After returning to her own cave, Yunxi began a new round of secluded cultivation. Having advanced to the Unity stage, her sealed techniques were now unlocked, and she needed time to familiarize herself with them.
This time, Yunxi spent fifty years in seclusion. When she finally emerged, she felt as if she had lost all sense of time. If she stayed in isolation any longer, she feared she might lose her mind.
So, she decisively went to visit Hao Ran Zhēnzūn, intending to take a journey. It had been over sixty years since her ascension to this realm, and she had been too still for too long. Her heart yearned for movement, and she wanted to temper herself through training.
When she met Hao Ran Zhēnzūn again, Yunxi could finally match the handsome young man before her with the sect's preserved portrait of their founding ancestor. Smiling warmly, she clasped her hands in a formal salute. "Ran Xi greets Ancestor Hao Ran. Congratulations on regaining your peak cultivation."
Hao Ran Zhēnzūn's complexion was rosy, the frailty of age completely gone. Even the short beard on his chin had vanished, and his bearing radiated refreshing strength. His aura as a powerhouse was undeniable.
Hearing Yunxi's words, Hao Ran Zhēnzūn smiled. "I owe it all to you. Otherwise, that Mahayana evil cultivator's scheme might truly have succeeded."
Even now, he felt grateful.
Yunxi responded modestly. "It was also thanks to your good fortune, Ancestor."
After some polite conversation, Yunxi revealed her wish to travel and temper herself. Hao Ran Zhēnzūn did not object. Ran Xi's cultivation progress was the fastest among all the juniors he had ever seen, and she also carried great merit. He did not wish for someone he valued so highly to become a mere decorative vase. Nodding, he said, "You have not roamed the Spirit Region since ascending. The sect's growth is stable now, and my hidden danger has been resolved. It is not good to always shut yourself away. Going out is the right choice."
"Thank you for your guidance, Ancestor."
Hao Ran Zhēnzūn's smile turned sly. "Guidance is too strong a word, but this Lord can recommend a good place for you. The question is, will you accept it?"
"I wonder what good place Ancestor has in mind?"
Yunxi was no fool. Instead of agreeing blindly, she responded with a smile of her own.
Hao Ran Zhēnzūn tapped a finger at her in mock reprimand before speaking. "You should know, before you ascended, I joined the Loose Cultivator Alliance as an elder. Recently, Du E Zhēnzūn sent me a message, summoning me back.
These old bones of mine have no desire to make the trip, so I thought to have you run this errand for me. Find out why the Loose Cultivator Alliance seeks me. If it's something you can handle, you may fully represent me."
As he finished speaking, he slid a black jade token toward Yunxi, leaving her no room to refuse.
Yunxi's mouth twitched. "Zhēnzūn, you are hardly old. You are far from being unable to move."
Nonetheless, she accepted the token. Though it appeared to be jade, it felt like iron in her hand. It was the size of a baby's palm and a finger's thickness. The front bore an engraving of the Loose Cultivator Alliance's iconic building, while the back displayed three inlaid seal script characters: "Loose Cultivator Alliance." At the bottom was the character "Hao," marking Hao Ran Zhēnzūn as its owner.
Seeing her take the token, Hao Ran Zhēnzūn smiled. "Once activated, this token creates a defensive shield capable of blocking a fatal strike from a late Mahayana cultivator. It is not only proof of identity but also a low-grade profound treasure. Keep it with you."
"Yes, Ancestor."
Yunxi obediently hung the token at her waist. Her black robe made it inconspicuous.
"Ran Xi, since you are going to the Loose Cultivator Alliance, take along all the pills and elixirs our sect has refined over the past decade. Sell them to the Alliance and bring some profit back for the sect."
"Yes."
Seeing there was nothing else to instruct her on, Hao Ran Zhēnzūn smiled. "That is all I have to say. The rest depends on your own comprehension. Gain experience through your travels."
"Yes, Ancestor."
Yunxi bowed once more before gracefully leaving Hao Ran Zhēnzūn's cultivation grounds.
When she went to look for her Master, Yu Ling Zūnzhě, she learned he had already broken through to the Out-of-Body stage and was now in seclusion to stabilize his cultivation. Hao Qing Zūnzhě was temporarily overseeing matters at the Hive. Not wanting to be drafted into administrative work, Yunxi headed instead to Dan Peak to see Zonghao, then visited the Mission Hall to collect the pills, elixirs, formation plates, and talismans prepared for trade. After sending a message talisman to Hao Yi, she departed the sect's territory.
At the foot of the sect mountain, Yuechu City had transformed into a bustling new metropolis over the past fifty years. Perhaps it was because Haoran Sect had a Mahayana Zhēnzūn guarding it that many families and cultivators from the former Weiyu Realm had moved there. The city's growth was rapid.
Yunxi did not visit the Wei or Feng families, merely scanning their estates with her divine sense. Both clans were thriving, heavily investing in the cultivation of their younger generations. Outstanding disciples had emerged, capable of leading their families. Their overall development was impressive.
Satisfied, Yunxi did not linger. She summoned her flying boat and set off for the next major city.
Along the way, whenever she passed through large mountain ranges, she would stop to spar with high-level beasts, feeling rusty after so long without combat.
This was disastrous for the beasts. They had provoked no one, yet were mercilessly beaten by Yunxi. Their attempts to rely on their formidable bodies were in vain; her refined fists were harder than their bones, each blow rattling their organs.
In the end, the beasts resorted to their divine abilities to fight back, only to be chased in panic by Yunxi wielding a black staff infused with lightning energy—their greatest bane.
Once Yunxi felt her combat instincts sharpened and her warm-up complete, she left the mountains in style.
Only after confirming that the crazy woman had truly departed did the beasts erupt into joyous celebration. The disaster had finally passed.
Yunxi's spiritual sense was formidable, and she heard their cheers. She merely snorted coldly and paid it no mind. She had not killed a single beast, only sparred with them, which was why they tolerated her intrusion. Had she been after their beast cores, they would not have been so accommodating.
Of course, Yunxi did not leave empty-handed. While she sparred, Dian Dian and Li Li scoured the area for rare spiritual herbs, which were transplanted into her spatial garden before she moved on.
Traveling leisurely, Yunxi finally arrived at Chong'an City after a year.
This was a large cultivator city, inhabited entirely by cultivators with no mortals in sight, and it was ten times the size of the newly built Yuechu City.
She paid an entry fee of one mid-grade spirit stone and followed the crowd into the city.
Even the guides at the city gates were Golden Core cultivators. Yunxi glanced at them once before heading straight for the liveliest street.
This street was clearly a commercial hub. Wide roads lined with countless shops selling every imaginable good stretched before her. Down the middle was a row of stalls offering miscellaneous wares, requiring sharp eyes to spot bargains. Many cultivators were trying their luck, adding to the lively atmosphere.
Yunxi had only browsed a few stalls when she heard a commotion ahead. Two male cultivators were arguing. A sweep of her divine sense revealed that one of them was someone she knew.