Hidden behind the trees, Liu Haotian finally let out a quiet sigh of relief. Fortunately, Wei Yunxi's performance had been convincing enough to trap all the targets within the formation. That made the next step much easier.
Of the five enemies, only one had reached the Golden Core stage. Their group had acted with extreme caution throughout, afraid that any early slip would alert the other side and waste all their prior efforts.
Backtracking a bit—after the three had split up to scout the area, each took a different route around the boundary region, which marked the division between the cultivation realm and the mortal world. Few cultivators passed through this place, making it difficult to gather information.
They hadn't found any leads and had just regrouped when the Flying Mist Butterfly suddenly sent them a message: a group of cultivators had appeared nearby.
Yu Qingcheng immediately voiced her concern.
"Senior Brother Liu, could these people be the ones meeting with the evil cultivators?"
Liu Haotian frowned.
"Hard to say."
Xia You offered a quiet suggestion.
"Why don't we let the Flying Mist Butterfly tail them? We can move ahead and set up an ambush. Once it's confirmed they're meeting the evil cultivators, we can coordinate with Wei Zhēnrén and trap them."
Yu Qingcheng quickly agreed.
"Xiao You's right. Trap them first, don't kill. We still need clues from them. If we can track down the evil cultivators' base, that would be a major accomplishment."
Liu Haotian understood very well. The group had five people. Even if the three of them fought together, they'd stand no chance. If they added Wei Yunxi, they might barely hold out, but if the evil cultivators had any backup, things could spiral out of control. Trapping them was the safest approach.
In the end, the three moved ahead to lay down Yun Xi's fourth-rank formation disk in the forest. Afterward, they hid at a distance, waiting for Yun Xi's signal to activate the formation. Thanks to the distraction Yun Xi created while clashing with the evil cultivator, the others' attention was drawn away, giving Liu Haotian the chance to activate the array successfully.
Now, back in the present, Liu Haotian adjusted the array to allow Yun Xi to exit. She also brought the nineteen unconscious mortals with her. The courtesans remained unconscious.
Once she was out, Liu Haotian handed control of the formation disk back to Yun Xi before asking,
"Wei Zhēnrén, how's the situation inside? We didn't dare follow too closely for fear of being discovered."
"I've confirmed that these five cultivators are colluding with the evil cultivators," Yun Xi replied calmly. "The evil cultivators have been scouting the mortal realm for people with special physiques and sending them to the Yin Yang Sect for cultivation. They're being raised specifically as furnaces. This matches our earlier assumptions."
Xia You sucked in a breath.
"Then what if the Yin Yang Sect is actually the evil cultivators' stronghold, operating under a righteous guise? That's a sect. Not something we can easily challenge."
Yun Xi lifted her hands in resignation.
"So far, I've only confirmed that these five's master is definitely connected to the evil cultivators. Whether others in the Yin Yang Sect are involved needs further investigation. But this is beyond our ability to handle. It's better to report it to the sect."
She paused, then added, "Luckily, I activated a memory jade. Their entire conversation was recorded. What we need to do now is capture them alive. Once we have both the people and the evidence, our sect can handle the interrogation. They'll know better how to pry information from them."
"You're right. Let's deal with what's in front of us first."
Just as Liu Haotian finished speaking, the formation trembled. Movement stirred within—the five inside were starting to act. They were clearly trying to break out.
Yun Xi narrowed her eyes and let out a cold snort. Her divine sense surged as she manipulated the array. On top of the confinement formation, she activated the killing formation. Immediately, the six within switched from breaking the barrier to defending themselves against a barrage of assaults.
All four had their attention locked on the array when, without warning, an attack silently struck from behind.
Yun Xi sensed it just in time. Thousand Shadows Riding the Wind activated, sending her flying backward from the impact and directly into the array. She didn't have time to warn Liu Haotian and the others.
As she entered the formation, she caught sight of their attacker—it was none other than Li City's former lord, the same one who had fled earlier.
"Pff—"
Yun Xi spat out a mouthful of blood as she landed inside the array, cursing silently.
"Damn it. That pest just won't go away."
It seemed City Lord Li had stayed hidden near the border after fleeing, likely trying to see which Divine Transformation expert had descended into the mortal realm. Instead, he discovered the four of them.
"I don't know how much that City Lord Li overheard. If he's aware of all our plans, then this won't end cleanly."
Muttering to herself, Yun Xi quickly swallowed a healing pill and forced herself up from the ground.
"Hahaha! You've come in as well? Then leave your life behind!" the leading male from the Yin Yang Sect snarled viciously.
Yun Xi glanced over. The man was also in the early Golden Core stage, the same level as her. He was acting arrogant only because she hadn't revealed her true cultivation.
She wiped the blood from her lips, then activated her artifact hairpin to release her spiritual suppression. Her aura returned to its original early Golden Core level. With a calm step forward, she summoned the Seven Stars Soul-Shattering Staff into her hand and replied coldly.
"Then let's see whose life gets left behind."
Their weapons clashed the next instant. Blades met with a heavy collision, and both were forced back several steps. But Yun Xi's strength clearly outmatched the man's, and he stumbled back two steps farther than she did.
Once steady, Yun Xi's voice turned colder.
"You chose to become a lackey of evil cultivators rather than remain a proper disciple of the righteous path. What exactly do you expect your end to be?"
The man's face twisted with rage, his voice hoarse.
"Hmph. You've no right to judge me. You genius cultivators will never understand the struggles of those of us at the bottom. Just for a sliver of cultivation resources, we have to fight tooth and nail!
I'm over two hundred years old and only just stepped into the Golden Core stage. Look at you, a fifteen-year-old prodigy. You're handed everything on a silver platter!"
Yun Xi raised her staff horizontally in front of her, her voice flat and firm.
"If that's your logic, then every lower-ranked cultivator in the realm should join the evil path, because only then could they cultivate. That's nothing but self-justification.
Talent is granted by the heavens. There are differences, yes. But if you possess a spiritual root, you're already ahead of many. Cultivation is about going against fate while aligning with the laws of the heavens to change your own destiny.
In Weiyu Realm's ten-thousand-year history, countless cultivators have ascended to the spirit realm. Not all of them were extraordinary geniuses. Many were of average aptitude. Why don't you learn from them?
Before the Nascent Soul stage, talent may matter most. But beyond that, it's about comprehension. It's about grasping the laws of heaven and earth. Your Dao heart is already crooked. Even if you train for a thousand years, you'll never ascend.
And you know that. That's why you took shortcuts. But you are destined to fail!"
"Shut up!"
The man snapped, losing all composure. A fierce sword light slashed toward Yun Xi's face.
She sensed the chaotic fluctuation in his aura. Calmly, she blocked the strike with her staff, then covertly launched a Mystic Frost Needle aimed straight at his dantian.
Elsewhere, Liu Haotian, Yu Qingcheng, and Xia You had been struck by City Lord Li's ambush. Blasted through the air, they didn't fall into the formation but instead crashed through a stretch of forest, only stopping after smashing several trees.
Liu Haotian stared at the figure in front of them, then said with certainty,
"You're City Lord Li."
City Lord Li's eyes flickered. He had already made up his mind to kill. He couldn't afford for his whereabouts to be exposed. He raised his hand to strike again.
None of the three intended to go down easily. Each summoned their trump cards to shield themselves.
A powerful voice suddenly rang out.
"Hmph. Li Chang, you dare lay a hand on my disciple!"