Mortal: I really didn't want to be reborn as Zi Ling!

"Oh—what did they send? My dad even had to personally oversee it."

Zi Ling didn't take it too seriously.

After the battle of Kuixing Island, her father, Wang Heng, seemed like a different person.

His former laziness, which had led him to be obsessed with music and indifferent to worldly affairs, was completely swept away. He now practiced with more dedication than anyone else.

With the resources accumulated by the Miaoyin Sect over the years, his cultivation has broken through to the late stage of Core Formation.

Even without a Nascent Soul stage, he could be considered a master in his own right.

"It's nothing much, just some materials from demonic beasts."

Zhou Yuan said casually, "There's one of the Thunder Bamboo plants among them, which is quite rare—"

Zi Ling's smile froze instantly.

Her voice suddenly rose: "What?! Didn't you give me that Thunder Bamboo? How come there's another one?!"

Zhou Yuan was startled by her daughter's reaction.

"What's so strange about that? What I gave you was the lower half; the upper half has always been in your father's hands. He originally wanted to integrate this half into his own natal magic weapon, but the island lord of Mad Shark Island begged him so much that he not only offered a substitute but also a price that your father couldn't refuse, so he transferred it to him."

Upon hearing this, Zi Ling felt a chill run up from the soles of her feet, along her spine, all the way to the top of her head.

Her fingers clenched unconsciously.

She wanted to blame them, but she guessed they were unaware of the matter.

And it's too late to blame anyone now.

According to the original storyline, it should be around this time.

The treasures of Miaoyin Sect were stolen.

Han Li was caught up in it as soon as he formed his core.

All of this is inextricably linked to the hidden, gloomy island of Jiyin.

"How long has my dad been gone? When will he be back?"

Zi Ling tried to calm her voice, but her speaking speed was more than three times faster than before.

Zhou Yuan also sensed that something was wrong.

His daughter had always been so composed that she was not like a child. Even during the huge event on Kui Xing Island, she had never lost her composure like this.

She frowned and replied, "We've been on our journey for three months. According to the schedule, we should arrive at Shark Island in the next couple of days. What's wrong, Ning'er?"

Zi Ling remained silent for a moment.

It's been three months since I left.

It's too late for her to chase after them now.

"It's nothing."

Zi Ling forced herself to relax, loosening her clenched fists and trying to make her tone casual: "I'm just suddenly feeling a little uneasy."

She did not voice her guess.

My mother has been living in fear for a whole year now that I've achieved Core Formation; there's no need to make her worry any longer.

Besides—she was also trying to convince herself.

Although the Miaoyin Sect had conflicts with the Jiyin Island in the past, he was now a disciple of Elder Jin Kui.

Back then, Jin Kui personally went to the island to warn the Old Ancestor of Extreme Yin, telling him not to cause any more trouble for the Myriad Sounds Sect.

Even if the Yin Ancestor is bold, he wouldn't ignore Elder Jin Kui's warning, would he?

The Grand Elder of the Star Palace is someone whose face no one dares to refuse.

But why—

Her eyelids were still twitching badly.

Zi Ling took a deep breath and turned to her mother: "Mother, you should send someone to Mad Shark Island to take a look. I don't know why, but I feel a little uneasy."

"it is good."

Zhou Yuan nodded without hesitation: "I will arrange for my disciples to take the teleportation array to Huangming Island, which is the closest to Mad Shark Island. News should come back soon."

She believed in her daughter.

Back on Kui Xing Island, if it weren't for Ning'er's early warning, she and her husband would have both perished long ago.

Now her daughter says she feels uneasy, and she'd rather believe it's true than not.

"No need to rush."

Zi Ling waved her hand and added, "It could be my imagination. After all, I've only just formed my core, and my cultivation level is still unstable. It's normal for my emotions to fluctuate."

She said this to her mother, and also to herself.

"But regardless of whether there's anything wrong or not, you still need to keep a close eye on things here, Senior Sister."

Zi Ling changed the subject and looked at Fan Jingmei, "The more Core Formation cultivators there are in our Miaoyin Sect, the more wary the outside world will be."

"Ning'er."

Zhou Yuan was somewhat puzzled. "Isn't Elder Jin Kui your master? With him around, what are you worried about?"

Zi Ling shook her head.

The glowing beads at the top of the passageway emitted a soft light, but half of her face was hidden in shadow. On that excessively delicate face, a rare look of heaviness appeared, which was inconsistent with her appearance.

"Mother, although our Miaoyin Sect belongs to the Star Palace, it is only an external force."

"If something truly serious happens, we'll ultimately have to solve it ourselves. Elder Jin Kui can't possibly stand up for us in everything—otherwise, people who don't know better would think he's the Grand Elder of our Miaoyin Sect."

Zhou Yuan opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but found that she couldn't refute any of her daughter's words.

Yes.

With Star Palace disciples scattered throughout the Chaotic Star Sea, how could Elder Jin Kui, who is extremely busy, possibly keep an eye on an external force all the time?

Isn't Kui Xing Island the best example of this?

In the end, the Sixth Elder only uttered one sentence, and could only accept the loss as his own misfortune.

"alright."

Seeing the atmosphere become somber again, Zi Ling waved her hand and her tone returned to its usual lightheartedness: "Don't be so nervous, just go about your business."

She raised her hand to cover her lower abdomen.

The turmoil of emotions he had just experienced caused a slight stirring within the golden core in his dantian. Four-colored light rapidly circulated on the surface of the core, causing the surrounding spiritual energy to become disordered.

"I need to go back and consolidate my cultivation."

Zi Ling said no more, nodded to her mother and Fan Jingmei, and turned to walk towards the secret room.

Zhou Yuan watched her daughter's figure disappear behind the stone door of the secret room, then looked at Fan Jingmei beside her, whose eyes were still red, and sighed.

"Jingmei, you heard what Ning'er said too."

She reached out and smoothed Fan Jingmei's disheveled temples: "The matter of the Dust-Clearing Pill is settled. As for the Heavenly Fire Liquid and Snow Spirit Water, I have some in stock. Although the Illusion-Destroying Pill is precious, it's not difficult to obtain it with the Myriad Sounds Sect's channels, given some time. You can rest assured and prepare."

Fan Jingmei bit her lip and nodded emphatically.

She did not refuse again.

Because she also knew, just as Zi Ling said, that the Miaoyin Sect needed more Core Formation cultivators to oversee it.

Especially in these turbulent years.

in the secret room.

Zi Ling sat cross-legged on the futon, her hands forming a mudra.

The four-colored golden core slowly rotated in her dantian. With each rotation, it drew the surrounding spiritual energy to converge on her, and with each breath, it made the egg-sized inner core even more rounded.

But she couldn't close her eyes.

As soon as I close my eyes, the image of my father involuntarily appears in my mind.

The father stood at the bow of the boat, a jade flute held to his lips.

Her father bent down, hoisted her onto his shoulders, and laughed heartily.

On Kuixing Island, the father patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, with your father here, I will never let you get into danger."

Zi Ling suddenly opened her eyes.

She looked down at her hands resting on her knees, her fingertips already bearing several white marks from pinching.

"Everything will be alright."

"That old ghost of extreme yin doesn't have the guts—"

Before the words were finished, deep within his consciousness, the broken round bead that had been dormant for over sixty years suddenly trembled slightly.

Zi Ling's heart skipped a beat.

She almost immediately immersed her mind in her consciousness.

The broken bead remained suspended in place, its surface covered with cracks, its light dimmed to the point of almost going out.

But the tremor she felt just now was definitely not her imagination.