After being jilted by the saintess at the beginning, why is she crying?

He noticed that faint golden patterns were appearing on the little black snake's scales, and its aura was much stronger than before, which made him happy for it.

But then he sighed, his tone tinged with helplessness and reluctance:

"However, I'm currently in dire straits myself, and my future is uncertain. You should focus on your cultivation with it for now. If... if I can find a way out, I will definitely come back to find you."

The little black snake seemed to understand his words, and a hint of human-like reluctance appeared in its vertical pupils.

It paused, then suddenly raised its head and spat out an extremely fine wisp of dark light from its mouth.

The light thread seemed to have a life of its own, trembled slightly in the air, and then wrapped around Lin Fengmian's wrist, turning into a faint snake-shaped mark before disappearing beneath his skin.

Through this mark, Lin Fengmian could clearly sense the approximate location of the little black snake, as if an invisible thread connected their fates together.

After doing all this, the little black snake, looking back every few steps, followed the giant black water viper and slowly sank into the deep swamp.

The ripples spread out, but quickly returned to calm.

Lin Fengmian looked down at the faint mark on his wrist, feeling both warm and bittersweet.

"Let's go."

He took a deep breath and turned to look at Cang Yuwei.

"The direction indicated by the guiding order should be just ahead."

……

Following the token's faint guidance, the two traversed the muddy swamp for about half an hour before finally finding an extremely secluded spot.

It was a bluestone square covered with ancient moss.

The plaza was small, about a hundred feet square. Although the bluestone on the ground had been eroded by wind and rain, it remained smooth and even, with faint traces of mysterious runes engraved on it. The plaza was surrounded by dense spiritual trees, and it would have been impossible to find this place without the guidance of the token.

Cang Yuwei looked around, her eyes filled with emotion:

"This... is the reception point for the Spirit Extinction Sect. I never imagined that I would actually reach this point in my lifetime."

Just as Lin Fengmian was about to ask a question, suddenly—

A figure appeared silently in the center of the bluestone square!

He was an old man in a worn-out Taoist robe, with white hair and beard, and a gaunt face. At first glance, he seemed to possess an air of otherworldly grace. He stood there quietly, as if he had always been there, yet also as if he had just appeared out of thin air, making it impossible to pinpoint his location.

Lin Fengmian felt a chill run down his spine.

He couldn't see through this person's cultivation level at all.

The old man's gaze swept over the guiding token in Lin Fengmian's hand, and he nodded slightly, seemingly satisfied. But when he saw Cang Yuwei behind Lin Fengmian, his brows furrowed slightly.

"I am the Azure Netherworld Immortal, in charge of the reception arrangements for the Spirit-Severing Sect." The old man's voice was indifferent and detached, carrying a condescending distance. "You only have one reception token. According to the rules, I can only receive one person."

He paused, his gaze falling on Cang Yuwei, his tone revealing a hint of impatience:

"All unauthorized persons, please leave immediately."

His tone made it seem as if Cang Yuwei was nothing more than an insignificant ant, someone whose mere presence was a waste of time.

Lin Fengmian cursed the old man in his heart, but had to force a smile on his face.

His mind raced, and he instantly made a plan.

Rather than calling Cang Yuwei a companion, it's better to give her a more reasonable identity.

As Lin Fengmian spoke, he swiftly pulled Cang Yuwei, who was standing next to him, into his arms.

Cang Yuwei's delicate body trembled violently as a strange, aggressive masculine scent instantly enveloped her. Instinctively, she tried to struggle, but Lin Fengmian's low, urgent voice reached her ears: "If you don't want to die here, you'd better cooperate with me!"

The chill in that voice made Cang Yuwei freeze. She stood stiff, letting Lin Fengmian half-embrace her.

Immediately afterwards, Lin Fengmian handed the two spirit stones to Qingming Zhenren with his other hand, his expression instantly changing to one completely different from before.

His expression was a mixture of heartache, distress, and a hint of pleading.

As if the two spirit stones were flesh ripped from his body, his voice was filled with genuine emotion, trembling with just the right amount of emotion:

"My esteemed Immortal Master, this...this is my betrothed. We grew up together, supporting each other deeply. She is just a mortal who knows no immortal arts. If we leave her alone in this desolate wilderness, I'm afraid...I'm afraid she will surely die, devoured by demonic beasts!"

He paused, his tone growing increasingly earnest: "Please, Immortal Master, grant us this favor and allow my wife and I to enter the Immortal Sect together! We will repay your great kindness with the utmost gratitude in the future!"

He spoke with great emotion, his eyes even slightly reddening, perfectly portraying the image of a deeply affectionate husband.

Cang Yuwei, who was being held in his arms, felt extremely uncomfortable, every inch of her skin stiff and resistant.

She was a martial artist and had been aloof and reserved since childhood. She rarely had any physical contact with strange men, let alone being so intimate with them.

What's more, the "husband" in front of her is clearly the enemy who killed her nephew a few days ago and has a blood feud with her!

But now she was being held in his arms, his breath audible, and the contradiction and humiliation she felt almost suffocated her.

But she also knew that the situation was beyond her control. Just as Lin Fengmian had said, if she didn't cooperate, with her mortal body, she would definitely die on the edge of this desolate land overrun by demonic beasts.

She could only grit her teeth, forcibly suppress her surging emotions, and stiffly lean towards Lin Fengmian.

However, as she moved closer, an extremely pleasant scent wafted into her nostrils—a clean and crisp scent.

It carried an indescribable warmth that caused her tense body to relax instinctively, and her resistance inexplicably dissipated.

The two stood close together, one handsome and affectionate, the other aloof and delicate, truly resembling a loving couple.

Unfortunately, Qingming Zhenren's gaze didn't fall on them at all. His eyes widened, staring intently at the two spirit stones in Lin Fengmian's palm, as if he'd seen a ghost. It took him a long time to recover, and his voice trembled:

"This...this...this! This...this! This is...this is a spirit stone?! Or...or are two such pure spirit stones?!"

He practically lunged forward, grabbing the two spirit stones in his hand.

He repeatedly stroked and examined it, his fingertips trembling slightly.

The expression on his face went from shock and disbelief to ecstasy.

Finally, he was as if struck by lightning, and froze on the spot.

Lin Fengmian was startled by his appearance and wondered to himself:

It's just two of the lowest-grade spirit stones, why are you so excited?