When Zi Yan withdrew from the cauldron, she instinctively intensified the flames, instantly charring the entire batch of pills.
Yun Xi pressed her fingers to her temple.
"Zi Yan, control your strength."
Zi Yan gave a slight tremble in response, indicating its understood.
Yun Xi moved on to refining her third batch. This time, she kept her divine sense locked on Zi Yan throughout the process, carefully regulating the flame's intensity. At the final stage, when the pills were about to form, she even used her divine sense to envelop Zi Yan and pull its away from beneath the Ziyu Panlong Cauldron.
Moments later, a rich medicinal fragrance wafted from the furnace. Only then did Yun Xi wave her sleeve and lift the lid. Inside lay ten pills, all neatly formed. Four were of the highest quality, the rest high-grade, with not a single mid-grade among them.
As Yun Xi collected the pills, she couldn't help but sigh.
"No wonder they say a mystic treasure enhances pill refinement."
Zi Yan chimed in, eager for credit.
"That's also because I did a great job. I burned off all the impurities while refining the spirit herbs. Without me, you wouldn't have gotten high-grade pills."
"True. Your contribution is undeniable."
The quality of a pill is largely determined by its level of impurities. Top-grade pills are nearly free of them, which means cultivators can take them without accumulating pill toxins in their bodies.
High-grade pills still carry trace amounts of impurities, but these can be expelled through cultivation. Mid-grade and low-grade pills, however, contain much more, and frequent use leads to buildup. Over time, that pill poison clogs meridians and obstructs further cultivation.
Unless absolutely necessary or strapped for spirit stones, cultivators rarely buy lower-grade pills. As someone who had formally studied alchemy, Yun Xi only consumed top-grade pills. And since she practiced both physical and spiritual cultivation, she avoided pills when possible, focusing instead on refining her body through sheer will and effort.
Thanks to the successful upgrade of the Ziyu Panlong Cauldron, Yun Xi had gone from testing its functions to refining batch after batch without pause. She had nearly exhausted her entire store of spiritual herbs. Just as she was about to reach for the high-grade herbs her master had gifted her, a transmission talisman arrived, interrupting her.
It was from Wei Chenyin. From the sound of her voice, the matter was urgent. She was waiting at the foot of Lingxue Peak.
Yun Xi calculated with a glance — she had been refining pills for a whole month. Dian Dian and Fei Xia hadn't disturbed her at all, each cultivating quietly on Lingxue Peak. She'd lost track of time, fully immersed in that timeless state unique to cultivation.
With a sweep of her sleeve, Yun Xi put away the strange flame and the cauldron. She gathered the pills and cleansed herself with a Dust-Cleansing Technique before heading off to meet Wei Chenyin.
Wei Chenyin still wore the elder's robe from their last meeting. Without any small talk, she got straight to the point.
"Yun Xi, I received a message from Ling Kai. He's in trouble. He's currently in the Xiao family's estate in Xiaohe City. We may need to go retrieve him."
"You mean my uncle?"
"Yes."
Yun Xi's brows drew together.
"After joining the sect, Uncle visited us outer sect disciples once. That was eight years ago. Soon after, he left the sect to gain experience and never returned — not even for the sect's grand tournament. Why would he be stuck in Xiaohe City? And what's his connection to the Xiao family?"
Wei Chenyin frowned as well.
"I don't know the exact trouble Ling Kai is in. He sent a message through someone else, who brought his family's jade pendant. It bears his aura, and since you have a matching one, you'll know it's real. That's why I came to consult you. Should we go to Xiaohe City?"
As she spoke, she handed over Wei Lingkai's jade pendant. Yun Xi traced its surface, her expression tightening.
"For him to send out something this important... he must be under some kind of control. He probably couldn't even send a message talisman and had no choice but to seek help this way."
Wei Chenyin nodded.
"That's what I think too. At the very least, we should find out what's going on."
"I'll go with you to Xiaohe City, Senior Sister. But we can't go alone. I'll gather a few companions. If Uncle really is being held, we'll need strength in numbers to rescue him."
"Alright. I'll head back to Law Peak to prepare. Contact your companions. We leave at dawn."
"Got it."
Once they made their arrangements, Wei Chenyin didn't even enter Lingxue Peak. She turned and left in haste.
Dian Dian poked his little head out from Yun Xi's robe and whispered telepathically.
"Master, didn't you say this Ancestor Chenyin rarely concerns herself with the Wei family disciples in the sect? She doesn't seem that detached now."
"Maybe she's just stubborn on the surface but soft-hearted underneath. She might watch over them from the shadows and only step in when necessary. Otherwise, Uncle wouldn't have sent her a distress message as his first choice."
Yun Xi raised her hand and sent out three transmission talismans, then turned back to Lingxue Peak.
Since she was leaving soon, preparations were in order. She also needed to leave behind two Flying Mist Butterflies to keep an eye on Wei Yunqing. A plan to deal with Wei Yunqing was already forming in her mind, though the timing wasn't right yet.
To pull it off, she needed to know his every move. That was why she had to return to the peak.
After settling matters on Lingxue Peak, Yun Xi asked Fei Xia to select two of the cleverest juniors to follow her. She then went to the mission hall to turn in her completed pills and talismans, fulfilling her sect obligations.
Afterward, she made a stop at Dan Peak. From Wei Zonghao, she purchased a new batch of spirit herbs and left her mid-grade pills with him for resale.
Wei Zonghao's status had changed. As the personal disciple of the peak lord, he was treated with great respect by all the disciples on Dan Peak. Using this advantage, he helped Yun Xi acquire a batch of herbs that were top-quality in both appearance and age.
After she paid with spirit stones and stored the herbs in her spatial bracelet, Yun Xi mentioned her upcoming departure.
"You've only just come back. Why are you heading out again? Where are you going this time?"
"Not for training. I'm going to find my uncle. He's run into some trouble."
"Uncle? He's been out training all this time. What happened?"
Yun Xi gave him a brief rundown of Wei Lingkai's distress message and explained she'd be traveling with Chenyin Zhēnzūn. That finally put an end to Wei Zonghao's thoughts of tagging along.
It wasn't that Yun Xi didn't want to bring him. He had only just started studying under his master a month ago and was still in the critical learning phase. Leaving now would be disruptive.
Besides, his cultivation level was only at Foundation Establishment. Everyone else she'd invited was at the Golden Core stage. Bringing him along would make things awkward for him, so she persuaded him to stay behind and wait for news.
As Yun Xi prepared to leave Dan Peak, Wei Zonghao reminded her:
"Yun Xi, I'll wait for your news at the sect. Once you find Uncle, make sure to send word. If you need help, I can always ask my master."
"Don't worry. With Chenyin Zhēnzūn leading the team, I'll be careful."
"I'm leaving the Flying Mist Butterflies with you. Just place them on Dan Peak. And keep your guard up around Wei Yunqing. You're now the personal disciple of Yu Huo Zhēnjūn, while he's still just a registered disciple. With how petty she is, she's bound to resent you for it."
===
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