Not long after Ling Ruoxue left, the Soul-Sealing Tower finally produced a result.
Seeing Ji Ci's gesture, Zhang Zuo released the captive.
"Master, how is it? Any results?"
Qin Xiao stepped forward to ask.
"Though it proved somewhat more troublesome than this old man anticipated, the restriction has been successfully lifted."
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 is nothing else, this old man will take his leave. Should Young Friend encounter further difficulties hereafter, you may reach me through the young lady."
Without opening the bag, Ji Ci gave Qin Xiao an approving nod, signaling his favorable impression.
"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.
"Replying to Senior, I am."
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 as much, noting her resemblance to her grandfather, alongside the initial bone assessment and the young miss's unusual partiality.
Similar features, matching age, proper lineage, and surname-the pieces fit.
"Senior knows my grandfather?"
Realizing she had been recognized, Yun Man dropped her guard. Since the old man was a guest invited by Snow Sister, any impropriety would surely have been flagged.
"It is a small world indeed. Your grandfather Yun Lan and I were old acquaintances, though he was consumed by his pursuit of the Dao while I lost myself in formations. By the time the Yun Family fell, he should have reached the late Great Ascension stage. I remain stuck at the mid-Body Integration stage; the gap in talent is humbling."
Ji Ci smiled bitterly.
"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.
"It is better left unasked. With your present cultivation, knowing would serve no purpose. Since you managed to escape, live on quietly."
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 anxiously by the entrance for one of the association's most prized formation masters.
"Since my task of escorting her is complete, I shall take my leave."
Yun Man bowed, considering her duty fulfilled.
"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 has a stubborn life and will not die easily. This is a clash between Body Integration and Soul Formation experts. You are merely at the late Nascent Soul stage-one more of you changes nothing, and one less is hardly missed. He sent you away precisely so I could keep you here. Why return?"
Having guessed Qin Xiao's motive, Ling Ruoxue tried every means to detain her.
"Thank you, Snow Sister, but I have people I must guard. 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."
Powerless to stop her, Ling Ruoxue sighed in frustration.
"Let her be. Time and fate belong to no one; some things cannot be forced, Young Lady."
Instead of intervening, Ji Ci offered words of counsel.
Back at the Heavenly Clothes Pavilion, the restrictions broken, Qin Xiao prepared to question the newly freed men.
"You-Third Elder, was it? Your lives were saved by my hand. It is time you answered some questions."
Qin Xiao looked directly at Duan Mingfei and the three others.
"Ask."
Disillusioned to the core by Clear Wind Ancestor's cold-blooded abandonment, Duan Mingfei felt no remaining loyalty. Since his foster father had sought to kill him, debts were settled.
"What manner of formation has the Clear Wind Sect deployed? Are there vulnerabilities? And how formidable are their remaining Soul Formation elders?"
Qin Xiao focused solely on what mattered for the battle.
"The formation was personally laid down by the Ancestor. Though we foster sons assisted, we understood little of its core principles. However, during a maintenance mishap I attended with my brother, I discovered a fatal flaw: at the start of every month, the spirit stones must be replaced. During that brief window, while the formation does not collapse entirely, its power drops to zero, and a full restart requires the time it takes an incense stick to burn."
If not for that past accident, they would never have known about the monthly vulnerability.
"As for the elders, aside from the Great and Second Elders, the rest broke through only recently through artificial means. Their combat power is hollow and superficial."
Duan Mingfei dismissed them contemptuously, noting that most had been forced through the bottleneck using the Ancestor's formation methods, some even dragged up from the late Nascent Soul stage.
He then recounted the origin of the sect's sudden rise.
Ten years ago, the Clear Wind Sect possessed nearly a hundred Nascent Soul cultivators. One day, the Ancestor gathered everyone at or above the mid-Nascent Soul stage under the guise of an auspicious breakthrough.
All had entered a specialized formation with high hopes.
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.
Because the pavilion had enjoyed Commander Chen's protection and close ties to the Tianyuan Sect at the time, the Clear Wind Ancestor had chosen to bide his time.
"If that is the case, victory is not entirely out of reach."
Qin Xiao's confidence grew upon hearing the intelligence.
"And what are your intentions now? I expended considerable resources to lift your restrictions and spare your lives. Some show of sincerity is in order."
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 recognized Qin Xiao's capability; if even the Ancestor's restrictions could be undone, there was hope. Staying in the Clear Wind Sect meant certain death sooner or later, and the title of sect master was worthless now.
"I am willing to join the pavilion as well."
The sole mid-Nascent Soul cultivator among them hastily stepped forward. He had narrowly escaped the previous purge only because his cultivation had lagged behind. Now that his restriction was gone, returning meant suicide.
"We, too, wish to join the Heavenly Clothes Pavilion."
The remaining two quickly followed suit.