Chapter 1235 You Are Back

Liu Yang picked up the flame shield again. The shield felt heavy in his hand, and the flame runes on its surface lit up instantly after being infused with spiritual power, forming a blazing flame barrier. "This is a high-grade spiritual artifact, the 'Blazing Flame Shield,' capable of withstanding a full-force attack from a late-stage Golden Core cultivator. It's perfect for defense." He put the shield into his storage bag and then looked at the top-grade spirit stones and herbs.

Top-grade spirit stones are the hard currency of the cultivation world. They can not only quickly restore spiritual power, but also be used to set up high-level formations. Hundreds of top-grade spirit stones are enough for him to cultivate to the peak of the late Golden Core stage. Thousand-year-old spirit herbs are the main ingredients for refining high-level pills, especially the "Thousand-Year Snow Lotus". When combined with Ice and Fire Lotus Seeds, they can be used to refine the "Ice and Fire Marrow Cleansing Pill", which completely transforms the physique and increases the cultivation speed.

Besides these resources, Liu Yang also found a light blue jade slip at the bottom of the resource pile. He pressed the jade slip to his forehead, and a surge of information flooded his mind—this was a treasure map left by the Ice and Fire Hermit, marking several secret realms he had discovered during his travels in the cultivation world. One of these secret realms contained fragments of the "Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Pearl." If he could collect all the fragments, he might be able to reforge the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Pearl.

"I didn't expect such an unexpected gain!" Liu Yang was overjoyed. Although reforging the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Pearl was extremely difficult, at least he had a goal. He memorized the treasure map and then began to organize his resources: he categorized the top-grade spirit stones and herbs and put them into his storage bag, and stored several unused magic treasures separately—although these magic treasures were not very useful to him, they would be good choices to give to Su Qingyao or to trade with other cultivators.

Su Qingyao also helped out, tidying up the mid-grade spirit stones and low-grade spirit herbs, her face full of excitement. Before, she was just a cultivator from a declining family, lacking cultivation resources. Now, following Liu Yang, she not only obtained high-grade spirit artifacts but also had access to so many top-quality resources, something she never dared to dream of before.

Half an hour later, the resources in the secret chamber were finally organized. Liu Yang's storage bag was stuffed full, and Su Qingyao's storage bag was also filled with a lot of resources suitable for her. The two walked out of the secret chamber and looked at the empty core area, both filled with a sense of accomplishment—this trip to the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Prison had not only allowed them to break through their realm, but also obtain a complete inheritance and a massive amount of resources, far exceeding their expectations.

"Master, shouldn't we leave here now?" Su Qingyao asked. She could sense that as the inheritance was taken away, the spiritual energy of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Prison began to become chaotic, and the surrounding rock walls were constantly falling rocks, as if they might collapse at any moment.

Liu Yang nodded, his gaze sweeping over the core area: "Check again to see if anything is missing." He carefully inspected the stone platform, the secret chamber, and the passageway, and only after confirming that nothing was missing did he say to Su Qingyao: "Let's go, let's return to Qingyang City."

The two followed their previous route towards the exit. Along the way, the ice-armored bears, fire lions, and other demonic beasts they had encountered earlier were nowhere to be seen, clearly having sensed the changes in the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Prison and gone into hiding. Without encountering any obstacles, they quickly arrived at the barrier at the entrance.

Liu Yang took out the Ice Thunder Token and infused it with a wisp of spiritual power. The runes on the restriction instantly lit up, and the previously closed stone door slowly opened, revealing a passage leading to the underground of Qingyang City. The air inside the passage was somewhat murky, but the voices coming from above could be clearly heard—obviously, order had been restored in Qingyang City.

"Finally, we're going back." Su Qingyao looked up at the passageway above, a hint of emotion on her face. She had never imagined that she would survive the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Prison and gain so many opportunities.

Liu Yang patted her on the shoulder: "After you go back, the situation in Qingyang City should have stabilized. Find a place to cultivate in seclusion and use the resources you gained this time to break through to the Golden Core stage. This will give you more power to protect yourself in the cultivation world in the future."

Su Qingyao felt a warmth in her heart and nodded vigorously: "Thank you for your concern, Master. I will definitely break through as soon as possible!"

Without further delay, the two walked upwards along the passage. The moment the stone door at the end of the passage was pushed open, sunlight streamed in, causing both of them to squint. Pedestrians came and went on the streets of Qingyang City, the cries of vendors and the conversations of cultivators filled the air—a bustling scene. Clearly, the Li family had completely taken control of Qingyang City, and order had been restored.

Just then, a familiar figure strode over; it was Li Shan, an elder of the Li family. Upon seeing Liu Yang, Li Shan immediately smiled respectfully and quickly stepped forward, bowing respectfully: "Mr. Liu! You've finally returned! The clan head and all the elders are waiting for you at the Li residence; they have important matters to discuss!"

Liu Yang was puzzled, but he still nodded in agreement: "Okay, let's go to the Li residence now." He knew that the Li family was likely looking for him now to discuss the follow-up arrangements for Qingyang City, and perhaps also the remaining forces of the Wang family. In any case, this trip to the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Prison had been very fruitful, and he had enough strength to deal with any unforeseen circumstances.

Following behind Liu Yang, Su Qingyao looked at the bustling streets around her and Li Shan, who was extremely respectful to Liu Yang, and her determination to follow him grew even stronger. She knew that by following such a master with unlimited potential, her path of cultivation would be much broader, and she would surely shine with her own brilliance in the future.

The three walked towards the Li residence, sunlight casting long shadows on them. A new order had been established in Qingyang City, and Liu Yang's new journey had just begun.

As Liu Yang put the last jade slip left by the Ice and Fire Hermit into his storage bag, the stone door of the secret chamber suddenly trembled slightly, and the luminous pearls on the rock wall flickered a few times, the light flashing intermittently. Su Qingyao subconsciously gripped the newly acquired superior-grade Ice Soul Sword, looking warily towards the doorway: "Master, is the underground palace about to collapse?"

“It’s not a collapse, it’s a fluctuation of spiritual energy caused by the dissipation of the inherited power.” Liu Yang raised his hand and pressed her shoulder, signaling her to calm down. “The inheritance of the Ice and Fire Hermit has been completely transferred to me. The restrictions of this secret chamber have lost their energy support and will soon be completely sealed. We need to pack our things and leave as soon as possible.”

Su Qingyao nodded, but instead of immediately turning to gather the scattered spiritual herbs, she stood there, her gaze fixed on the jade slip in Liu Yang's hand, her expression complex. From being forcibly conquered by Liu Yang at the beginning and forced to call him "master," to witnessing him crush the experts of the Zhao and Wang families, and now watching him obtain ancient inheritances and hold a vast treasure trove, her state of mind had already undergone a complete transformation without her realizing it.

When she first followed Liu Yang, she was filled with resentment and scheming, even considering setting a trap in the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Prison to eliminate him with the help of demonic beasts. But when she saw Liu Yang withstand the black flames of the mutated two-headed python to break through his cultivation level, refusing to retreat even when his arm was burned; when she discovered that Liu Yang, who could have monopolized all the resources, voluntarily shared the superior-grade Ice Soul Sword and half a box of top-grade spirit stones with her; when she felt that Liu Yang always protected her in battle, never letting her face fatal danger, her resentment and scheming were gradually replaced by a more complex emotion.

"Qingyao, what are you daydreaming about? Take half of these thousand-year-old spiritual herbs, I have a use for the rest." Liu Yang handed several luminous spiritual herbs to her, but she didn't reach out to take them. Instead, she suddenly knelt down, clasped her hands together, and looked extremely solemn.

"Master, I have offended you in the past, and even secretly plotted against you. Today, I swear by my inner demons that from this day forward, I will never have any disloyalty. If I break this oath, may I be struck by lightning and have all my cultivation destroyed!" Su Qingyao's voice trembled slightly, but was unusually firm. She raised her head, her eyes no longer showing the evasion and scheming of the past, only complete submission and trust.

Liu Yang was slightly taken aback, then reached out to help her up: "Get up and talk. I have long since stopped caring about what happened before, otherwise I would not have brought you into the Ice and Fire Prison."

“My master may not mind, but I cannot pretend it never happened.” Su Qingyao straightened up, a wisp of pale blue spiritual power gathered at her fingertips, and drew a small bloodstain between her eyebrows. “This is the ‘Blood Oath Technique’ passed down by the Su family. It uses blood essence as a catalyst. If I betray my master in the future, without divine punishment, this blood oath will backfire and kill me on the spot.”

Seeing the blood seeping from between her brows, Liu Yang's heart stirred slightly. He knew the weight of the "Blood Oath Technique" in the cultivation world—it was a near-irreversible vow, once made, it could never be broken, a hundred times more solemn than an oath sworn by inner demons. Su Qingyao's willingness to express her loyalty in this way clearly showed that she had completely let go of all distractions and genuinely decided to follow him.

“You don’t need to do this.” Liu Yang took out a healing pill and handed it to her. “What I want is not your blood oath, but your true recognition. The path of cultivation is long, and having a reliable companion is always better than going it alone.”

Su Qingyao accepted the healing pill, but didn't take it immediately; instead, her eyes reddened slightly. Born into the declining Su family, she was burdened with high expectations from a young age and forced to cultivate techniques unsuitable for her. After the Su family's downfall, she fled alone, witnessing too many cultivators killing and betraying each other for resources. It wasn't until she met Liu Yang that she truly felt trusted and protected—even though their initial encounter wasn't pleasant, Liu Yang never truly harmed her; instead, he gave her unprecedented opportunities.

“Master, do you know why I’ve always wanted to escape from you?” Su Qingyao took a deep breath and spoke slowly, as if recounting a long-forgotten past. “After the Su family fell, I was kidnapped by a Golden Core cultivator. He was kind to me on the surface, but in reality, he wanted to refine me into a ‘cauldron’. If I hadn’t managed to escape, I would have been destroyed long ago. Since then, I have never trusted any cultivator, especially those stronger than me.”

She raised her hand to stroke the scabbard of the Ice Soul Sword, her voice softening slightly: "But you are different. In the Zhao family's forbidden area, I deliberately gave you the wrong directions, but when you found out, you only warned me and didn't hurt me in the slightest; in the restaurant, when the Li family member spoke rudely to me, you immediately crippled his cultivation and didn't let me suffer the slightest grievance; just now when you broke through, even though you were clearly in danger yourself, you still remembered to tell me to stay far away, afraid that I would be affected by the two-headed python... I remember all these things."

Liu Yang looked at her reddened eyes and remained silent. He had actually noticed Su Qingyao's unusual behavior long ago—she seemed cold and wary, but she always revealed her tenderness in subtle ways. For example, she would quietly tidy up his scattered pills, silently guard the door while he was cultivating, and secretly slip a life-saving talisman into his hand before his fierce battle with Zhao Qian.

“Master, I know that with my current strength, I can’t be of much help to you.” Su Qingyao gripped the Ice Soul Sword tightly, her eyes becoming incredibly determined. “But I will break through to the Golden Core stage as soon as possible and diligently cultivate the ‘Frost Ice Technique’ you gave me. In the future, whether facing the cultivators of Burning Heaven Valley or searching for the Fire Thunder Token, I will be your help and will never hold you back!”

Looking at her serious expression, Liu Yang smiled, a rare smile appearing on his lips: "Okay, I believe you. But cultivation can't be rushed. The resources we brought out this time are enough for you. After you go back, find a quiet place to cultivate in seclusion. You can ask me anytime if you don't understand anything."

"Thank you, Master!" Su Qingyao finally revealed her first genuine smile since arriving at the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Prison. The smile was like the first melting of snow, adding a touch of vibrancy to her already beautiful face. She quickly walked to the corner where the spirit herbs were piled up, carefully sorting and packing her half of the herbs. Her movements were much more serious than before—these were no longer "rewards" she had reluctantly accepted, but rather the capital she would use to follow Liu Yang and improve her strength in the future.

Watching her busy figure, Liu Yang felt a sense of reassurance. He knew that the path of cultivation was lonely and arduous, and having a truly reliable companion was far more important than any amount of treasure. Although Su Qingyao was not strong at present, she was meticulous, skilled in formations, and extremely knowledgeable about the forces surrounding Qingyang City. She might play a crucial role in the future search for the Fire Thunder Token.

The two quickly organized the resources in the secret room: Liu Yang's storage bag contained the complete "True Scripture of Ice and Fire Yin and Yang", the cultivation experience of the Ice and Fire Hermit, most of a box of top-grade spirit stones, and the Flame Shield that could withstand the attacks of a late-stage Golden Core cultivator; Su Qingyao's storage bag contained the superior-grade Ice Soul Sword, half a box of top-grade spirit stones, five thousand-year-old spirit herbs, and a bottle of Marrow Cleansing Pill that Liu Yang had specially given her—this was made from the residue of the Ice and Fire Lotus Seed. Although it was not as miraculous as the lotus seed itself, it could help her completely transform her physique and increase her cultivation speed.

"Let's go, or this secret chamber will be completely sealed off." Liu Yang took the lead and walked towards the stone door. As soon as he pushed it open a crack, he felt a strong spiritual energy disorder coming from outside. Obviously, as the inheritance dissipated, the restrictions of the entire Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Prison were collapsing. Rocks in the passage fell from above from time to time, making a loud "boom".

Su Qingyao followed closely behind him, the Ice Soul Sword in her hand emitting a faint blue light, clearing a path ahead. Her movements were much more skillful than before, and her eyes had become more composed—at this moment, she was no longer the fallen cultivator who only knew how to hide and scheme, but a follower with a goal and someone to rely on.

The two moved swiftly along the passage, encountering numerous agitated demonic beasts caused by the collapse of the restrictions, but Liu Yang easily dealt with them all. Watching him effortlessly slay third-tier demonic beasts with a single swing of his sword, Su Qingyao's resolve to cultivate strengthened—only by becoming stronger could she truly keep up with him, instead of forever hiding behind him and being protected.

When they finally emerged from the entrance of the underground palace and stood once again on the land of Qingyang City, the sky was already beginning to lighten. The morning sun shone on the two of them, dispelling the chill of the underground palace and illuminating the hope in Su Qingyao's eyes. She looked up at Liu Yang, her tone extremely earnest: "Master, wherever you go or whatever you do in the future, Qingyao will always follow you and will never regret it."

Looking at the light in her eyes, Liu Yang nodded gently: "Okay."

That single word seemed to reassure Su Qingyao. She knew that from this moment on, her path of cultivation finally had a new direction, and her fate would be inextricably linked with the man before her. The two walked side by side on the morning street, their shadows stretched long by the sunlight, heading towards the Li residence—there, a new situation awaited them, and their story had only just begun.