159: Chapter 159 Farewell

Over the next three days, Chen Zilong began a long journey of farewells.

First, he went to Fengluan Peak to visit Lu Bingyun.

The two sat opposite each other in a pavilion at the peak's summit, with a pot of clear tea and a few plates of snacks, yet neither had any appetite.

"I heard you are going to the Central Region?" Lu Bingyun asked softly, her fingers gently stroking the rim of her teacup.

Chen Zilong nodded. "For Xiaoxiao, I must go."

Lu Bingyun was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled.

"I knew you would go. You're always like this; if someone treats you well even a little, you feel the need to repay them tenfold."

Chen Zilong also smiled. "Aren't you the same?"

They looked at each other and smiled, but their eyes were filled with bitterness.

That day, Chen Zilong stayed at Fengluan Peak for a long time, until night fell and the stars began to twinkle.

They reminisced about the bits and pieces of their past, fighting side by side in Tianji Village; every detail was still vivid in their minds.

Early the next morning, as the sky was just beginning to brighten, Chen Zilong rose quietly.

He looked back at Lu Bingyun, who was still fast asleep, and gently tucked in the corners of her blanket before turning to leave.

The moment he stepped out of the door, Lu Bingyun slowly opened her eyes.

She sat up, wrapped in her blanket, and silently watched Chen Zilong's back as he walked further away, eventually disappearing into the morning mist.

She knew that Chen Zilong was a man who valued loyalty and affection deeply.

Tu Shan Xiaoxiao had sacrificed her life for him, so he would save her no matter what.

She had once offered to go with him, but Chen Zilong had firmly refused.

"This journey is dangerous; I'm enough on my own," he had said.

Lu Bingyun stared at the empty doorway, not moving for a long time.

His body heat still lingered on the blanket, and his unique scent still filled the air, but the man was gone.

After leaving Fengluan Peak, Chen Zilong went to pay his respects to Sect Master Li Xuan.

Over the past year or so, Li Xuan had aged significantly.

His once jet-black hair was now streaked with silver, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes had deepened.

The fact that his most prized disciple, Su Hao, was actually an undercover agent sent by another sect had been too great a blow to him.

"You're going to the Central Region?"

Li Xuan appeared somewhat surprised upon hearing Chen Zilong's intention. "Is it for that little fox?"

Chen Zilong nodded. "Xiaoxiao ended up like this to save me; I cannot fail to save her."

Li Xuan sighed deeply and took out a jade slip from his storage ring, handing it to Chen Zilong.

"This is a map I drew when I traveled to the Central Region in my youth. Although many years have passed, the general route should still be correct. Take it; perhaps it will be of help."

Chen Zilong solemnly accepted the jade slip and bowed deeply.

"Thank you, Sect Master."

Li Xuan waved his hand, his expression lonely.

"Go on, go on. Young people should go out and venture into the world."

"It's better than staying here and facing these miserable matters all day long."

Coming out of the Sect Master Hall, Chen Zilong's heart felt somewhat heavy.

He remembered that when he first arrived at the Xuantian Sect, Li Xuan was still a high-spirited middle-aged man, but now he had begun to show his age.

Afterward, Chen Zilong returned to his own Chen family.

When Chen Xuan and Ji Fuyao heard that their son was going to the distant Central Region, they were both worried and reluctant to see him go.

"The Central Region..."

Chen Xuan stroked his beard, his brow furrowed. "I hear it's a place where experts are as common as clouds, and any random passerby might have a cultivation level above the Nascent Soul stage. Long'er, you must be extremely careful."

Ji Fuyao's eyes immediately reddened, and she held Chen Zilong's hand, refusing to let go.

"You've only been back for such a short time, and now you're leaving again. And to such a far-off place..."

Chen Zilong felt a pang of sorrow in his heart, but he could only force a smile.

"Father, Mother, rest assured, I will definitely return safely."

After staying at the Chen family home for a night, Chen Zilong visited the Ye family and the Qingqiu Fox Clan the next day.

At every stop, he felt deep reluctance and worry, but he also received many blessings and support.

In the Qingqiu Fox Clan, Tushan Yaoyao handed a fox-shaped jade pendant to Chen Zilong.

"This is the protective amulet Xiaoxiao has worn since she was a child. Carry it with you, as if you are carrying a part of her."

Chen Zilong solemnly took the jade pendant, feeling the faint scent lingering on it, and felt a sharp pain in his heart.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

On the morning of the fourth day, a thin layer of morning mist shrouded Purple Bamboo Peak, and the air carried a refreshing chill.

Chen Zilong stood alone at the summit, gazing at the layers of mountains in the distance, his gaze firm.

He didn't let anyone come to see him off, for he feared that seeing those reluctant eyes would waver his resolve.

With his pack on his back, Chen Zilong took one last look back at Purple Bamboo Peak.

The palaces on the peak's summit were faintly visible in the morning mist, looking like a fairyland.

Too many memories were left here: laughter, tears, the pain of growth, and the joy of harvest.

"Wait for my return."

He spoke softly, as if to Purple Bamboo Peak, or perhaps to someone far away.

Turning and stepping forward, Chen Zilong's figure gradually disappeared at the end of the winding mountain path.

Ahead was the unknown Central Region, a distant land full of danger and opportunity.

And he went forward without looking back.

The mountain road was rugged, and Chen Zilong walked alone through the dense forest.

Sunlight filtered through the thick leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

Birdsong drifted from the trees from time to time, making the surroundings seem exceptionally quiet.

His thoughts involuntarily drifted back to that day in Tianji Village.

That day, Tu Shan Xiaoxiao stood before him, her smile as brilliant as a flower.

She wore a white robe, its hem fluttering gently in the wind like a fairy descending to earth.

"Senior Brother, I like you."

She said so, her eyes bright and sparkling as if filled with starlight.

At that time, Chen Zilong was already severely injured, his consciousness hazy.

To save him, she did not hesitate to use a forbidden technique of the Hehuan Sect, sacrificing all of her Primal Yin and cultivation.

"Why are you so foolish..." Chen Zilong muttered to himself, a sharp pain in his heart.

He remembered the way Tu Shan Xiaoxiao finally collapsed into his arms, so light and so fragile.

Her body gradually became transparent, eventually turning into points of light and dissipating into the air.

If he hadn't used a Restriction secret method to preserve her last wisp of soul, she might not have even had the chance to turn into a little fox.

Thinking of this, Chen Zilong clenched his fists and quickened his pace.

He had to reach the Central Region as soon as possible, find the Pill Mansion, and obtain the nirvana blood fusion pill.

No matter the cost, he would save Tu Shan Xiaoxiao.