Five hundred miles from the Sky Void Palace, atop a mountain peak. Dawn was just breaking. A sprawling campsite lay here, covering an area several kiloters across.
Figures clad in stealth gear, evidently exhausted from the previous night’s harrowing battle, rested within the camp. Their safe retreat had been a stroke of sheer luck.
These were the experts from Saintess Hall who had retreated from the Sky Void Palace.
Inside a tent at the center of the campsite, Ling Chen lay on a mat, his face pale, apparently unconscious. Beside him was Xia Yunxin.
Xia Yunxin held a damp towel, gently wiping Ling Chen’s forehead.
"Yan’er..." Ling Chen mumbled, his words indistinct.
Still thinking about that woman...
Xia Yunxin’s brow furrowed slightly. She hadn’t expected Ling Chen to still be clinging to hope for Xu Ruoyan, even in this situation.
To be so devoted to one person, to go to such lengths for her...
Xia Yunxin’s slender fingers gently caressed Ling Chen’s face. She suddenly recalled mories from long ago, from her early childhood.
Around the age of fifteen or sixteen, she had been tasked with protecting a child, a boy much younger than herself. However, she had always watched over him from the shadows, never truly eting him face-to-face. Yet, this boy had, in a way, grown up with her. And now, he was the man lying before her.
He clearly liked when we were children. Why did he beco so distant as we grew older?
A soft light flickered in Xia Yunxin’s beautiful eyes. Although it often seed Ling Chen had taken advantage of her through mishaps, she had, in truth, always treated him with genuine sincerity, a stark contrast to how she treated others. This wasn’t for any particular reason other than the simple fact that they had known each other for a very long ti.
WHOOSH!
At that mont, a figure suddenly entered the tent from outside. It was Liu Xiling.
"How is Chen’er?" Liu Xiling asked, looking at Xia Yunxin.
"His internal and external injuries are severe, but they aren’t life-threatening, nor will they damage his foundation," Xia Yunxin replied, shaking her head, her expression grave.
"Why didn’t you stop him?" Liu Xiling looked at Xia Yunxin with a hint of reproach. "This was incredibly dangerous. If I had arrived even a mont later, the consequences would have been unthinkable."
"You know his temperant, Mistress." Xia Yunxin managed a faint, sowhat bitter smile. "How could I have stopped him? I could only opt for the most prudent course of action and hope to redy the situation. Thankfully, Mistress, you arrived in ti."
"Enough about that." Liu Xiling shook her head. She walked over to Ling Chen’s side, took out a Green Pill, and placed it in his mouth. Then, she channeled a stream of True Qi into his body, beginning to heal his injuries.
This healing process lasted for about the ti it takes for an incense stick to burn before Liu Xiling finally stopped channeling True Qi into Ling Chen. She herself was versed in many diverse arts and possessed so knowledge of dicine, so she was naturally capable of tending to Ling Chen’s wounds.
"Let’s go outside and let him rest. He should wake up soon," Liu Xiling said, waving Xia Yunxin out.
"Alright." After covering Ling Chen with a blanket, Xia Yunxin followed Liu Xiling out of the tent.
Outside the tent, the moon hung high, clear and bright.
"Yun Xin, how long have you been with ?" Liu Xiling asked softly, turning to Xia Yunxin after they had walked a short distance to the edge of a mountain stream.
"It should be fifteen years now," Xia Yunxin replied.
"Fifteen years." A wistful look flickered in Liu Xiling’s beautiful eyes. "Counting back, it’s been nearly fifteen or sixteen years since I left that place."
"Is Mistress referring to her hotown?" A curious look appeared on Xia Yunxin’s face. She had often heard Liu Xiling make similar remarks in the past, and she had a premonition that her Mistress’s origins were far from simple. Others might not know, but she was keenly aware of Liu Xiling’s vast Divine Power. In her eyes, Liu Xiling seed almost omniscient. Even though Liu Xiling’s current cultivation was only at the Fifth Level of the Sky Apex Realm, Xia Yunxin dared to claim that even a supre expert at the Ninth Level of the Sky Apex Realm might not be Liu Xiling’s match.
"Yes." Liu Xiling nodded, seemingly lost in thought for a mont. However, she quickly turned, a serious expression settling on her face as she said, "Yun Xin, I would like to ask sothing of you."
"Please tell , Mistress," Xia Yunxin said, bowing her head respectfully.
"I hope that in the future, you can help look after Chen’er. After all, while he is highly talented with limitless potential, he is young and hot-headed, prone to acting recklessly on impulse."
"I’m afraid I’m not up to the task," Xia Yunxin said. "Ling Chen’s strength has already surpassed mine."
"No, others might not be able to, but you definitely can." A sharp glint flashed in Liu Xiling’s eyes. "You are naturally intelligent, ticulous in your thoughts, and your talent in martial arts is comndable. Only you can take good care of him."
"Why does Mistress suddenly speak of such things?" Xia Yunxin sensed sothing was amiss. "Has sothing happened? Are you leaving?"
"Hmm." Liu Xiling nodded, her gaze drifting into the distance. "I’m afraid it will be very soon. And once I leave, I may not be able to return."
"Why so suddenly?" Xia Yunxin was caught off guard. Just as she was about to ask more, a dark figure suddenly flitted through the nearby shadows.
"Who’s there?" Drawing the Treasure Sword from her waist, a wary look instantly appeared on Xia Yunxin’s striking face.
"It’s ." A figure stepped out from the darkness. It was none other than Ling Chen.
"You’re awake?" Xia Yunxin’s eyes lit up. "Your injuries have only just begun to heal. Why are you already out?"
"These minor injuries are nothing," Ling Chen said, waving his hand dismissively. His mind wasn’t on his wounds; he had clearly heard Liu Xiling say she was leaving. From her tone, it sounded like no ordinary journey; she was likely planning to leave the Five Country Territory.
"This matter can’t be explained in a few words," Liu Xiling said lightly, shaking her head. "I’ll tell you everything slowly once you’ve recovered."
"HEH HEH, explain slowly? I’m afraid you won’t get the chance."
Suddenly, an eerie laugh echoed. A dark figure slowly erged from a shadowy area. It was a middle-aged man dressed in black, exuding an incredibly sinister and powerful aura, far stronger than even Liu Xiling’s.
"Ling’er, you truly are the most outstanding woman of our Liu Family. Such sharp deductive abilities; I must admit my inferiority."
Hearing the voice, Ling Chen and Xia Yunxin turned, their hearts sinking in astonishnt. This individual, who had appeared so unexpectedly, was clearly a peerless expert.
Liu Xiling’s pupils constricted slightly, her brow furrowing. Have they found this quickly? Although she knew they would co for her eventually, she hadn’t anticipated they would arrive so soon.
"If you hadn’t launched such a conspicuous attack on the Sky Void Palace and had instead remained hidden in your Saint Witch Religion den, finding you would have indeed taken us considerably more effort."
From another direction, an old man erged. His aura was also exceedingly formidable, at least at the Seventh Level of the Sky Apex Realm, or even higher.
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