The group headed south and arrived at the coastal port of Jingguo. There were also large ships at the docks that went to Hanshan City. They quickly sold their scale horses and bought tickets to board the ship. It took several months to go there by land, and half a month to return by boat. Fortunately, the period of bad luck that Xi Yunting had after his promotion was over, and he arrived at Hanshan City without any trouble.
"We're finally here." Tang Ru said with a bad face. She was seasick, and traveling by sea was like torture for her.
Tong Nuonuo acted as if nothing had happened and said to her, "You don't ride on it often. You will get used to it naturally after staying on the boat for a long time."
Tang Ru glared at him, "I've been sitting here for fifteen days, isn't that long?"
Tong Nuonuo said to her: "This is only half a course of treatment. If you can sit for a month, I guarantee that you will be completely cured. You should know that my master is Taizhen, and we have to take a boat no matter what. You can listen to me and I will do the right thing!"
In the past half month, Tang Ru has been arguing with Tong Nuonuo to divert attention. Chen Xiao and Xi Yunting have become accustomed to such background noise. Several people sat on the open terrace on the top floor and enjoyed the sea breeze. Chen Xiao said to Xi Yunting: "After getting off the boat, I want to go to the valley to see Du Rong first. I wonder if he has succeeded in building his foundation?"
The world of cultivation is so cruel and realistic. Chen Xiao has the compass as his spiritual root, and his cultivation has improved by leaps and bounds, while Du Rong, who is 20 years older than him and has been practicing for more than 30 years, is still far behind him.
Xi Yunting nodded: "That's as it should be. If Monk Du has already established his foundation, take him with you when we go to Taizhen Realm. He has a calm personality and is experienced in handling affairs. He can be trained to be a capable assistant to Brother Xiao."
Chen Xiao hummed. He also planned to do so. Although Du Rong was capable, he was limited by the environment and had a lot to learn. There were people who were smarter and more capable than him, but none of them were as reliable as him. So even though it would take some time, Chen Xiao was willing to train him from scratch.
The gifts were packed in advance. As soon as the ship docked, Chen Xiao and his friends were the first to disembark as guests in the luxury cabin. After half a month of rocking and swaying, they were still a little uncomfortable stepping on land. The four of them rested in the city for another night before rushing back to the valley the next day.
There was no road leading to or from Zhushanju, and the place was still as deserted as when they left. Tong Nuonuo took Tang Ru, who was visiting for the first time, to visit everywhere, while Chen Xiao was worried and rushed to the North Courtyard where they lived at first. Xi Yunting walked neither fast nor slow, but he never left his side.
The north courtyard was quiet. Half-man-high weeds grew in the cracks on the ground, and the eaves and roofs were covered with fallen leaves blown by the wind. Chen Xiao's heart skipped a beat when he saw this. Could something have happened?
His breathing became rapid, and Xi Yunting beside him held his hand and whispered in his ear: "Don't panic, brother Xiao. Brother Du is fine, he is still in retreat, his breathing is stable, and his demeanor is normal."
Chen Xiao heaved a sigh of relief when he heard this. Seeing how depressed he was, he thought Du Rong had died in the house. "I'm glad you're okay."
Du Rong's retreat was not smooth, but Xi Yunting was not surprised. A lone cultivator like Du Rong, who was not very talented and had no elixir to help him, could only rely on his willpower to hold on. A cultivator in the body refining stage had strong endurance, and would come out every five or six days to drink water, eat something to replenish nutrition, and then close the door to continue his retreat.
Chen Xiao went to the kitchen of the North Courtyard and saw that the stored food was almost all eaten up. There were only some dried vegetables and pickles left in the large freezer. Chen Xiao frowned. Fortunately, they had purchased a lot of food and food to supplement Du Rong's retreat, so they didn't have to go there again. He had never thought that Du Rong would retreat for such a long time. If he had eaten all the food, would Du Rong starve to death?
Sitting in Xi Yunting's living room in the east courtyard, Chen Xiao said solemnly, "This won't work. If I were still in Gengsheng Heaven Realm, I could come back in time to give him more food. Once I go to Taizhen, I don't know when I can come back. Du Rong will stay here in seclusion without anyone to take care of him. Why don't I wait for him to come out of seclusion, and then go to Hanshan City together to buy a house and settle down, and then hire a servant to be responsible for shopping and cooking."
Xi Yunting shook his head and said, "I'm afraid that won't work. The most taboo thing during retreat is to interrupt it. Moving is the worst option and should only be done as a last resort. If Xiaodi is really worried, I can go to Zhishitang and offer a reward to hire someone to come over every once in a while to clean the courtyard, repair the house, and buy supplies."
Chen Xiao said, "How can I trouble you, big brother? Du Rong is my vassal. I am grateful to him for staying here with you. I should pay for him."
Xi Yunting said, "There is no need for such politeness between you and me. This Zhushan Residence is located in Gengsheng Heaven Realm, and it is of little use to me. I was planning to give it to Brother Xiao, so you don't have to go to the city to deliberately place it there."
Chen Xiao was surprised when he heard this: "You want to give this valley to me?"
Xi Yunting nodded and said seriously: "Since Brother Xiao is planning to establish a sect, he needs a place to build his sect. I think this valley is a good place. It is not only well hidden, but also has no large beasts in the area. The most important thing is that it is very close to Hanshan City, which is very convenient."
The spiritual energy near this valley is only average, not suitable for Taoist practice. However, Chen Xiao's practice of Feng Shui does not require spiritual energy, so it is just right for him to be safe, quiet and convenient.
Chen Xiao was very moved, but he was embarrassed to accept Xi Yunting's kindness. Since they met, the elder brother has helped him many times, and the things he gave him were not many but very practical. Every time Chen Xiao tried to give a little in return, Xi Yunting would give him more. He could feel that Xi Yunting was sincere, but he couldn't always accept it so shamelessly. Over time, Chen Xiao was worried that he would become the kind of person who took other people's kindness for granted and forgot to be touched and grateful. Chen Xiao said: "Although the elder brother has good intentions, I can't accept it shamelessly."
For Xi Yunting, giving to his beloved, giving him things, and seeing him happy are things that make him feel happy and satisfied. The failure of sending the valley made him feel a little disappointed. Chen Xiao really needed a place like this suitable for building a mountain gate, but he was unwilling to let him buy it from him.
Xi Yunting's eyes flickered, and he changed his words: "How about this, since we have to leave today anyway, and we don't know when we will return. I will lend this Zhushan Residence to Brother Xiao for use, and use it as the location for preparing to establish a sect."
Chen Xiao hesitated for a moment. Although it was still early for him to establish a sect, he could start preparing now. It would be nice to have such a safe and hidden place to store some things. He raised his eyes and smiled at Xi Yunting, "Thank you very much, brother."
Xi Yunting also smiled. Xiaodi refused to accept it now, but when he was about to establish a sect, he would give it to him as a congratulatory gift, and he would have no choice but to accept it. In order to please his sweetheart, Xi Yunting also put in a lot of effort.
Hearing that Xi Yunting had lent this place to Chen Xiao as a preparatory site for establishing a sect, Tong Nuonuo took out the Fu Long Bone that Chen Xiao had bought for 1,200 spirit beads without saying a word.
"Xiaoxiao, I have almost finished studying this Fu Long bone. At my current level, I can only repair one third of it, which means it can barely defend against spell attacks. I cannot intercept or counterattack for the time being. I can't use this Fu Long bone for the time being, so why not return it to you and place it in this valley. I have written down the key techniques, and I will repair it completely when I have mastered it thoroughly. This way, you can save a lot of money."
Chen Xiao paid for the purchase, and he gave it directly to Tong Nonuo without telling him about the 1,200 spirit beads. Chen Xiao was always generous to his people, so he considered it as a gift to Tong Nonuo. However, Tong Nonuo always thought that Chen Xiao was the owner of Fu Long Gu. Seeing that Chen Xiao was preparing to build a sect, which could be used as the ultimate defense mechanism, Tong Nonuo planned to return it to him first.
Chen Xiao was very surprised. He didn't expect that he would get such a big advantage by accident.
The placement and use of the Fulong bone was very simple. Tong Nuonuo helped Chen Xiao find a place to put it down. After turning on the mechanism, lines composed of spiritual energy were projected upward from the center of the Fulong bone, weaving into a pattern that could cover the entire small valley. These lines hummed, gradually faded, and then disappeared.
Tong Nuonuo patted the dirt on his hands and said to Chen Xiao, "The conditions are simple, so just leave it in the open air for now. Later, it would be best to build a building to house it, such as a tall tower."
Chen Xiao asked Tong Nuonuo: "This Fulong bone can prevent attacks from the outside world. What if someone attacks from within the defense?"
Tong Nuonuo smiled bitterly: "This mechanism is mainly used to defend against external enemies. If there is a fight inside the door, Fulonggu will be helpless."
Chen Xiao nodded. It seemed that this Fulonggu missile defense system was also restricted by the defense radius, just like the previous missile defense system.
After the Fulong bone was installed, there was no more safety hazard in the valley. Chen Xiao did not plan to meet Du Rong before leaving, fearing that the fact that he had already established his foundation would stimulate him and cause another accident to happen during his retreat, which was already not going well.
The four of them came to Zhishitang to post the employment mission. Not long after Chen Xiao registered, Han Yuanzhi heard the news and came to see him.
Han Yuanzhi specifically instructed his men to keep an eye out for news about Chen Xiao, just so he could tell him in person that his wife Chi Yilan had successfully given birth to a son. The child was plump and healthy. The birth of the heir filled the Han family with joy.
Han Yuanzhi invited Chen Xiao and others to his home. They still live in Changjia Village. It is becoming more and more prosperous and has developed into a big town.
Chen Xiao declined politely. They were about to leave for Taizhen Heaven Realm, and the round trip was too far. Han Yuanzhi did not force him. After asking Chen Xiao about the purpose of coming to Zhishi Hall, he immediately arranged a reliable high-level cultivator for him.
"By the way, I have something to give to Fellow Daoist Tong." Han Yuanzhi took out a small box from the storage bag in his arms and handed it to Tong Nuonuo beside him.
Tong Nuonuo said in astonishment: "Give it to me? What is it?"
Han Yuanzhi said with a heavy expression, "This is the relic of Wu Qing, Tong Daoyou's former teammate who was killed. I found it when I was cleaning up the remaining items last winter. I think this thing is a bit special. After investigation, I confirmed that it was obtained from Wu Qing by the men of the Zhong family."
Tong Nuonuo opened it and saw a bloodstained paper talisman inside. Chen Xiao, who was standing nearby, recognized it immediately. It was the enhanced version of the soul-attracting talisman that he had mixed with the mineral essence he had obtained from Tong Nuonuo.
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