"Little Junior Brother is 'Qing A Wang'!"
Gong Chenying, as always, was concise.
"Oh, good, so he's Qing... Qing... Qing A Wang? Which... which 'Qing A Wang'?"
Gong Shanhe nodded, replying casually. He thought Gong Chenying was introducing Li Yan's status within the sect, but after the words left his mouth, he felt something was off.
His mind, which had been preoccupied, suddenly went blank. His eyes widened as he stared at Gong Chenying in disbelief, then quickly turned to look at Li Yan beside him.
As shock filled his heart, a jumble of chaotic thoughts flashed through his mind.
'Do other clans also have the title of "Qing A Wang"? Is Li Yan my daughter's future Dao Companion... No, no, no...'
He had never heard his daughter mention anything about a Dao Companion. He had even suggested she look at which of the talented young men in the clan was suitable...
As he looked at Li Yan in thought, he received no reply from Gong Chenying.
Gong Shanhe couldn't help but turn to look at his daughter again. As he turned his head, he saw Gong Chenying's beautiful eyes staring at him without blinking, not saying a word.
"Daoist... Li... he?"
Gong Shanhe felt a little dazed.
"Mhm!"
Gong Chenying was also helpless. She couldn't send voice transmissions at the moment, and she couldn't just blurt out the matter of the "Navel Ring" with an outsider present.
"Oh, oh, oh..."
A brilliant light shone in Gong Shanhe's eyes. When he turned to look at Li Yan again, a strange smile had appeared on his face.
Li Yan, on the other hand, felt a little uncomfortable under Gong Shanhe's gaze. This gaze was surprisingly fiery. Gong Shanhe now understood some things.
'No wonder this kid, from beginning to end, never called me "Fellow Daoist," but always "Clan Chief." Damn it, so he's my son-in-law. No, wait, this kid has practiced the "Qiongqi Purgatory Art"!'
Previously, because Gong Shanhe had been trapped for too long and had been pushed to the brink of life and death by the three avatars of that "Yin Mountain Beast," his senses were somewhat dulled when Li Yan threw out his magical treasure. At that time, being frozen and focused on breaking out, his perception was a bit blurry.
However, the moment the words "Qing A Wang" were mentioned, Gong Shanhe immediately remembered some things. The biggest benefit of being "Qing A Wang" in the Tianli Clan was the ability to practice this art.
Of course, some people believed it was the women of the Tianli Clan's royal family.
Therefore, whenever a Tianli Clan member heard "Qing A Wang," they would associate it with the two words "outsider" and "Qiongqi Purgatory Art."
'This kid is also a dual dharma-body cultivator. And I thought it was because my qi and blood were insufficient that I couldn't resist those extremely cold yin winds outside the cave...'
Gong Shanhe thought to himself. Outside the cave at that time, he had been pulled back by the wind pillar behind him, but Li Yan had not only not been pulled back but had even advanced step by step against it. This made Gong Shanhe feel a little dejected.
They were both Mid-stage Nascent Soul, yet he was inferior to the other.
'So they are a pair of Dao Companions!'
Hong Yin, on the side, had seen all of this. Although she didn't understand what "Qing A Wang" was, seeing their expressions, she understood the meaning behind it.
"Go and talk to him," Hong Yin suddenly said to Gong Chenying.
Gong Chenying was stunned for a moment before she reacted.
"Thank you, Senior!"
Hong Yin's sudden change in attitude stunned all three of them. Hong Yin had been very difficult to talk to before, so why did she suddenly agree to let the three of them interact?
"Actually, if you are willing, you can also try to undo the seal on her. However, don't blame me for not reminding you. This seal is on her Divine Sense. If something goes wrong and this little girl goes mad, don't say I didn't warn you."
After saying this, Hong Yin closed her mouth again. In fact, there was another sentence she didn't say. If this seal of hers wasn't broken in half a month, Gong Chenying's sea of consciousness would begin to collapse.
If others called her vicious, she wouldn't deny it. To have cultivated to the Spirit Transformation realm back then, although she was a Buddhist disciple, she had also walked out of a sea of blood and a mountain of corpses. The kind-hearted and soft-handed had died countless times long ago.
In fact, even without Hong Yin saying so, Li Yan and Gong Shanhe had no intention of trying to break the seal. Since both sides had reached a preliminary agreement, there was no need to take the risk.
More importantly, after knowing that Hong Yin was once a Mid-stage Spirit Transformation cultivator, they would not easily try to break the seal again.
From Hong Yin's current attitude, it seemed she had already begun to trust them. They couldn't mess things up now.
Apart from her confidence in her sealing technique, Hong Yin also considered that since she had decided to go to the Tianli Clan, she still needed to leave herself some leeway. If the two sides really cooperated, there would be many things she would need to rely on them for in the future.
Since she was quite confident, what was the harm in showing some goodwill? She could see that with her Divine Sense restricted, Gong Chenying had some things she wanted to say but couldn't.
Gong Chenying did not walk directly towards the two of them, but towards one side of the "Cloud-Piercing Willow," and opened her mouth.
"A'die!"
Clearly, she had something to say only to Gong Shanhe. Seeing this, Li Yan could only stay where he was, reaching up to rub his nose as he watched Gong Shanhe stride over...
Half an hour later, a slightly blushing Gong Chenying returned to Hong Yin's side, while Gong Shanhe also walked back with a complicated expression.
He had roughly learned what happened after Li Yan and Zhao Min fell into the Devil's Cliff Crevice. Of course, Gong Chenying had only mentioned these things briefly.
Even so, Gong Shanhe had his own speculations. When Li Yan fell into the Devil's Cliff Crevice, his cultivation was even lower than his daughter's. What did this mean?
It meant that for Li Yan to have his current cultivation, he must have had a great immortal fortune!
Cultivators naturally believed in ghosts, gods, and opportunities. Immortal fortune represented a person's luck. For Gong Chenying to become Dao Companions with such a person was not beneath her status.
As for whether Li Yan could cultivate to this level because of his heaven-defying aptitude?
Gong Shanhe himself wouldn't think so. If Li Yan's aptitude was heaven-defying, it should have been revealed during the Qi Condensation stage, not after leaving the sect.
He also didn't think that Li Yan's cultivation aptitude could surpass his own daughter's by so much.
Gong Shanhe also, of course, learned the reason why Li Yan became "Qing A Wang," as well as the recent major events in the clan and the story of how the two of them came to rescue him.
Only then did Gong Shanhe know that what Li Yan had told him in the underground cave was too "perfunctory" and modest.
He had previously thought that the Tianli Clan had received Li Yan's help, and with his combat power as a Nascent Soul cultivator, his contribution was certainly not small. But he hadn't expected that Li Yan had not only saved Gong Chenying but also killed a Fourth-rank beast and severely injured another of the same rank.
This was what had prevented the elders from perishing, allowing the Tianli Clan to stabilize the situation in what was almost a decisive battle. This alone was enough to have him recorded in the clan's annals of major events.
And this time, before coming out, Li Yan had ended the continuous attacks of the beasts that had lasted for more than ten years. How many clansmen were able to survive each day because of that...
"Thank you for everything you've done for the Tianli Clan. Also... with the Grand Elder being tied down, I and the Sixth Elder didn't know if we could break out of that desperate situation..."
Gong Shanhe thought for a moment and then offered a heartfelt thank you.
But before he could finish, Li Yan interrupted him with a smile.
"You're too kind, Clan Chief. Helping Sixth Senior Sister was something she and I agreed upon long ago in the sect. It's just that I didn't have the ability back then.
As for 'rescuing' you, there's no need for thanks. To be honest, I was originally just coming over to inquire about some news, and this matter was also a condition for the subsequent cultivation method!"
Li Yan said this, not taking credit for rescuing the two of them, but stating his true intentions.
After hearing these words, Gong Shanhe laughed heartily, his approval of Li Yan growing even more.
The other party did not shy away from the purpose of his trip, even mentioning the matter of exchanging for the subsequent "Qiongqi Purgatory Art" cultivation method. This did not make him feel displeased at all, but rather felt that this was the true heart of a cultivator, not hypocrisy.
For a time, the matter of Hong Yin was diluted by a lot.
And in the following time, Gong Shanhe and Li Yan began to whisper to each other, with much less apprehension in their hearts...
A month later, Gong Shanhe, who was sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them. At this moment, although his injuries had not fully recovered, his complexion was much ruddier.
His originally withered and tall body had also regained some blood color and muscle under the skin.
This was due to the recovery from the medicinal pills Li Yan had given him. Although Gong Shanhe would be polite about the pills Li Yan offered, he would no longer consider too many things as he did at the beginning. After all, the hardest thing for a cultivator to repay is a favor.
During this period, Li Yan had been responsible for guarding the surroundings, lowering the aura fluctuations of the "Cloud-Piercing Willow" as much as possible.
Perhaps the Grand Elder and the others had really been holding back several high-rank beasts. Along the way, apart from occasionally encountering some mid-to-low-rank beasts, not a single high-rank beast had appeared.
And those mid-to-low-rank beasts that encountered Li Yan and the others were met with misfortune. With a raise of their hands, not a single beast could survive.
Gong Shanhe had awakened from his cultivation because Li Yan's voice had entered his mind. They were almost at the Tianli Clan.
Hearing this, Gong Shanhe instantly released his Divine Sense. A long-lost, familiar feeling filled his Divine Sense, and a smile immediately appeared on his face.
Then, with a flick of his sleeve, a golden light flashed, and the Sixth Elder also appeared on the "Cloud-Piercing Willow." At this moment, the Sixth Elder was in much better spirits than a month ago.
"Clan Chief..."
"Hehehe... Old Six, we're back!"
The Sixth Elder had just come out and hadn't yet seen his surroundings clearly. Hearing this, he didn't bother to greet the others around him and immediately swept out his Divine Sense.
A moment later, an excited expression appeared on the Sixth Elder's still pale face, his lips trembling slightly.
"Really... really... we're back!"
During those years underground in the swamp, although he felt there would be a day of return, in the end, he had not held much hope, because his body was getting weaker and weaker, and he was on the verge of not being able to hold on...
Just as the Sixth Elder was overcome with emotion, several extremely powerful auras suddenly fluctuated violently in the distant sky. At the same time, several powerful Divine Senses also swept towards them.
Sensing the Divine Sense scan, Li Yan immediately released the concealment on the "Cloud-Piercing Willow," allowing the other party to probe.
Then, several surprised voices sounded in everyone's ears.
"Hmm? How did you get out? No, wait, so it was you causing trouble again!"
"It's Gong Shanhe!"
"Damn it, why aren't they dead yet!"
And almost at the same time, several other voices came from another direction, but these voices were filled with surprise and disbelief.
"Hehehe, it's Shanhe and the others, they're back!"
"Giggle, your return is truly a surprise. Good, really good!"
These voices fell into Li Yan's mind, and he could already distinguish who they were.
The first to speak were Yan San and several Fourth-rank beasts. Yan San's first half of the sentence was shock at seeing Gong Shanhe and the Sixth Elder.
But in an instant, he reacted, because he also noticed Li Yan standing on the side. He immediately guessed that Gong Shanhe's escape was definitely related to this mysterious cultivator.
The beast clan now hated Li Yan to the bone. Now, discovering that Gong Shanhe's return was very likely related to this person, their feelings were no longer just "hate," but an endless loathing and killing intent for Li Yan.
The voices from the other direction, of course, were the Tianli Clan's Grand Elder and Third Elder. Although the Second Elder didn't speak, Li Yan could also sense his aura rapidly approaching.
At this time, he didn't know what the Second Elder was thinking.
"Hahaha... Yan San, did you think that place could trap me? I just wanted to explore it carefully.
I can come out whenever I want.
In the end, your happiness was short-lived. I, Gong Shanhe, am back!"
Gong Shanhe's somewhat arrogant voice also echoed between heaven and earth, shaking the four corners of the world!
At the same time, as their voices fell, and as Li Yan and the others rapidly approached the Tianli Clan, six or seven figures appeared from two directions.
Yan San's eyes had turned blood-red. Not only were Gong Shanhe and the other man and that mysterious cultivator present, but how was there also an additional powerful nun?
On the front lines of the Tianli Clan's battlefield, there had been no major battles for nearly two months. Many Tianli Clan warriors began to slowly cast aside the pain of losing their loved ones and started to talk and laugh again.
Every day, they would look at the defensive line stretching out, watching as the unwilling beasts died in agony, a feeling of indescribable satisfaction and relief in their hearts.
And today, just as they were either gathered together chatting or "admiring" the beasts lingering outside the defensive line, a wild laugh suddenly came from the distant sky.
As this voice echoed through the heavens and the earth, all the warriors in front heard a familiar yet long-lost voice. They all looked up at the sky one by one, their faces filled with disbelief.
"Is... is that the Clan Chief?"
"That's the Clan Chief's voice..."
"No way, you... you pinch me, ouch..."
"The Clan Chief is back, the Clan Chief is back..."...
...
North Ice Continent, in a boundless sea of ice, floated one ice mountain after another, thick layers of ice moving slowly with the seawater.
On a piece of floating ice, a Daoist priest sat cross-legged.
He wore a yellow Daoist robe, a snow-white horsetail whisk tucked into his belt, his face clear and thin, his black hair held in place by a casually inserted cloud-patterned hairpin. He looked to be about thirty years old.
On this boundless sea of ice, he seemed so lonely!
Suddenly, countless ice spikes appeared in the sky, shooting towards the yellow-robed Daoist like a blanket. Amidst a series of "ding, ding, ding..." sounds, rays of yellow light appeared around the yellow-robed Daoist.
When these ice spikes were a foot away from him, they turned into a sky full of ice mist. The piece of floating ice the yellow-robed Daoist was sitting on was instantly shattered into pieces. Some of the surrounding ice peaks were also pierced in an instant.
With a series of loud bangs, the ice peaks began to tilt, collapsing with a "rumble," smashing the icy seawater below and creating monstrous waves of ten thousand zhang.