Chapter 142: Restrictions Lifted, Assessing the Actual Situation

Not long after Ling Ruoxue left, the work inside the Soul-Locking Tower was finally finished.

Seeing Ji Ci’s gesture, Zhang Zuo let him out.

“Master, how is it? Any results?”

Qin Xiao stepped forward to ask.

“It took more than I expected, but I’ve removed the restrictions.”

Ji Ci had not only removed the restrictions from the four men but had also unraveled much of their underlying principles, which accounted for the delay.

“Many thanks, Master. Please accept this material fee.”

Seeing success, Qin Xiao promptly produced a Storage Bag and handed it over.

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll head back. If you need help again, young friend, you can find me through the young lady.”

Ji Ci did not open the Storage Bag. He nodded to Qin Xiao, showing his approval and letting him know he could come to him with future problems.

“Your words are a great honor, Master. Disciple, escort the Master all the way to the Immortal Dao Merchant Association.”

Qin Xiao offered formal thanks before instructing Yun Man to accompany the old master.

Ji Ci and Yun Man then stepped out of the Heavenly Clothes Pavilion.

Qin Xiao’s intention was straightforward: by having Yun Man accompany him, he hoped Ling Ruoxue might persuade her to remain at the association until the crisis passed.

After walking some distance, Ji Ci finally opened the Storage Bag to take a look.

“This lad is quite something. You are his disciple?”

Inside lay one hundred High Grade Spirit Stones-nearly twenty times the one million requested for materials. Even without factoring in exchange rates, a hundred High Grade Spirit Stones exceeded ten million Low Grade Spirit Stones.

“Yes, Senior.”

Though puzzled by the abrupt question, Yun Man answered truthfully.

“You must be Yun Lan’s granddaughter, are you not? I caught a glimpse of you when I visited the Yun Family years ago, though you were quite small then.”

Ji Ci had guessed her identity already. Yun Man resembled her grandfather; examining her bones and seeing the Eldest Miss’s attitude toward her had made him almost certain.

Her looks and age fit, as did her connections and surname. It had to be her.

“Senior knows my grandfather?”

Since he had recognized her, Yun Man did not hide it. Sister Ruoxue had invited him and would have warned her if anything were wrong. Without such a warning, she could trust him.

“As it happens, your grandfather Yun Lan and I are old acquaintances. He was obsessed with cultivation, while I devoted myself to formations. By the time disaster struck the Yun Family, he must have reached late Great Ascension, hadn’t he? I’m still at mid Body Integration. Our talents are worlds apart.”

Ji Ci smiled bitterly. Read this novel at NovelPing for the best experience.

“Does Senior happen to know why the Yun Family met with such a disaster?”

Yun Man had never uncovered the true cause of the tragedy.

“Don’t ask about it. At your present strength, knowing would do you no good. Since you escaped, make the most of your life.”

Ji Ci offered no further explanation.

“If Senior will not speak, I shall find out for myself.”

Seeing his reluctance, Yun Man pressed no further.

Moments later, the two arrived at the Immortal Dao Merchant Association.

“Master Ji, you have returned. And Man’er is here as well.”

Ling Ruoxue had been waiting at the entrance since her return. Ji Ci was due back soon, and he was one of the association’s most valued formation masters.

“Now that I’ve escorted him here, I’ll head back.”

With Ling Ruoxue there to receive him, Yun Man considered her task complete.

“Man’er, the Clear Wind Sect is already making its move, and the Heavenly Clothes Pavilion cannot prevail. Stay here where I can protect you.”

Ling Ruoxue urged her to remain.

“I must return. I have to protect my master.”

Yun Man refused outright.

“He’s too lucky to die. Besides, this is a battle between Body Integration and Soul Formation cultivators, and you’re only at late Nascent Soul. One more or one less won’t change anything. He sent you to escort the Master so I could keep you here. Why go back?”

Ling Ruoxue had guessed Qin Xiao’s intention and did her best to persuade Yun Man to stay.

“Thank you, Sister Ruoxue. I understand, but I have someone I must protect. Farewell.”

Without another word, Yun Man turned and walked away.

“Ah, Master, had I known she was so stubborn, I would have asked you to bind her in place.”

Ling Ruoxue could do nothing. She could neither beat Yun Man nor stop her; otherwise, she would have taken matters into her own hands.

“Let her go. Everyone has their own fate. Some things can’t be forced, Eldest Miss.”

Instead of intervening, Ji Ci offered words of counsel.

Back at the Heavenly Clothes Pavilion, Qin Xiao let the four men out now that their restrictions were gone.

“You’re the Third Elder, right? I saved your lives. Now you can answer whatever I ask, can’t you?”

Qin Xiao pointed at Duan Mingfei and the other three. Read this novel at novelping dot com for the best experience.

“Ask.”

Duan Mingfei had lost all faith in the Clear Wind Ancestor. When he coughed up blood, he knew his foster father had tried to kill him. They owed each other nothing now.

“How does the Clear Wind Sect’s formation work? Does it have any weaknesses? How strong are your Soul Formation elders?”

Qin Xiao focused solely on what mattered for the battle.

“The Ancestor laid it himself. We foster sons helped, but didn’t understand much. Once, when something went wrong, he called my brother and me to repair it. That was when we discovered its weakness. The Spirit Stones have to be replaced at the start of every month. While they’re being changed, the formation stays in place but has no power. Restarting it takes as long as an incense stick burns.”

Duan Mingfei revealed the formation’s weakness outright. Without that incident, they would never have learned that it needed new Spirit Stones every month and lost all power while they were being changed.

“As for the elders, except for the Great and Second Elders, they only broke through in recent years. They’re poor fighters. Their cultivation is unstable and hollow—just impressive on the surface.”

Duan Mingfei dismissed these elders as worthless. The Ancestor had forced all their breakthroughs with a formation; some had even been raised from late Nascent Soul.

He then recounted the origin of the sect’s sudden rise.

Ten years ago, the Clear Wind Sect had nearly a hundred Nascent Soul cultivators. One day, the Ancestor gathered everyone at mid Nascent Soul or above, saying he would help them raise their cultivation.

They were all delighted and agreed, then entered a special formation.

A month later, only seven individuals emerged-the current seven Soul Formation elders, two of whom had been pulled from the late Nascent Soul tier.

The rest vanished without a trace, and discussion of the matter was strictly forbidden within the sect. Yet that sudden influx of strength allowed the Clear Wind Sect to overshadow the Heavenly Clothes Pavilion.

At the time, the Heavenly Clothes Pavilion still had Commander Chen’s protection, and Ye Qiuyue was close to the Tianyuan Sect. The Clear Wind Ancestor therefore chose to keep lying low.

“Then we do have a chance of fighting them.”

Qin Xiao’s confidence grew upon hearing the intelligence.

“What do you four plan to do now? I spent a lot to remove your restrictions and saved your lives. Surely you owe me something.”

Qin Xiao surveyed the four men.

“Please save my eldest brother, Young Master. If you can lift his restriction as well, I am willing to pledge allegiance to the Heavenly Clothes Pavilion.”

Duan Mingfei now understood what Qin Xiao could do. If he could remove even the Ancestor’s restrictions, perhaps he could save Duan’s eldest brother too. Staying in the Clear Wind Sect meant never knowing when he might die. Better to get out; his brother could give up that wretched Sect Leader position.

“I am willing to join the pavilion as well.”

The only mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator also hastened to agree. Back then, he had escaped the disaster because he had not yet broken through to mid Nascent Soul; otherwise, he too might have vanished. With his restriction removed, he did not want to go back. The Ancestor had already tried to kill them once.

“We, too, wish to join the Heavenly Clothes Pavilion.”

The remaining two quickly followed suit.