Grandpa, times have changed.

Night was falling.

Ning Ruo, however, showed no intention of going back.

After Xu Xing tried to persuade him several times to no avail, he stopped paying attention and calmed down to continue regulating his breathing to recover from his injuries.

Chi Jiuyu stood between the two, looking left and right, a knowing look flashing across her face.

Oh, so that's what happened.

I knew it! How could the Spirit Ancestor be that kind of person!

Fortunately, she always had great faith in Senior Lingzu.

emm...

However, on the other hand, I have seen what happened when my uncle, master, and several seniors met in the past.

So, the task assigned to me by my master and the agreement I made with the three seniors should be considered complete, right?
So, what changes will occur next?

Will I experience historical fragments normally like the other chosen prodigies of the immortal sects, or will this journey end abruptly?
Thinking it over, she held her breath and waited quietly for the change to happen.

However, after holding it in for more than ten minutes, nothing changed.

The night sky is still the same night sky.

The martial uncle was still meditating with his eyes closed, while the Spirit Ancestor was looking at the lake, occasionally glancing back at the martial uncle.

Several streaks of light streaked across the night sky in the distance, their destination seemingly right here...

Ok? !

Someone's coming!

Once she realized what was happening, golden light flashed in Chi Jiuyu's eyes as she looked at the streaks of light that had escaped.

The leader was a burly middle-aged man with sculpted features and a rugged appearance.

He was wearing a black cloak and carrying a giant sword on his back.

The ultimate goal is to achieve divine perfection.

Four people, men and women, followed behind him.

Apart from a young man whose eyebrows and eyes were somewhat similar to his, but whose temperament was not as firm as his, and whose cultivation level was only at the mid-stage of the Condensation Realm, the other three were all at the God Forging Realm.

Soon, Xu Xing, who was meditating with his eyes closed, and Ning Ruo also noticed that someone was approaching.

Call ~
The surging airflow dispersed, and as the streaks of light landed on the lake shore, Xu Xing and Ning Ruo also stood up.

"Leader," Ning Ruo said calmly.

Upon seeing her, the middle-aged man's expression became somewhat complicated.
She paused for a moment and then looked at Xu Xing, who was not far behind her.

For a moment, as if remembering something, he frowned.

Seeing their leader's behavior, the three God-Forging experts behind him also looked at Xu Xing warily.

Of course, it was merely a precaution, and no hostility was shown.

In this era, it is foolish to rashly express hostility towards the unknown.

If they hadn't been so anxious about the First Ancestral Spirit's breakthrough to the Void Transformation Realm, those envoys from the Floating Moon Spirit wouldn't have rushed to attack Xu Xing.

But the young man, who was only at the mid-stage of the Condensation Realm, was clearly an exception, and directly questioned him sharply:
"Who are you, and what do you want to do to Ruo?!"

His tone was harsh, and his hostility was undisguised.

However, Xu Xing was too lazy to argue with him and just looked at the burly middle-aged man.

"Lie, don't you remember me?"

The middle-aged man named 'Lie' was taken aback, and a hint of emotion appeared on his resolute face.

"Is it really...you?"

How could he not remember!
He just couldn't quite believe it.

I actually ran into him again...

The elders behind him clearly realized what was happening, and one of them couldn't help but speak up.

"Chief, could this be the legendary..."

Lie completely ignored him, looking at Xu Xing with extremely complex emotions surging in his eyes.

"I never expected to see you again, I..."

The young man was somewhat bewildered when he saw that his father and the elders all had strange expressions.

"Father, who exactly is he?!"

boom!
A large, fan-like hand slapped him on the back of the head, making him dizzy and disoriented.

"Don't be rude!"

The sudden reprimand left the young man feeling indignant.

What exactly did I do that was rude?
Xu Xing ignored these minor incidents, his long sword hanging low, its blade reflecting the moonlight.

"I now understand the whole story."

He stared at Lie and the several God-Forging Elders behind him.

"Is there anything you'd like to say?"

I was planning to go check it out again tomorrow.

But since they've already caught up with us, asking them now won't change anything.

"..."

Lie remained silent for a long while.

It was Xu Xing who taught them to read and practice cultivation; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him their teacher.

How could he not understand the meaning of those words?

"I will always remember your teachings..."

Lie took a deep breath and said seriously.

"Would you please come with us and we can talk about it later?"

"can."

Neither side mentioned the Floating Moon Spirit Clan at all.

After all, they had only been there a short time when they discovered the spirit core.

They won't admit they're wrong.

That is definitely the spirit core of the first ancestral spirit of the Floating Moon Spirit Clan!
Seeing that the two sides seemed to have reached an agreement, the young man wanted to show concern for Ning Ruo.

But out of fear of his father, he still didn't dare to go forward.

He could only watch helplessly as Ning Ruo walked up to Xu Xing and affectionately called him Brother Xu.

Hey!
This old monster is still pretending to be young, he's shameless!
The young man was filled with grief and indignation.

Damn it!

Where did these rotten tomatoes and bird eggs come from? They should take a piss and look at themselves in the mirror to see what kind of person they are!
Chi Jiuyu was breathing out air again.

……

……

after a while.

Xu Xing followed the others back to the settlement.

The settlement was very large, and apart from some young children, everyone had some level of cultivation.

The number of cultivators in the Divine Forging Realm is in the double digits, and the number in the Unity Realm is even in the triple digits!

Such a proportion of practitioners...

It's almost comparable to several large settlements in the Eastern Wilderness.

Even the settlement where Feng, Mo, and Mengxuan lived was inferior overall.

Despite lacking the unique geographical advantages of the Eastern Wilderness, it has managed to develop to this extent.

This is very rare.

In the center of the settlement stands a three-story stone building.

Xu Xing stood on the top floor, gazing at the brightly lit and vibrant settlement, his expression somewhat complicated.

He had assumed the settlement wouldn't be very large.

But the reality far exceeded his expectations.

"You see?"

Behind him, Lie Kuiwu's burly figure emerged from the shadows, came to Xu Xing's side, and looked down over most of the settlement.

His tone was calm.

Xu Xing didn't look at him, and his tone was equally calm.

So this is your answer?

Back in the settlement, Lie said he would give him his own answer.

But he left, only having someone show him around the settlement.

"Yes, that's my answer."

Lie's eyes reflected most of the settlement, his expression unchanged, but his tone was exceptionally firm.

"Nothing is too precious to give up for all of this."

If there were other ways, he certainly wouldn't want to seek the survival of the settlement in this way.

But there are no "what ifs" in this world!

Weakness is the original sin.

“You know what? I once thought about letting Ruola succeed me as leader.”

Ever since Ning Ruo started cultivating, he discovered that Ning Ruo's aptitude far surpassed his own.

Perhaps it was a destiny predetermined at birth, but after gaining understanding, Ning Ruo treated everyone, even herself, with the attitude of an 'observer'.

This mindset also allowed her to understand the principles of the 'heart'.

Insight into the world, direct perception of one's true nature...

Although they had never actually competed, he could sense that Ning Ruo had already surpassed him and everyone else in the settlement when he was in the early stages of God Forging.

"Is that so?" Xu Xing still didn't turn around.

“But there was nothing I could do.” Lie sighed softly. “I went to Fuyueling’s first ancestral spirit, wanting to exchange myself for her, but I was refused.”

Power is everything!
The first ancestral spirit of the Fuyue Spirit Clan only requires the soul of a Yin-attribute cultivator.

"What about the others?"

Ning Ruo wasn't the only one sent to the Floating Moon Spirit Clan as a sacrifice.

"There always has to be a price to pay so that more people can survive, doesn't there?"

This time, Xu Xing finally looked at him.

Lie met his gaze without flinching.

That's just how the world is.

Helplessness and compromise are things that every vulnerable group must accept and will inevitably experience.

This is normal.

Even if the price is his own, he will accept it!

……

……

Xu Xing ultimately did not make a move.

Although the ideals upheld by Lie are quite different from his own.

But aside from that, Lie is indeed a very qualified, even excellent, leader.

Of course, this does not mean that Xu Xing will change his mind.

He will stick to his path.

As for whether similar situations will occur in the future...

He couldn't have predicted it.

In essence, he was just an ordinary person, not an omnipotent god.

All we can do is try our best.

For a while afterward, Xu Xing did not try to change anything.

Instead, just like in the previous settlements, they passed down the cultivation methods for the subsequent Yangwu Realm, as well as the four major cultivation techniques they had obtained.

Even with his revised and optimized version, which reduced the difficulty to a certain extent, very few people were still able to get started.

Most of the forging masters in the settlement had only mastered one or two basic skills.

There is only one person like him who cultivates all four major cultivation techniques simultaneously, Ning Ruo.

However, his progress in 'array formations' is only barely comparable to Xu Xing's back then. As for the other three cultivation skills of alchemy, artifact crafting, and talisman making, he is far inferior to Xu Xing in those days.

Half a month has passed.

Xu Xingcai finally realized it.

My own talent in cultivation techniques...

He seems to be much stronger than the average person!

In truth, this whole affair is the fault of Hong and Yuan, the brother and sister.

That terrifying talent—able to grasp the basics at a glance and master them instantly—truly shattered Xu Xing's confidence.

……

……

Boom boom boom!
Before Lie arranged for Xu Xing to stay at a residence, Ning Ruo knocked on the door with her fingers.

"Brother Xu, I've come to return your book."

As he spoke, he pushed open the slightly ajar door and went inside.

But then she was holding a thread-bound book with the words "Detailed Explanation of Basic Formations" written on the cover. It was the very book that Xu Xing often read.

The furnishings inside were very simple.

A wooden table, a few chairs, and a wooden bed.

Xu Xing was sitting at the table, his palm filled with silk-like flames that intertwined and swirled, faintly forming a three-legged alchemy furnace engraved with Bagua patterns.

The heat was intense, and the air itself was visibly distorted.

The nine pills in the furnace shone brightly like stars.

"That book," Xu Xing glanced at her, "you can keep it yourself."

Because Ning Ruo had an outstanding talent for array formations, Xu Xing lent her the original, unedited "Detailed Explanation of the Basics of Array Formations".

Even though it's a loan...

But he had no intention of getting it back.

It's just a book; he knows its contents by heart, so it's just sitting there anyway.

"Then I won't stand on ceremony."

Ning Ruo smiled and put the book away.

Then he walked over and sat down opposite Xu Xing.

Compared to her calm and composed demeanor when we first met half a month ago, as if she took everything lightly.

She is clearly more 'energetic' now.

It's as if the figures in the painting have stepped into reality, losing that hazy, detached feeling from the world, making them feel more real.

soon.

As the true fire was gradually drawn away, the Three Ancestors' alchemy furnace with the Bagua pattern dissipated.

Several crystal-clear pills, as beautiful as pearls, fell precisely into the jade plate on the table, making a crisp clinking sound.

"Will the pills be more effective if refined this way?" Ning Ruo asked curiously.

"will not."

Xu Xing picked up a pill and examined it closely.

Since it was freshly made, you could still feel a slight warmth from the smooth surface of the pill when you held it in your hand.

I was originally thinking of adding a Bagua (Eight Trigrams) pattern, hoping it might bring some kind of divine blessing.

After all, didn't Laozi use the Eight Trigrams Furnace when he was refining elixirs?
It turned out that I was overthinking it; adding it or not made no difference.

Maintaining that pattern requires even more effort...

"Aside from showing off your skills, there's no point in doing this. Normally, it's best to find a furnace or cauldron for alchemy."

After a pause, Xu Xing put down the pill in his hand and looked at her.

"By the way, you came to see me just to return a book?"

There must be some questions you'd like to ask about formations or cultivation, right?

"Of course not." Ning Ruo shook her head slightly. "I actually wanted to come and see you, Brother Xu."

"Ok?"

Xu Xing was taken aback, then smiled and shook his head.

"What's so interesting about me?"

"Of course it looks good, after all, I really like you, Brother Xu."

Xu Xing: "..."

Wake up, young lady...

Oh, wait, that's not right.

She can no longer be called a young girl at her age.

"Don't joke around, we've only known each other for less than a month."

“I’m not joking,” Ning Ruo said solemnly. “I’m serious.”

She spent half a month confirming that every word she said came from the bottom of her heart.

"Why? It can't be that you fell in love with me at first sight and want to repay me with your body just because I saved you, right?"

This is ridiculous!
"Perhaps, but I don't know the specific reason." Ning Ruo shook her head slightly.

She herself couldn't explain it clearly.

If I had to say something, it wouldn't be because Brother Xu saved her, or rather, it's more than just that.

But liking someone is liking someone, and she has already made up her mind about her feelings.

If you like it, then you should go for it.

Then he pressed for more information.

"Does Brother Xu have someone he likes?"

The person I like...

The image of his senior sister suddenly flashed through Xu Xing's mind, but he quickly suppressed it.

To be honest, it felt pretty good to be confessed to by Ning Ruo, a woman of unparalleled beauty.

but……

He never considered these things.

Looking at Ning Ruo right across from him, he was momentarily at a loss for words.

At this time.

Chi Jiuyu, who was standing right next to the two, was completely stunned.

What the hell!

As expected of the Spirit Ancestor!

I'm straightforward; I say what I think!
Unlike Master and Senior Yuanjun, who were so hesitant and awkward, even though they were the two who had spent the most time with their Uncle.

Gee!

What a disappointment!
Yu was very disappointed. (End of Chapter)