Now I'd roar into the azure skies, cast off every shackle, and roam free.

Pei Ling had barely left his cave abode when Jade Snow Bat immediately "woke" up. "Dog... Master, put me down. I can walk by myself."

He had no time to deal with this fox demon. At her words, he let go and immediately used an escape art, flying toward Chao Na Temporary Palace.

Jade Snow Bat maintained her human form, still wearing that pink, cross-collared, narrow-sleeved ruqun, tied with Pomegranate Red Silk Ribbons. Light glinted off the Red Gold Hairpin in her Snake Hairpin, and the dangling earrings beside her ears reflected a blush on her cheeks. Gone was her usual liveliness; she followed behind Pei Ling with her face faintly flushed.

They had only just reached the halfway point when a figure came from the side and suddenly blocked Pei Ling's path.

The newcomer had white hair and beard, and a familiar face. He was Li Lieyue's Seventeenth Uncle, Li Wuding.

Pei Ling saw him and froze for a moment, then quickly stopped and bowed. "May I ask, Senior... May I ask what you need, Seventeenth Uncle?"

Li Wuding stroked his long beard with a genial smile. "Congratulations, Holy Son Pei."

"The Holy Son's cultivation is profound and his strength formidable. After this battle, your name has spread far and wide. All under heaven know that our Sacred Sect has gained another promising new talent. My Li Clan truly has a discerning eye."

"Of course, talent is like jade hidden in stone. Without carving and polishing, it will never become a thing of value."

"This is also thanks to your own hard work and determination to improve."

Clearly in an excellent mood, he praised Pei Ling at length before finally remembering the matter at hand. "The Old Ancestor has something for you. He asked me to give it to