"This matter... it's difficult to say it's difficult, and easy to say it's easy!" Yu Yue didn't speak plainly, instead pausing to create suspense, which surprised Ye Wen even more, as the old man wore a slightly awkward expression while saying it.

Ye Wen remained silent, simply sitting there and waiting for Yu Yue’s reply, but the old man seemed lost in thought over some difficult matter, remaining motionless.

This silence persisted for quite a while; the old man still hadn't spoken even when Ye Wen started to feel impatient. Finally, Xu Xian, leveraging the relative kindness Yu Yue showed him, took the initiative to ask, “We still ask the Senior to enlighten us!”

Yu Yue considered for a moment, finding it unclear how to answer, so he walked to a corner, picked up an inconspicuous bamboo basket, inverted its opening toward the ground, and flung it down.

Just as Ye Wen and Xu Xian wondered what Yu Yue was doing, a small snake was thrown out, landing on the ground with a thud.

“Hmm?” Both of them involuntarily showed a hint of surprise and suspicion, curious that there was a snake here—perhaps one of Yu Yue’s own kind! But why was it in the basket in its true form?

While they were puzzled, the snake flicked its tongue and swayed slightly, seemingly dazed from the fall, which made it appear rather amusing.

The little snake turned its head toward Yu Yue nearby and then unexpectedly spoke human words: “Why summon me out?” The voice was soft and gentle; if one only heard the sound and didn't see the source, one would assume it was a young woman.

Xu Xian was momentarily stunned, then suddenly leaned close to Ye Wen and whispered, “It’s a white snake!”

Only then did Ye Wen notice the little snake was pure white, and combined with that soft voice, he immediately exclaimed, “Could it be your paramour making an appearance?” “Senior Brother, don’t talk nonsense!” Xu Xian waved his hands repeatedly, “Besides, my surname is Xu, not Xu [with the character for ‘to permit’]!” He had heard the story of the White Snake Legend after arriving in this world; because Wang Bing and others had teased him that the pronunciation of his name was similar to Xu Xian, he had specifically asked Zhou Lei for the TV series to watch it, after which he indignantly declared, “To think they compare me to this person?” He found Xu Xian to be completely lacking in manly spirit and rather timid, a person he intensely disliked! For others to equate him with such a person was, in Xu Xian’s view, an insult.

However, he did have a favorable impression of the white snake itself.

It was just that he never imagined his Senior Brother’s lighthearted joke about this point would actually lead to encountering a white snake spirit.

Just then, the little snake seemed to sense something and said to the two, “Don’t just assume I’m a white snake because my body is snow-white. I’m actually just an ordinary little snake—this appearance was dyed by this man.”

“……”

Yu Yue’s old face twitched, and in a trance, it seemed the wrinkles on his face had multiplied. However, he didn't object to the little white snake’s words, merely stating, “You like this appearance very much? We have guests present; why not assume your human form?” The little white snake mumbled, “I was sleeping soundly, and you were the one who insisted on throwing me out!” As it spoke, it shook its body, and a brilliant white light shimmered all over, its form gradually expanding. Following a flash of dazzling radiance, a young woman in a pure white dress appeared before the group.

Although Ye Wen and Xu Xian knew this little white snake was a spirit-transformed demon, witnessing a small snake, barely the length of an arm and slightly thicker than a finger, transform into a stunning beauty was an impact they couldn't digest in just a moment.

Yu Yue ignored their reactions and simply said, “This is the goddaughter I took in during those lonely and tedious years early on! Xiao Bai, greet the two guests first!” The woman called Xiao Bai looked dejected, mostly because of Yu Yue’s address to her, which left her quite helpless, but she had no room to resist. She could only dutifully bow to Ye Wen and Xu Xian, and then, seemingly intentionally, announced her name, emphasizing those three characters particularly heavily: “This humble maiden, Bai! Su! Zhen! greets the two Daoist friends!”

“Bai... Su... Zhen?”

The two were momentarily stunned, glancing at each other, thinking in unison: “Could this lady be that legendary thousand-year snake spirit?” Judging by their reactions, it was clear why they were surprised. The woman who called herself Bai Suzhen immediately stated, “This humble maiden is not that great expert of legend, merely a minor demon who has cultivated for a few hundred years, but because…” As she spoke, her gaze flickered toward Yu Yue, the implication being obvious.

At this time, Yu Yue had somehow poured himself a bowl of tea from an unknown source and was sipping it noisily. Hearing his goddaughter’s words, he acted as if he hadn't heard them, but the awkwardness on his face grew more pronounced.

“Oh dear, it turns out we are people of the same path!”

Ye Wen understood immediately. It seemed Yu Yue was simply bored; he had caught a sentient little snake and brought it back to cultivate, perhaps coincidentally hearing the story of the White Snake Legend, and subsequently named the little snake Bai Suzhen, deliberately making its appearance pure white to match the "setting."

Of course, it was also possible that the old man, in his idleness, had heard that story and then got the idea to specifically find a little snake for that purpose.

This kind of behavior was quite similar to things Ye Wen himself had done over the years, like naming his second disciple Zhou Zhiruo. It was perfectly fine for an elder to name his goddaughter Bai Suzhen.

Xu Xian looked at Yu Yue, then at his Senior Brother, sighing inwardly, “Must one have a certain peculiar taste to become a senior expert?” Because his Senior Brother was like this, and the newly met elder was also like this.

The conversation seemed to stall here. Yu Yue kept his head down drinking tea, while Ye Wen repeatedly sized up the “Bai Suzhen.” He noticed the woman possessed exceptional looks and temperament; if placed on the street, she could cause chain-reaction car accidents; if given to an ancient monarch, she would be a beauty capable of ruining a dynasty.

In appearance, she was indistinguishable from the Bai Suzhen in the story, but the brief exchange had shown him that her personality differed quite significantly from the original—a bit like the White Maiden when she stole the Golden Elixir.

“Speaking of which, Senior, aren’t you afraid of attracting the attention of that great Daoist expert?” Ye Wen was curious about this. He dared to name his disciples after fictional characters because he knew they were from novels, and the chance of a knock-off running into the original was virtually zero.

Of course, in his previous understanding, naming someone Bai Suzhen was fine, as they were just characters from a legend. But now… who knew if the real Bai Suzhen truly existed?

Yu Yue merely smiled dismissively, “That Bai Suzhen is merely a character fabricated by secular people; she does not actually exist!” Only then did Ye Wen realize that the White Snake Legend was indeed a legend, unlike the Investiture of the Gods, which borrowed many events from immortal affairs. No wonder Yu Yue dared to do this without fearing offense—the White Lady in the original story was connected to Guanyin; in short, she had powerful backing from above.

Although Yu Yue had cultivated for a long time and even had ties with the Dragon King, he still couldn't afford to offend a great Buddhist figure. Since he dared to act this way, he must know for certain that the Bai Suzhen did not exist.

With that thought, Ye Wen stopped dwelling on the matter and instead became curious what Yu Yue wanted him to do, especially summoning Bai Suzhen out. Was it related to this woman?

Indeed, before Ye Wen could ask, he heard Yu Yue say, “This matter is related to my goddaughter. I wonder if the two of you are willing to lend a hand!” “What favor?”

The old man casually pulled out a dry tobacco pipe from somewhere, lit it, and took a few puffs, filling the room with smoke. He then said, “You two breaking into this East Sea Immortal Palace this time is quite fateful. I shall tell you about the affairs of this Immortal Palace!”

After a pause, he took a couple more drags, irritating Bai Suzhen. She parted her cherry lips slightly and exhaled a breath of white, mist-like gas that swept away all the smoke, spreading a refreshing fragrance throughout the room.

However, not just anyone could enjoy this fragrance. Ye Wen only caught a slight whiff and immediately noticed that the aroma contained considerable toxins. Fortunately, everyone in the room was no ordinary person, and this faint poisonous gas could not harm them; thus, the fragrance was merely a pleasant scent to them.

The old man glanced at the dry pipe in his hand and saw that under the influence of the fragrance, he couldn't smoke anymore, and with the entire room scented, he couldn't smell his tobacco. He could only glare at his goddaughter before putting the pipe away.

Bai Suzhen wore a triumphant smile, just like a little girl who had succeeded in a prank. From this demeanor, it was evident that this woman was inexperienced and likely had remained in the Immortal Palace cultivating since Yu Yue brought her back, never venturing out.

“You two have seen the East Sea Immortal Palace. Besides this, there is also a South Sea Immortal Palace, which was originally the palace of the South Sea Dragon King. When the immortals left this realm, the South Sea Immortal Palace was sealed off as well!”

“However, later I heard that since this old man would remain in the East Sea Immortal Palace to guard and manage things, the South Sea Dragon King considered it and asked me to look after the South Sea Immortal Palace too. But…” Ye Wen knew the main point was coming. Since he only knew the beginning and couldn't possibly deduce the rest, he sat quietly, awaiting the continuation.

“The South Sea Immortal Palace was originally sealed quite strictly. Except for one fixed day every ten years, no one could enter or leave! Even I was powerless. To visit and check on the South Sea Immortal Palace, I could only calculate the date in advance and wait there. As soon as the Immortal Palace opened, I would rush in to check, and then leave before it closed.”

“I continued this for over a thousand years. I found that constantly rushing back and forth was tiresome, and since my goddaughter had also grown into an adult, it wasn't right for her to stay here accompanying an old man like me forever, so…”

Ye Wen finally understood Yu Yue’s meaning at this point: “Senior, do you mean you want your daughter to manage the South Sea Immortal Palace?” But this matter seemed to have nothing to do with them, right? Was there some problem with the South Sea Immortal Palace?

As he was thinking, Yu Yue indeed said, “That’s what I thought. But when I went to check recently, I discovered that the South Sea Immortal Palace has been occupied by others!” Ye Wen was startled, then felt it was strange. Didn't Yu Yue say the South Sea Immortal Palace was completely sealed? And Yu Yue only went in on fixed, scheduled dates. This meant that if someone were to seize the South Sea Immortal Palace while it was open, they absolutely wouldn't escape Yu Yue’s notice.

But what he was saying now suggested that the South Sea Immortal Palace had been occupied during the sealed period, so he was surprised to find a new master when he went to inspect it?

Yu Yue continued, “Actually, it’s not a big deal if the Immortal Palace was occupied. After all this time, it's normal for some cultivators with deep fortune to obtain the legacy dwelling left by predecessors. I wasn’t that tyrannical; if it were ordinary people, I wouldn't bother with it! As for my goddaughter… even if she doesn’t get the South Sea Immortal Palace, this East Sea Immortal Palace is so large; it’s no issue to accommodate one more person.” Ye Wen understood that Yu Yue wanted Bai Suzhen to manage the South Sea Immortal Palace mostly so his goddaughter could become independent and gain experience, not because he coveted the abundant spiritual energy or anything within the Immortal Palace. After all, with just the two of them cultivating in the vast East Sea Immortal Palace, spiritual energy would never be an issue.

Therefore, even without the South Sea Immortal Palace, it wouldn't matter. So why was Yu Yue showing such concern now?

“But the South Sea Immortal Palace was occupied by non-Hua Xia cultivators—this, this old man cannot accept!”

Ye Wen suddenly realized. It turned out the new masters of the South Sea Immortal Palace were foreigners; no wonder this old snake couldn’t accept it.

What he hadn't expected was that Yu Yue was such an extremely xenophobic person!

As he pondered, he saw Yu Yue look at Ye Wen with a solemn expression: “I want you to help me take back the South Sea Immortal Palace and hand it over to my goddaughter. If you succeed, I will teach you how to deal with that Seven Arrows Book of Binding Heads!”

As if to strengthen his bargaining chip and ensure Ye Wen agreed, Yu Yue directly proposed, “If you still feel you can’t handle it, this old man is willing to accompany you out on this trip, kill the person using the Seven Arrows Book of Binding Heads, and destroy the fragment they used to ensure your safety!”

With the matter brought to this point, Ye Wen naturally would not refuse. However, he himself preferred to personally learn how to counter the Seven Arrows Book of Binding Heads; otherwise, if he encountered similar magic again in the future, wouldn't he still be at a disadvantage?

As the saying goes, proficiency in many arts prevents ruin! At this moment, Ye Wen felt this saying was incredibly true.

“However, to get from here to the South Sea Immortal Palace… I’d have to go outside first, right?”

Yu Yue casually pulled out a folded talisman and handed it to Ye Wen: “Keep this talisman on your person; it will keep you safe for seven days, but if seven days pass, I can do nothing!”

Ye Wen knew this thing was only a temporary shield, not a long-term solution. Yu Yue giving this to him indicated he knew Ye Wen absolutely couldn't leave using only such a thing. But if Yu Yue knew Ye Wen possessed a Penglai Immortal Realm, would he still be so certain Ye Wen would return to him?

Having received the item, Ye Wen suddenly seemed to remember something and asked, “If you hadn't encountered us juniors, would you have to take action personally?”

Yu Yue chuckled, “If I hadn't run into you two, I would have made a trip in a few days to kill all those foreign barbarians! To stop them from desecrating those good things would vex me.”

Ye Wen gave a wry smile, understanding that he had arrived just in time, and since he was asking for a favor, Yu Yue was handing the task off to him so he could enjoy some leisure. “Damn it, you’re so bored; what’s wrong with moving around a bit? Pushing things onto others!”

Though thinking this, on his face he asked, “Right, how exactly did those foreigners manage to enter the South Sea Immortal Palace?”

He had been curious earlier: if the South Sea Immortal Palace only opened on fixed dates, how did that group get inside?

Yu Yue replied, “That point also puzzles me quite a bit. After some observation, it seems some of the restrictions on the South Sea Immortal Palace had become fragile, and one area appeared to have collapsed, creating an opening. That’s how those people stumbled in by mistake!”

Ye Wen nodded to show he understood. As for exactly who those people were, he didn't ask. Moreover, even if he asked, it would probably be useless; in this old man’s eyes, they were all barbarians, and what difference was there between barbarians? Even if he knew the difference, he probably wouldn't tell Ye Wen; the man wanted Ye Wen to go through a bit more trouble before he was willing to help. If he explained everything, wouldn't only the simplest task remain?

Yu Yue casually took out his tobacco pipe again, but didn't light it. Instead, he addressed Bai Suzhen: “This time, you go with the two of them. First, to lead the way, and second, if they take care of those fellows, you can just move into the South Sea Immortal Palace directly!”

At this moment, Bai Suzhen was not playing around with him. She nodded, then bowed to Ye Wen and Xu Xian, gesturing for them to lead the way, and guided the two away immediately.

Xu Xian and Ye Wen said little, merely following Bai Suzhen, but in that instant, Ye Wen had a sudden realization in his heart: “This old man is hiding something from me!”

Little did he know that after everyone had gone far, Yu Yue put his pipe away again, stood up, left his room, and after several turns and twists, arrived at a very hidden location.

Looking at a small pool, not much deeper than his shins, Yu Yue’s eyes shifted constantly: “After all these years, the water in this Dragon Transformation Pool is still not enough!”

It turned out this small pool was the Dragon Transformation Pool, a profoundly secret location among the Dragon Clan. Back when the Dragon Clan left with the Immortals, the East Sea Dragon King privately instructed Yu Yue: “The Dragon Transformation Pool is a critical place for our clan. Soaking in it for forty-nine days, absorbing the essence of the pool, can transform some water creatures into members of the Dragon Clan! However, the pool water has dried up now, and I don't know when it will accumulate enough water to fill the pool! You stay in the Immortal Palace for cultivation first, waiting for the pool to fill. When that time comes, you can transform into a dragon and ascend to the Immortal Realm to find me.”

Yu Yue had guarded this place, waiting for the pool to fill. But later, he took Bai Suzhen as his goddaughter and couldn't bear to leave her alone in this world. If he absorbed the essence in the water, the pool water would dry up again, and it would take an unknown number of years to refill. Thus, his thoughts turned to the South Sea Immortal Palace—since it was a Dragon Clan secret treasure, the South Sea Immortal Palace should also possess one.