"Qin Yun, I saw that battle you fought very clearly," said Ancestral Master Zhang with a smile. He was initially afraid that Qin Yun was no match for the beast, so he had cast his Dharmic powers right into the Grotto-heaven, allowing him to observe everything. "It hasn't even been twenty years since you stepped into the Dao but you already have strength that matches the peak third Firmament Essence Soul realm. Truly impressive. I wasn't as fast as you in my time."
"Senior Zhang, you of all people know that I have actually cultivated for more than a hundred years," said Qin Yun. "And it's precisely because of the opportunity to dream a hundred years that I was able to step into the Dao and attain my present strength."
"Who doesn't have opportunities?" quipped Ancestral Master Zhang. "Continue to cultivate well. It becomes relatively easier to obtain treasures the stronger you are. That fiendish demon abducted your wife but nothing has been heard from him for more than ten years. Clearly, the fiendish demons… are plotting something huge. It does not seem like it will rear its head anytime soon. Therefore, it will be a victory for us if you get Puqu Dragonlord to save your wife before they take action."
"Do you think any danger will befall my wife?" Qin Yun felt uneasy.
"You are suffering from anxiety," consoled Ancestral Master Zhang. "Don't worry. Since that fiendish demon paid such a huge price to abduct your wife, they will absolutely not kill her that easily."
Qin Yun nodded slightly.
Ancestral Master Zhang was helpless as well. In fact, he was only guessing that Yi Xiao was likely alive! He had no proof.
However, Ancestral Master Zhang and Human Emperor had chosen to give Qin Yun 'hope,' allowing him to have astounding motivation! It also prevented his Sword Dao from changing too much because of his change in character.
"Oh, right."
Ancestral Master Zhang beckoned his hand as items flew out from the surface of the black beast's body. It was still sprawled on the cloud like an obedient house cat. There were Cosmic Bags, a golden Heart-Protecting Mirror, and other items. Ancestral Master Zhang first held the Cosmic Bag, opened it, and placed the Heart-Protecting Mirror and other items inside.
"These are the treasures he carried. Since you discovered him, they belong to you." Ancestral Master Zhang threw the Cosmic Bag at Qin Yun.
However, Qin Yun rejected it immediately, "He was only captured because of your help, Senior Zhang."
"That's enough."
Ancestral Master Zhang shook his head. "I'm not short of treasures. Besides, discovering him was the most difficult task! Once discovered, you could have requested any of us—me, East Sea Skydragon, Mahākāśyapa, or Old Bai—and he would have been easily taken down. Speaking of which… You did a great thing for the Great Chang world by discovering him. We should be the ones rewarding you. Count the treasures on him as your reward. The treasures you found are also not very precious. I've looked through them. There's not a single Numinous treasure! That Heart-Protecting Mirror does seem like the remnant of a Numinous treasure, however."
Qin Yun nodded and did not speak further.
He was indeed lacking treasures. They held the key to the lives of his wife and daughter.
He did not even know if his daughter had been born safely! Were they suffering?
Qin Yun felt a pain in his heart when he thought of these matters.
However, he was already accustomed to it after the past fifteen years!
"I'll be returning to the Divine Firmament Chapter first to question him properly," said Ancestral Master Zhang. "After I learn more, I'll send you a message."
"Alright." Qin Yun nodded but he could not help but ask, "Senior Zhang, is there any chance of heading to other worlds? It's been hard to find treasures in our Great Chang world. Perhaps I can make some attempts in the other worlds."
"Your control over the void is rather formidable at present. I believe you can head to other worlds yourself," said Ancestral Master Zhang. "However, if you were to head there blindly, you would definitely suppressed by the natives as an outsider. You might even be captured! Secondly, it is difficult to obtain treasures in the Great Chang world but finding Numinous treasures is just as hard in other worlds. You are completely unfamiliar with the place and people there. Without any prior intelligence, it would actually be much more difficult than traveling the Great Chang world. Therefore… unless you happen upon some unique chance, it's best you stay in the Great Chang world."
"Will a unique chance really come?" asked Qin Yun.
"Not for the time being," said Ancestral Master Zhang. "Don't worry. I will inform you once there is a chance."
Qin Yun nodded.
He had no choice but to wait.
After all, he had no contacts in the other worlds.
After Ancestral Master Zhang left with the beast, Qin Yun returned to his residence in Li Mountain City.
Inside the manor.
Qin Yun sat alone in a yard. He had a wine flask and two cups sitting in front of him.
He took out a jade bottle, pulled the stopper and retrieved one pill. It was a Nine Revolutions Spirit Pill. He split it naturally into two halves before placing half of it into the cup and the other back into the jade bottle.
He put away the jade bottle.
Qin Yun filled both cups to the brim. The half pill naturally dissolved into the wine.
Qin Yun held one cup and drank silently as he left the cup with the dissolved pill to the side.
Moments later, Hu Si greeted Qin Yun respectfully when he saw Qin Yun from afar. He was sweeping the floor with a broom in his only hand.
"Hu Si, come over," shouted Qin Yun.
Hu Si placed the broom to the side, perplexed. He ran to Qin Yun's side and asked reverently, "Master, is there something?"
"By the way, where is your wife?" asked Qin Yun.
"She's in the house," answered Hu Si.
"Tell her to come out," instructed Qin Yun.
The feeling that something was amiss grew in Hu Si's heart. However, he shouted loudly for the young fox demoness. Soon, she rushed over from the front yard. She looked at Qin Yun nervously because he knew her true identity.
"I have been in Li Mountain City for about three months now." Qin Yun looked at the couple and said with a smile, "It was truly fate that brought us together. I'll be leaving today. Here, Hu Si. Let me offer you a toast."
"You are leaving?"
Hu Si turned flustered. Didn't that mean that his quiet days were over? However, he raised the cup of wine.
Qin Yun drank his wine while Hu Si drank the wine that had half a Nine Revolutions Spirit Pill dissolved into it. Qin Yun smiled at Hu Si after he finished drinking.
"Oh?" Hu Si's face instantly flushed red. His blood began boiling as his arm began regrowing at a discernible rate. His channels that had been maimed by poison were rapidly recovering and, most importantly, his dantian was beginning to recover!
A Nine Revolutions Spirit Pill could even treat a heavily injured Essence Soul immortal.
Hu Si had only cultivated to the Postnatal Qi Refinement realm. Despite being heavily injured and having lost an arm, half a Nine Revolutions Spirit Pill was sufficient to heal him!
"I…" Not only had Hu Si's dantian recovered, he also recovered his Quintessential Essence Dharmic powers that he used to have. Clearly, the medicinal essence was more than enough. It restored him to the limit his dantian could withstand—his original eleventh stage Qi Refinement realm.
"Whoosh."
Hu Si stood there with two arms once again. His lusterless skin turned a lot fairer and he had rich Dharmic powers circling him. His bearing was clearly different.
"I've recovered? I have recovered?" Hu Si found it unbelievable.
"Darling." The young fox demoness turned excited seeing the scene. "Your arm has regrown. You…"
"That cup of wine…" Hu Si looked at the cup of wine in his hand and then turned to look at the sitting Qin Yun. Immediately, he understood what had happened. He knelt down to thank Qin Yun. "Master, I was a cripple for so long but you saved me. I do not know how I can ever repay my gratitude towards you."
Hu Si knew very well how difficult it was to treat injuries like the ones he suffered.
The entire Li Mountain Sect was unable to do a thing, even if they used everything at their disposal. Qin Yun had definitely paid a huge price to save him.
"We have spent some time together now, and I came to feel that you are more than worth saving. Besides… you helped me find that cave abode. It was a great help to me too," said Qin Yun with a smile. With a thought, he pulled Hu Si up.
Hu Si was extremely excited.
How could he not be, considering how he went from a cripple to a cultivator at the eleventh stage of the Qi Refinement realm?
He looked at his wife joyfully.
But suddenly, his expression changed. The fox demoness was too excited and let slip a tiny bit of her demonic aura. In fact, she was only a Postnatal lesser demoness. That level of control over her aura was only normal. Hu Si was unable to notice it before because he was a cripple. But now, he immediately noticed it.
"Hui'er." Hu Si immediately activated his Dharma Eyes, realizing that his wife was a fox demoness.
The color in the young fox demoness's face drained when she saw the runic patterns forming in her husband's eyes.
"Hui'er, you…" Hu Si found it unbelievable.
"Darling. I-I have been lying to you all this time," said the young fox demoness worriedly. "I'm indeed a demoness, but I have never once thought of harming you. I…"
"Hu Si, you are a human and she is a demon," said Qin Yun.
Hu Si was taken aback as he bowed at Qin Yun, saying, "Master, I owe you greatly but Hui'er did not despise me even when I was at my poorest. She helped me and has been supplementing my family's income at our worst. She took care of my mother, and without her my mother would have long died of her illness. Master, I know you are a cultivation expert but please do not separate me and Hui'er."
The young fox demoness's eyes welled with tears when she heard that.
"Don't separate you?" Qin Yun frowned.
Hu Si instantly turned nervous as he added, "Hui'er truly loves me and I truly love her."
"Darling." The young fox demoness grabbed Hu Si's hand and could not contain her excitement.
Qin Yun laughed when he saw this.
Qin Yun was reminded of his loving days with Yi Xiao when he looked at the couple.
"Since it's true love, cherish it properly." Qin Yun stood up, waved his hand, threw a book on the table, and walked out. "This is a sword technique I created. If you were to attain sword intent one day, you can find me in Qin Manor of Jiang Prefecture's Grand Dominance."
With that said, Qin Yun vanished.
Hu Si held up the book. On it were the words: 'Mirror Lake Sword Art.' This was a sword technique that Qin Yun had created over the past few days with Hu Si's character in mind.
"Mirror Lake Sword Art?" Hu Si looked up but Qin Yun was long gone.
"Qin Manor of Jiang Prefecture's Grand Dominance?" The young fox demoness was alarmed. "Senior Qin is…"
"The world's best sword immortal. Grand Dominance's Sword Immortal Qin." Hu Si was excited as well.
"Senior Qin said to find him in Grand Dominance when you attain sword intent," said the young fox demoness in excitement. "Senior Qin intends to groom you."
"Yes." Hu Si nodded immediately.
He looked at the young fox demoness and hugged her with a smile.
The young fox demoness was taken aback before she leaned closer towards her husband and whispered, "Darling, I was really afraid. Afraid that you wouldn't want me after discovering that I was a demoness."
"There are many humans who are eviler than fiendish demons. There are also demons… that are better than humans," whispered Hu Si.
In midair, Qin Yun looked at Li Mountain City one last time. He smiled when he saw the embracing couple in the yard. Following that, he let out a light sigh before turning around to streak across the sky, departing the area.