The Cloud Sect disciple on the flying sword hailed from a prominent noble family in Cloud City. While he was submissive and meek before Luo Lingfeng, enduring minor slights without daring to protest, his aristocratic arrogance was fully displayed once outside. Seeing Xie Zhichao place her hand on her saber, he became furious. “Are you trying to obstruct Cloud City’s affairs? If so, don’t blame me for being impolite!” As his words fell, he pointed forward with his right hand, and a nimble, fish-shaped spiritual shuttle flew out with a whizz, targeting Wei Yunshu and the two of them.
“Senior Brother Wan!” The Cloud Sect disciple who had arrived earlier cried out, his expression greatly changed, immediately trying to stop him.
Senior Brother Wan refused to back down. This shuttle of his was a high-grade spiritual artifact. If it were nurtured for a while longer, it could gestate a true spirit and leap to become a True Artifact! Dharma artifacts were divided into four grades: Treasure Artifacts, Spiritual Artifacts, True Artifacts, and Dao Artifacts. Dao Artifacts were the foundational treasures of a sect, and Spiritual Artifacts were also rare. Even as a disciple of a noble family, unless he was a meticulously cultivated direct descendant, it was utterly impossible to obtain a True Artifact bestowed by the clan. The nurturing of his shuttle not only involved storing it in his inner treasury for refinement but also required honing it through combat. Now that he had found an opportunity for a fight, he formed a hand seal and made the shuttle dance with flashes of light.
Xie Zhichao, seeing the Cloud City disciple make the first move, became even more impatient. Silver-white saber light left several sharp streaks of energy in mid-air. With a few sharp bangs, the elusive shuttle in mid-air manifested itself, showing several cracks.
Wei Yunshu watched clearly from the side. Although both were at the Golden Core stage, Xie Zhichao was a true disciple of Buzhou, cultivating the “Heaven Splitting Scroll.” Her cultivation technique was exceptionally domineering and fierce, and she had achieved it step by step through her own efforts. In contrast, this Cloud City disciple’s cultivation relied heavily on elixirs bestowed by his clan to boost his progress, making him fundamentally inferior.
“You actually damaged my shuttle?” Senior Brother Wan was furious. He recalled the shuttle, and looking at the cracks on it, his heart ached. This Dharma artifact was crucial to his cultivation; if it were destroyed, he himself would drop several minor realms. At this point, he became even more unable to calm down. He forced the spiritual energy from his Golden Core, transforming it into a misty miasma, and then offered the shuttle again.
Xie Zhichao had initially held back. After all, they were all disciples of immortal sects. There was no need to forge an irreconcilable enmity. Seeing the Daoist’s unwavering stance, she also became somewhat annoyed. Saber light burst forth, surging like a tide, ferociously crashing like waves against the shore.
In the blink of an eye, a snow-white light, like a flowing silk ribbon, swept over. It was soft and gentle, yet it cleaved apart the saber light and the miasma.
Wei Yunshu’s expression shifted slightly. The moment this snow-white radiance appeared, she reached up and wiped her face, instantly altering her features. This was a True Artifact named “Plain Dust Veil.” When Luo Lingfeng married into Cloud City, she had revealed a Golden Core cultivation. Fearing that Luo Lingfeng might be in danger, Wei Yunshu had searched everywhere for precious materials and refined this “Plain Dust Veil,” a defensive True Artifact to protect herself. The appearance of this artifact likely meant Luo Lingfeng was also nearby.
“Daoist Friend Xie,” Wei Yunshu called out softly.
Xie Zhichao’s saber light clashed with that snow-white radiance, and she knew it was a True Artifact. She retracted her saber, turned, and glanced at Wei Yunshu with a knitted brow. Upon seeing her, her eyes showed surprise. The former Daoist Bo had a slight resemblance to the Cloud Sovereign, but now, with her face altered, there was no resemblance at all. Her bland features could be lost in any crowd. Her thoughts churned, but she didn’t ask. She merely watched coldly as the enraged Cloud City disciple, blocked by the Plain Dust Veil, raged futilely.
“Stop!” This cry came a moment too late.
Wei Yunshu heard the clear voice and cast her gaze down, spotting a young girl wearing a lotus Daoist crown and a white robe embroidered with cranes. As for her face—it was far too familiar. Wei Yunshu couldn’t help but feel a ripple of emotion in her heart. She looked like this in her youth, but her demeanor bore no resemblance. It seemed this person was the reason Luo Lingfeng had made a special trip to Funeral Heaven Pass. Wei Yunshu glanced again at the Plain Dust Veil in the other’s hand, suppressed the surging emotions in her heart, and withdrew her gaze.
“Senior Sister Yun.” A reluctant voice rang out. Not to mention the extremely ill-tempered Daoist Wan, even the two who appeared first were unwilling to address someone without any spiritual power as such. But she was, after all, that person’s registered disciple, and she held a True Artifact in her hand.
“Junior Brother Wan, what are you doing?” Yun Dan also put on a “Senior Sister” air and reprimanded him. Then, ignoring Daoist Wan’s displeased expression, she cupped her hands towards Wei Yunshu and Xie Zhichao, saying softly, “Apologies, our sect disciples are ignorant. They have disturbed you, two Daoist friends.”
“They are indeed ignorant,” Xie Zhichao said with a cold laugh, sarcastically. “Fortunate for them they are Cloud City disciples; otherwise, they would have been killed countless times.”
Daoist Wan’s heart burned with anger, and he glared at Xie Zhichao. “You—”
Yun Dan raised her voice and chided, “Junior Brother Wan!” She glared at Daoist Wan until he grudgingly closed his mouth. Then, she took out an exquisite jade pot from her spatial storage bag and said gently, “This is a pot of Cloud Sand, consider it my apology to you both.” This Cloud Sand was not a sect item but was bestowed upon her by Luo Lingfeng. Now that she had produced it, her expression was open and honest, earning the admiration of the other two Cloud City disciples.
Xie Zhichao, not one to refuse something that should be accepted, reached out and took the pot of Cloud Sand into her palm. Without even looking at it, she handed the Cloud Sand to Wei Yunshu, smiling, “Daoist Friend Bo, you keep it.”
Wei Yunshu smiled faintly and did not refuse Xie Zhichao’s kindness. She gazed intently at Luo Lingfeng’s newly accepted registered disciple, awaiting her next words. This matter would naturally not end here. Cloud City had the means to track down the deceased rogue cultivator, and thus could also trace them. After all, it was related to evil cultivators, so it was not unreasonable for them to provide an account.
As expected, seeing Xie Zhichao accept the item, Yun Dan revealed a smile. She also invited Wei Yunshu and Xie Zhichao to the Cloud Sect outpost, but her voice was gentle and humble, without any hint of aggression.
Xie Zhichao was not one to dwell on trivial matters. Seeing Yun Dan humble herself so much, and observing her resemblance to the Cloud Sovereign, her expression softened slightly. However, she did not agree directly, instead looking at Wei Yunshu and asking, “Daoist Friend Bo, what do you think?”
Wei Yunshu pondered for a moment, then smiled and nodded. “Let’s go then.” The evil cultivators in this area were only at the Golden Core stage. Given Luo Lingfeng’s nature, she would not handle everything personally. She likely came for “herself.” Now that she had found the person, she might not reveal herself in public.
Seeing Wei Yunshu nod, Yun Dan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She didn’t want her first act after joining Cloud City to be a failure. That Daoist Wan was blind; she recognized her saber techniques as distinctly from Buzhou Peak! Thinking of this, a trace of venom flickered in Yun Dan’s eyes, but she lowered her head, quickly concealing her emotions.
Meanwhile, Wei Yunshu sensed a chilling malice and couldn’t help but stop. Her brows furrowed. She didn’t extend her divine sense, and there were no anomalies in any direction, so she let the matter go. She smiled at Xie Zhichao, who was looking at her with concern, and continued to follow the Cloud City disciples towards their outpost in the city.
The Cloud Sect outpost was located in the center of Funeral Heaven Pass, occupying a vast area with continuous buildings and tiered courtyards, appearing like a city within a city. Upon entering, the area was brightly lit, turning the surroundings as bright as day. Along the paths, peach blossoms and willows bloomed, and the fragrance of exotic flowers wafted, creating a dazzling spectacle. There were quite a few disciples in white robes coming and going. Upon seeing Yun Dan, they bowed and quickly lowered their heads, daring not to look closely. This person was truly too similar to the Cloud Sovereign, giving a fleeting illusion that the Cloud Sovereign had returned.
“It’s in this house,” Yun Dan pointed forward. She quickened her pace and explained her purpose to the cultivators guarding the entrance. The disciple did not dare to delay and promptly relayed the message into the house. After a while, someone emerged and cheerfully led Wei Yunshu and Xie Zhichao into the room.
Inside the room, a Daoist dressed in a wide-sleeved blue robe, wearing a golden crown, sat cross-legged on a futon. To his left was a Dharma artifact resembling a compass, called the “Truth-Seeking Disk.” Once someone spoke a lie before it, it would emit an unusual light. However, this artifact was useless against those with high cultivation levels; it was normally used to ascertain the truth in disputes between disciples. This Daoist barely twitched an eyelid upon seeing Wei Yunshu and the two of them. His gaze finally slid across Yun Dan’s face, revealing an undisguised look of disgust and contempt.
“This is our sect’s True Monarch Chen,” Yun Dan whispered. Those referred to as True Monarchs were naturally cultivators who had reached the Nascent Soul stage.
Wei Yunshu saluted with her sleeve, her expression calm. She recognized this elder. He was from the Chen clan of Cloud City and was one of the Cloud Sect cultivators who had surrounded and attacked her during the siege. Seeing the person who had betrayed her, Wei Yunshu did not experience much emotional fluctuation. After saluting, she stood with her head lowered. She and Xie Zhichao were not disciples of Cloud City; at most, they respected his cultivation level, which was one realm higher.
Chen Qi stroked his beard, not intending to condescend to the two “juniors.” He simply asked them, as a matter of routine, about their encounters with the evil cultivator before and after. Wei Yunshu and Xie Zhichao recounted the events truthfully, but unfortunately, it was difficult to find any clues, as they had immediately engaged in combat upon meeting, and the opponent’s soul had scattered before they could learn anything more. Chen Qi was not disappointed. He had only invited them to prove they had no connection with the evil cultivators. He retracted the “Truth-Seeking Disk” into his sleeve and waved his hand, signaling for the people in the room to withdraw.
“My two Daoist friends, it’s getting late. Why not rest for the night at the Cloud Sect outpost?” Yun Dan suggested after they left.
Wei Yunshu looked up at the sky. With all this commotion, an hour had passed. She turned to Xie Zhichao and said softly, “Daoist Friend Xie, what do you think?” The Cloud Sect outpost clearly possessed formations to gather earth qi and spiritual energy. The spiritual energy here was abundant, more suitable for cultivators to rest and recuperate.
Xie Zhichao thought for a moment and nodded. “We can.” In her opinion, Wei Yunshu was a rogue cultivator with a weak foundation and likely not much savings. Resting for a while at the Cloud Sect outpost, which was comparable to a Cavern Heaven blessed land, would surely be more beneficial than sleeping outdoors.
Seeing this, Yun Dan immediately arranged a courtyard with two adjacent rooms.
After the Cloud City disciples had all withdrawn, Wei Yunshu breathed a sigh of relief. She knitted her brows, as if remembering something, patted her head, and exclaimed, “Ah.” Before Xie Zhichao could ask, she took out her donkey, A Mang, from her spiritual pet pouch. After encountering the evil cultivator that day, Wei Yunshu feared it would be drained of blood qi and had stored it away. Later, when the evil cultivator near the village was dealt with, she had forgotten about A Mang.
As soon as A Mang landed and steadied itself, it tilted its head up and let out an “Aang” sound. It flicked its hind legs and unceremoniously kicked towards Wei Yunshu!
