Seeing Yue Qingning and Xuan Yu standing together, Ye Ling's eyes flashed with surprise. He soared into the sky and called out to the two women, "Hello there… I really don't know how to thank you for your help during this crisis."
Yue Qingning smiled and said, "We are already allies, so you don't need to thank me. Just remember your promise."
Ye Ling cupped his fists and chuckled, "I will definitely remember it. If you have any requests in the future, Qingning, I will go through fire and water without hesitation!"
Yue Qingning replied, "I've noted your words. However, I don't need your help with anything right now. I came here mainly to bid you farewell."
"Farewell?" Ye Ling was taken aback. "You're leaving so soon? I haven't had a chance to properly host you yet."
Yue Qingning smiled, "Since you're awake, I have nothing more to worry about. Now that seven Chaos Lords and the Great Dao Immortal Lord have died in the inner universe, the outer realms are bound to be in chaos. I still have the Heavenly Clarity Dao Palace to protect, so I must return quickly."
Xuan Yu also spoke up, "I've also come to bid farewell."
Ye Ling looked at Xuan Yu in surprise again. "You're leaving too?"
Xuan Yu nodded slightly. "I've searched Earth thoroughly these past few days, and there are no suitable inheritances left for you here. My presence here isn't of much significance. Moreover, my brother has encountered some trouble in the outer realms, and I need to rush to his aid."
"Is it Zhang Xiaoling?" Ye Ling asked curiously.
Although Xuan Yu had never mentioned Zhang Xiaoling, given that they were both descendants of the Demon Emperor, Ye Ling could easily guess their relationship.
Indeed, Xuan Yu nodded. "Yes, it's him."
Ye Ling immediately asked, "What kind of trouble has he run into? Is there anything I can do to help?"
"It's just a minor issue, and I should be able to resolve it once I'm there. You should focus on the inner universe. After this battle, the Lord of Remnants will surely not rest, and he might make frequent moves in the future. With me gone from the inner universe, everything will depend on you."
Yue Qingning added, "If you truly encounter any trouble, feel free to contact me. I can help anytime."
Xuan Yu chimed in, "After I've dealt with my matters, I will return to help you as well."
Hearing Yue Qingning and Xuan Yu's words, Ye Ling couldn't help but smile. "Don't worry, the two of you. I'm not as fragile as you think. Feel free to leave with peace of mind."
"That's good," Xuan Yu nodded slightly. "Then I shall take my leave."
With that, a gust of wind blew, and Xuan Yu dispersed with the wind, leaving the inner universe.
Seeing Xuan Yu depart, Ye Ling turned to Yue Qingning and asked, "By the way, where is Tai Yuan?"
Yue Qingning replied, "He left earlier. However, before he departed, he asked me to convey a message to you, asking you to visit the Chaos Divine Clan when you have time. He said the inheritance there is extremely important to you."
Ye Ling said seriously, "I've noted it. Once the inner realms are stable, I will certainly go."
After this battle, Ye Ling had gained full trust in Tai Yuan and no longer resisted the idea of visiting the Chaos Divine Clan.
Yue Qingning smiled. "Alright, I've delivered the message. I won't linger any longer. Take good care of yourself."
"Take care."
Ye Ling bid a soft farewell, watching Yue Qingning leave.
After Yue Qingning and Xuan Yu had both departed, Ye Ling stretched lazily and glanced at Jiang City, which had changed drastically. He sighed, "This transformation… it's like the world has turned upside down."
During his ten-plus days of slumber, more than half of the skyscrapers in the city had disappeared, and the traffic on the roads had thinned out. In their place… were numerous floating structures.
And among the buildings, there were more cultivators flying on their swords.
The appearance of cultivators from the outer realms had greatly accelerated the progress of Earth's martial arts civilization.
If Ye Ling hadn't known he was awake, he might have thought he had fallen into some bizarre illusion.
"So be it… With the outer realms looming, Earth's evolution towards a cultivation civilization is not necessarily a bad thing."
Ye Ling didn't dwell too much on the changes on Earth. After assigning a clone to the Demon Palace to handle administrative affairs, he headed towards the battlefield where Xuan Xiao had fallen.
There were still matters that needed to be dealt with.
The once serene valley had been razed to the ground. On the desolate land, two graves stood.
One was the grave of the former guardian, "Xuan Xiao," and the other was the grave of Xuan Xiao, the Hall Master of the Shadow Hall and Ye Ling's master.
The former guardian spirit of the valley – the little boy – was standing before the former guardian's grave, gazing at the tombstone in a daze.
Before the other grave, Tian Ling, clad in mourning attire, was sweeping the tomb for Xuan Xiao.
Seeing the little boy and Tian Ling, Ye Ling sighed slightly and walked forward.
Although many major events had occurred these past few days, for the little boy and Tian Ling, they had both lost the most important people in their lives.
Tian Ling turned and saw Ye Ling approaching. She handed Ye Ling the mourning clothes she had prepared earlier and said, "Senior brother, since you're here, please see our master off…"
"Mm."
Ye Ling nodded slightly, accepted the mourning clothes, and put them on without hesitation. He donned a white headband, knelt before Xuan Xiao's tomb, and kowtowed three times.
A master for a day is a father for a lifetime.
No matter what Xuan Xiao had done, he was ultimately Ye Ling's master. He had provided Ye Ling with immense help during his early cultivation.
Ye Ling could not deny this. Now that Xuan Xiao was deceased, all that had happened in his life had passed with the wind, and Ye Ling should fulfill his filial duty.
After paying respects to Xuan Xiao, Ye Ling stood up and asked Tian Ling, "Little Tian Ling, what are your plans for the future?"
Tian Ling looked a bit lost and shook her head. "I… I don't know…"
Now that Xuan Xiao was gone and the Shadow Hall had been destroyed, she was homeless.
Seeing the confusion in Tian Ling's eyes, Ye Ling couldn't help but say, "Why don't you follow your senior brother from now on?"
Tian Ling's eyes lit up briefly, then quickly dimmed. She looked at Ye Ling with some hesitation and asked, "Senior brother, won't you mind me… after all, I previously…"
Ye Ling smiled and gently ruffled Tian Ling's head. "Silly girl, how could senior brother mind you? What happened before was a misunderstanding. As long as you don't blame senior brother."
Hearing Ye Ling's words, Tian Ling's eyes regained their sparkle. Tears welled up in her large eyes, and she choked out, "I… I don't blame senior brother…"
Saying this, Tian Ling threw herself into Ye Ling's arms and burst into tears.
Ye Ling held Tian Ling, smiling gently. He then looked at the little spirit boy standing not far away.
The little boy's situation was even more tragic than Tian Ling's.
The former guardian was its only friend. Now the valley had been destroyed by the battle, and the world was undergoing great changes. If the little boy had no one to protect it, it would eventually be found and devoured by cultivators.
Ye Ling had obtained the domain of the former guardian, "Myriad Worlds Insight," and owed him a debt of gratitude. He naturally wouldn't stand by and watch the little boy become homeless.
"Little one, come here."
Ye Ling beckoned to the little boy and said softly.
A trace of fear still flickered in the little boy's eyes. After a moment of hesitation, it flew before Ye Ling.
Ye Ling also ruffled the little boy's head, then used runes to reshape its body and grant it the ability to speak.
The little boy looked at its materialized hands with surprise and gratitude. "Thank you, sir!"
Ye Ling smiled. "I still don't know your name?"
The little boy replied, "My name is Yun Ga."
"Yun Ga…" Ye Ling murmured softly, then said, "Little Yun Ga, how about you work for my Demon Palace from now on?"
Yun Ga was already worried about having nowhere to go. Now that Ye Ling had extended an olive branch, he was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes! Thank you for taking me in, sir!"
Ye Ling smiled lightly. "I'll teach you some life-saving techniques as well. With the protection of the Demon Palace from now on, you don't need to worry about anything else. Just do your job well."
"Okay!"
Just as Ye Ling was teaching Yun Ga cultivation techniques, a faint cry for help reached his ears.
"Ye Ling… help!"
Hearing the faint plea, Ye Ling's expression changed slightly. "Heavenly Dao?"
The one crying for help…
It was the Earth's Heavenly Dao, which had been missing for a long time!