The younger generation was momentarily lost in thought.

"Xueli, this is the fifth time you've looked back."

At night, high above the outskirts of Donglin, Xiao Xueli, riding upon a flying sword, turned her head once more to gaze in the direction of Donglin City.

Seeing her disciple's reluctant expression, the sword spirit sighed softly.

The concept of "love" was not only a crucial trial along the Great Dao for the fox clan, but was it not equally so for other cultivators?

Especially "romantic love."

It was only natural that "love" had remained the most captivating and eternal topic through the ages.

"Master, did you really help me say a proper goodbye to him?"

Withdrawing her gaze from Donglin City with lingering reluctance, Xiao Xueli lowered her eyes and asked softly.

"Mm, of course I did."

"Then did you help me apologize to him? About... about how I inexplicably kicked him..."

"You silly girl, how could that be inexplicable..." The hilt of the sword spirit gently tapped her disciple's forehead. "That was your way of showing you liked him. Be honest with yourself."

"But..."

"But you don't know whether he likes you back?"

"..."

Xiao Xueli did not answer, but her silence served as tacit confirmation.

"Silly girl, why don't you just go and ask him if he likes you?"

"Sword Spirit Sister..." the girl said, her tone carrying a rare, spoiled whine.

"Alright, alright, I know you lack the courage. Still, whether that boy Jiang Lin is truly smitten with you, I cannot say for certain; however, he definitely holds a favorable impression of you."

"Eh?"

"Because I just asked him..."

The sword spirit recounted what she had asked Jiang Lin in the courtyard, along with his response, to her disciple.

"Sword Spirit Sister, what on earth did you ask him? I... I..."

As soon as the sword spirit finished speaking, Xiao Xueli was overwhelmed with embarrassment. Her cheeks burned, and she wished she could fly straight to a mountain spring right now to cool her face with the refreshing water.

Yet deep within the girl's heart, an incomparable joy blossomed, and his words echoed endlessly in her mind.

It felt as if this were the most beautiful declaration of love she had ever heard.

Understanding the tender maiden thoughts of her disciple, the sword spirit said no more. Such youthful feelings were the cleanest and purest of all.

Even after countless years had passed, whenever one looked back, those emotions and memories would remain as clear as day, etched into the soul like a vintage wine aged in the deepest cellar.

"Xueli, once you go to the Extreme Cold Continent and master the 'A Thousand Autumns in a Dream' technique, return to Wutong Continent. As for my affairs... you don't need to..."

"No! Sword Spirit Sister! I will not leave! It was Sword Spirit Sister who saved my life again and again, and it was Sword Spirit Sister who taught me the path of cultivation!"

"You silly girl, if something were to happen to you, how could you ever reunite with your little lover?"

"Nothing will happen! I will definitely help Sword Spirit Sister take revenge!"

"You silly girl, why won't you listen? The Black Soul Temple is not something you can meddle with."

"Then I will stay with Sword Spirit Sister!"

"You... you are always so stubborn..."

The sword spirit's tone carried a hint of helplessness, but her heart was filled with warmth.

Who said the Great Dao was devoid of emotion? Is the Great Dao truly unfeeling, or is it merely people?

Involuntarily, the sword spirit recalled the boy wrapped up like a mummy in the Qian residence, and a smile tugged at her lips:

If that boy and Xueli truly become cultivation partners and establish a sect together, the place will certainly be very lively.

"Besides, Sword Spirit Sister, there is one thing you got wrong."

Just as the sword spirit was lost in thought, the girl's voice echoed in her mind.

"Hmm?"

"Xueli's Supreme Bone is very powerful, you know. Once we smash through the Black Soul Temple, Xueli will go find him and tell him properly—I like him!"

The sword spirit chuckled, teasing, "And what if by then he has already found a cultivation partner, or simply doesn't like you anymore?"

"If that really happens..."

The girl smiled softly, intoxicating and dreamlike beneath the moonlight.

"Then I'll just kick his shin again!"

...

On the eighth day at the Qian residence—eleven days after the great battle.

Three days after Lin Qingwan and Xiao Xueli's departure, Jiang Lin removed his bandages and was once again a free man.

That very night, Jiang Lin insisted on dragging Fatty to the Spring Breeze Tower to celebrate his rebirth.

However, Fatty tearfully refused, apparently traumatized and chased out by those girls from the Spring Breeze Tower the last time.

That was fine too.

That same night, Jiang Lin gathered Fatty, Hu Shuang, and Youyou for a thrilling, heart-pounding game of...

Aerospace chess...

The next day, Jiang Lin was to return to the Sun and Moon Sect, while Hu Shuang, Youyou, and Fatty were also parting ways.

Heard that the Hail Sect where Hu Shuang resided was on very good terms with a painter sect called the Picka Sect, so Hu Shuang agreed to put in a good word for Fatty.

As for Youyou, she was not from the Hail Sect.

Her acquaintance with Hu Shuang had been a stroke of pure coincidence while exploring a minor ruin. They had met, helped each other out, and both obtained fortuitous encounters.

Hu Shuang's encounter was decent—though not bad, it wasn't enough to make others green with envy.

Youyou, however, was a different story. Who could have imagined that such a tiny secret realm would house a Sea Pearl? While not a destructive artifact, the Sea Pearl possessed miraculous efficacy for both healing wounds and refining pills!

It was the kind of treasure that would make even Nascent Soul realm experts turn green with envy.

Since acquiring the pearl, Youyou, blessed with protagonist-level luck, had been hunted down relentlessly, which was how she ended up in Donglin City.

Fortunately, those cultivators were not of high realm, mostly rogue practitioners from the mountains and marshes. Wanting to monopolize the Sea Pearl for themselves, they kept quiet, allowing Youyou and Hu Shuang to narrowly escape and reach Donglin City, where Fatty eventually rescued them.

Because the Cheng Huang bloodline was exceedingly rare—comparable to that of the white fox and the Flood Dragon—coupled with the supreme treasure Youyou carried, True Monarch Tai'er had lent Youyou a newly modified, ultra-speed letter-transmitting flying sword to send word back to the Bai Country for an elder to fetch her.

Today, that elder had finally arrived. He was also a Cheng Huang, taking the form of an old grandfather.

Jiang Lin couldn't discern his cultivation level, but although the Cheng Huang were skilled at long-distance travel, arriving within just ten days meant his realm certainly wasn't low.

Consequently, the look Jiang Lin gave this old grandfather became all the more fervent!

"This Daoist friend must be Young Master Jiang. Thank you, Young Master Jiang, for saving my granddaughter's life."

Looking at Jiang Lin, the old Cheng Huang bowed deeply, appearing extremely courteous.

Yet when the old man straightened up and looked at Jiang Lin, for some reason, he felt as though he were a newly bathed beauty encountering a perverted wolf, being stared at with such intensity...

It gave the old man goosebumps all over.

"Young Master Jiang?"

The old Cheng Huang probed cautiously.

"Oh, apologies, apologies." Looking at the elderly Cheng Huang, Jiang Lin reined in his expression, cupped his fists, and apologized, "This junior was just momentarily lost in thought."

Youyou, standing to the side, rolled her eyes at Jiang Lin and scoffed, "Grandpa, don't listen to his nonsense. He wasn't lost in thought—he's thinking about riding you."