Ning Qianqin's voice trailed off after only two words, her brow furrowing in response.
"Are you trying to trick me?"
"Cough, cough, how could I? I'm just sincerely asking questions."
Ye Yun smiled, his expression as genuine as could be. But anyone with a modicum of sense could tell he was being deliberate. Ning Qianqin was no exception. She let out a soft hmph, a hint of displeasure in her tone.
"Do you have any other questions? If not, you may leave."
It was clear she was still miffed about nearly being tricked. Ye Yun, however, brazenly pressed on.
"Yes, I do have one more question. I want to know why it has to be me to do all this?"
Upon hearing this, Ning Qianqin snorted and replied, "Naturally, because you're lucky. Alright, you can go now."
Hmm... She's angry. This woman is definitely angry. Seeing that he couldn't pry any more information, Ye Yun rose and responded, "In that case, I'll take my leave."
"Hmph, I'll escort you." Ning Qianqin said softly. Ye Yun blinked in surprise.
"There's no need to trouble yourself with that, is there?"
"It's no trouble." Ning Qianqin gave him a look and said this quietly.
Then, Ye Yun felt himself enveloped by an immense force. Next, his body was propelled forward like a slingshot, shooting out with a 'whoosh.'
"Damn it!"
An intense sensation of weightlessness washed over him, his entire body feeling beyond his control. When he finally touched down, the sheer inertia nearly sent him into a fervent embrace with Mother Earth. Looking up, he found himself already outside the stone door. Fang Zhiwei, standing beside him, stared at him with a look of astonishment.
"Master, you're so fast..." She practically appeared in an instant.
"Not bad, not bad..." Ye Yun steadied himself, a genuine sigh escaping him. This woman was truly terrifying.
Still, it wasn't entirely without reward. He hadn't expected her to reveal anything about the Divine City, but what he truly wanted to know was Ning Qianqin's situation. Based on her response, he could basically confirm that she had indeed been inside the Divine City before. He just didn't know what her role was there.
Meanwhile, back inside the cave dwelling. Ning Qianqin looked at the empty seat before her and shook her head.
"Still such an annoying fellow. It seems no matter when, or how much time passes, some things never change."
She extended her hand, and Ye Yun's teacup landed in her palm. Gazing at the cup in her hand, Ning Qianqin fell into a long silence.
"Keep going, Young Master Ye. I hope you can pass the trial soon."
...
Outside the cave dwelling, the group of women watched Ye Yun fly out and all eagerly crowded around him.
"Master, Master, what did you talk about inside?!"
"Why did you come out so quickly? Did you find anything out?"
"Master..."
Their barrage of questions made Ye Yun's head spin.
"Quiet down for a moment, your master will tell you everything now."
Hearing this, they finally fell silent, all looking at him with eager anticipation. Xu Ning was no different, her gaze filled with hope.
"Did Island Master tell you how to leave?"
Looking at their expectant faces, Ye Yun sighed and said, "Well... she sort of did."
At these words, the women's eyes lit up. Xu Ning, in particular, was practically vibrating with excitement.
"Tell us quickly, how can we leave?!" After all, the Island Master had said that once the one who could break the predicament appeared, they too would be freed and could go to the outside world.
Ye Yun pondered for a moment and then recounted the conditions Ning Qianqin had laid out. After hearing them, everyone fell silent.
"What kind of conditions are these? Isn't Island Master making things difficult for you?"
Before long, Xu Ning couldn't help but complain. The requirement to break through to the Emperor stage, she felt, was manageable. Given Ye Yun's talent, he should achieve it soon. However, taking Xiao Meng as a disciple, and making her genuinely accept him as a master, seemed almost impossible given Xu Ning's limited interactions with Xiao Meng.
To this, Ye Yun sighed. "There's no other way. Since that's what she said, I'll have to grit my teeth and try, no matter how difficult it is." Besides this, Ye Yun couldn't think of any other way to leave. According to Ning Qianqin, forcefully escaping was almost impossible.
"What do you plan to do next?" Xu Ning asked, looking at Ye Yun.
"Which task do you plan to complete first?"
"Hmm..." Ye Yun thought for a moment and then said with a smile, "I'll go meet Xiao Meng first and see if I can persuade her to become my disciple." It was nearly impossible for him to break through again after just reaching the Quasi-Emperor stage. It would be more reliable to interact with the more mysterious Xiao Meng during this time.
At this, Xu Ning couldn't help but remind him, "If that's the case, you must be extremely careful, especially when you're in close contact with Xiao Meng."
"What do you mean by that?" Ye Yun frowned, not understanding her sudden caution. Xu Ning's explanation only made him more troubled.
"It's like this. I don't know if it's a coincidence, but everyone who gets too close to Xiao Meng tends to encounter misfortune. Several people who have interacted with her closely have encountered powerful Xuan Beasts when sailing, nearly losing their lives."
This explanation gave Ye Yun a strange sense of déjà vu. He couldn't help but turn to look at Chen Lingyi. It seemed she had been in a similar situation before. Chen Lingyi, full of curiosity, asked, "Could it be due to her physique?" Having gone through a similar experience herself, she felt this matter more deeply than most.
Xu Ning shook her head. "That's unclear. No one on the island can figure out what kind of physique she has. As for Island Master, she might know but has never revealed it..."
Hearing this, Ye Yun became even more curious about Xiao Meng. After all, if others couldn't discern it, he had the Destiny Eye and could check directly.
"I've noted everything. I'll be careful." Ye Yun nodded. Then he turned to Lin Xueyan and the others and gave instructions.
"Miss Ning said I must complete this condition alone, so none of you should come with me. Stay here with Miss Xu and familiarize yourselves with the environment beforehand." He was also somewhat worried that her ability to bring misfortune might affect Lin Xueyan and the others.
"Alright... Fine." Lin Xueyan eventually agreed, taking the lead. She understood that if Master wanted to leave as soon as possible, she didn't want to hold him back.
Just as Ye Yun was about to leave, Xu Ning called out to him, as if remembering something.
"Oh, right. Xiao Meng seems to like apples. I only recently managed to figure that out after a lot of effort. It might be helpful to you."