After a long chat, Li Yan saw that he had gotten the answers he wanted. Looking at the sky, he stood up and bid farewell to everyone.
But he didn't leave directly. He walked with a smile to Bai Rou, who had not yet left.
"I wonder if Senior Sister Bai is free? This junior brother has some matters I'd like to ask about in private. Hehe, if Senior Sister Bai has other things to attend to, then I'll pay a visit another day!"
Bai Rou was listening to Du Sanjiang and Tantai Dongyue talk. Seeing Li Yan approach, she had already stood up.
"I have nothing to do right now. I was just about to return to my cave residence to meditate and practice qi. Junior Brother doesn't need to be so polite. It's not really a matter of asking for advice; I'll certainly tell you what I know."
Before Bai Rou could speak, her face was already flushed crimson. Since Tantai Dongyue's seemingly unintentional tease, she had mostly not dared to look at Li Yan.
Now that Li Yan had taken the initiative to talk to her, Bai Rou couldn't help but feel nervous. Dressed in a white skirt, she stood there prettily.
"Alright then, let's talk as we walk. Everyone, I, Li, will take my leave first. I've been hiding here and there these past few days and only just managed to get back. I still need a good rest in a bit!"
Li Yan said with a smile.
"We'll go together..."
The girl surnamed Zhou from Spirit Insect Peak was clearly lively. Hearing Li Yan's words, her big eyes darted around, and she was about to suggest they go along.
Unexpectedly, Tantai Dongyue directly interrupted her.
"Junior Brother, please go ahead. Mm, we still have some things to discuss!"
With a smile in her beautiful eyes, she had already blocked the way in front of the three young girls. The three of them pursed their lips, glanced at Tantai Dongyue's back, and said no more.
The girl from Spirit Insect Peak, however, pouted her pretty red lips, a look of disappointment in her eyes.
But Bai Rou didn't look at them at all. She had already taken to the air. Anyone could see the pink flush on her snow-white neck.
Li Yan's expression was normal. He really did have other things to ask Bai Rou. With a clear conscience, he didn't feel there was anything to be embarrassed about and also flew up.
...
"Senior Sister Tantai, you're so biased towards Senior Sister Bai. Senior Brother Li didn't even say anything..."
The girl surnamed Zhou from Spirit Insect Peak stamped her jade foot and said with dissatisfaction.
"Little girl, he already said he wanted to ask Junior Sister Bai something in private. You just have to butt in and be a nuisance. Even if you're love-struck, you have to pick the right time."
"But... but among the core disciples in the sect without a Dao Companion, besides the few from Little Bamboo Peak, the other peaks have even fewer..."
The girl from Spirit Insect Peak clearly had a fiery personality like Li Changting, still pouting with dissatisfaction.
"Hehe, I think you've all misjudged. Junior Sister Bai has always had a gentle personality, so her blushing doesn't necessarily mean she has any real thoughts."
"And as for Junior Brother Li, his eyes are as clear as water. He doesn't seem to have any romantic feelings at all. The two of them are probably just talking about serious matters. After all, they were once in the same squad."
"Especially since their two Masters have a very good relationship. It's only natural for them to talk about things they don't want us to know."
Du Sanjiang said slowly, tapping his cross-legged knee lightly with his finger.
'With his personality, it would be strange if he could fall in love. He's so boring!'
Bu Luo, however, looked towards the sky where Li Yan had disappeared, his eyes darting around as he thought this to himself.
Gong Yuantai stood up directly and walked out of the courtyard. He had always been uninterested in such matters and disliked discussing such topics behind people's backs.
Tantai Dongyue, hearing Du Sanjiang's words, had a look of half-belief.
And the three young girls behind her, after exchanging a glance, also fell silent. But whatever thoughts they had in their hearts, they would not say them out loud again.
...
After flying away from the "Green Bat Battalion" mountain range, Li Yan broke the silence between the two.
"How is Sun Guoshu? Why didn't I see him come with you?"
Bai Rou seemed to be thinking about something. Suddenly startled by Li Yan's words, a flash of panic crossed her pretty face, which had just regained some of its fairness. She quickly composed herself.
"Fellow Daoist Sun is fine. It's just that on the battlefield recently, he obtained some cultivation methods from the South Sea cultivators and is studying them one by one."
"Oh? It seems he's also dissatisfied with his own cultivation method. Wasn't it said that after completing the sect mission, he could enter the Outer Sect of the Malevolent Spirit Sect? I wonder what the result is now?"
Hearing that Sun Guoshu was fine, Li Yan's mood also lightened somewhat. After all, Sun Guoshu had been diligent in handling matters for him and was someone he cared about.
However, Sun Guoshu's merits were only so many. Besides being cautious and capable in his work, his own cultivation was really not that good, and he was powerless in many matters.
Earlier, he had only heard Bai Rou talk about Hu Xiaowang and Yan Feijun. He had thought something bad had happened to Sun Guoshu, so he had been worried for nothing.
"He hasn't formally joined yet, but I heard from Master that he has been given an Outer Sect disciple token first, as a way to put his mind at ease."
"After we withdraw from Windy Cool Mountain this time, he can formally hold his initiation ceremony in the sect."
"Hehe, that's good then!"
After hearing this, Li Yan chuckled, also remembering his own initiation ceremony, which had been extremely simple. It was just Li Wuyi bringing him to meet the other senior brothers and sisters, serving tea to his Master and Martial Mother, and that was it.
But Li Yan knew that, on the contrary, the initiation ceremony for disciples like those in the Outer Sect was a grand affair. A small batch of new disciples would be gathered together to hold the ceremony.
This was to enhance their sense of belonging and sacredness towards the Malevolent Spirit Sect, but the scope was limited to a few deacons of the Outer Sect and all the disciples of the Outer Sect. Of course, it wouldn't be known to everyone.
"It seems he's eager to improve his strength. However, although the 'Zhouyang Town' mission was a success, he didn't gain as much as Senior Brother Hu and Senior Brother Yan."
"He still doesn't have the qualification to choose a mid-level cultivation method in the sect. However, now that Senior Sister has mentioned it, it seems this great battle has brought him quite a few opportunities."
A smile appeared on Li Yan's face. Before, when Sun Guoshu was not a disciple of the Malevolent Spirit Sect, he naturally couldn't give him some of the sect's cultivation methods and immortal arts.
He had originally wanted to give Sun Guoshu some of the unused, high-grade cultivation methods he had obtained, but he had already given him a lot of spirit stones last time and couldn't give him more right away.
Giving too many things at once would only breed greed in the other party. Now it seemed he no longer needed to worry about it.
"Fellow Daoist Sun has obtained two or three kinds of cultivation methods. These are all ones he chose, and I also gave him some of the ones I got."
"I have also seen those three cultivation methods. They are already comparable to the ones cultivated by the Inner Sect disciples of the sect."
Bai Rou cultivated the top-tier cultivation method of the Wood Flow Sect, the "Wood Flowing Star Art," and had long since abandoned other cultivation methods. Only the "Wood Flowing Star Art" could raise her puppet art to an incredible level.
So she gave the unused cultivation methods and immortal arts she obtained to Sun Guoshu. After all, Sun Guoshu was also considered a semi-confidant of Li Yan and was very respectful to her.
"Mm, he has rich experience and is also a useful person. In the future, Senior Sister Bai can leave some matters that require going to the market to him, so you don't have to waste time there."
Li Yan chuckled. As he said this, he suddenly remembered the first time he saw Bai Rou, when she had gone straight to the market to do business.
Li Yan's light laugh at the mention of the "market" also reminded Bai Rou of that time. She couldn't help but blush and lower her head without speaking.
Li Yan knew she was thin-skinned. After a light cough, he changed the subject, his gaze turning to Bai Rou.
"Oh, it's only been a month, but I see that Senior Sister's spirit power seems to have improved a lot. I think you said you only recently advanced to the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment, right?"
"Now, your Spirit Power fluctuation has already taken a big step towards the Late-stage Foundation Establishment realm. This junior brother has not yet had the chance to congratulate you."
Bai Rou's aura was now more profound and solid. Compared to a few months ago, she had made great progress. It had to be said that the battlefield was the best environment for tempering a cultivator.
Bai Rou felt Li Yan sizing her up, and her heart immediately tightened. But after hearing Li Yan's next words, her heart finally relaxed.
But for some reason, a trace of emptiness rose in her heart. She didn't know why, at her level of cultivation, she could still suddenly feel a kind of inexplicable powerlessness.
But she was only dazed for a moment. Then she also smiled, like a holy lily quietly blooming.
"Junior Brother Li only talks about others, why don't you talk about yourself? Weren't you also 'Mid-stage Foundation Establishment' back then, and now you're already at the Pseudo-Core realm!"
When she said "Mid-stage Foundation Establishment," she bit her pearly teeth lightly, emphasizing the words.
Since the battle in the valley that night, she certainly knew that this Junior Brother Li's cultivation talent surpassed ninety-nine percent of the disciples of the same rank in the sect.
A cultivator who had only reached Foundation Establishment two years ago was now at the Pseudo-Core realm. This was something she dared not even imagine. No wonder he had to hide his cultivation to avoid gossip.
But she had a quiet personality and disliked prying into people's privacy, so she had never asked Li Yan about it.
Today, hearing Li Yan's words of congratulations, the young girl's playful heart was suddenly stirred, and she began to joke about it.
That day, Li Yan had not abandoned the five of them and had revealed his strength in front of her. He had not instructed her afterward, which meant he already treated her as a friend.
But how could Bai Rou know that this "friend" had earlier felt a trace of killing intent towards her?
Li Yan, hearing this, chuckled.
"I just had some opportunities during my training outside for the past two years. Otherwise, how could I have met the two seniors and been granted magical treasures."
His words were also a clever way of putting it.
Bai Rou knew that Li Yan didn't like to talk much about his cultivation. Even if Li Yan hadn't said it explicitly before, when Junior Sister Zhou Chan from Spirit Insect Peak had said those speculative words just now, it was clear that Li Yan was extremely displeased.
Therefore, she only touched on the subject and did not continue on this topic.
"With my bit of cultivation, plus the help of my puppets, I was considered passable in the squad before. But since the great battle a month ago, it's all been up to those Senior Brothers in the Pseudo-Core realm."
"However, because of this, I have also received the protection of some Senior Brothers and Sisters..."
After changing the subject, Bai Rou also briefly talked about the recent situation of the other members of the original "Ninth Squad of Heavy Peak Battalion."
Besides Li Yan being assigned a separate task by Wei Zhongran, the rest of the original squad had all been reorganized into a large team.
Now, only six of them were alive, and this included seriously injured people like Yan Feijun.
But when she spoke of some of the deceased team members like Chu Weixiong, tears were already welling up in Bai Rou's eyes. She had a kind personality and got along very well with everyone.
Thinking of the days they had carried out missions together, and watching the familiar team members of her squad disappear from this world one by one, she couldn't help but feel a little sad and dejected.
The two flew slowly all the way, and time also passed quickly. They had already arrived near Li Yan's cave residence.
Li Yan had originally just wanted to ask about Sun Guoshu. After learning that he was using this short break to study cultivation methods, he didn't want to disturb him.
The two parted in the air. Li Yan told Bai Rou that he would be resting well in his cave residence for the next few days. If she got any important news, he hoped she would inform him in time.
The matters he was referring to were, of course, news that only core disciples of the Inner Sect would know. Otherwise, if there was anything concerning the "Sixteenth Squad of Green," Gong Yuantai and the others would naturally send him a voice transmission.
Watching Bai Rou's figure gradually disappear into the distance, Li Yan gazed for a while, let out a light sigh, and turned to fly towards his own cave residence.