The Long Journey to Immortality

On their journey, the two encountered two more clan battles, which they watched with great interest for a while.

Both battles took place between medium to large clans, and were naturally much more interesting than the duel between the Red Moon tribe that day.

A glimpse of the whole picture through a tube.

In just three duels, Han Lu had a general understanding of the strength of Qi Refining cultivators in the Western Regions and had witnessed the talents of several outstanding individuals in the group.

These geniuses performed no less well than the three Western Region cultivators who had once faced Han Lu.

Therefore, a question arose in Han Lu's mind.

"Were those three Western Region cultivators I killed in the ancient cultivation secret realm truly the strongest among the younger generation of the Western Region?"

Han Lu could only attribute the reason why the three Qi Refining cultivators from the Western Regions were sent to the ancient cultivation secret realm to the relationship between the three of them.

Perhaps these three are not the strongest among the Qi Refining generation, but they are definitely the most powerful Qi Refining cultivators with family connections among the three major clans.

[Author's Note] 19 is coming to an end. Actually, when I was writing Miss Shadow in 17, I accidentally posted a chapter on Los Santos. Since it was a VIP chapter and couldn't be deleted, I ended up deleting the original text and changing it to a blessing for my future self.

Back then, I wished that in 2020 I would still be writing books on Shuke, and that one of my books would reach 3000 subscribers. I think I've achieved that goal. (Just before I reached it, I deleted that chapter. I felt too ashamed, and changed it to a new book release announcement.)

I hope we can all be together again next year, and I can write some more novels that I enjoy and that are read by fellow book lovers.

Chapter 403 Promise

It's not pointless or a waste of time to think about such trivial matters for a while.

By focusing on specific examples, Han Lu gained a deeper understanding of the Western Alliance's organization and control over the Western Regions.

"Perhaps, a hundred years after the Western Union exists, many small clans will be integrated into medium and large clans in various ways."

"A thousand years from now, there may be fewer than ten members left in the Western Alliance, and the entire Western Regions will be slowly but surely brought together."

"Currently, the three largest clans will also grow stronger and will use various means to turn their own interests into the interests of the Western Regions."

"However, the premise is that the Western Alliance can exist for a thousand years and maintain the rules currently in effect in the Western Regions for a thousand years."

Based on Han Lu's understanding of the nature of people from the Western Regions, she felt that this most crucial point was unlikely.

In the final days, as they drew ever closer to the Central Plains, Han Lu's unexpected long journey was about to come to an end.

Having wandered and drifted for nearly a year, Han Lu naturally missed the Central Plains, the place she could call home, even more.

Of course, she was also very curious about what changes had occurred in the Central Plains during the short year that she had been missing.

Do her close friends think she is dead? Have they erected a beautiful tombstone for her and are they planning to offer sacrifices and commemorate her death anniversary soon?

The sect was curious whether to classify her, a disciple possessing a great treasure, as missing, dead, or on the run.

Did anyone anticipate her return? Did anyone use any means to secretly search for her whereabouts in order to retrieve the precious magical treasures stored in her storage bag?

Did Wen Erya use her royal status to promote the "simple technology" that the two brought out from the ancient cultivation secret realm in the Central Plains and Southern Dynasty?

If it is promoted, what stage will it reach? Will the people have already planted new crops, used efficient textile machines, and moved towards a life of plenty?

……

There are many questions, and the answers will be revealed the moment Han Lu returns to the Central Plains.

Knowing that Han Lu was eager to return home, Feng Rubing naturally wouldn't be selfish.

She increased the speed of her cloud-riding slightly so that the two could leave before sunset on the eighth day after arriving in the Western Regions.

The sunsets in the Western Regions are even more beautiful than those in the Great Yu Dynasty and the wilderness.

There are few tall plants here, and the terrain is mainly plains, so the clouds on the horizon become more clearly visible at sunset.

The neat horizon also makes this natural beauty even more stunning.

As the clouds on the horizon turned crimson, the dividing line symbolizing the wilderness and the Central Plains appeared before Han Lu and Feng Rubing.

Nestled within a mountain range lies the Seven Mountains Alliance, the third largest power in the Central Plains.

The organizational structure of the Seven Mountains Alliance was seven parts similar to that of the Western Alliance Group, which had just been established in the Western Regions.

However, the seven sects in the Seven Mountains Alliance only have close geographical ties with each other, and they have to stick together because of their shared interests.

Unlike the various clans in the Western Regions, they did not harbor deep hatred towards each other.

Therefore, after thousands of years, they have become completely accustomed to the feeling of being one with each other.

In terms of internal relations, it is far superior to the Western Alliance, which has only been established for four years, and is also much better than the wild Phoenix Clan.

Unfortunately, due to insufficient strength, the seven sects have been facing a generational gap for various reasons, and in the past hundred years, they have become increasingly inferior to Xuan Yang Valley and Zheng Yi Sect in the Central Plains.

Legend has it that the few Nascent Soul cultivators among the Seven Mountains Alliance only have a lifespan of a little over a hundred years.

At that time, one can imagine that the passing of these predecessors will trigger a regional transformation.

It's just unknown whether the Seven Mountains Alliance's power will be divided between the two major sects, or whether a new force will emerge and completely annex the Seven Mountains Alliance.

This is a secret that many bigwigs in the Central Plains know in their hearts.

That's why the two leaders of the Seven Mountains Alliance are so enthusiastic and proactive in moving among various forces, and even take the initiative to befriend the Western Regions, thinking about finding a way out for the future.

"Where to go?" Feng Rubing slowed down and asked Han Lu for her opinion. "The main road or the side road?"

The so-called "right path" naturally refers to the Seven Mountains Alliance's opening up to the outside world, connecting the Western Regions with the Central Plains.

This passage has been open for over a thousand years and has been protected by the Seven Mountains Alliance.

Almost all merchants, mortals, and cultivators traveling between the Western Regions and the Central Plains choose to pass through this road.

However, because the border between the Western Regions and the Central Plains is not short, the Seven Mountains Alliance has neither the ability nor the desire to completely control it.

Therefore, there is also the saying that one can directly use cloud-riding techniques to take "small paths" and fly over towering mountains.

Han Lu understood what Feng Rubing was worried about.

"Let's take the back road," Han Lu said. Perhaps because she was used to mingling in the Great Yu Dynasty, she felt that the Central Plains might not be as safe as she had imagined. "After all, I'm carrying a lot of valuable treasures, and some people probably know about that."

"The treasure is too valuable. Who knows what daring ideas the Seven Mountains Alliance might have after recognizing me?"

"Even with Mother here, they couldn't do anything to the two of us, even if ten Golden Core cultivators came."

"But ultimately it is not advisable to become enemies with the Seven Mountains Alliance."

"So, if you can avoid it and keep a low profile, it's better to stay low-key."

Han Lu's cautious actions allowed Feng Rubing, who had become Han Lu's stepmother, to feel at ease letting Han Lu live in the relatively safe Central Plains, rather than forcing Han Lu to live in the Three Phoenix Forest and grow up under her and Feng You's wings.

"Alright," Feng Rubing added before parting, "Continue to maintain this cautious mindset. The path of cultivation is long, and the dangers involved are not much less just because you are in the Central Plains."

"If I had been more careful back then, I wouldn't have been so badly injured by a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator and had to undergo Nirvana for five thousand years."

……

Judging from her behavior when they were about to part, Feng Rubing, as a true spirit, was no different from the mother figure of an ordinary human.

Han Lu listened attentively, nodding occasionally and making a few promises.

Since we've decided to take the back road, we can no longer travel in such an "arrogant" manner as Jiayun.

The two switched to Han Lu's flying artifact and discreetly crossed the towering mountains and ridges occupied by the Seven Mountains Alliance.

Although she has not yet been able to settle down on the ground, Han Lu has finally returned to her birthplace, where she has lived for more than forty years, after eleven months away from the Central Plains.

When he left, he was at the twelfth level of Qi Refining. When he returned, he had not only experienced countless trials and tribulations, but had also grown to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.

The moment she realized she had driven back to the skies above the Central Plains, Han Lu couldn't help but recall the past eleven months, and several names flashed through her mind.

The names of Feng Rubing and Feng You appeared at the end.

Compared to those passersby, only these two relatives will accompany her for the rest of her life.

Thinking of this, Han Lu suddenly made up her mind and said to Feng Rubing.

"Mom, once I cultivate to the Golden Core stage, I will settle down in the Wilderness and live with you."

Chapter 404 Parting

Han Lu is the kind of person who likes a stable life.

She disliked the time she spent living in the Phoenix Forest in the wilderness, but with her parents' help, she came to like the feeling of living in the Three Phoenix Forest.

Having already developed feelings for each other, and now with the impending separation weighing on her mind, Han Lu naturally blurted out the promise she had been keeping hidden in her heart.

Feng Rubing was somewhat surprised.

She knew that although her daughter had returned to the clan and had a name on the Phoenix Clan's genealogy, thus establishing a connection with Feng You, Han Lu did not truly consider herself a member of the True Spirits.

She felt that Han Lu's sudden promise was either an impulsive act or a voluntary sacrifice made so that her parents could spend more time with her.

As a stepmother, Feng Rubing could not accept such a sacrifice with a clear conscience. Moreover, she was a restless phoenix herself and knew that life in the wilderness, though seemingly wonderful, would not be pleasant for young people in the long run.

So she replied, "No need for that, daughter."

"There's no need to make a small sacrifice for me or for Fengyou."

"Your father and I don't care where you live. As long as you are happy, we will be happy too."

"If you like life in the Central Plains, then feel free to stay here."

"We just need to visit each other more often."

"Distance makes the heart grow fonder. If you were always hanging around in front of us, we might end up finding you annoying."

Feng Rubing had only been a mother for a little over a month, and this was the first time she had refused her daughter's kindness. As a result, she was inevitably a bit long-winded and her words were not very clear.

In the end, she decided to play the villain for once, to be the stepmother who kicks her daughter out of the house.

Han Lu, on the other hand, has an incredibly rich experience as a child, and with her mature mind, she is naturally able to understand Feng Rubing's true meaning.

But some things lose their meaning once they're said, so she stopped dwelling on the promise.

On the surface, he was joking and pretending to follow Feng Rubing's wishes, but in his heart, he had already decided to keep the promise he had just made.

"Giving my parents a surprise in twenty or thirty years would be quite interesting."

From the wilderness to the Central Plains, Han Lu felt confident that once she reached the early stage of the Golden Core realm, she would be able to handle any dangers that might occur along the way.

Parents want their children to be happy and give them everything they want, and they continue to do so when their children mature.

Feng Rubing acted according to this nature, as did Han Lu.