In Tianren City, within the Tianren Tower.
In the days following Ye Ling escorting the Moon Wheel Saintess out of the Heavenly Prison, Ye Ling had been continuously teaching Ayu in the Tianren Tower while awaiting the Moon Wheel Saintess's awakening.
The Moon Wheel Saintess's consciousness had been too severely corrupted by Balgo. Even after Ye Ling healed all her mental damage, she could not wake up in a short period.
As for Bai Ling, after Ye Ling resurrected the elders of the Qingyue Sect, she was satisfied and returned to the Qingyue Sect with her people, promising that the Qingyue Sect would fully support the Tianren City auction.
However, Ye Ling had now resolved the dark power within himself and was no longer in a hurry to leave Ayu, gradually losing interest in the auction.
Ye Ling had now handed over all affairs of the Tianren City auction to the Qingyue Sect to manage, while he focused on teaching Ayu cultivation.
Previously, Ye Ling taught Ayu runes with the intention that after he left, Ayu would have the ability to protect herself and survive well on this continent.
But as he taught, Ye Ling discovered that Ayu possessed extraordinary talent in runes. She could quickly master various runes and apply them skillfully, with astonishing learning speed.
Seeing Ayu's talent, Ye Ling gradually began to treat Ayu as a true disciple, imparting all his knowledge to her, with plans to cultivate Ayu into the next guardian.
During the period before the Third Star Pillar arrived for their appointment, Ye Ling only wanted to spend his time teaching Ayu.
On this day, Ayu sat on her meditation cushion, gazing absently at the white clouds in the sky outside the tower, while Ding Dang was resting beside her.
Suddenly, a piece of chalk hit Ayu's head.
"Ouch!"
Ayu clutched her head and looked at Ye Ling, who was standing before the blackboard, asking in confusion, "Isn't it break time? Why did you hit me?"
Ye Ling said, "Break time is over. It's time for class."
"Really?"
Ayu blinked and looked at the hourglass beside them, noticing that the sand had just finished flowing.
Ayu immediately turned to Ye Ling indignantly and questioned, "Didn't break time just end!"
Ye Ling said, "The path of runes is vast and profound. You have only just learned a tiny bit. If you don't redouble your efforts, when will you ever finish learning?"
Ayu pouted, "Why do I have to finish learning runes? The amount of study these past few days has been too much. I want to go out and play..."
Ayu was originally a girl from the mountains, accustomed to running in the mountains and keeping company with wild beasts. While she had initial interest in learning runes for the first few days, she gradually found it tedious and began to dislike studying.
Hearing Ayu's daily complaints, Ye Ling sighed slightly, "Ayu, you have extraordinary talent. If you seriously cultivate runes, you might even become the foremost person in the Nine Heavens Realm in the future. Don't waste your talent."
Ayu asked confusedly, "I don't want to be the foremost person. I just want to live with Ding Dang and you."
"You little girl..."
Ye Ling sighed heavily, truly unsure how to reason with Ayu.
At this moment, an old嬷嬷 walked upstairs, bowed respectfully to Ye Ling, and reported, "Reporting to the City Lord, the Moon Wheel Saintess has awakened."
Before Ye Ling could reply, Ayu, with a look of surprise, asked the old嬷嬷, "The Moon Wheel Saintess has awakened?"
The old嬷嬷 respectfully replied, "Yes, Young City Lord."
"Yay!"
Ayu jumped up happily and quickly said to Ye Ling, "Teacher Ye, weren't you always looking forward to the Moon Wheel Saintess waking up? Now that she's awake, can you give me a day off today?"
The overjoyed Ayu even startled Ding Dang, who was beside her.
"You..."
Ye Ling looked at the smiling Ayu and sighed softly, "Alright, I'll let you off today. Go play with Ding Dang, but remember... don't leave Tianren City."
Ayu, however, said, "Teacher Ye, I want to go back to the mountains."
"Go back to the mountains?" Ye Ling was taken aback, "What are you going back for?"
Ayu said, "We've been in Tianren City for quite some time now and haven't gone back. I want to go back and see, and also retrieve something. I'll be back tonight."
Ye Ling refused, "No, it's too dangerous."
"Why?" Ayu asked, confused, "I used to move around the Luoyun Mountain Range alone, and I never encountered any danger!"
Ye Ling said, "The past is not the present. The auction is about to be held, and Tianren City is a mix of all sorts of people. Outside, a large number of people from various backgrounds have gathered. And you are the highly anticipated Young City Lord. If you go back rashly, you might easily attract attention."
Ayu's eyes immediately turned red, and she said with a tearful voice, "But that's my home... Why can't I go back? I've done everything you've told me to do these past few days. Can't you grant me this one request?"
"When you asked me to bring you to Tianren City, I agreed without hesitation!"
Seeing Ayu's wronged expression, the World-Destroying Spirit Fire also felt a bit of pity and cursed Ye Ling, "You scoundrel, Ayu is so cute. Why are you forcing her to learn runes every day? Look how wronged the girl is!"
"Shut up!" Ye Ling said to the World-Destroying Spirit Fire irritably, "She doesn't know you. Why are you meddling here?"
The World-Destroying Spirit Fire said, "Although she doesn't know me, I watch her every day! What's wrong with a little girl going home for a visit? You're not her parents, why are you being so strict?"
"And she's your savior, not your daughter!"
Listening to the World-Destroying Spirit Fire's nagging, and seeing Ayu's wronged expression, Ye Ling had to compromise. He said to Ding Dang, "Ding Dang, protect Ayu on the way back. Try to return before sunset, understand?"
"Roar!!!"
Ding Dang opened its tiger maw and roared, full of confidence.
Following Ye Ling's roar, it had been nourished by Ye Ling's aura day and night, and its strength had advanced by leaps and bounds. It could traverse the Luoyun Mountain Range in just one hour.
It was not difficult for it to take Ayu back and return before sunset.
When Ayu heard Ye Ling's words, she immediately became happy again, pounced towards Ye Ling, "Little Ye is the best! I'll be back tonight!"
Ayu hugged Ye Ling, then climbed onto Ding Dang's back, and excitedly said, "Ding Dang, let's go!"
"Roar!"
With a tiger's roar, Ding Dang leaped out of the Tianren Tower and headed towards the Luoyun Mountain Range.
The World-Destroying Spirit Fire watched Ayu's retreating figure disappear into the horizon and sighed, "Youth... truly enviable. That girl reminds me of my lost youth."
"You're just being dramatic. What youth do you old geezers have?" Ye Ling rolled his eyes and mercilessly teased the World-Destroying Spirit Fire, then used runes to block its mouth, preventing it from retaliating.
After his ears were cleared, Ye Ling instructed the old嬷嬷, "Go and inform the Qingyue Sect to have Bai Ling go to the Luoyun Mountain Range and protect Ayu from the shadows."
"Yes, City Lord."
The old嬷嬷 bowed respectfully to Ye Ling and then disappeared from her spot.
World-Destroying Spirit Fire: "Moo moo—!"
Ye Ling ignored the World-Destroying Spirit Fire's pleas and glanced in the direction Ayu had left, feeling a vague sense of unease.
"Just a feeling... There isn't even a single demon king in the Luoyun Mountain Range now. What could possibly happen? Am I being overly concerned?"
Ye Ling shook his head, suppressed the unease in his heart, and then went downstairs, entering the Moon Wheel Saintess's room.