The moment he saw the old man, Li Yan was somewhat taken aback.
The old man was teasing a parrot in a birdcage hanging from the eaves of the small pavilion. The parrot's aura indicated it was just an unenlightened beast, not some rare spirit beast. The old man was dressed in a gray robe, his figure slightly hunched. His hair was also gray, but it had a healthy luster, giving the impression of someone with abundant qi and blood.
Right now, he was holding a small wooden stick. One end of the stick had some food on it, and he was using it to constantly tease the parrot.
When Li Yan and the young man in red had just stepped into the Cave Residence, the parrot suddenly spoke in human language.
"Someone's here, someone's here…"
Only then did the gray-robed old man turn his head slightly, a smile on his face, but the motion of teasing the bird in his hand did not stop.
"Little friend Zhang has arrived. This old one won't come to greet you. Please come over on your own."
The impression he gave Li Yan was that of a venerable elder in a family, leisurely living out his twilight years.
"Benefactor, if you have something to discuss, just talk directly with the Ancestor. The Ancestor is very kind. I will wait outside!"
With that, the young man in red martial attire cupped his hands in a salute to Li Yan, then bowed from a distance to the gray-robed old man, before turning and walking out.
Li Yan was slightly stunned. He hadn't expected the young man to leave so decisively. He didn't know if the other party felt he wasn't good with words and it would be better for Li Yan to speak for himself, or if he felt the need to avoid suspicion.
But it was for the best. The fewer people who knew what he was about to say, the better.
He followed the stone path, passed by several medicinal fields, and rounded a large fish pond. Finally, Li Yan arrived in front of the small pavilion. He did not dare to fly casually here.
"Hehe, I just heard of your name a few days ago, little friend. To be able to meet you today is truly unexpected."
"Junior Zhang Ming pays his respects to Senior Meng!" Li Yan stood outside the pavilion and bowed.
"Come in, no need to be so formal."
The gray-robed old man put down the wooden stick in his hand, clasped his hands together, and gently patted away non-existent dirt, just like an old farmer who had just finished his work in the fields. As he beckoned for Li Yan to come in, he himself sat down on a long stone bench in the pavilion.
After a slight hesitation, Li Yan walked into the small pavilion. His original intention was to not be so close to such an unfathomable expert. But he also knew that even if he were ten thousand li away, if the other party wanted to take his life, it would be as easy as flicking a finger.
But that's how people are. When facing a powerful person, one subconsciously wants to keep some distance, at least for a sense of security in one's heart.
The gray-robed old man had a ruddy complexion, which was different from what Li Yan had imagined. The members of the Dark Spirit Demon Bat clan he had seen before, those who could take human form, all had skin that was either bluish or dark, giving off an impression of a gloomy personality and being hard to get along with. But this gray-robed old man had a kind and benevolent face, looking no different from a human.
Seeing Li Yan step into the small pavilion, the gray-robed old man pointed to the long stone bench opposite him.
"Little friend Zhang, please sit. Your aura is so solid, I can see you must come from a major sect. Not only is your foundation incredibly firm, but your cultivation is also unexpectedly strong. Late-stage Golden Core Realm, a cultivation level that has already surpassed many Pseudo-Nascent Soul cultivators, yet is weaker than an Initial-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. And yet on the surface, you appear to be at the Initial-stage Golden Core. Such a brilliant concealment technique, aside from personal opportunities, is something that would most likely only appear in a super-sect!"
The gray-robed old man had only given Li Yan a cursory glance, but his words caused Li Yan's expression to change several times.
Li Yan wasn't surprised that he could see through his concealed realm; the other party was far too powerful. But his true cultivation level, his combat power, was something that even Shuang Qingqing, who prided herself on being able to fight a Late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, had not been able to see through. This gray-robed old man had seen through most of his secrets with just a casual glance. Such insight was truly terrifying!
But from this, one could also see just how fearsome a legendary Late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator was. Shuang Qingqing could only rely on that puppet to greatly increase her strength. The gap between the Late-stage and Mid-stage Nascent Soul was unimaginably vast.
Li Yan, after all, was a man of deep schemes. After his expression changed a few times, he quickly returned to normal.
Seeing this, a hint of surprise flashed in the gray-robed old man's eyes. Li Yan's composure exceeded his expectations.
"Senior's insight is like a torch. How could this junior's meager skills hide from you, Senior!" Li Yan saluted again, neither servile nor overbearing, and then sat down on the side of the bench opposite the gray-robed old man. He did not dare to sit directly facing him.
"The expert behind you… I've heard about him from Meng Zhiyuan. He can easily erase a Spirit Transformation cultivator. My little bit of skill is nothing, hahaha… In the current Verdant Continent, you definitely won't find such an awe-inspiring expert. Only in a place like the Forsaken Continent, which is filled with slaughter day in and day out, could such a person possibly emerge."
The gray-robed old man got straight to the point, mentioning True Lord Qianchong without any reservation. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes for an instant.
"You are only unwilling to ascend, Senior. Otherwise, if you went to the Immortal Spirit Realm, you would have long since become a Spirit Transformation cultivator!"
"Hahaha, you're just flattering this old one. The Lower Realm is not lacking in Spirit Transformation cultivators right now. Why can they directly achieve Spirit Transformation in the Lower Realm? This only proves that this old one's aptitude is dull. This 'Ancestor', as others call me, cannot compare to your own Ancestor. Even if I reach the Spirit Transformation stage, so what? Venerable Duanmu, who is proficient in the laws of time, can freely enter and exit the grand formation he laid down with a laugh. That is a true expert!"
The gray-robed old man shook his head and chuckled at Li Yan, leaving him unsure of how to respond.
"Little friend, do you know why that Yi Xiaowu brought you here and then immediately went out?"
Hearing this, Li Yan was first slightly startled, then he reacted. 'So his name is Yi Xiaowu!' Li Yan wasn't very familiar with Meng Zhiyuan's five junior brothers and sisters. He only knew Meng Zhiyuan's name; he had never asked about the others.
Li Yan didn't understand why Meng Shangmo would suddenly ask such a question. He pondered for a moment.
"Oh, this junior only asked Fellow Daoist Yi to ask if Senior would be willing to meet me. I did not explain my intentions to him. He probably felt he should avoid it. Actually, there's no need to avoid this matter!"
After hearing Li Yan's answer, the gray-robed old man smiled and shook his head.
"That's only one small reason. The real reason is that every time they meet me, there is a knot in their hearts. Logically speaking, I should be their junior. So, they don't actually want to see me. For him to come here for you, little friend, is already very rare. It shows that your status in his heart is very high. The words he said when he went out just now were actually meant for this old one to hear. Although he knows he is no match for me, he is still waiting outside the cave for you to come out. If you don't come out, he would fight to the death. Hahaha… What I say is not false."
Hearing the gray-robed old man's words, Li Yan's expression was moved. This time, he was truly surprised. He hadn't expected the young man in red martial attire, whose name he didn't even know, to have such character.
Li Yan simply hadn't understood the feelings of the five who had been trapped for thousands of years, facing life and death, and shouldering the hope of their clan's return. They couldn't die easily. Even though they knew it was constant torment, they had to force themselves to persevere and stay alive.
In the end, although True Lord Qianchong had exchanged their hope for a set of conditions, which had the flavor of a transaction, after truly escaping and feeling the vibrant life of the outside world, Li Yan and the other person's status in their hearts had completely changed.
In fact, Li Yan's status was not only different in the hearts of Meng Zhiyuan's group of five, but even the low-level demonic beasts who had returned were filled with gratitude towards him. It was Li Yan who had let them know of the vastness of the outside world, allowing them to spread their wings and soar freely. The moment they rushed into the nine heavens, they knew the true meaning of being a flying demonic beast.
"I say all this to make you understand, little friend Zhang, that what you have done for my clan is very important. This old one wanted to see you to say thank you in person!"
As the gray-robed old man spoke, although he did not stand up, he still gave Li Yan a Daoist salute with a smile.
Seeing this, Li Yan's heart trembled. He quickly stood up and immediately returned the salute of a junior. This was a Great Cultivator. He also understood the meaning behind Meng Shangmo's words, setting aside his transaction with Meng Zhiyuan's group. Li Yan had brought back at least one Nascent Soul cultivator for the Dark Spirit Demon Bat clan. The importance of this to a clan could not be described with words.
Shuang Qingqing had said that this Meng Shangmo had remained in the Lower Realm, waiting bitterly for a Nascent Soul cultivator to appear in his clan so that he could ascend with peace of mind. This was the reason why some ancient races could continue without declining; there would always be experts who would sacrifice themselves for the greater good.
Li Yan couldn't help but feel a sense of respect for this old man he had just met!
A Nascent Soul expert like the yellow-robed one from the Giant Wood Clan also had the intention of protecting his clansmen, but if he really had a suitable node to ascend, would he still be willing to give up ascension to protect his clan? It was not certain that he could do it! This could be seen from his urgency when he questioned Shuang Qingqing about the ascension node.
"Alright, little friend Zhang, I have also heard from Meng Zhiyuan about that senior's three requests. Don't worry, I won't inquire about your esteemed sect's news. I will also abide by Meng Zhiyuan's promise. If you have any matter, just state it. As long as this old one can do it, I will not refuse. Otherwise, if your sect's Ancestor comes looking for me, I really will have no words to say, hahaha!"
Meng Shangmo waved his hand at Li Yan, gesturing for him to sit down.
Li Yan could not see the slightest bit of a Great Cultivator's dominance in Meng Shangmo. Instead, he was very modest and gentle, his entire being filled with wisdom.
"Oh, it's like this. This junior has come to the Verdant Continent for training, and one of the tasks was assigned by my sect's Ancestor. He asked me to go to the Tianli Clan to find a senior. This senior's ancestors had some friendship with my own Ancestor. But now, the Tianli Clan senior I am looking for has run into trouble, and even her disciple has been captured. Therefore, I would like to ask Senior Meng to help resolve this matter!"
Li Yan no longer beat around the bush and directly stated his purpose.
"The Tianli Clan? Are you perhaps talking about Fellow Daoist Shuang Qingqing, who just returned a few years ago?"
Li Yan was shocked. A Great Cultivator was indeed a Great Cultivator; he had casually guessed the person he was referring to. The Tianli Clan originally had three Nascent Soul cultivators; it was possible for him to be connected to any one of them. Yet Meng Shangmo had immediately thought of the recently returned Shuang Qingqing. This old monster was truly not as plain and simple as he appeared on the surface; he had his own world of knowledge.
"Senior's insight is like a torch. It is indeed Senior Shuang's matter!"
"Hehe, what insight? Little friend, don't flatter this old one. A cultivator like this comes to the Verdant Continent, of course I would know about it. I could guess because Fellow Daoist Shuang's origins are very mysterious, and the Tianli Clan has no record of her. Their clan has been peaceful for so many years. Now that a problem has arisen, the greatest possibility is her. I have never had the chance to meet Fellow Daoist Shuang. I didn't expect this Fellow Daoist to have ties with your sect. Now, what trouble has she encountered, and how can this old one help? Do you need me to act on her behalf?"