Several days later, Ye Qin rode the Black Cloud Veil, arriving at Nong City in the northern islands of the East Sea.

As the main city of the Northern Islands, Baifu City was grand and prosperous, boasting numerous renowned Immortal Palaces and gathering a massive number of cultivators, far surpassing Linhai City.

Almost the moment Ye Qin stepped into Baifu City, his presence was detected by cultivators from the Purple Sword Palace. Zhou Yao's brother, Zhou Yi, received the news and, just moments later, hurriedly led a contingent of Foundation Establishment disciples and Golden Core cultivators from the Purple Sword Palace to greet Ye Qin.

"Brother Ye, where have you been these past few months? We were supposed to head to the East Sea for the punitive expedition from here. We only saw Sister Yao return, but no sign of you. The Old Ancestor was extremely worried and ordered me to search the surroundings with the disciples of this Palace. We couldn't find any trace of you—it truly distressed this elder brother! It’s good that you’re back, good that you’re back!" Zhou Yi strode forward, grasping Ye Qin's right arm, his pupils webbed with crimson threads, his expression unable to contain his excitement.

This disciple, usually known for his elegant demeanor and gentle refinement, had spent the last few months scouring tens of thousands of miles of ocean in vain, failing to complete the mission assigned by the Palace Master. He had endured intense torment, and now, seeing Ye Qin, he appeared exceptionally haggard.

Finally encountering Ye Qin, Zhou Yi was so overjoyed that he neglected the usual protocols. For him, finding Ye Qin was tantamount to rendering a great service to the Purple Sword Immortal Palace.

"Greetings, Brother Zhou! On my way back, I encountered harassment from several Golden Core cultivators and had to detour to Linhai City. This unexpectedly delayed me by a few months, causing worry and trouble for the Palace Master and you, Brother Zhou."

Ye Qin offered a slight bow, his tone laced with apology.

"Brother Ye, no need to say more; we'll discuss it when we return. Follow me; the Old Ancestor is waiting for you in the Immortal Palace!" Zhou Yi quickly waved his hand, ushering the newly returned Ye Qin towards the Purple Sword Palace.

The cultivators of the Purple Sword Palace escorted Zhou Yi and Ye Qin in a grand procession through the streets toward the Purple Sword Immortal Palace within the city. A large contingent of Immortal Palace cultivators traveling together was a common sight in Baifu City, attracting no special attention.

Zhou Yi and Ye Qin entered the Dongxuan Hall to meet the Palace Master. The Purple Sword Immortal Palace comprised dozens of grand halls, glittering with gold and radiating purple light. Dongxuan Hall was one of the main halls, reserved for audiences when the Palace Master had matters of great importance.

The numerous other cultivators of the Purple Sword Palace remained outside Dongxuan Hall, awaiting the Palace Master's instructions.

"Greetings to the Old Ancestor."

"Greetings to the Palace Master."

Zhou Yi and Ye Qin approached the dais of Dongxuan Hall and paid their respects to Palace Master Zhou respectively.

"No need for formalities."

Palace Master Zhou, clad in a long robe of cyan silk, stood with his hands clasped behind his back, seated upon the main seat of the Hall Master. He exuded an air of magnificent composure.

Ye Qin had met the Purple Sword Palace Master only a few times. The Master always gave him an impression of detached simplicity—an aura entirely different from the overwhelming dominance of the Sacred Emperor.

"Yi'er, you have also been worn out for several months; go and rest first. I have a few things I need to discuss with Ye Qin."

"Yes, Old Ancestor!"

Zhou Yi paused, slightly surprised. He hadn't expected to be excluded from this discussion. He dared not dwell on it and promptly withdrew from Dongxuan Hall.

"Did you bring back that item?"

Only after Zhou Yi departed did the Palace Master turn to Ye Qin. His expression was calm, neither pleased nor displeased, suggesting everything was under his complete control, carrying a hint of unfathomable depth.

"Reporting to the Palace Master, I have brought it back!"

Ye Qin knew exactly what Zhou Yi referred to. Once Zhou Yao had returned to the Purple Sword Immortal Palace, the Palace Master would undoubtedly know everything about their party. He immediately struck his waist storage pouch and released a massive, ancient war drum, which thundered down onto the center of the Hall.

This Xuniu Drum was immense, dozens of feet long and wide, occupying nearly half of Dongxuan Hall.

The moment the drum appeared, a powerful aura of oppressive might instantly permeated and enveloped the Purple Sword Immortal Palace.

The waiting cultivators outside the Purple Sword Palace’s Dongxuan Hall were all struck with terror, unaware of the source of this terrifying, murderous presence.

Inside the Hall, Palace Master Zhou immediately cast a sealing spell, completely locking down the aura within Dongxuan Hall.

Then, the Palace Master's piercing gaze fixed upon the Xuniu Drum, examining it intently. His expression gradually turned grave. Even with his mid-Nascent Soul cultivation and power, he dared not look directly into the skeletal eye sockets of the nine ox skulls surrounding the ancient drum.

Suddenly, the Palace Master extended a hand and unleashed a potent pillar of magical energy, several feet thick, shooting towards the Xuniu Drum in an attempt to suppress the ancient instrument.

This surge of surging, magnificent magic struck the drum, causing the ancient Xuniu Drum to emit a yellow artifact glow. The oppressive might intensified by several dozen times compared to before.

Inside the Hall, Ye Qin was nearly crushed breathless by this coercion.

However, the magical power was clearly insufficient; the Palace Master’s magical force dissolved into the drum like a clay ox entering the sea, failing to have any discernible effect.

"This is indeed the Xuniu Drum, the ancient Divine Ability Artifact lost for ages in the East Sea Cultivation World. This single Xuniu Drum cannot be struck by one Nascent Soul cultivator alone. Even among Nascent Soul stage cultivators, it would require at least ten working together to sound it. Once the drum sounds, the area spanning several thousand li, perhaps even ten thousand li, will be enveloped by the sound waves, affecting all living beings."

The Palace Master was not alarmed but delighted, a satisfied smile spreading across his composed face.

Ye Qin gasped upon hearing this.

"The drum sound can shake an area spanning thousands of miles? That's too terrifying!"

Although Ye Qin knew the Xuniu Drum was formidable, he had never imagined it to be this horrifying. Even Golden Core cultivators would require a considerable amount of time to fly several thousand or ten thousand li using their artifacts. Once the Xuniu Drum sounded, not even Nascent Soul cultivators could escape its influence; the drum could release an immense, area-of-effect celestial strike.

"That is natural. The Xuniu Drum is one of the most famous ancient Divine Ability Artifacts from the era of the ancient Immortal-Demon Wars. Countless demonic cultivators, high-level demonic beasts, immortal cultivators, and strongmen met their demise by it. The eyes of the Xuniu Drum’s nine ox skulls conceal boundless sanguine light, suppressing the resentment of the countless beings that perished by this drum. If not for the skull eyes of the thirteenth-rank Cannon Ox, this level of resentment could never be suppressed."

Palace Master Zhou explained. Ye Qin naturally knew these facts.

"It is a pity that the drum surface is damaged. There is no second piece of Xuniu hide available to repair this drum. This Divine Ability Artifact can no longer be struck; only the function of the ox skull eyes suppressing vengeful spirits remains."

Palace Master Zhou's smile quickly faded, his tone turning heavy. "Ye Qin, as a Golden Core captain of the Purple Sword Palace, after completing your mission, you should have immediately returned to the Immortal Palace to submit your report. Why did you delay for four months before returning? Are you dissatisfied with this Palace?"

Ye Qin was slightly startled; Zhou Yi’s question was extremely sudden. His heart tensed, and he avoided Zhou Yi’s sharp gaze. "Palace Master, after I seized the Xuniu Drum in the Langnuo Secret Realm, I ran into trouble with three Golden Core cultivators seeking treasures midway, forcing me and Zhou Yao’s group to split up. I went to Linhai City because refining my sword there consumed four months. As soon as the sword was complete, I immediately rushed back to Baifu City."

"These are merely excuses!"

Zhou Yi said impassively after hearing the explanation. "Since you could shake off three treasure-seeking Golden Core cultivators to enter Linhai City, returning to Baifu City smoothly should have been a simple matter. You could have refined your sword upon returning to Baifu City; there was no need to remain in Linhai City."

"However, you deliberately chose to stay in Linhai City, and for a whole four months. Evading those three treasure-seeking cultivators and refining the sword were just pretexts. You stayed in Linhai City for so long for only one real reason: you still do not trust the Purple Sword Palace."

"You are very hesitant, wondering whether giving this renowned Divine Ability Ancient Artifact of the East Sea, the Xuniu Drum, to this Palace is the right decision—whether it might be too hasty?"

Zhou Yi stared deeply at Ye Qin, making Ye Qin feel uneasy. He sighed slightly. "Of course, it is not entirely your fault for hesitating. The ownership of this drum is no small matter, not just for you, but for the entire East Sea Cultivation World. Whichever Immortal Palace's late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator obtains the Xuniu Drum, their prestige will skyrocket, significantly increasing their chances of becoming the Northern Sect Master of the Heavenly Dao Alliance. The Northern Sect Master, one of the five great Sect Masters of the Heavenly Dao Alliance, can command nearly one-tenth of the cultivators in the East Sea—an honor beyond measure, wielding immense power. If you were to present the Xuniu Drum to a future Northern Sect Master of the Heavenly Dao Alliance, securing an immeasurably deep contribution, with that Sect Master as your backer, you naturally wouldn't need to worry about establishing yourself in the East Sea."

"Furthermore, you are concerned whether this Palace has the capability to firmly hold onto this Xuniu Drum after you offer it, or whether it might be seized by other, more powerful Nascent Soul cultivators. If the drum is snatched away by others, your act of offering the treasure to this Palace would be in vain. It would have been better to seek out another, stronger Nascent Soul cultivator to present the treasure to, securing at least a favor in return. Therefore, you remained uncertain about handing this drum over to this Palace to help me become the Northern Sect Master of the Heavenly Dao Alliance in the future."

"Hence, you adopted a cautious approach, staying in Linhai City for a full four months, refining your sword while contemplating the potential benefits and risks, and observing the reactions of the Purple Sword Palace. After waiting quietly in Linhai City for four months, you likely finished your calculations. With your sword refined, you returned to Baifu City, prepared to offer the ancient artifact."

"However, this Palace has always been fair in rewarding and punishing. Regardless of whatever you hesitated about before, since you brought back the Xuniu Drum, you have rendered a colossal service to the Purple Sword Palace. This Palace will absolutely not blame you."

Palace Master Zhou spoke eloquently, discussing the matter as if it had nothing to do with him personally, dissecting the true reason Ye Qin delayed his return to Baifu City for four months with absolute clarity.

"What merely piques my curiosity is: what ultimately determined your decision to return to Baifu City and hand this drum over to this Palace?"

Ye Qin stared at Palace Master Zhou in disbelief, so shocked he couldn't utter a word. He had never anticipated that the Purple Sword Palace Master would immediately expose the true intent behind his four-month stay in Linhai City.

Everything the Palace Master had said aligned perfectly with the secret calculations within Ye Qin's own mind.

Ye Qin couldn't help but offer a wry smile. He had thought his scheme was foolproof, but the intelligence of the Purple Sword Palace Master was so profound that he had seen through Ye Qin’s plan completely.

"Palace Master is correct; it was indeed for those reasons that I stayed in Linhai City for four months before returning to Baifu City. The reason I returned is because the Palace Master possesses an item I desperately wish to obtain. After much consideration, I believe no one else can give it to me except the Palace Master."

Ye Qin paused for a moment, deciding to simply admit what the Palace Master had stated. Trying to deceive this profoundly astute Purple Sword Palace Master would be extraordinarily difficult.

Besides, he was only an auxiliary cultivator of the Purple Sword Palace. If the Palace Master could not tolerate him because of this reason, he could simply leave. The East Sea Cultivation World offered plenty of places for him to cultivate.

"Oh? It is that item that you must obtain?" Zhou Yi inquired curiously.