Yunxi waved a hand to open the restriction, flashed to the courtyard gate, looked at the astonished man before her, and raised a brow. "Xiao He, long time no see!"
Xiao He stared at the somewhat unfamiliar female cultivator before him, stunned for a moment. But when he saw the red panda in her arms, he immediately came to his senses and instinctively cupped his hands in greeting. "Xiao He greets Fairy Ranxi."
Yunxi waved her hand. "We haven't met since the battle at Cloud Sea in the Weiling Realm. Have you and Xiao Lei been well? How did you end up here?"
After finishing his salute, Xiao He lowered his gaze, seeming to weigh his words.
Yunxi spoke first. "Come in and talk."
"Yes."
Xiao He then stepped carefully into the Dharma House. The two sat beneath the Peach Blossom Tree, followed by a brief silence.
Yunxi stroked Lili's head. A glimmer flashed through her eyes as she looked at Xiao He, then she asked in a low voice, "Did something happen to you, or to your sister?"
Hearing Yunxi's question, Xiao He abruptly lifted his head, only to lower it again in dejection a moment later. "Fairy, my strength was insufficient. I caused my sister and myself to be targeted again."
Yunxi did not interrupt, merely signaling for him to continue.
"After the battle at Cloud Sea, my sister and I met at the Haoran Sect. She was doing well in the sect, and under Fairy's care, her cultivation improved greatly.
"But in the end, we were not Haoran Sect disciples. After I recovered from my injuries, my sister and I left the Haoran Sect. To avoid being targeted by evil cultivators again, we concealed our names and went to cultivate in perilous lands rarely visited by cultivators,