"Aunt Qing?"

Yu Ci looked in surprise, only to see a long shadow undulating and soaring in the void. Above it, a female cultivator stood suspended in mid-air. Dressed simply, her gaze swept over the two of them, her usually stern face showing a hint of surprise.

"Immortal He?"

Wasn't this the territory under Xie Yan's charge? Yu Ci didn't expect to encounter her here, but what was even more puzzling was Gan Shi Zhen's address. When they first met, didn't the female cultivator address Yu Zhou as senior brother? Why, upon meeting He Qing who was of the same generation as Old Daoist, did she lower herself a generation? Unfortunately, there was no one to answer his question at the moment. All he heard was He Qing's light praise:

"Your ability to walk in the void today is a different realm altogether. Shi Zhen, you truly have boundless prospects."

"Aunt Qing, you flatter me."

The smile she had upon their first meeting faded, and the delicate female cultivator lowered her face, responding softly. Yu Ci had been observing her all this while. Having spent several days together, he had some understanding of the female cultivator's temperament. He always felt that her attitude was somewhat strange after meeting He Qing. It seemed like joy, but also a bit of unfamiliarity, very contradictory.

However, what he felt more was envy. He knew that from the moment she awoke a few days ago, Gan Shi Zhen had officially stepped into the Vacuum Walking Realm, breaking the so-called "Stasis Stage" in cultivation, which is the decline limit of three hundred years. From then on, the female cultivator would have more time and opportunities to explore the path of the Great Dao. This was something the white-haired Old Daoist Yu Zhou had not yet achieved.

Of course, such an achievement also came at the cost of risking one's life. Defending for over ten days and nights under the watchful eyes of a hundred demons, resisting Ghost Beasts with the cultivation level of Vacuum Walking, such tempering was not something ordinary people could endure. On the path of cultivation, it was necessary to lay a solid foundation, climbing step by step, there was no room for luck.

While he was looking at others, others were also looking at him. He Qing's gaze shifted over, her face returning to its usual seriousness: "I heard about the dock incident. You were too reckless. Ghost Beasts are the abandoned pets of Rakshasa Ghost King, famous in the Cultivation World. What qualifications do you, a Nature-Connecting Cultivator, have to oppose them?"

Yu Ci bowed in agreement, repeating: "It was my duty, I had no other choice."

He Qing's face softened slightly: "The Sect is already aware of this. It's rare to see such chivalry in you. The people of Great Passage highly praise you for risking your life to lead away the Ghost Beasts, ensuring the safety of many at the dock. This way, you have not tarnished the Sect's reputation."

As she spoke, He Qing stared at him for a while, questioning: "Your cultivation level has made significant progress… Have you reached the Nature-Connecting Upper Stage?"

Yu Ci affirmed, but saw He Qing's eyes flash with a strange light, making him feel a heat on his body. Just as he was puzzled, Gan Shi Zhen by his side whispered: "Isn't his progress a bit too fast?"

Hearing her say this, Yu Ci could only smile bitterly in his heart. It was indeed unfortunate that the day he had taken out the fine gauze from Nan Songzi, Gan Shi Zhen had just woken up and immediately noticed the residual aura of Yin Demons on it. The female cultivator was kind-hearted, not only did she take the gauze, intending to help him purge the foul aura, but she also started worrying about him, fearing that his cultivation might progress too rapidly and lead him astray.

He Qing looked at her, not responding immediately, and then turned her gaze back to Yu Ci, examining him carefully.

"Aunt Qing?"

Gan Shi Zhen asked again. Only then did He Qing respond leisurely, "It's nothing..."

At this point, she suddenly smiled, a rare smile in which she nodded slightly, "You have indeed made me see you in a new light."

However, it was only for a fleeting moment, her smile had already faded, "Let's talk in detail below."

With that, she flew down first, followed by Yu and Gan. Seeing that Yu Ci was still somewhat confused, Gan Shi Zhen explained in a soft voice, "Before Aunt Qing started cultivating, she was a daughter of a prestigious family in the East bearing the surname He. Her mother also hailed from the same family and was considered sisters with Aunt Qing. After cultivation, when it came to the relationship between the two sects, they were considered peers."

Yu Ci suddenly understood, so they were relatives. No wonder the Lichen Sect and the Four Clarity Sect had always been on good terms, the relationships were indeed deeply intertwined, it's just that the generations were a bit confusing.

Relating the incident of Sky Rift Valley didn't take much time, and Yu Ci soon took a temporary rest in Cliff City. His arrival in the city caused a bit of a stir. When word of his arrival spread, Shi Song and Hu Dan from the Thousands Spirits Sect came together to pay a visit. In the following days, important figures from various sects in the city came to visit, making it seem like a bustling marketplace, showing no slackness just because he was no longer in charge of Cliff City's affairs.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

However, Yu Ci was very clear that this situation was ultimately due to the attitudes of people like Yu Zhou and Xie Yan towards him. This information reached the ears of Shi Song and others through various channels. These sects, which relied on the Lichen Sect for their livelihood, naturally understood how to respond.

However, the real focus of Cliff City at this stage was not Yu Ci's return, but a banquet.

On the fifth day of the fourth month, at the Sky Wing Tower, the luxurious night banquet arranged by Bi Chao, the master of Xuan Yin Sect, was the talk of everyone in Cliff City. When Bi Chao had first invited him, Yu Ci hadn't taken it to heart, but now he found that this booked banquet had already made a very loud name for itself in Cliff City and even the surrounding regions.

The reason for this was not only because this was the best opportunity for Bi Chao to demonstrate her stance since she took over, but also because this was a grand event that had once suffered a failure, and was now being restarted.

Perhaps it was the influence of Xuan Yin Sect's background in the East, but Master Bi Chao had managed to successfully invite the Trade Caravan from the Random Heart Pavilion to visit Cliff City again. They were still holding the Treasure Exchange Banquet at the Sky Wing Tower, combining it with the banquet. The gesture was clear, where Random Heart Pavilion had fallen, they would rise again!

Even without considering the priceless treasures brought by the group, the thrilling incident that took place that night alone was enough to pique people's interest to no end. This demonstrated the great efforts made by the Xuan Yin Sect. It was rumored that at the banquet, the Xuan Yin Sect would also display some treasures collected by the Eastern Rakshasa Sect, to be showcased and exchanged with the cultivators present at the banquet.

The fervor stirred up by this banquet was even more intense than the previous Treasure Exchange Banquet, and showed more careful planning. Everyone could see the intentions of the Xuan Yin Sect. However, the biggest difference between the newly arrived Master Bi Chao and the previous Red Yin Immortal was that her attitude was extremely upright, clearly showing her intention to be kind to others, making it difficult for people to refuse her.

Yu Ci, on the other hand, did not approach Bi Chao again. However, the news he heard was that the newly arrived master had once again gone to the Mountain Moving Cloud Boat Dock to inquire about him. During the nearly one month that Yu Ci had been away in the Sky Rift Valley riding on Ghost Beasts, apart from Yu Zhou and Xie Yan, Bi Chao was the one who showed the most dedication, which was quite astonishing.

Even the likes of Xie Yan couldn't keep up with Bi Chao's consistent attention.

According to He Qing, not long after Yu Ci rode the Ghost Beasts to the west, Yu Zhou and others learned of the news. They immediately went to the Sky Rift Valley for a rescue operation. However, a major event had occurred in the northern part of the Cultivation World. All major sects dispatched their elite forces to observe. Even if Xie Yan and Elder Jie Liang were reluctant, they could not defy the sect's orders and were sent out.

At this time, the rescue operation at the dock was short-handed and had come to a semi-halt, but Bi Chao's attitude did not waver in the slightest.

Thinking back to Bi Chao's humble invitation to the banquet at the dock, Yu Ci couldn't help but sigh. This female cultivator was indeed the polar opposite of Red Yin. Her soft demeanor, despite knowing that she had ulterior motives, made it difficult for people to refuse. Especially when he arrived at Cliff City and experienced the warm atmosphere, he couldn't help but think:

There's no harm in attending such a lively banquet...

With this decision made, Yu Ci's mind became even more settled. At this moment, the night outside was quiet, and the peaceful sounds of the world were a good environment for cultivation.

He still lived in the original location of the White Sun Mansion upon his return to Cliff City. After all, this was the most concentrated place of Spirit Vein Caves within thousands of miles. After the battle that day, this place was cleaned up first and used as the residence for the Lichen Sect's Immortal Elder in Cliff City. As for what would happen after the turmoil of the Demons ended and the Lichen Sect's Immortal Elder retreated, it was not something he needed to worry about.

Seated upon his cloud bed, Yu Ci stilled his mind. With a mere flicker of thought, his Yin Spirit departed from his body. Ever since he had acquired the ability of astral projection, Yu Ci made it a daily practice. Now, the speed of his Yin Spirit's astral projection was accelerating, and the most familiar "Birth of the Yin Spirit from the Fetal Garment" could be initiated at a moment's thought.

The sensation of astral projection was truly peculiar. He could distinctly sense his own existence, yet it was distinctly separate from the familiar world. He could pass through walls and imitate transformations, even disperse into invisibility or dissolve into nothingness. Yet, regardless, there was always a lack of a tangible sensation, much like dreaming.

In a flash of thought, his Yin Spirit passed through the wall and arrived at the small garden outside. His ghost-like shadow wandered aimlessly, reacting with the external Primordial Qi, causing his Yin Spirit to feel somewhat warm, though it was within a tolerable range.

His cultivation level on the Yin Spirit was indeed becoming increasingly refined.

Yu Ci felt relieved. In the past few days, he had been busy traveling and had to be on guard against various situations. He hadn't had time to carefully study the various applied methods of astral projection. Now, with no distractions, it was a good opportunity to experience it in detail.

After wandering around the small garden a few times, Yu Ci's Yin Spirit passed through the walls and headed outside. Just as he was about to fly beyond the surrounding walls, the void fluctuated slightly. The speed was extremely fast, and in the blink of an eye, it made contact with his Yin Spirit, and then messages began to pour out.

It was a summons from He Qing.

The night was deep, and Yu Ci was unsure of the intentions of the Immortal Elder. He had initially planned to return his Yin Spirit to his body before paying her a visit, but He Qing's intentions were clear:

"Just come as you are."

Yu Ci didn't understand, but being a straightforward person, he guided his Yin Spirit towards the source of the fluctuations.

He Qing's residence was close to his, only slightly larger. As it was spring, the garden was filled with blooming flowers, their fragrance lingering even at night. Yu Ci's Yin Spirit arrived, carried on the floral scent.

He Qing was seated in a small pavilion in the garden. Her gaze swept over his Yin Spirit, and she nodded slightly, "I assume you have fully assimilated the Qi of the Heavenly Dragon True Form. Your Yin Spirit has achieved astral projection in just four or five months, which certainly speaks to your efforts, but the effectiveness of the Qi of the Heavenly Dragon True Form cannot be overlooked..."

Yu Ci agreed, responding affirmatively. Hearing his response, the female cultivator sat calmly on a stone bench in the pavilion, her demeanor amiable, as if discussing mundane matters:

"Have you been diligent in practicing the 'Method of Returning to Void and Combining' that I taught you?"

...