Chapter 070

Chapter 70: Cicada Sheds Its Shell

After hearing Yun Xi’s words, Hua Xuan Zi realized this junior sister had already made up her mind, so she didn’t argue further. Instead, she directly took Yun Xi’s identity token and swiftly accepted the sect mission for her. It was only because Hua Xuan Zi was assigned to the Mission Hall today that she could easily help.

“There, your mission is officially registered. But remember, this is a group mission, and you’re not the only disciple going out to look for our missing fellow disciples. You’d best find a partner you can trust,” Hua Xuan Zi kindly reminded her.

“Thank you, Senior Sister, I understand. I’ll carefully choose a suitable companion,” Yun Xi replied politely.

Afterward, the two traded some pills and talismans, and Hua Xuan Zi departed the Cultivation Hall with a satisfied smile.

Once Hua Xuan Zi left, Yun Xi began carefully pondering who to invite as her companion. Truthfully, she preferred traveling alone. After all, besides looking for an ownerless spirit vein, she also needed to find an ideal place to begin her Foundation Establishment. These plans couldn’t be casually revealed to fellow disciples.

Moreover, if danger arose, traveling alone would allow her greater flexibility in escaping, or at worst, she could hide inside her dimension. Most importantly, she was after a lightning-element cultivation technique on this journey.

This cultivation method was not yet recorded by the sect, so Yun Xi intended to secure it first. The ongoing serialized novel mentioned that the female side character, possessing a pure lightning spiritual root, had been highly favored after entering the sect. Soon after reaching Foundation Establishment, the sect gifted her a Heaven-grade lightning cultivation technique, the Peerless Sword Lightning Manual.

This cultivation method aligned perfectly with the lightning spiritual root, containing both inner cultivation formulas and sword techniques. Its name was extraordinarily domineering precisely because its power depended on the practitioner’s comprehension and application.

Considering how crucial this journey was, Yun Xi finally decided, after careful deliberation, to travel alone. However, she privately informed Wei Zong Hao of her plan.

Hearing this, Zong Hao frowned deeply, saying, “Yun Xi, it’s too dangerous to travel alone outside the sect. You might attract unwanted attention.”

“Zong Hao, I know what I’m doing. Besides, I’m not only leaving to evade Yun Qing. I can hardly suppress my cultivation anymore,” Yun Xi hinted lightly, trusting Zong Hao would understand her true meaning.

Zong Hao indeed understood—after all, he himself was close to breaking through to the ninth layer of Qi Refinement.

“Since you put it that way, I won’t argue further. But be extremely cautious outside and never trust strangers lightly,” he advised seriously.

“I know. That’s why I’ll need your help to perform a ‘cicada sheds its shell’ act, distracting Yun Qing’s spies,” Yun Xi explained bluntly.

“No problem at all! Just tell me what to do,” Zong Hao responded immediately, patting his chest in assurance.

“Good. First, we’ll do this, and then…”

“I understand… no problem at all… yes, we’ll do as you said.”

With their heads close together, they carefully planned every detail before parting to make their own preparations.

The very next day, Yun Xi openly rented a three-acre herb garden under her own name, seemingly intending to cultivate spiritual herbs herself. She even made a grand spectacle of purchasing spirit herb seeds, showing an intention to stay and cultivate long-term.

Observing this, the disciples secretly monitoring Yun Xi gradually lowered their guard. Finally, on a moonless night, Yun Xi entrusted the herb garden to Zong Hao. At dawn, claiming she’d taken on a sect mission, she smoothly left Grand Righteous Sect.

Yun Xi knew she had only half a day’s lead before being discovered, so she immediately activated Thousand Shadows Riding the Wind upon leaving the sect gates. Her figure blurred, transforming into a swift breeze, covering the distance to Grand Righteous City at the foot of the sect’s mountain in just one hour.

Grand Righteous City was a prosperous cultivator city built around the Grand Righteous Sect, hosting flying ships heading to distant lands and teleportation formations for those rich enough.

However, Qi Refinement disciples performing ordinary sect tasks usually opted for cheaper travel methods, such as simple Lightness Talismans or traveling by foot. Only urgent missions justified the expense of flying ships or teleportation arrays.

But Yun Xi was unwilling to waste time. Before entering Grand Righteous City, she used her flower-mark artifact to disguise her cultivation, elevating her apparent strength to late-stage Foundation Establishment, a whole realm above her true level. She also disguised her face carefully.

This skill of transformation came from the “Four Great Evil Arts of the East”—specifically, the legendary art of makeup—which she had learned in her original world. With a height now reaching 158 centimeters after three years of growth and a slender frame, she easily passed as an ordinary adult woman, entirely forgettable after a glance.

Upon arriving at the teleportation formation, Yun Xi calmly stated her destination: Treasure Blossom Range. Sensing the formidable late-stage Foundation Establishment aura radiating from her, the disciple managing the formation instantly became respectful.

“Respected Senior, passage to Treasure Blossom Range costs five thousand low-grade spirit stones.”

Yun Xi’s expression remained unchanged, yet her heart wept bitterly. Her entire savings from three diligent years of alchemy and talisman-making were precisely five thousand spirit stones. Paying this would send her finances plummeting back to poverty.

Yet, she couldn’t show hesitation at this crucial moment, so she simply asked in a detached tone, “When can we depart?”

“Respected Senior, the teleportation formation requires ten passengers to activate. Including you, exactly ten people have now assembled.”

Upon hearing this, Yun Xi gave up thoughts of switching to a flying ship. The sooner she left, the better. Without further delay, she threw her spirit stone pouch to the disciple.

The disciple briefly scanned it with spiritual awareness, confirming payment, then handed Yun Xi a token to enter the Teleportation Hall.

Wasting no time, Yun Xi took the token and hurried inside. Her arrival made the others waiting for Treasure Blossom Range rise to their feet. When everyone had gathered on the teleportation platform, the Golden Core cultivator in charge activated the formation with a wave of his hand.

It was Yun Xi’s first time traveling by teleportation in this world, and she watched curiously, releasing her spiritual sense to perceive the process.

At first, intricate runes beneath their feet glowed brilliantly. Immediately after, golden light enveloped everyone, followed by two breaths of intense turbulence. Yun Xi suddenly felt weightless, as if floating in empty space. Soon, dazzling lights surged around them as they passed through a rainbow-hued spatial tunnel.

After just a moment gazing at the kaleidoscopic lights streaming past, Yun Xi felt dizzy and nauseous, like severe motion sickness. She quickly closed her eyes, pulling her spiritual sense tightly around herself, slowly steadying her condition. After what felt like a long while, her body jolted, and the golden light surrounding them gradually faded.

“You have arrived at Treasure Blossom City. Please exit the Teleportation Hall orderly,” a deep, steady male voice announced, bringing Yun Xi back to reality.

Opening her eyes, she saw everyone around her calmly stepping off the teleportation platform. Yun Xi quickly followed, but as soon as she exited, she rushed to a roadside flower bed and retched.

Unfortunately, she had long relied on fasting pills, so nothing came up.

“Respected Senior, perhaps you’d like a calming green-tangerine sachet for nausea?” A timid, youthful voice cautiously reached her ears.

Enduring another wave of nausea, Yun Xi turned and saw a young lad, about ten years old, holding a basket filled with beautifully embroidered sachets.

The boy stepped back nervously when Yun Xi looked at him, seemingly frightened by her gaze.

Wordlessly, Yun Xi reached out and grabbed a green sachet, bringing it under her nose and inhaling softly.