The Long Journey to Immortality

“There, I will take my disciples to rest and recuperate, and at the same time handle the funeral arrangements for my deceased disciple.”

Upon hearing this, Han Lu nodded slightly and looked at Mo Zhehan.

Mo Zhehan said, "No problem. Please rest assured, Fellow Daoist Ci, you two can stay on the Ark for a while. Everything will pass."

Ci Daoren nodded and said, "Yes, everything will pass."

Having learned of Ci Daoren's subsequent arrangements, Han Lu then looked at Xiao Ran.

"Fellow Daoist Xiao, what about you?"

Xiao Ran stroked the stubble on his chin and said, "I haven't decided yet."

"After taking revenge, I was somewhat lost for a while and didn't know what to do next."

"I had previously considered whether to travel around Dayu Dynasty, spend three or four years enjoying life, and accumulate wealth."

"But now, after what just happened, I feel a bit lost again."

Xiao Ran spoke sincerely, and Han Lu could understand his current thoughts and feelings.

Han Lu suggested, "Then Fellow Daoist Xiao might as well travel with Fellow Daoist Mo and me for a while. Perhaps he will have a new idea in half a month."

“Alright,” Xiao Ran replied immediately, “May I ask where Fairy Han is headed on this trip?”

In front of a group of "strangers," Han Lu was unwilling to say too much, so she simply said, "Go east."

The reason for this evasive statement is that Han Lu once revealed her ability to transform into a true spirit to Xiao Ran in his sea of ​​consciousness.

This simple sentence was enough for Xiao Ran to conclude that Han Lu was going to the wilderness.

Nodding slightly, Xiao Ran gave an "I understand" look and stopped asking Han Lu questions about things that shouldn't be discussed in front of outsiders.

Next, Han Lu and Mo Zhehan enthusiastically helped Ci Daoren examine the disciples' injuries and generously distributed healing pills to help them heal.

Half a day later, the ark piloted by Mo Zhehan had already left the territory of Tongzhou Prefecture.

When they arrived at a small town called "Xuankong Town" with a population of 10,000, Cidaoren hurriedly called for a stop, fearing that he would miss his stop and ruin his arduous cultivation that he had persisted in for more than a hundred years.

Han Lu did not try to stop him, but simply offered a few words of blessing to Ci Daoren.

Xiao Ran, on the other hand, spoke at length with Ci Daoren upon parting, expressing his deepest apologies.

Ci Daoren didn't take the matter too seriously at all. Instead, he encouraged Xiao Ran to continue with his current style of doing things and to carry out his "true heart" in his own way.

After disembarking from the ark, Cidaoyou led his many disciples on a journey of good deeds on foot.

Han Lu has always held great respect for cultivators like Ci Daoren.

Back then, his first attempt at transcending the tribulation failed, which, while creating the Cidao Ren we know today, also severely damaged his foundation.

Watching Ci Daoren leave, Han Lu estimated that this Golden Core cultivator probably didn't have much time left, and Ci Daoren's story would likely come to an end in ten or twenty years.

"I hope that one of Ci Daoren's disciples will inherit his mantle, continue to do good deeds, and bring a little change to the cultivation world of the Great Yu Dynasty." Han Lu silently offered her sincere blessings in her heart.

Chapter 939 Rival in Love?

The departure of Cidao and his disciples made the ark much more spacious.

Upon returning to the Ark, Mo Zhehan once again inquired about the future plans of Xiao Ran, who was suspected of being his "love rival."

"Fellow Daoist Xiao, have you thought about your plans? Or do you intend to go with me and Fairy Han to... the east?"

He spoke as if he were joking, but Mo Zhehan genuinely wanted to get rid of this "poor boy rival in love".

Upon hearing Mo Zhehan use "east" to refer to "wilderness," Han Lu said, "Mo Zhehan, Xiao Ran knows that I possess the bloodline of the phoenix bird, so I suppose Fellow Daoist Xiao also guessed that the place we are going to is the wilderness."

Xiao Ran nodded and said, "I was quite surprised when I found out about this back then."

"But it's fortunate that Fairy Han is truly spiritual, otherwise I might have perished in that deep blue desert when the inner demon entered my body during the Core Formation stage."

Mentioning the past, Han Lu laughed and said, "That's not the case. Perhaps I wouldn't have needed to intervene. Fellow Daoist Xiao could have easily killed his inner demon back then."

Hearing their conversation, Mo Zhehan raised an eyebrow, a strong sense of crisis rising in his heart.

Xiao Ran had known the secret that Han Lu was a true spirit for a long time. In addition, Xiao Ran had known Han Lu earlier than Mo Zhehan, which made Mo Zhehan even more convinced that Xiao Ran was his rival in love.

"Damn it," Mo Zhehan thought to himself, "I need to get this rival out of the ark quickly, or I'll be cuckolded."

This may sound exaggerated, but it reveals just how uneasy Mo Zhehan was at that moment.

After exchanging a few more casual words, Xiao Ran finally gave a serious answer to the question Mo Zhehan had raised earlier.

“I’ve thought about this matter carefully,” Xiao Ran said, looking at Han Lu. “Han Lu, you’re from the Central Plains, aren’t you?”

Han Lu nodded, "That's right."

Immediately afterward, Xiao Ran looked at Mo Zhehan and asked, "Fellow Daoist Mo, I've heard you mention these past few days that there's a teleportation portal in the Extreme Heaven Palace that leads to the Central Plains?"

"That's true," Mo Zhehan vaguely guessed Xiao Ran's plan, but he wouldn't lie to Han Lu's face. "However, activating the portal to teleport a cultivator requires at least two thousand spirit stones."

“For someone like Fellow Daoist Xiao who is not from the Extreme Heaven Palace, it would take a full three thousand spirit stones to buy a teleportation ticket.”

Taking advantage of Xiao Ran's weakness of having few spirit stones in his storage bag, Mo Zhehan emphasized the cost of teleportation, hoping to dissuade Xiao Ran from his current idea.

Upon hearing this number, Xiao Ran's expression changed slightly, and he said dejectedly, "Sigh, it seems that if I want to find a pure land in the Central Plains to cultivate, I still need to overcome the hurdle of money."

Having completed his revenge, Xiao Ran could be said to have entered a "wise man's time".

Having also experienced the period when he was retaliated against by the other party, resulting in the loss of two of Ci Daoren's disciples, he developed many grievances against the cultivation world of the Great Yu Dynasty.

Helpless and powerless to change anything, he simply decided to hide and go see the Harmonious Central Plains that Han Lu had mentioned.

However, Xiao Ran is a Golden Core cultivator after all. Although he doesn't have many spirit stones in his storage bag now, it doesn't mean he won't have money in the future.

Throughout the entire Great Yu Dynasty, there were at most two thousand Golden Core cultivators.

With Xiao Ran's skills, he could accumulate three to four thousand spirit stones in a year or three years, by saving a little on cultivation expenses, and earn a "ticket" worth three thousand spirit stones.

"You want to go to the Central Plains to cultivate?" Han Lu was quite surprised. "Is it an impulsive decision, or the result of careful consideration?"

Xiao Ran said, "Both are true."

Han Lu quickly asked, "Then, Fellow Daoist Xiao, if you really intend to settle in the Central Plains, would you like to continue being a rogue cultivator, or would you like to join a sect and become a leisurely elder?"

"What?" Xiao Ran chuckled. "Han Lu, are you trying to recruit me?"

"That's certainly the intention." Han Lu felt this wasn't a big deal; it was commonplace in the Central Plains.

Xiao Ran thought for a moment and said, "That sounds good. I remember that Han Lu, the Zhengyi Sect you belong to is the second largest sect in the Central Plains. I suppose the benefits should be pretty good."

"Not bad..." Although Han Lu didn't particularly care about the monthly allowance the sect gave to Golden Core elders, when recruiting Xiao Ran, she still listed all the benefits for Golden Core elders as if they were her own.

The resources possessed by cultivators in the Central Plains were significantly greater than those of cultivators in the Great Yu Dynasty. Naturally, the benefits offered by the Zhengyi Sect were also slightly higher than those of the Jitian Palace.

Mo Zhehan felt a slight stirring of emotion upon hearing this, so Xiao Ran was naturally even more so.

"That's great! There are so many benefits!" Xiao Ran said happily. "When I've saved up enough for the journey and arrived in the Central Plains, Han Lu, you must help me get in touch so I can join the Zhengyi Sect smoothly."

“No problem, this is easy to discuss,” Han Lu said, taking out a jade tablet and writing “letter of introduction” on one side. “I will be living in the Wilderness for at least ten years, so I can only give you a letter of introduction. I can’t personally lead you to join the sect.”

In Han Lu's view, recruiting a new, capable, and promising Golden Core cultivator for the sect should be considered a great achievement for the sect.

This matter is not only beneficial to Xiao Ran, but also to Han Lu, who is thinking of "repaying the debt of gratitude".

Why not take advantage of the situation?

The jade pendant was presented, and Xiao Ran gladly accepted it.

A win-win deal is about to be struck, but Mo Zhehan is the only one in the Ark who is not happy.

How could he possibly be laughing when his rival was directly trying to steal his girlfriend from him?

“Fellow Daoist Xiao,” Mo Zhehan tried to salvage the situation, pretending to be kind-hearted, and advised, “I have been to the Central Plains several times and even stayed there for a period of time. The Central Plains and the Great Yu Dynasty have completely different styles. You may not be able to adapt to it. Don’t make a hasty decision.”

In front of Han Lu, Mo Zhehan naturally couldn't smear Zhongyuan to change the current situation, so he could only say some meaningless words.

These words did not affect Xiao Ran. Instead, they made him realize that Mo Zhehan had been to the Central Plains several times, seeking his advice and inquiring about "what it was like for people from the Great Yu Dynasty to live in the Central Plains".

Mo Zhehan's words landed him a bad job.

He had to answer Xiao Ran's questions truthfully in front of Han Lu, which made his slightly wavering mind become firm again.

Watching Mo Zhehan and Xiao Ran's back-and-forth exchange, Han Lu, as an observer, immediately saw through Mo Zhehan's little scheme.

Indirectly, Mo Zhehan's actions and thoughts made Han Lu reflect on her relationship with Xiao Ran and her opinion of Xiao Ran for the first time.

After thinking for a moment, Han Lu came to the conclusion, "It's probably because we simply consider each other friends that we maintain this distance."

"Mo Zhehan, you're overly nervous."

Unintentionally revealing it, Han Lu was very curious and wanted to see what other actions Mo Zhehan would take for "love" in the future.

Chapter 940 Clear Distinction Between Friend and Foe

The love knowledge that Mo Zhehan had gained over the years under the tutelage of love guru Dong Fengyu finally came in handy at this moment.

Soon, based on Han Lu's attitude towards Xiao Ran and Xiao Ran's attitude towards Han Lu, Mo Zhehan deduced that this suspected "love rival" of the same sex had obviously been misidentified by him at the beginning.

"It's quite obvious. Han Lu's attitude towards me is completely different from her attitude towards him."

"This is not a difference caused by whether I, Xiao Ran, and Han Lu are close or not."

"It's the difference caused by different identities."

Mo Zhehan now has a wealth of experience in dating theory, and his analysis is very logical and insightful.

"Han Lu sees me as a candidate for a future Daoist partner, so naturally she has high expectations of me and maintains a distant attitude to test me."

"And Xiao Ran, although he is good-looking, is not the person Han Lu is looking for."

"I treat them as ordinary friends of the opposite sex, so I treat them in this way."

"We seem close, but that's all we can go."

"I don't need to be too nervous or have any jealous thoughts."

Mo Zhehan gave a final summary of the misunderstanding and set some key points for himself to pay attention to when dealing with Xiao Ran in the future.

"We can't let Xiao Ran get the idea of ​​pursuing Han Lu."

"However, we must also prevent Xiao Ran from developing feelings for Han Lu after arriving in the Central Plains."

"It would be best to suggest that Han Lu stay in the wilderness for a while longer and avoid Xiao Ran for the time being."