Qinghe Immortal Clan.

A blue figure flew swiftly from afar and soon stopped in front of the "White Bone Flying Boat." It was the Ice-Fire Flood Dragon, who had sensed Song Qingming's return.

"Master, you're finally back?"

"Hmm! Didn't I tell you to stay in your cave and cultivate properly? Why are you here?"

Song Qingming and his companion had just returned, and were still more than a hundred miles away from "Red Cloud Mountain". It was unlikely that the Ice-Fire Dragon could detect him, who was so far away, with its divine sense.

Upon hearing this, "Icefire Flood Dragon" immediately explained, "Recently, that guy Mad Lion has been coming around to scout the area, and I couldn't resist coming out to fight him."

I just sensed my master's presence and rushed over in time.

"What? The Mad Lion Demon Emperor is here again? He's got some nerve, daring to come here again!"

After Song Qingming and Huang Siyuan left, the Mad Lion Demon King frequently traveled south to "Red Cloud Mountain" to harass them, and fought several battles with Song Qingyu. The two were old rivals.

Hearing that the other party dared to attack again, Song Qingyu was slightly displeased and picked up her flying sword, wanting to go and meet the other party.

Song Qingming wanted to stop them, but Song Qingyu took the Ice-Fire Dragon and chased after them first.

Seeing this, Song Qingming looked helpless and lowered his hand, letting the two leave.

With his Nascent Soul Level 3 cultivation and the personal guidance he received from the great sword cultivator Ling Zhentian a few years ago, Song Qingyu's supernatural abilities were already no weaker than those of a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator.

Although the "Icefire Flood Dragon" is only at the second level of the Nascent Soul stage, his innate powerful bloodline makes him a formidable fighter among early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators.

With the two of them working together, even a mid-stage Nascent Soul demon emperor might not be able to defeat them, so Song Qingming didn't need to worry too much about the area near "Red Cloud Mountain".

Once Song Qingyu and Song Qingming's figures disappeared into the distance, Song Qingming immediately turned his flying boat around and returned to "Red Cloud Mountain".

A year after returning from the "Qiyun Immortal Cultivation World", Song Qingming and his two companions first went to Dangmo Mountain and stayed there for two months.

Although the group found out about Changnan Town, where Huang Siyuan often went, they didn't get much useful information.

All that is known is that she went there to learn how to make porcelain teacups and even set up a stall on the street. She left Dangmo Mountain in less than a year.

Those who had contact with her were just ordinary people who didn't even know Huang Siyuan's true identity.

After inquiring for nearly two months and seeing that he had no clue whatsoever, Song Qingming left with Song Qingyu and the others.

As for the agreement with the "Demon Slayer Sect", Song Qingming could only tell Huang Siyuan the truth due to her sudden departure.

Fortunately, He Yuliang, the leader of the Demon-Slaying Sect, did not terminate his agreement with Song Qingming and agreed that Song Qingming could borrow the Heart-Refining Tower once more if needed in the future.

However, this agreement is only valid for a period of 100 years. If Song Qingming still cannot find a suitable person by then, it will be considered that he has voluntarily given up the agreement to enter the tower.

Song Qingming readily agreed. Although Huang Siyuan wouldn't need it for the time being, he still had many juniors around him who would need to form their Nascent Souls in the future.

Anyway, there are still a hundred years. We can give the opportunity to whoever is suitable at that time. There is no need to rush it.

Once the flying boat passed through the "mountain-protecting formation," it soon landed on the summit of Chiyun Mountain.

The setting sun cast its last rays, and the mountain scenery remained unchanged, but it was a pity that only Song Qingming could enjoy it at this moment.

Just as he returned to his cave in the golden afterglow, Tang Muyan and Song Shaoyu, who were guarding the formation position on the mountaintop, noticed the unusual activity coming from the formation and quickly came to greet him.

"Greetings, Master and Ancestor!"

"Shaoyu, go and tell Yuanhao that Qingyu and I have returned, and ask them to come up the mountain in a few days."

"Mu Yan, call all your fellow disciples up here, and also inform your eldest brother that I have something to tell you all later!"

"Disciple obey!"

".."

After giving the two instructions, Song Qingming turned and returned to his cave.

Having returned in a hurry last time, and with Huang Siyuan on his mind, Song Qingming did not stay for more than a few days before embarking on another journey to find her, without having the mind to tidy up his cave dwelling.

Having finally found some free time, he saw that the cave had been uninhabited for a long time and was covered in dust, so he released "Golden Wind" and "Silver Armor" to take care of it.

As night fell, the newly renovated cave welcomed four disciples of Song Qingming.

"Disciple greets Master!"

Song Qingming's eldest disciple, Bai Jingyun, has been under his tutelage for 170 years and is currently at the second level of the Golden Core realm.

A few years ago, under Xu Ziyan's initiative, he officially joined the "Xiaoyao Sect" and became a Golden Core elder of the sect.

Although Bai Jingyun was a disciple whom Song Qingming and Bai Yunhua had agreed upon back then, he had received less attention from them over the years compared to the others.

However, after he joined the "Xiaoyao Sect", Song Qingming made him his personal disciple. Now Bai Jingyun has moved his cave dwelling to "Chiyun Mountain".

Apart from the eldest disciple Bai Jingyun, who has already successfully formed his core, the remaining three disciples, Wei Yunlong, Tang Muyan, and Liu Yue, all became Song Qingming's disciples eighty years ago.

Wei Yunlong, the second disciple who is currently the fastest cultivator, has already reached the peak of the seventh level of Foundation Establishment, just one step away from the eighth level.

Next is the fourth disciple, Liu Yue, whose cultivation has just advanced to the sixth level of the Foundation Establishment stage.

Although her cultivation speed is not as fast as her second senior brother Wei Yunlong, it is still quite average and she is not too far behind.

Finally, there is the fourth disciple, Tang Muyan. His spiritual root talent is somewhat inferior to that of Song Qingming's other disciples, but he possesses the aptitude of three spiritual roots.

In addition, when Song Qingming went out, Tang Muyan was helping his senior sister Liu Yue establish her foundation, which caused him to delay his own foundation building for several years. Now his cultivation level is still at the fourth level of the Foundation Establishment stage.

Song Qingming glanced at the four disciples in front of him and nodded slightly. Then he looked at Tang Muyan and Liu Yue, who had the lowest cultivation levels.

"We cultivators, if we want our path to enlightenment to be smooth, cannot always sit on the mountain and look at the sky from the bottom of a well. We also need to go out and see the outside world more often."

Yunlong traveled extensively in recent years. Now that you two have both advanced to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, it's time for you to go out and gain some experience.

"Master, it's wonderful that you've agreed to let us go down the mountain to travel!"

".."

Many years ago, after successfully establishing their foundations, they heard about the vastness of the cultivation world outside the mountain and had already considered going out to travel around.

However, since they had only recently established their foundations, Song Qingming did not agree to let them travel.

In recent years, Song Qingming and his wife have been away from home and have not returned.

Without the consent of their master and mistress, senior brothers Bai Jingyun and Wei Yunlong dared not make the decision to let them leave on their own, which is why they were delayed.

Upon hearing that Song Qingming wanted him to go down the mountain for training, not only did the lively Liu Yue shout out excitedly, but even the usually honest Tang Muyan showed a hint of joy on his face.

Seeing how excited the two were, Song Qingming took out several more level-two spirit talismans that he had prepared in advance and handed them to them.

"The outside world is not like the mountain. There are many treacherous people everywhere in the cultivation world. You must be more careful in everything you do and never trust others too easily."

Keep these talismans for future protection. If you encounter any difficult situation, remember not to be stingy with your possessions.

Remember, you must not stray too far from the cultivation world of the Floating Cloud Mountains during your travels.

Once you're ready, let's go down the mountain!

"Thank you Master!"

After happily accepting the talisman from Song Qingming, Liu Yue and Tang Muyan quickly kowtowed and bowed before carefully leaving the cave.

After Liu Yue and the other person left, Song Qingming turned his gaze to his second disciple, Wei Yunlong, standing in front of him.

"Yunlong, how is your cultivation of the technique I taught you last time? Is there anything you don't understand?"

"Reporting to Master, in the past few years I have been busy recovering from my injuries, and my cultivation technique is currently still at the late stage of Qi Refining, and I have not yet entered the Foundation Establishment stage."

"I have disappointed you, Master. I beg you to punish me!"

Wei Yunlong is a cultivator with a unique "lightning spirit root" attribute. With the guidance of his Nascent Soul master, Song Qingming, his cultivation speed far surpasses that of his peers.

If it weren't for the injury he sustained while fighting against the invasion of demonic beasts a few years ago, which delayed his cultivation, he would have already broken through to the eighth level of the Foundation Establishment realm with his talent.

Since obtaining the "Purple Sun Divine Light" Nascent Soul cultivation technique outside the Nine Heavens, I have found that the cultivation requirements of this technique are somewhat demanding, and it is only suitable for cultivators with a single-attribute Heavenly Spiritual Root or a Different Spiritual Root.

After returning to Chiyun Mountain, Song Qingming, after some deliberation, passed on the cultivation techniques he had learned before reaching the Golden Core stage to his disciple Wei Yunlong, asking him to see if practicing them could improve his cultivation speed.

Although Song Qingming himself was a cultivator with four spiritual roots and was not suitable for cultivating the "Purple Sun Divine Light," there were quite a few cultivators with different spiritual roots in the Song family and the "Free and Unfettered Sect."

If the "Purple Sun Divine Light" technique is truly without fault, then Song Yuanhao, Song Yuping, and others in the family can also try to switch to cultivating this technique in the future.

"Sigh, healing is of course important, but there's no rush to cultivate your skills. I was just asking you casually. Get up now!"
You go back first, and I'll let Yuan Hao know later so he can send you some tonifying and nourishing pills.

If you have any questions about the techniques in the future, feel free to come here and ask me anytime!

"Disciple, thank you Master!"

Seeing that Song Qingming did not blame him and even rewarded him with some pills to help him recover from his injuries, Wei Yunlong immediately relaxed, got up to thank him, and left the cave.

After the three people beside him had left, Bai Jingyun, the eldest disciple who had been standing to the side, took the initiative to come to Song Qingming's side.

"Master!"

"In the two years since I left, has anything happened near the sect? Has anyone sent a message looking for me?"

"Reporting to Master, the sect has been very peaceful in the north and south for the past two years, with no major events occurring. Only in the Funiu Mountain area, Yu Ping successfully formed his core half a year ago."

Uncle Bai emerged from seclusion half a year ago and sent two letters asking if you had returned.

"Oh! Yu Ping has already formed his core, that's good news."

Upon hearing the news that Song Yuping had successfully formed his core, Song Qingming smiled slightly and nodded.

“By the way, Master, Yu Shan came to Chiyun Mountain to see you last month. When I asked him what it was about, he didn’t say. He just asked me to give this to you, so I accepted it.”

After speaking, Bai Jingyun took out a white "sound transmission talisman" from his body and placed it in front of Song Qingming with a puzzled expression.

Upon seeing the talisman Bai Jingyun took out, Song Qingming's expression changed slightly, but he didn't explain and simply put it away. "Hmm! You did a great job. You've worked hard these past few days."

After saying that, Song Qingming waved his hand and took out a "storage bag" from his body, handing it directly to Bai Jingyun.

"Master, your disciple wouldn't dare!"

Seeing Bai Jingyun repeatedly waving his hands, hesitant to accept the spiritual item, Song Qingming immediately spoke up:

"Why are you in such a hurry? These spirit stones aren't for you, they're for Lin Yu."

She's not young anymore, and the process of forming her core can't be delayed. Take these spirit stones first, and tell them that her master asked me to give them to her.

If you have any further difficulties, please tell me. Don't delay this matter!

"Master, is Senior Li at Chiyun Mountain? May I express my gratitude on behalf of Lin Yu?"

When Li Xuanyi left, she left Song Linyu a sum of Core Formation Spirit Stones, but she used them first to help her Daoist partner Bai Jingyun achieve Core Formation.

Bai Jingyun attempted to break through to the Golden Core realm twice, spending a total of seventy to eighty thousand spirit stones on purchasing spiritual items and healing in between.

Even with the help of their master Song Qingming, the couple still managed to spend all their savings accumulated over the years.

Later, after Bai Jingyun successfully formed his core, although he was also wholeheartedly collecting spiritual materials for Song Linyu to form his core, he himself had only just successfully formed his core and did not have many spirit stones or merits.

Although he tried to sell many of his spiritual items, it was still a drop in the ocean.

In the end, Song Yuanfang couldn't stand it anymore and helped Song Linyu borrow a lot of spirit stones so that he could break through to the Golden Core realm a few years ago.

Unfortunately, Song Linyu's first attempt at forming her core failed. Now that she is 190 years old, the difficulty of forming her core will only increase if she continues to delay.

Bai Jingyun had seen this over the years and was also anxious about it.

Upon seeing the spirit stones sent by Li Xuanyi and Song Qingming, Bai Jingyun immediately knelt down in excitement, ready to thank Li Xuanyi in person.

Seeing this, Song Qingming shook his head, indicating that Li Xuanyi had not come to "Red Cloud Mountain," and thus sent Bai Jingyun away from the cave.

After sending all his disciples away, Song Qingming returned to his secluded stone chamber and took out the "white talisman" that Bai Jingyun had just given him.

".."

The next morning, Song Qingyu and "Ice and Fire Dragon" returned to Chiyun Mountain somewhat disappointed after searching for a long time without finding an opponent.

Just as they returned to the vicinity of the cave, they saw a handsome man in a green robe running quickly towards them.

"Disciple pays respects to Master and welcomes Master back to the mountain."

"Hmm! You've already broken through to the third level of Foundation Establishment. It seems you haven't fallen behind in your cultivation these past two years. I'll think about what to reward you with later."

Seeing Song Shaoyu's respectful expression, Song Qingyu smiled and nodded, then led him into the cave ahead.

Although she hadn't returned for two years, Song Qingyu's cave was much cleaner than usual, obviously because someone had learned of her return not long ago and had taken good care of it.

Seeing the clean and tidy cave dwelling, Song Qingyu's slight displeasure at not being able to catch up with her opponent quickly disappeared, and she sat down with a smile.

Seeing this, Song Shaoyu quickly brought over the spiritual fruits he had prepared and respectfully brewed a pot of spiritual tea for him.

"Master, this is a brand new spiritual tea from Green Cloud Pavilion this year. I managed to snag it after several months of pre-ordering. Would you like to try it and see how it tastes?"

Glancing at the respectful Song Shaoyu, Song Qingyu did not accept the spiritual tea offered by him, but instead asked with some confusion:
"That's strange! You're not usually this attentive, what's wrong with you today? Do you have some scheme to set a trap for your teacher?"
"Tell me, which magical artifact are you after, or what kind of elixir do you want?"

"Master, you've just returned. I only wanted to do my filial duty. How could I dare to cause you any trouble now?"

Faced with Song Qingyu's sharp gaze, Song Shaoyu immediately shook his head.

"Oh! If you don't tell me now, then I won't care anymore. Consider this your way of showing respect to your teacher."

After speaking, Song Qingyu smiled slightly, looked away, and picked up the spirit tea.

"Hmm, the taste is not bad."

Song Shaoyu, who wasn't going to stand by and watch, couldn't sit still any longer. Taking advantage of Song Qingyu's moment of sipping tea, he quickly stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said:

“Master! Yesterday, the Ancestor said that he wanted Senior Brother Tang and Senior Sister Liu to go down the mountain for training. I would like to go down the mountain with Senior Sister Liu and the others so that I can broaden my horizons.”

Look."

"no!"

No sooner had Song Shaoyu finished speaking than Song Qingyu, who was sitting to the side, waved his hand and directly rejected his idea of ​​going down the mountain.

"Master, Senior Brother Tang and Senior Sister Liu can go down the mountain to gain experience, so why can't I go?"

"Seventh Brother had already set a rule that disciples of the clan who are not at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage are not allowed to travel without permission. Now that their cultivation has reached that level, they are free to go down the mountain."

"When your cultivation breaks through to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, not only will I not stop you, but I will also personally send you down the mountain."

"Master, I know it's dangerous to go out, and I will be careful. Please grant my request and let me go out and take a look!"

"Alright, I said no and that's final. You were personally handed over to me by Seventh Brother. If something really happens to you outside, how will I explain it to him in the future?"

"I'll only agree to let you come down the mountain if you can get him to give his consent first."

Facing Song Shaoyu's aggrieved expression, Song Qingyu's tone remained firm and unwavering.

Seeing that his master Song Qingyu was adamant and left no room for negotiation, Song Shaoyu could only walk out with a disappointed expression.

"This kid is so impatient, he's quite similar to me back in the day!"

Watching Song Shaoyu leave into the distance, Song Qingyu couldn't help but sigh.

".."

After leaving Song Qingyu's cave, Song Shaoyu, feeling somewhat lost, sat down alone on the west side of the mountaintop.

Not long after, a slender figure suddenly appeared beside him.

"Junior Brother Song, how is it? Has Grandmaster Uncle agreed to let you leave the mountain?"

"I'm sorry, Senior Sister Liu, I've tried all the methods you suggested, but Master still won't let me leave the mountain!"

Facing Liu Yue's concerned expression, Song Shaoyu shook his head in disappointment, then turned to look at the distant horizon.

Looking at Song Shaoyu's handsome face, which looked aggrieved, Liu Yue hesitated for a moment before suddenly speaking to him:

"Junior Brother Song, if I were willing to take you down the mountain with me, would you dare to come with me?"

"Senior sister, what do you mean by that?"

".."
-

Several days later, in Qinghe County, behind Yinfeng Ridge.

As a beam of spiritual light descended from above the canyon, Song Yushan, who was processing herbs in the herb garden, immediately sensed a powerful aura, put down his work, and stood up.

A moment later, before Song Yushan had gone far, a figure had already arrived in front of him.

"Yu Shan greets the Ancestor!"

"Get up! When did Senior Qu return? Is he inside now?"

"Reporting to the Ancestor, the senior returned half a year ago and is currently in the cave. He said that you should go see him directly upon your arrival."

In response to Song Yushan's answer, Song Qingming nodded slightly and walked straight ahead.

After taking only a few steps, he stopped, turned around, and asked, "Did Senior Qu ask you to stay here?"

"The senior said that my chances of forming my core are still lacking, and asked me to stay and temper my character!"

"Okay! Then you can stay here for now. I'll tell Yuanfang that you've gone out to run errands for me." After saying that, Song Qingming turned around and continued forward.

"Yu Shan understands, thank you, Ancestor!"

".."

In the dimly lit cave, Song Qingming held a ball of fire and walked slowly forward for a while until a pool of water several meters in diameter gradually appeared before him.

After looking around and finding nothing amiss, Song Qingming immediately stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

"Senior Qu, it's been so many years! How have you been?"

"Hehe! Fellow Daoist Song, it's been so many years, I didn't expect you to have improved so much. Now your spiritual sense is almost comparable to that of a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator."

As a sound came from the pool below, bubbles quickly rose to the surface.

Immediately afterwards, an old man dressed in a black robe slowly emerged from the water and stood in front of Song Qingming.

"I never imagined that in just a hundred years, your cultivation would have recovered to the late Nascent Soul stage. My progress is truly insignificant compared to yours."

Although the black-robed old man in front of him had an unfamiliar face, Song Qingming could easily confirm from the old man's aura and familiar voice that he was Qu Bai.

However, the aura emanating from the other party was somewhat strange, and Song Qingming couldn't immediately determine whether this body was one he had possessed or a temporary puppet body he had created.

"Kid, I know what you're thinking. This body of mine is just a puppet I created, not something I possessed. Don't waste your time guessing."

"I never expected that you, senior, could create such a lifelike late-stage Nascent Soul puppet. I was so ashamed that I couldn't see anything amiss!"

"Alright, I never said I would pass on all my puppetry skills to you. That shouldn't be considered a violation of our agreement, right?"

"Of course there's nothing wrong with what you say, Senior. I wonder if Senior Qu is here to fulfill the promise I made to you back then?"

After speaking, Song Qingming looked ahead again. (End of Chapter)