The Long Journey to Immortality

Once the flying carriage was far away, Hans Company's security forces boldly advanced to the dilapidated abandoned football field. They began helping Han Lu and the others clean up the mess and, incidentally, collect some valuable research resources.

Sitting in the Pegasus carriage, Zhongli Li could clearly feel his awkward situation, so he obediently hid in a corner of the carriage, closed his eyes to cultivate, and thought about quickly recovering his cultivation and spiritual power.

Han Lu and Wen Erya, on the other hand, were not reserved in front of the servant they had signed a contract with. They chatted casually and openly, treating Zhongli Li as if he didn't exist.

After the great battle, because only Han Lu was controlling the Pegasus chariot, its speed was much slower than before.

The three of them rode in a flying carriage for two full days through the skies of the ancient cultivation realm before finally arriving at their destination.

After getting off the car, Zhong Lili mustered his courage and cautiously asked Han Lu about her purpose in coming here.

Han Lu did not hide anything and told them the whole story of their plan to search for treasure in the primeval forest.

Upon hearing this, Zhongli Li was overjoyed and said, "To be honest, you two seniors..."

"I once studied under a famous master and learned the methods of alchemy and weapon crafting from a reclusive sage."

"I am extremely familiar with many spiritual plants and materials."

"With me here, the two seniors will surely return with a full harvest from this trip."

The old man in Zhongli Li's ring is a Nascent Soul cultivator who is proficient in alchemy and weapon crafting. This is the source of his confidence in boasting like this.

"Hey, little fatty, I didn't expect you to be so capable," Han Lu promised. "Okay, you help us find spiritual plants and materials, and you'll get plenty of benefits in return."

Chapter 229 Some Success

As it turns out, even with Zhongli Li, a cultivator who had achieved some success in weapon crafting and medicine refining, assisting him, it proved to be effective.

Finding a large number of spiritual plants and refining materials in a primeval forest that is the size of thirty-two cities is still a very difficult task.

At least, it is more difficult to seize the fruits of thousands of years of work by numerous archaeological teams than to directly profit from the Hans Company.

Not to mention that the environment in a primeval forest is much more monotonous and dull than that in a modern city.

If it weren't for the occasional discovery of precious spiritual plants and materials in this vast primeval forest, which could bring the three of them some mental stimulation...

Otherwise, the repetitive green scenery alone would have made Han Lu and Wen Erya, who already had nearly 150 ancient cultivation treasures in their storage bags, back down.

Having reaped a bountiful harvest, the two had far less desire for more spoils than the other cultivators, so it was quite normal for them to have such thoughts of "retreating."

Of the three, the "slave" Zhongli was the most hardworking.

To prove his worth, he wished he could turn the entire primeval forest upside down and stuff all the cultivation resources hidden within into Han Lu and Wen Erya's storage bags, in order to please the two masters who held the power of life and death over him.

While the three were searching for treasure in the forest, they naturally encountered other cultivators as well.

After Han Lu and Wen Erya killed Chu Fei, Lin Wenbai and Yuwen Bing outside Hans City, most of the other cultivators who were still alive in the ancient cultivation secret realm entered the primeval forest to search for treasures.

Because they were traveling in groups of three and all were cultivators from the Central Plains, they did not engage in combat with other cultivators unless Han Lu and Wen Erya provoked them.

On the contrary, when encountering other Zhengyi Sect cultivators such as Jing Jin, both sides would show friendliness to each other and share useful information about the primeval forest.

If the spiritual plants and materials acquired weren't useless to Qi Refining cultivators and their value was difficult to estimate, there might have been several small-scale exchanges taking place in the primeval forest.

The three of them searched slowly in the primeval forest for a week, and after finding more than thirty kinds of spiritual plants and materials, they changed direction and tried to find a suitable route at a faster speed, so as to return to the modern city while continuing to search for spiritual plants and materials.

These spoils were naturally divided in two and put into Han Lu and Wen Erya's storage bags.

Zhongli Li also received rewards from the two "slave owners" for his hard work.

After nearly 1,500 low-grade spirit stones were taken from his storage bag, it returned to his hands.

In addition, Han Lu and Wen Erya each generously gave up a spiritual plant to Zhongli Li, so that he could take this leftover as a harvest from the ancient cultivation secret realm back with him, lest Zhongli Li return to the Central Plains empty-handed and attract the special attention of the sect elders.

After all, Han Lu and Wen Erya's trust in Zhong Lili was based on the Heart Demon Contract.

They did not want this matter to be exposed too early, so that the Golden Core elders or even the Nascent Soul Grand Elders in Xuan Yang Valley would know about it.

Whether they take the overt diplomatic route and inform the two through the higher-ups of the Zhengyi Sect, requesting the termination and release of the contract of Zhongli Li, the genius of Xuan Yang Valley, or break the contract directly through other means unknown to the two, it is not a good thing for them.

It's best if this kind of thing stays hidden forever; Han Lu and Wen Erya don't want to get into trouble they can't handle.

Zhongli's feelings were quite complicated as his storage bag was returned to his hands.

But compared to the old man who kept complaining and nagging in his mind and body inside the ring, he was able to accept the status quo calmly.

"I admit defeat because I'm not as skilled as others; I'm already grateful to have escaped with my life."

"Han Lu and Wen Erya don't seem like people with a strong desire for control. After returning to the Central Plains, I should still be able to live my life relatively freely."

"As for the future, we'll see."

I searched patiently when I went, but only glanced at things when I came back.

After spending another three days storing several refining materials that Zhongli Li rated as above average in his evaluation into their storage bags, the three of them returned to the embrace of the technological society via another route and temporarily settled in a city called "New Science City".

The tool slave Zhongli was abandoned and driven away by Han Lu and Wen Erya immediately after leaving the primeval forest.

They didn't want another "third wheel" there, ruining their pleasant and relaxing last week or so in the ancient cultivation realm.

The city called "New Science City" felt completely different to Han Lu from Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Hans City.

The city is thriving and is expanding outwards almost constantly.

Various types of machinery are working in two shifts on the edge of the primeval forest, expanding the city's area in a very direct and efficient manner, building in this somewhat desolate place on the city's outskirts.

One can imagine what would happen if Han Lu had the chance to enter the ancient cultivation realm ten years from now.

Perhaps the thirty-third city in the ancient cultivation secret realm has already risen up next to Xinke City.

Having finally returned to the modern city, Han Lu did not forget her promise to Qiu Bin.

Holding her phone, Han Lu proactively added Qiu Bin as a friend on his personal account, showing off to Qiu Bin, her guide in this world, that she had already integrated into this technologically advanced world.

Qiu Bin found it somewhat unbelievable that Han Lu had an electronic account.

At first, he even thought it was a scam.

It wasn't until Han Lu added him as a friend and proactively turned on her camera to reveal her identity that Zhong Lili believed this cultivator, who initially had no knowledge of modern technology, had integrated into this bizarre and wonderful world.

"Hey? Senior Han, who's that beautiful lady next to you?" Qiu Bin noticed Wen Erya, who appeared at the edge of the frame.

"My senior sister," Han Lu didn't intend to introduce Wen Erya to Qiu Bin in detail. Instead, she took the initiative to ask about the matter of Shan Yuan, "You said last time that you would give me the opportunity to find Shan Yuan. How are the preparations going?"

Qiu Bin has been busy with this matter recently. "I've naturally fulfilled my promise to Senior Han."

"What have you prepared?"

"It's a secret, and this can't be explained clearly over a video call," Qiu Bin said, keeping everyone in suspense. "You'll find out when Senior Han comes to my place."

"Okay, just don't disappoint me."

"When will you be arriving, senior?"

"Probably in three days." Xinke City is quite a distance from Shanghai, and Han Lu estimated that it would take quite a while for her and Wen Erya to travel and have fun along the way.

"I promise I won't let Senior Han down." Qiu Bin was full of confidence about this matter, and even wanted to use the remaining time to prepare more things to satisfy Han Lu.

[Author's Note] Happy Holidays

Chapter 230 Essential Items for Time Travel

Although she had arranged to meet Qiu Bin in three days, the efficiency of traveling while sightseeing was far lower than Han Lu had imagined.

Fortunately, with her mobile phone by her side, Han Lu was able to use her senior status to get herself a leave slip, postpone the meeting by a day, and generously stand Qiu Bin up.

Qiu Bin dared not complain or object, hoping only that what he had prepared would satisfy Han Lu, so that he could make some more profit before the 30-day deadline and before Han Lu, this senior, left this world, and seize this opportunity that had only come once in 100,000 years.

After Han Lu and Wen Erya arrived in Shanghai in their flying horse carriage, Han Lu hurriedly sent Qiu Bin a message to inform him of their itinerary.

The existence of the monks has been widely publicized by Hans Company on a deliberate basis.

Ordinary people felt no fear towards the cultivators who would only exist in this world for a mere thirty days; on the contrary, they were filled with intense curiosity about them.

This curiosity caused the number of clicks on many cultivation novels in this world to increase several times during this period, and even several cultivation movies from several years or even decades ago were re-released and shown in theaters.

A wave of enthusiasm for cultivation has spread throughout this technological world.

If only thirty cultivators had come to this world, some of whom had already died in battle and others were active in the no-man's land, appearing and disappearing like dragons, perhaps some would have thought of becoming apprentices and trying to become "modern cultivators".

Therefore, only after communicating with Hans Company did Han Lu Wen Er Ya dare to so brazenly ride the flying artifact and fly freely in the sky above this world.

It took Han Lu fifteen minutes to fly from the suburbs of Shanghai to the apartment complex where Qiu Bin rented a place. She saw Qiu Bin waiting in front of the apartment gate to welcome her.

When Qiu Bin saw Han Lu and Wen Erya getting off the Pegasus carriage, he took the initiative to greet them and offered them two cups of milk tea. "Good afternoon, Senior Han."

Han Lu casually accepted the drink Qiu Bin offered and introduced her, "She's my senior, Wen Erya. You've met her on the video call."

Qiu Bin, being quite tactful, greeted him with equal respect, "Greetings, Senior Wen."

Wen Erya smiled and nodded, without saying a word.

Following Qiu Bin, Han Lu returned once again to the small house where she had stayed for two days.

Compared to the day she left Shanghai for Shenzhen, the small house has undergone considerable changes.

What are all these things?

Looking at the woven bags that filled the not-so-large living room, Han Lu asked.

Qiu Bin smiled and said, "This is one of the special gifts I prepared for Senior Han."

"What is it?" Han Lu asked.

“All kinds of plant seeds,” Qiu Bin said with a smile, “are high-yield crop seeds that have been modified by the agricultural department of Hans Company using advanced technology.”

“Seeds?” Han Lu simply repeated the word.

Qiu Bin explained why he gave these seeds as a gift.

"If Senior Han can take these hundred bags of various seeds back and cultivate them widely, the world where Senior Han lives should be able to support at least three times the population within ten years."

"Food is the most important thing for people. In my opinion, there is no greater merit or good deed than feeding hundreds of millions of people."

Upon hearing this, Han Lu's eyes lit up, and she praised repeatedly, "You're right. If things really develop as you say, it would indeed be a tremendous stroke of good fortune."

Wen Erya, who originally had no intention of paying much attention to the matter, also had the idea of ​​getting involved after witnessing Qiu Bin's ingenious idea.

As a princess of the Southern Dynasty, she naturally hoped that the people of the Southern Dynasty could live in peace and prosperity under the leadership of the Wen family.

The seeds that Qiu Bin gave Han Lu gave her the opportunity to realize this wish.

Wen Erya didn't stand on ceremony and said, "Qiu Bin, what kind of seeds are they? Make a list and I'll go buy them later."