The Long Journey to Immortality

This mutual consideration in their actions is also the reason why Han Lu can get along well with Feng Rubing, the phoenix expert who went from being an older sister to a stepmother.

Knowing that the day of parting was drawing ever closer, Han Lu deliberately slowed down the speed of the flying carriage, wanting only to spend more time with Feng Rubing.

However, the day of parting will eventually come, no matter how long it is delayed.

The Central Plains is not a large area, much smaller than the Western Regions, the Great Yu Dynasty, and the barbaric lands.

Han Lu drove from the Seven Mountains Alliance and flew for only a day and a half before being less than a hundred miles from the Zhengyi Gate.

Feng Rubing composed herself, intending to say goodbye to Han Lu.

Although Feng Rubing is a highly skilled True Spirit, she is exceptionally beautiful and has a close relationship with Han Lu, making her a respectable stepmother.

But she knew very well that she shouldn't exist in Han Lu's life in the Central Plains, not even for a moment.

If you're going to say goodbye, this is the most appropriate place.

Seeing Feng Rubing's expression, Han Lu knew what she wanted to do.

She also knew that letting the sect know that she was a member of the Wild Phoenix Clan, had parents with cultivation levels comparable to the late Nascent Soul stage, and was an "honest" second-generation immortal would bring her no benefit whatsoever.

The two sat in the car, facing each other.

Feng Rubing was surprised to find that saying goodbye and leaving voluntarily at this time was much more difficult than dealing with a cultivator of the same realm.

She couldn't bring herself to say any of the fragmented words she had prepared in her mind, nor the usual admonitions a mother gives to her daughter.

Feng Rubing felt that the reason for this situation was that she was not psychologically prepared to be a mother.

Fortunately, she changed her mindset back to that of "Sister Ru Bing" and, in accordance with her own temperament, casually said something to Han Lu.

"Take care of yourself, I'm leaving now."

After saying that, he didn't give Han Lu a chance to symbolically try to stay.

Feng Rubing pushed her movement technique to its limit, and in the blink of an eye, she disappeared from the flying carriage, flying westward into the sky, leaving only her back view for Han Lu.

The difference in cultivation level was enormous; even when she was just watching him go, Han Lu could only manage to watch him go for three breaths.

In the blink of an eye, Feng Rubing had disappeared from Han Lu's sight.

Such decisiveness caught Han Lu off guard.

But upon closer reflection, this is exactly what should be done.

After all, Feng Rubing was such a phoenix.

“It’s better to be straightforward,” Han Lu rubbed her eyes with her hand, “Separation is only for a better reunion.”

Sitting inside the Pegasus carriage, Han Lu recalled the eleven months she had spent teleporting from the ancient cultivation secret realm to the Great Yu Dynasty, silently composing herself.

Of course, devising various strategies for returning to the sect was also one of her tasks.

After experiencing a series of events in the Great Yu Dynasty, Han Lu, who possessed some of the memories of Xiaoyaozi's remnant soul, would not return to her sect without making any preparations.

How should we explain this period of disappearance? Should we tell the truth or lie?

If I were to tell the truth, how would I explain that I returned from the Great Yu Dynasty when I was only in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage?

If you're telling a lie, how do you weave a story so that it's completely airtight?

……

There are many things to prepare, and Han Lu even feels that thinking about this matter is much more troublesome than returning to the Central Plains from the wilderness under the protection of her parents.

After pondering for a long time, Han Lu finally vaguely grasped the key to the problem and figured out how to respond and explain in a way that would satisfy the sect and avoid causing trouble for herself.

"Actually, where I went is nothing to be ashamed of."

“After all, it was indeed because of the teleportation error when leaving the Ancient Cultivation Secret Realm that I ended up in the Great Yu Dynasty,” Han Lu touched her storage bag, “There are quite a few things in there that can serve as evidence.”

"As for my relationship with my parents, I can deliberately downplay it. I can just say that because I have the bloodline of the True Spirit, I was valued by a Nascent Soul True Spirit senior who was traveling in the Great Yu Dynasty and helped escort me back to the Central Plains."

"This is reasonable and will not cause unnecessary trouble by getting too close to a late-stage Nascent Soul True Spirit."

Han Lu didn't want to be used as a tool for summarizing things, or to be asked repeatedly to do things that required bothering her parents.

"As for me, as long as I follow the rules I followed before entering the ancient cultivation secret realm and return the magic treasures I obtained, I think the sect won't be too bothered by my disappearance for eleven months."

"On the contrary, if the sect believes that I have unfortunately died, then the returned magical treasures and resources will be regarded as an unexpected bonus."

"Perhaps there will be even more rewards."

Thinking of this, Han Lu felt much lighter and thought it was fortunate that she was from the Central Plains.

If she were to return to a sect within the Great Yu Dynasty, this matter would definitely not end there.

Chapter 405 Gathering Information

Even though she knew that the Central Plains had a good atmosphere and that her matter would not be difficult to resolve once she sorted things out, Han Lu still did not act rashly as if nothing had happened and directly entered the Zhengyi Sect's mountain gate.

She decided to wait and gather more information to see if her guesses matched the actual information.

If the Zheng Yi Sect doesn't act according to the rules and already sees her as a notorious thief who stole treasures, issuing a kill order in the cultivation world, the matter could become irreversible.

Then she wouldn't be "returning home in glory" but rather "a lamb entering a tiger's den".

How do we get information?

Staying in the village outside the Zhengyi Gate for a while is not a reliable option; it's too inefficient.

Naturally, asking trusted acquaintances would give Han Lu peace of mind.

Whom are you looking for?

Needless to say, it was Wen Erya, Han Lu's best friend in the Zhengyi Sect.

Han Lu was certain that even if Zheng Yimen had truly misunderstood her and issued some kind of "kill order" or "death warrant," it was still possible.

Wen Erya would not betray her.

Moreover, if Wen Erya were willing to mediate and help Han Lu convey messages and express her stance, the situation would definitely not deteriorate to the point where only Han Lu's death could solve everything.

Moreover, Wen Erya was fully aware of what she had gained in the ancient cultivation secret realm.

She also needed to ask Wen Erya how much information she had revealed to the sect, and whether she had told everyone exactly how many magical treasures and resources she had obtained.

Although Han Lu wouldn't break the contract and keep the secret treasure, it was still necessary to ask beforehand.

Although I've decided to ask Wen Erya about the situation, I'm still not in a hurry.

Using her supernatural powers, she saw that the phoenix feather robe she was wearing had changed its style, concealing her face and features, before she entered a small village near the Zhengyi Gate.

After walking around the small village and seeing that there were no exaggerated wanted posters posted on the village bulletin board, Han Lu found a teahouse, sat in a private seat, took out a piece of paper from her storage bag, wrote a sentence, made it into a paper sword, and sent it out.

With Han Lu's cultivation at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, the distance from the teahouse to Dongshan Academy was still within the delivery range of her paper sword.

The paper sword was quickly folded into shape and flew out of the window at a speed of about thirty meters per second.

Han Lu estimated that even if her senior sister Wen Erya received the paper sword, it would be around dusk.

Having been away from the Central Plains and Zhengyi Sect for a full eleven months, Han Lu wouldn't mind waiting a moment longer.

After watching Paper Sword leave, she began to do the naughty thing of "bringing her own tea" in the teahouse, quietly enjoying her tea while patiently waiting.

"I hope Senior Sister won't leave the sect to travel at this time, otherwise, I'll have no choice but to go and find Master." Holding her teacup, Han Lu silently prayed.

Although Piaomiaozi treated Han Lu well, she ultimately couldn't fully trust this mediocre Golden Core master.

Especially when she already possessed the strength to contend with Golden Core cultivators.

After the paper sword was delivered, about fifteen minutes later, they arrived at the East Mountain Courtyard.

At this time, Zhengyi Gate was not much different from when Han Lu left.

He only gained thousands more disciples, while leaving behind thousands of older cultivators who had no future in the path of cultivation.

As a rising star from a wealthy family among the young cultivators of Dongshan Academy, Wen Erya was naturally not among those who left.

In the ancient cultivation secret realm, he obtained a large number of magic treasures and resources for the sect, and his own cultivation level was also raised to the early stage of Foundation Establishment as soon as he returned to the Zhengyi Sect.

Naturally, Wen Erya's residence was upgraded to a higher level as she made contributions to the sect and displayed her talent.

As a favor, Wen Erya was arranged to stay within the area of ​​Hanchan Peak.

Although they only obtained a detached house at the foot of the mountain, it is already evident that Zhengyi Sect values ​​Wen Erya, a future Golden Core cultivator.

The paper sword didn't deliver the message by following the address, but by following the scent. So, even though Wen Erya had changed her residence, the paper sword still hovered over Dongshan Courtyard for a while before finding her current place.

The residence has been upgraded to a higher level, and the restrictions it comes with are naturally much more powerful.

However, since the paper sword is not offensive, triggering the restriction only alerts the occupant carrying the token and does not trigger any defensive restrictions.

The "call reminder" sounded, and Wen Erya, who had just sat cross-legged on the Dharma seat to begin her meditation, was immediately awakened from her meditative state.

He lifted the seal and beckoned to receive the paper sword.

Before even opening it, Wen Erya, who was a disciple of Wang Han, had a strange feeling in her heart.

A month ago, having just consulted the oracle about Han Lu's fortune and approximate whereabouts again, she made a blind guess and judgment.

"This must have been given to me by my junior sister."

Opening the paper sword and seeing the familiar notes, Wen Erya finally felt a weight lifted from her heart, a weight that hadn't been hanging too high in the first place.

The rudimentary divination techniques learned from Senior Wang Han turned this paper sword, which should have caused a huge upheaval, into something like a small stone thrown into a pond, only creating ripples.

Han Lu finally showed up for the appointment, and Wen Erya naturally decided to go without hesitation.

Given her status, leaving the sect at this time wouldn't require going through any complicated procedures.

Stepping out of the courtyard gate, after noting the approximate destination on a wooden sign, Wen Erya activated her lightness technique to its maximum, taking three steps at a time and quickly running towards the Zhengyi Sect's mountain gate.

During this time, she ignored several fellow students who greeted her.

Many of the Dongshan Academy disciples were seeing the usually gentle and refined Wen Erya in such a fiery and energetic manner for the first time.

With all her might, she left the mountain gate and used her teleportation tool to travel, and in just a short while, Wen Erya arrived at the village where Han Lu was temporarily staying.

Instead, it took quite a bit of time to find that teahouse in the village.

Without knocking, Wen Erya pushed the door open and walked into the private room.

"Junior sister, you're finally back." Wen Erya opened her arms and embraced Han Lu in perfect harmony.

"Senior sister, are you worried about me?" Han Lu asked with a smile.