Yun Xi was only lifted onto the clouds before realizing this was where all the big names had gathered. Powerful cultivators surrounded her, each one casting curious and scrutinizing glances her way. Without making a fuss, she edged closer to Yu Feng Zhēnjūn's side.
Fei Xia had already shrunk down and settled once more atop Yun Xi's hairpin. With only high-level human cultivators present, there was no room for it to shine. It knew better than to draw attention and obediently resumed its role as a decorative butterfly.
Yu Feng Zhēnjūn was quick to sense Yun Xi's unease. With a respectful gesture, he stepped forward and greeted an elder, cupping his hands.
"Yu Feng greets Hao Hui Ancestor."
At the mention of his name, Yun Xi immediately understood—this was the Divine Transformation stage Ancestor of the Haoran Sect. She quickly followed suit, bowing with proper decorum.
"Wei Yunxi greets Hao Hui Ancestor."
Hao Hui flicked his hand, lifting both of them upright with ease. With a genial smile, he looked toward Yun Xi.
"Little girl, did that brat Ruo Han give you the Mystic Frost Needle?"
Yun Xi smiled faintly. "Yes, Ancestor. My Master bestowed this treasure upon me for protection. Today was actually the first time I used it. The Mystic Frost Needle is quite powerful, but it consumes a lot of spiritual energy and divine sense."
"You did well. What's yours must be defended. If anyone dares reach for it, cut off their hand. This Ancestor will have your back."
Hao Hui's tone was casual, as though he were talking about something as trivial as weather.
Yun Xi's gaze flickered. She understood this wasn't just meant for her ears—it was a message to everyone present. So she immediately responded obediently.
"Yes. Yun Xi will not tarnish the prestige of the Haoran Sect."
Off to the side, Zhao He had already gathered Ye Yirui and Aunt Ran close to him. Ye Yirui's eyes had not once left Yun Xi, openly sizing her up with thinly veiled calculation.
Down below, one bold cultivator raised his voice.
"Wei Daoyou, since you're a inheritor of the Yixian Gate, could you tell us why the underground palace sank again?"
The question instantly shifted all attention back to Yun Xi.
She had just finished absorbing two mid-grade spirit stones and now held two more in hand. Upon hearing the direct question, she turned to glance at Hao Hui Ancestor.
Hao Hui took a sip of wine, entirely unbothered.
"Yun Xi, just tell them the truth. Otherwise, they'll assume you stumbled into some heaven-defying fortune."
He understood perfectly well that what Wei Yunxi gained was like snatching a flame from a blazing fire. Evil cultivators had been lurking, waiting for an opportunity. The risks were immense. Instead of trying to hide it, it was better to speak plainly.
Yun Xi also picked up on the deeper meaning behind Hao Hui's words. She took a deep breath, then projected her voice clearly.
"The fall of the Yixian Gate wasn't due to natural disaster, but human hands. The sect was exterminated by evil cultivators who coveted a new type of Yinxi Grass elixir, inadvertently developed by one of our disciples."
After she spoke, she used her divine sense to recreate the moment she witnessed the sect being sealed and sinking beneath the earth—when the sect master Bai used his final strength to ensure its burial. She let the crowd feel the desperation and determination of the Yixian Gate a thousand years ago.
She deliberately left out the part involving the diviner cultivator and her own unintentional intrusion. Once the reconstructed scene ended, Yun Xi continued.
"The underground palace sealed itself once again because the evil cultivators returned. The defensive mechanism reactivated and forcibly expelled all cultivators from within, myself included."
Her gaze swept toward the two corpses on the ground. They were her proof—the price she had paid. She hadn't just killed to deter evil cultivators but also to ensure that Li Chang would never rise again. And she needed to prove herself.
Ye Yirui frowned slightly, her tone chilly.
"Wei Daoyou, you claim that this new Yinxi Grass elixir was the cause of the sect's destruction. But what exactly is so special about it? I haven't seen anything particularly remarkable."
Yun Xi shot her a sidelong glance, curling her lip inwardly. This Nascent Soul cultivator was the craftiest of the bunch. She hadn't taken any spirit stones or elixirs and had headed straight to the scripture pavilion once they entered the sect grounds. Clearly, she had done her research on the Yixian Gate and knew where to go.
Those thoughts flicked past Yun Xi's mind in a heartbeat, but her expression remained composed as she explained.
"The new Yinxi Grass elixir not only conceals a cultivator's aura, but can even alter it. Most importantly, it doesn't lose its effect when spiritual energy is circulated, unless the medicinal potency is fully depleted."
The crowd erupted in a chorus of sharp intakes.
Anyone with half a brain could understand why evil cultivators would desire such a formula. The way they looked at Yun Xi shifted—from envy to something closer to sympathy or even pity.
Yun Xi mentally rolled her eyes and kept speaking.
"The formula for the new Yinxi Grass elixir has already been destroyed. Although the evil cultivators used soul-searching to obtain it, they are now sealed forever within the Yixian Gate. Sect Master Bai knew very well that if the formula ever leaked, the evil cultivators would come back, and the Wei Yu Realm would be in grave danger."
A voice rang out from the crowd, laced with sarcasm.
"All this is what you say. Who's to say it's true? Looks to me like you got all the benefits."
Yun Xi locked her divine sense onto the male cultivator who spoke. She wasn't angry. Her tone was calm.
"I, Wei Yunxi, swear that every word I have said is true. If I lie, may the five thunders strike me down and my path to immortality be severed."
As the vow left her lips, a ripple of universal law descended upon her. Nothing happened. A clear sign that she had spoken no falsehoods.
Yun Xi turned her gaze back to the man and continued.
"As for the benefits I received, I earned them by passing the trials of the Yixian Gate. That is my own capability. If you envy it, too bad. If you had the ability, you wouldn't be standing here sowing discord."
Then, she swept her divine sense across the entire crowd, her expression even.
"I opened the underground palace. My only advantage was entering first and taking on the trials. Anyone with true skill entered three days later, and none of you walked away empty-handed. Don't be greedy. Even if I offered something to you, could you even handle it?"
Her words were overbearing, and her gaze fell deliberately on the two Nascent Soul corpses below, brimming with scorn that could no longer be concealed.
She had claimed the entire legacy of the Yixian Gate with her life on the line. Why should she be expected to give it up just because someone else felt sour? There wasn't even a door open for that—she wouldn't leave a single crack in the wall.
The male cultivator who had just spoken now looked pale. Though his cultivation matched Yun Xi's, he had to admit he couldn't kill two Nascent Soul cultivators in an instant like she had. With no choice, he turned and left.
Hao Hui Zūnzhě was thoroughly pleased with how Yun Xi handled things. He chuckled and waved his hand.
"You're a feisty one for your age. The path of cultivation is long and unpredictable. Don't let this early gain go to your head. The legacy of the Yixian Gate is not easily inherited. Since you've taken it on, don't let down those who came before you."
Yun Xi immediately straightened her expression, bowing respectfully.
"Your guidance is well received, Ancestor. I will not fail your expectations."
Hao Hui nodded with satisfaction. With a casual wave, he tore open a rift in space and swept Yun Xi, Yu Feng Zhēnjūn, and the disciples of the Haoran Sect away with him.
"Mo Yu City Lord, those two appeared on your turf. Handle them as you see fit."
That was the last thing Mo Yuwan heard before the spatial rift sealed shut.
Her lips twitched, but she moved swiftly. With a flick of her hand, she summoned both of the dead cultivators' storage rings into her palm.