Only after finishing all this did Li Yunjing turn around. With a single step, he passed through Azure Wave Island's tottering protective barrier and appeared before Ji Hanshu and his wife, who were still stunned.
The icy expression vanished from his face, replaced by a gentle smile. "Fellow Daoist Ji, Fellow Daoist Liu, it has been a long time. You must have had quite a fright."
"Fellow... Fellow Daoist Li!"
Ji Hanshu was the first to recover. His voice trembled with excitement as he hastily bowed deeply. "Thank you for saving our lives, Fellow Daoist Li! Had you not arrived in time, our Azure Wave Island would... would surely have suffered utter destruction today!"
"Words cannot express our gratitude!"
Liu Yueniang hurriedly gathered her skirts and bowed as well, her beautiful eyes filled with lingering fear and gratitude. "Fellow Daoist Li, please come inside for tea!"
"Brother Li, you came to save us!"
Ji Xiaoxuan skipped over to Li Yunjing, still just as she had been before-a little princess who had never grown up.
The disciples behind them finally came to their senses as well. They dropped to their knees and cried out, "Thank you for saving our lives, Senior!"
Their voices brimmed with the excitement of surviving disaster and boundless reverence for a powerful cultivator.
"There is no need for such formalities. Fellow Daoist Ji and Fellow Daoist Liu are old friends of mine. How could I stand by while they were in danger?"
Li Yunjing gently swept his sleeve, and a soft force lifted everyone to their feet. "Those lurking fiends have disturbed your island's peace."
"And little Xiaoxuan, your cultivation is hardly enough now!"
Li Yunjing looked at the young girl and teased her with a smile. "After all these years, you're still in the Foundation Establishment