"I am very grateful to Mr. Xu for saving me. If it weren't for your timely appearance, my situation today would have been very difficult to predict."
Xiao Yan, his face deathly pale, bowed and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Xu Qinghe, while simultaneously controlling the outward expansion of his Spiritual Strength, which stabilized his weak aura considerably.
Xu Qinghe paid no attention to the former's little tricks, and said in a calm voice:
"It's alright. I only made a show of force; I didn't actually do anything. Besides, the Ghost Gate and my Heavenly Yuan Zong are sworn enemies. I stopped him to prevent them from doing anything detrimental to my sect. Furthermore, when I left the sect, my master personally instructed me that if I encountered Mr. Xiao Yan in trouble, I must help him. I was just following my master's orders."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan's heart skipped a beat. How could an existence like the Heavenly Yuan Zong Sect order its disciples to do such a thing? To a powerhouse of that level, he was merely a mere Yuan Zong Sect member, someone he had never met before. What was there about him that would warrant their attention?
Could it be...?
Xiao Yan's eyes flashed, and he immediately thought of the ancient bronze badge left by Huo Zhu in his Storage Ring.
I have examined the badge carefully, and it is indeed just an ordinary ornament. I don't know why such an inconspicuous thing would attract the personal attention of Yuan Sheng.
"Buzz..."
Just as Xiao Yan was pondering this, a sudden feeling of immense weakness within his body brought him back to his senses. He couldn't help but smile bitterly to himself. In the current situation, he really didn't have time to think about anything else. Regardless of the other party's purpose, at least from this moment on, Xu Qinghe had no intention of killing him. Compared to the Fu Kui's resentment and venom, this was already a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.
Letting out a long breath, Xiao Yan suppressed his surging blood and doubts, unconsciously taking a slight step back, and solemnly clasped his hands in a fist salute once more:
"I will Xiao Yan remember the kindness of Mr. Xu and my esteemed master. If I am able to repay them in the future, I will do so without hesitation."
Xu Qinghe glanced calmly at Xiao Yan, then turned to look into the depths of the plain, seemingly lost in thought, and said:
"Mr. Xiao Yan, do you know how far it is from here to the exit of the secret realm? Most of the Yuan Zun experts who enter the secret realm are entrenched on this plain. If you encounter them, it will be extremely dangerous. If you are to cross over alone like this, I am not confident that I can arrive in time every time. Even if I have the heart to protect you, I am afraid I cannot guarantee your safety. Moreover... the people of the Ghost Gate are always vengeful, and it is hard to guarantee that the Fu Kui will not come back with a vengeance."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan's heart tightened, and he quickly glanced at the fire dragon out of the corner of his eye. The fire dragon had silently appeared behind him, blocking his retreat, and Xu Qinghe's gaze had also fallen completely on him.
"It is difficult to disobey my master's orders. Mr. Xiao Yan Xiao Yan, why don't you travel with me? Once we reach the core area, where no one is allowed to make a move, you can leave then."
Xiao Yan's expression remained unchanged, but a storm was brewing in his heart. Xu Qinghe's words were clearly not something to be refuted. At the same time, the surging weakness within him increased the pressure on him, and he could hardly stand. If it weren't for his Spiritual Strength supporting him, he would have collapsed to the ground long ago.
After a moment's hesitation, Xiao Yan sighed inwardly. Xu Qinghe's words seemed concerned, but in reality, every word was aimed at the bronze badge in his hand. Now that things had come to this, this item could no longer be kept.
"Then I'll have to trouble you."
In the end, Xiao Yan gritted his teeth and exchanged a few more polite words with Xu Qinghe. Knowing that Xiao Yan's injuries were not light, the latter patiently waited for him to rest on the spot. After his internal Origin Qi and injuries had recovered to some extent, Xiao Yan accepted Xu Qinghe's invitation and rode the wind dragon, speeding towards the depths of the plain at an incredible speed.
During their journey, Xu Qinghe frequently glanced at Xiao Yan, who was sitting cross-legged and resting beside him. He felt the Spiritual Strength constantly overflowing from the latter's body, and a look of surprise appeared in his eyes.
With his knowledge, he could immediately tell that Xiao Yan had used some kind of high-level Soul Secret Technique, which was why his Spiritual Strength was surging and flowing continuously. Moreover, judging from the density of this Spiritual Strength, it was actually comparable to the soul of Tier Eight Alchemist. Even if it was due to a high-level secret technique, such an effect was indeed heaven-defying.
However, Xu Qinghe also sighed inwardly, feeling a pang of regret for Xiao Yan. After all, among the alchemists on this trip, he was quite curious about Xiao Yan, whom his mentor cared about so much. If nothing unexpected happened, Xiao Yan would definitely have a place in the final championship competition with this strange secret technique. However, he used it too early. Once the effect of the secret technique wore off, the backlash it brought might prevent Xiao Yan from even having the chance to sit on the alchemy platform.
It can be said that at this moment, Xiao Yan was already destined to be out of the running for the Pill Gathering championship.
As if sensing Xu Qinghe's gaze, Xiao Yan, who was refining the pills in his body, suddenly opened his eyes and looked directly at Xu Qinghe, a glint of fire flashing in his eyes.
Seeing Xiao Yan's gaze fall upon him, Xu Qinghe immediately revealed a meaningful smile and said:
"I had long heard that Mr. Xiao Yan had once severely injured a Yuan Zun expert of the Bai Clan with his Yuan Zong cultivation. At the time, I had some doubts, but now that I have seen it, it is indeed true. After being entangled with Five-Star Yuan Zun like Fu Kui, he recovered most of his injuries in just half a day. Such feats are far beyond what ordinary Peak Yuan Zong can achieve. Mr. Xiao Yan truly deserves to be called the number one young talent of the Xiao Clan!"
Upon hearing Xu Qinghe's words, Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed instantly. Although his face remained expressionless, he was already horrified.
When he said he had severely injured the Bai Clan's Yuan Zun, the person he was referring to was undoubtedly Bai Rong. However, even within the Xiao Clan, very few people knew about that matter, so how could it have reached this person's ears? Moreover, judging from Xu Qinghe's tone, he seemed to know a great deal about this matter, and it didn't sound like he was just talking casually.
Xiao Yan paused for a moment, then chuckled dryly and said:
"Mr. Xu, you flatter me. There's no such thing as the number one among the younger generation; it's all just hearsay. It's truly an honor that you, being so far away in the Heavenly Yuan Zong, know so much about someone from the Xiao Clan."
Xu Qinghe seemed to sense Xiao Yan's worry, and a glint of light flashed in his eyes as he smiled and said:
"My master cared deeply for his old friend. After many years of separation, he received news that his friend had been refined and devoured by someone else. Of course, he was extremely concerned. Moreover, the only remaining possession was still in Mr. Xiao Yan's hands, and my master really didn't want his old friend's belongings to fall into the hands of others again. Naturally, he paid much more attention to Mr. Xiao Yan."
After hearing these words, Xiao Yan remained silent for a while with a complicated expression before letting out a soft sigh. He then flipped his hand and took out an ancient bronze badge from his Storage Ring.
Upon seeing this, a hint of satisfaction immediately appeared in Xu Qinghe's eyes.
Looking at the bronze badge in his palm, Xiao Yan couldn't help but recall Huo Zhu's warning to him that day. Perhaps handing it over now could save him from some unknown risks.
With this thought in mind, Xiao Yan slowly reached out and handed the badge to Xu Qinghe.
"Your master and your old friend share a deep bond, which I find deeply moving. Moreover, this item was originally intended to be returned to your master. Therefore, I would be grateful if Mr. Xu could pass it on to your master."
"It's my duty."
Xu Qinghe said with a grin, and at the same time, without any hesitation, he reached out his hand, and an invisible suction force surged from his palm, instantly putting the bronze badge into his Storage Ring.