Chapter 1798: Offering News

‘They are cautious indeed.’

Li Yan noted their actions and nodded inwardly. Even in their state of emotional agitation, they remained vigilant, splitting the silver sand between the two of them. This was to prepare for any contingency, ensuring that at least some portion of the Inheritance Marrow would make it back to their clan.

By now, when Ming Qi and Ming Yu looked at Li Yan, a look of relief finally appeared on their faces. The elder had done as he said and had not moved against them.

“Senior, do you need this jade slip?”

Ming Yu gestured to the slip she was still holding—the one from the high platform. Her tone carried even more respect for Li Yan now.

“I have no need for it. You may handle it yourselves.”

Li Yan shook his head. The item was of no use to him; he had already memorized every exit and hand seal needed to leave. Furthermore, it was better for the sisters to take the slip back. Only then could its subsequent function be realized.

Hearing this, Ming Yu gave him a slight bow, and with a flash of light, the jade slip vanished. They intended to take it back to their clan.

“Senior, this is the location of our clan, along with a token. If Senior has any needs, please come find us! Everything I said before still holds true. If Senior comes to harm while with our clan, my sister and I shall also perish!”

At that moment, Ming Qi’s voice, once again clear and melodious, rang out. One could tell her mood was much improved.

Li Yan saw her holding another jade slip in her snow-white hands, along with a small, jade-colored sword. She had collected the sand and was now fulfilling her earlier promise. After speaking, she gently pushed the two items toward Li Yan through the air.

Li Yan raised his hand and caught them. The small jade sword was crystal clear and beautiful, emitting a faint ripple of spiritual energy. It was likely a decent magical treasure. Only about the size of a thumb, it was warm to the touch and emitted a delicate fragrance that lingered around Li Yan’s nose.

Li Yan was no longer a novice; he immediately realized that this fragrance was very similar to the scent of Ming Qi and Ming Yu. It was their body fragrance. Seeing Li Yan lightly stroking the jade sword with his finger and staring at it, a blush crept onto Ming Qi’s snow-white face. She didn’t have many tokens, and this was the only one she could give to an outsider that would represent her identity.

Ming Yu, as if sensing her sister’s heart, lowered her head, her face feeling slightly warm.

Li Yan’s senses were sharp, and he immediately noticed the change in atmosphere. He kept his head lowered and calmly stowed the exquisite jade sword away. Then, he sank his Divine Sense into the jade slip. The recorded content was simple—just a location description.

After reading it, Li Yan was slightly stunned. He had never imagined that their clan would be located so far away. He looked up at the two sisters, his eyes filled with doubt.

Ming Qi had recovered by now. Seeing Li Yan holding the jade slip and looking at her with hesitation, she calmed her mind and spoke quickly.

“That is indeed the location of our clan. It took quite a bit of effort for us to travel to Huangqi Valley.”

Li Yan nodded. He would have to verify this in the future. Furthermore, he wouldn’t easily visit their clan. A group of Underworld Phoenixes would have a Body Integration expert presiding over them; he would wait until he had sufficient strength before considering a visit. Although the sisters claimed they could guarantee his safety, he took such words with a grain of salt.

With his characteristic caution, he would never do anything so reckless. In the cultivation world, strength was the only thing that mattered. While he intended to make use of others, it was a fact that he had refined the essence blood of their race. It was hard to say whether others would develop hostility toward him. He would rely on his own strength.

Li Yan also knew his plan wouldn’t be accomplished overnight, and he had many other things to do. He would focus on matters he was certain of. Perhaps this spontaneous plan wouldn’t even be used. Why go to the Immortal Underworld Phoenix clan?

“Very well. I am leaving now. What about you?”

“We are also leaving!” Ming Qi said immediately. They had to rush back to the Inheritance Palace and didn’t want to stay outside any longer to avoid any accidents. The longer they stayed with this mysterious elder, the less they felt they understood him. All their previous guesses had turned out to be incorrect. Furthermore, the Netherworld Cleansing Nirvana was about to vanish; they would have no trump cards left. It was best to leave as soon as possible.

Li Yan felt a blur in his vision before finding himself outside the cavern, hovering in the void. Two figures followed him out, and the gray vortex behind them began to shrink rapidly.

The sky here was pitch black, but below them was a brilliant, colorful river flowing continuously in one direction. Seeing this, Li Yan felt a sense of relief. This was indeed the second layer. As long as they left this place, they would reach the level of the Inheritance Palace.

“Senior, we are leaving now. You…”

Ming Qi and Ming Yu also felt a sense of relief once the teleportation was confirmed. Looking at the mysterious elder, they wanted to leave as quickly as possible. However, they didn’t show it on their faces, instead respectfully asking for instructions. Ming Qi looked at the elder’s back, a trace of doubt deep in her eyes.

Li Yan appeared to be looking around, ignoring the two sisters. He casually waved them off. Seeing this, the sisters identified their direction and gave the elder another bow before flying toward their destination.

Just as they had flown a short distance, the elder’s aged voice suddenly echoed in their minds. This startled the sisters, who had been keeping an eye on him. At this final moment, they were most afraid of something going wrong.

“To enter this place, Yan Qingchen used a blood sacrifice, killing three of his companions and leaving only one woman, whom he captured. The cultivation method he revealed then should be from the Chaos Sect. However, their current sect is called the ‘Yin-Yang Chaos Sect’!”

The sisters froze in mid-air. They turned back in shock, but the elder’s figure was nowhere to be seen.

“Yan Qingchen is a member of the Chaos Sect? And that sect still exists?” Ming Yu looked at Ming Qi in confusion.

Ming Qi didn’t answer immediately. She hovered in the air, her expression changing continuously. Was what the elder said before he left true or false? And the ‘Chaos Sect’ mentioned in Elder Erya’s jade slip… did it truly still exist in this world?

“Sister, how did he know that man was called Yan Qingchen?”

“It means he has been tracking that man for a long time, and Yan Qingchen never knew!” Ming Qi’s gaze remained fixed on the spot where Li Yan had been. After a few breaths, she spoke softly again. “What the Senior said is quite possible. Otherwise, why would Yan Qingchen appear here so coincidentally? And that man has always felt mysterious… the ruthlessness he showed us was clearly meant to silence us completely.”

“Sister means that he came here to find the inheritance, or to find his sect’s lost main headquarters?”

“That should be it. If we can deduce some things about this place, then if that ‘Chaos Sect’ still exists, their strength is certainly above our clan’s. Naturally, they would have the same capability. But his purpose might not be so simple. He might even want to find… the Immortal Underworld Phoenix clan or its inheritance at the same time. That way, they would have a way to approach the Great Dao of Yin and Yang… Yin-Yang Chaos Sect. Just by the name, one can tell they follow the Path of Yin and Yang, just as recorded in the jade slip!”

Ming Qi spoke as she pondered. She felt there was no reason for the elder to lie to them. Otherwise, what was Yan Qingchen doing here? A coincidence? There were no such coincidences in the world. Furthermore, the man had found the entrance to the second layer even before them.

They truly knew nothing of the Yin-Yang Chaos Sect. One reason was their cultivation realm—the Immortal Spirit Realm was too vast. With so many sects, they wouldn’t know even a top-tier sect like Huangqi Valley entirely. Second, their lives in the clan were focused on cultivation, and they only traveled within a limited area. Third, they didn’t know much about the cultivation world of the Cangxuan Realm; much of their information came from the clan…

“That Yan Qingchen should still be here, Sister…”

“We don’t understand that sect, and we don’t understand Yan Qingchen. We are not his match. Although he was wounded before, this is Huangqi Valley. With his preparations, he won’t lack high-grade pills for healing. We have more important things to do. That is the greatest goal of our trip and must be completed now. Let us leave first. According to the Senior, Yan Qingchen used a blood sacrifice of three people to enter, and the woman who survived was likely Liu Siyu, who is often by his side. He likely kept her alive for the sake of subsequent entry and exit. We should ignore these matters for now.”

Ming Qi quickly organized her thoughts.

“In that case, Yan Qingchen used three people as sacrifices to enter, but only Liu Siyu remains. It is hard to say if he can succeed with another sacrifice. It would be best if he died here. Even if he is just trapped for a while, once the Inheritance Palace closes, he might be stuck here forever!”

“Let us hurry!” Ming Qi stopped speaking and flew forward rapidly. However, in her heart, she didn’t believe her sister was right. Yan Qingchen was exceedingly shrewd. If he could easily find the entrance to the second layer, he would have a way out.

Li Yan’s casual offering of news, allowing the sisters to take Elder Erya’s jade slip, had set an entire race in motion…