Three days later.
On the eastern shore of Green Oak Lake.
The first faint light of dawn shone as the red sun rose, staining the horizon crimson.
Disguised as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, Song Wen sat cross-legged atop a tall mountain by the shore.
Morning dew had dampened his robes, and a few droplets had even gathered on his bald head. He looked every bit a rogue cultivator diligently pursuing his cultivation.
Suddenly.
Two streaks of light flashed across the sky and vanished.
Song Wen's eyes narrowed slightly. Those two were none other than Ye Bing and Jin Xun.
He did not set off immediately. Instead, he remained seated for nearly another hour before taking flight toward Gou Jun Island.
When he arrived near Gou Jun Island, he found Ye Bing and Jin Xun standing high in the air, several hundred li from the island.
A look of surprise immediately appeared on his face, and he flew over to greet them.
"Benefactor Li Yue, what brings you to this humble monk's abode? And the benefactor beside you is...?"
Song Wen acted as though he knew nothing of their intentions, offering a Buddhist salute as he spoke.
He pressed his hands together, leaving a hollow between his palms, raised his fingertips level with his brow, and bowed slightly.
As he offered the salute, the sleeves of his monk's robes fell naturally, revealing a string of blue prayer beads around his wrist.
A gleam flashed through Ye Bing's eyes when she saw those prayer beads.
Earlier, Song Wen had been watching from the lakeshore to see whether anyone was following Ye Bing and Jin Xun. His main purpose had been to guard against Jin Xun secretly enlisting a Void Refinement cultivator from the Jin Clan.
If a Void Refinement cultivator truly had