Hong Yun's gaze fell on Yellow Dragon.
Confusion flickered in his gentle eyes. He recognized Yellow Dragon's aura, then looked at Xuandu and Duobao beside him.
Hong Yun's lips parted slightly, then closed again.
He looked from Yellow Dragon to Xuandu. The confusion in his eyes slowly gave way to shock.
"Two Quasi-Saints... and one at the late Great Luo stage..."
His voice trembled with disbelief. "How... how is that possible?"
He had met Yellow Dragon, Xuandu, and Duobao on Kunlun Mountain. Back then, two had been Golden Immortals, while the third was only at the Taiyi stage.
Yet now, two of those young juniors had attained the Quasi-Saint Dao Fruit, and Duobao had reached the late Great Luo stage.
Hong Yun's gaze swept back and forth between Yellow Dragon and Xuandu.
"Disciples of Sages... truly extraordinary," Hong Yun said with heartfelt admiration.
He paused, then frowned. "But why am I in the Underworld? I remember, back then..."
His voice trailed off.
The fragments of memory finally came together into a complete picture.
Kunpeng's sneak attack. Di Jun and Taiyi closing in to kill him. His self-destruction, his shattered True Spirit, and then the long, boundless darkness.
Only with the Supreme Pure Saint's help had he briefly regained consciousness.
To repay Yellow Dragon for gathering the fragments of his True Spirit, he had given him his bonded Spirit Treasure, the Soul-Scattering Gourd.
Hong Yun looked at Yellow Dragon and finally came back to himself.
In the end, he said only two words.
"Thank you."
Yellow Dragon waved a hand. "There's no need for ceremony, Senior. I gathered your True Spirit at my eldest martial uncle's instruction. Besides, you've already thanked me."
Hong Yun froze for a moment, then smiled faintly.
"Cause and effect truly do come full circle," Hong Yun