The entire mountain rose from the ground. Shu Han stood in the dim cave, and a blinding light suddenly flooded in from the base of the cave. He remained in place, and suddenly found himself standing on a desolate plain. Looking up, the mountain above him became smaller and smaller until it was just a speck of dust.

Swallowing hard, Shu Han wondered, "Such magnificent power... who could be behind this?"

Suddenly, he heard urgent shouts from behind.

"Master!"

"Brother Yu!"

Turning around, Shu Han saw Song Changyi carrying Bai Xingyan and flying rapidly towards him.

Upon landing, Song Changyi looked at Shu Han, who was unharmed, and then at Elder Lu, who now had only half a head. Stunned, he murmured, "Brother Yu, did you kill Elder Lu?"

Shu Han quickly explained, "That old dog deserved his fate! He wanted to use me for pill refining! Thanks to the intervention of the senior mad elder, I was able to execute this fiend. Otherwise, I would have ended up as a pill in his collection!"

Song Changyi gazed at the half-head of Elder Lu, sighed deeply, and said, "After all, he was an elder of our Fiery Cloud Instant Sect. Doing such evil deeds, he truly deserved his fate. It seems that the disappearance of many young disciples from our sect over the years was probably his doing. Such a pity!"

Shu Han looked at Bai Xingyan, surprised at how quickly he had fetched Song Changyi. When he had sent Bai Xingyan away earlier, it was mainly to ensure he wasn't caught in the crossfire during his confrontation with Elder Lu. The distress message was just a spur-of-the-moment decision.

Being a Qi Refining novice and a new sect member, Bai Xingyan would have faced numerous challenges just finding someone of Song Changyi's stature, let alone convincing him to come to the rescue.

Patting Bai Xingyan on the shoulder, he said, "Disciple, I never expected you could really bring Brother Song to save me. Thank you!"

Bai Xingyan, filled with anxiety and respect, replied, "I'm not worthy! I arrived late, please punish me, Master!"

Song Changyi interjected, "Your disciple has guts. He didn't know the location of my dwelling, yet dared to fly around the mountain's waist intercepting Foundation Establishment disciples, inquiring about my whereabouts. Eventually, those disciples, annoyed by his persistence, simply dumped him at the entrance of my cave."

Shu Han laughed, "Haha, it seems I chose my disciple wisely. Between us master and disciple, there's no need for formalities. You've done well."

Then, glancing at Elder Lu's body, Shu Han asked with concern, "Brother Song, I, a Foundation Establishment disciple, have killed this Core Formation elder. Will the sect punish me for this?"

"This..." Song Changyi hesitated and said, "This kind of incident has never happened before in our sect. The status of a Core Formation elder is exceptional. Only the Sect Leader has the authority to punish an elder. Even though he had malicious intentions, there's no precedent in the sect's rules... I'm unsure how to handle this. I should report to my father for a judgment..."

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"No need!"

A crisp shout echoed from above.

Shu Han looked up to see a woman descending from the sky, ethereal as a sprite. She wore a white robe, her flowing red hair extraordinarily striking. Her face was breathtakingly beautiful, resembling a fairy from legends, yet there was a hint of melancholy in her eyes.

As she landed next to Song Changyi, he said, "Mother, perhaps it would be best if father made the decision on this."

Mother? The ethereal woman before him was Song Changyi's mother? That would mean she was the current Sect Leader's Wife, Tang Shan'er.

Shu Han quickly bowed, "Disciple Yu Tiancheng pays his respects to the senior!"

Tang Shan'er turned to Song Changyi, "Changyi, when will you get rid of the rigid personality your father taught you? Lu Zhengqi plotted against sect disciples and deserved his fate. Since I've spoken, your father won't object."

Then, she turned her attention to Shu Han. Her slender fingers touched his right wrist. Instantly, the black patterns on Shu Han's hand uncontrollably surfaced. She stared intently at the spreading marks, her eyes revealing a hint of sorrow.

"It's unmistakable, the 'Heavenly Fire Body Refining Technique'. You truly are my senior brother's disciple. In that case, don't address me so formally. Call me Master Aunt."

Shu Han looked up in surprise, and Song Changyi looked equally shocked at his mother.

Song Changyi's eyes widened, "Mother, that mad elder is your senior brother? Why have you never mentioned this to me?"

Tang Shan'er retorted, "Do I need to inform you about everything? Your father never told you either, why aren't you questioning him?"

That single remark rendered Song Changyi speechless. This young devil of the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect, who never flinched before his father, was entirely disarmed in the presence of this woman.

Shu Han couldn't help but ask, "Master Aunt, the secret technique that senior mad elder taught me is called the 'Heavenly Fire Body Refining Technique'? If the mad elder is both your and the Sect Leader's senior, how did he end up in his current state of madness?"

Tang Shan'er's gaze turned sharp, making Shu Han shiver. She said coldly, "He passed on all his life's knowledge to you, yet you won't call him Master?"

"I..." Shu Han replied with a wry smile, "Master Aunt, I truly didn't know that the mad elder... my master was teaching me. After all, considering his state..."

Tang Shan'er's expression turned melancholic, "It was my senior brother's choice. He chose to exile himself from the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect and vowed never to ascend the Fiery Cloud Peak again. We cannot interfere with his decision."

Shu Han continued, "Isn't there any way to restore Master to his former self? I'm deeply grateful to him for bestowing all his knowledge upon me, and I wish to free him from the agony of madness. But when I examined him, not only was his mind affected, his physical condition was also dire..."

Tang Shan'er nodded, "You're right. As his disciple, you should think of his well-being."

She then took to the air, saying, "If you're willing, Yu Tiancheng, come with me."

Song Changyi hastily added, "Mother, what about me?"

"This matter concerns you as well. If you wish to come, then do so."

With that, Tang Shan'er gracefully soared into the air, heading towards the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect atop a trail of fiery clouds.

Shu Han tapped Bai Xingyan's shoulder, "Disciple, wait for me in my cave dwelling. I'll be back shortly after accompanying Master Aunt. Do you have the token for the Heavenly Quadrant Sword Formation?"

Bai Xingyan quickly handed over the control token. Shu Han removed the jade pendant attached to it and said, "I've erased the previous imprint. From now on, this Heavenly Quadrant Sword Formation is yours. Use it wisely and do not let down the expectations of your Bai family ancestors."

With those words, Shu Han turned into a streak of light and followed Tang Shan'er.

As Shu Han flew closely behind Tang Shan'er, after about fifteen minutes, he suddenly felt an intense pain, causing his entire body to convulse. He lost control and began plummeting from the sky.

Whoosh!

A red silk ribbon extended from Tang Shan'er's sleeve and pulled Shu Han back to her side.

Tang Shan'er looked at the perspiring Shu Han and checked his pulse, her brows furrowing.

Song Changyi anxiously asked, "Mother, what happened to Brother Yu?"

Tang Shan'er replied, "It's the Heavenly Fire affecting his heart and the medicine causing chaos within him. If it weren't for his robust physique, he would have already exploded and perished."