Pant—pant—

Sweat clung to Xu Mo's temples as he gently lowered Su Wenqing to the ground. Her ankle had twisted badly during their escape, and a faint swelling was already forming beneath the skin.

His gaze shifted briefly—only to pause, just for a moment.

Her skirt, a pale lavender piece that barely reached her knees, fluttered slightly in the breeze, revealing her fair, slender legs, now scratched and reddened by thorns and rough terrain.

Xu Mo frowned inwardly.

Who wears something like this into a secret realm? His expression remained calm, but his thoughts were sharp. A full set of travel robes—or at least leg guards—would've spared her ankle.

Without another glance, he turned his focus to her injury and pulled a small jade vial of ointment from his sleeve. His movements were quiet and efficient, like water flowing over stone—unshaken by distraction.

What Xu Mo failed to notice was Su Wenqing, whose face had started to turn as red as a tomato. Even her master had never touched her, and now this "old man"—though he clearly had no ill intent and had just saved her life—was treating her injuries. Still, it felt uncomfortable lying barefoot in front of a complete stranger.

"Do you have any water or something? I don't have a storage ring," Xu Mo said, trying to divert Su Wenqing's thoughts. He had noticed the redness in her face. Xu Mo knew that if he acted like he noticed her embarrassment, it would only make things worse—and might even provoke her into snapping at him, despite him having saved her. It was better to pretend nothing was amiss. Plus, he really was thirsty after running for hours, trying to save both of them from the beast tide.

"Liar," Su Wenqing said, eyes narrowing. She could clearly see a storage ring on his finger.

"Here." Xu Mo slipped it off and tossed it to her. "It's a fake. Storage rings are ridiculously expensive—how could some random guy like me afford one? I only bought it to make people think I wasn't someone easy to mess with."

Su Wenqing caught the ring and examined it. The old man was right. The ring was made of ordinary material, probably just infused with a formation to make it shine. At a glance, it could fool others into thinking it was real.

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"W-Why did you save me?" Su Wenqing muttered, lowering her head as she asked the one question that had been circulating in her heart.

What should I say? Should I come clean and tell her I'm the True Successor of her sect? But who would believe an old man like me was someone so important?

Xu Mo found himself stuck in a dilemma.

"I just did what was right. I didn't have time for drama," Xu Mo said casually.

Do I have the soul of an old man inside me? he wondered. Sometimes I really do think like one.

"Umm... Do you know of any places inside the secret realm that could make someone immortal? Or young again?" Xu Mo asked. Previously, Shui Qingyi had offered to take him to a supreme elder's inheritance—but he wasn't sure of her motives. As a disciple of Verdant Sky Hall, she had the higher ground, and it was hard to trust her. What if she had sold him out after reuniting with her sect's disciples and painted herself as the victim while slandering him?

And thinking about how Long Chen and the others reacted whenever a girl asked for help… he doubted they'd even hear his side of the story. He wasn't some "Son of Destiny" who could find light even in the abyss.

"There should be… but I haven't—wait. There is a place. A Nameless Ruin," Su Wenqing said, frowning as she tried to recall more details. "That place might have what you're looking for. But I've heard rumors… it's guarded by a Gold Core Realm beast."

"Why are you so sure the thing I'm looking for is there? Have you been there personally?" Xu Mo couldn't help raising doubts. The way Su Wenqing said it—it didn't sound like a rumor. It sounded like she had seen it herself.

"…That beast tide… it was sent by the Gold Core Realm guardian beast. It was after me. I managed to slip past and obtain something," Su Wenqing admitted. The old man had saved her life even when his own was in danger. She believed he could be trusted—but still, she remained vigilant. Her master had once said: Human hearts are vague. A kind person can become a devil, and a devil can become kind, all depending on the opportunity before them.

A Noble Beast?! Xu Mo's leg started to tremble. But he clenched his fists and controlled himself.

"I saw a vial there. I think it might be what you're looking for."

What luck… Xu Mo couldn't help but envy her. Even some random person's luck is better than mine—a supposed villain.

"And what if someone else already obtained it?"

"That place has been deserted for years. The Nameless Ruin is actually a very ancient, destroyed temple. The best opportunities were probably taken long ago. What's left is considered trash by geniuses. That's the only reason I managed to slip past the guardian beast in the first place. No one really knows what it's guarding. As long as no one approaches the core area, the guardian beast doesn't attack. But many believe the treasure is still there, waiting for its rightful heir."

"Just think about it," she continued. "A Gold Core Realm beast, guarding something inside a secret realm that doesn't allow cultivators above the Foundation Building stage to enter. Everyone who comes here is only at the Qi Condensation or Foundation Building stage. That's why so many believe the treasure is still untouched—but no one dares to try raiding that place. It's been abandoned. I was just curious… wanted to see what it was guarding. And that ended up alerting the beast. It sent out its subordinates to hunt me down."

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