The constant crying was Ye Tiancheng's way of expressing his heartache. No matter how much time passed, he still couldn't accept that his once best companion, the great green snake, had sacrificed itself.
This heroic great green snake shouldn't have just vanished into thin air. It felt unfair. How could such a powerful divine beast be gone so suddenly?
"Master, please take care of yourself."
If Lin Xue weren't naturally cold, seeing Ye Tiancheng like this, she might have burst into tears herself. It was simply too heartbreaking. A heavy atmosphere settled between the master and disciple.
"Master, look, those green light spots seem to be gathering together."
Suddenly, Lin Xue noticed something peculiar and quickly urged Ye Tiancheng to look. Ye Tiancheng saw that the countless green light spots were indeed converging in one direction, right in front of him.
As if by design, the light spots coalesced into a large green mass, which then transformed into something like a pill and landed in Ye Tiancheng's palm.
Ye Tiancheng gazed at the pill-like object, which was clearly more than just a simple pill, resting quietly in his palm, and fell into deep thought.
"What's going on?"
"Master, I've read about this in books. If I remember correctly, this is a snake's core."
Hearing this, Ye Tiancheng immediately recalled. He had seen before that every snake had an inner core, though some were not potent enough to be useful.
However, most were quite powerful, especially a great green snake that had cultivated for over a thousand years. Its inner core could be considered a priceless treasure.
"The great green snake didn't just repair the pure land; it seems it also left this inner core for me. But it didn't say anything in its parting words. What is the purpose of this inner core?"
After speaking, Ye Tiancheng quickly realized that the inner core was not left in vain. The great green snake had its intentions. Lin Xue also had a realization.
"Master, I understand. Although the great green snake never appeared, it was always within your consciousness. The great green snake must have known what happened, which is why it intentionally left this inner core. It's likely meant to save our junior sister."
The master and disciple shared the same thought. Their biggest challenge now was Ye Tiancheng's daughter, who was being invaded by dark energy.
Although Ye Qingcheng was different from ordinary children, possessing innate true qi that constantly surrounded her, she was too young and her foundation was unstable. Someone who hadn't cultivated couldn't digest true qi. At this moment, her own innate qi was of no help. Under the influence of the dark energy, she might not be able to grow normally, or worse, she could transform into a terrifying, deformed monstrosity.
"Alright, since this is the great green snake's wish, let's give this snake core to Qingcheng to consume."
Ye Tiancheng felt immense pain, but he also thought that perhaps this was another fated encounter arranged by heaven.
Once she consumed the inner core, it would become one with Ye Qingcheng.
For Ye Tiancheng, this was at least some comfort. At least the great green snake hadn't completely left him but would remain by his side in another form.
Ye Tiancheng and Lin Xue quickly returned to the small hut and then used their spiritual energy to give the inner core to his daughter, Ye Qingcheng.
After the child consumed the great green snake's inner core, her entire body radiated dense true qi. On the surface, there seemed to be no abnormality, but when Ye Tiancheng used his true qi to probe, he was astonished to find that the dark energy within Ye Qingcheng had completely vanished, not even a trace remained.
"That's wonderful! My daughter is alright. Heaven has blessed us. Of course, my deepest gratitude goes to the great green snake for sacrificing itself to protect the safety of this pure land and to save my daughter."
Ye Tiancheng's eyes welled up with tears again. He felt that the more experiences he went through, the more fragile his heart became. Even a small matter could cause significant emotional fluctuations.
"Master, it seems this is the result of your good deeds. Because you have done so much good, even heaven is on your side. With heaven helping you, no one can harm you."
Amidst the somber atmosphere, there was finally a piece of good news. When Hou Mingzhu heard this, she cried uncontrollably. She treated Ye Qingcheng as her own life, and if anything were to happen to her, Hou Mingzhu couldn't imagine living on alone.
Now that her daughter was safe, Hou Mingzhu, for the first time, ate two bowls of rice at dinner that evening, astonishing everyone present.
"I can't drink alcohol recently, so I'll toast everyone with tea. Thank you all for your efforts in looking after my daughter for so long. Fortunately, everything is fine now, and this is the best outcome."
Everyone else also raised their tea cups in agreement with Hou Mingzhu. Only Ye Tiancheng paid close attention to her words.
"Why can't you drink alcohol? Is there something wrong with your health?"
"It's nothing. I'm taking some medication to regulate my emotions. The doctor said I can't drink alcohol, and my health isn't great, so I decided to follow the doctor's advice."
Ye Tiancheng didn't say any more, as he had already decided that no matter what discomfort Hou Mingzhu experienced, he could use his true qi to help her recover.
However, he couldn't do it now. The main reason was that Ye Tiancheng's physical strength was completely depleted. He would need at least one night of rest to be ready by the next morning.
But Hou Mingzhu was anxious to leave. After dinner, she expressed her intention to depart.
Hou Mingzhu found Ye Tiancheng privately. Previously, she felt that this child had no connection to Ye Tiancheng, and perhaps her bad mood made it difficult for the father to even see his daughter. However, after this incident, Hou Mingzhu understood a truth.
Blood is thicker than water. Even if Hou Mingzhu was heartless, the bond between parent and child could never be severed. If Hou Mingzhu insisted on separating the father and daughter forever, it would be going against the natural order.
When Hou Mingzhu expressed her desire to leave immediately, Ye Tiancheng felt a void in his heart again. This reunion with his daughter was too short; he had been worried about her safety the entire time, which had put him in a terrible mood.
Finally, when he was starting to feel a bit better, he was told that his daughter would be taken away by Hou Mingzhu. Ye Tiancheng was very displeased. Coupled with the myriad of emotions he was experiencing today, he had a little too much to drink.
Under the influence of alcohol, Ye Tiancheng finally mustered the courage to speak, "The dark energy in the child has been cleared. However, staying here for a few more days would be beneficial for her. This pure land is a place many cultivators dream of reaching. It's very good for one's mind and body."
"I know this is a good place, but the child has already adapted to the environment abroad. Moreover, I worry that the current environment may not be entirely good for her mind and body. Perhaps changing to a different place would be beneficial for everyone."
It seemed Hou Mingzhu was determined to take the child away. No matter how reluctant Ye Tiancheng was, he knew he couldn't change Hou Mingzhu's mind. Her inherent nature was unyielding; she wouldn't easily be persuaded by others.
"It's too late. Perhaps we can leave early tomorrow morning."
Even if it was only for one night of companionship, Ye Tiancheng, as a father, felt content. Although he wished for more time, sometimes things don't go as planned.
"No need to trouble yourself. Ye Tiancheng, thank you especially this time, but I've already arranged it. The RV to pick us up is on its way and should arrive within an hour. I think you should spend this time holding your daughter more."
Compared to their previous estrangement, things had indeed improved significantly. However, if this child were not Ye Tiancheng's, but that of an ordinary person, such a situation would never arise. The dark energy all over her body indicated that this child was destined for a life different from ordinary people, likely facing more hardships.
"Alright, Mingzhu. Since you've made up your mind, I won't try to persuade you. I don't want to make things difficult for you. How about this, I'll go and see the child. Otherwise, I'll always be worried."
Hou Mingzhu nodded without speaking.
This was supposed to be a small moment between father and daughter, and it should have been given to them.
Ye Tiancheng quickly went to his daughter's room. The child was already asleep. Lin Xue had just left after checking on her. He saw a little infant lying in the cradle, surrounded by a layer of spiritual energy.
This must have been Lin Xue's doing. This way, there would be no need for a nanny. With the protection of this spiritual energy layer, the child would surely be safe.
"Daughter, it's Dad's fault. At first, I thought you were luckier than all other children. You are my daughter, born with true qi, a cultivator rarely seen in a century. Later, I realized I was wrong. Being my daughter brought no benefits. Why should you endure all this at such a young age? Dad feels terrible."
The child woke up and smiled at Ye Tiancheng, seemingly expressing her affection for her father. However, Ye Tiancheng couldn't feel happy at all. He had so many things on his mind, a thousand words he didn't know where to begin!
After a few minutes of silence, Ye Tiancheng picked up the child. The moment he held her, it felt as if he were holding his entire world. The child's body was so soft, like a little worm, making Ye Tiancheng's heart melt.
"Daughter, you are truly beautiful. Fortunately, you look more like your mother. Although everyone says you look like me, little Qingcheng, I know your features are more like your mother's. It's good this way. I'm a big man; if you looked like me, it wouldn't be beneficial."
Ye Tiancheng felt as if he were wasting time if he didn't say something, so he uttered some nonsensical words.
"Forget it. It seems you won't understand if I say things that are too complicated. Then let me tell you about the great green snake."
The great green snake had sacrificed itself for his daughter and to save all living beings in the pure land. Even if Ye Tiancheng didn't mention the great green snake constantly, he always held it in his heart with respect.
The reason he brought up the great green snake in front of his daughter was that he considered the great green snake his benefactor. A person must be good to their parents and benefactors. If they couldn't even do that, they were unworthy of being a person of integrity.
"The great green snake guarded the peace of the entire mountain with the mountain god. It was by chance that I encountered the great green snake. I wanted to create a unique dessert, which led to the great green snake's tranquility..."
Ye Tiancheng's memories opened up like a floodgate. It seemed like a very long story, but Ye Tiancheng wanted to tell it to his daughter.