Ran Yi immediately answered respectfully and went off to make travel preparations. In a flash, Ye Yirui disappeared from sight.
Half an hour later, Ye Yirui quietly left Medicine King Valley with Ran Yi and a tall male cultivator in tow, leaving only Gancao behind to watch over the medicine hut.
Gancao scrunched up his small face and muttered in despair, "Young Valley Master, how could you leave me behind like this? If the elders find out you left without a word, I'm done for!"
He rubbed the jade slip Ye Yirui had left him and felt increasingly certain that his days of peace were over. Resolving himself, he activated the hut's protective wards and pretended that the Young Valley Master was inside refining pills, hoping to muddle through somehow.
At the same time, Yun Xi—now inside the Yixian Gate—was unaware that the Young Valley Master of Medicine King Valley was already en route, intent on competing for the Yixian Gate's inheritance.
Yun Xi felt as if she had stepped into an alternate dimension. The moment Zi Yan brought her into the Yixian Gate, an irresistible force pulled her through a rift, depositing her in this unfamiliar space.
She looked around at the passing white-robed cultivators and the familiar sect gates. It didn't feel like the newly-emerged Yixian Gate at all. Rather, it seemed like the sect before it had sunk into the earth.
Yun Xi stood still for a moment, trying to communicate with the space itself. Yet there was no response. Her brows furrowed. She then reached out through their soul contract to connect with Dian Dian. The response she received was faint but reassuring—Dian Dian had also entered the Yixian Gate with her, though they weren't currently together.
Not knowing what was happening, Yun Xi tried to approach one of the cultivators to ask questions. But to them, she was like thin air. They couldn't see or feel her, even as she passed through their bodies like a drifting soul.
So she wandered the Yixian Gate aimlessly.
She had no idea how much time passed—it could've been a month, or a year. She roamed every corner of the sect, except for the secluded cultivation grounds of an old Divine Transformation stage elder. Everything else, she had seen.
As an invisible observer, she noticed that the cultivators of the Yixian Gate were calm and focused, their minds occupied only with refining pills, healing, and developing new medicinal formulas. All other pursuits seemed irrelevant to them.
Yun Xi made multiple attempts to leave, but nothing worked. Even when she extended her divine sense to its very limits, the boundaries of this space remained unbreakable. In the end, she gave up.
Still, Yun Xi wasn't the type to idle about. Since she couldn't leave, she decided to make use of the time and learn.
She began following the outer sect disciples, learning how to identify, select, and process medicinal herbs. The techniques bore similarities to her own pill-refining methods, so she picked them up quickly.
She even got a glimpse of the sect's enormous plantation. Some of the spirit plants grown here had already gone extinct in the Weiyu Realm. Even rare spirit trees like the Shouyuan Fruit Tree were casually planted along the edges rather than at the core.
Every time Yun Xi accompanied disciples to gather herbs, her mouth watered at the sight of so many high-grade plants. She could see them, but couldn't touch them, which made her itch with frustration.
Although she didn't personally refine any medicine, Yun Xi managed to learn the basics just by observing the disciples. Feeling confident, she began tailing inner sect disciples to their alchemy rooms, seeking to master intermediate-level techniques.
One day, while she was immersed in her studies, a disciple suddenly burst into the alchemy chamber and struck a copper bell. The clear chime brought all refining activity to a halt. Every disciple turned to look at him.
"The Sect Master has issued an order: All medicinal products involving Yinxi Grass must be destroyed!"
Everyone froze in confusion. No one understood why such a command had been given.
Yinxi Grass was one of the most common herbs in their plantation. It was mainly used to create concealment talismans and potions that could temporarily mask a cultivator's presence. The effect vanished the moment spiritual power was used to attack, so it wasn't particularly valuable.
One bold disciple asked, "Senior Brother Yan, why such an order?"
The cultivator known as Senior Brother Yan replied grimly, "This is a direct order from the Sect Master. Just do it. Don't make me repeat myself."
His tone brooked no argument. The questioning disciple could only nod and back down.
The others followed suit. Although they destroyed all the Yinxi Grass as instructed, many kept the finished potions for themselves instead of discarding them completely.
Senior Brother Yan was aware of their little tricks but chose not to pursue it. As long as appearances were kept, he let it slide. He went to the plantation and personally ensured that all Yinxi Grass, including seeds, were destroyed.
The disciples in charge of the plantation looked devastated, their faces wrinkled like chrysanthemums. Yinxi Grass over 300 years old was rare and precious. Watching it be destroyed was heartbreaking, but they had no choice.
Afterward, Yan Hui traveled to other mountain peaks, delivering the same order.
Yun Xi, who followed him the whole way, sensed something unusual. From her experience, the more something was banned, the more people clung to it. And the more they claimed to uphold righteous intentions, the more likely they were to preserve what was forbidden.
When Yan Hui went to report back to the Sect Master, Yun Xi followed closely. She wanted to know the true reason behind this strange decree.
Inside a side hall, Yan Hui didn't just find the Sect Master—there was another white-robed cultivator present. No matter how Yun Xi tried, she couldn't make out his face. She could only tell from his build that he was male.
What surprised her was that the man's gaze swept past her, just briefly, but she was sure—he had seen her.
Curiosity piqued, Yun Xi stood quietly behind a pillar, waiting to eavesdrop.
Yan Hui bowed and reported, "Master, per your instructions, all Yinxi Grass in the plantation has been destroyed. Any unsold potions were also disposed of. As for the ones I made myself, I couldn't exactly force the issue."
The Sect Master, his white hair flowing and aura full of Ethereal Grace, waved a hand. "I understand. Keep a close watch on the disciples. Make sure they don't go stirring up trouble."
"Yes, Sect Master!"
Yan Hui bowed again and left.
Once he was gone, the Sect Master finally turned to the mysterious man. "Bu Daoyou, will this be enough to prevent our sect's destruction?"
Yun Xi still couldn't see the man's face, but she heard the feigned depth in his voice as he replied, "This is fate. Nothing you do can change the outcome."
The Sect Master seemed to age in that very moment. His voice dropped, "So there's truly no way?"
The man didn't answer. He merely rubbed the jade cup in his hand, as if weighing his next words.
Yun Xi muttered under her breath, "Tsk. Are you here to help or to bury them? Everything they're doing now is just accelerating the sect's downfall."