"Senior, I am greatly indebted to you for your intervention this time. My name is Yang Mei."
The young girl walked with Xu Yi for a while before stopping, her eyes sparkling as she expressed her gratitude.
Yang Mei.
Xu Yi smiled faintly. The name reminded her of Pu Tao from the Xuan Ji Sect; both girls had lovely names.
"You don't need to thank me. I simply couldn't stand what that shopkeeper was saying."
The shopkeeper's words reminded Xu Yi of what had happened in Meng Cheng.
She had clashed with members of the Zhen Tian Alliance back then, also because of the Zhen Xiu inscription tablet.
Somewhere along the line, a trend had emerged across the Jiuzhou Continent: without the so-called Zhen Xiu inscription tablet, one could not claim to be a Zhen Xiu.
Xu Yi scoffed at this. If that was the case, then she would most definitely be a Zhen Xiu without an inscription tablet.
"Senior, you also feel that it's unreasonable, don't you?" Yang Mei's eyes gleamed with excitement.
Like Xu Yi, she was also a Zhen Xiu without an inscription tablet.
However, their situations differed. Xu Yi had clashed with members of the Zhen Tian Alliance and had no intention of obtaining an inscription tablet from them. Yang Mei, on the other hand, lacked the spirit stones to participate in the Zhen Xiu assessment.
"The Zhen Tian Alliance stipulates that one must offer a mid-grade spirit stone to participate in the Zhen Xiu assessment," Yang Mei said indignantly. "A mid-grade spirit stone is something I, as a rogue cultivator, would have to save up for a long time without sleep or food. I had planned to sell my array disks and then participate in the assessment, but then..."
Yang Mei's voice trailed off.
Xu Yi was astonished. "It costs a mid-grade spirit stone to participate in the Zhen Xiu assessment?"
"Yes," Yang Mei tilted her head. "Senior is not a Zhen Xiu, right? A mid-grade spirit stone is the price for the first assessment; it's even more expensive later on."
Xu Yi shook her head, clicking her tongue in surprise.
They should really let those three from the Xuan Qing Sect see what true black-heartedness looked like.
Just for the basic assessment, it required a mid-grade spirit stone. The Zhen Tian Alliance was truly a bottomless pit of wealth.
No wonder Master Gongyang, whom she had encountered in Meng Cheng, had resorted to all sorts of means to extort money from that Yuan Dahai.
Xu Yi's impression of the Zhen Tian Alliance sank to a new low.
"I don't have a Zhen Xiu inscription tablet, but I can still be considered a Zhen Xiu, I suppose."
"Ah, Senior, I don't understand what you mean."
Xu Yi shook her head. "It's nothing. You may go now."
She had wanted to express her views to Yang Mei, but then she reconsidered. Yang Mei's situation was different from hers. It would not be good for Yang Mei if she rashly imparted her own ideas. Thus, she swallowed the words that were about to escape her lips.
Yang Mei looked at Xu Yi, seemingly understanding yet not. She suddenly invited her, "May I invite Senior to my home as a guest?"
Seeing Xu Yi turn to look at her, she quickly added, "Senior, I have no other intentions. I simply want to thank you."
"No need. You should hurry back."
Yang Mei couldn't even afford the assessment fee of a single mid-grade spirit stone. Why should Xu Yi trouble herself with her hospitality?
After speaking, Xu Yi prepared to leave. Yang Mei stepped forward two paces and blocked her path.
"Senior, I know you look down on my repayment, but..." Yang Mei hesitated, then bit her lip and mouthed silently, "I have a ruin of an ancient formation at my home."
Xu Yi recognized Yang Mei's lip movements, her pupils contracting. She cast a sharp gaze around, confirming that no one was paying attention to their movements, before softly reprimanding, "How dare you!"
Yang Mei also looked aggrieved. "If Senior hadn't refused, I wouldn't have told you here."
Having grown up in Bagua City as a rogue cultivator since childhood, Yang Mei knew very well how dangerous what she possessed was. That was why she had never told anyone.
She hadn't intended to tell Xu Yi either, but upon hearing Xu Yi say that she, too, was a Zhen Xiu without an inscription tablet, a strong urge to confide in her suddenly arose.
The moment the words left her mouth, she felt a pang of regret. However, seeing Xu Yi even more anxious than herself, that sliver of regret was replaced by a hidden joy.
"Senior, please come home with me." Yang Mei tilted her head slightly, looking at Xu Yi pitifully.
Xu Yi pondered for a moment and ultimately could not resist the temptation of an ancient formation ruin.
She had come to Bagua City precisely for ancient formations. Now that the opportunity was before her, she did not want to miss it.
"Let's go. Lead the way."
"Alright!" Yang Mei responded crisply and, with light steps, led Xu Yi through Bagua City.
"Senior, we've arrived." Yang Mei lowered her head somewhat bashfully.
Before them stood a somewhat dilapidated small house, its corners covered in grayish-green moss.
Xu Yi said calmly, "Your place is quite secluded. It's nice."
Yang Mei offered a shy smile and stepped forward to push open the door.
Xu Yi followed Yang Mei into the small house. Inside, everything was orderly, clean, and tidy, clearly indicating that the owner cherished it.
"Please have a seat, Senior. I'll get you some water."
Xu Yi nodded, not taking a seat immediately. Her gaze fell upon a long table where materials for making array disks were scattered. Beside them lay several half-finished array disks.
"May I take a look at the array disks you've made?" Xu Yi asked loudly.
Yang Mei, holding a teacup, hurried over, her voice trembling, "Y-yes, you may. Please have some water, Senior."
Xu Yi took the teacup and walked to the long table, nodding as she examined them.
Yang Mei stood nervously to the side, not daring to disturb her.
Xu Yi took a sip of water, put down the teacup, and picked up several half-finished array disks, observing them closely. Her eyes grew brighter and brighter.
Although these were only Rank Two array disks, Xu Yi saw something different in them.
The presence of these markings was not strong, and the technique was still immature, but with future growth, they might very well pioneer a new school of thought.
"Did you conceive the array patterns on these yourself?" Xu Yi asked with great interest.
"Some I thought of myself, and some I learned from other places."
Yang Mei was also very excited.
She had sold array disks several times, but none of the shopkeepers who bought them could discern the unique aspects of her array disks.
She was now increasingly certain that Xu Yi was a Zhen Xiu, and moreover, one with profound attainments.
"How old are you?" Xu Yi asked again.
Yang Mei answered obediently, "I am seventeen this year."
Seventeen years old, Foundation Establishment cultivation, Rank Two Zhen Xiu.
Xu Yi combined this information, her eyes lighting up. This was a promising talent.
However, she did not immediately reveal her intentions and said to Yang Mei, "Can you take me to see that thing you mentioned earlier now?"
"Certainly."
Yang Mei led Xu Yi to the innermost room and, to Xu Yi's surprise, pulled open a hidden door on the floor, revealing a passage below.
What surprised Xu Yi was not the existence of a secret passage, but that her divine sense had scanned the room without detecting the slightest anomaly, as if the passage were a figment of her imagination.
Only when she entered the passage with Yang Mei did she finally confirm that there must be an ancient formation here capable of isolating divine sense.