"Please reconsider, Martial Aunt Hongyu. Fellow disciples ought to watch over and help one another."
"This disciple... truly wouldn't dare use a kindness to demand repayment!"
Liu Yu spoke in an "earnest" tone.
His thoughts raced, and he reached a decision in an instant.
Rather than exchange this favor for something of little consequence, he would rather have Martial Aunt Hongyu remember that she owed him one.
It would certainly prove useful as he advanced within the sect.
At present, he lacked neither magical artifacts nor pills.
With the Golden Dragon Sword and Black Tortoise Shield in hand, his magical artifacts would remain adequate even after he reached late Qi Refining.
As for pills, he had the Immortal Mansion backing him.
So long as he obtained the pill formulas and spirit herb seeds, producing finished pills was only a matter of time.
He lacked no other means, either: he had the Black Bird Flame Talisman as his trump card, and the Earth Escape Talisman to flee for his life.
The only exception would be a Foundation Establishment Pill, whose ingredients' seeds he could not obtain.
The spirit grasses and spirit herbs required to refine Foundation Establishment Pills were exceedingly rare.
Although most of those spirit grasses could still be found, the three principal ingredients now existed only in secret realms within the cultivation world.
After the great war of ancient times, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth had gradually waned. The environment throughout the cultivation world had changed drastically, and spirit grasses with stricter requirements for their surroundings and the concentration of spiritual energy had gradually become scarce.
By the present day, they survived only in certain secret realms passed down from ancient times that still retained their ancient conditions. Such was the case with the three principal ingredients for Foundation Establishment Pills.
And just how precious were Foundation Establishment Pills?
Her own lineage probably did not have enough to go around. Only direct descendants or promising talents with exceptional aptitude might have access to them.
How could Martial Aunt Hongyu possibly offer one as thanks?
Yan Hongyu held one loosely curled hand before her, while Yan Qun'er hugged her other arm and gently rocked it.
Hearing his words, she found this unremarkable-looking outer disciple rather interesting. He was not the shortsighted sort.
Still, she did not take his words at face value. This karmic debt would probably not be so easily settled.
After so many years, she naturally knew that far-sighted, quick-witted cultivators like him often went further.
Compared with shortsighted people who cared only for immediate gain, she rather appreciated cultivators who took the long view.
Yan Hongyu pondered briefly, then suddenly withdrew her smile and spoke in a tone that brooked no argument:
"Say no more. Since you saved our Qun'er, you must still be thanked."
"How about this? Take these two items!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she swept her sleeve.
A gleaming black jade pendant and a yellow token floated before Liu Yu.
"This is called the Black Jade Pendant, a middle-grade defensive magical artifact."
"With a mere thought, you can release a barrier capable of withstanding three attacks from first-tier, upper-grade spells, without consuming any of your own magical power."
"However, after each use, you must wait seven days for its spiritual energy to replenish."
"That yellow token is one our Yan Household issues to people who have helped our lineage."
"If you encounter difficulties within the sect in the future, you may bring this token to Green Elegance Peak and seek me out."
Seeing her expression and hearing her tone, Liu Yu knew when to stop pressing his luck. He did not dare anger a martial aunt in the Foundation Establishment Realm.
He accepted both items with both hands. Rather than examine them closely, he merely glanced at them before putting them into his Storage Bag.
Inwardly, however, he was quite pleased with the two items.
"Thank you for your gifts, Martial Aunt Hongyu."
Liu Yu cupped his hands and spoke respectfully.
Afterward, he remained where he stood, saying nothing of his own accord.
He did not know this martial aunt's preferences, so it was better not to speak carelessly and risk violating some taboo.
Seeing this, Yan Qun'er broke into a smile and obediently whispered to Yan Hongyu, "Thank you, Auntie~."
Yan Hongyu freed her hand, patted Yan Qun'er's head affectionately, and said gently:
"As long as you're all right, little girl, that matters more than anything. Otherwise, how would I answer to your father?"
She turned back toward Liu Yu. The affection vanished from her eyes, and her expression became stern.
"Martial Nephew Liu, sorry for the trouble, but please recount the fight once more."
"And do you have any clues about those two villains?"
Liu Yu dared not delay. He recounted the details of the fight exactly, describing the Black-and-White Fiends' moniker, appearances, and distinguishing features.
Along the way, he mixed in considerable hostility and condemnation toward the pair, speaking from a position firmly aligned with "his own people."
As for his having held his own against Black Fiend, who was at late Qi Refining, he glossed over it lightly.
After listening, Yan Hongyu nodded, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.
She swept the area with her divine sense and drew a strip of cloth into her hand, saying coldly:
"This clue alone is enough. They won't be able to run for long!"
Liu Yu recognized it at a glance. It was a strip left behind when Black Fiend's clothes had burst apart as he used his secret art.
Her words immediately reminded him of the various secret arts mentioned in Essentials of Demonic Cultivation that could pinpoint cultivators through their auras.
Liu Yu's heart tightened. He resolved to dispose properly of anything bearing his aura in the future.
Now that Yan Hongyu had found a clue, there was no hurry to capture a mere two Qi Refining Period cultivators. She was not worried in the slightest that they might escape.
I should take my precious niece back to the sect first, lest a long night bring more dreams and another mishap occur.
With that thought, she raised the Red Carpet Artifact twenty or thirty feet into the air, then took Yan Qun'er with her and leaped aboard.
On the red carpet, Yan Hongyu glanced at Liu Yu and said mildly:
"You're returning to the sect as well, Martial Nephew Liu. Since that is the case, come aboard. Your martial aunt will give you a ride."
"Thank you, Martial Aunt," Liu Yu replied respectfully.
Then, without standing on ceremony, he sprang lightly onto the red flying carpet.
Once all three were aboard, Yan Hongyu formed a spell gesture with one hand, sending the Red Carpet Artifact high into the sky and flying swiftly onward.
As the Red Carpet Artifact began to fly, a pale red barrier appeared around it, blocking the fierce wind rushing toward them.
With this rare opportunity to observe a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator at close range, Liu Yu watched carefully.
Looking at the scenery racing backward, he realized that Martial Aunt Hongyu's flight speed was a full four or five times faster than his own sword flight.
And that was while carrying three people.
Though I have nothing to fear from ordinary Qi Refining Period cultivators, I probably couldn't even escape from a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator.
Sure enough, the gap between each major realm is a vast chasm, difficult to cross!
These thoughts passed through Liu Yu's mind.
About two hours later, the outline of the Primordial Yang Sect came into view.
The Red Carpet Artifact stopped before the Sect-Defending Array. Yan Hongyu took out her identity token and shot a beam of white light into the array.
Soon afterward, an opening thirty feet long and thirty feet wide appeared in the array.
Yan Hongyu changed her spell gesture, and the Red Carpet Artifact passed through. After flying for roughly another seven minutes, it stopped above an ordinary mountain peak.
Taking the hint, Liu Yu pushed off with both feet and leaped down from the magical artifact with a rather carefree air.
After landing, he bowed to Yan Hongyu and said with proper decorum:
"Thank you for giving me a ride, Martial Aunt Hongyu. I won't disturb you any further. This disciple takes his leave."
With that, Liu Yu took out the Giant Wood Sword and lightly stepped onto it, about to depart.
Seeing that he had never taken the initiative to speak to her, Yan Qun'er seemed to understand something. She could not conceal the disappointment on her lovely face.
But seeing Liu Yu about to leave made her even more reluctant to part!
"Junior Brother Liu, thank you for saving me today. Your senior sister will remember it always."
"Until we meet again!!!"
Yan Qun'er mustered her courage and called out to him of her own accord, her voice gentle.
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