It felt like a world apart.
The appearance remained the same, yet the person was no longer the same.
Ding Yan didn't know why he wanted to see Fang Yuyao, perhaps it was because of the memories of the previous owner of his body, or maybe it was because deep down, that nearly forgotten figure.
"Junior Brother Ding, you have just become an elder of the valley. Let me hand over the jade tokens to you, and also, tomorrow, Master Uncle will come out of seclusion. You will need to come to the back valley," Lu Renxing's voice broke the brief silence from inside the valley.
Ten green jade tokens turned into streams of light and flew out of the valley. Ding Yan waved his sleeve, and with a flick of his fingers, he grabbed the ten jade tokens in his hand.
"Jade tokens!" Many disciples stared at the jade tokens in Ding Yan's hand, their eyes glowing with envy.
Some people also noticed the title of the valley master just now.
"Youngest disciple Ding? Could it be that this person is really the former Fifth Senior Brother?!"
"Absolutely Senior Brother Ding! Haven't you seen his expression towards Senior Sister Fang?"
"Immortal cultivator! Senior Brother Ding has actually become an immortal cultivator..."
"In eight years, from the ninth level of Qi Refining to the realm of immortal cultivation, this speed is probably no less than that of the Faint Blue Sea of the Skyscraping Sect."
Looking at Ding Yan's eyes, the disciples were not only shocked but also filled with awe.
Derived from their awe of immortal cultivators!
Especially Yunfeng, at this moment, looking at Ding Yan, besides awe, there was also a little fear. Because his identity as one of the top ten disciples was snatched from Ding Yan, even though it was officially termed a trade, everyone knew that at that time Ding Yan was seriously injured and had no choice.
"Will he kill me?" Yunfeng couldn't help but sweat on his forehead.
An immortal cultivator killing a disciple of the Qi Refining realm, perhaps even the valley master wouldn't care. After all, it was clear who was more important. No one would be foolish enough to offend an immortal cultivator for the sake of a Qi Refining disciple. Ding Yan naturally didn't know what Yunfeng was thinking in his heart, and even if he did, he wouldn't bother. At this moment, regardless of his state of mind or cultivation level, they were not something Yunfeng could understand. In his eyes, Yunfeng was just a lowly insect.
Ignoring Yunfeng.
"Sister, this jade token is for you." Ding Yan opened his hand, took out one of the ten jade tokens, and handed it to Fang Yuyao.
A faint smile appeared on Fang Yuyao's face.
A smile that could topple a city.
When seeing Ding Yan again, no one would understand what Fang Yuyao was thinking at the moment.
Seeing Fang Yuyao's smile, Guxu was stunned. Since the failure of Mo Feifan's tribulation crossing, Fang Yuyao had hardly smiled again; between her eyebrows, there was a trace of unshakable sorrow, like longing, like reminiscence, and like sadness.
Why?
Guxu felt bitter in his heart.
"Fifth Senior Brother."
Fang Yuyao whispered, but did not take the jade token.
Ding Yan sighed and turned around, looking at the expressions of the disciples, he understood the reason behind the situation.
Every time Lianhua Valley issued identity jade tokens, they would be given to the top ten disciples first. Although Ding Yan joined the sect late, he had indeed been one of the top ten disciples, so he knew this information. Now, since Fang Yuyao did not accept the identity jade token, the only explanation was that someone had stolen her right to collect the identity jade token.
"This will be interesting."
Some disciples gloated as they looked at Wu Wei and Sima Xu.
Wu Wei's face turned pale, and his eyes involuntarily looked at Sima Xu beside him.
Sima Xu remained calm, without saying a word, and no one knew what he was thinking.
Ding Yan turned around, took out another jade token, and handed it to Fang Yuyao again. "What Mo Feifan couldn't accomplish, I will. This jade token is mine!"
This time, Fang Yuyao did not refuse, she accepted the jade token, and looked at Ding Yan, saying with a smile, "Thank you, Fifth Senior Brother!"
With one of the top ten disciples absent, Ding Yan, as an elder of the sect, naturally had the right to give Fang Yuyao the jade token that originally belonged to Mo Feifan.
Looking at Fang Yuyao's smile, he felt a little absent-minded.
The face from his memory gradually merged with the person in front of his eyes.
At this moment, he thought of the Qiankun Sect, the Rainy Mountain, and the figure that disappeared into the rain.
Ding Yan, I hate you!
For some reason, Ding Yan's heart suddenly ached.
"Who stole Yuyao's jade token?"
The pressure of the immortal cultivator was released without any concealment. Ding Yan's aura was already stronger than that of an ordinary immortal cultivator, nearly reaching the level of a Thunder Tribulation stage immortal cultivator. When released, many disciples trembled and felt a sense of fear.
"It was done by Wu Wei! He bullied Sister, who doesn't have any attacking divine abilities."
"Ding Uncle, and Sima Xu too, it was Sima Xu who directed him to do it."
Some timid disciples directly accused the two.
Wu Wei's face turned pale. "Ding Uncle... Senior Uncle, I was just following the rules of the sect. Senior Uncle, as an immortal cultivator, shouldn't hold grudges against me, a junior..."
In comparison, Sima Xu was much calmer. He looked at Ding Yan and said, "Senior Uncle, you are already an immortal cultivator and also an elder of our Lianhua Valley. Shouldn't you interfere in the matters of disciples?"
The moment he spoke, he marginalized Ding Yan and made it difficult for him to act against them due to their status.
Looking at the two, a faint smile suddenly appeared at the corner of Ding Yan's mouth.
"Very well."
Sima Xu let out a cold laugh and remained silent.
Suddenly, a dazzling light burst out from Ding Yan's eyes, and a powerful divine sense formed two invisible thorns, piercing directly into the consciousness of the two.
Puff!!
Without any warning, both of them spurted out blood from their mouths, and their eyes dimmed.
"Senior Brother, I found two infiltrators from the Cultivation Sect. I handled them without your consent. Senior Brother won't blame me, will you?" Feeling a divine sense sweep past him, Ding Yan turned around and looked towards the direction of the inner valley, speaking calmly.
In the valley, Lu Renxing's face changed slightly.
"He actually sensed my immortal consciousness! How is that possible? Didn't he just pass the heavenly tribulation?"
Lu Renxing had been a wandering immortal for over a hundred years. During this time, his cultivation had been improving. He was confident that although he had not yet passed the first tribulation of a wandering immortal, ordinary wandering immortals would not be able to sense his immortal consciousness.
Ding Yan sneered. His soul was extremely powerful, and having devoured the spiritual essence of more than half of a seven-tribulation wandering immortal within the Illusory Nine Heavens, it was unlikely that even a first tribulation wandering immortal could spy on him without him noticing.
"As a senior in the sect, he can handle this matter himself. There's no need to report to me."
It was a while before Lu Renxing's voice came from within the valley.
Ding Yan ignored him and, after discarding the remaining identity jade tokens, took Fang Yuyao and flew out of the valley.
For him, the Lotus Flower Valley held no sense of belonging, and he believed it was the same for Fang Yuyao.
"Sister, I will take you home…"
In the void, Ding Yan looked at Fang Yuyao silently.
Home! Where was his home now?