"Reconsider Heavenly Pavilion!"
At these words, Yan You'er's delicate body trembled slightly. Without daring to hesitate further, she directly retrieved the soul from Zhu Youfu's palm and respectfully replied, "Your subordinate will not disappoint you!"
She had barely managed to pull the Heavenly Pavilion back from the brink of destruction; how could she let it perish over such a trivial matter?
"Very good!"
Ye Ming looked at her, his tone softening slightly, and continued, "You know my identity. Some things, I believe you should understand without me needing to say them explicitly."
His current appearance was naturally not his true face.
Otherwise, Zhu Youfu and Li Hai would have recognized him long ago.
"Yes!"
Yan You'er nodded heavily, understanding the unspoken meaning of his words.
"Take this!"
Ye Ming waved his hand, and a spatial transmission stone floated before Yan You'er. He said calmly, "Contact me with this if anything comes up."
Yan You'er accepted the transmission stone and asked, "Young Master, what are your plans next?"
The Mad Saber Sect was now only a name, and though it still had some foundations in the Outer Lands, with Li Hai's death, the sect was ripe for the picking by various factions.
Furthermore, with Yan You'er now controlling Zhu Youfu's soul, the Cloud Pavilion Merchant Association was essentially under the Heavenly Pavilion's sway.
Thus, in a single day, the three once prominent forces were reduced to one, naturally elevating the Heavenly Pavilion's status.
It was no exaggeration to say that once the Heavenly Pavilion fully integrated the remnants of the Mad Saber Sect and the Cloud Pavilion Merchant Association, they would become the strongest force beneath the Eight Great Sects.
In a sense, the Heavenly Pavilion had turned misfortune into a blessing.
"For the time being, closely monitor the movements of the various forces in the Outer Lands and report to me at any time." Ye Ming pondered for a moment, connecting the recent events in his mind. His voice deepened slightly, "Remember, my identity must not be exposed, do you understand?"
"Yes!"
Yan You'er clenched her fists slightly, a cold glint flashing in her beautiful eyes. She knew that this matter was not as simple as it appeared.
For now, everyone from the Heavenly Pavilion who had come out knew of Ye Ming's identity.
It was impossible to guarantee that no leaks would occur.
Moreover, her position as the new Pavilion Master was essentially propped up by Ye Ming's subtle pressure. Here, the Heavenly Pavilion members dared not object, but who could say for sure once they left?
After all, she was not the only successor in the Heavenly Pavilion's lineage.
There were too many variables.
Therefore, fulfilling Ye Ming's instructions would present Yan You'er with considerable challenges. Fortunately, now that she controlled Zhu Youfu's soul, this external aid would help her resolve many troubles.
But this required her to be ruthless.
"You earned this position yourself. I hope your abilities match it." Ye Ming stepped forward and patted her shoulder, saying calmly, "When we meet next time, do not disappoint me!"
"I will absolutely not disappoint you!"
Yan You'er knelt on one knee, her resolve solidifying at that moment. She had chosen her path, and she would forge ahead, no matter how thorny the road ahead.
"Good! Before I leave, I have a small gift for you!"
Ye Ming extended a finger and touched her forehead. A stream of information flooded into Yan You'er's mind.
It was a complete cultivation technique.
"This..."
After a cursory glance at the information, Yan You'er's delicate body trembled violently. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at Ye Ming, too overwhelmed with emotion to speak.
Zhu Youfu, kneeling beside them, though unaware of the specifics, could vaguely sense something from Yan You'er's expression.
This made him feel a touch of envy.
"Go!"
Ye Ming waved his hand with a smile. There was nothing more to say.
"Thank you!"
Yan You'er stood up and bowed deeply to Ye Ming.
This bow was purely personal.
No one understood better than she the immense value of the cultivation technique Ye Ming had bestowed upon her. It was on an entirely different level from what she had been cultivating.
She believed that with this technique, she would soon be able to touch the threshold of the Innate realm, or even break through it.
"This subordinate takes my leave!"
Zhu Youfu, with heavy and complex emotions, followed Yan You'er out.
Although on the surface Zhu Youfu had lost nothing from this outing, he knew better than anyone that from this day forward, the Cloud Pavilion Merchant Association would have new masters.
Two of them, at that.
A few minutes later, Ye Ming was the only one left in the sky. He clasped his hands behind his back and paced back and forth in the void, his thoughts racing as he processed the day's unexpected gains.
He had originally come here simply because he sensed that Bai Qiushui's soul had recovered and was about to condense a physical body to be reborn.
However, he had not expected to become entangled with three forces from the Outer Lands in the process.
Now, the Heavenly Pavilion had become his sword, and he had truly established a foothold in the Outer Lands.
This was an immense gain.
In addition, Ye Ming placed great importance on Yan You'er.
Saint-grade Origin Force!
Once she matured, she would be no weaker than Fang Junxue and the others.
It was for this reason that Ye Ming had employed a combination of authority and kindness in the final moments, bestowing upon her a cultivation technique.
As for Zhu Youfu, Ye Ming had his own reasons for not seizing his soul.
Ultimately, handing him over to Yan You'er was primarily to help her clear some obstacles.
He understood some things, and Yan You'er understood them too.
Therefore, Yan You'er's final deep bow was partly due to the cultivation technique, and partly due to the soul of Zhu Youfu.
Compared to him controlling Zhu Youfu, Zhu Youfu would be of greater use to Yan You'er.
"The Outer Lands, I will enter sooner or later!"
Ye Ming murmured, a peculiar starlight flickering in his eyes.
Yes!
Those inside wished to get out.
And he intended to go in.
Only he knew his purpose for entering.
And that time would be a year from now.
Having sorted through his thoughts, Ye Ming's pupils regained their clarity. With a light tap of his foot, his figure appeared on the giant lotus.
Boom!
A low hum echoed. The bud, enveloped in infinite vitality, now bore several faint cracks. From these cracks, a powerful life force could be clearly felt.
As the aura permeated the air, even the surrounding animals were drawn by its scent. They kept their distance, bowing their heads as if to welcome something.
Howl! Howl!
Following this, a pack of dark figures darted out from the forest. Each of them had sapphire-blue eyes and sharp claws, leaping and frolicking around the lake.
They seemed excited.
Among them, the leading wolf king, as if sensing something, raised its head. A familiar figure appeared in its vision.
"Howl!"
With a long howl, tears welled up in the wolf king's eyes.