Wait a minute, where is my master?

Tianxing Taoist and Yan Chu had known each other for many years, and he was very familiar with the teachings of the masters in Qingmu Academy, but he had never seen this new face.

Of course, if that were all, the old Taoist wouldn't have paid much attention to the stranger.

The reason his eyes flickered with deep confusion was that the body of this new face was constructed from wood, stone, gold, and jade, and it emitted an aura of cultivation.

It even faintly originated from the same source as Ji Junqiao beside him.

"Old scholar, this friend here is quite unfamiliar to me, won't you introduce us?"

Tianxing Taoist concealed the doubt in his eyes, first smiled and spoke, then secretly communicated to the Old Dean.

"Old scholar, this person must not be from the Nine Provinces. Why have you brought him in such haste to find my disciple? What's the urgency?"

"Hahahaha, you old coot, your mind sure is meticulous."

The Taoist had not expected that upon hearing his message, Yan Chu would not only fail to reply in secret but instead laugh out loud and clarify directly.

"Grandmaster Ji, he is the master of Jin Xu, known as Tianxing, and has been an old friend of mine for many years,"

The Old Dean first turned aside, gesturing at Tianxing Taoist to introduce him to the new face, then spoke to Tianxing Taoist, whose faith in their friendship had been somewhat shaken: "This person is an incarnation of Grandmaster Ji Ye from the Qingmu Academy in the Upper Realm. Grandmaster Ji has descended to the Lower Realm this time specifically to apologize to Little Jin Xu."

"Apologize?"

Upon hearing this, the Taoist turned his head to look at the incarnation of the Ten-thousand-year-old Heart Calming Willow, and noticed that the other was just as puzzled as he.

Clearly, the Serenity Willow had been hearing all about the major events caused by Jin Xu these past few days and had no knowledge of what had happened in the Mountain and Sea Realm at the time.

"Yes, apologize. Old coot, won't you hurry up and call Little Jin Xu out?"

As he spoke, the Old Dean stepped forward, chuckling as he playfully punched the Taoist's shoulder, then secretly communicated again.

"Previously, the Upper Realm had some misunderstandings about the identity of Little Jin Xu, your disciple. Although they remedied it in time, Ji Ye's unfortunate daughter descended to the Lower Realm on her own and ended up creating a bit of a mess."

"See, although Little Taoist didn't take that incident seriously, the Upper Realm's Taoist School still ordered Grandmaster Ji to properly come over and offer an apology."

"Sigh, if it weren't for my long-ascended master who recently started pursuing a fairy from Ji Ye's line, specifically appointing me to mediate, I wouldn't want to bother with this troublesome matter."

After sending the message, the Old Dean wanted to punch the Taoist's shoulder again as payback for a past grievance but ended up having his hand caught.

Tianxing Taoist secretly exerted strength in his palm until his old friend's face showed a slight twist of pain, then he released his hold with a smiling face.

Having witnessed his beloved disciple's strength, he was now not afraid of troublemakers.

Even if they came from the Upper Realm, even if they represented a large Taoist teaching.

The reason Tianxing Taoist had secretly communicated in advance was simply to protect his old friend, who had known him for many years, from his disciple's "Hand Palm Thunder."

"I am Ji Ye, and today I specifically came to make amends for the trouble caused by my daughter's actions. She has been mischievous, and aside from her spoiled upbringing, I also bear responsibility as her father.

"Since you, Tianxing, are the master of Little Jin Xu, when you meet him shortly, could you perhaps say some good words on my behalf? The misunderstanding caused by my daughter has already been strictly disciplined by me, and once we return to the Nine Provinces this time, I will ensure..."

While the Taoist and the Old Dean were 'playing' around, Ji Ye stepped forward and respectfully began his rehearsed plea to Tianxing Taoist.

However, before he could finish, Tianxing Taoist decisively waved his hand to interrupt.

"Mr. Ji, although I am Little Jin Xu's master, I will not intervene in or interfere with my disciple's decisions.

"Moreover, I was previously deeply trapped and only barely escaped today, and I am truly unaware of the mistaken misunderstanding that occurred between your beloved and my disciple.

"Oh right, Little Jin Xu is not here at the moment, he has gone to the Chaos Space to meet a few friends from a small world who were lost a thousand years ago."

Upon hearing the old Taoist's words, Ji Ye wanted to explain, but Tianxing simply turned around and went back to sit by the stone table.

When Ji Ye looked at the Old Dean again, the latter also helplessly shrugged his shoulders, displaying an expression of being unable to assist.

"Was my demeanor just now a bit too arrogant? Even if I do not interfere with Little Jin Xu's decisions, I should have been more polite in my speech."

Sitting by the stone table, no longer shaded by willow branches, Tianxing Taoist quietly reflected for a moment.

However, within a breath's time, a long-lost smile that had not surfaced since his master ascended curled at the corner of his mouth, and he thought to himself.

"Well, who can blame me when my disciple's strength is now this formidable?"

...

An hour later.

In a strange small world.

Jin Xu was holding a gigantic rhombus-shaped object wrapped in golden spiritual power, standing before a spatial passageway.

"Senior Nan, I have cleared the runes in your Divine Souls that were affecting your memory using the 'Body Purification Skill,' and I have also cleansed those inside the magical artifact who were long affected; you can rest assured and return to the Nine Provinces."

"Thank you, Little Taoist, for your assistance. I, Nan Wubo, have no way to repay you, but in the future, I will..."

Outside the rhombus-shaped artifact, within the golden spiritual power shield, Nan Wubo bowed before the young Taoist to express his gratitude, with a man and a woman standing behind him, also maintaining a respectful bow.