After distang herself enough, Tang Xi paused among the tree branches, cealing herself within the dense vegetation. Her heart was still pounding, a lingering effect of the adrenaline from her previous battle. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her mind.
'I should send a message to my father so he knows I'm safe.'
The thought came naturally, but she hesitated for a moment. Her father robably worried, and she had already made him wait too long.
So, she decided to act. She searched through her ste ring until she found the unication talisman. As soon as she pulled it out, the paper glowed faintly, indig a pending message.
Surprised, she pced her fingers oalisman, activating it.
— "My daughter, are you alright? Are you hurt? What happened?!"
Her father's voice echoed softly, but the desperation in his tone was unmistakable. The markings on the paper indicated that the message had bee eight days ago—at the exaent she had nearly died in the explosion.
For an instant, Tang Xi felt a tightness in her chest. Her father knew. Somehow, he had known.
However, she didn't allow herself to dwell on the emotion. She quickly respoo the message, inf him that she was safe, had recovered, and would be returning home soon. As she fihe talisman's glow dimmed slightly.
She frow this detail. It meant the talisman could only be used two more times before being useless.
That was when a question arose in her mind:
'If the talisman was stored ihe ring, why did I only receive the message now? Could it be that the space within the ring cuts off e to the outside world?'
She wasn't sure, but she couldn't take any risks. As a precaution, she transferred the talisman to her ste pouch, where she could access it more easily.
With that matter resolved, her mind refocused on what was most urgent.
'Only sixteen days left before the tour…'
Tang Xi felt the urgency growing within her. She o train. She o grow stronger.
'Alright, I o reach at least the sixth level of Body Tempering before the tour. But at my current pace, I'll barely reach the fifth level… That's still too slow.'
If anyone heard her thoughts, they would probably be furious with her. Her cultivation speed was already remarkable—something only cultivators with dual spiritual roots could achieve. She was certainly not someoh waste-grade roots, a, she wanted more.
Of course, her cultivation speed was driven by several factors: her special physique, her advanced cultivation teique, and the intetles she had faced. Every grueling fight seemed to accelerate her prehension and enhance her strength.
But it still wasn't enough.
'I o increase my training efficy. But how?'
Tang Xi pondered for a moment. Every time she faced difficult battles, her progress accelerated.
The fight against the spiritual she desperate battle against the two cultivators. Both had made her evolve at a much faster rate than any prolonged meditation.
'Then, if I expose myself to greater challenges… maybe I reach the sixth level in time.'
It was a risky thought, but a logical one. If she wathen herself quickly, she needed real bat experiences.
'If I use the Lunar Umbrel's resource dete ability, I might find locations that offer suitable challenges…'
Her gaze gleamed with determination. It was a risky method, but she didn't have time for excessive caution.
"Alright then! Lunar Umbrel, activate [Stelr Dete]!"
The Lunar Umbrel opened above her head once again. A soft silver glow emanated from its surface, and in an instant, an invisible force seemed to ect to the world around her.
She felt a subtle pull, as if ahereal current was guiding her instincts. Her path was set.
'I hope it won't be too dangerous this time…'
With aed smile and a sharp gleam in her eyes, Tang Xi silently desded from the tree a off toward the unknown.
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Tang Mansion
Meanwhile, at the Tang Mansion, Tang Wei was in his study, discussing strategies with his old friend, Liao .
— "We just o reach Crimson Lotus City and use the teleportation array. From there, we —"
Before Liao could finish, Tang Wei raised a hand and pulled a message talisman from his ste pouch.
The tension in the air became palpable.
Liao kly what that meant. Tang Xi.
The patriarch activated the talisman without hesitation. His expression remained firm, but his eyes carried a rare iy. As soon as his daughter's voice echoed from the artifact, a visible relief washed over his face.
She was alive.
She was safe.
— "She's fine, she just had an enter with a demonic cultivator," — Tang Wei said, his voice carrying a weight only a worried father could uand.
Liao observed his friend carefully. For the past eight days, Tang Wei had barely rested. He knew how much this mome to him.
— "And what about her progress?" — he asked after a moment.
Tang Wei's response surprised him.
— "She has already reached the fourth level."
Liao raised his eyebrows.
— "Fourth level? In such a short time?"
Tang Wei gave a faint smile, a proud gleam in his eyes.
— "I knew my daughter wasn't ordinary from the moment I first saw her."
Liao crossed his arms, analyzing the information. He had always known Tang Xi possessed talent, but… this level ress was abnormal.
— "If she keeps this up, she won't just reach the fifth level before the tour… She might even surprise us further."
Tang Wei didn't respond immediately. Though he knew his daughter's talent, he also uood that dangerous challenges awaited her.
— "Now that you know she's safe, you refocus on the preparations," — Liao said, steering the versation back to their inal topic.
Tang Wei nodded.
— "Yes. Ohe petition begins, we'll travel to Crimson Lotus City using the special ticket from my tact. From there, we use the teleportation array to—"
And so, they resumed discussing their pns, while the city outside remained in a state of silent vigince.
Most fas believed that Tang Wei was devising termeasures for the ued arrival of Elder Ki.
None of them suspected that his pns were something else entirely.
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