Brother, how come you're a witch?

"W-what's wrong?"

Liu Baishuang shrank her neck. Su Yan's gaze was a little strange. He was clearly staring at her, but it was as if he was looking at something else.

"...Senior Sister Liu, just pretend I'm talking nonsense because I've injured my brain."

Su Yan raised his finger and pointed to his forehead, which was covered in blood. His smile was weary and complicated.

"You're a good boy, you just did some wrong things."

Liu Baishuang's heart skipped a beat, and her fingertips instinctively curled up, gripping the edge of the black robe covering her body.

Su Yan wouldn't... already know everything, would he?

"Senior Sister Liu."

Su Yan's voice was very low:

"You've always been very... hardworking."

He carefully chose his words, his gaze lingering on her dusty face:

"Alone, charging ahead, encountering so much, and in the end still... well, coming back."

He paused:

"You've done a great job."

Liu Baishuang's eyes sparkled. She gently bit her lip and tilted her head somewhat sluggishly, as if she didn't understand what Su Yan was saying.

"Just take it as nonsense."

Su Yan chuckled, covered his forehead, got up and left, swaying as if he had really injured his head.

Liu Baishuang stared at his back, then suddenly laughed silently, burying her face in the black robe she was wearing, her lips curving upwards involuntarily.

The dust gradually dissipated in the night wind, and the cold, eerie moonlight once again illuminated everyone.

Su Yan found a relatively quiet corner a little further away and sat down, leaning against a still intact rock, and let out a long sigh.

"system."

With a soft call, the system interface, which had barely been opened since the time travel, quietly unfolded.

The status bar was filled with red warnings.

"Severe decline, moderate depletion of vital energy, continuous loss of lifespan, moderate decrease in endurance..."

Su Yan smiled bitterly to himself:

"The price to pay is not small."

In particular, the negative state of his lifespan being continuously depleted must be resolved as soon as possible, otherwise the rate of depletion will accelerate, and he will have to pass away before the little demon girl grows up.

"However, this Dao essence is extremely precious. Judging from its value alone, tonight's battle was a huge success."

Su Yan's gaze fell on the newly appeared ball of snow-white light in the "Insights" section.

Through continuous practice and combat, insights will arise, which can help improve skill proficiency and cultivation. This is how the system works.

Having achieved true immortality and maxed out the proficiency of all his skills, Su Yan hadn't had any new insights for a long time.

Until that battle just now, the opponent was the demigod spirit of the world-destroying demon. Although she did not use her full strength and almost indulged Su Yan to lose and dissipate, the insights gained when the swords clashed were real.

"After digesting this Dao essence, my cultivation level should be able to advance further. If there is enough Dao essence, it may not be impossible to break through to the Dao Ancestor Realm."

Su Yan carefully touched his chin.

Before traveling through time, he was confused about exploring higher realms. There was almost no room left to improve his cultivation by simply honing his skills. He could only make some progress by comprehending the world or fighting against powerful beings.

But where are there so many powerful beings above the True Immortal Realm who would frequently come to fight him?

Therefore, Su Yan originally planned to slowly comprehend and crawl to the next realm at a snail's pace.

But today's events provided him with a new perspective: he now has two genius girls by his side who are destined to become Dao Ancestors.

If we train them as quickly as possible and then practice with them, wouldn't we be able to grow rapidly ourselves?

Great! They're getting stronger, and so am I!

Su Yan suddenly felt that the future was full of hope.

He couldn't control Liu Baishuang for the time being, but Ye Jingqiu and the others could practice more after they returned, and he believed that the Little Sword Ancestor wouldn't refuse.

Just as he was figuring out how to make the most of the two future Dao Ancestors, a voice suddenly called out to him from the camp.

Su Yan looked up and saw that several tents had been set up in the open space. The disciples with more serious injuries were sent into them, while those with lighter injuries sat cross-legged to rest and took turns keeping watch at night.

The one who called him was Liu Liu, a female team member, who was standing in front of a tent looking around.

"What's wrong?"

Su Yan propped himself up on his knees and walked over.

"Team leader, you've finally shown up."

The female team member breathed a sigh of relief, stepped forward, grabbed him, and tried to shove him into the tent.

"Ye Jingqiu keeps asking where you went. If you don't come soon, she's going to come looking for you."

"Is that so? Comrade Xiao Ye, I have to criticize you. Health is the foundation of cultivation, you..."

As Su Yan lifted the tent flap and walked inside, he began to mutter to himself, but when his gaze fell on the fabric spread on the ground inside the tent as a bed, he was speechless.

He opened his eyes wide, thinking he was hallucinating.

Liu Baishuang and Ye Jingqiu were actually leaning against the same bed made of neatly arranged clothes, both wrapped in a large blanket.

At this moment, they all looked up at him.

Su Yan covered his forehead and stepped back, bumping into the female team member following behind him.

"Um, team leader, what are you doing?"

"I think I opened it incorrectly. Let me try again."

Su Yan retreated outside the tent and came back in. What he saw was exactly the same: the heads of the two future Dao Ancestors were tilted at the same angle, staring at him without moving.

He stood frozen at the tent entrance, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the two faces several times to make sure he wasn't mistaken.

"you……"

Su Yan carefully considered his words:

"When did your relationship become so good?"

The female group member peeked out from behind him and whispered an explanation:

"Team leader, there aren't enough tents. Seriously wounded patients should be given priority. Senior Sister Liu and the deputy team leader both insisted that their injuries weren't serious and that they should give up their beds to others. But I think they are actually quite weak and need to rest properly. So let them share a bed. They're both girls anyway."

Su Yan looked at Liu Baishuang's slightly pale face, and then at Ye Jingqiu, who was sitting upright but whose breathing was obviously unsteady. He knew that the female team member was right.

But... should we let these two sleep together?

I'm afraid this tent will be blown up by sword energy in the middle of the night.

"We can't mobilize spiritual power right now."

Ye Jingqiu seemed to see through what Su Yan was thinking and said in a calm tone.

Liu Baishuang, wrapped in a blanket, moved closer to Ye Jingqiu, a weak and innocent smile on her face:

"Although Fellow Daoist Ye Jingqiu and I have some conflicts over the interests of our sect, we can still distinguish between what is urgent and what is more important."

Ye Jingqiu nodded expressionlessly and reached out to tuck the corner of the blanket around Liu Baishuang.

Su Yan's eye twitched. The scene was rather bizarre. These two sworn enemies, who were usually at odds, were quite harmonious in bed.

"...If you all get along well, then why did you call me over?"

"sleep."

Ye Jingqiu remained as calm as ever.

"?"

"Junior Brother Su."

Liu Baishuang spoke softly, her eyelashes trembling slightly:

"Ye Jingqiu said you were also seriously injured, and there's nowhere else to rest outside. This place... we can squeeze in."

Ye Jingqiu didn't speak, but silently moved an inch to the side, making a small space.

Su Yan frowned, sensing a strange agreement and tacit understanding between the two girls.