"I have seen this insignia. The people who have it also cultivate a puppet art, called the 'Divine Puppet Art.' Their surname is also Shuang, but it's the Shuang of 'frost.' And their clan is not called the Tianli Clan, but the Duye…" (TN: The surname of Shuang Qingqing's clan is 雙, meaning 'twin' or 'pair.' The surname of the people Li Yan met is 霜, meaning 'frost.' Both are pronounced Shuang.)
As Li Yan spoke, he also remembered why he had felt a sense of familiarity when Shuang Lianzhou had taken out the Three-legged Green Luan back then. It was because the Thousand Luo Ancient Ape, which he had long since returned to Shuang Qingqing, had a similar formation carved inside it!
Although Shuang Qingqing had already guessed, just hearing Li Yan's first sentence was like a clap of thunder in her mind. Her delicate body swayed, and she had to support herself with the stone table. In that instant, she didn't even register what Li Yan said afterward.
'Shuang of frost, also a puppet art, the same pattern, the 'Divine Puppet Art'… Could it really be Senior Brother Tongguan's lineage? It must be Senior Brother Tongguan's lineage…'
She kept repeating this in a low voice. After seven or eight breaths, she seemed to snap out of it. Ignoring the tears welling up in her eyes, she grabbed Li Yan's shoulders! At this moment, the only thing she couldn't be sure of was the "Divine Puppet Art." However, Shuang Qingqing was intelligent and astute. She also guessed that perhaps her senior brother had changed the name of the puppet art he practiced in order to evade pursuit. The most important thing was that Li Yan had actually seen that insignia. That was the most important thing!
"Are you sure it's this insignia? Are you sure? Where did you see them? Where was it?"
Shuang Qingqing, after all, had been through great joy and sorrow, life and death. At this moment, she had not forgotten to control her emotions and maintain a basic level of clarity. But her words repeatedly asked Li Yan to confirm one thing. She couldn't believe it…
An incense stick's time later, Shuang Qingqing's courtyard was silent. But now, there were two more people in the courtyard: Meng Shangmo and Shuang Fengyan.
"So you came from the Forsaken Continent?"
Shuang Fengyan looked at Li Yan. Li Yan was also helpless. Although he didn't want to expose his tracks, as long as the other party found Shuang Wuyan and her group, he would be exposed anyway. After some thought, he had to change his story a bit.
"Yes. I once left my sect for training and went to the Forsaken Continent. I also served as an elder for a period of time in a small sect called 'Falling Star Valley.' It was during that time that I saved Shuang Chongshan and the others."
Shuang Fengyan was shocked. This little Golden Core cultivator in front of him could travel across realms for training. This was extremely rare even among the top sects of the Verdant Continent, one might even say unheard of.
Just as he was about to ask more, Meng Shangmo's voice suddenly sounded in his mind.
"You can ask about Shuang Wuyan and the others, but don't ask about Zhang Ming's personal affairs anymore. Knowing too much won't do you any good. I can tell you that the people behind him are from a sect you absolutely cannot afford to provoke! An ancestor from his sect can kill a Spirit Transformation cultivator as easily as eating and drinking. I definitely wouldn't last a single move against that person. I've said my piece. If you insist on asking, and if he is unwilling to answer, you must not press him further. Otherwise, I will take them and leave now!"
Shuang Fengyan was already shocked, but he didn't expect Meng Shangmo to say such a thing.
'An expert who can easily kill a Spirit Transformation cultivator, could it be one of those reclusive ancient races!'
Shuang Fengyan's cultivation was heaven-piercing, and he was already one of the top existences in this realm. He knew more than most. Although the top sects of the Verdant Continent now divided different regions and dominated their respective territories, in some unknown places, there were still ancient races that had been passed down from ancient times. Their numbers were small, and they did not like to appear in the world. Among these ancient races, there were terrifying old monsters who had lived for an unknown number of years. If any one of them were to come out, they could easily destroy these so-called top sects.
In fact, it was precisely because of the existence of these people that warlike races from other realms, like those on the Forsaken Continent, did not dare to invade easily. Otherwise, with the opening of the cross-realm passage, the Verdant Continent might not be so peaceful.
In an instant, Shuang Fengyan also figured out many things. 'This old ghost Meng said he was entrusted by someone. Could it be this brat in front of me? If this brat really has such a great figure behind him as old ghost Meng says, then he really could run around like a dog on errands!'
At this moment, he finally understood Meng Shangmo's strange behavior!
"Great Elder, this matter has become simple. As long as that Shuang Wuyan and the others haven't left 'Falling Star Valley,' then someone just needs to go and check, and their true identities will be known. If they are indeed Senior Brother Tongguan's descendants, they must have the inheritance. This will be very easy to identify. I believe the matter of my master can then be cleared up! However, this matter cannot be known by Bai Yihe. Either you make a trip yourself, or I will go!"
Shuang Qingqing had already calmed down by now. She looked at Shuang Fengyan. Shuang Fengyan nodded. His heart was also in turmoil. This matter had been shelved for too long. He didn't expect it to take such a turn in his generation.
"I cannot leave. The moment I leave, Bai Yihe will notice. Before you see Shuang Wuyan and the others, you cannot go either. I hope Elder Qingqing can understand. Let the Third Elder go across the realm. You can rest assured on this point. The Third Elder will not reveal a single piece of news to Bai Yihe. At that time, regardless of whether he finds those few people or not, have him make another trip to the Duye Clan. That may be where Shuang Tongguan established the foundation of his clan back then."
Next was Li Yan's turn. He recorded the location of "Falling Star Valley" and the appearances of Shuang Wuyan, Shuang Chongshan, and the others on a jade slip, and then handed it to Shuang Fengyan.
For the next few days, Li Yan and Zhao Min did not leave but stayed in Shuang Qingqing's courtyard. Meng Shangmo had long since disappeared.
During these few days, Shuang Qingqing would give lectures to the three of them every day, but most of it was aimed at the Golden Core stage. This was clearly an attempt to help Li Yan and Zhao Min more. Although Li Yan could see that Shuang Qingqing would often get distracted, she was genuinely teaching them some core things. This gave Li Yan and Zhao Min many insights, especially Li Yan. He had basically come from a wild path, always relying on self-cultivation, unlike Zhao Min who had even been taught by a Spirit Transformation cultivator.
Every time Li Yan listened to Shuang Qingqing's lectures, he had the urge to immediately enter seclusion to comprehend. Although Shuang Qingqing's cultivation system was different from theirs, her knowledge was incredibly vast. Often, a single sentence could enlighten Li Yan's mind, giving him a feeling of scratching an itch, overjoyed.
And on the noon of the third day, Shuang Qingqing, who was meditating in the courtyard, suddenly twitched her ear slightly. She snapped open her eyes. She had spent most of her time in the courtyard these past few days, rarely even entering her room. Apart from giving lectures to Li Yan and the other two, she had been waiting quietly.
Soon, her voice entered the minds of the three who were still cultivating in their respective rooms.
"The Third Elder has brought someone back. Shuang Fengyan wants us to go over!"
In his room, Li Yan was startled out of his cultivation, his expression a little dazed.
'It's only been a little over two days, and that Third Elder has already made a round trip from the Forsaken Continent? That's too fast…'
He and Zhao Min had gone through great pains and almost lost their lives just to get here.
'A cross-realm teleportation grand formation!' Li Yan sighed in his heart. However, he still had a question. The time the Third Elder had used was still too short. Even if the teleportation didn't take long, the cross-realm teleportation grand formation was near "Sacred Demon City." That Third Elder not only had to go to "Falling Star Valley" to find people, but also had to go to the Duye Clan to confirm. It was impossible for him to have completed all of that in just two days.
'Could it be that something happened to Shuang Wuyan and Shuang Chongshan?' Li Yan's thoughts raced as he pushed open the door. This was the biggest reason he could think of. Otherwise, that Third Elder wouldn't have returned so quickly. This made his heart sink, but he didn't want to say it at this time, for fear that his judgment was wrong and would instead upset Shuang Qingqing.
Within the Tianli Clan, in a neatly arranged Cave Residence, the calming scent of sandalwood smoke curled up. Bai Yihe sat cross-legged on a prayer mat. At this moment, he was holding a Voice Transmission Talisman, deep in thought with a frown.
'Shuang Qingqing left her courtyard and went to Shuang Fengyan's Cave Residence, and she even brought Bai Rou and the other two Golden Core cultivators. What is she doing?'
He had naturally sent people to watch Shuang Qingqing while she remained in the Tianli Clan. He knew that Shuang Qingqing was definitely aware of it, but she was probably too lazy to bother with these things now. And that was the result he wanted. As long as he knew she stayed in the courtyard, he didn't need to investigate further.
Bai Yihe was not surprised that Shuang Qingqing went to Shuang Fengyan's Cave Residence. After all, if Shuang Fengyan remembered something or found something out, it was normal for him to summon Shuang Qingqing for questioning. But for Shuang Qingqing to bring others along, he found it a bit strange!
Bai Yihe also knew that the male and female Golden Core cultivators had come to Shuang Qingqing's place at Meng Shangmo's behest. At first, Bai Yihe had been guessing the identities of these two Golden Core cultivators. After some thought, he believed they were disciples from the "Dark Spirit Demon Bat" clan. For Meng Shangmo to be so keen on helping Shuang Qingqing, there must have been some transaction, and it had to be related to these two Golden Core cultivators. But he also knew that Shuang Qingqing would absolutely not pass on the puppet art to outsiders. Even Shuang Fengyan would not agree to this. Since Shuang Fengyan had not stopped it, the greatest possibility was that it was some extremely powerful secret art that Shuang Qingqing herself had obtained from the outside world.
Meng Shangmo had somehow learned of it, and the cultivation method should be extremely useful to these two Golden Core cultivators, so there had been some transaction. The following days seemed to confirm his thoughts. That Meng Shangmo had disappeared without a trace. Those two had stayed in Shuang Qingqing's courtyard and had never gone out, probably receiving some kind of inheritance.
But today, why had these two outside Golden Core cultivators also gone to Shuang Fengyan's Cave Residence? This was something he couldn't figure out. At the same time, he also didn't know that the Third Elder had not been in the clan for the past few days, and had entered Shuang Fengyan's Cave Residence even before Shuang Qingqing and her group. He had to watch Shuang Qingqing because she was now a semi-prisoner. As long as he didn't go too far, Shuang Qingqing wouldn't act. As for watching two other Nascent Soul cultivators, especially Shuang Fengyan's Cave Residence, a Late-stage Nascent Soul Great Cultivator, he could try if he didn't think he had lived long enough.
But now, Shuang Fengyan had not summoned him. If he went rashly, he probably wouldn't even see Shuang Fengyan. For a time, Bai Yihe's mind raced, considering various possibilities and his next plan…
"Senior, did this Third Elder not find them? Otherwise, how could he have returned so quickly?"
On the way, Li Yan still asked the question in his heart, but did not voice his own speculation.
Shuang Qingqing had also been frowning. She also felt that something was wrong, but was just unwilling to think of the worst.
"I don't know, Shuang Fengyan didn't say!"
After that, the group fell into silence on the way.
When Shuang Qingqing's group of four stepped into Shuang Fengyan's Cave Residence, they were all stunned, because at this moment, there were a total of seven people in the Cave Residence. As Shuang Qingqing and her group stepped in, those people also looked over in unison. These few people had been talking about something just now. Seeing Shuang Qingqing's group of four enter, they stopped talking.
While others were still sizing up the people in the cave besides Shuang Fengyan and the Third Elder, a smile had already appeared on Li Yan's face, because he saw a few familiar faces.
"Zhang… Zhang Ming, what are you doing here?"
"You… you are El… Elder Zhang?"
Before anyone else could speak, a voluptuous and beautiful woman and an old man stared at Li Yan, dumbfounded, their questions blurting out subconsciously.
"Elder Wuyan, Fellow Daoist Chongshan, to see you again here is truly a reunion of old friends!"
Li Yan was already beaming, the great stone in his heart finally lifted…