Ye Yirui frowned slightly and said, "It's not too late. As long as we can get in, that's all that matters."
As soon as she finished speaking, she turned into a stream of light and darted into the underground palace. Aunty Ran followed closely behind.
The male cultivator who had arrived with them shifted his stance, ready to follow—only to be stopped.
A clear and elegant voice rang in his ears: "Daoyou from afar, come have a cup of spirit wine with me. That place is meant for the younger generation to temper themselves. No Divine Transformation cultivator can enter that underground palace."
The male cultivator halted. He raised his hand and flicked a light orb toward the underground palace. The orb shot forward but dissipated before it could catch up to Ye Yirui.
He stood silently, watching Ye Yirui disappear into the depths of the underground palace. Only then did he turn and ascend to the clouds, where several Divine Transformation cultivators had already gathered.
A man greeted him with a genial smile. "I am Hao Hui of the Haoran Sect. You must be a Daoyou from Medicine King Valley of the Central Region, yes?"
The man answered in a calm tone, "I am Zhao He, a loose cultivator from the Central Region, and the protector of the Medicine King Valley's young valley master."
Hao Hui smiled slightly and gestured invitingly. "So it's Zhao Daoyou. Please, take a seat."
Zhao He accepted the invitation without fuss and sat across from Hao Hui, his gaze falling on the underground Yixian Gate.
Hao Hui smiled again and pushed over a cup of spirit wine. "Try a sip. I brewed this myself."
Zhao He politely accepted the cup and only wet his lips with it. He didn't drink, focusing his attention entirely on the underground palace.
Hao Hui didn't take offense. He sipped his own wine, mentally estimating what his Haoran Sect disciples might gain this time. Including Yu Feng, five of their disciples had entered three days early. As long as their luck wasn't terrible and they avoided major competition, their harvest should be respectable.
At that moment, Yu Feng Zhēnjūn had already broken into a storage room of the Yixian Gate. After entering the underground palace, he'd moved freely until reaching this point.
A barrier had been set outside the storage room. Since Yu Feng had no idea when other cultivators would arrive, he decisively chose to force it open. As long as the room wasn't completely empty, this trip would not be in vain.
He had spent the last three days slowly grinding away at the restriction. Through relentless effort, he finally broke it.
Upon pushing open the door, he found a modest stockpile of spirit stones and several rare, prepared medicinal ingredients—most over five hundred years old and clearly valuable.
Though Yu Feng didn't know much about herbs, Yu Huo Zhēnjūn did. So Yu Feng waved his sleeve and swept everything into his storage ring. Before leaving, he deliberately left the door wide open as a signal that this room had already been plundered.
Elsewhere, Cao Yi had wound his way to the core of the Yixian Gate's protective array. Upon seeing the nine formation pillars at the center, he couldn't bring himself to move.
This formation had safeguarded the Yixian Gate for a thousand years and was still functioning. Its strength was undeniable.
He sat cross-legged and began meticulously studying each pillar, transferring their array patterns into a jade slip for detailed research once he left.
Meanwhile, Lin Keyang had discovered multiple cultivation zones clearly designed for body cultivators. He guessed they had been created to allow the Mo Yu clan's guards to train within the sect.
He soon stumbled upon a medicinal pool. The energy radiating from its contents drew him closer against his will. Tentatively, he dipped a hand in—only for his entire body to be engulfed in the medicinal fluid a moment later.
Now submerged, Lin Keyang switched to internal breathing. The medicinal essence coursed through every inch of his body, helping him break through the late Golden Core bottleneck.
Delighted, he guided the energy through his meridians and began cultivating in earnest, working in tandem with his body refinement technique to push into late Golden Core.
Zhang Lingrui, on the other hand, had one goal after entering the Yixian Gate: loot anything valuable. He had no interest in the sect's inheritance. His sights were set on spiritual plants, herbs, treasures, and spirit stones.
Inside the sect's task hall, he found a Qiankun Box used to store spirit stones. He didn't even try to open it. With a flick of his hand, he sent it straight into his storage ring, humming with satisfaction as he moved toward the sect's core.
Among all the people, Mo Yuwan was the most familiar with the Yixian Gate. Her family had served as personal guards to the sect's disciples for generations.
After confirming her own safety, she headed straight for the courtyard where the sect master had once resided—likely the location of some refined medicinal agents.
Sure enough, she found a stash of high-grade potions suited for advanced body cultivators in the sect master's vault. With a sweep of her sleeve, she claimed everything and made her way to the sect's plantation grounds, satisfied.
Three days later, however, the newcomers were not so lucky. The moment they entered the underground palace, they were all thrown into a labyrinth.
They had to pass through a series of trials. Only those who found the correct path could reach the Yixian Gate.
Even then, cultivators were funneled into different areas based on their cultivation realm. Those in Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment were sent to the outer sect, while those at Golden Core or Nascent Soul were eligible for the inner sect.
So far, only the initial six—Mo Yuwan and the others—had reached the sect's core. This was a clear sign of how much advantage Yun Xi's recognition by the sect had offered her companions.
On the sixth day after the sect opened, Ye Yirui finally passed through the labyrinth and stepped into the sect's heart.
After glancing around to confirm she had arrived, she immediately made her way toward the Scripture Pavilion. That was where her true goal lay.
Elsewhere, Yun Xi was battling through poison techniques. She barely passed the intermediate-level poison mastery test.
At that moment, Sect Master Bai's soul was so faint it seemed on the verge of complete dissolution. With a wave of his sleeve, he pulled Yun Xi out of the inheritance hall.
"Girl," he said, "my time is up. This is all I can teach you. The rest is up to you. I leave the Yixian Gate to you. Be on guard against evil cultivators—they won't give up and will come for you again."
Yun Xi quickly cleared her mind and bowed deeply. "Yun Xi thanks Senior for your guidance these past days. Once I return to the sect, I will pass down the Yixian Gate's healing and alchemical arts. I will not allow its legacy to perish."
"Good!"
Sect Leader Bai smiled faintly. "Once I fade, the maze barrier around the sect will only hold for one more day. After that, all cultivators will be able to enter freely. If you want to protect what's left of the sect, it'll depend on your ability. Good luck!"
With those final words, Sect Master Bai dissolved into the wind, returning to the world completely.
Yun Xi rubbed her aching temples. This kind of cramming was the worst, but for someone trained in test-driven education like her, it had its merits. Everything she'd learned had been stuffed into her mind—she could sort it out later.
Right now, she had bigger concerns: how to protect the entire Yixian Gate. An empty underground palace meant nothing.
The most valuable assets of the sect were the plantation grounds and the Scripture Pavilion. She had to secure both.
Just then, Dian Dian started chirping anxiously. "Master! Hurry! Dian Dian smells treasure!"
Yun Xi patted Dian Dian's head. "No rush. First, let's see how many cultivators have already made it inside."