"Rest assured, Master. I will protect this Lifebound Primordial Spirit Lamp with the utmost care!" Liu Yulan accepted it with a solemn expression and spoke respectfully.
"Also, while you are away from the mountain, visit a few old friends of mine. I have some materials to exchange for things I urgently need. Just follow the addresses in here and take the listed items to them. I have already contacted them!" Heavenly Venerable Daoling took a jade slip from his Storage Pouch, then handed both the slip and the pouch to her.
"Yes! I understand!"
"Good. Of all my disciples, you are the one whose work puts me most at ease. This will be a long journey, so make thorough preparations. Once you have packed, you may leave the mountain!"
"Yes! I shall take my leave!" Liu Yulan bowed respectfully, then turned to go.
"Oh, and if anything unusual happens to the Lifebound Primordial Spirit Lamp, report it to me immediately!" Heavenly Venerable Daoling called after Liu Yulan just as she reached the cave entrance.
"Yes! I will!" Liu Yulan paused. I have long heard that Master dotes on Junior Brother Li Xiaoya, but this much concern seems to go beyond the bond between master and disciple. Could there be another reason? Despite those thoughts, her reply was respectful. Only then did she leave the cave abode, transform into a streak of blue light, and shoot away.
"Ah!" Gazing in the direction Liu Yulan had gone, Heavenly Venerable Daoling sighed softly. No longer in the mood to admire the flowers, he returned to the secluded chamber in his cave abode to meditate and cultivate.
Half a day later, a streak of blue light flew away from Heavenly Capital Peak, shooting northwest toward Spiritlight Lake.
In a silent space, a world of