Jiang Lan gently brushed his sleeve, his expression calm and unrestrained. His gaze first settled on Li'er and Hou Fei, and he gave them a quiet reminder:
"Li'er, Fei Fei, you can stay here at Star Pavilion without worry. With the Heavenly Star Formation protecting it, this place is safe enough."
Hugging the Black Rod, Hou Fei bounced up and grinned. "Gaga, I understand, Master!"
Li'er also bowed slightly and replied gently, "Thank you, Uncle Lan."
Jiang Lan turned to Qin Yu and flicked his fingers. Two gleaming white communication tokens, faintly patterned with stars, drifted toward Qin Yu and Yun Ce.
"Qin Yu, Yun Ce, keep these two tokens safe. If you ever encounter a peril you can't overcome on your own, send me a message, and I'll come help you."
Qin Yu and Yun Ce hurriedly accepted them with both hands. The tokens felt warm to the touch, and a pure, gentle energy quietly seeped through their limbs.
"Thank you, Uncle Lan (Senior Lan)! We'll remember your kindness!"
Jiang Lan nodded slightly. His gaze shifted to Yun Ce, and he suddenly gave a quiet exclamation of surprise, a hint of curiosity passing through his eyes.
"Pavilion Master Yun Ce, you and your disciple Qin Yu both cultivate rather unusual techniques."
Yun Ce's heart tightened, and he was at a loss for how to reply. Jiang Lan had already smiled faintly, a flash of light appearing in his palm. A long, entirely black sword of plain, unadorned design quietly floated there. No spiritual light radiated from its blade, and it showed no sharp edge. It looked like ordinary iron, yet carried an air of deep, weighty antiquity.
"You lead Star Pavilion, so there will surely be no shortage of trouble in the days ahead. Take this sword as a