Early morning.

Unknown insects danced in the shafts of light. Xiao Qiaoniang was sound asleep, her breathing soft and gentle.

Bai Yuan pulled Sister Qiao into his arms, his expression serious.

He saw that Xiaoqing had left its small wooden box at some point and was now slithering around Sister Qiao’s neck!

Xiaoqing seemed extremely fond of Sister Qiao, its body moving playfully, almost as if it were reluctant to leave her side.

Bai Yuan narrowed his eyes.

Information about demons from his Demon Hunting skill appeared in his mind. This was clearly symbiosis!

Just like with Zhu Huan and the Snake Demon before.

Xiaoqing had actually formed a symbiotic relationship with Sister Qiao.

This was completely different from Zhu Huan’s situation. Zhu Huan had used a sinister technique to raise and force the Snake Demon into symbiosis with him. But in Sister Qiao and Xiaoqing’s case, Xiaoqing had initiated the bond itself.

A situation like this was extremely rare!

Xiao Qiaoniang seemed to feel the slight chill on her neck. She murmured softly and opened her eyes.

She saw a little cyan snake coiled around her neck.

To her own surprise, she didn’t feel the slightest bit of panic. Instead, she felt a sense of affection that came from the bottom of her heart.

Watching this scene, Bai Yuan clicked his tongue in amazement.

’What a stroke of luck!’

According to the knowledge from his Demon Hunting skill, it was extremely rare for a demon to actively seek symbiosis.

Xiaoqing was a Three-Metamorphosis Snake Demon, its power comparable to an Advanced Martial Artist.

After bonding with Sister Qiao, as long as Xiaoqing recovered its strength, Sister Qiao would also benefit. Her own power would soar. This was the kind of incredible fortune that countless Demon Hunters could only dream of encountering by chance.

Xiao Qiaoniang blinked her beautiful eyes, not understanding why she felt this way.

Bai Yuan smiled faintly.

He explained the matter of the symbiosis to Sister Qiao.

Sister Qiao was even more astonished after hearing Bai Yuan’s explanation. She had felt an unusual closeness to Xiaoqing the first time she saw it, but she never imagined it was because of symbiosis.

A Three-Metamorphosis Snake Demon was in symbiosis with her. Once Xiaoqing returned to its peak strength, Sister Qiao would at least become a Blood Refining Martial Master, and might even reach the level of an Advanced Martial Artist.

Sister Qiao had received this immense fortune, and Bai Yuan was happy for her from the bottom of his heart.

Xiaoqing was his Demon Pet. As long as his Demon Taming skill improved, Xiaoqing’s strength would increase, and in turn, Sister Qiao would also grow stronger. It was like killing three birds with one stone.

Invisibly, Bai Yuan had gained two more helpers.

"My dear lady, how will you thank your husband?"

"I... I really can’t take it anymore~"

...

「Half an hour later.」

Bai Yuan straightened his collar and left the house, looking refreshed and energetic.

The symbiotic fusion between Xiaoqing and Sister Qiao would still take some time. Once the fusion was complete, they would be able to mutually strengthen each other even if they were thousands of miles apart. They would even be able to perform combination attacks.

Fortunately, the fusion wouldn’t take too long. It would be fully completed before he had to leave for the Divine Mansion Sect.

Bai Yuan planned to take care of everything in Qinghe before heading to the Divine Mansion Sect.

His first stop, naturally, was Old Xue’s small courtyard.

"Master."

Walking into the courtyard, he saw Old Xue lying on a bamboo chair, leisurely basking in the sun.

Bai Yuan had already developed a medicinal food recipe to alleviate hidden injuries. After taking it daily, Old Xue’s complexion had improved significantly. Although he could never return to his peak, he had at least managed to preserve his Yijin Pass cultivation.

"You’re here."

Old Xue slowly opened his eyes.

Although Bai Yuan had already become Dong Wanjun’s disciple, Old Xue had, after all, taught him and shown him the way.

"This disciple will be leaving Qinghe for the Divine Mansion Sect in a few days."

Old Xue nodded. "The Divine Mansion Sect may have many Cultivation Techniques, but they aren’t necessarily better than our lineage’s Blood Tiger Saber. You can’t neglect your saber practice."

Bai Yuan replied, "Please rest assured, Master. This disciple will definitely carry the Blood Tiger Saber forward and bring it to glory."

His new master, Dong Wanjun, already knew that he practiced the Blood Tiger Saber.

Dong Wanjun’s attitude represented that of the Divine Mansion Sect, which meant he could now openly use the Blood Tiger Saber against his enemies.

Old Xue glanced at the curved saber on Bai Yuan’s back and nodded in satisfaction.

Before long, the Blood Tiger Saber would once again shake the Jianghu.

Ever since he no longer needed to hide it, Bai Yuan had swapped his Firewood Cutting Saber for the Blood Tiger Saber passed down from their lineage’s founder.

After all, the quality of the Blood Tiger Saber was far superior to the Firewood Cutting Saber forged by a local Blacksmith.

"Go on. Your Senior Brother probably has something to say to you as well."

Old Xue smiled faintly, feeling immensely gratified. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Good things had been happening one after another recently. First, Bai Yuan had successfully entered the Divine Mansion Sect. Then, just last night, Chu Yuan had miraculously awakened, which made him overjoyed.

"Alright, this disciple will go now."

Bai Yuan had also heard the news that his Senior Brother, Chu Yuan, had woken up.

He had been planning to go see Chu Yuan right after paying his respects to Old Xue.

Chu Yuan’s small courtyard was right next to Old Xue’s. A few moments later, Bai Yuan arrived at Chu Yuan’s courtyard.

As he stepped over the threshold, he saw two pretty maidservants carefully attending to Chu Yuan, who was seated in a bamboo chair. The scene bore a striking resemblance to Old Xue.

"Junior Brother Bai, you’re here."

Chu Yuan offered a gentle smile. He showed no signs of dejection despite his decline in martial skill; his spirit and energy were high.

His cultivation had now fallen from the Yijin Pass to Bone Forging, meaning several years of hard work had all come to nothing.

"Senior Brother Chu, I’m sorry."

Bai Yuan’s face was full of sincerity.

With his current Master-level cooking, he couldn’t preserve Chu Yuan’s cultivation. He would need to reach the Legendary level to do so.

Chu Yuan smiled and waved his hand. "It’s already a great fortune that I was able to wake up. How could I ask for more?"

Bai Yuan’s estimation of his Senior Brother rose even higher.

To fall to such a low point without becoming dispirited—that mentality alone was something ordinary people couldn’t compare to.

He was sure that before long, Chu Yuan would be able to return to the Yijin Pass. It wasn’t even impossible for him to reach the Strong Organ Pass.

"Junior Brother Bai, I hear you’re going to the Divine Mansion Sect soon. You must be careful with everything."

Chu Yuan advised him patiently. Logically, with a gentle temperament like his, he should never have been able to master the Tyrant Saber, but he had managed it anyway.

This wasn’t just because he had good aptitude, but more crucially, because of a confidence that came from his very bones.

Because of his injury, he had missed the Divine Mansion Sect’s disciple recruitment. He would never have a chance to enter for the rest of his life.

But Chu Yuan didn’t feel the slightest bit of regret.

The Divine Mansion Sect wasn’t the only path to becoming a Grandmaster. The world of Xuan Yang was vast; he would find a way.

"Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother Chu."

A warmth spread through Bai Yuan’s heart.

Just as the two were talking, a series of footsteps came from the entrance.

Ma Dingjun, Cheng Li, Zhang Yang, and the others appeared in the courtyard.

Thanks to Bai Yuan’s medicinal soup, they all had healthy complexions.

"You’re pretty well-informed, kiddo."

Zhang Yang laughed boisterously and threw a hard punch at Bai Yuan’s chest.

’Damn, that hurts!’

Zhang Yang shook his hand.

The gap in strength between him and Bai Yuan was now so vast that even the recoil damage was almost too much for him to bear.

Ma Dingjun had also wanted to punch Bai Yuan, but after seeing Zhang Yang’s reaction, he sheepishly retracted his hand.

"Junior Brother Bai, when does the Divine Mansion Sect want you to leave?"

"In about three to five days."

"Don’t tarnish the name of the Huwei Arts Hall when you get there. Oh, right, there was a senior brother from our Martial Arts Hall who also went to the Divine Mansion Sect. I think his name was... Long Ao."

The corner of Bai Yuan’s mouth twitched.

’Long Ao... what a name.’