Is it even possible to create a singly linked list using a function outside of main and then access it once you leave the function?

pseudo:

#include //whatever needs to be included

function{
\\create and link lists in this function
}

main{
funtion()//call function to create lists and link properly

print(my_new_list)//traverse properly through the list here once out of function scope
}

I've been at this forever now and can't find any help out there to even confirm if it is possible this way or not. I understand how to build a linked list and then traverse it provided I am in the same function it was created in, it is the separate function that is messing things up for me because of the whole scope issue.

Is it even possible to create a singly linked list using a function outside of main and then access it once you leave the function?

Um, yes. If that weren't possible, linked lists in C would be rather useless, no?

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

struct node {
    int data;
    struct node *next;
};

struct node *make_list(void)
{
    struct node *list = NULL;
    int i;
    
    for (i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
        struct node *nn = malloc(sizeof *nn);
        
        if (nn == NULL)
            break;
            
        nn->data = i;
        nn->next = list;
        list = nn;
    }
    
    return list;
}

int main(void)
{
    struct node *list = make_list();
    struct node *it, *save;
    
    for (it = list; it != NULL; it = save) {
        save = it->next;
        printf("%d\n", it->data);
        free(it);
    }
    
    return 0;
}
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