Fairy, you call this repaying a debt of gratitude?

Meanwhile, the woman in black led Ji Lingyuan out of Qingyun City quietly, traveling at high speed until they finally stopped in a secluded valley.

According to their memory, the two stopped at a hole covered by vines.

Then, the woman in black moved her fingertips slightly, and a pale white light screen suddenly appeared. After the two of them passed through the light screen side by side, the surrounding scenery instantly changed dramatically.

What comes into view is the mountain gate standing between heaven and earth, and behind the mountain gate, a green peak rises abruptly from the ground.

Amidst the swirling clouds and mist, pavilions and towers are built against the mountainside.

The area is lush with vegetation and dotted with flowers. Birds and animals sing softly in the woods, and streams flow gently, making it a secluded little world away from the outside world.

Every time Ji Lingyuan sets foot in this land, she can't help but sigh softly.

They would always wonder why their master, who was clearly the master of the demonic sect, had such an elegant and secluded residence.

It was even more elegant than many of the immortal caves she had ever seen.

The two stepped onto the bluestone path and walked uphill, arriving directly at a palace.

Inside the palace, the lights were dim, and the warm yellow glow cast a soft, hazy light on the room.

In the center of the room, a plain-colored curtain separates the room.

Behind the curtain, a slender and graceful woman sat quietly, her posture languid. Her long hair was loosely tied up, secured only by a jade hairpin, with a few stray strands falling over her shoulders.

Her graceful figure and demeanor alone are enough to inspire endless imagination.

Ji Lingyuan knelt outside the curtain, her voice trembling slightly, tinged with trepidation:

"Master..."

A clear, cool female voice came from behind the curtain; the voice was melodious yet completely calm.

"Tell me, what happened that required Leng Yue to personally rescue you from Qingyun City?"

"I...I ran into Shen Wei..."

Ji Lingyuan naturally dared not hide it, after all, Leng Yue had been present the whole time.

Although Leng Yue had always taken good care of her, he was always loyal to his master and would never conceal the truth in order to protect her.

"Shen Wei?"

The woman's voice paused slightly, then took on a playful tone, "So this is the brother you keep mentioning, the one possessed by the Evil Dragon?"

Upon hearing her master's question, Ji Lingyuan trembled violently.

She had promised Shen Wei that she would never tell anyone the secret of the Evil Dragon, but Ji Lingyuan felt that she shouldn't be blamed for it.

If it weren't for Shen Wei's instigation back then, and his subsequent withdrawal halfway through...

Ji Lingyuan's thoughts drifted back to many years ago.

At that time, both of them broke through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment, and their strength increased greatly.

So the two decided to accept a lucrative bounty, which would provide them with all the resources needed to break through to the Core Formation stage.

But when they followed the clues in the bounty poster and ventured deep into a dark and damp secret realm, they found that things were not as simple as they had thought.

The reason is that the other party is not the Foundation Establishment stage cultivator listed on the bounty, but a heretical cultivator with a mid-stage Core Formation stage!

Moreover, that person was accustomed to using sinister techniques to refine corpses and control corpse puppets, and his methods were unpredictable and bizarre.

By the time the two realized something was wrong, they were already surrounded by corpse puppets, with no way to escape.

The evil cultivator stood behind the corpse puppets. Seeing that the two of them were so young yet had such high cultivation levels, he wanted to train them into Yin-Yang corpse puppets.

They exerted all their strength and unleashed numerous trump cards, yet they still could not withstand the oppressive aura of the mid-stage Core Formation evil cultivator and the siege of the corpse puppets.

Ji Lingyuan still remembers that just as the evil cultivator's corpse puppet claws were about to pierce her heart, Shen Wei suddenly let out a low roar.

In an instant, his cultivation level suddenly soared, his tattered black robe, soaked in blood, billowed wildly, his long hair flew wildly in the air, and his appearance became unfamiliar and violent.

The attacking corpse puppets were like paper in his hands, easily torn and crushed, and then completely absorbed.

The evil cultivator was also severely injured by that violent power and fled in a sorry state.

Ji Lingyuan slumped to the side, watching with trepidation.

Shen Wei's gaze suddenly turned to her.

The tenderness and doting affection in his eyes were no longer there, but a predatory intent mixed with lust.

She couldn't remember the details that followed.

All I remember is him striding forward and pulling me tightly into his arms.

Then her body went limp, her mind went blank, but instead of the fear and rejection she had expected, she felt a strange heat rising within her.

But nothing as expected happened. Shen Wei simply held her tightly and breathed heavily for a long time.

After a long while, he slowly released her, looked down at Ji Lingyuan in his arms who was in a daze, and the desire in his eyes completely faded away, replaced by deep guilt and self-blame.

He took a deep breath and slowly told her the secret of the evil dragon hidden within his body.

Was it just an evil dragon spirit?

Ji Lingyuan rested her chin on her hand, listening quietly to his story, but for some reason, a sense of loneliness welled up inside her.

Since then, a beautiful fantasy that she could not share with others has been etched in her mind, haunting her day and night, and making her blush and feel flustered every time she thought of it.

Thanks to her unique physique, she joined the Jade Dew Sect and became the sect's Holy Maiden, and was assigned to live near the sect leader's palace.

One night, I was once again trapped in that unbearable dream.

But just as she was immersed in it and couldn't extricate herself, she suddenly woke up.

Looking up, she saw her master sitting in front of her bed, his chin resting on his hand, smiling at her with a hint of teasing in his voice:

"Oh? You seem to have had some extraordinary dreams. Come, tell me, what exactly is this... Evil Dragon Fiend you're talking about?"

Her master's words seemed to possess a certain magic, and she was unable to refuse, revealing everything to him.

However, her master had no interest in her past relationship with Shen Wei and listened to her casually throughout.

But when she mentioned the evil dragon aura on Shen Wei, a strange light flashed in the master's eyes.

After her thoughts returned and she withdrew from that past, Ji Lingyuan softly agreed:

"Um."

"How did he end up here?"

"I don't know," Ji Lingyuan shook her head, "It seems they were escorting someone from the Shangqing Sect."

"Heh... Shangqing Sect, huh? Interesting."

The tone shifted abruptly, and the woman behind the curtain spoke in a colder voice:

"Don't go out any longer these days. The plan has reached a critical stage, and you are the key to it. We can't afford any more mistakes."

Ji Lingyuan's heart sank, a hint of resentment and disappointment flashing in her eyes. She had finally managed to see Shen Wei in Qingyun City...

But she dared not disobey her master's orders, so she could only lower her head and reluctantly reply, "I understand."

"Step down."

Ji Lingyuan respectfully kowtowed, slowly rose, and turned to leave the palace.

"Leng Yue, come here."

Hidden in the shadows, Leng Yue moved swiftly, instantly revealing herself, her voice respectful.

"Your subordinate is here."

"I'm going to give you a special task now."

She paused.

"You must return to Qingyun City immediately and secretly investigate Shen Wei, everything about him. His cultivation level, techniques, background of the Evil Dragon Fiend, and the identity and purpose of the immortal sect disciple he is escorting—the more you find out, the better."

Upon hearing this, Leng Yue's face showed reluctance, and her tone carried a hint of hesitation.

"When I went to rescue the young master, I fought with him. He is young but his skill level is extremely high. His sword skills are exquisite and varied, and his movements are unpredictable. I feel that my strength is insufficient and I am afraid that I will not be able to complete the reconnaissance mission. I may even expose my whereabouts."

"It's alright, I just need you to keep an eye on him for me."

"I believe in your abilities."

The woman behind the curtain gently raised her hand and waved it, "Leave now, and return quickly."

"Understood."