Chapter 609 Inspection

Inside the main hall of Xingyun Pavilion, the gilded candlesticks flickered with a warm yellow glow, illuminating the entire hall with a golden and magnificent look.

The dome is decorated with precious cloud-patterned brocade, embroidered with mysterious runes and star patterns, emitting a faint glow, as if bringing the vast starry sky into the hall.

Xiao Ling, Yao Chen, Mu Qingluan and Feng Xian sat around the carved round table in the center of the main hall, on which were placed exquisite tea sets and delicacies.

Mu Qingluan's eyes were smiling as she enthusiastically told Feng Xian about the interesting things that happened along the way, and her clear laughter could be heard from time to time.

Yao Chen stroked his chin gently, a gentle smile on his lips, and occasionally made a teasing remark.

Xiao Ling leaned back in his chair, looking at Mu Qingluan who was talking with great interest, and interjected a few words from time to time.

But at this moment, Yao Chen and Xiao Ling, who had been interjecting from time to time, seemed to have sensed something at the same time. They stopped what they were doing at the same time, their faces changed slightly, and they looked towards the direction outside the hall almost at the same time.

Mu Qingluan and Feng Xian, who were talking at the side, were interrupted by this sudden change. They were stunned at first, and then stopped talking. Feng Xian frowned slightly, and a trace of doubt flashed in his eyes.

Mu Qingluan opened her bright eyes and looked at Yao Chen, then at Xiao Ling, full of confusion. She cast curious glances at the two of them at the same time, secretly wondering what had happened to make the perceptive Yao Chen and Xiao Ling behave so abnormally.

Yao Chen and Xiao Ling were acting so abnormally, they naturally had some sense of it. With their super-sensitive perception, they had already sensed two familiar auras, flying towards the main hall of Xingyun Pavilion at a leisurely speed.

The two figures were none other than Xiao Yixian and Qinglin, who had just escaped from the ancient sky snake ruins and were on their way back to Xingyun Pavilion.

It was a coincidence that Xiao Ling and Mu Qingluan had just stepped into the Xingyun Pavilion when Xiao Yixian and Qinglin returned. However, the two groups returned in opposite directions. Otherwise, given their travel time and routes, they would have met halfway, and the coincidence of returning one after the other would have been avoided.

Under the gazes of the four people, the carved door of the palace slowly opened, making a slight creaking sound.
A figure, wrapped in a sharp sword shadow, appeared in everyone's sight.

The person on the left is dressed in a green robe, the sleeves of which flutter gently in the wind, and there is a hint of agility between his eyebrows and eyes; the person on the right is wearing a plain white gown with delicate patterns embroidered on the hem, and he looks cool and elegant.

The two figures came gracefully, and they were Xiao Yixiang and Qinglin.

Facing the gazes of the four people in the hall, the two women remained calm and did not feel surprised at all. Xiao Ling and the others also deliberately did not restrain their aura. When Xiao Yixian and Qing Lin stepped into the area around the hall, they sensed the presence of Yao Chen, Xiao Ling and the others with their keen perception.

As they stepped into the hall, Xiao Yixiang and Qing Lin's originally cold faces were instantly filled with warmth, and a smile from the heart blossomed between their brows and eyes.

The fatigue from the long journey disappeared like smoke the moment he saw the familiar figure. The thrills he experienced in the ancient ruins and the worries about suppressing the soul of the ancient sky snake were all thrown behind him at this moment.

The two men first nodded respectfully to the two elders, Yao Chen and Feng Xian, and a clear greeting rang out in the hall: "Elder Yao, Elder Feng."

After she finished speaking, she gracefully bowed and saluted, with Qinglin's green sleeves and Xiao Yixian's white skirt swaying gently.

Yao Chen stroked his chin lightly, his eyebrows curved into crescents, and his hearty laughter shook the green smoke in the gilded incense burner: "Haha, what a coincidence! Xiao Ling and the others just came back not long ago, and you two girls also arrived on time. Come and sit down!"

Feng Xian, who was standing by, was also smiling. He waved at the two of them with a kind look in his eyes, full of concern and joy. The atmosphere in the main hall instantly became more lively.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yixiang and Qinglin smiled even more and walked towards the round table with light steps.

Coincidentally, the two carved chairs beside Xiao Ling were empty. The two girls looked at each other and sat on both sides of Xiao Ling tacitly without saying a word.

Xiao Ling's eyes swept over Xiao Yixian and Qing Lin, a hint of concern flashed in his eyes, and then he said:
"I heard Yao Lao mention it before. You are going out to explore the ruins related to the ancient sky snake. According to the description on the map, the ruins are full of dangers. Did you encounter any danger this time? What did you gain?"

The Little Medical Fairy gently slid a strand of silver hair from her forehead to the back of her ear, a sly smile curved up at the corners of her eyes, and she parted her red lips and teased, "Are you too worried? With my current level of cultivation, I am just exploring an ancient relic. Is there really a situation that I can't handle?"

Qinglin's eyebrows curved, her emerald eyes full of admiration, she nodded vigorously and agreed: "Yeah, Sister Xiao Yixian is really amazing! I didn't even have to do anything this time, she solved all the tricky problems along the way!"

Xiao Ling smiled helplessly, with a hint of ridicule in his eyes: "Okay, okay, I'm worrying about nothing. It's best if nothing happens. I was just asking casually."

He changed the subject and looked at the two of them with interest, his tone showing a hint of curiosity:

"But judging from your appearance, you must have made a great harvest this time, right? Tell me quickly, what incredible treasure did you find?"

Qinglin smiled, and his clear voice echoed in the hall: "We did collect some natural treasures. Although they are precious, they are not rare considering our Xingyun Pavilion and the young master's current family background. However, the biggest gain this time is that we have tamed a lot of high-level snake monsters, many of which are species that have long been extinct in the outside world. It is really a rare opportunity."

When she said this, her eyes sparkled with excitement, her emerald green eyes sparkled, and she was obviously quite satisfied with this harvest.

Yao Chen tapped the table rhythmically with his fingers, and said jokingly with a smile: "After all, these are the remains of an ancient celestial snake. It's not surprising that there are some snake-like monsters hidden inside. This is a good opportunity for you, a girl with the Green Snake Tricolor Pupil."

However, as soon as he finished speaking, his expression suddenly became serious. He stared at Qing Lin with a sharp gaze and said in a deep voice, "But my dear disciple, since you stepped into the hall, I have noticed that there is a special soul fluctuation lingering around you. Although it didn't make much noise, it exudes a violent aura. This is obviously not your own aura. What happened?"

As soon as Yao Chen finished speaking, the originally relaxed atmosphere in the hall froze in an instant.

Mu Qingluan and Feng Xian looked at each other with confusion in their eyes, and they both turned their gaze to Qinglin, trying to find the answer from her face.

Xiao Ling raised his eyebrows slightly, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the cup. As early as when Xiao Yixian and Qing Lin stepped into the palace, he had sensed the violent aura lingering around Qing Lin with his keen soul perception, but before he could ask, Yao Chen had already asked first.

Facing the gazes of the crowd, Qing Lin looked calm, with a faint smile on his face, and said in a relaxed tone:
"As expected, nothing can be hidden from your perception, Master. But you don't need to worry too much, this is not a serious matter. I was going to bring it up, but you asked it first."

Qing Lin said no more, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the silver snake-shaped ornament on his wrist, and he spoke calmly:

"This time in the depths of the ruins, I was careless for a moment, and a remnant of the ancient sky snake's soul penetrated my body. Fortunately, it was only its soul body left, and it was temporarily suppressed by my Green Snake Three Flower Pupils."

She paused, her green eyes glowing with light.
"Although I haven't been able to completely control the soul of the ancient sky snake, I can rely on the ability of the Green Snake Three Flower Pupils to barely drive it to fight. It's just that every time I activate it, it consumes a lot of energy, and I can't get rid of it from my body." "So that's it, it's the soul of the ancient sky snake that's causing trouble?" Yao Chen rubbed his chin with his palm, his brows furrowed deeply, and his pupils were filled with a tiny gleam of thought. "But don't worry too much, this kind of existence has fallen for a long time, and even if the remaining spirit body is far from comparable to its peak."

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly looked up at Xiao Ling and tapped the sandalwood table with his fingers, causing ripples to appear in the tea in the cup.
"Qinglin, leave this matter to Xiao Ling. With his current attainments in spiritual power, he has mastered the mysterious talisman techniques that are more sophisticated than mine. I think he should be able to find a cure and completely eliminate this hidden danger."

As soon as Yao Chen finished speaking, Xiao Ling nodded slightly, his long hair swaying slightly with his movements, his eyes showing calmness and determination: "What Yao Lao said is absolutely right. Qinglin, although you have temporarily suppressed the residual soul of the ancient sky snake with the help of the three-flower pupil of the green snake, and even driven it to fight, this power is ultimately a foreign body outside the body."

"Soul possession is like adding fuel to a fire. If you are not careful, you will end up burning yourself. When you are free, I will help you take a closer look at the situation and then make a plan to deal with it. I think it shouldn't be too troublesome."

Qing Lin's eyebrows curved, trust and smile flowed in his green eyes, and he replied crisply: "Okay, then I'll trouble the young master to help Qing Lin check it out!"

This arrangement was Qinglin's original plan for her return. With Xiao Ling's help, she believed in Xiao Ling's ability to solve all hidden dangers for her.

Xiao Ling smiled, and gently rubbed Qinglin's head with his bony hands. The green hair accessories in his hair swayed with his movements: "We are a family, why do we need to say such polite words?"

The warm palms carry a familiar temperature, and the movements are natural and intimate.

A familiar warmth spread from the top of his head to his heart. Qing Lin's original uneasiness caused by the hidden danger of the remnant soul quietly dissipated under the caress of Xiao Ling's palm.

The green hair accessories in her hair trembled slightly with her movements, reflecting the flickering candlelight in the hall, as if her mood was rippling yet calm at the moment.

As long as Xiao Ling is by her side, no matter how great the crisis ahead is, this small world is enough to make her feel at ease.

Everyone chatted casually about their experiences during the journey. Seeing that it was getting dark, Yao Chen and Feng Xian did not stay any longer.

After all, Xiao Yixian and the other three had returned from a long journey, and they were exhausted, so they really needed to have a good rest.

All matters that needed to be explained had been explained, and there was nothing more important to discuss. The two elders smiled at each other and did not try to keep him.

The four of them stood up and said goodbye. When they stepped out of the hall, the moon had already risen and the sun had set. The night wind blew in the fragrance of grass and trees.

After Xiao Ling and Mu Qingluan said goodbye, they led Xiao Yixian and Qinglin familiarly towards Lingyue Peak. The figures of the three of them walking side by side were lengthened by the moonlight, revealing an indescribable intimacy and harmony.

On the other hand, Mu Qingluan looked at the three people's receding backs, her lips curled slightly, full of indignation but helpless. She could only wrap her cloak tightly and walk alone towards her residence in Xingyun Pavilion.

……

When Xiao Ling and his group returned to Lingyue Peak, it was already dusk.

The evening breeze in the mountains, wrapped in the fragrance of grass and trees, passes over the wind chimes on the eaves, making crisp sounds.

Xiao Ling knew that there was no time to lose, so he turned to look at Qinglin, his eyes full of concern and seriousness: "Qinglin, let's go check the ancient sky snake remnant soul in your body. The sooner we solve it, the less worries we will have."

The little medical fairy beside him was slightly startled when she heard this.

After being apart from Xiao Ling for many days, she had accumulated a lot of words of longing in her heart, but at this moment, she just bit her lower lip lightly. A trace of helplessness flashed in her eyes, but she soon returned to normal.

She has always been an insightful person, and naturally understood that this matter concerns Qinglin's safety and cannot be delayed at all.

"Then you guys go ahead and get busy. I'm a little tired after these days of traveling, so I'll go and rest first." The little doctor raised a gentle smile, raised her hand to tidy up the silver hair on her temples, and said in a light tone,
"Qinglin, you can rest assured that Xiao Ling is here. The matter of the soul body will definitely be properly handled."

As she spoke, she waved to the two of them, and walked towards the wing room with light lotus steps.

Looking at the receding back of the Little Medical Fairy, Xiao Ling felt a little guilty, but he also knew that the most urgent task was to solve Qing Lin's problem.

He withdrew his gaze and took Qinglin to a quiet training room in the courtyard.

Stepping into the quiet room, the air was filled with sandalwood. Xiao Ling closed the carved wooden door with his backhand to isolate himself from the outside world.

Qinglin was already sitting cross-legged on the cushion, his emerald eyes were as calm as water, and the silver ornaments in his hair swayed slightly with his movements.

Xiao Ling sat down opposite her, staring at Qing Lin with burning eyes, and went straight to the point: "Qing Lin, does the soul of this ancient sky snake continue to reside in your body make you feel uncomfortable?"

Qinglin lowered his eyes and thought for a moment, his long eyelashes casting a butterfly-like shadow under his eyes: "Normally it's not a big deal, but I can feel it occasionally."

She raised her hand and gently pressed her back, her expression slightly strange, "This soul force should be entrenched in my back. Whenever I circulate my fighting spirit, I feel something special here, but the impact is not that great."

"Gathered on your back?" Xiao Ling frowned slightly, a solemn look in his eyes, and his bony fingers tapped his knees unconsciously. After a moment's silence, he said in a deep voice, "Then take off your clothes first, so I can see what's going on.

As soon as Xiao Ling finished speaking, Qing Lin nodded in response and deftly untied the tie at his collar with his fingertips.

The buttons with silver snake patterns fell gently to the ground, making a slight sound that mixed with the crackling sound of the candlelight, and was particularly clear in the quiet room.

She slowly pulled her shirt down to her shoulders, revealing her entire back.

When Qinglin's back was fully revealed in front of Xiao Ling, his expression suddenly froze, his eyes fixed on the pattern on Qinglin's back, and he was slightly dazed for a moment.

(End of this chapter)