"Yi Yuntian, Yi Yuntian..." Ye Wan’Er nodded. "Then please wait here for me. I’ll go speak with the elders and see if I can bring you in as a guest. The Spirit Race’s situation is rather delicate right now, so we can’t bring outsiders in as casually as we used to..."

"No problem. Go on," Yi Tianyun said with a smile, gesturing for her to hurry.

Ye Wan’Er nodded, then turned and ran into the woods, disappearing into the depths of the forest.

Yi Tianyun watched her retreating figure, then found a place to sit down and wait for her return. ’The Spirit Race’s situation is certainly precarious now. Anyone who isn’t a member of the race can’t just enter at will. Who knows if they’re an enemy? So they have to be careful with everything.’ ’Even their own people have to be thoroughly vetted, especially those who have been away for a long time. They could very well be traitors!’

’I wonder if Ye Qingxuan is in the clan right now?’ Yi Tianyun hadn’t asked about her. Such matters were sensitive, and it was better to avoid trouble where he could.

He gazed up at the azure sky. A significant amount of time had passed—nearly a year, at least. Time had flown by so quickly, a whole year gone in the blink of an eye.

A lot had happened in that year. Many sects had been destroyed, and many others had risen to take their place.

As he was lost in thought, Ye Wan’Er’s voice called out from behind him, "Yi, I’m back!"

The shout drew Yi Tianyun’s attention. He turned his head and saw that besides Ye Wan’Er, a Spirit Race elder had come with her. The elder’s cultivation was at the fifth level of the Core Transformation Stage. ’I didn’t expect someone of his level to come personally. They must have heard what I did and sent an elder to deal with me.’

Yi Tianyun stood up and walked over to greet them.

"Yi, this is our Third Elder," Ye Wan’Er introduced.

"Greetings, Third Elder," Yi Tianyun said with a nod.

"So you’re the young man who saved Wan’Er?" Third Elder Jiang Yi sized him up, observing him carefully. "To have such a high cultivation level at your age, and to even kill Li Hao of the Netherworld Empire... your strength is quite impressive." He then asked, "May I ask which sect you hail from?"

"I am merely a Loose Cultivator, so I don’t belong to any sect," Yi Tianyun replied with a faint smile.

"Hmm, a Loose Cultivator?" Jiang Yi’s eyes narrowed as he looked at him. ’For a Loose Cultivator to reach this level is truly a rare thing.’ "Wan’Er told me you hold a grudge against the Netherworld Empire?"

"Yes, an irreconcilable one!" A sharp light flashed in Yi Tianyun’s eyes. "So, saving Miss Wan’Er was nothing. When I saw how tyrannical the people from the Netherworld Empire were acting, I couldn’t help but intervene." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

"The Netherworld Empire is indeed tyrannical! Regardless, thank you for saving Wan’Er." Jiang Yi smiled. "I trust you’ve heard a little about the Spirit Race’s situation. The Netherworld Empire wants to forcibly recruit us, which naturally leads to conflict. The main reason for our caution is that we must carefully question every Cultivator who enters. Please don’t take offense."

"That’s perfectly normal. I’ve heard a few things. You should be strict with your checks. It’s wise to be wary of spies infiltrating your ranks," Yi Tianyun said with a smile.

"We have always been a hospitable people. Our current refusal of outsiders is purely a matter of caution. However, since you, Yi, also share an irreconcilable hatred for the Netherworld Empire, that makes you our friend." Jiang Yi gestured. "In that case, please, come inside!"

Yi Tianyun smiled and nodded. ’The reason they trust me so easily is because I killed Li Hao. He was a minister-level figure. Who would do something like that unless they had a deep-seated grudge?’

"However, before we go in, I must ask you to wrap this blindfold around your eyes. It’s a rule when we escort outsiders inside. I hope you understand," Jiang Yi said, taking out a black satin ribbon and indicating for Yi Tianyun to put it on.

"No problem." Yi Tianyun knew what this was for. ’They’re afraid I’ll memorize the layout of their Arrays on the way in, which would render their Maze Array useless.’

With Ye Wan’Er’s help, he promptly wrapped the black satin ribbon around his eyes. The moment it was in place, he discovered that both his vision and his Spiritual Sense were completely blocked. He couldn’t see a thing; his world was plunged into utter darkness.

A simple blindfold would have been pointless, as he could still use his Spiritual Sense to investigate his surroundings. This one, however, had clearly been inscribed with a Divine Rune capable of blocking Spiritual Sense and other forms of Perception.

Under their guidance, Yi Tianyun followed them step by step. After walking for roughly the time it takes for a few incense sticks to burn, the blindfold was removed. A soft light filtered into his eyes, causing him to squint slightly. The first thing he saw was a very primitive-looking village.

The buildings were all constructed from the forest’s wood, with numerous vines wrapped around them, giving the place a rather primitive look. However, thanks to the abundant Spiritual Qi in the area, the Spiritual Power was incredibly dense. Cultivating here would be highly effective.

In addition, there were quite a few Spirit Race People moving about. At a glance, he could see several dozen of them scattered around, busy with various tasks.

Looking up, he saw the same azure sky, but anyone flying overhead would be completely unable to see the village. It was protected by a Concealing Divine Pattern, one created by a Divine Rune Grandmaster, no less. If it were so easily found, this place would have been conquered long ago instead of holding out against the Netherworld Empire’s siege.

"Huh? An outsider came in!"

"Yeah. I heard Wan’Er brought him in?"

"Didn’t she go out to buy Jade Spirit Stones? Why would she bring an outsider back? What if he’s a spy?"

They sized him up, some with curiosity, others with open hostility. They were wary of any outsider. They had been tricked before, which was why they were now so guarded. It was a classic case of "once bitten, twice shy."

"He’s not a spy, and he’s not a bad person! Everyone, don’t worry! He’s just like us; he has a deep-seated hatred for the Netherworld Empire. He also recently saved me and killed that great traitor to the Spirit Race, Li Hao!" Ye Wan’Er shouted, defending Yi Tianyun.

"What? He killed the great traitor Li Hao!?"

"Did he really kill that bastard? That son of a bitch should have died long ago! To think he learned so many Divine Runes from us, only to become a dog for the Netherworld Empire!"

"That’s great! Knowing that bastard Li Hao is dead helps vent some of my own anger! He definitely can’t be a spy."

Hearing this, their wariness immediately lessened, though a trace of it still remained. They had relaxed somewhat, but not completely, since he wasn’t one of their own. Still, their attitude toward him was much better.

Yi Tianyun was a little surprised to hear this. ’So Li Hao had learned his skills as an apprentice here. No wonder his Divine Rune proficiency wasn’t half-bad.’ Looking at Ye Wan’Er defending him at his side, he smiled. ’This girl really is kind-hearted.’