Starting as a Grandmaster, all of my cultivation techniques are at max level.

Xia Jin stared intently at the severed hand, her doubts growing ever deeper.

"Who are you? How do you know me?" He asked after a moment of silence.

However, the severed hand remained silent for a moment.

It wasn't until Xia Jin was getting impatient that the severed hand made a sound again.

This time, the voice lacked the previous violence, but carried a deep sense of regret.

"You have his scent on you."

"It was so rich, so pure, it almost made me think... he really came back."

"But later I realized that you weren't him."

"Although he has fallen, his aura remains within you. You have received his legacy, or... you have inherited something from him."

"You've spouted a lot of nonsense!! You still haven't answered my question!! Who are you?" Xia Jin's eyes grew increasingly sharp. "Why are you trapped here?"

However, the severed hand still did not give a direct answer when confronted with Xia Jin's questioning.

"Hmph!! Since you won't tell me, then I don't care to know. Farewell!!" Xia Jin sneered and turned to leave.

Just then, the voice rang out again.

"You are not qualified to know yet."

"Knowing too early is not a good thing for you."

Xia Jin's eyes twitched. The words sounded harsh, but he inexplicably sensed that there was no malice in the other person's words.

The severed hand twitched slightly, its five fingers gently reaching out to grab the unconscious young master of Tianbao City on the ground.

A palm-sized Pixiu stone flew out of the other person's arms and hovered steadily above the palm of the severed hand.

With a gentle flick of the severed hand, the Pixiu stone floated to Xia Jin's front.

"This... please accept it."

Xia Jin was slightly taken aback, her gaze falling on the stone, and she couldn't help but frown.

"What do you mean by that?"

After hesitating for a moment, Xia Jin reached out and took the Pixiu stone, examining it closely. This thing was neither an ordinary spirit stone nor a magic artifact; rather, it seemed to be a medium he had never seen before.

There wasn't much explanation given about the severed hand.

"The Eastern Emperor Bell within you... is still in a damaged state, isn't it?"

Xia Jin's pupils contracted slightly. This strange thing could actually sense the Eastern Emperor Bell in his sea of ​​consciousness?

"Don't be surprised, I can sense it," the voice continued. "The Eastern Emperor Bell within you is now incomplete, its power reduced to less than one-tenth. This Pixiu Stone contains a wisp of innate essence blood; though not much, it's enough to repair some of your Eastern Emperor Bell."

"Consider this a gift from me to you, or rather, to my old friend!"

Xia Jin looked down at the Pixiu stone in her hand, a glint of light flashing in her eyes.

Innate essence and blood? What is that?

However, he did not refuse the offer of the severed hand.

Xia Jin immediately put the Pixiu stone into her bosom, raised her head, and her gaze fell back on the severed hand.

"If there's nothing else, you can leave now," the severed hand said calmly to Xia Jin after he accepted the stone.

Xia Jin frowned, his gaze sweeping over the iron chains that firmly bound the severed wrist. He hesitated for a moment, then spoke.

"These chains...do you want me to cut them for you?"

As soon as he said it, even he felt it was somewhat absurd. The strength of this severed hand was unfathomable; even it couldn't break free from its restraints. How could he, with his cultivation at the third level of the Immortal Ascension Realm, possibly manage to do so?

Sure enough, the severed hand fell silent, and then...

It laughed, but its laughter carried a hint of relief.

"You can't do it now."

"These chains are no ordinary objects; they don't bind my hands, they bind my soul. With your current cultivation level, even if you exert all your strength, you cannot budge them in the slightest."

Xia Jin pursed her lips and didn't say anything.

"but……"

"If you advance further in the future, or if you possess the complete Eastern Emperor Bell, perhaps... you can come back to help me."

Xia Jin took a deep look at the severed hand.

He simply nodded emphatically.

"Very well, I agree to this!"

With that, Xia Jin turned around and prepared to leave.

The voice of the severed hand rang out again, calling out to Xia Jin, who had already turned around.

"etc."

Xia Jin paused, turned her head slightly, and raised her eyebrows.

"Is there anything else?"

"It is night outside now."

Xia Jin was slightly taken aback.

"Are you sure you can get out of here?"

These words instantly calmed Xia Jin down. He opened his mouth, and his eyelids twitched a few times.

He then suddenly realized that it was night outside.

If those countless eerie beings roaming in the night were to rush out recklessly, they would likely be surrounded by them before they got very far.

No matter how many tricks he has up his sleeve, he can't withstand the endless drain.

Xia Jin pursed her lips awkwardly, momentarily speechless.

"Since that's the case... then tonight, I will borrow this place from you for the night."

The severed hand did not respond.

Xia Jin didn't mind and took it as tacit consent.

He glanced at the relatively flat floor of the stone chamber, chose a corner not too far from the severed hand, and sat down cross-legged.

Time passed little by little.

After an unknown amount of time, the voice finally rang out again.

"It's dawn outside."

"It's time for you to leave too."

Xia Jin suddenly opened her eyes, a glint of light flashing in them, and then stood up.

He glanced at the severed hand, then turned and strode outside.

He took a few steps and then stopped.

"I almost forgot, this guy is still useful!!"

Xia Jin glanced down at the still unconscious young master of Tianbao City on the ground, a cold glint in his eyes. He grabbed the man by the back of his collar and lifted him up like a chick.

They then quickly left the area.

In less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, he returned to the huge stone slab where Xiong Kui and the other two were hiding.

Xia Jin reached out and gripped the edge of the stone slab, gently lifting it to reveal the hidden passage beneath.

A faint noise came from inside the passage, clearly indicating that the people inside had noticed the changes outside.

Xia Jin jumped down.

The moment his feet touched the ground, several figures emerged from the shadows—Xiong Kui, Huo Qing, and Liu Xu. Their gazes fell on Xia Jin, and they were all stunned for a moment before disbelief appeared on their faces.

"Brother Xia?!"

Huo Qing was the first to react, her eyes widening, her voice filled with obvious surprise.

"You...you actually came back safely?!"

Then, Huo Qing's gaze finally fell on the person that Xia Jin was carrying.

Who else could it be but the young master of Tianbao City?