Although the young girl has long dwelt underground, she possesses an awareness of self-protection and is not completely ignorant of worldly matters.

Yet, she also lacks some of the emotions inherent to human girls. Previously, Ye Fan used his trust to gain her trust, which led to her hesitating to stop Ye Fan from taking the blue crystal away from underground, knowing that her cultivation level made Ye Fan no match for her.

"Miss, go inside and change your clothes," said Li Zhaojun. "You can set up a spiritual energy barrier so no one can see you."

"Okay." The girl glanced at Li Zhaojun's human attire with apparent fondness; a love for beauty is inherent to young girls. She too wanted to don those colorful clothes, rather than sealing herself in blue shells every day.

When the girl followed Li Zhaojun into the cabin, Wu Ding approached and asked, "Who is this?"

"It's a long story," Ye Fan sighed. "Basically, I almost got conned by two people with the surname Song. I never expected someone with such high cultivation in the underground world."

Just as he was speaking, the blue crystal emerged from his sleeve and began joyously bouncing on Ye Fan's shoulder, emitting sounds of "hehehehe." Due to the immense power contained within the blue crystal, even Wu Ding was awed.

Elder Wu came ashore, and Li Bei helped him pull Song Zhao and Song Xian, the uncle-nephew duo, onto land. As a burst of spiritual energy was released, the ice around the Song duo melted, leaving them lying in icy water, motionless for quite a while.

"Cough!" Song Zhao, whose cultivation was relatively higher, recovered first. Upon regaining consciousness and realizing he was on the sea surface, he felt uneasy, understanding that Ye Fan and others had successfully escaped the confines of the underground world.

"You!" Song Zhao initially expressed anger, then sneered, "In your bid to escape from the seabed, you might have triggered a disaster. I fear countless coastal residents on Earth are now facing the calamity of a tsunami, potentially costing millions of lives!"

Ye Fan replied, "You'll be disappointed. It was the girl guarding the blue crystal underground who helped us open a rift. We returned to the sea surface, and everything is calm and undisturbed."

Song Zhao screamed madly, "Impossible, absolutely impossible. Her mission is to guard the sacred artifact. How could she allow thieves like you to escape? You must have caused a disaster and refuse to admit it, you hypocrites!"

Just then, the girl had changed into human attire and stepped out, even her hair newly tied. The girl wasn't tall, but her figure was extremely graceful, with distinct facial contours making her appear delicate and charming. Under the scrutiny of many eyes, she appeared somewhat shy.

The little girl Qing Xu hugged her and exclaimed, "Sister, you're so beautiful!"

Even the girl guardian of the blue crystal from the seabed ascended to the surface with Ye Fan and others; Song Zhao was left speechless. He closed his eyes and said, "Kill me already! I will not bat an eye!"

"With this routine again," Ye Fan sneered. "But killing you now would be too easy; we'll torment you slowly, letting your spiritual energy leak bit by bit until you die, so you'll understand what true pain is."

Saying this, Ye Fan struck a palm, directly creating a crack in the Golden Core within Song Zhao. Before it fully matured, the core was like an eggshell; once shattered, the spiritual energy inside gradually leaked away. With Song Zhao's current status, he cannot repair it himself.

"You… you devils… kill me… end this pain!" Song Zhao was enduring immense pain, as the leakage of spiritual energy represents a profound psychological fear to cultivators, akin to watching one's blood drain away gradually, rendering the heart's fear most terrifying.

Ye Fan restrained Song Zhao's pulse gate to prevent him from committing suicide, then turned and spoke to the guardian girl, "Miss, let's talk inside!"

"Okay." The girl nodded and entered the cabin with Ye Fan and others, sitting on the sofa, still a bit unaccustomed.

She was used to floating in the ocean underground, unfamiliar with the typical human habits of squatting, sitting, etc., but she was skilled at imitation. Seeing how Ye Fan and Li Zhaojun behaved, she learned to mimic them beautifully.

"Miss, how should we address you?" Ye Fan asked.

The girl said, "You mean my name? I… I don't know either; I don't have a name…"

Ye Fan continued to inquire, "Do you have any relatives?"

"I… I have my mother, who taught me to speak and cultivate. But many years ago, my mother merged with the sacred artifact. I've been waiting for her return…"

Ye Fan and Li Zhaojun exchanged a gaze, seeing the compassion reflected in each other's eyes.

The girl's mother likely perished when her life force was exhausted, fabricating a scenario of merging with the blue crystal to provide a beautiful hope for her daughter, suggesting she hadn't truly died. This also convinced the daughter to steadfastly uphold the mission of guarding the blue crystal.

Indeed, she was a remarkable mother.

Ye Fan chose not to shatter the girl's most cherished hope, smiling, "Regarding the dispersing of the sacred artifact, I'm sorry, you should take it back."

With these words, he "pinched" the blue crystal from his neck, soft and pliant as it wriggled, seemingly discontent like a small pet when its owner removes it.

As Ye Fan placed the blue crystal in the girl's hand, she was overjoyed and ready to clasp the little fellow when it swiftly slipped back into Ye Fan's sleeve.

"It… doesn't want to go with me." The girl complained, tears almost falling.

Wu Ding watched for a moment, then grinned and said, "Junior brother, it seems that item has acknowledged you as its master. Since it's yours, why return it?"

Seeing the girl silently shed tears at the comment, small ice crystals fell from her eyes. Ye Fan felt pity, shaking his head, "The sacred artifact originally belongs to the lady here. What acknowledgment of master? Perhaps it's just curious about strangers."

"Yes." The girl nodded in agreement, "It must be fond of unfamiliar people. It will definitely follow me."

"Haha." Wu Ding laughed, "Why not keep it with you for now? This way, no matter where you go, there will be a little follower behind, protecting you from harm."

Ye Fan pondered for a moment and chuckled.

It's indeed the case; as long as the blue crystal is with him, the girl, who harbors affection for her mother and an obligation to protect the blue crystal, will continue to accompany him. Since the mother core of the crystal has dissipated, the girl must fulfill her mission to guard the sacred artifact by safeguarding this blue crystal, granting him a free bodyguard.

The girl's cultivation is incredibly formidable, yet her character is earnest. As long as Ye Fan trusts her, she will return the favor with sincerity.

Ye Fan said, "Miss, why don't you venture outside with us? You can fulfill your mission while experiencing the landscapes of Mingchuan Mountain and the cultural scenes, far better than living alone underground."

The girl hesitated, "But... but I don't understand life outside."

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