Asura found Su Lin in her residence and decided to wait for her outside since boys were not allowed to enter girls' residences without permission. Girls, on the other hand, were permitted to enter boys' residences except for late at night. There were exceptions, such as family members being allowed to enter with the resident cultivator's agreement. This explained why Xie Ling could stay at Asura's residence with his permission.
After waiting for a while, Su Lin emerged from her residence, looking more beautiful than usual. Asura momentarily admired her before regaining his focus.
Upon seeing Asura outside her residence, Su Lin was surprised and asked, "Asura, why are you here? Do you need any help?"
Asura realized that Su Lin might have forgotten about the previous incident and proceeded to explain his reason for being there, "I am not here for any help. I am here to sincerely thank you and your master for the life-saving favor, and I apologize again for that accident."
Su Lin quickly responded, "You don't have to mention that. Regarding your recovery, it was my master who helped. There was nothing I could do except deliver the antidote. So if you want to express your gratitude, you should thank my master."
Asura expressed his desire to thank Su Lin's master personally but mentioned that her master was quite mysterious and didn't interact with others much. He asked if Su Lin knew how he could find her master.
Su Lin explained, "That's true. My master rarely meets anyone other than me. But don't worry, I'll convey your thanks to him."
Asura added, "I also wanted to give some gifts, but I realized I probably don't have anything he doesn't already possess. So all I can do is offer my words of gratitude. Su Lin, please let your master know that if he ever needs my assistance, I'll be more than willing to help, even if it's not much."
Su Lin responded, "Alright, is there anything else?"
After a moment of contemplation, Asura asked, "I also want to treat you. Would you like to join me?"
Su Lin was surprised by Asura's invitation, wild thoughts crossed her mind, such as, "Is he asking me out on a date?" but considering he was only offering a treat to express his gratitude for her saving his life, she controlled her emotions. However, still couldn't control her heartbeat which was beating rapidly.
As they were discussing where to go for a treat, a shadow suddenly emerged behind them. This person was tall and had white hair, but his face bore the appearance of a middle-aged man. His eyebrows were as sharp as knives, and there was a fierceness in his eyes.
Upon sensing the presence of this man, Asura and Su Lin turned around. After seeing who it was, they both bowed and greeted the person, saying, "Greetings, Head Master."
It turned out that he was the headmaster of the Xiao Sect. However, they couldn't comprehend why the headmaster himself had come to meet them personally. They were even more curious about the reason behind his visit.
Upon observing Asura and Su Lin bow, the headmaster nodded in approval. "Good. Not only are you both talented, but you also possess good character. I am fortunate to have such students in my sect," he remarked. He continued, "The reason I came here personally is to inform you that both of you have been invited to the royal palace by the royal family."
Asura and Su Lin were taken aback by this unexpected invitation from the royal family. They hadn't anticipated such an honor. Witnessing their surprised expressions, the headmaster smiled and added, "In fact, it's not just the two of you. The top 10 ranked spiritual realm cultivators have also been invited."
Upon hearing this, their surprised expressions lessened somewhat, though they still found it hard to believe. They had been extended an invitation to the royal palace.
The headmaster then went on to say, "I have already informed the other top rankers. However, I have been unable to contact Surya. He has gone missing. Do any of you know where Surya might be?"
Asura was taken aback upon learning that Surya was missing. He had wanted to find Surya once he had fully healed and settled his grievances with him. Little did he know, Surya was already dead, and his killer was standing right beside him.
Meanwhile, Su Lin felt a slight tension in her heart, yet she managed to maintain a composed facial expression. She had gained better control over her emotions this time. No one could suspect that she was the one who had killed that evil person, especially after Surya had already defeated her in the tournament. Little did they know that Su Lin had become far stronger than they could imagine.
Seeing both of them looking perplexed and surprised by his question, the headmaster deduced that they were unaware of Surya's whereabouts. He proceeded to inform them about the meeting time and location where they, along with the other top rankers, would gather. Afterward, they would follow the headmaster to the royal palace.
With that, the headmaster turned around and departed. After the headmaster left, Asura and Su Lin looked at each other.
Asura said, "Looks like I have to postpone the treat I was going to give you."
Su Lin replied, "It seems so," in a plain manner. However, if one were to observe closely, one could detect her excitement about the treat Asura was planning to give her. Yet, now this could only occur after the royal palace party.
After that, they talked a little more before parting ways.