It'll make your story more convincing and serve as hard evidence.
Based on my guess, the cultivators in the town outside the valley who spread the message about purchasing the eggs are very likely connected to the evil cultivators.
If you can capture them before they notice anything's wrong, you might be able to dig up more information about this operation."
Then Yun Xi shared another lead: someone in the town was selling jade slips that had been marked by evil cultivators—specifically to low-level Qi Refining cultivators.
Upon hearing this, Xia You's eyes widened in shock. She was clearly one of the unfortunate ones who had bought the valley map with spirit stones. Her case was even worse—she hadn't been captured by a evil cultivator directly, but betrayed by a teammate.
"Which one of you is Xia You Daoyou?" Yun Xi asked, raising her voice.
Wearing a blue robe, Xia You stepped forward almost reflexively. "I am."
Yun Xi gave her a quick glance and immediately understood why her teammates had sold her out. She wasn't just beautiful, her cultivation had already reached mid-stage Foundation Establishment, and she looked no older than thirty. Clearly a female cultivator with great potential.
To verify the intel she had gotten from Pan Yuan, Yun Xi asked, "Is Pan Yuan your friend?"
At the mention of that name, Xia You's face twisted. She gritted her teeth and said, "She doesn't deserve to be called my friend. Once I get out of here, I'll make sure to settle the score myself."
"They sold you out?" Yun Xi asked.
"Yes. They traded me to the evil cultivators in exchange for their own survival."
There was no need for her to say more. The others who had been captured could already guess what had happened.
"The three of them tricked me into joining their team. But because they had interacted with evil cultivators before, my spirit pet sensed something was wrong. They even tried to control me with a Sealing Spirit Pill, but I dealt with them before they could act."
Xia You's voice steadied. She cupped her fists respectfully. "Thank you, Daoyou, for avenging me. It's not convenient right now, but once we're out of here, I will make sure to repay you properly."
Yun Xi waved it off with a smile.
"It's fine. I was just hoping to make some new friends. As long as you can prove I didn't kill the wrong people, that's enough."
While speaking with the others, Yun Xi had already restored most of her spiritual energy. Not wanting to waste any more time, she grasped the Seven Stars Soul-Shattering Staff, her figure flickered, and she entered the array. Dian Dian stayed outside to keep watch.
The young cultivators watched her step into the formation to battle a late-stage Golden Core evil cultivator. They all wanted to help, but none of them even had a proper weapon.
In the end, they stuck to the original plan: make a big public fuss about the evil cultivators hiding in Xiafei Valley.
Three cultivators with late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation met quickly to finalize a simple plan. Each would lead a group and take action immediately.
First, they retrieved their confiscated storage bags and weapons. Then they divided up the evil cultivators' treasures. After packing the corpses into storage bags, they split into three groups and departed from the evil cultivators' lair.
One group, carrying the bodies, made a beeline for the town to contact the Golden Core cultivators stationed there. Those with sect affiliations reached out to their sects, those from families notified their clans, and the Loose Cultivators messaged the Loose Cultivator Alliance. The goal was to spread word of what had happened in Xiafei Valley.
The second group was made up of mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators. Their task was to stop the more suspicious cultivators in the valley from escaping and alerting others before the news got out.
Meanwhile, Yu Qingcheng, Liu Haotian, and Xia You remained outside the formation, ready to assist Yun Xi at any moment.
Yu Qingcheng and Liu Haotian had both used secret techniques from Baihua Tower earlier and were still recovering, so it was best for them to rest. As for Xia You, she stayed simply out of gratitude. Now that she had her storage bag and gear back, she felt secure enough to support Yun Xi.
Inside the formation, Yun Xi watched the late-stage Golden Core evil cultivator being struck repeatedly by bolts of purple lightning. He looked disheveled, and each bolt weakened the oppressive aura around him. Yun Xi didn't rush in. She remained hidden, using the array to observe.
It became clear to her that lightning-based spells were especially effective against evil cultivators. Despite his cultivation, the evil cultivator was forced to dodge around the array, constantly evading the strikes.
His movements were clumsy by comparison, and every time the lightning struck, the gray aura around him would fade slightly, and he'd pause for just a moment.
Yun Xi suspected his cultivation wasn't entirely earned through hard work. More likely, he had reached late-stage Golden Core by dual cultivating and draining his furnace partners of their spiritual power.
She had already noticed something similar when she killed Xue Ao. The evil cultivators' foundations were shaky. If they faced Dao cultivators or Demon cultivators of the same level, they'd be overwhelmed.
After about fifteen minutes, Yun Xi charged into the lightning array with ghostlike steps. The Seven Stars Soul-Shattering Staff jabbed forward, aiming straight for the evil cultivator's back.
The evil cultivator sensed danger and barely dodged in time. But his evasive move caused him to take three direct lightning hits instead.
"Agh! I'm going to kill you!"
Furious, the evil cultivator flung out his curved blade, dark aura swelling dramatically as his pressure grew.
Yun Xi knew he had been playing it safe before, looking for weaknesses in the formation. Now that she had appeared as the formation's controller, he was focused on capturing her and breaking out.
"Too bad. I want you dead even more," Yun Xi shot back, swinging the staff and charging in without hesitation.
They clashed in the heart of the lightning formation. With her thunder spiritual root, the movement boost from Thousand Shadows Riding the Wind, and control of the formation plate, Yun Xi moved unhindered. The lightning avoided her entirely.
These three advantages let her hold her own despite the difference in cultivation. The evil cultivator's attacks became increasingly restrained as a result.
For once, she could fight without holding back. Yun Xi wielded the staff with fierce intensity, using it like a sword. Their fight was fierce and evenly matched.
The evil cultivator's attitude changed from arrogance to frustration. He started fighting more viciously, even taking lightning hits if it meant landing a blow. One slash from his curved blade cut into Yun Xi's arm.
She felt a surge of evilic energy rush into her meridians. Without hesitation, she used her divine sense to summon her thunder spiritual power and chased the corruption down like wildfire.
Thinking he had gained the upper hand, the evil cultivator grinned wickedly and lunged at her throat with his curved blade again.
Yun Xi narrowed her eyes and evaded with a swift step, dodging the fatal blow. As she leapt back, she summoned thousands of Mystic Frost Needles, which formed instantly in the air.
In the next moment, she unleashed her Nascent Soul–level divine sense to suppress him, then swept her arm. The ice needles surged forward, piercing his body in a flurry of cold light.
"This can't... be..."
The needles not only pierced him but froze him solid. Then a final bolt of lightning from the array struck him, reducing his body to shards.
Yun Xi hadn't even caught her breath when Dian Dian's voice echoed urgently in her sea of consciousness.
"Master! Get out now! The whole cave is about to collapse!"