Ye Yun and Ning Qianqin sat opposite each other at a tea table.
Ning Qianqin was casually brewing tea, while Ye Yun quietly observed her, his mind filled with numerous questions.
Seeing that she remained silent for a long time, Ye Yun finally took a deep breath and asked his first question.
"Um... Senior Ning?"
"If you don't mind, please call me Miss Ning. The title 'Senior' makes me feel a bit old."
Ning Qianqin gave him a faint smile, seeming impatient with the term "Senior."
Ye Yun, however, thought, *As expected, women are all the same when it comes to age...*
He then changed his address and continued.
"Miss Ning, have we met before?"
He asked this primarily because of her peculiar actions and expression when they first met. It felt as if she were meeting an old acquaintance.
However, Ning Qianqin, while continuing with her task, slowly replied.
"Whether we know each other or not is not important. What you truly want to know is probably not this, is it?"
"Uh..."
Seeing that she was unwilling to answer, Ye Yun gave up and nodded instead.
"Yes, I want to know how to leave this Endless Sea. Xu Ning mentioned that you might know."
He had expected that abruptly asking such a question might cause her to hesitate, or perhaps ponder whether to disclose it.
But Ning Qianqin showed no hesitation, simply smiling and saying.
"A way to leave? It's simple. Just complete three conditions, and you can naturally leave."
"Three conditions?"
"That's right."
Ning Qianqin's answer made Ye Yun raise his eyebrows.
"Tell me, what are the conditions?"
At this point, Ning Qianqin poured him a cup of tea, and then poured one for herself.
After taking a sip and setting down her cup, she spoke unhurriedly.
"The first condition: there is a girl by the sea. You need to find a way to make her sincerely take you as her master."
"Uh, you mean Xiao Meng?"
Setting aside the strangeness of the condition, the girl by the sea that Ye Yun first thought of was likely the purple-dressed maiden, Xiao Meng.
Indeed, Ning Qianqin nodded.
"It seems you have met her. It's that child."
"But how does this relate to me leaving?"
Ye Yun truly couldn't understand if there was any necessary connection between the two.
But Ning Qianqin didn't explain, merely saying in a low voice.
"You don't need to know. If you want to leave, just do as I say. Remember to do it by your own efforts."
"This... alright, I'll try..."
Ye Yun sighed. Since she had said so, what else could he do but comply? He thought about it; the girl seemed quite well-behaved, and taking her on wouldn't be a bad thing.
Then, he sighed and asked.
"What about the second condition?"
Ning Qianqin replied calmly.
"The second is that you need to master the power of heavenly principles here."
"Huh? You mean, you want me to break through to the Emperor tier here?"
He was currently at the Quasi-Emperor realm. Mastering the power of heavenly principles was equivalent to breaking through to the Emperor tier.
Ning Qianqin nodded and smiled faintly.
"Precisely."
"..."
Ye Yun fell silent upon receiving the answer. While the first condition might be completed soon, breaking through and mastering the power of heavenly principles was something he couldn't control. Such matters of destiny usually took decades or even centuries. Even with his abilities, it would likely take years. By then, leaving would feel like ancient history.
"Miss Ning, if I have to break through to the Emperor tier here, when will that be?"
Ye Yun frowned and couldn't help but complain.
"I have important matters and need to leave as soon as possible..."
"Your urgency is of no use."
Ning Qianqin said calmly. "This place is covered by spatial divine power. Apart from completing the conditions, even I cannot force our way out."
She paused and then added.
"However, you must have also felt it, right? The unique environment here makes breaking through to the Emperor tier not an overly difficult task."
"Uh... that's true."
Ye Yun sighed. Although breaking through to the Emperor tier here would indeed be much faster than outside, even so, he felt it would be hopeless without at least half a year to a year. But her attitude left him helpless, so he continued to ask.
"Alright, what is the last condition?"
With three conditions, the second one alone gave him a headache. He hoped the last one wouldn't be even more difficult.
However, Ning Qianqin smiled playfully.
"Let's talk about the last condition after you've completed the first two."
"Uh, is there a reason for that?"
Ye Yun was momentarily stunned.
Then, Ning Qianqin chuckled lightly.
"I'm afraid that if I tell you, it might discourage you and affect your state of mind afterward."
"..."
Ye Yun was speechless and waved his hand.
"Fine, then Miss Ning, you'd better not say it. These two conditions are enough to keep me busy."
Hearing this, Ning Qianqin smiled and said.
"You don't need to worry too much. The last condition is not troublesome. It can be very fast, or very slow, depending entirely on you."
Her words gave Ye Yun a strange feeling. At the same time, he felt that the conditions she proposed were like a chicken pecking rice, a dog eating noodles, and a fire burning through a lock – each seemed to consume a lot of time.
"Since you say so, Senior, I will try my best."
Regardless, the conditions were laid out, and he could only try. After speaking, he picked up his teacup and drank the tea in one gulp.
"Oh, right, Miss Ning, there's one more thing I'd like to ask you."
"Yes, go ahead."
"I heard that the giant stone gate on Moon Island is the entrance to the City of Old Gods. Is that true?"
Ye Yun gazed at her and asked another question that bothered him the most.
This time, Ning Qianqin pondered for a moment before nodding.
"That's correct. That is indeed the entrance to the City of Gods."
Upon hearing this, Ye Yun narrowed his eyes slightly. Looking at Ning Qianqin before him, he began to ponder. After some thought, he continued to ask.
"Then, is there a way to open the gate of the City of Gods?"
"I don't know about that."
Ning Qianqin shook her head without hesitation. However, to Ye Yun, her demeanor suggested she knew more than she let on.
Nevertheless, he didn't press further and changed the subject.
"One more thing, besides us, have there been any other outsiders here? There was a female Emperor tier cultivator, she seems to have been teleported here as well."
Ning Qianqin replied directly.
"We haven't found any yet. She is likely still lost at sea and hasn't encountered the islanders."
Ye Yun believed this. He recalled that even they had been trapped at sea for many days before they were fortunate enough to encounter Xu Ning and the others due to the aftermath of a battle. The female Emperor from the Abyss race had been missing only two or three days longer than them, so it was normal for her, with less luck, to not have encountered anyone.
"If we do meet her, I hope the Island Master will inform me."
"Agreed. If anyone discovers her, they will notify you."
"What is the City of Gods like?"
"That place..."