Yun Xi gave a faint smile.
"If it were me, Wei Nanfeng's death date would've been the very day he left the sect. I wouldn't have given him the chance to grow stronger."
She felt that Wei Chenyin had been too considerate of the bigger picture. She hadn't wanted to ruin the future of the Wei family's most talented disciple, but that choice had left her with a heavy knot in her chest for years. Now that everything had come full circle, she had finally broken through in cultivation.
When it came to choosing between making things difficult for herself or for others, Yun Xi would always pick the latter. Wasting energy on internal conflict went against her principles.
Dian Dian flicked her tail, feeling that her own master was far more decisive—and that was exactly her style.
At that moment, spiritual energy from the entire mountain continued to surge toward Wei Chenyin's cave residence. Then, a sweep of divine sense passed over the area. Clearly, the disturbance had caught the attention of a Zhēnjūn on the main peak.
Yun Xi rose calmly to meet the divine sense, hands clasped in respect.
"Senior Sister Wei Chenyin has had an insight and is currently in seclusion to break through. I am standing guard."
The divine sense retreated after scanning the cave and confirming the situation.
Yun Xi returned to her seat on the meditation cushion. Just as she was about to close her eyes and rest, she felt another wave of divine sense sweep past. But this one made her deeply uncomfortable—her gaze darkened.
She trusted her intuition completely. That instinct had helped her avoid countless pitfalls in her previous life's workplace. This time was no different. Without hesitation, she lashed out with her own powerful divine sense, meeting the intrusive one with an aggressive counter.
The instant the two collided, Yun Xi felt her blood churn. The other party's divine sense was actually at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage. Still, she didn't let them gain the upper hand and forced them to retreat swiftly.
Yun Xi stood up and stared in the direction where the divine sense had vanished. She gave a cold snort, then took out a vial and downed a divine sense replenishing potion, easing the damage from the clash. These were concoctions she'd refined herself after returning to the sect—not for sale, strictly for personal use.
Elsewhere, in a cave on another peak of Haoran Sect, a man in green robes suddenly opened his eyes. His expression was grim.
He hadn't expected Wei Yunxi to be so sharp—or so bold. She had actually dared to counter his divine sense. Most importantly, she hadn't lost.
The man narrowed his eyes and muttered, "Leng Ruohan, you've really picked a fine disciple."
After that encounter, Yun Xi no longer bothered trying to meditate. She simply released her divine sense and kept a watchful eye over the area. She maintained her vigilance from sunset to sunrise, until Wei Chenyin finally emerged from her cave.
Sensing that Wei Chenyin had successfully advanced, Yun Xi withdrew the array formation with a wave of her sleeve and offered her congratulations.
"Congratulations, Senior Sister, on breaking through to late-stage Golden Core. Your path to forming a Yuányīng is just around the corner."
Wei Chenyin smiled, looking years younger and exuding the graceful charm of a mature woman. She returned the gesture and said warmly,
"Yun Xi, I owe this breakthrough to you. If not for your words, I wouldn't have seen through my inner block."
"That was something Senior Sister figured out on your own. I merely voiced what you already knew deep down."
"Come, let's finish that wine we didn't get to drink earlier."
In high spirits, Wei Chenyin pulled Yun Xi into her cave.
Once they sat back down, Wei Chenyin took the initiative.
"Yun Xi, my breakthrough was quite sudden. Aside from telling me about Wei Nanfeng's fall, I assume you came for something more?"
Yun Xi nodded.
"Yes, Senior Sister. The Patriarch asked me to persuade you to return and help stabilize the Wei clan. What are your thoughts?"
Wei Chenyin didn't immediately refuse.
"I'm currently an elder of Law Peak. If I return fully to the clan, I'd have to leave Haoran Sect. I don't think the time is right for that yet."
"I agree, Senior Sister. I don't want you to leave Haoran Sect either."
Yun Xi then told her about the second wave of divine sense she had encountered during the breakthrough and expressed her concerns.
"Senior Sister, even if someone inside Haoran Sect harbors ill intent, they wouldn't dare act openly. After all, we have Ancestors at the Divine Transformation stage overseeing things. That man is only at peak Nascent Soul, so the sect can still restrain him. Leaving now would be unwise.
But the Wei clan does need a purge. The remnants left behind by Wei Nanfeng must be cleared away. You're the best person for the job. I'm still too young and inexperienced to hold things down.
You can report to the Law Peak master and say you're helping the clan settle some old matters. No need to explain everything—those who understand will understand.
It'll be a bit of a hassle, running back and forth, but at least the sect and clan are close. By the time the secret realm in the Baohua Mountains opens, the family's affairs should be mostly settled."
Wei Chenyin listened, then nodded with a smile.
"That's a solid plan. I'll go change my identity jade slip and meet with the peak master. After that, we'll head to Haoran City together."
"Alright, Senior Sister. I won't disturb you. Let me know when you're ready to go."
"Will do."
Wei Chenyin readily agreed and handed Yun Xi a storage pouch. She still remembered the mid-grade spirit stones Yun Xi had piled up around her and wouldn't let her suffer a loss.
Yun Xi accepted it without fuss and left Law Peak together with Wei Chenyin.
Once she returned to Lingxue Peak, Yun Xi asked the Flying Mist Butterfly,
"After I left the Wei clan, what did Wei Lingyue and Wei Yunqing talk about?"
Fei Xia fluttered her wings before transmitting her answer.
"Wei Lingyue scolded Wei Yunqing for failing to see the bigger picture."
Back when Wei Yunqing had been taken away by Wei Lingyue, Fei Xia had quietly followed them to his residence.
Upon seeing her daughter, Du Ruolan immediately stepped forward with a smile.
"Yun Qing, you're finally back."
Wei Yunqing grasped Du Ruolan's hand.
"Mother, please don't be upset. I was in seclusion practicing alchemy and didn't know you had moved to Haoran City. If I'd known, I would've come to greet you. Yun Xi must've deliberately kept it from me."
Du Ruolan nodded in agreement.
"I thought as much. Yun Xi is a Jīndān Zhēnrén now. It's no surprise she doesn't respect you as her elder sister. She doesn't even regard your father."
At that moment, Wei Lingyue cut in with displeasure.
"Ruolan, stop trying to sow discord between the sisters. Zong Hao and the others sent a message to Yun Qing. She just happened to be in seclusion."
He then turned to Yun Qing.
"Yun Ting, Zong Han, Zong Jin—they all took time to return and reunite with the family. You came back today, and that's fine, but you also brought a fellow disciple and borrowed the sect's Recollection Mirror. What were you trying to prove?"
A flash of irritation passed through Wei Yunqing's eyes, but she didn't argue. Instead, she said aggrievedly,
"Father, you've misunderstood me. When I received Mother's message, I sensed something was wrong. That's why I acted this way—I wanted to expose the one who killed Ancestor."
"Why are you so sure Ancestor was murdered?"
"Because just yesterday, I received a message from Ancestor. He said he had found a Yuányīng Zhēnjūn to take me as a disciple. All I had to do was break through to the Golden Core stage, and I could become Zhēnjūn's personal disciple. We even arranged to meet in a few days so he could introduce us in person."