Grandpa, times have changed.

Chapter 624 Revisiting Xuanjian City

"Based on the time interval between the previous two batches of mission progress reports, your batch's mission progress report should be released at the latest the day after tomorrow."

A glint of light flashed in Zhao Ruohan's eyes.

Because of that one glance, they both realized that they were actually entangled...

Since that's the case, there's no need to deliberately hide it anymore.

After all, she had only just begun to learn how to integrate cultivation into her daily life, and she was not yet very skilled at it, so she couldn't do it as naturally as Chi Jiuyu.

If you deliberately suppress it, your cultivation efficiency will decrease significantly.

"There's no point in you hiding it now."

They'd find out sooner or later anyway.

“Of course it’s meaningful!” Chi Jiuyu pursed her lips.

It's alright if your score isn't high among the third batch of Ascension Messengers.

But if my score is among the top in the third batch of Ascension Messengers, it would be a huge loss for me to reveal now that I haven't had two days to show off!

Moreover, if Xiao Zhao finds out, Xiao Ye and Xiao Xuanxuan will definitely find out too.

In case of an emergency, there's a tiny chance they might perform better than me.

I just happened to have been a bit too high-profile these past two days.

Wouldn't that make me look like a clown...?

She doesn't want to be a clown fisherman again!
In short, for a variety of complex reasons.

She would absolutely not reveal the Ascension Points she had earned from this mission to anyone before the mission progress report was released!

Xiao Yunlu doesn't count.

She was his junior sister, not one of the 'others'.

emm...

The main reason was that she had heard about it from her master the day she returned, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

"What's the point?"

"You'll know then."

Chi Jiuyu used a sentence that Xu Xing had said to her several times before as her answer.

Zhao Ruohan raised an eyebrow.

You've even put on a riddle-solving act here!
"Alright, alright, let's not talk about this anymore."

Chi Jiuyu sat up from the sofa, took the cut fruit plate from the coffee table in front of her, placed it on her lap, and popped a piece of fruit into her mouth.

"Brother Dog, you're really not coming?"

Because she was very curious about Dog Brother's reaction when he saw Little Ye, she asked Little Zhao to bring Dog Brother along this time.

To her surprise, Xiao Zhao told her that Dog Brother didn't want to come...

"Not coming."

Zhao Ruohan paused for a moment, then sat up from the recliner.

He said he didn't know how to deal with it for the time being and needed to think about it for a while.

"That's fine."

It's just something I did on the side, so it won't make a big difference if I don't come.

The two chatted about other topics for a while.

Soon after, Zhao Ruohan challenged Chi Jiuyu to another match, and Chi Jiuyu readily agreed, the two ended the video call.

He put the fruit plate on his lap back on the coffee table in front of him.

She stood up, twisted her neck, and turned to walk outside.

They arrived at a custom-made wooden frame outside the cave.

On the wooden shelf were several potted plants, each with leaves and branches that emitted a faint glow, and some even had fragrant spiritual fruits hanging from them.

But the most peculiar and mysterious thing is the one placed at the highest point of the wooden frame.

The Xuanzhu fruit tree has branches like crystal and leaves like white jade.

Three Xuanzhu fruits, emitting a white glow and resembling small lanterns, hung on the branch, swaying gently.

There used to be only one black candle fruit tree.

It wasn't until later that I met Lin Xuanxuan and Zhao Ruohan.

One of them was a genius alchemist from Jishi Valley, and the other, due to his innate supernatural abilities, enjoyed cultivating some unique spiritual plants.

Therefore, Chi Jiuyu would occasionally receive some spiritual plants from the two of them.

As a return gift, she would also buy some specialties of the Sword Sect and send them over.

Chi Jiuyu picked up the watering can beside her, took out a specially prepared spiritual liquid from her storage ring, poured it in, and started watering the Xuanzhu fruit tree.

Looking at the plump and round black candle fruit hanging on the branch, swaying in the wind, she couldn't help but feel a little depressed.

If you do the math, she's had this Mysterious Candle Fruit Tree from the Spirit Ancestor for several years now.

However, after nurturing it for so long and investing a considerable amount of spirit coins, the tree simply hasn't grown at all...

Hey~
At this rate, I don't know when I'll be able to live the life of 'freedom' like with the Xuanzhu Fruit.

She had originally planned to grow the Xuanzhu fruit tree in her possession into a larger plant and use some of the Xuanzhu fruit to feed fish.

But as things stand now...

There's not enough food for myself!

Thinking about it, she looked again at the nascent cave-like structure buried under the Xuanzhu fruit tree, overflowing with five-colored light.

Compared to before, the overflowing five-colored light has dimmed considerably.

However, the interior has changed quite a bit compared to before.

The previous nascent cave was filled with radiant light, a scene of chaos before creation, where yin and yang were indistinguishable.

At this moment, it was shrouded in a hazy mist, as if a line stretched across it, dividing it into two distinct colors.

One side is light and ethereal, the other is profound and weighty.

"In the beginning of chaos, the clear and the turbid were separated, the four symbols appeared, and the five elements were born..." Chi Jiuyu muttered.

This is precisely the manifestation of the cave gradually perfecting and being nurtured into the second stage.

At the current pace, this grotto-heaven will be fully developed in another ten years or so.

If her cultivation level improves further during this period, she might be able to progress even faster.

"The items given by my martial uncle are indeed of very high quality."

Not all grotto-heavens go through this process. Generally speaking, only those grotto-heavens of extremely high quality and with extremely complete internal rules will exhibit various unusual phenomena of world evolution during the nurturing process.

Over ten years……

Chi Jiuyu looked up at the horizon, seemingly with a touch of melancholy.

Including those three years in the Great Universe of the Military Realm, she, the number one genius of all the heavens and myriad realms, is almost thirty years old.

I need to act more composed and mature in the future.

emm...

I wonder what Xiaoyunlu is doing. Maybe I should call her over to play games later!
……

……

Meanwhile, in a city located on the edge of Jianzhou, relatively far from the Sword Sect.

This was also the city where Xu Xing stopped when he left the country this time.

Xuanjian City.

At this time, it was on the roadside near the south gate of Xuanjian City No. 3 Middle School.

A man and a woman walked side by side, with another person following behind them.

It was Xu Xing, Bie Xuening, and Zhang Yunlu.

"Master, Uncle-Master, is it really okay for us to come out like this?" Zhang Yunlu asked in a low voice.

I didn't even tell my senior sister.

I only brought myself out; what if my senior sister found out...?

“She’s been very busy these past few days,” Xu Xing said casually. “It looks like she hasn’t had time to come out with us.”

"Go back to your old school first," Bie Xuening said. "It's about time. Your uncle and I will come back to find you."

Wealth and honor do not return to their hometown, just like walking in brocade at night.

Besides, Xiao Yunlu is now her disciple, wouldn't it be a waste not to show off a bit!

If that traitor had this experience, he'd probably have to come back and pretend every year!
"……Yes."

Since her master had already said that, what else could she say?

Moreover, her intuition told her that she really shouldn't continue following her master and uncle.

That would be superfluous...

Cough!

She couldn't come to the last school anniversary celebration because of something that came up, so this is her way of making up for it.

After bowing respectfully, Zhang Yunlu turned and walked towards the Third Middle School of Xuanjian City.

Xu Xing and Bie Xuening didn't stay long either, and soon left the vicinity.

……

...When people revisit familiar places, they always have many feelings.

Whether you like it or not, whether your experiences on this land are good or bad.

Take Zhang Yunlu for example; she has very mixed feelings right now.

She originally thought this was just a place she had stayed in, and that she wouldn't feel much even if she returned here.

After all, compared to what I experienced after joining the Sword Sect, the years I spent at Xuanjian City No. 3 Middle School were far too dull and ordinary.

but……

Xuanjian City No. 3 Middle School.

Looking at the several large, gleaming characters high above, she felt a strange sense of melancholy.

Those mundane and ordinary daily routines now seem like an old movie, slowly flowing through her heart.

After a long while, Zhang Yunlu lowered her head and glanced back.

But they discovered that their master and uncle were gone.

"..."

After a pause, she walked to the security booth next to the school gate, intending to report to the security guard before entering the school.

However, they had just arrived near the security booth.

"Zhang Yunlu?"

A slightly surprised voice came from behind.

Ok?
Turning around, I saw that the newcomer was at the late Foundation Establishment stage, dressed in casual clothes, with a neat short haircut.

"It really is you!" The man seemed somewhat surprised.

Zhang Yunlu frowned:
"You are……?"

The man seemed to choke for a moment.

"I am Fang Lin."

Fang Lin...

I remember now, it was that transfer student who came to the school back then, and he was even related to the homeroom teacher.

He even challenged himself when the school held a magic contest.

Hello, classmate.

Although the two didn't interact much, Zhang Yunlu still replied politely.

"You... then you go ahead and do your thing."

I had intended to exchange a few pleasantries with Zhang Yunlu.

Just standing in front of her, Fang Lin felt an immense pressure, a feeling that even surpassed that of his uncle, or even the head of the teaching department...

Especially when she thought about how her uncle had ostracized her...

I became even more nervous, so in the end I didn't say anything.

"Ah."

Seeing that Zhang Yunlu seemed to have no recollection of him, Fang Lin felt a little disappointed but also relieved.

Not daring to linger any longer, they hurried towards the school.

It's summer vacation now, so he used his parents' connections to get a substitute teaching position at the Third Middle School.

As for the purpose, it's to earn some spirit coins while also accumulating some experience to prepare for the future.

Zhang Yunlu didn't pay much attention to it.

After all, she was a very 'isolated' person when she was at Xuanjian City No. 3 Middle School, so she really didn't have any impression of Fang Lin, a transfer student.

Zhang Yunlu quickly completed the registration process inside the security booth.

Just as I was about to enter the school.

Ding dong~!

The message notification tone then sounded.

Take out your phone and take a look.

Senior Sister: "Little Yunlu, are you busy right now? Come play games here! /Burning Fighting Spirit Little Shark"

Influenced by Bie Xuening's "Little Yellow Duck" series of emojis.

Chi Jiuyu felt that as the Sword Master's personal disciple, he should keep up with his master's footsteps, so he found someone on the Spirit Network to design this set of 'Little Shark' emoji packs.

Senior sister: "The new game is so much fun!"

Upon seeing this message, Zhang Yunlu pursed her lips and suddenly felt a little sorry for her senior sister...

Lucky Xiao Zhang: "Senior Sister, I'm not in the Sword Sect right now."

Senior Sister: "Hmm? Where did you run off to? Did Master assign you another task?"

Lucky Xiao Zhang: "No, I just went back to visit my old school."

Senior sister: "Your old school? The one in Xuanjian City?"

Lucky Xiao Zhang: "Yes"

Senior sister: "Holy crap! You should have called me when you went back to show off!"

'My senior sister retracted a message'

It's obvious that his hands moved faster than his brain.

Senior sister: "What I mean is, it's so boring for you to be all alone."

Lucky Xiao Zhang: "I'm not the only one."

Senior sister: "Could it be your brother?"

Lucky Xiao Zhang: "No"

After sending the message, Zhang Yunlu hesitated for a moment before slowly typing.

Lucky Xiao Zhang: "And my martial uncle..."

Lucky Xiao Zhang: "With my master"

In the end, she couldn't bear to hide it from her senior sister.

The message was sent, but there was no reply for a long time; it just kept showing 'The other party is typing...'

About a minute later.

Senior sister: "Wait for me! I'll be right there!"

……

……

The outskirts of Xuanjian City.

The mountain peak where the Moon Shadow Secret Realm was originally located.

The vegetation was lush, birds chirped, tigers, wolves, monkeys roared, and even giant snakes as thick as buckets could be seen swimming.

A colorful figure darted past in the shadow of the bushes.

The entire mountain appears wild and primitive, inspiring awe at first glance.

In those worlds devoid of spirits and with limited technology, this place would be an extremely dangerous place that ordinary people would find very difficult to venture into.

However, in a world like the Tai Xuan Realm where cultivation is widespread and cultivators are almost everywhere, this place doesn't even qualify as 'dangerous'.

Many junior high school students from Xuanjian City come here under the supervision of their teachers to spar with wild animals and build their courage.

At this moment, Xu Xing and Bie Xuening were slowly ascending the mountain path.

Wherever the two went, the surrounding wild beasts retreated like a tide, unaware of their presence.

The journey was smooth.

Before long, the two arrived at the highest point of the mountain.

The surrounding area is mostly covered with low shrubs, with a few taller trees scattered here and there, their branches and leaves sparse.

This is why the view here is excellent; one can see the mountains at a glance.

Bie Xuening stood beside Xu Xing, looking at the distant, rolling mountains, a strange emotion flashing in her eyes.

Although the scene before her was quite ordinary, it took on a different color in her eyes at this moment.

after all……

It's been so many years since I've come out with my junior brother like this...

After a while, Bie Xuening's gaze shifted in another direction:
"It used to be in that direction over there."

Xu Xing followed her gaze into the distance and responded softly.

"Ah."

That place was once the bamboo grove where they began their spiritual practice under their master's guidance.

But time flies, and years change.

The bamboo forest, which once held countless beautiful memories, was destroyed in that final tragedy.

However, from the past to the present, they have never had the idea of ​​fixing it.

After all, people need to remember what happened and understand what they need to do in order to avoid making decisions they will regret in the future.

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(End of this chapter)