The male cultivator paused, fingers brushing the jade cup, and said in a low voice:
"Destroying the Yinxi Grass won't truly change the outcome. The root cause lies in people. So long as disciples of Yixian Gate continue to refine such things, disaster will inevitably follow."
Upon hearing this, Yun Xi began piecing things together. It seemed a disciple of Yixian Gate had used Yinxi Grass to create some kind of potion, and that concoction had brought calamity upon the sect. However, she had no idea what kind of disaster could be so severe as to wipe out an entire sect.
The sect master sighed and responded:
"Bu Daoyou, Yixian Gate has passed down its legacy for over ten thousand years. I cannot allow it to perish in my hands. But with thousands of disciples, how can I possibly find the one who brought misfortune upon us? Please offer your guidance."
The male cultivator referred to as Bu Daoyou was silent for a long time. His gaze swept past where Yun Xi stood, as if speaking to himself, or perhaps asking her directly:
"Yes... how does one find that disciple?"
Yun Xi murmured in return, shaking her head:
"That's like looking for a needle in a haystack. How do you even start? Since the sect's destruction is inevitable, then the only thing to do is reduce the losses, preserve the core of the legacy. At the very least, whoever causes the sect's downfall shouldn't be allowed to walk away unscathed.
Worst case scenario, the Ancestor at the peak of Divine Transformation is still here. If he could break through to Out-of-Body and ascend to the Spirit Realm with the entire sect, wouldn't that resolve the situation?"
Yun Xi's thoughts were simple. If the outcome couldn't be avoided, then at least preserve a spark. As long as the flame survived, it could someday reignite into a wildfire.
The male cultivator's lips curved slightly, and he rephrased Yun Xi's words, though his tone was gentler:
"Sect Master Bai, it's not that I, Bu, refuse to help. It's simply beyond my ability. What you can do now is prepare ahead of time—protect Yixian Gate's inheritance. When the time is right, someone destined will bring the sect back into the world.
Help your master ascend to the Spirit Realm as soon as possible. Once there, he can found a new Yixian Gate and ensure the legacy continues. How you choose to proceed is your decision."
With that, he cupped his hands and took his leave.
This time, Yun Xi was certain—he could see her, and he could hear everything she said.
She quickly flashed after the male cultivator and called out:
"Senior, who are you? Why can you see me and hear me? Can you take me out of here? I've been trapped in Yixian Gate for a very long time."
The male cultivator walked out of the mountain gate at a steady pace. Yun Xi tried to follow but found she couldn't break through the invisible barrier.
Without looking back, the man said:
"When the time comes, you'll leave on your own."
Then his figure turned into a streak of light and vanished.
Yun Xi stomped her foot in frustration. She hated these cryptic types the most. They said a lot without actually saying anything.
Since she couldn't leave, she continued to act as an unofficial member of Yixian Gate, focusing on alchemy. But now she also began watching the disciples closely, trying to identify the one who would bring doom to the sect.
After mastering the intermediate level of alchemy knowledge and techniques, Yun Xi finally noticed something off about one of the inner disciples—the very one who had questioned Yan Hui about why the Yinxi Grass was being destroyed.
Just as she had expected, this disciple believed the Yinxi Grass had uses beyond concealing spiritual presence. He secretly kept some and began experimenting with it, trying to create a new pill formula to explore its other effects.
Seeing this unfold, Yun Xi felt a chill in her heart. It wasn't that she thought the research itself was wrong, but overly fixated people like him often lacked perspective. He thought he was just refining a formula, without realizing the consequences his innovation might unleash.
Things continued spiraling in the worst direction. Yun Xi tried several times to alert Yan Hui to keep an eye on this disciple, but to them, she was nothing but air. No one could see or hear her, no matter how loudly she yelled.
Eventually, the disciple successfully modified the Yinxi pill. Not only could it hide a cultivator's aura, but it could also alter it. Even when using spells, the concealment wouldn't break.
Pleased with his achievement, the disciple recalled the sect's ban on Yinxi-related pills. So he slipped down the mountain to the marketplace, sold the newly developed product to a shopkeeper, and made a hefty profit in spirit stones. With those, he bought a magical artifact he'd long desired, and returned to the sect feeling triumphant.
Yun Xi couldn't follow him down the mountain, but the sight of him gleefully admiring his new spiritual weapon filled her with dread. She knew something terrible had happened, but could do nothing to stop it.
Three days later, Sect Master Bai's master successfully passed his tribulation and advanced to the Out-of-Body stage. Accompanied by cheers and blessings from Yixian Gate's disciples, he ascended to the Spirit Realm. The entire sect was immersed in joy—everyone except Yun Xi, who felt as if a storm was gathering overhead. Sect Master Bai seemed to share the same sense of unease.
Sure enough, on the third day after the old Ancestor's ascension, a group of black-robed cultivators launched a night raid on Yixian Gate. They were highly organized—some were tasked with killing the sect's members, while others were clearly searching for someone.
Yun Xi tried to warn the disciple, urging him to flee, but her hand passed right through his body. She was still powerless.
In the end, the disciple was captured. They demanded he hand over the formula for the modified Yinxi pill. Only then did he realize he had caused a disaster—but it was too late. He chose to self-detonate rather than reveal the formula.
The black-robed cultivators opted for soul-searching instead. Once they extracted what they needed, they killed him and prepared to retreat.
But in that moment, Sect Master Bai activated the sect's grand protective formation, trapping all the black-robed invaders within Yixian Gate.
Hovering in the sky, one of them barked arrogantly:
"Old fool, release the formation, or we'll slaughter every last disciple of Yixian Gate!"
Sect Master Bai replied coldly:
"You think I don't know why you're here? Do you really believe I'd let you get what you want? Since you've come, you can stay and be buried with us."
He waved his sleeve, releasing a series of hidden medicines that had been buried throughout the sect. A thick white mist instantly spread through Yixian Gate. The trapped black-robed cultivators quickly sealed their seven apertures, intending to kill Sect Master Bai and break free.
But in the very next breath, green smoke rose from their bodies. Their flesh began to dissolve as if eaten by acid. The strongest among them, a Nascent Soul cultivator, howled in panic:
"You're insane! You'd really die with us?!"
Sect Master Bai's face was cold and resolute.
"As the sect master of Yixian Gate, how could I ever yield to evil cultivators? I've long known this day would come, and I've prepared a gift just for you.
Did you forget? Medicine and poison have always gone hand-in-hand. Yixian Gate not only has the finest healing cultivators—it also has the most elite poison cultivators. Since you dared to come, be prepared to die."
As his final words fell, Sect Master Bai abandoned his physical body. His Nascent Soul embraced a ball of exotic fire and dove into the enemy ranks, detonating it and perishing with them.
The moment they saw their sect master fall, Yixian Gate's disciples were overcome with grief. They surged toward the black-robed invaders, sacrificing themselves in one final attack. Each one shouted through the smoke:
"Yixian Gate's legacy will never die!"
"Yixian Gate's legacy will never die!"
"Yixian Gate's legacy will never die!"