As soon as the young man in red martial attire sat down, he heard Li Yan first ask if they had found out why they were abandoned, and he couldn't help but feel moved. Li Yan had surely come here on some business, and he could have just stated his request directly. That old Daoist's cultivation was heaven-shakingly powerful; their own Ancestor wouldn't dare to offend him.
Li Yan, on the other hand, had noticed the almost imperceptible changes in the young man's expression whenever he mentioned the "Ancestor." With Li Yan's sharp intellect, a few moments of thought were all it took for him to guess the reason. Just as Meng Zhiyuan had told the young man and the others, their actual ages and the order of their bloodline inheritance were far superior to those of the current clansmen of the Dark Spirit Demon Bat clan. This even included the "Ancestor" they spoke of—Meng Shangmo. Though he was a Late-stage Nascent Soul Great Cultivator, his true age was countless generations younger than Meng Zhiyuan and his group.
But the man's current cultivation was indeed far higher than theirs, which likely made it awkward for the young man in red to call him "Ancestor."
"That Chencang Trail was clearly at the bottom of the sea. How could it be in the 'Demon-Swallowing Abyss'?"
"We find that very strange as well. The Ancestor later suspected that perhaps Venerable Duanmu and the others used some kind of divine ability to move the location of the Chencang Trail before they left. But there's a problem with that theory. That place had a teleportation formation node, which shouldn't have been movable. This point is inexplicable. But why were we not in the 'Demon-Swallowing Abyss', but at the bottom of the deep sea? This matter can only be investigated by the Ancestor."
"The methods of Spirit Transformation cultivators are endless and profound, far beyond what we at our realm can fathom. By the way, was your return journey this time smooth?" Li Yan asked, as if by chance.
The young man in red martial attire gave a wry smile upon hearing this.
"It wasn't smooth at all. On our way, we encountered a boundless region of lightning. We tried to break through it, but after advancing only a few hundred li, we could go no further. Third Senior Brother and Fourth Senior Sister were also badly injured. We estimated that if we went any deeper, we might all perish inside, so we had no choice but to retreat. Then we flew west along the edge of the lightning region, looking for the nearest exit. It took a lot of time, but we finally managed to get around that area. After that, the journey was quite good. Although we encountered many hostile cultivators, we managed to avoid fighting anyone, and we finally arrived at the clan just a few days ago. Oh, right, Benefactor, my Eldest Senior Brother and the others have entered death seclusion!"
The young man in red briefly described their return journey. As Li Yan expected, they had also encountered that terrifying lightning region, but they had ultimately chosen to take a detour, and their direction—west—was the only correct way out. It had to be said that Meng Zhiyuan and his group had finally found their fortune; their luck had turned for the better.
As for why no one had attacked them on the rest of their journey, that was easy enough to guess. As long as a Nascent Soul cultivator didn't show up, what fool would be willing to attack five Golden Core cultivators? That wouldn't be robbery; it would be delivering wealth and one's own life on a platter.
Li Yan thought that if he hadn't given them the thirty thousand Spirit Stones, the cultivators who encountered Meng Zhiyuan's group might not be alive today.
Li Yan had yet to ask if Meng Zhiyuan would show himself, but the young man in red, though unaccustomed to interacting with outsiders, was naturally very intelligent to have broken through to the Golden Core Realm in such a harsh environment. He knew Li Yan must be waiting for his Eldest Senior Brother. It would be tactless for him to keep chattering on about Li Yan's topic without addressing the unasked question.
"Oh? Fellow Daoist Meng has entered death seclusion? That's truly worthy of congratulations. It seems the day he forms his Nascent Soul is just around the corner!"
Li Yan's mind was exceptionally sharp. He immediately grasped a few things. Meng Zhiyuan had been stuck at the Golden Core stage for an unknown number of years. It was just that the cultivation resources on that seabed were severely lacking, and the Spiritual Energy was pitifully thin, so his cultivation had been suppressed, unable to advance an inch.
Now that he had returned to his clan, everything had completely changed. According to the young man in red, "The Ancestor is compensating them." That should mean they had Spirit Stones if they needed them, and resources should not be lacking either. All that was left was for his state of mind and comprehension to catch up. Meng Zhiyuan's chances of forming a Nascent Soul were several tenths higher than those of a Pseudo-Nascent Soul cultivator in the outside world.
The endless years on the seabed, the various battles, hardships, and sorrows he had encountered—were these not a form of profound comprehension that others could not experience? Perhaps one of those events would suddenly touch him during his seclusion, triggering the Rules of Heaven and Earth and bringing on the Heavenly Tribulation.
'This also explains another thing. There was a reason they received such good resources as soon as they returned to the clan. Senior Shuang mentioned before that no one from the Dark Spirit Demon Bat clan had successfully condensed a Nascent Soul in a thousand years. With Meng Shangmo's insight, he could naturally see many things, including the fact that Meng Zhiyuan had a very high chance of forming a Nascent Soul. That's why he granted them such a good place after meeting Meng Zhiyuan just once.'
Li Yan's thoughts raced. He had fought Meng Zhiyuan for a long time back then, finally resorting to poison and strategy, even using the Gui-Yi Water-Parting Spike to injure his Divine Soul before capturing him. Li Yan had used more than half of his trump cards that time; Meng Zhiyuan was an extremely tough opponent.
The young man in red martial attire smiled upon hearing his words. "This time, it's not just Eldest Senior Brother who entered seclusion. Second Senior Brother and Third Senior Brother also entered death seclusion together. Having come into contact with the outside world, their comprehension has also grown, and a breakthrough is possible for them too."
This time, Li Yan was truly moved.
'Three Nascent Soul cultivators might appear at once? This… this is a huge gain for the Dark Spirit Demon Bat clan. If he didn't know the background of these few, he would think forming a Nascent Soul was so easy. That Meng Shangmo has really struck gold. Even if only one of Meng Zhiyuan's group of three succeeds, their clan will not be much different from some of the major sects and clans. If a clan has four Nascent Soul cultivators, aside from the super-sects with hidden Spirit Transformation cultivators, they could be considered the top-tier demon clan on this continent!'
Although Li Yan knew the chances of all three succeeding at once were slim, he thought Meng Zhiyuan probably had the best chance.
"Unfortunately, Fourth Senior Sister and I are still far from forming a Nascent Soul, so we are just cultivating according to the rules. Fourth Senior Sister is very proud. She went into seclusion on her own the day before yesterday. That's why I was the only one to receive you today, Benefactor. I hope you won't take offense!"
The young man in red once again bowed to Li Yan with cupped hands. Li Yan's face remained smiling, but his mind was already in deep thought. He had come this time to ask for Meng Zhiyuan's help. He was quite confident in Meng Zhiyuan's intelligence and ability to handle matters. But for him to have entered death seclusion just after returning to his clan was truly a disappointment for Li Yan at this moment.
The young man in red before him carried much less weight in front of Meng Shangmo. Whether his words could attract Meng Shangmo's attention was uncertain. Moreover, the young man's speaking skills were far inferior to Meng Zhiyuan's. The same words coming from his mouth might carry a different meaning entirely. This could be seen from the young man's attitude towards the black-robed clansman earlier. That forced smile made it clear to anyone that he did not enjoy interacting with others. His emotions were basically written on his face!
As Li Yan thought this, he still spoke up. Since he was here, he had to try.
"I have come to find you because I have a matter that I cannot resolve on my own. I need to trouble your clan's Senior Meng. So, I must ask you to help me ask if Senior Meng will allow this junior to pay him a visit…"
Li Yan paused after saying this much.
The young man in red immediately nodded. This did not surprise him; the other party had come to their door genuinely seeking help. He had not forgotten the demands the Daoist had made on the seabed. One of them was that if Zhang Ming and the other person had any needs, their clan must provide full support, limited to three times.
The cultivation and aura displayed by that Daoist had left them in awe. When they met Meng Shangmo in their clan, although they also felt his aura was unfathomably deep, it lacked a certain indescribable presence compared to the Daoist's. It was a kind of indifference to all living things. They had seen that kind of indifference in their own Master and in Venerable Duanmu, but they were more cold and emotionless. That Daoist, however, was more like a third party standing in another space, looking down on everything with detachment. In his eyes, all life seemed to exist and yet not exist at all.
The young man in red also hadn't expected Zhang Ming to come looking for them so soon. If this were anyone else, they might think Li Yan was too hasty. But the young man felt it was perfectly normal, which was directly related to the environment he had grown up in. In the forbidden land on the seabed, there were very few outside enemies. Ninety-nine percent of the time, he was alone with his clansmen. If anyone had something to say, they would say it directly, without any concealment, including when facing death. They didn't know how long the formation rules there could be maintained, or who would be the next to die. Therefore, every time they spoke to others, they would get straight to the point, as if every moment was their last.
Furthermore, the young man in red also knew of Li Yan's strength. Although he had used poison to ambush his Eldest Senior Brother, the difference between them became clear after they were teleported together. This Zhang Ming and that extremely beautiful female cultivator had very high true cultivation levels, likely on par with his three senior brothers. At the very least, the density of their magical power was not inferior to his Eldest Senior Brother's. He and his sister had been vomiting and half-unconscious, but those two had left the teleportation formation as soon as it stopped, looking completely unaffected.
'With Zhang Ming and that beautiful female cultivator's strength, if they join forces, they would have few opponents below the Nascent Soul Realm. For Zhang Ming to come here, the matter he needs help with is likely something only a Nascent Soul cultivator can handle.' The young man's thoughts raced.
The moment Li Yan's voice fell, the young man in red agreed with surprising speed.
"Alright, I'll go and explain the situation to the Ancestor right now. Eldest Senior Brother also mentioned this matter, and the Ancestor nodded his assent at the time!"
With that, he turned and walked out. This left Li Yan with a momentary look of surprise on his face. The other party was extremely direct, which Li Yan hadn't expected.
However, at this moment, he did not communicate with Shuang Qingqing in the Spirit-Storing Pouch. Reducing his Divine Sense fluctuations was the most correct course of action. He had no way of knowing if Meng Shangmo was already aware of his arrival. This was, of course, assuming the other party wasn't paying attention. Otherwise, his every word and action would be under their surveillance.
Li Yan sat in his chair, seemingly lost in thought, and for a time, it was unclear what he was thinking.
He did not have to wait long. About half an incense stick's time later, a thought stirred in Li Yan's mind. He immediately looked up, just as the young man in red martial attire walked in.
"Benefactor, my clan's Ancestor is waiting for you in his Cave Residence!"
......
Within a Cave Residence, Li Yan and the young man in red martial attire stepped inside without any obstruction.
This was an extremely spacious Cave Residence, a world of its own inside. As far as the eye could see, there were many green plants and trees. There were even fish ponds and small pavilions, a complete contrast to what was seen from outside the cave.
And at this moment, in a small pavilion in the distance, a short old man, whose height only reached Li Yan's chest, was standing in the pavilion!