"Fellow Daoist Xu!"
"Ah?"
Half an hour later, Ancestor Jian finally emerged from his memories, his emotions restored to calm. However, the gratitude in his eyes towards Xu Yi remained.
"Fellow Daoist Xu, you have helped me immensely this time. I truly don't know how to thank you. How about this: follow me to the Jian family's treasury. Take whatever catches your eye."
Following Wei Qingshan, Ancestor Jian extended an invitation to the treasury to Xu Yi.
Xu Yi's fingers twitched uncontrollably. She quickly admonished herself in her heart, telling herself that those items were merely chicken ribs, not treasures.
However, there was one thing she was genuinely interested in.
Xu Yi hesitated for a moment, then pointed at the square box on the ground. "Ancestor Jian, I'm not very interested in other things. Could you possibly gift me this item?"
Xu Yi felt that both the material of the square box and the patterns on it were peculiar, and they were worth studying.
"Of course, take it."
To Ancestor Jian, the square box was more like a chicken rib.
After all, the square box remained stubbornly shut in his hands, and offering it to Xu Yi as a return gift was a more than welcome favor.
Xu Yi thanked Ancestor Jian, stored the square box in her spatial ring, and planned to have Teacher Yuwen examine it upon her return to Kunlun Academy.
Ancestor Jian also invited Xu Yi, Wang Yang, and Xiao Yi to a farewell dinner before seeing them off the next day.
Before leaving, Xu Yi asked Ancestor Jian to help deliver a message to the Pavilion Master of Mingyue Pavilion, asking her to personally pick up Xiao Yi from the Huofu Sect.
With the precedent of Wang Biyun, Xu Yi did not dare to entrust the task to just anyone.
The Huofu Sect was located on Huofeng Mountain outside Huoshi City, only half a day's journey from the Jian family residence.
Originally, the three of them could have reached the Huofu Sect by noon. However, Wang Yang mentioned that it was rare for him to come down the mountain, so he wanted to buy gifts for his junior disciples and his master and uncles. Thus, the trio lingered in Huoshi City for another two hours.
As they were leaving the city, Wang Yang looked embarrassed, holding a sugar figurine that was identical to Xiao Yi's.
"Senior, you've spent money on me again."
Wang Yang, being simple-minded, didn't realize the impropriety of buying gifts for juniors in the presence of a senior like Xu Yi.
Only after Xu Yi paid for everything he had picked out and added a few more items that, while not expensive, were very practical, did he realize his oversight.
"It's nothing. Am I not an honorary elder of the Huofu Sect? Consider these gifts a token of my appreciation."
Xu Yi was now wealthy and didn't care about a few spirit stones.
"Why don't you tell me about the current situation of your Huofu Sect, so I can be prepared in advance?"
"Certainly."
Wang Yang's spirits lifted, and he enthusiastically recounted the affairs of the Huofu Sect.
After listening, Xu Yi understood why they had been looked down upon by the gatekeeper when they first announced their affiliation with the Jian family.
She had always known that the Huofu Sect was in decline, but she hadn't realized the extent of its dire straits.
Including the sect leader, the Huofu Sect now had only a little over twenty members, and this number included new disciples who hadn't even completed the Qi entry stage.
The current Sect Leader of the Huofu Sect, Zhan Fei, was a cultivator in the Integration stage and the sect's strongest combatant.
He had four disciples: the eldest, Wang Yang; the second, Jiang Hai; the third, Sha He; and the fourth, Chi Xiaoxi.
In addition to them were Sect Leader Zhan Fei's three junior brothers and their respective disciples.
The sect's personnel were so few that one could remember everyone after hearing their names once.
Even Xiao Yi chimed in, saying innocently, "Brother Wang Yang, your sect has so few people."
Wang Yang's face flushed slightly as he forced an explanation, "That's because our sect has strict requirements for disciples, valuing quality over quantity. Not everyone can become a disciple of the Huofu Sect."
Xu Yi nodded. Wang Yang's statement wasn't entirely false.
After all, a single Integration stage cultivator could attract many people to seek discipleship. Yet, Wang Yang's master had only accepted four disciples so far, indicating that he didn't intend to lower his standards for accepting disciples due to other factors.
Thinking this way, Xu Yi understood why the Huofu Sect was becoming increasingly dilapidated.
The prosperity of a sect was closely tied to its disciples. Under the stringent requirements of the Huofu Sect, the number of qualified disciples was extremely limited, naturally leading to a decline in the sect's vitality.
However, in Xu Yi's opinion, the members of the Huofu Sect didn't seem to be against this situation. This was evident from the optimistic Wang Yang.
Huofeng Mountain was not very tall, covered in lush trees and filled with the fragrance of flowers and the chirping of birds. It resembled a scenic spot for a leisurely outing rather than a sect's dwelling.
Xiao Yi couldn't walk any further halfway up. Wang Yang wanted to carry her, but she sternly refused and turned to hug Xu Yi instead.
As Xu Yi carried Xiao Yi and ascended to the summit with Wang Yang, they saw a majestic mountain gate.
Xu Yi nodded, realizing from the mountain gate that the Huofu Sect had indeed been very prosperous in the past.
She stopped, intending to wait for Wang Yang to report before proceeding to visit.
Wang Yang took a few steps and, seeing Xu Yi not following, turned back in confusion. "Senior, why did you stop so suddenly?"
"Don't you need to report first?"
Wang Yang suddenly understood. "Senior, our Huofu Sect never stands on ceremony. You may follow me."
Xu Yi thought it best to follow local customs and no longer hesitated, walking towards the Huofu Sect's mountain gate with Wang Yang.
Then, she discovered a second unusual aspect.
"Wang Yang, doesn't your Huofu Sect have defensive formations set up outside?"
"Yes, Master said they consume spirit stones, and not many people come here usually, so we didn't set them up," Wang Yang replied nonchalantly.
Xu Yi exchanged a look with Xiao Yi in her arms, both feeling incredulous.
Even Xiao Yi knew that defensive formations were essential outside mountain gates to ward off external enemies and serve as a warning.
Yet, the Huofu Sect's conditions were so dire that they had even forgone defensive formations.
Xu Yi felt a pang of pity and considered offering to set up a defensive formation for them free of charge.
Passing through the mountain gate, the three walked along a small path lined with various flowers and medicinal plants.
"These were all planted by the junior sister. She has a natural affinity for spiritual plants, and anything she plants will thrive," Wang Yang proudly introduced to Xu Yi.
Xu Yi also noticed the peculiarity of these spiritual plants, her eyes flashing with deep astonishment.
These spiritual plants, despite having different growth environments and habits, were all blooming and bearing fruit on the same soil, thriving to their fullest.
If Wang Yang wasn't lying, then his junior sister, Chi Xiaoxi, possessed a heaven-defying talent for planting spiritual plants. If word of this got out, many alchemists would likely try to forge a connection with her.
"Don't tell anyone about this," Xu Yi earnestly cautioned.
Wang Yang blinked, then blurted out, "My master has also said similar things. But you are different from outsiders, which is why I didn't keep it a secret."
His heartfelt words left Xu Yi unsure how to respond.
Fortunately, Wang Yang didn't expect an answer from Xu Yi and quickly moved on to the next topic.
Xu Yi, holding Xiao Yi, felt a bit troubled. It seemed her title as an honorary elder was something she couldn't shake off.