Chapter 469: The barrier set up by the powerful Kongjie?

Lin Che took his seat as requested. When his fingertips touched the stone table, he felt a warm, cool sensation on the surface, like jade imbued with raindrops.

Gazing at the wisps of smoke rising from his cup, Lin Che carefully began, "To be honest, I awoke here without cause and have no memory of the past ten years. I came here, firstly, to confirm my situation with Brother Qinglin, and secondly, to ask… has there been anything unusual in the Rain Immortal Realm recently?"

Qinglin took a sip of tea, a faint light shimmering in his琉璃-colored eyes. "During the years you were unconscious, someone was secretly protecting you. The array outside that stone cave was casually set up by someone, capable of blocking the prying eyes of cultivators below the Empty Profound realm."

"As for anything unusual, not really. It's just that the mountain mists have been thicker than usual recently, which I assume is due to the season."

With that, Immortal Emperor Qinglin raised his hand and gestured towards the outside of the hall. A phoenix tree leaf, still bearing morning dew, slowly drifted into the hall and landed before Lin Che.

"This leaf is from the back mountain. If you have nothing else to do, you can take a walk there. There's a spring eye that, when steeped and drunk, can calm the spirit, and it's gentler than the elixirs in your storage bag."

Lin Che looked at the verdant leaf and gently touched the dewdrop on its surface with his fingertip. He felt a refreshing energy flow into his body.

Under the surging internal energy, his injuries recovered significantly, causing him to marvel at how terrifying Immortal Emperor Qinglin's power was.

Lin Che looked up at Qinglin, seeing him staring out at the rain mist outside the hall, lost in thought. A bit of the Immortal Emperor's majesty was gone from his expression, replaced by the relaxed air of an ordinary cultivator.

"Thank you, Brother Qinglin."

Immortal Emperor Qinglin waved his hand indifferently, as if such things were already the most common for him.

Lin Che sat in the chair, took a sip of tea, and nodded, saying, "Immortal Lord Qingshuang is still waiting for you in the Vermilion Bird Kingdom. Have you forgotten your daughter?"

Immortal Emperor Qinglin paused his movements, a hint of undetectable gravity flashing in his eyes, then said bitterly, "I have always felt guilty about what happened back then. The Rain Immortal Realm was destroyed, and I still existed, but she perished…"

"If not for your help, Qingshuang would probably be scattered, never to be reborn for all eternity."

Lin Che's hand, holding the teacup, paused. Looking at the guilt churning in Qinglin's eyes, he said softly, "Brother Qinglin, there's no need for that. I merely happened to be there at the right time. Moreover, Immortal Lord Qingshuang has a tenacious spirit; her ability to persevere until the day of reunion was largely due to herself."

Qinglin silently shook his head, his fingertips gently caressing the rim of the cup, the swaying tea water reflected in his琉璃-colored eyes.

"Though that may be true, as a father, I couldn't protect her when she needed me most. Now that she is safe in the Vermilion Bird Kingdom, I dare not easily go see her, fearing her resentment, and also fearing that when I face her, I won't even be able to utter an apology."

The rain mist outside the hall had grown thicker at some point, and tiny raindrops pattered on the eaves, making a rustling sound.

Lin Che gazed at Qinglin's lonely profile, suddenly recalling the unfamiliar jade pendant in the stone cave. His heart stirred slightly, but he didn't ask further, merely picked up his teacup and took a sip.

"Actually, sometimes, meeting doesn't necessarily require thorough preparation. Perhaps Immortal Lord Qingshuang just wants to see if you are well now."

Upon hearing this, a trace of emotion flashed in Qinglin's eyes. He looked up towards the outside of the hall, where the outline of the back mountain was vaguely visible through the rain mist.

After a moment, Immortal Emperor Qinglin sighed softly, but a faint smile appeared on his lips: "Perhaps you are right. In a few days, I will make a trip to the Vermilion Bird Kingdom."

Immortal Emperor Qinglin raised his hand and gestured towards the stone table. A plate of crystal-clear fruits appeared out of thin air. "These are precious spirit fruits from the Rain Immortal Realm, which can help you recover your cultivation."

"Thank you."

Lin Che nodded, then naturally collected the fruits in front of him. He looked up and asked, "Brother Qinglin, in all these years I've been unconscious, have you discovered who saved me?"

Immortal Emperor Qinglin shook his head and replied, "This Lord is also unclear. When you first arrived here, you were enveloped by destiny. Unless one went there personally, it was impossible to investigate."

"The person capable of setting up this array must have reached the Empty Tribulation realm. Even this Lord cannot investigate in the slightest."

Lin Che's fingertips rubbed the edge of his storage bag. When he heard the words "Empty Tribulation realm," his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Empty Tribulation cultivators were legendary existences in the current cultivation world. To be able to silently set up an array that even Qinglin couldn't detect, and to be willing to expend destiny to protect him for ten years—this person's actions were far too secretive.

"Empty Tribulation realm…"

Lin Che repeated softly, his gaze falling on the falling rain outside the hall, a hint of undetectable solemnity flashing in his eyes.

"Have there been any clues at all? Such as the aura of the array, or traces left by the person who protected me?"

Qinglin put down his teacup, his fingertips gently tapping the stone table, a thoughtful light appearing in his琉璃-colored eyes.

"There is one clue. Last year, in late spring, when I passed by the stone cave where you were unconscious, I smelled a very faint fragrance, like the scent of some spiritual plant in bloom. It was very elegant, unlike anything native to the Rain Immortal Realm."

Immortal Emperor Qinglin paused, then added, "That fragrance only lingered for a moment before dissipating. I followed the scent at the time, but only found a blue petal, blown down by the wind, on the mountainside. It was the same kind as those scattered in your stone cave."

Lin Che's heart stirred. He instinctively reached for his lapel; the jade pendant he had collected from the stone table in the cave was still there, warm to the touch.

He suddenly remembered the blue cloth patch on his sleeve, the meticulous stitching, the unfamiliar blue cloth, and now the blue petals Qinglin spoke of.

These fragmented clues all seemed to point to the same person, yet he searched his memory and couldn't recall even a vague outline related to it.

"Blue petals…"

Lin Che raised an eyebrow and murmured, "Brother Qinglin, do you know what kind of spiritual plant those came from?"

Qinglin shook his head, a wisp of light blue spiritual energy condensing on his fingertip, outlining the shape of a petal in the air.

"I've checked the ancient texts of the Rain Immortal Realm and haven't seen this kind of flower. The edges of the petals have subtle silver patterns, and when dried, they emit a calming scent. Perhaps it's some kind of extraterrestrial spiritual plant."

Lin Che looked at the petal outlined by the spiritual energy and suddenly felt it looked familiar, as if he had seen similar patterns somewhere. But the more he tried to recall, the emptier his mind became, leaving only a vague sense of unease.

He picked up his teacup and took a sip, trying to suppress that inexplicable emotion. But as the tea entered his throat, he tasted a faint sweetness, surprisingly similar to a certain scent he had encountered in a secret realm back then.

"Never mind, let's not discuss this for now."

Seeing his solemn expression, Qinglin changed the subject. He raised his hand and gestured towards the outside of the hall. A blue bird, its feathers beaded with raindrops, flew in and landed on his shoulder.