Starting at the Nascent Soul stage, a rogue cultivator is incredibly poor.

Qingyouzi stepped forward.

A cyan silk thread silently emerged from the sleeve, wrapped around the fallen black-scaled earth dragon, and with a gentle twist, pulled out a fist-sized jet-black demon core from its skull and retracted it into the storage bag.

His gaze fell on the two falcons in front of Tang Lingyu, a hint of appreciation flashing in his eyes, and he subconsciously wanted to reach out and stroke them.

But the two falcons, with their keen senses, felt the unfathomable aura emanating from the person before them. Instinctively, they shrank back, their feathers slightly bristling, and emitted a low, wary whistle.

"Thank you so much for saving my life, senior."

Tang Lingyu steadied herself, stepped forward, and bowed in greeting.

She felt a chill run down her spine. To be able to instantly kill a late-stage third-tier earth dragon with a single strike, this person was at least a Nascent Soul cultivator. Her attitude became even more respectful, not daring to be the slightest bit impolite.

Qingyouzi waved his hand.

"It's alright."

His tone was calm, but he suddenly changed the subject:

"However, now that I have saved you, shouldn't you repay me properly?"

His gaze swept over Tang Lingyu indifferently, then fell on the pair of falcons beside her.

"Your two spirit pets... are so pitiful to behold."

Tang Lingyu lowered her head slightly, her eyes filled with reluctance and struggle, her fingers unconsciously stroking the beast-taming ring.

"this……"

She hesitated, glancing at the gray-robed old man beside her.

The old man quickly stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said:

"Senior, my surname is Gao. These two Hundred Flame Falcons are spirit pets bestowed upon the Second Princess by the current Emperor Emeritus of the Myriad Immortals Dynasty. Moreover, they have been nourished by the Princess with her essence and blood since they hatched, so they are connected by blood and share a common mind..."

He gestured to Tang Lingyu:

"This is Princess Tang Lingyu, the second princess of our Wanxian Dynasty. Today, thanks to your rescue, the entire dynasty will forever be grateful..."

He hadn't finished speaking.

Qingyouzi raised his hand and waved it gently.

An invisible pressure slowly spread out.

It wasn't sharp, but like a deep-sea undercurrent, it weighed heavily on everyone's hearts. The surrounding air seemed to freeze, making breathing difficult. The two Hundred Flame Falcons had their feathers bristling, their bodies lowered, emitting uneasy cries.

"Alright."

Qingyouzi's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable air of authority.

"Let's skip the platitudes. I saved you today; if I don't ask for some reward, wouldn't I be wasting my effort?"

Tang Lingyu took a deep breath, took half a step forward, and gently placed one hand on her chest.

"senior."

She raised her head, her gaze sincere:

"This junior is Tang Lingyu. The Wanxian Dynasty will forever remember your life-saving grace today. If you ever need anything in the future, the Dynasty will do everything in its power to help you."

She paused, then looked at the falcon beside her, a resolute glint in her eyes:

"These two Hundred Flame Falcons are a male and a female, and have been companions for many years. If you truly love them, senior... when they produce offspring in the future, I will personally present one to you."

Her tone was serious:

"Spirit pets are raised from a young age to develop a close bond with their masters, enabling them to communicate effectively in battle. This is far better than forcibly taking a fully grown spirit pet."

Having said that, she took out a brocade storage bag from her bosom and presented it with both hands.

"I have two hundred thousand spirit stones in my bag, a small token of my appreciation. I hope you will accept it, senior. As for the promise regarding the spirit falcon cub... I will never break my word."

Qingyouzi looked at her.

After a moment, he suddenly chuckled softly.

He took the storage bag and casually put it into his pocket.

"Look at what you're saying." His tone softened a bit. "Am I the kind of person who would resort to force and robbery? I wouldn't stoop to stealing someone else's spirit pet."

His gaze swept over the pair of Hundred Flame Falcons:

"However, since you made a promise... you must remember it for the future cubs."

Upon hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Tang Lingyu's eyes also showed gratitude: "Senior is so kind, I will never forget it."

Qingyouzi stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the outline of the valley shrouded in demonic energy not far away.

"By the way," he asked casually, "judging from your direction, are you also heading into the Valley of the Burial Demons?"

Turning to look at the crowd:

"The Myriad Immortals Dynasty rules over billions of miles of territory, abundant in resources. How could it lack cultivation materials? Why come to such a dangerous place?"

The group looked at each other, hesitant and stammering.

Qingyouzi paced back and forth a couple of times, then waved his hand:

"Fine, if you don't want to talk about it, then don't."

His gaze, however, fell on Tang Lingyu.

"But young friend Tang... you are the second princess of the Myriad Immortals Dynasty, with a noble status. Why would you personally venture into such a dangerous place? Moreover, the strongest of your accompanying guards is only at the early stage of the Golden Core realm."

He paused, his tone tinged with amusement:

"This setup is far too shabby."

Tang Lingyu pursed her lips.

She looked up at Qingyouzi, her bright eyes filled with complex emotions: struggle, resolve, and a hidden anger.

"senior."

She took half a step forward, her voice trembling slightly:

"To be honest... I have come here today to ask for a 'Nurture Pill' for my grandfather."

"Nurture Pill?" Qing Youzi raised an eyebrow. "The Myriad Immortals Dynasty can't even produce a single Nurturing Pill? Are you trying to make fun of me?"

Before he could finish speaking...

An invisible pressure suddenly intensified!

A fierce wind suddenly arose all around, bending the grass and trees low and churning the sand and stones! Everyone felt as if they were carrying a mountain, their breath suffocating, and they had to use their magic to barely hold on.

The old man in the grey robe turned pale and said urgently:

"Princess! You are..."

Tang Lingyu seemed to have made up her mind.

Her fists were clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned white, and her body trembled slightly with emotion.

"You are unaware, senior!"

Her voice rose, filled with barely suppressed resentment:

"The Myriad Immortals Dynasty has now split into two factions: the conservatives and the reformers!"

"The conservatives cling to outdated dogmas, shouting empty slogans like 'everyone can be a dragon' and 'all beings are equal,' but in reality, their ideas are full of loopholes! Powerful families control authority and monopolize resources, making it difficult for talented children from poor families to receive cultivation!"

She spoke faster and faster:

"The best cultivation academies are filled with useless scions of aristocratic families; the most abundant cultivation resources flow into the pockets of the powerful and wealthy. Even if commoners possess spiritual roots and are willing to fight desperately, they can only struggle at the bottom!"

"This kind of 'equality' is nothing but a facade! Over thousands of years, how many geniuses have been buried? How many unpolished gems have been obscured? In contrast, when sects ruled, at least... they wouldn't let true geniuses shine in obscurity!"

Qingyouzi listened quietly, her expression unchanging.

Tang Lingyu took a deep breath and continued:

"Our royal family...supports the reformers."

"The reformists advocate 'teaching according to aptitude,' drawing on the methods of various schools of thought, taking the essence and discarding the dross, and then integrating some ideals from the conservatives, so that truly talented people can enjoy resources, hard-working people can see a future, and those from humble backgrounds can also have the opportunity to rise above their circumstances!"

A bitter look appeared in her eyes:

"But doing so would infringe upon the interests of the conservative faction. They are powerful, control the court, and monopolize alchemy, artifact crafting, and talisman arrays... My great-grandfather was stuck at the peak of the late Golden Core stage for many years, desperately seeking a Nascent Soul Pill but unable to obtain it!"

"so--"

She looked towards the direction of the Burial Valley, her gaze intense:

"This junior sneaked out."

"In an ancient fragment, I learned that within this Demon Burial Valley... there is a cave where the late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, Senior Xuan Yizi, passed away."

Late Nascent Soul?

A glint flashed in Qingyouzi's eyes.

If that's true, then the treasures hidden in the cave probably amount to far more than just one Nascent Soul Pill.

Tang Lingyu seemed to see through his thoughts and said solemnly:

"If you are willing to escort us for a while... all the treasures in the cave, except for the Nascent Soul Pill, will belong to you."

She bowed deeply.

"I hope you will grant my request."

Qingyouzi looked at her.

She then looked at the group of wounded cultivators behind her, as well as the two Hundred Flame Falcons that were watching her warily.

a long time.

He nodded slowly.

"OK."