278: Chapter 278 Cao Yang, We Miss You

Cao Yang and Ning Rongrong possessed extraordinary strength; although they had not yet stepped into the Saint Realm, their cultivation base was already shockingly profound.

They could see Buzhou Mountain, which pierced the clouds and towered high into the sky, from thousands of miles away.

This majestic peak was like a pillar supporting the heavens and the earth; its grandeur was breathtaking.

On the return journey, Cao Yang unreservedly told Ning Rongrong about his thrilling experience of destroying the Saint Realm's Saint Lord, Bai Cangye.

Upon hearing that Cao Yang had actually managed to kill his opponent within the River of Time, Ning Rongrong was initially incredibly shocked, but she quickly regained her composure.

Because in her heart, Cao Yang had always been that peerless Prodigy who could easily challenge opponents above his Realm, even within the powerful Source Realm.

Therefore, killing an Extreme Dao Saint while in the Saint Realm, a feat that seemed impossible, did not seem entirely beyond imagination for him.

Before long, the two finally successfully entered the Saint Realm.

Relying on their extraordinary strength and movement techniques, after just two teleportation-like flashes, they quickly approached Buzhou Mountain.

Just then, a crisp and pleasant, yet somewhat urgent cry came from afar: "Brother Cao, I missed you so much!"

Looking in the direction of the sound, a woman dressed in red was seen riding a Flying Sword, rushing over like a storm.

This woman was named Hong Sipan, and her cute, pretty face was full of joy.

However, perhaps due to being too excited, Hong Sipan had no time to pay attention to the Fairy-like beauty, Ning Rongrong, standing beside Cao Yang.

Before the words faded, she threw herself into Cao Yang's broad and warm embrace like a swallow returning to the forest, hugging him tightly as if afraid that the person in front of her would disappear if she let go.

"I missed you too, Sipan, my treasure." Cao Yang said gently, slowly reaching out to pat Hong Sipan's soft, boneless back.

His movements were so gentle, as if he were afraid of disturbing the person in his arms.

Ning Rongrong, standing to the side, watched this scene quietly, a flash of surprise unable to be hidden in her beautiful eyes.

The Hong Sipan in Cao Yang's arms was dressed in fire-red clothes, with a graceful figure and a stunning face, like a "Fairy" descended from heaven.

However, what shocked Ning Rongrong even more was not just Hong Sipan's peerless beauty and graceful figure, but the powerful aura emanating from her.

One must know that the current Ning Rongrong had reached the Half-step Source Realm and could be said to be one of the strongest in this Small Universe, besides Cao Yang.

Yet even with such high strength, when facing Hong Sipan, she still felt a suffocating pressure. This pressure stemmed from Hong Sipan's unfathomable strength, as if she only needed to casually reveal her power to shatter the entire Universe.

However, what Ning Rongrong found most unbelievable was that she had actually detected a faint but exceptionally clear aura of an artifact spirit on Hong Sipan.

And, after careful perception, Ning Rongrong was astonished to find that these artifact spirit auras were completely identical to Hong Sipan's own true spirit Origin aura!

In other words, the essence of this seemingly living woman in red might actually be a powerful artifact with self-awareness?

Of course, if Hong Sipan had not deliberately hidden her aura, with Ning Rongrong's current cultivation base, she would likely never have been able to detect such a secret.

After a long while, Cao Yang finally slowly opened his mouth and said: "Sipan, are Revered Master and the others all doing well? Has anything major happened while I was away for so long?"

His deep and concerned gaze was fixed on Hong Sipan, as if wanting to get the answer directly from her eyes.

Upon hearing Cao Yang's question, Hong Sipan seemed to wake from a dream, gently breaking free from Cao Yang's warm embrace, and replied in a sweet voice: "Brother Cao, don't worry, the sisters are all doing very well, and nothing particularly big has happened! It's just that Little Sister Xing Yu and Little Gu couldn't sit still and went out to play, but fortunately, Big Sister Hong Yi accompanied them, so I don't think there will be any trouble."

After speaking, Hong Sipan gave Cao Yang a sweet smile, as if to dispel all the worries in his heart with her smile.

Cao Yang nodded slightly at Hong Sipan's words, feeling a little relieved, and muttered to himself: "That is good; as long as everyone is safe and sound, that is enough."

Immediately after, he turned his head and set his gaze on Ning Rongrong, who was standing quietly to the side, and began to introduce this new friend to Hong Sipan.

Cao Yang smiled and said softly: "Sipan, this is my newly accepted Dao Companion — Ning Rongrong. You two should get to know each other."

As soon as he finished speaking, the joy on Hong Sipan's face from the reunion had not yet completely dissipated, and now it added a bit of curiosity and enthusiasm.

She looked Ning Rongrong up and down with her beautiful eyes, and then introduced herself in a very friendly manner: "My name is Hong Sipan; not only am I Brother Cao's sword spirit, but I am also one of his Dao Companions! I am very happy to meet Little Sister Rongrong here. From now on, we are a family. Welcome to our big family!"

With that, Hong Sipan reached out to Ning Rongrong to show her friendliness.

Seeing this, Ning Rongrong hurriedly stepped forward, cupped her hands respectfully in a standard greeting, and responded softly: "Rongrong pays respects to Sister Sipan. I hope for your guidance in the future."

Just like that, the two completed their initial acquaintance.

Subsequently, they did not linger and continued to walk side by side towards Buzhou Mountain.

Along the way, Cao Yang would occasionally sneak a peek at the two beauties beside him, secretly sighing in his heart: To be honest, he had really missed all the women at home these years...

Before stepping into the territory of Buzhou Mountain, Cao Yang saw from afar that Revered Master Ouyang Liuli was leading a group of women standing quietly in front of Buzhou Mountain, looking forward with expectation, as if they had been waiting for a long time.

A sweet cry was heard: "Cao Lang, you've finally returned!" This voice was melodious and full of deep affection, coming from Ouyang Liuli.

Immediately after, several other cries followed one after another.

"Brother Cao, I missed you so much!"

"Brother Cao!"

"Revered Master...!"

"Young Master...!"

...

As the figures of Cao Yang, Ning Rongrong, and Hong Sipan drew closer, the women who were waiting quietly suddenly became restless, like a group of cheerful birds, chattering as they crowded forward.

Among them, Second Senior Sister Su Xuan and the petite Little Gu were the most eager. They flashed like two bolts of lightning, instantly rushing in front of Cao Yang, and without saying a word, opened their arms and hugged him tightly.

The force of that embrace was immense, as if they wanted to merge Cao Yang into their own bodies.

The other women, seeing this, were not to be outdone, and one by one scrambled to squeeze into Cao Yang's embrace, but unfortunately, Su Xuan and Little Gu were hugging him too tightly, leaving no extra space for them to insert themselves.

Looking at Revered Master Ouyang Liuli standing to the side, she was wearing a white long dress, with a graceful figure and a stunning face. At this moment, she was looking at Cao Yang with a smile, a gentle light flickering in her beautiful eyes, just like a pool of spring water, making people unable to extricate themselves.

Beside her, Empress Chu Yueer wore a phoenix crown and a rosy dress, with an innate noble and elegant aura. Her gaze towards Cao Yang was also full of love, the corners of her mouth slightly raised, outlining a charming smile.

In addition, Empress Lan Lan Yanran, Empress Luoshen, and others were also graceful and charming, each with their own unique charm.

They were either dignified and generous, or charming and moving. Every one of them had a happy smile on their face, their affectionate eyes staring straight at Cao Yang, as if the person in front of them would disappear once their gaze left him.

Even the usually cold and arrogant Fifth Senior Sister Xiao Lingxue and First Senior Sister Mu Wanying could not hide their inner joy at this moment. Although they still maintained some restraint on the surface, the slightly flushed cheeks and the traces of affection flowing from the depths of their eyes had already betrayed their true state of mind.

Cao Yang smiled, gently reached out his hands, and slowly stroked the delicate backs of the women in front of him. His movements were full of pity and love.

"Alright, alright, my darlings, I have been missing you every moment too!" Cao Yang's voice was gentle and deep, as if it could penetrate the heart.

Then, he sighed slightly and explained: "Sigh, this is all to blame on me for carelessly eating those precious medicinal herbs. I thought I could use them to break through my Realm in one go, but I didn't expect that stabilizing my cultivation base would take so long, which was truly unexpected."

When saying this, a trace of guilt appeared in Cao Yang's eyes, as if he felt very sorry for neglecting these beautiful women because of his Cultivation.