Chapter 247: Chapter 244: Yunzhi’s Wrath and Three Things

In the middle of that year.

After spending nearly six months stabilizing her cultivation realm, Xiao Yunzhi finally came out of seclusion.

Xiao Yunzhi came from a prestigious family of Confucian Cultivators and paid close attention to etiquette.

Therefore, the first thing she did after emerging was to visit the upper echelons of the Flying Snow Sect to thank them for lending her a Spirit Vein to break through to Core Formation.

Qianxue Master was the one who received her. Xiao Yunzhi keenly sensed that something seemed off about Qianxue Master’s condition, but out of respect and politeness, she did not inquire further.

Only after a friendly conversation did she offer her farewells with a smile.

...

After leaving the Flying Snow Sect’s territory, Xiao Yunzhi flew eagerly toward Changping Square.

A smile involuntarily touched her lips as she imagined how Li Ping would look when he saw her.

’I’m a Core Formation Master now. How will Li Ping treat me?’

Landing in front of their cave residence in Changping Square, Xiao Yunzhi cleared her throat with a couple of soft coughs. Then, she gracefully took out her Array Token, intending to enter.

She and Li Ping rented this cave residence together, so she had a Token to open it as well.

But to her surprise, her Token had stopped working. She couldn’t get into her own home!

Standing outside, a torrent of thoughts flooded her mind. ’Why would Brother Li change the Array for the cave residence and lock me out? Could it be that he...’

Xiao Yunzhi was dumbfounded. She had only been in seclusion for a little over three years to break through to Core Formation.

’Did my home get stolen from under me?’

At this thought, she took a deep breath, pulled out a Sound Transmission Talisman, spoke a few words into it, and then tossed it into the cave residence.

Before long, the cave residence’s Array opened, and Li Ping’s figure appeared before Xiao Yunzhi.

He smiled and said, "Yunzhi, you’re back."

But seeing Li Ping’s cheerful smile, Xiao Yunzhi was trembling with rage. Her suspicions had been confirmed.

Li Ping smelled of another Female Cultivator’s perfume!

"Hmph!"

She snorted coldly and stormed into the cave residence. She was going to see just who Li Ping was hiding in his love nest!

Seeing Xiao Yunzhi’s frigid demeanor, Li Ping was a bit baffled.

He couldn’t help but wonder, ’Did Xiao Yunzhi really change after reaching Core Formation? Is she angry because I just called her by her name? The east wind is cruel, the world is fickle... Sigh!’

Shaking his head, Li Ping closed the Array and walked back into the courtyard.

He looked up and saw Xiao Yunzhi standing in the courtyard, a look of confusion in her eyes. The moment she saw Li Ping, she demanded, "Where... where is that woman? Where did you hide her?"

Just now, she had swept her Divine Sense through the entire cave residence and hadn’t found anyone other than herself and Li Ping.

But Li Ping had, without a doubt, changed the cave residence’s Array, even dismantling the one she had so meticulously set up. And he was giving off several types of fragrances that only Female Cultivators used.

This made Xiao Yunzhi hesitate.

"What woman?" Hearing her nonsensical question, Li Ping was completely baffled.

Seeing that Li Ping’s expression didn’t seem feigned, Xiao Yunzhi asked coldly, "Why did you dismantle the Array I so carefully arranged and specifically replace the Grand Array outside? This cave residence does not belong to you alone!"

"Oh, you mean the Array..."

Li Ping finally understood why Xiao Yunzhi was angry. She had come home only to be locked out, and she was bottling up her frustration.

He quickly explained with a smile, "You don’t know this, but not long after you went into seclusion, a great upheaval occurred in the city. During the chaos, this cave residence and its Array were destroyed. The Flying Snow Sect only just rebuilt it a short while ago, so naturally, the Array was replaced."

"A great upheaval?" Xiao Yunzhi recalled her recent conversation with Qianxue Master and how she seemed unwell, which made her believe most of what Li Ping said.

Once she understood the whole story, most of her anger dissipated.

But then she thought of the scent of a Female Cultivator on Li Ping, and her anger flared up again.

She was out there, toiling away to reach Core Formation, while Li Ping was at home, hooking up with other Female Cultivators and cheating on her.

’This is infuriating!’

Thinking of this, she said angrily, "Which Female Cultivator gave you that sachet on your waist?"

Li Ping: "..."

...

After Li Ping’s explanation, and after he summoned the Earth Spirit Rat to give her a demonstration, Xiao Yunzhi finally understood that she had misunderstood Brother Li.

Brother Li was a man dedicated to his cultivation; he hadn’t been hooking up with other Female Cultivators at all.

’My attitude just now was a bit much, wasn’t it?’

What do you do when you’re in the middle of an argument and suddenly realize you’re the one in the wrong?

An idea came to Xiao Yunzhi, and she immediately decided to make an issue out of how Li Ping addressed her. "Hmph! Li brat, what did you call me just now? I am a Core Formation Master. Is my name something a junior like you can just... hehe..."

As she spoke, Xiao Yunzhi couldn’t hold it in anymore and burst out laughing.

A moment later, she apologized with a smile, "Brother Li, I misunderstood you just now. Please don’t hold it against me."

Li Ping shook his head, speechless, and led her to sit down in the pavilion.

Smelling the fragrances coming from Li Ping, Xiao Yunzhi wore an odd expression. "Brother Li, are you going to keep wearing these sachets from now on?"

"Of course," Li Ping nodded. "If it’s this easy to prevent enemies from spying on me, why wouldn’t I?"

Xiao Yunzhi hesitated before speaking. "But usually, only Female Cultivators..."

She didn’t finish her sentence, but Li Ping understood what she meant.

It was just like on Earth before he transmigrated. Wearing stockings was an effective and affordable way to alleviate varicose veins. But if a man wore stockings on his bare legs, he would undoubtedly attract strange looks and likely be seen as a pervert.

It was the same principle now. He was a male cultivator, but he carried several sachets meant for women, which was undoubtedly detrimental to his public image.

He would either be seen as a lecher or as one of those Demon Cultivators who delighted in the art of Plucking and Supplementing.

"That is a problem," Li Ping nodded slightly.

As a Gou Cultivator, he just wanted to blend in and keep a low profile. The last thing he wanted was to stand out. It wouldn’t be good if other Cultivators stared at him wherever he went.

Deciding to spend some time later with the Earth Spirit Rat to find a solution, Li Ping moved on from the topic.

...

"Brother Li, what exactly happened in the city while I was in seclusion?" Xiao Yunzhi asked curiously.

"It’s a simple matter..." Li Ping slowly recounted in detail what the Flying Snow Sect had endured during that time.

As Xiao Yunzhi listened to Li Ping’s story, her expression shifted from shock to surprise, and finally to silence.

She never imagined that Mu Yun Master would fall on his way to reinforce Silver Moon City, much less that the Flying Snow Sect would nearly be annihilated as a result.

No wonder Qianxue Master had seemed in such poor condition when she spoke with her earlier.

And the Flying Snow Sect’s misfortune made her think of her own situation.

She hailed from the Academy Palace, the strongest power in the Western Wilderness, and was even a descendant of the number one cultivator in the Western Wilderness.

But several decades ago, her own ancestor had suddenly fallen, just like Mu Yun Master. Afterward, under siege by the Demon Dao, the Academy Palace was forced to withdraw from Donghua Mountain, even surrendering their secret realm.

How similar were their two sects’ fates?

’I wonder how Junior Master Qiu and the others are doing now.’ Xiao Yunzhi couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

After finishing his account of what had happened in the city over the past three-plus years, seeing that Xiao Yunzhi’s expression was grim, Li Ping changed the subject. "By the way, Yunzhi, I heard that Core Formation Cultivators can use Magical Treasures. Do you have any plans for your Lifebound Magical Treasure?"

The Lifebound Magical Treasure is the most fundamental difference between a Core Formation Cultivator and a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

A Magical Treasure’s power not only far surpasses that of a Top-Grade Spiritual Artifact, but a Cultivator can also use their Pill Fire and True Essence to refine their Lifebound Magical Treasure, allowing its might to grow continuously.

Therefore, the first thing nearly every Core Formation Cultivator does after their breakthrough is to forge their own Lifebound Magical Treasure.

"My Lifebound Magical Treasure." Xiao Yunzhi was silent for a long time, then let out a breath and spoke slowly, "Actually, back when I first broke through to the Late-stage Foundation Establishment, my ancestor had already prepared a Lifebound Magical Treasure for me. It’s a pity... he won’t get to see me wield it."

As she spoke, Xiao Yunzhi’s cherry lips parted slightly, and she spat out a semicircular Magical Treasure that was crimson all over and wreathed in pale golden flames.

This semicircular Magical Treasure was crescent-shaped, slender at the ends and thick in the middle. The convex edge was sharpened like a Sword Blade, glinting with a faint, cold light!

Cradling the Magical Treasure in one hand, she introduced it to Li Ping, "This treasure is called the Red Flame Wheel. My ancestor specially commissioned an Artifact Refining Master to forge it for me. The Red Flame Wheel’s main material is Fire Separation Essence Stone, mixed with a good amount of Celestial Meteorite Iron. It’s perfectly suited for a Fire Element Cultivator!"

The origin and power of a Lifebound Magical Treasure are secrets a Core Formation Cultivator keeps.

Yet, when faced with Li Ping, Xiao Yunzhi candidly described every detail of her Lifebound Magical Treasure.

Clearly, she trusted Li Ping immensely.

Gazing at the Red Flame Wheel in her hand, Xiao Yunzhi seemed to see her ancestor again, recalling the earnest advice he gave when he gifted her this treasure.

’Don’t worry, Ancestor. I will definitely drive out the Demon Dao and reclaim Donghua Mountain!’

...

A few days later, Shi Yutong came to visit.

She had come specifically to pay her respects to Xiao Yunzhi. Facing a Core Formation Cultivator, she was extremely deferential.

After presenting a generous gift to congratulate Xiao Yunzhi on her Core Formation, the three of them sat down in the pavilion to chat.

Besides congratulating Xiao Yunzhi on reaching Core Formation, Shi Yutong had another purpose for her visit.

When Xiao Yunzhi had borrowed the Flying Snow Sect’s Spirit Vein for her breakthrough, she had promised to do three things for the sect free of charge upon her success.

Now, it was time for her to fulfill that promise.

The three things Shi Yutong hoped Xiao Yunzhi would do were as follows.

First, she asked her to go to Silver Moon City and, on the condition that she did not endanger herself, investigate the matter of Mu Yun Master’s death.

Second, she asked her to travel to the Ice Sea and retrieve a piece of thousand-year-old Ice Jade.

And third, she asked her to kill a Late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator from the Cloud Sect named Long Jie.

Finally, Shi Yutong mentioned that during the chaos in Flying Snow City last year, Long Jie had plundered a precious Spiritual Object from the Flying Snow Sect. If Xiao Yunzhi could bring that Spiritual Object back, the Flying Snow Sect would reward her with another generous gift.

After a moment of contemplation, Xiao Yunzhi readily agreed.

Of the three tasks, only the first one might pose a threat; the other two were not dangerous for a Core Formation Cultivator.

The thousand-year-old Ice Jade was a relatively common Tier Three Spiritual Object that could be used in Artifact Refining for Magical Treasures.

But for a Core Formation Cultivator, finding a piece was not too difficult.

Killing a Late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator was even simpler.

Only the investigation into Mu Yun Master’s death... whatever could cause a Core Formation Master to fall would undoubtedly be extremely dangerous.

But Xiao Yunzhi still agreed. She wanted to repay her debt to the Flying Snow Sect as soon as possible!

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