111: Farewell, return to Snow Mountain City

After meeting with Gu Pang and the others, and reminiscing about the past, Chen Cuo learned that Ding Xiang was not with the gang. He then used his Innate ability of Shrinking the Ground into Inches, transforming himself into a dream-like bubble, treating the pressure of heaven and earth as nothing.

After being injured, the Undying Yuan Candle in his Soul Sea shone, and all injuries instantly vanished without a trace. This was the effect of 'Indestructible and Eternal'.

With a flash, he appeared beside White Egret. White Egret was waiting for him in a tavern outside. Chen Cuo had finished meeting his old friends. As for the matter of finding Immortal Seeds, Lei Wen and the others would naturally help, and he left everything to his descendants.

After making arrangements, the next step was to wait. However, being able to see that Gu Pang and the others were still alive and had left a Legacy, Chen Cuo felt a wish fulfilled. As for the Immortal Seed matter, he could leave it to White Egret to worry about.

"Chen Cuo, aren't you afraid of suffering a backlash by using True Qi so recklessly?"

White Egret was greatly surprised when Chen Cuo instantly appeared beside her and sensed the flow of True Qi within his body. After all, she would never dare to do such a thing, or she would definitely get injured.

Chen Cuo shook his head and merely said, "You can see this as my Innate ability; I didn't use much True Qi!"

"The Iron Eagle Gang will fully cooperate with the search for Immortal Seeds. Shopkeeper, please take care of it. I still have some things to attend to and will be back in about half a year!"

Before his voice faded, Chen Cuo had already transformed into a wisp of phantom and disappeared. White Egret saw that he was moving at a high speed, imperceptible to the naked eye.

Soon, two days passed, and Chen Cuo arrived at Mingxi Dao. This place was far from Wei City, but quite close to Jian Ge in Jiannan Road. Upon arriving at Lanni Temple, he found that this temple was built on a green peak, with flourishing incense and many pilgrims coming and going.

Chen Cuo went to the mountain gate and disguised himself as a pilgrim to enter. He searched left and right, but Ding Xiang was not at the mountain gate.

He then concealed his Qi and went directly to the meditation room. Deep within the meditation room, in a large courtyard, stood a giant ginkgo tree, with lush branches and leaves, exuding an ancient charm.

An old nun dressed in plain clothes was in the meditation courtyard, sweeping fallen leaves with a broom.

"Is the benefactor surnamed Chen?"

The old nun did not turn to look at him but knew that Chen Cuo had arrived and identified him.

Chen Cuo was startled, then stepped forward to observe closely. The old nun had kind eyes and a benevolent expression, with a hint of nobility in her calm demeanor, possessing an extraordinary and ethereal quality.

From her bearing, she was clearly an Innate Expert, but she had never gained any reputation nor had she gone to Great Snow Mountain, which puzzled Chen Cuo somewhat. However, he recognized the nun's identity.

"May I ask if you are Great Master Mihua? I am Chen Cuo!"

"Precisely!"

This old nun was the abbot of Lanni Temple, Old Nun Mihua!

"Your purpose in coming, Jinghe already knows everything. However, she believes she can no longer accompany you on your journey, so she does not wish to see you again and cause more trouble!"

"Great Master!"

Jinghe was the Buddhist name Ding Xiang took upon entering the temple. She truly no longer wished to concern herself with the Mortal World.

"Benefactor, please wait a moment!"

Old Nun Mihua did not wait for Chen Cuo to finish speaking before turning and leaving the meditation courtyard. She soon returned with a wooden box and handed it to Chen Cuo. Chen Cuo opened it to find a green jade hairpin inside, the very hairpin Chen Cuo had casually given to Ding Xiang when he bought her, a small trinket worth only an ounce of silver.

It was just...

Chen Cuo shook his head, "Since that is the case, I understand. Please give this letter to Ding Xiang, and I bid you farewell!"

Immediately, Chen Cuo turned and left. Great Master Mihua softly chanted, "Amitabha, all conditioned phenomena are like a dream, an illusion, a bubble, a shadow, like dew, like lightning. They should be seen as such..."

Moments later, Ding Xiang sat holding the letter. After opening it, tears fell onto the paper.

"If there is a next life, let us continue our edge!"

...

On the path of cultivation, Chen Cuo could not always drag others along. The Great Dao is a solitary journey, without change.

It wasn't that he couldn't take Ding Xiang with him, nor that he couldn't acquire more cross-realm quotas, but what would be the use? If one were to travel with him, they would at least need to keep up with his pace. If they fell even slightly behind, they could only become a beautiful memory in Chen Cuo's mind. He couldn't take care of them all, nor could he constantly pull others forward.

Moreover, Ding Xiang herself did not wish for such a thing. This current outcome might very well be the most suitable result...

Originally, the extra quota he had purchased was intended for Ding Xiang, but now, only Hong Feng could accompany him on this journey.

To achieve a Breakthrough to Innate, Hong Feng had never established a family. After his success, he lived in seclusion in Taiheng Mountain and no longer managed the secular affairs of the Iron Eagle Gang.

He just didn't know why he himself didn't go to Great Snow Mountain, even though Chen Cuo had left guidance for the path forward in the things he left behind.

Soon, another day passed, and Chen Cuo arrived at Taiheng Mountain. This place was characterized by deep ravines, dense forests, strange roads, and many rocks. In uninhabited areas, it was incredibly desolate.

He only managed to find Hong Feng's secluded dwelling by relying on the address Lei Wen and the others had told him.

"Boss, you're back!"

"Yes, I'm back. Come with me, I'll take you to a new world!"

"This life was originally yours, Boss, so of course I'll always follow you."

Hong Feng did not hesitate in the slightest. After he stepped into the Innate realm and stayed with the Iron Eagle Gang, he felt something was amiss.

The Mortal World had a certain hindrance to cultivation, making him feel restless, so he immediately distanced himself from the Iron Eagle Gang.

In the arrangements Chen Cuo left behind, he also knew that there was a path forward in cultivation, but at that time, Chen Cuo did not know the specific direction of Great Snow Mountain and did not indicate how to get there.

He searched in the surrounding countries but couldn't find any other Innate Experts to travel with, so he had no choice but to live in seclusion alone. Moreover, he had a vague premonition that Chen Cuo would definitely return!

As expected, he finally waited for him!

...

It was half a year later when Chen Cuo returned to Wuya Prefecture with Hong Feng. In those six months, the two of them did nothing serious but travel around, exploring every corner of Yue Country's current territory, and occasionally performing acts of chivalry.

Chen Cuo himself also went to a secret place he had long wanted to visit and obtained something...

By the way, he also discovered Han Nao's eldest son, Han Wu, who had survived. He was actually living in anonymity, teaching in a small rural town. If Chen Cuo hadn't had the Innate talent of a diviner, he really wouldn't have discovered him.

The other party had a happy life, with a wife and two children. After Chen Cuo discovered him, he learned that Han Wu had not instilled his hatred for the Iron Eagle Gang in his children, so he merely used a slight method to cause Han Wu's heart to stop, resulting in instant sudden death.

As for the others, they were irrelevant.

Decades had passed since the original Wei City, and its appearance had undergone a drastic change, becoming extremely prosperous. Wealthy merchants were numerous, coming and going countless times. Various old-fashioned shops, such as handmade perfume and soap shops, were countless. It had clearly become a commercial center city, and the Iron Eagle Gang here was a branch.

He just casually strolled around. Finally, he and Hong Feng went together to his original mother's grave. The barren mountain to the east was still there, but it was no longer a desolate scene. To his surprise, there were even people from the Iron Eagle Gang there, though they were all old and frail martial artists who had formed a small village on the edge of the barren mountain.

Hong Feng saw Chen Cuo's confusion and said, "Lei Wu is also buried here, on another mountain!"

"Hmm, that's good too!"

Chen Cuo nodded. After Hong Feng revealed his identity, they were not hindered in any way. The two went up the mountain to pay respects to Chen Cuo's mother and Lei Wu, then turned and left.

Back in Wuya Prefecture, White Egret also had some gains, finding two Immortal Seeds, one boy and one girl. The boy had a True Spiritual Root of three elements: water, fire, and earth, while the girl had a True Spiritual Root of gold and water attributes.

Both were weak infants. When White Egret arrived, both were already on the verge of death. If it weren't for the fact that both children came from well-off families, they wouldn't have been able to hold on.

In fact, how could children from ordinary families find ginseng, snow lotus, or other medicinal herbs with Origin Qi to sustain their lives?

The spiritual food White Egret brought was ultimately limited, and only in Xueshan City could the two children be guaranteed to survive. After discussion, it was decided to first take the two children back to Yue Du to discuss with Huang Chenyi. As for the children's families, it was naturally a separation of life and death, but knowing that their children had a chance to live, they could only reluctantly let go.

Soon, Chen Cuo and White Egret returned to Yue Du with the Immortal Seeds, and found that Yue Wudao and the others had even better harvests, having found four more children. One was even found by Yue Wudao in Yan Yun Country, and he took the opportunity to give the imperial family there a good beating!

Moreover, two of the children, after a period of care, had basically overcome their life-threatening condition, but they still needed to return to Xueshan City as soon as possible.

Since Huang Chenyi only had four quotas in his hand, plus himself, there were only three extra quotas. The quota given by Yue Wudao would definitely be prioritized for Xue Lengning, and finding three others was actually enough.

As for the extra one, since White Egret only found two, he made a favor and gave it to White Egret.

"It's a pity, this time our luck doesn't seem to be very good; there are no people with a single Spiritual Root of Heavenly Root!"

White Egret couldn't help but roll her eyes. To find so many True Spiritual Root Geniuses in one year was simply unimaginable in the cultivation world outside!

The four discussed and unanimously decided to return to Xueshan City.

Climbing Great Snow Mountain with many young children was even more difficult. He could stick all the Talismans on the children. Chen Cuo directly held two in his arms; he was not afraid of backlash and directly used True Qi to protect the young children.

Fortunately, everyone returned safely to Xueshan City!

As for Hong Feng, Chen Cuo had already given him the cross-realm jade token and left him a sum of Spirit Stones, without letting him be exposed to Huang Chenyi and Yue Wudao. Chen Cuo had other arrangements for him!