Chapter 116: A Puzzling Question

After a long night, Ji Xuanyu returned early to the place where Yin Yao was staying, waiting for her to wake up. There were matters that required the two of them to discuss together before a conclusion could be reached.

Having spent the entire night reading through various ancient texts and countless obscure, nameless unofficial histories, Ji Xuanyu’s eyes were bloodshot. With his red, swollen eyes, anyone who didn't know better might have wondered what he had been up to.

Yin Yao opened her eyes on the bed, a trace of confusion lingering for a moment before clarity returned. Looking up, she saw Ji Xuanyu nearby; it seemed he had been waiting for quite some time.

Sensing the subtle movement, Ji Xuanyu knew Yin Yao was awake. He picked up a cup of water and walked toward her. "Yao'er, you're awake. Drink some water. How are you feeling?"

Taking the cup, Yin Yao tilted her head back and drank it all, clearly still thirsty. She wiped the water from her lips and spoke with a heavy tone: "As you have seen, my nights truly no longer belong to me."

Ji Xuanyu took the empty cup and nodded. "Last night, your Third Grandfather said your internal spiritual power was severely depleted, leaving only enough to sustain your life. However, he also mentioned that he believes this depletion is temporary—or perhaps an illusion. He feels your spiritual power is actually abundant. Furthermore, he examined your body and found no anomalies."

Yin Yao closed her eyes to sense her own condition. Her spiritual power was currently full; there was no sign of depletion at all. It seemed the mysterious woman had kept her word, only borrowing her power at night and returning it fully by day. But who was she, and why did she need to use her power?

"I have recovered. It seems what that woman said is true," Yin Yao opened her eyes and said, resigned to her conclusion.

Ji Xuanyu fell into deep thought. Yin Yao had already spoken! It seemed this mysterious woman had taken a fancy to Yin Yao's spiritual power. But Yin Yao had only just arrived on the Void Continent; how could she have been targeted so easily? It was hard to imagine anyone on this continent capable of gathering such detailed information on her in such a short time, and then forcibly borrowing her power so brazenly. If this continued, would Yao'er lose her combat capability every night?

He had scoured so many books yesterday, yet found nothing regarding this phenomenon. Could this be a long-lost secret art?

Ji Xuanyu frowned in contemplation. Seeing him like this, Yin Yao could not bear to disturb him, so she got out of bed to wash up.

It seemed there were far too many things on the Void Continent that she needed to deal with. Was this strange, mysterious woman a friend or a foe? She was still too weak!

...

The woman in white knew her secret and did not intend to let Li Su know so soon. She knew that once daylight came, she would turn into a fox and disappear temporarily, as she needed to return the spiritual power to Yin Yao.

To ensure the waking Li Su remained unaware, the woman in white found a medicinal herb in the forest and fed it to him, guaranteeing that he would sleep until nightfall. By then, she would once again possess Yin Yao's spiritual power and appear.

This also gave Li Su enough time to recover his strength—a win-win situation.

When the first rays of sunlight shone into the cave the woman had found during the night, she had already vanished. A cute white fox lay curled up beside Li Su. Li Su remained asleep, and everything proceeded according to the woman’s plan.

...

Hearing that Yin Yao had awakened, the Third Grandfather was the first to rush toward her courtyard. He had become increasingly doting on this granddaughter.

The group of people behind him watched his hurried pace and shook their heads helplessly: was this really the same man who had once attacked Yin Yao in a fit of rage?

Just as Yin Yao stepped out of her room and stretched, she saw a figure moving like the wind, which gave her a small fright. Upon realizing who it was, she felt a slight headache. Why was this Third Grandfather becoming less like an elder? Looking at that speed and his vigorous energy, he didn't look like a man of one or two hundred years old at all.

Indeed, all six of Yin Yao’s grandfathers were over a hundred years old. The youngest, the Sixth Grandfather, was one hundred and eighty, while the eldest was over two hundred. Yet, they were not ordinary humans and looked only to be in their sixties or seventies.

"Girl, why didn't you rest a bit longer? Come, get back inside!" Seeing Yin Yao standing in the courtyard, the Third Grandfather reached out to pull her toward the room.

Yin Yao looked down at the hand gripping hers. It felt as if, long ago, her mother had once gently patted the back of her hand with such care. Not long ago, her mother's sister, Bai Ling, had grabbed her hand with similar excitement, and the simple, lovely Bai Yun had held her hand just as naturally. Was this the feeling of family? It felt quite nice.

Though it seemed he was just holding her hand, the Third Grandfather was actually channeling his own spiritual power into Yin Yao's body to check her condition. Soon, Yin Yao felt a trace of his energy inside her. Glancing at him, she knew whose power it was and whispered, "Third Grandfather, I am fine now. Please don't worry."

The Third Grandfather looked at her suspiciously and shook his head. It was not that he didn't believe her, but he wanted to ascertain her condition himself. He was incredibly curious about what exactly was behind this sudden incident.

Yin Yao's body was indeed as she had described—fully recovered. Her spiritual power was abundant, a far cry from the depletion he had detected the night before. Bai Yun had already told everyone about her state throughout the night, noting she had been in a state of depletion until she woke up in the morning. It was truly bizarre.

It was so eerie that one couldn't help but suspect a massive conspiracy lurking beneath the surface.

"Girl, do you feel any discomfort? When exactly did your spiritual power return?" The Third Grandfather walked into the room with her, oblivious to any impropriety.

Yin Yao still couldn't quite get used to it. She quietly pulled her hand away, hoping not to hurt the old man, but he was so focused on her condition that he didn't notice.

"Third Grandfather, my power returned this morning after I woke up. I don't actually know when it happened; it was just there when I regained consciousness." Yin Yao hesitated, wondering whether to tell him about the mysterious woman.

Just as she finished speaking, the other five grandfathers arrived. Bai Ling, Bai Ziye, and Bai Yong did not come, as they were burdened with heavy responsibilities. Bai Yun seemed to be slowly growing accustomed to the habits of these elders and their interactions, no longer feeling the one-sided fear she had initially.

As soon as they entered, the elders began asking about Yin Yao's condition. Yin Yao told them the truth without reservation. Upon hearing her account, all the elders agreed that the situation was highly suspicious. Spiritual power disappearing mysteriously at night and returning in full by day? They had never heard of such a technique.

They wondered if Yin Yao had inadvertently offended someone. But then again, she had only been on the Void Continent for a few days and was constantly under their protection; how could she have encountered someone so strange? Could it be that someone had targeted her before she even arrived?

At this thought, cold sweat broke out on the elders' backs. If that were the case, what kind of person would go to such lengths to plot against her from the very beginning? The level of calculation was terrifying.

The way the elders looked at Yin Yao changed. Sensing their gazes and the emotions within them, Yin Yao felt a warmth in her heart. Regardless of what the elders were imagining, their concern for her was genuine.

Perhaps it was time to tell them. Maybe they had encountered this before.

Ji Xuanyu and Bai Yun were now acting as helpers, serving tea and water, yet neither had any complaints.

Yin Yao looked up at Ji Xuanyu. At the same moment, as if he knew her thoughts, he looked back. Their gazes met, and Ji Xuanyu understood. He nodded, signaling he had no objections and that she should decide for herself.

Turning back, Yin Yao looked at the six grandfathers and spoke with great solemnity: "Grandfathers, I have been keeping something from you. I am sorry."

The six elders were in perfect sync; they remained silent, signaling for her to continue. They were all listening intently.

"I think everyone remembers how quickly I leveled up yesterday. Also, when Third and Fifth Grandfather touched me, they were immobilized, and their spiritual power surged into me. The truth is, when I reached the peak of the Void Sect stage, I intended to stop and withdraw from my sea of consciousness, but some unknown force of energy suddenly forced me to advance further."

"If that were all, it would be one thing. The strange part was that my spiritual power began to vanish rapidly afterward, leaving only half. I didn't want to give up, and then Third and Fifth Grandfather were forced to transfer their power to me. I used that opportunity to break through into the Void Emperor realm. At first, I was curious where that initial surge of power came from, but after hearing you all, I realized it came from them."

"And when I broke through to the Void Emperor realm, a woman's voice echoed in my consciousness. She said that from then on, my nights would belong to her." Yin Yao stopped, watching their reactions. She knew she had said enough.

The Third Grandfather stared at the tabletop and said in a deep voice, "You mean your nightly depletion and daytime recovery are all because of that statement?"

Yin Yao nodded.

"Let me think." The Third Grandfather fell into deep thought, as did the other elders. They were all considering if they had ever encountered such a situation and what could be done to resolve it.

After a long silence, the Fifth Grandfather suddenly stood up and shouted, "I think I remember something regarding a situation like this!"