Su Wan’er followed behind Lai Li’an, her gaze falling on his back.

Although she didn’t know just how great the Senior’s background was, Yin Wuji’s reaction explained everything. An Early Golden Core elder of the Blood Lotus Sect didn’t even dare to breathe heavily after seeing that token, and finally ran away practically crawling and rolling.

Just who was the Senior? Countless thoughts flashed through Su Wan’er’s mind, but she suppressed them one by one.

Lai Li’an walked at the very front, seemingly calm and breezy, but in reality, his attention was completely drawn by the System Panel.

Lai Li’an’s breathing slightly hitched.

It advanced again! Mid Golden Core!

Lai Li’an’s mouth twitched.

Another cultivation technique, and another one he couldn’t cultivate. Was this system intentionally trying to piss him off?

Lai Li’an’s eyes suddenly lit up.

Resisting an all-out attack from the Body Integration Stage! This was a real life-saving trump card. It meant that absolutely no one in the world right now could kill him in a single strike. With this pearl in his possession, he finally felt a bit of confidence in his heart.

Lai Li’an’s eyelids twitched fiercely.

Peak… Nascent Soul?! This talisman was more than enough to serve as his ultimate killer move.

Even though the Primal Heaven-Evolving Art was just another useless book, these two items made it all worth it!

He silently exited the System Inventory, his facial expression remaining completely unchanged.

Su Wan’er did not notice anything unusual, and Zhao Qian dared even less to pry. He limped along at the very back, not a single part of his body free from pain, his mind an absolute jumbled mess.

That person… that gray-robed person, just what was his background?

A Golden Core Master of the Blood Lotus Sect had actually knelt down the moment he saw him take out a token. That was a Golden Core!

Zhao Qian’s heart pounded wildly. He remembered his own attitude towards that person in the stone pavilion of the bamboo forest earlier; looking back now, he had simply been courting death.

If that person wanted to kill him, he probably wouldn’t even need to lift a finger. A layer of cold sweat broke out on Zhao Qian’s back, and his legs went weak, almost causing him to fall to the ground again.

He didn’t dare to fall behind, much less run away. Since the gray-robed person hadn’t spoken, how could he dare to leave?

After the three of them walked out of the bamboo forest, they followed the mountain path for a while longer and arrived at a relatively open area.

Lai Li’an stopped walking and turned around. His gaze fell upon Zhao Qian, sizing him up from head to toe.

Zhao Qian hastily cupped his hands, his voice trembling, “M-many thanks to Senior for the life-saving grace! This junior Zhao Qian had eyes but failed to recognize Mount Tai. I offended Senior greatly in the bamboo forest earlier, please forgive me, Senior!”

After saying that, he dropped to his knees with a thud, his forehead knocking heavily against the ground.

Lai Li’an looked at Zhao Qian, who was kneeling on the ground and shivering, and sighed slightly in his heart; this person was quite sensible at least.

“Get up,” Lai Li’an said in a flat tone. “If this Venerable wanted to kill you, you wouldn’t have lived until now.”

Feeling as if he had been granted a great pardon, Zhao Qian scrambled to his feet. He kept his body bowed, not daring to look directly into Lai Li’an’s eyes.

He hesitated for a moment before carefully taking something out from his robes.

It was a small, translucent white grass. A faint silver luster flowed across its leaves, and its roots were completely intact, still carrying the scent of fresh soil.

As soon as it was taken out, a clear and refreshing spiritual energy permeated the surrounding air.

Lai Li’an’s gaze fell upon that Spiritual Herb, and he narrowed his eyes slightly.

Zhao Qian held up the Spiritual Herb, his hands trembling slightly. “Senior, this… this is the Spiritual Herb from the bamboo forest, called Silver Moon Grass. It takes a hundred years to mature. This junior originally came here for it… but Senior’s life-saving grace cannot be repaid, so please accept this Spiritual Herb, Senior!”

After speaking, he respectfully raised the Spiritual Herb above his head, not daring to look up.

Lai Li’an looked at the Spiritual Herb with its flowing silver light, and his heart stirred slightly.

Although he didn’t need the Spiritual Herb himself, it was still valuable and could be traded for Spirit Stones and resources. Besides, he was currently poor as a church mouse; the few broken pieces of silver on him had been brought from the mortal realm and were utterly useless in the Cultivation World.

“This Venerable has said, I have no interest in your Spiritual Herb.”

Zhao Qian’s body trembled violently, thinking the Senior was angry. “Senior! This Junior has no other intentions! It’s just… just that if this Spiritual Herb stays in this Junior’s hands, I won’t be able to protect it. Although the people of the Blood Lotus Sect have retreated, but by any chance they turn back… This Junior’s Cultivation Base is low, and I truly dare not keep this item any longer. Senior possesses immense divine power; this Spiritual Herb will only find its true worth in Senior’s hands. I beg Senior to grant my request!”

After speaking, he heavily kowtowed a few more times.

Lai Li’an was silent for a moment. It wasn’t that he didn’t want it, but rather that he couldn’t appear too eager. An expert, after all, had to maintain a certain air of aloofness.

“Very well.” Lai Li’an reached out and casually accepted the Silver Moon Grass. Without even glancing at it, he directly tucked it into his robes. “This Venerable does not lack this single Spiritual Herb, but since you insist on giving it, this Venerable will accept it.”

Zhao Qian heaved a huge sigh of relief, his entire body almost collapsing to the ground.

“Thank you, Senior! Thank you, Senior!”

He scrambled up from the ground, backed away a few steps, bowed deeply, and asked cautiously, “Senior, may junior… may this junior take his leave first? I have injuries and dare not disturb Senior any longer…”

Lai Li’an glanced at him and nodded slightly.

“Go.”

Feeling as though he had just been granted a grand pardon, Zhao Qian turned and fled. He ran desperately, stumbling and crawling, and disappeared into the depths of the mountain forest in the blink of an eye.

Standing off to the side, Su Wan’er watched the direction in which Zhao Qian vanished. The corners of her lips curled up involuntarily, but she quickly restrained her smile and stole a glance at Lai Li’an.

The Senior stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing at the distant, undulating mountains with an expressionless face. The afterglow of the setting sun spilled across his gray robe, bathing it in a faint layer of gold.

Su Wan’er lowered her head, her mind churning with restless thoughts as she recalled that token.

“Fengling Yueying.”

She had never heard of this name before. Having cultivated in her sect for ten years, she wouldn’t dare claim to be extensively knowledgeable, but she was at least somewhat familiar with the major sects, noble clans, and factions recorded in her sect’s ancient texts.

Yet, no matter how hard she searched her memories, she could not find any information corresponding to those four characters.

But Yin Wuji’s reaction wouldn’t lie.

A Golden Core Master, upon seeing that token, went from being insufferably arrogant to bowing in subservience, and from being full of killing intent to fleeing in a panic. That kind of fear was not faked.

Su Wan’er’s back felt a slight chill.

She remembered the first time she met the Senior, she had actually pointed her sword at his throat. At that time, she thought the other party was a mortal. Thinking about it now…

The fact that the Senior hadn’t killed her right then was probably just out of consideration for her mother, and he hadn’t bothered to hold it against her.

Otherwise, she would have long since become a corpse. Su Wan’er’s fingertips trembled slightly. She bit her lip and suppressed those chaotic thoughts.

The Senior’s origins were not something she should ask about. She only needed to know that it was the Senior who had saved her, given her the Pill, healed her Spiritual Root, and led her out of danger.

As for who the Senior truly was…

She didn’t dare to think about it, nor should she.

“What are you thinking about?”

Lai Li’an’s voice came from ahead.

Su Wan’er suddenly snapped back to her senses and hastily lowered her head. “N-Nothing, Senior. Where are we going next?”

Lai Li’an did not answer, but merely stepped forward and continued walking. Su Wan’er quickly caught up to him and said no more.