Sister went treasure hunting, I'll take care of you for now.

Ji Hanyou nodded subconsciously.

"The purpose of our Alliance between the two Sects is to unite the major forces, not to engage in senseless killing. Think about it properly: if your Yan Yang Kingdom could join us, from Golden Core to Nascent Soul, from Middle Nascent Soul Stage to Late Nascent Soul Stage... wouldn't your sister definitely reach the Late Nascent Soul Stage?" Lan Caier coaxed, "Just stay here and Cultivate peacefully for this period. I dare not promise anything else, but with Brother Yuan here, guaranteeing you a position at the Nascent Soul stage is a certainty!"

As a royal noblewoman, Ji Hanyou's willpower was incredibly firm, but every word Lan Caier spoke struck like a heavy hammer against her mental defenses. The facts were right before her eyes; she could not help but believe. Feeling the Spiritual Qi in this small courtyard, which was several times denser than the Forbidden Ground of the Yan Yang Kingdom's imperial palace, she knew Lan Caier was not lying. In the imperial palace, she had no qualifications to enter such a place, yet here... Lin Yuan had casually given her an independent courtyard.

"Alright, don't think too much about it." Lan Caier patted her hand, "Go wash up, change into clean clothes, and remember to dress up nicely."

After Lan Caier left, Ji Hanyou stood alone in the courtyard. After a long while, she let out a long sigh, the struggle and unwillingness in her eyes gradually replaced by a sense of resignation and an inexplicable anticipation.

Inside the spirit spring, water vapor steamed, and the swirling mist blurred her vision.

In the pool, Ji Hanyou had her eyes closed, her snow-white neck tilted back, resting against the warm, smooth jade pool wall, enjoying this rare moment of peace.

Suddenly, ripples appeared on the water surface beside her. An aura, familiar yet heart-palpitating, silently enveloped her, causing her tensed body to instantly stiffen.

"Who?!"

She exclaimed, turning her head sharply.

What came into view was Lin Yuan's face, carrying a hint of playful amusement.

"Mas... Master..." Ji Hanyou's cheeks instantly burned hot, and she subconsciously tried to shrink into the water, wishing to hide herself completely.

"Don't move." Lin Yuan's voice was low.

He walked slowly into the bathing pool, the warm spring water washing over his calves, and finally sat down beside her, reaching out his arm to pull her into his embrace.

"You've been wronged these past few days." Lin Yuan's voice sounded in her ear, his warm breath blowing against her earlobe, making it itch intensely and her heart tremble.

Ji Hanyou's heart was so nervous it felt like it was about to jump out of her chest; she could only nod obediently.

...

The ripples in the bathing pool gradually calmed down.

Ji Hanyou lay limply in Lin Yuan's arms, the flush on her face yet to fade, but her eyes held more dependence and intimacy than before.

The effect of the Soul Slave Seal, combined with her body's complete submission, meant she could no longer harbor any thoughts of resistance against the man before her, and she even faintly felt that this was her best destination.

Lin Yuan held her soft, delicate body, his fingertips lightly tracing her smooth spine, before he began to ask about serious matters.

"Is Ji Wushuang your sister?"

Ji Hanyou nodded: "Yes, she is my eldest sister. The Emperor is supreme; Imperial Grandfather only recently abdicated, and my sister ascended the throne."

"When your sister retreated, why didn't she take you with her? And why did she let you get captured?" Lin Yuan continued to ask.

Ji Hanyou was now willing to tell Lin Yuan everything. She organized her thoughts and said softly: "Sister... Sister and the others originally intended for me to... rendezvous with her at the Demon Falling Valley."

"Demon Falling Valley?" Lin Yuan's movements paused.

"Yes." Ji Hanyou leaned against his chest and poured out everything she knew, "My sister... she took Murong Yue, Senior Ice Phoenix, and Situ Piaomiao, and after we retreated, they immediately changed course and headed to the Demon Falling Valley. Their goal is to retrieve one of the two heaven-piercing spirit treasures that suppress the Heavenly Demon in the valley."

Lin Yuan's gaze sharpened: "Is that the heaven-piercing spirit treasure you mentioned when we met at the Demon Falling Valley, the one you found on the map from that stone tablet? Is it that one?"

"Yes, that was the route map to retrieve the heaven-piercing spirit treasure." Ji Hanyou nodded in confirmation.

Lin Yuan asked: "What else do you know?"

"My Imperial Grandfather did not want my sister to retrieve this treasure, but she... her mind was made up. She said the Eastern Region's cultivation resources are barren, and even if unified, it would be difficult to support her advancement to Soul Transformation. She wants to obtain the heaven-piercing spirit treasure, thoroughly sweep across the Eastern Region, and then take the entire power of the Yan Yang Kingdom back to the Great Yan Dynasty in the Central Divine Land. Only there is there hope for Soul Transformation."

After listening, Lin Yuan fell into deep thought.

He tapped his fingers lightly against the pool wall, his brain running at high speed.

Things were definitely not as simple as Ji Wushuang thought.

A heaven-piercing spirit treasure! What kind of supreme treasure was that? It was several Ranks higher than Magic Treasures or Ancient Treasures; it was simply not an item that should exist in the Human Realm.

Such a treasure, just sitting in the Demon Falling Valley for nearly ten thousand years, ignored by everyone?

What a joke!

There were only two possibilities why they hadn't retrieved it.

If the Yan Yang Kingdom could find the route map, could it be that the Great Yan Dynasty of the Central Divine Land, with its much deeper foundation, wouldn't know? Would they have no way to enter the Demon Falling Valley?

Either they couldn't retrieve it, or they didn't dare to!

Lin Yuan was more inclined toward the latter.

What if that sealed extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon wasn't dead at all, but just sleeping?

If Ji Wushuang and her group rashly went to disturb the Formation Eye to retrieve some heaven-piercing spirit treasure, and once that old Devil Head was released...

That would be a huge disaster! The entire Eastern Region would have to be buried along with it!

Moreover, he could not let Ji Wushuang and the others succeed. That heaven-piercing spirit treasure had infinite power; once they grasped it, even if he had over twenty Nascent Soul experts on his side, the outcome would be hard to predict.

More importantly, he had originally planned to make another trip to the Demon Falling Valley!

After advancing to the Golden Core stage, he could finally begin crafting his own Lifebound Treasure.

Although the Six Harmony Sword was a supreme grade Magical Artifact, it was ultimately just a Magical Artifact.

And inside the Demon Falling Valley, there was a patch of excellent Materials he had long set his eyes on!

That large forest of silver thunder bamboo, and the two most precious stalks of gold thunder bamboo within it!

These were top-tier Heaven And Earth Treasure for crafting lightning-element Flying Swords! Magic Treasures crafted from them would naturally possess the power of thunder, with infinite might!

Besides that, going from Linyuan City to the Demon Falling Valley happened to require crossing the entire Yan Yang Kingdom.

And within the borders of the Yan Yang Kingdom, there existed a Heaven and Earth Spirit Fire—the Profound Fiend Ice Flame!

This fire and his Earth Core Nether Fire were exactly yin and yang, one cold and one hot.

If he could get his hands on it and fuse it with the Earth Core Nether Fire, his flame's power would surely skyrocket to an unimaginable level!

Stopping the enemy and seizing the Opportunity—killing two birds with one stone!

Just as Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow, he reached out with a clawing motion through the air, and an object from his clothes placed by the pool fell into his palm.

It was his Thousand-Mile Sound Transmission Talisman. This Talisman belonged to the Magic Treasure Rank; Qi Refinement Stage Cultivators could not use it.

After advancing to the Golden Core stage, Lin Yuan had naturally acquired one.

From within it came the voice of Ye Youmeng: "I led the team to the Xuanfu Sect. The Xuanfu Sect chose to submit, but their Grand Elder needs to negotiate with you face-to-face. Three days later, I will return to Linyuan City with the people from the Xuanfu Sect..."

Lin Yuan blinked. Ye Youmeng was quite efficient. However, the Xuanfu Sect choosing to submit was within expectations. This Sect's strength was the weakest among the six Sects; the Grand Elders of the other Sects were all at the Middle Nascent Soul Stage, only Murong Yue was at the Early Nascent Soul Stage, and this Sect was founded on Talismans, which required extremely high natural talent.