Not long after, Song Yan walked into a mountain cave.
The cave was empty and desolate, not like anyone lived there. Rather, slippery seaweed hung down over jagged rocks, and behind those rocks were one or two pairs of covetous green eyes, clearly belonging to Demon Beasts hiding in the cave.
Song Yan slightly released his aura, and those Demon Beasts dared not approach.
He swept his Divine Sense again and couldn’t help but let out a surprised "huh".
Because, although the jade pendant indicated the aura was indeed here, his Divine Sense did not detect anyone.
This was exceedingly rare.
Song Yan focused a bit more and swept his Divine Sense again.
This time, he felt a sign of "Devouring Divine Sense" beneath his feet.
When he swept his Divine Sense over this spot, the Array Shield would silently devour the arriving Divine Sense and then present the illusion within the Illusion Array to the visitor, making them think that no one was here.
If not for the jade pendant clearly indicating that Black Lotus Elder was here, Song Yan might really have missed it.
He did not strengthen his Divine Sense further but raised the jade pendant, letting it hang on his index finger and sway lightly, then took out a letter, saying, "Black Lotus Elder, I made a deal with your adopted daughter. I saved her life, and in return, she gave me this token and the letter, directing me to find you."
Rustle, rustle...
The jade pendant swung like a pendulum, oscillating back and forth within the quiet, damp, empty cave.
Song Yan let it sway, in no hurry at all.
When the pendant finally stilled, a sense of void suddenly burst forth from beneath the ground.
Finally appearing, it was a dark, sinister elderly man seated on a wheelchair. The old man wore a threadbare robe, and below his waist, it was utterly empty, obviously missing both legs. His bald head was surrounded by a circle of long white hair, and his eyes—like those of a carrion-eating vulture—fixed directly on the jade pendant in Song Yan’s hand, then swept over the handwriting on the letter, abruptly asking in a gruff voice: "What pill do you intend to refine?"
Song Yan said, "Are you the Black Lotus Elder?"
The bald old man said, "I am."
Song Yan said, "I want to refine the Heaven-Damaging Pill."
A subtle, strange glint flashed in Black Lotus Elder’s eyes as he said, "Are you a Demon?"
Song Yan said, "I am not."
Black Lotus Elder’s eyes grew colder, and he said, "You don’t look like one either!"
As his words fell, he suddenly moved his hand slightly, and a long spear composed of the Power of Thought, burning with a mysterious Black Flame, materialized.
Song Yan could tell at a glance that this Black Lotus Elder’s power was merely at the Late Stage of Purple Mansion, but the power contained within that mysterious Black Flame was more terrifying than the "Celestial Thunder Fire" he utilized in the Ancient Forest of the Barbaric Land with the help of Celestial Thunder, not just a bit more terrifying, but many times more so.
This eerie Black Flame could at least kill a Divine Infant at the Middle Stage, and if it encountered the weak point of one at the Late Stage, it could kill it too!
At this moment, the mysterious Black Flame burned silently, with floral patterns flowing between the flames, revealing vaguely graceful petal arcs.
Black Lotus Elder sneered, "Which Celestial Demon is trying to deceive me this time? Those monsters need the Heaven-Damaging Pill for Body Forging to access the Ancient Tomb! Old man won’t be fooled again!"
He glanced disdainfully at the jade pendant on Song Yan’s fingertip and snorted coldly, "What adopted daughter? In my roaming days, indulging in luxury and worldliness, never mind an adopted daughter, even wives and concubines—I’ve had countless, not to mention children! Everyone got such a pendant."
Just as he finished speaking, a streak of rainbow light flew into the cave from not far away, landing beside Song Yan.
Han Cai’Er blinked her eyes, looking at the elderly man in the wheelchair in the distance, and shouted joyfully and surprisingly, "Adoptive father, what happened to your legs?"
Black Lotus Elder: ...
Song Yan: ...
Han Cai’Er added, "Do you really have other adopted daughters, wives, and concubines? How could they be so heartless when you’re like this and not come to take care of you?"
Black Lotus Elder: ...
Song Yan said, "Cai’Er, your adoptive father is pretending to bluff me, fearing I’ll use you as leverage."
Black Lotus Elder harshly retorted, "Who’s bluffing you!"
Saying so, he looked at Han Cai’Er, slightly frowning as if trying to recognize her, then revealing a lecherous look, he chuckled sinisterly, "You... what were you again? Oh, Fairy Lei, right? Hehehe, since we parted that year, I haven’t been able to forget you!"
Han Cai’Er stomped and said, "Adoptive father, Brother Jian is not a bad person, so please don’t act like this!"
Black Lotus Elder: ...
He suddenly became grim-faced, cursing angrily, "Fool! Fool! Cultivated for so many years, yet still a fool!"
After cursing, he sighed, then remotely raised the Black Flame Long Spear, aiming it at Song Yan, and said, "You have some skills."
Song Yan smiled innocently.
Black Lotus Elder said, "But since you’re seeking my help, I must see Cai’Er, is that fair?"
Song Yan said, "I have never restrained Cai’Er."
Black Lotus Elder waved his hand.
Han Cai’Er ran over.
Black Lotus Elder swiftly grasped her wrist and then transformed into black smoke, disappearing on the spot, sinking into the ground.
And underground, it was long filled with various deadly arrays, with strange Black Lotuses blooming upon them.
Seeing this place and time, Han Cai’Er was dumbfounded, "Adoptive father, what are you doing?"
Black Lotus Elder said, "Cai’Er, what exactly happened, tell me everything step by step."
Han Cai’Er nodded, recounting her years of experiences, from training outside, being recognized as an exceptional commodity by Fubao Studio Pavilion Master, pretending to be crazy and foolish, secretly finding a chance to release tasks, to enduring over the years, finally obtaining a chance to escape.
After speaking, she added, "That Brother Jian helped me, and he’s truly a good person, a real gentleman."
Black Lotus Elder sneered, "A true gentleman? You’ve been enchanted!
You endured over a decade, and surviving a desperate situation, your mindset has become much stronger than before, so how could you easily fall for someone else?
As for him not touching you, it’s simply because he isn’t interested in your Blood Essence Body!