Soon, the old man returned with a bag full of crystal cores, casually tossing it to Luo Qianqian with a smile, "Are you satisfied?"

"Very satisfied." Luo Qianqian’s face lit up with a smile like a blooming flower upon seeing the bag of crystal cores.

"Glad to hear that." The old man nodded, seeming to breathe a sigh of relief, which left Luo Qianqian a bit puzzled.

But she soon understood the reason.

"You’ve completed your training more or less, isn’t it about time for you to leave?" the old man continued.

Luo Qianqian, with a knowing look, realized it was time for them to depart, and that they indeed needed to leave soon to make it to Southern Li in time.

The Sect Conference was nearing its commencement, leaving them without reason to linger further.

She nodded in agreement, saying courteously, "Thank you for your care these days. If you need anything in the future, just let us know, and we’ll try our best to help."

It was like saying she’d take him out for a meal someday, knowing full well that the other party was far stronger, just a kind courtesy.

Unexpectedly, the old man looked at her and laughed, "No need for ’someday,’ finish today’s business today. Who knows where we’ll be later."

Luo Qianqian was equally surprised, as if the other party said, ’Why wait another day, I’m free tonight.’

But she quickly regained her composure, laughing, "Anything you need, just let us know."

"Indeed, there’s one thing I’d like your help with." The old man nodded, looking at the floating Little White Snake with a sigh of reluctance.

Luo Qianqian immediately sensed an issue. Was he expecting them to take the snake along?

"This little guy should also go out and see the world. I’d like you to take him with you," the old man smiled. "Of course, I’ll pay you a guardianship fee. Take anything you like from here."

She was stopped from rejecting, as during the ’incident,’ she had been troubled over what to choose as compensation.

Now, with everything laid out before her, how could she refuse?

She could only sigh deeply and look at her brother and teammates.

Luo Shufan glanced at the Little White Snake. Although the snake didn’t cling to him, lately he’d felt his strength increasing, partly thanks to the snake finding suitable sparring partners for them.

So, for a moment, he didn’t know how to react.

Yan shrugged: "We’re indifferent; his abilities won’t hold us back."

Upon hearing Yan, Luo Shufan nodded, but seeing his sister’s furrowed brow, he posed a crucial question, "The problem is, we can’t communicate with him, and with him nearby, both Xiao Tian and Qhianqhian’s cat seem to lose their action power..."

Luo Qianqian stared in shock at the two small beasts curling up in the corner, trembling and lowering their heads, looking at the old man hesitantly.

The old man pondered slightly, "I can solve that, but the communication issue?"

Then he turned to the innocent floating Little White Snake, "You haven’t communicated with them yet?"

Soon, a naïve, clear, soft voice appeared in everyone’s minds, "No one ever wanted to talk to me..."

The highlight being, watching Luo Qianqian’s frightened expression was quite amusing.

Everyone felt like they were struck by lightning; was it their fault for not investigating further?

"Baili, lend a hand," said the old man.

Baili’s form gradually appeared from an empty space nearby, with not even a hint of unfamiliarity.

Luo Qianqian was about to speak but was startled by the old man.

The old man held a cold, gleaming dagger, his eyes showing a hint of green, looking exceedingly strange.

The next moment, the dagger was on his own wrist, creating a wound that disappeared instantly.

"..." The old man wore a face of embarrassment, then slashed again, controlling the wound to not heal, allowing three drops of blood to fall before the wound vanished again.

Luo Qianqian looked envious, admiring the man’s recovery ability, his skin, wondering if his hair was equally resilient?

Unlike her, whose hair just managed to grow into a short style over a month, yet she refused to cut even one prickly strand.

Never having lost makes one appreciate what they have now. Luo Qianqian deeply agreed.

However, with her eyebrows and eyelashes grown back, she no longer looked as odd as a month ago, and with Yan’s help, her skin recovered to better than pre-injury.

"Baili will go with you; our Ten Thousand Beasts Gate can only send Baili out now."

"Huh? The Sect?" Luo Qianqian was momentarily stunned, "So Baili’s senior brother is you?" Her tone was full of disbelief.

Guess she thought the passing aid was here specifically for the Little White Snake???

But that couldn’t be right...

"Nephew?" Luo Qianqian pointed at the Little White Snake and looked at Baili for confirmation, baffled.

Baili calmly nodded.

Luo Qianqian no longer wanted to understand how the ranks worked in Ten Thousand Beasts Gate, realizing it was beyond her comprehension.

"Baili is strong enough that he doesn’t need us to care for his nephew," Luo Qianqian pursed her lips, her intuitions telling her the old man had ulterior motives and wouldn’t try to lure her with dragon treasures, as she wasn’t easily swayed.

...

As Luo Qianqian took the Little White Snake and Baili, saying goodbye to the old man, his inventory vanished, leaving his cave empty with wind blowing through, except for a single Luminous Pearl for lighting, even the wall decorations were taken away.

The old man stood at the cave entrance, watching the group leave until they disappeared beyond the horizon, then slowly spoke, "You’ve finally arrived."

"Didn’t expect you to have such self-awareness, knowing you won’t survive, sending off your grandson," sneered an old man in black, slowly breaking through the air to stand beside the old man, looking at the clouds with a cold hum, "You think sending him away means I can’t find him?"

"Do you have that fate?" The old man laughed mockingly, his white robe fluttering without wind, slowly inflating like a balloon.

"Ao Yin, you think I’ll let you leave safely?"

"Ha ha ha, you won’t survive if I die!"

"To harm Xiao Bai, you’ll have to wait for the next life!"

The old man looked at the black-clad elder, a vicious smile playing at the corner of his mouth.

The sky suddenly turned a dazzling red at that moment, it was the setting sun, and it was also the bloodthirsty afterglow, painting the face of the black-clad elder ugly.

But at this moment, he couldn’t escape.

The power of burning one’s soul imprisoned the space, with no way out and nowhere to retreat.

The self-detonation of the Inner Pill wasn’t a power he could escape from even with all his might, and at that moment, unless he detonated his own Pill, there was no chance of escape.

And such would mean both their deaths...