250: go home

"Zhou Dage!"

Seeing Zhou Luo and the spirit wine on the table, Yao Wu placed the food on it and called out to him.

"You've arrived."

Zhou Luo quietly used spiritual energy to dissolve the effects of the wine, looked at her expression, and asked in confusion, "Has something happened?"

Yao Wu forced a smile and said, "I need to go out with Master for a while."

"Where are you going?" Zhou Luo asked casually.

"Master said he's going to look for a certain Gu, which will probably take a long time," Yao Wu said.

Usually, searching for Gu takes at least a year and a half to return.

Yao Wu used to enjoy going out, but since Zhou Luo arrived, their brief time together made her feel a hint of reluctance to part.

This reluctance might be related to habit, possibly related to Zhou Luo himself, or even related to Bai...

In any case, when Yao Wu heard she had to go out to search for Gu, her first reaction was no longer happiness; instead, she subconsciously felt an urge to refuse.

She didn't know where this emotion came from, so she was in a bad mood.

Zhou Luo was thoughtful and suddenly took out a few protective Talismans and a bottle of Pills from his storage ring: "Since you're going out, it's best to be careful."

He always remembered her kindness in bringing him food. Since she was going out, he felt he should show some consideration, otherwise, it would seem a bit heartless.

Seeing those Talismans and Pills, Yao Wu's eyes lit up.

She didn't say that to ask him for things, but seeing his concern for her, she didn't know why, but the gloom in her heart lessened significantly.

"Zhou Dage, I don't need them. With Master around, there's no need to worry about safety," Yao Wu said with a light smile.

"Take them, just in case," Zhou Luo replied.

These things weren't important to him; doing a favor was also excellent.

Immediately after, he asked some questions about Gu technique.

In the past two months, he would also read that introductory ancient book on Gu technique when he had time. Although he hadn't mastered it yet, he had gained something. It was a good opportunity to ask thoroughly before she left.

If he could truly learn the path of Gu technique, having an extra skill for self-preservation wouldn't be a bad thing.

Yao Wu patiently helped him explain until late at night before she reluctantly left.

Zhou Luo watched her disappearing back, his deep eyes gleaming with a strange light.

He knew she had feelings for him, but when it came to matters of the heart, he always went with the flow and never forced anything.

He hoped she could return safely.

...

After another month, Zhou Luo successfully broke through to the mid-stage of Qi Training Layer Nine.

Before coming to the Immortal City, he was just a step away from the mid-stage of Qi Training Layer Nine.

Now, with the help of the spiritual energy in the Inner City, he finally took this step, getting closer to Foundation Establishment.

Unfortunately, there was still no news about the Foundation Establishment Materials.

On the contrary, over the past month, he had grasped some small tricks in his Gu technique.

"Could it be that I really have a talent for refining Gu?" Zhou Luo couldn't help but ponder.

Although he still couldn't refine Gu, he had made progress, which was better than the Second-Order Pill Refining Technique that hadn't broken through for a long time.

Half a month ago, Zhou Luo received a letter from Xu Changsheng.

The letter mentioned the war between the two great families, Lin and Lu.

Currently, the Lu Family is gaining the upper hand. They don't know where they contacted several small forces, and coupled with the help of the Spirit Beasts secretly raised by the Zhang Family, they have begun a counterattack.

The Lin Family is temporarily suppressed, while the Wang Family, as an ally, has made little movement, only sending a small number of Cultivators to assist.

The Li Family, the only one staying out of it, even intends to watch from the sidelines.

During this time, the Spirit Mine was also impacted. Fortunately, with Chang Le and Zhou Shiling there, as well as the Talismans and Pills he drew, the situation remained stable.

Besides the Spirit Mine where they are located, the Lin Family's Spirit Mine was also impacted. Furthermore, Jiang City, far on the other end, was once again attacked from both sides by the Lu Family and the Dragon Phoenix Mountain Range Cultivators.

Overall, the war hasn't reached its final moment yet, after all, the Foundation Establishment Experts from both families haven't made their move.

This war is clearly aimed at annihilating the other side, especially since the Lu Family has contacted other forces. If the Lin Family is truly annihilated, those forces will definitely replace them.

During the last large auction, Zhou Luo saw that the Lu Family had deep interactions with a certain force, especially since that force seemed to have Foundation Establishment Experts.

Zhou Luo thought it over repeatedly and decided to bring Lin Xi and Li Ying to the Immortal City first.

On one hand, it was for safety, and on the other hand, it was for Dual Cultivation and having children.

Currently, at home, only Lin Xi and Li Ying possess middle-grade Ling Gen (Spiritual Root), making them the best choice.

Moreover, in this Immortal City, he should establish his own foundation. If the Lin Family truly couldn't hold on, he would simply move to the Immortal City and start anew.

After making his plans, three days later, Zhou Luo left the Immortal City with Bai, mounted a spirit steed, and galloped towards Maple Leaf City.

The journey was extremely smooth, without encountering any obstacles.

About two days later, he saw that giant city.

Whether it was the Lin Family's Maple Leaf City or the Lu Family's Qingtian City, they were protected by city-protecting formations, making them easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Therefore, the main battlefields were not located here; instead, they were launching large-scale attacks on the other side's Spirit Mines.

As long as the mines were gone, the Family's annihilation would only be a matter of time.

Although there was no major battle in Maple Leaf City, it had already entered a state of alert.

At the city gate, everyone entering and leaving had to undergo strict search.

Zhou Luo changed back to how he looked when he left, and rode his spirit steed to the city gate.

The captain guarding the city gate was startled when he saw him and quickly bowed respectfully: "Sixth Elder."

"Mm." Zhou Luo responded and walked towards the city.

After more than three months, he returned again. The city hadn't changed much, but everyone's expressions were somewhat solemn and heavy.

Because of the war, the Lin Family not only conscripted Family disciples but also extensively recruited soldiers in Maple Leaf City. Many Cultivators, although unwilling to go to the battlefield, were forced to the front lines.

Among them were also Cultivators at Qi Training Layers Two and Three.

Cultivators of this level were no different from cannon fodder, but what war needed was cannon fodder.

Zhou Luo went all the way to the Lin Family mansion.

Because everyone knew him, no one stopped him. He returned to Zhou Garden unimpeded.

In Zhou Garden, seeing Zhou Luo's return, Lin Xi and others were overjoyed.

During this time, they had heard about the front-line situation at home and were very worried about it.

Especially worried about the children at the Spirit Mine.

"Don't worry, it hasn't reached the moment of life and death yet," Zhou Luo comforted Lin Xi.

He estimated that this war would last for at least several years, or even more than ten years.

Although the situation currently seems to favor the Lu Family, who knows if there will be a reversal? After all, for so many years, neither side has gained much advantage.

Under Zhou Luo's comfort, Lin Xi's mood eased considerably. She asked:

"Husband, why did you come back this time?"

"I plan to take you to the Immortal City," Zhou Luo said truthfully.

Then he stated his plans.

For this, Lin Xi expressed her worries.

"If I leave, what will happen to Zhou Garden?"

"Aren't Qinghan and the others still here? Don't worry, at a time like this, Zhou Garden is actually the safest," Zhou Luo said.

Over these twenty years, thanks to his and Xu Changsheng's efforts, this Zhou Garden has basically been built into an impenetrable fortress. Unless a Foundation Establishment Realm expert descends, it's practically impossible for Qi Training cultivators to force their way in.

These words reassured Lin Xi considerably.

On the very night he returned, a servant suddenly entered and reported: "Master, someone is requesting an audience!"