The Long Journey to Immortality

With Wenren Mu's earlier joke as a prelude, and with Han Lu already somewhat prepared, she naturally felt no surprise or astonishment when Wenren Mu spoke.

There's no point in hiding this, Han Lu answered frankly, "Indeed not, how did Fellow Daoist Wenren figure that out?"

"It's just a guess, an intuition," Wenren Mu said. "I just felt that Fairy Han had some connection with the cultivators of the Great Yu Dynasty, so I just asked casually based on my feeling."

Wenren Mu then asked, "Where exactly does Fairy Han come from? The Western Sea? Or the Wilderness? Did you come from the Wilderness as you traveled westward?"

As a Golden Core cultivator, Wenren Mu naturally possessed a great deal of knowledge.

He also considered the possibility that Han Lu might be a true spirit in human form.

Han Lu was not from the Dayu Dynasty, and she did not know what kind of feelings the people of the Dayu Dynasty had towards the Wild True Spirit, so she naturally would not say that her "place of origin" was Wild.

Although the Western Sea of ​​Dayu is likely part of the same ocean as the Eastern Sea of ​​the Central Plains, it is still a great distance away from the Central Plains and is naturally not Han Lu's home.

After a moment's hesitation, Han Lu replied, "Neither. I come from the eastern part of the wilderness."

"The eastern part of the wilderness? Is that the Central Plains?" When Wenren Mu said this word, his pronunciation was slightly different from that of Han Lu and other people from the Central Plains, but she could still understand the meaning of the place name in Wenren Mu's mouth.

Han Lu nodded, "That's right, I didn't expect Fellow Daoist Wenren to know about the Central Plains."

Wenren Mu smiled and said, "Actually, it took me a year and a half to find out about that place."

Sending opposition Golden Core cultivators to the Central Plains was not entirely a secret, and Wenren Mu casually mentioned it, explaining why he knew about the Central Plains.

He did not ask Han Lu how she had traveled such a long distance to reach the Great Yu Dynasty.

Han Lu, who was just an unknown nobody in the Central Plains, only learned about the existence of the teleportation portal after hearing what Ren Mu said.

"I see. So where is the portal?" Han Lu asked curiously.

Although her current plan to return home is perfect, she would still be willing to try a different approach if there were a more convenient and less troublesome method that did not require favors.

“It’s in the Extreme Heaven Palace, but it’s been completely under surveillance. No one else can get close. Even if I wanted to get close to the teleportation portal for a peek, I would need to report and get the deputy palace master’s permission before I could get close,” Wenren Mu seemed to have guessed Han Lu’s thoughts. “The possibility of you using that teleportation portal to return to the Central Plains is almost zero.”

Han Lu didn't want Wenren Mu to know that she had an "older sister" in the wilderness, so she deliberately put on a disappointed expression and said, "I thought this would save me some trouble and reduce some danger."

"However, it's not impossible. If Fairy Han is willing to join the Extreme Heaven Palace and serve there for a hundred years, the Palace Master will most likely take pity on her and allow her to use that teleportation portal to return to the Central Plains."

Wenren Mu, who had been "taking care" of Wenren Ou from afar, naturally noticed Han Lu's talent and abilities.

He then thought of recruiting Han Lu under his command, just as he had done when the Jitian Palace had recruited him.

Bringing a potential genius who could advance to the Nascent Soul Realm into the Extreme Heaven Palace would be a significant achievement for Wenren Mu.

Hearing that Wenren Mu wanted to recruit her into the Jitian Palace, Han Lu was very resistant and unwilling, but she dared not show it on her face or in her words.

“I am merely a Foundation Establishment cultivator, unworthy of the Jitian Palace, the largest sect in the Great Yu Dynasty. Besides, I am eager to return home and have no intention of settling down in the Great Yu Dynasty.”

Han Lu felt that her low cultivation level and homesickness were two reasons that Wenren Mu could accept for refusing her.

Wenren Mu did not continue to persuade her, but instead brought up the matter of the Wilderness, saying, "It may be difficult for Fairy Han to cross the Wilderness and return to the Central Plains."

"There are countless demonic beasts in the wilderness, and there are even many Golden Core cultivators. There are also many Nascent Soul stage true spirits living deep in the wilderness. If you want to cross over directly, even the chance of advancing to the Golden Core stage is very slim."

Wenren Mu's meaning is very clear and reasonable.

As long as the cultivator is of normal intelligence and has some understanding of the wilderness, no one would think that a cultivator in the early stage of Foundation Establishment would be capable of accomplishing the feat of traversing the wilderness.

Even if this early Foundation Establishment cultivator is very strong and can defeat two mid Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Han Lu could understand Wenren Mu's reaction, after all, he didn't know that she would need to rely on a powerful older sister to cross the wilderness and return home.

Since it was inconvenient to explain, Han Lu continued to play her acting role, forcing a smile and saying, "We should always give it a try. Things will work themselves out."

The helplessness of a low-level cultivator who longed for home but was powerless to do anything about it was perfectly written on Han Lu's face.

Han Lu's excellent acting skills, coupled with her good looks, naturally made Wenren Mu, who was focused on cultivation and earning spirit stones, believe her.

"Then I can only wish Fairy Han a safe journey," Wenren Mu also offered his suggestion. "If Fairy Han doesn't mind the trouble, she might as well head north. It is said that every few years, there are merchant fleets from the northeast that travel along the coast to the Central Plains."

"Although taking a boat is not safe either, it is still easier than crossing the wilderness alone."

Han Lu looked pleasantly surprised and thanked him repeatedly.

After discussing these somewhat private matters, Wenren Mu took out a teacup from his storage bag, poured himself some tea, and then chatted with Han Lu about matters concerning the Central Plains.

Wenren Mu was filled with curiosity about that distant, equally prosperous cultivation civilization.

The questions Wenren Mu asked were just general questions about local customs and traditions, and were not too difficult to answer.

Therefore, Han Lu spoke frankly, hoping to curry favor with Wenren Mu in this regard, so that when she asked for his help later, Wenren Mu would agree more readily.

Upon hearing about the harmonious scene in the Central Plains, Wenren Mu revealed a sense of envy in his words.

"After hearing what Fairy Han said, I understand why she is so eager to return to the Central Plains. If I have the chance, I would also like to go and see the Central Plains."

From an environmental perspective alone, the harmonious atmosphere of the Central Plains is more suitable for Wenren Mu to conduct business and cultivate himself than that of the Great Yu Dynasty.

Time passed quickly, and when the pot of tea was finished, Wenren Mu, a man from the Great Yu Dynasty, had gained a general impression and understanding of the Central Plains.

Looking at the reddish clouds in the distance, Wenren Mu stood up and said, "It's getting late. If Fairy Han doesn't mind, please stay here for a few days so I can properly entertain you and express my gratitude."

Han Lu naturally wouldn't refuse. She also wanted to use a few days to bring up the matter of going to the wilderness through Wenren Ou.

To everyone's surprise, just as Han Lu was about to agree, Wenren Mu's next words delighted her.

"Three days from now, I will take my son to the wilderness to broaden his horizons and fulfill my responsibilities as a father."

"Fairy Han, if you have time then, why not travel with us?"

"The world is not peaceful now, unlike half a year ago, and it is even less comparable to the Central Plains. Traveling in groups is a little safer."

Wenren Mu spoke so bluntly that he was practically saying he would escort Han Lu to the wilderness as well.

"I would be honored to accept your kind offer, thank you very much, Fellow Daoist Wenren." Han Lu accepted Wenren Mu's offer without any hesitation.

Chapter 352: Traveling Together

Wenren Mu took the initiative to befriend her and help her solve her problems, which seemed a bit strange at first glance. But after thinking about it carefully, Han Lu guessed that he had noticed her taking care of his son Wenren Ou along the way, and that she had won Wenren Mu's favor.

In addition, he was going to accompany his son on a trip to the wilderness to broaden his horizons, so he took Han Lu along as well.

After all, one more person won't make a difference, and one less person won't make a difference either. Moreover, bringing Han Lu along will make my son happy and satisfied, so why not?

Led by another servant, Han Lu once again traversed several small courtyards and walked nearly a kilometer through the mansion before finally arriving at the guest room that the Wen family had prepared for their guests.

Perhaps to showcase their wealth, the guest rooms were decorated at a higher level than the other rooms.

The wooden furniture in the guest rooms is made of the finest solid wood; just by looking at the color and feeling it, you can tell that it is equivalent to or even far exceeds the value of gold of the same size.

The guest rooms are filled with numerous decorative items, mainly made of jade, with gold and silver as secondary materials.

Han Lu suspected that if she lived in this room, even if only a ray of moonlight entered the room at night and shone on these gold and silver ornaments, the reflected light would be so bright that it would "blind" her eyes.

However, as a cultivator, Han Lu did not particularly care about the material possessions that ordinary people cherish.

Unlike ordinary people who come to the Wenren Mansion as guests, she did not spend too much time in her room playing with these strange things.

Having finally found a moment to rest, Han Lu naturally devoted more of her energy to meditation and cultivation, hoping to make up for the cultivation time wasted on the journey.

Perhaps because Wenren Mu was at home, he activated the spirit-gathering array that covered the entire mansion, gathering spiritual energy for himself and his son to cultivate outside.

Han Lu got a free ride again and enjoyed VIP treatment once more.

In addition, Han Lu also took some time to wander around the county town and find a reliable weapon refiner to completely repair the flying carriage that the three petty thieves had damaged, so that she wouldn't have to rely on flying swords when traveling again.

That would be really shabby.

Han Lu diligently cultivated here, and Wenren Ou, who was not even eighteen years old, relied on his own efforts and the resources accumulated by his father to reach the eighth level of Qi Refining, and he did not tire of it.

Whether it was due to his father's guidance or the experience and insights he gained from his adventures, Wenren Ou went into seclusion twice after settling in, for a total of seven days.

Because of this, Han Lu and Wenren Mu had to wait a few days for this little darling who had stood everyone up, and postponed their original travel plans again and again.

The seven days were not wasted; Wenren Ou successfully opened three acupoints after seven days of arduous practice.

When Wenren Ou stepped out of his room, he was beaming with joy, feeling that this "escape" had been very fruitful.

I not only broadened my horizons, but also improved my cultivation.

Wenren Ou finished his secluded retreat, and the matter of his trip was naturally brought up again.

When Wenren Ou learned from Wenren Mu that Han Lu would also be going to the Wilderness with the two of them, he was overjoyed. He felt that his father had finally seen the light and realized that Han Lu was far superior to that damned Fairy Yunxiao. The matter of his stepmother was finally on the horizon.

But when he learned that Han Lu would be separated from the two of them after arriving in the wilderness, he felt a sense of loss again.

He knew very well that this separation might mean they would never see each other again.

However, once the three of them set off, with Wenren Mu casting a spell to ride on the clouds and heading east, he still put aside the worries of their impending separation and tried his best to bring Han Lu and Wenren Mu together in his own way on the clouds, making a final effort for his "stepmother" plan.

The ability to ride the clouds is a magical skill possessed only by Golden Core cultivators, so no foolish cultivators blocked or disturbed their path along the way.

On the contrary, many local cultivators from Jiang'an Prefecture recognized Wenren Mu as a celebrity and took the initiative to strike up a conversation, wanting to make friends with this future Nascent Soul cultivator.

Many of them are Golden Core cultivators active in Jiang'an Prefecture.

One reason these Golden Core cultivators actively sought out Wenren Mu for a "chance encounter" was to become acquainted with him.

Another reason was that they wanted to learn from Wenren Mu about the next phase of the Jitian Palace's plans, how long this war between cultivators that broke out near Jiang'an Prefecture would last, and how much it would fight, and whether Wenren Mu was the legendary special envoy who went to the front lines to oversee the war.

Wenren Mu was quite embarrassed when he was asked a question in a subtle way, even though he was away on personal business for his son.

Fortunately, these Golden Core cultivators who came to our door were all quick-witted, not as stubborn as Wenren Ou.

After Wenren Mu explained his purpose and testified with his son, no one believed that he was hiding something or that he was going to do something shady on behalf of the Jitian Palace.

As the only female cultivator on that cloud, Han Lu naturally appeared frequently in conversations between Wenren Mu and other cultivators.

After being widowed, countless female cultivators wanted to climb up Wenren Mu's tree.

Many cultivators who had heard rumors about Wenren Mu naturally assumed that Han Lu was the future mistress of the Wenren family chosen by Wenren Mu, and thought that Han Lu was Wenren Mu's close friend.

He proactively greeted Han Lu many times and presented her with countless gifts to curry favor.

Fortunately, Han Lu was thin-skinned and kept explaining her identity, the reason why she was traveling with Wenren Mu on the clouds, and refused all the gifts that were offered to her.

Otherwise, before leaving Jiang'an Prefecture, she would likely have had seven or eight magical treasures and a dozen small gifts in her storage bag.

With the help of the Golden Core cultivator's extremely fast cloud-riding technique, they left the territory of Jiang'an Prefecture in three days.

Because of his affiliation with the Jitian Palace, Wenren Mu did not take the shortcut to Ningzhou Prefecture, which was controlled by the old forces.

Golden Core cultivators also have their own troubles.

Wenren Mu also thought that he should avoid trouble if he could.