On the thirteenth day of the winter month, on Green Leaf Peak.

Inside his Immortal Cave, Song Yan, with disheveled hair, soaked in a warm pool, easing the fatigue brought by long days of arduous Cultivation.

He raised his right hand out of the water, and a warm Sword Qi flowed and circled around his fingertips, between his fingers, on the back of his hand, and around his wrist.

This was a small trick described in the complete Five Stars Seizing Meridians Cultivation Technique, used to train the flexibility of Divine Sense during ordinary times.

"Buzz..."

The Sword Qi detached from his right hand, and Song Yan raised his left hand, ready to catch it.

"Bang!"

A snake shadow broke out of the water from beneath the warm pool, actually snatching the Sword Qi in its mouth, and re-submerged into the pool.

"..."

Song Yan smiled helplessly.

The little green snake secretly surfaced, its eyes looking at him with triumph.

"Hehe~ You lost."

It was strange; although the Sword Qi was clearly sharp, Xiao He could hold it in her mouth without getting hurt.

Song Yan cupped a handful of clear water, wiped his face, and casually asked, "Where did you hide?"

On the other side where the little snake’s head emerged, a soft snake tail appeared from under the water.

The Flawless Sword Qi was circling Xiao He’s tail, slowly rotating.

"Xiao He, maybe you’re the descendant of some very powerful Demon Beast..."

Song Yan seriously considered this matter: "Otherwise, how could you be so different from other Spirit Beasts and Demon Beasts?"

"Of course."

Xiao He believed that the meaning of this sentence was that she was very powerful.

"Can’t you Cultivate? I see those Spirit Beasts and Demon Beasts all seem to be able to Cultivate Demonic Techniques."

"No, I can’t..."

Hmm... But from this perspective, the previous possibility was very low.

Because the descendants of those ancient Demon Beasts and great Demon Beasts seemed to naturally learn Demonic Cultivation methods through Bloodline Legacy once they gained sentience.

"Should I find an opportunity to let Xiao He also start Cultivating Demonic Techniques..."

Currently, Xiao He’s offensive and defensive methods relied entirely on Demon Beast instincts, not Demonic Techniques.

As Song Yan was pondering, his mind suddenly stirred.

"...Hmm?"

Someone was outside the door.

Song Yan walked out of the warm pool, his spiritual power surging to dissipate the water vapor, then casually put on a robe.

Stepping out of the Immortal Cave, he saw a familiar girl.

"It’s you?"

Song Yan’s tone was neither warm nor cold: "I thought you had run off with my three Spirit Stones."

Sewing a Daoist robe only takes three to five days.

But now, nearly half a year had passed.

Clearly, as a transaction, she had broken her promise.

The freckled girl’s robe was a bit dirty, even tattered, and her gaze darted around, seemingly a little embarrassed.

"I... I’m here to deliver the Daoist robe."

From her equally tattered backpack, she took out a very clean Daoist robe and handed it to Song Yan.

She doesn’t even have a qiankun bag?

Song Yan thought to himself, this girl was truly poorer than him.

"Why did it take so long?"

He took the Daoist robe and put it into his qiankun bag.

The freckled girl seemed to find an opportunity and hurriedly explained: "I wanted to sew a water-repellent array pattern on the robe, but I couldn’t afford the Materials..."

"So I went to the Yanran Mountain Range alone to search, slipped and fell off a cliff, and got lost..."

Song Yan was stunned: "I don’t recall making that request."

The girl’s expression was a bit stubborn: "If I only sew ordinary Daoist robes, then I am no different from a tailor in the mortal world."

"Hmph..."

To call her foolish, with such a low spiritual power Realm, she survived three or four months in the Yanran Mountain Range and actually returned alive... She clearly looked like she couldn’t even afford to eat, Song Yan didn’t know where she got the self-respect to put such pressure on herself.

However, three-pattern Spirit Stones, a new Daoist robe, and one with a water-repellent array pattern... he had profited either way.

"Alright, then... thank you."

Song Yan nodded and turned to go back to his Immortal Cave.

"Hey, this... Senior Brother."

"Hmm? Is there anything else?"

"I apologize for making you wait so long this past half year, it truly is..."

Song Yan waved his hand, interrupting her: "No need for that, fortunately, I’ve been living in seclusion these days and haven’t often changed clothes, so let’s just let it go this time."

"Thank you, Senior Brother. Then... if you need Daoist robes sewn in the future, or if your friends or Dao Companions want robes sewn, could you...?"

Song Yan raised his eyebrows.

So she wanted him to help recommend her.

"..."

Although there was a slight delay and it took longer than expected.

However, this young girl’s attitude towards the craft of sewing truly made Song Yan feel a bit respectful.

"Alright, what’s your name?"

For the first time, Song Yan saw joy on the face of this stubborn and persistent girl.

"My name is Ju Luyi."

...Returning to his Immortal Cave, Song Yan tried on the robe for a while.

It was very comfortable and fit perfectly. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Spiritual power surged, condensing a stream of water, which he splashed onto the Daoist robe; the water seemed to hit an invisible barrier and scattered in all directions.

"..."

Ju Luyi.

A very interesting Fellow Daoist.

He inventoried his belongings: Medicinal Pills, Spirit Stones, and the illusion array used to set up a temporary Immortal Cave... After packing everything, Song Yan walked out of his Immortal Cave.

Today was also the day he was to keep his appointment.

He followed the mountain path outside the Sect down the mountain, arriving at a small pond at the edge of the foothills.

"..."

Song Yan thought he had arrived early, but unexpectedly, Wu Huaguo and Rong Xiaofeng were already waiting there.

"Greetings, you two, long time no see."

The two came forward, cupped their fists in greeting, and were about to say "Fellow Daoist Tong," but suddenly remembered it was a false name.

"Hmm..."

Song Yan pondered for a moment, then spoke his real name: "I am Song Yan."

The white wolf mask was really uncomfortable to wear, so he threw it away as soon as the Night Market ended.

A false name wouldn’t fool this couple, and there was no need for it, so he didn’t intend to hide his identity. Since they would be cooperating, it was better to be straightforward.

"Daoist Song."

Rong Xiaofeng laughed heartily: "Brother Song, rest assured, in front of the others who will be exploring the Immortal Cave with us this time, we will still call you ’Fellow Daoist Tong,’ how about that?"

Song Yan nodded: "Then I thank you both."

What surprised Song Yan was that the names of this couple seemed to be... their real names... About thirty to forty li east from here, there was a small Loose Cultivator market called Lingxi Market.

It was usually a gathering place for small Sects and Loose Cultivators from the nearby mountains. If the Lingyuan Ze Night Market was called the "grand market" for nearby Cultivators, then the Lingxi Market was an ordinary small market that was open every day.

According to Wu and Rong, the organizer this time was a very strange person.

"That person has a Late Stage Qi Refining Cultivation, yet he said he only wants two ink treasures from the Immortal Cave on this trip..."

It was said that there were ten people in this group, and he was the only Late Stage Qi Refining Cultivator.

Song Yan frowned: "Is this person perhaps speaking nonsense, trying to use this as an excuse to trick us into going there, and then kill us...?"

He didn’t know when it started, but even he, who was originally gentle by nature, began to speculate about the malice of his Fellow Daoists in the Cultivation World.

"This is the strangest part."

Wu Huaguo shook her head: "What he said was actually true."

Song Yan was stunned, almost forgetting.

This extraordinary woman had the ability to discern the truthfulness of others’ words... "That truly is strange..."

He clearly had the strength and Realm to seize the greatest benefits, and sufficient confidence, yet why did he only want two items for cultivating the mind?

It wasn’t to say it was bad, but... he could have had it all.

Song Yan was startled by this thought of his own.