It was the same answer that Yin Long had given multiple times already, a wanderer moving from place to place, no more or less. But there was, in fact, a small change to his statement, one that Xue Qiuling immediately noticed and latched onto.

"Right now, you say? So you're telling me that you were once more than just a wanderer, or are going to become more than a wanderer later down the line?"

It was a small distinction from referring to himself as just a wanderer, but it hinted at something that would be obvious to anyone who had spent a bit of time observing Yin Long, there was more beneath the surface. Yin Long's gaze swept over Xue Qiuling's face for a quick second, she had swallowed two pills but she was still showing clear signs of exhaustion thanks to the secret technique she had used to prevent news of his abilities from spreading. Since that was the situation, he shrugged his shoulders and revealed a faint smirk, proposing a simple trade.

"I'll answer that question if you tell me about that secret technique you just used. A secret for a secret. Fair, no?"

Xue Qiuling's eyes lit up when Yin Long proposed the deal, it proved that he was starting to trust her more. She would end up bedridden for a bit since she had used the secret technique to buy that trust, but if it earned her more information then she considered it a trade that was perfectly worth it.

"This is the greatest technique of my family, it is one of the reasons we have managed to reach our current position. As long as we are beneath the 7th Earthen Door, using this technique will allow our strength to rise by three realms, with the drawback being that we'll be bedridden anywhere between a week to a year, depending on how long we keep it active. It also carries a risk of lowering our cultivation if we keep it active for too long, what with it overloading our veins and dantian quite fiercely."

Every larger family or sect had their own hidden techniques, ones taught only to their most talented disciples to ensure their continued prosperity. Many of these techniques were similar to the secret technique that Xue Qiuling showcased, forcefully increasing a person's strength. But there were some clans or sects that had normal techniques serving as these hidden techniques, the Lang clan with its Twin Fangs of the Wolf being one example.

Yin Long's eyebrows couldn't help but rise in surprise at the strength of the secret technique, forcibly raising ones strength by three realms as long as you were below the 7th Earthen Door was no joke. If an opponent suddenly went from the 6th Earthen Door to the 9th Earthen Door, the outcome of the battle was basically determined already. And of course, since Xue Qiuling explained her technique, Yin Long upheld his end of the deal.

"Would you believe me if I told you that I once belonged to a large clan, one so far away from this area that it's not even within the surrounding four provinces, all the way back in the Sunsong Province? One larger than not just your family, but even the Jyushi family and the Heron's Ascension Dojo? I even had a pretty damn good position in the clan but ended up getting exiled, forced as far away from the clan as possible."

He didn't go into too many details about the actual size, location, or even name of the Lang clan, throwing out the name of the province to add an air of honesty to the explanation. Xue Qiuling's eyes bulged somewhat when Yin Long told her about the province he came from, the Sunsong province was so far away that it was ridiculous. But she didn't doubt his story, nodding her head while looking into his eyes, which showed not a hint of deceit.

"I believe you, you're a bit too honest and straightforward to just lie for no good reason. It would also explain your bearing, it really isn't suited to a wanderer. But exiled? What could you possibly have done to deserve a punishment like that?"

For him to have been exiled rather than killed, and to even be sent so far away from the clan, it showed two things, he had a higher status than he gave himself credit for, and the crime he committed was rather great. Once again, Yin Long didn't go into too many details as he gave a short explanation.

"I pointed my sword at the throat of the clan leader. Got this as a reward."

Yin Long removed the upper part of his robe as he spoke, revealing the massive scar that went from his right shoulder all the way to his left waist, the attack that had taken his life. Xue Qiuling's eyes bulged slightly once more as she looked at the grim scar, which made it look as if Yin Long had been practically cut in half, her voice trailing slightly as she traced the scar with her eyes.

"...Yeah, doing something like that tends to lead to some pretty bad ends."

His simple explanation further confirmed her theory that he had a higher position than he gave himself credit for. He pointed his sword at the clan leader but was allowed to remain alive? Clearly, he had a close relationship with the clan leader, leaving said clan leader in a position where they were unwilling to kill Yin Long.

She finished tracing the large scar, Yin Long fixing his robe while Xue Qiuling looked at him with sparkling eyes. She swept her gaze throughout the surrounding area to inspect the remnants of the battle, her gaze eventually returning to Yin Long and drifting down to his right hand.

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"Heh, knew there was more to you than first met the eye, you really are one monstrous fellow. I'd like to ask about those swords you just created like that, but I'll be patient, I'll make damn sure that there comes a day where you'll voluntarily tell me about them."

She had seen people create swords before, it was fairly common among higher cultivation people who used the law of swords. But never before had she seen anyone create swords like Yin Long, seemingly turning his enemies and their elements into his own weapons.

Yin Long simply shrugged his shoulders without voicing a reply, the nature of his parasitic soul was a great trump card, if he could keep it hidden then he would do so for as long as he could. Xue Qiuling wasn't bothered about his choice to remain silent, smiling mystifyingly for a second before she rubbed her eyes with a bit of tiredness.

"Aahh, I'm gonna have to return, I'm guessing that I've got about four or so hours before the recoil of the technique hits me properly and forces me to recuperate for a week or so. Will you be returning with me or are you planning on staying here?"

With the strength Yin Long had revealed just now, there clearly wasn't a problem if they chose to remain here on their own, assuming they made sure to be careful at least. Yin Long didn't really have to think about his reply, locking eyes with Lan Yun and Jin Wang for a second before he shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm gonna stay, the kitty still hasn't gotten his fill and is nagging me for more, I also wanna see more of what Lan Yun has learned. I'm just gonna find a safe spot where I can restore my wounds and then wander around the outskirts here."

His plan was to feed Jin Wang until he could eat no more, speeding up his growth and increasing his strength. If at all possible, he wanted to at least help Jin Wang grow until he no longer looked like just an overgrown cat. Lan Yun also hadn't gotten to show off everything she had learned while training, nor did Yin Long feel like he had managed to incorporate everything he had learned yet so there was still a need for more battles.

The answer wasn't outside the expectations of Xue Qiuling, who swiped her interspatial ring and took out two more of the faint red pills she had swallowed earlier. She tossed the pills to Yin Long and used her chin to gesture to the outskirts of the area where they had just battled, towards one of the larger ferns that would serve as a good cover.

"Alright, take these, they were made using the blood of a body cultivator so they can drastically increase the speed at which your wounds heal. I'll stand guard along with Junior Sister Yun and the little ki...Jin Wang, so you can just focus on healing your wounds. But if your healing takes more than three hours then I'll wake you up so that it won't be just Junior Sister Yun standing guard."

Yin Long caught the pills and gave them a quick look before he nodded his head, pills like these were fairly common in families and sects over a certain size. Body cultivators were filled with an extremely strong life force so it wasn't a problem for them to donate some blood to make these pills, which were exceedingly useful on longer journeys.

Yin Long had a few in his interspatial ring, but since the Netherworld energy rapidly healed his wounds if he just focused on them, he hadn't gotten a chance to use them yet. The group made their way over to the large fern, Jin Wang quickly snapping up the two remaining corpses and spitting out their interspatial rings at Lan Yun's feet.

Yin Long sat down beneath the fern and swallowed the pills, Xue Qiuling and Lan Yun bending the large leaves so that they formed a cover around them that obscured them from vision. Since both Lan Yun and Jin Wang were keeping watch, Yin Long decided that he could put his full focus on healing the wound in his waist and the one on his leg, sinking his entire consciousness into his body to direct the energy.

Silence descended over the area as Yin Long started to focus on healing his wounds, Xue Qiuling and Lan Yun keeping a bit of distance between him and them so that his instincts didn't accidentally kick in. Lan Yun glanced sideways at Xue Qiuling, who was looking at Yin Long with a faint and inquisitive smile.

"You shouldn't be too happy about getting a bit closer to him. My warning from last time still stands, you will only burn if you get too close to him, you don't have the heart to withstand his purity."

Just as she said, it was a warning she had given Xue Qiuling before. She could see that Xue Qiuling merely desired Yin Long because of how useful and strong he was, her emotions were far from pure. But Yin Long had exceedingly pure emotions, he loved deeply and thus hated deeply. If she got close to Yin Long and things went wrong, there was no telling what sort of abyss Yin Long's emotions could reach. But just like last time, Xue Qiuling didn't heed the warning, smirking at Lan Yun.

"Is that jealousy I hear? Are you depressed that someone else is getting closer to the position you so selfishly decided upon as your own? Are you angry because he told me about his past?"

Lan Yun could disguise it as a warning all she wanted, but Xue Qiuling could tell that she just didn't want anyone else laying their hands on the man she had fallen for. And this was a fact that Lan Yun didn't deny, nodding her head for a second before responding to Xue Qiuling's smirk with a sneer.

"I'd say it's a mixture of jealousy and worry, I am worried that you'll hurt him while you burn. After all, looking at what your earlier actions and words, what will happen if there comes a day where you fear that he won't fall into your hands and will instead go for someone else, or just leave entirely? Will you try to destroy him to ensure that no one else can get their hands on him? And so what if he told you a little about his past? I am still the only one who knows everything, it is only I that know the truth about him, only I that am worthy of standing at his side and holding him up for all creation to see."

It was Lan Yun who had been at Yin Long's side as he embraced the role he had chosen for himself, it was she who had been with him during his highs and his lows, who had seen his tears and his smiles. She had been by his side for all those years, lurking around in the darkness with him, it was a bond no one else could replace. But her words only elicited a sneer from Xue Qiuling, who poked directly at the weakest point of Lan Yun's words.

"It seems like you really took it to heart when he taught you that it was fine to be selfish. But what a sad thing you are, really. What will you do when the day comes that someone else gets to learn everything, when someone else discovers every little magnificent shine that he reflects? When the truth is no longer something reserved solely for you, what will set you apart from others, what will become of that 'worth' of yours?"