Some people left without any concerns, like Yan Yuanjing. The Sect of Eternal Immortality simply couldn't hold back his steps yearning for the strength of the powerful. Some had to stay a while longer, like Patriarch Lou, who couldn't let go of the Sect of Eternal Immortality.
When Yan Yuanjing left, he declared that once Chi Changye went to the Wanluo Continent, he wanted to have another showdown with him.
Four top powerhouses, Monk Tang and Meng Alliance Leader, had left. They had already handed over their responsibilities a while ago. Clan Leader Yin, however, had to stay for a while longer, as he was not quite at ease leaving his youngest son alone, even with other clan members around. He wanted to wait until his youngest son's strength had increased a bit more before departing.
His decision was expected by everyone; they all knew how much he valued his youngest son. But it was curious that Old Demon Tianzhu had also not left. As far as they knew, many in the Demonic Path couldn't wait for him to leave; having him press down on so many demonic heads was not a pleasant thing.
"What are you looking at? Can't I rest a bit more? Fighting and killing for so long has nearly killed this old demon," Old Demon Tianzhu stretched lazily and then waved his hand towards Yin Hua and Gu Yao, Chi Changye, "Let's go, let's head back."
Gu Yao and Chi Changye exchanged glances. Could this guy possibly want to go back to Tianlin Town with them?
Gu Yao sighed, pulled his uncle along and said, "Uncle, let's go too. Everyone, perhaps we'll meet again on the Wanluo Continent?"
This time there were people to see them off. The next time anyone leaves from here, they would be on their own, with no fellow cultivators to bid farewell. So if there's nothing else, maybe they won't see each other again."Master Gu, please take your time," everyone was very polite. Gu Yao and Chi Changye were still very young, so there was no need for them to hurry off. No one was surprised by his choice; for the forces behind them, the longer Gu Yao stayed, the better.
It was unexpected that Old Demon Tianzhu would leave with them; it looked very strange no matter how one saw it. But then again, no one thought Old Demon Tianzhu would cause any trouble. Perhaps he valued Gu Yao's alchemy skills as much as they did. With his mastery in alchemy, even if he went to the Wanluo Continent in the future, he wouldn't be buried in obscurity for long. Sooner or later, he would shine brightly, and building a good relationship with him would be beneficial.
The City Lord of Liucheng and his wife also saw off Gu Yao and his party before saying goodbye to the others and returning to Baihe City. They planned to wait for their daughter to form her Nascent Soul before going to the Wanluo Continent together. They didn't want to leave their daughter alone here. Besides, Zhang Qianzhi had a heavy burden in the Commerce Alliance and needed to attend to matters there.
After these people left, occasionally, some individual cultivators appeared here. These Nascent Soul cultivators were basically recluses who did not show themselves ordinarily; even the events concerning Huo Shu did not disturb them, but they were paying attention to the portal. After hesitating for a while, they too plunged into the black hole.
Such a situation was within everyone's expectations, and there was no obstruction; it was better for them to leave.
The number of Nascent Soul cultivators on this continent was far greater than what was revealed.
Gu Yao and his group returned to Tianlin Town. Gu Yao asked Chi Changye if he wanted to rush to the Wanluo Continent immediately, knowing that Chi Changye was concerned about his mother. However, Chi Changye said it didn't matter; he would go back sooner or later, but this sooner or later didn't make much difference now.He held Gu Yao and said, "My mother, she fell into a dangerous place long before I left there. When I entered the secret realm, there was still no news of my mother, but her soul tablet is still intact. So, although it is a dangerous place, it doesn't necessarily mean the worst situation. Before my mother went to the dangerous place, she had already reached the Great Perfection of the Golden Core stage. However, due to some reasons, she had not been able to break through. I can feel that my mother's opportunity for a breakthrough should be in that dangerous place. As long as she becomes a Nascent Soul cultivator, she will not be mistreated upon returning to the sect."
Speaking of his mother's situation, Chi Changye laughed again. He let go of Gu Yao and took his hand, saying: "When we return to the sect, I will take Xiao Yao to meet my mother. I have already met your uncle; it's only Xiao Yao who has yet to meet my mother."
Gu Yao's face turned a bit red, but he did not let go of his hand. It was just meeting the parents; he had braved through mountains of swords and seas of flames, so why fear this?
Unconsciously puffing out his chest, this gesture made Chi Changye unable to resist tackling him to the ground.
Thinking back on the time since they left Yuanyang Town, these years he had always been on edge, never daring to relax. So before heading to Wanluo, Chi Changye wanted to relax properly with Gu Yao. Besides keeping Gu Yao company, he could also let Gu Yao study the things he loved, rather than improving his alchemy skills as if rushing for a task.
Time passed quickly; in the blink of an eye, another ten years had gone by. During these ten years, quite a few Nascent Soul cultivators had disappeared one after another. The existence of the portal was no longer a secret, so the cultivators on the continent no longer found it strange.Gu Yao and Chi Changye didn't just stay in Tianlin Town. In addition to Gu Yao's alchemy research, the two would also go out to play, picking places with beautiful scenery. Occasionally, when they felt like it, they would also explore some dangerous places.
They didn't specifically aim to increase their cultivation levels, but they didn't neglect their daily practice, so in such a relaxed state, both of their cultivation levels were still slowly increasing. Chi Changye had already stepped into the middle phase of Nascent Soul, and although Gu Yao had not yet made a breakthrough, he was getting closer to it.
Over the ten years, the two left their footprints in many places. They had been to the depths of the western demon cultivators and received warm hospitality from races such as the Silver Wolf tribe and the Fox tribe. They witnessed many different sceneries and also explored the secret grounds of the demon cultivators, even destroying the dens of evil cultivators without leaving their names behind for the good deeds.
Yin Hua didn't disturb the couple's time together; he also roamed around by himself. As long as his nephew notified him when he was about to leave, they would all leave together. When Gu Yao and Chi Changye returned to Tianlin Town for a short rest, he would also come back for a reunion. However, it happened several times that right after he arrived, Old Demon Tianzhu would follow.
After so many times, Gu Yao started to look at his uncle with a strange expression. Even if he was slow to catch on, he could feel that Old Demon Tianzhu had some ulterior motives towards his uncle. Otherwise, why would he keep delaying his departure? Wasn't it just to wait for his uncle?
Chi Changye received a message saying, "We need to go back now. Fei Rong and Fatty are about to undergo tribulation. It's perfect timing; after they've passed their tribulation, we'll all go to the Wanluo Continent together."
Although Chi Changye always complained that they were like light bulbs, hindering his alone time with Gu Yao, over the years they had walked together, they had developed certain affections and understandings.
"Okay," Gu Yao finished collecting several specimens and transplanted a few newly discovered plants into his space. Then he set off back to Tianlin Town with Chi Changye. Over these years, while he and Chi Changye were wandering around, Tian Fei Rong and Fatty also seized the time to cultivate. They did so because they didn't want to be left behind; otherwise, if they hadn't formed their Nascent Soul, they would have had to stay on the Qianhao Continent.Now they have also reached the step of Nascent Soul formation.
Chi Changye's flying speed was extremely fast, bringing Gu Yao back to Tianlin Town in the shortest time. Tian Feirong's cultivation had advanced a step further, already in seclusion waiting for the moment the heavenly tribulation for breakthrough would come.
Another Nascent Soul heavenly tribulation naturally attracted many cultivators to watch. However, nowadays no one entertained crooked ideas anymore. As many Nascent Soul cultivators left, those remaining became increasingly treasured. Who would dare to oppose a Nascent Soul cultivator now? They would only be waiting to be hunted down.
When Tian Feirong underwent his tribulation, the sky was filled with azure flames, making it a spectacle for the observing cultivators. Needless to say, after the tribulation, he would be another powerful Nascent Soul cultivator. None of the cultivators around Gu Yao were simple.
After Tian Feirong, it was Fatty's turn. Although there were no stunning scenes during Fatty's tribulation, his reputation for being skilled in array formations had spread far and wide over the years. This time, he even used array formations to contend with the heavenly tribulation.
Of course, what remained unchanged was his wealth and generosity, as the popularity of his modified medicinal pills continued to rise. Gu Yao truly did not lack spirit stones to spend.
After Fatty successfully formed his Nascent Soul, Hu Ting was overjoyed to tears on the spot. His grandson's higher cultivation level only made him happier. There wasn't much to worry about regarding their upcoming journey to the Wanluo Continent.
After both of them successfully formed their Nascent Souls and their cultivation stabilized a bit, they prepared to leave. Before leaving, Gu Yao left behind some of his achievements over the years, including records of several pill formulas he had improved. Some were due to extinct materials causing a shortage of medicinal pills, others required exceedingly rare materials. He had pondered and experimented repeatedly, substituting with less expensive materials. These pill formulas could give Tianlin Town an extra boost of confidence and prevent others from underestimating them.
Tianlin Town was left in the care of Hu Ting, who was in charge of managing the entire protective array. At the same time, Zhou Yuan, Jiang and others were also entrusted to Hu Ting, with instructions to practice cultivation slowly without rush, and they would reunite on the Wanluo Continent in the future.
They didn't have a send-off; the four of them, along with their uncle, quietly left Tianlin Town. In truth, everyone knew about their departure and could only wish them well in their hearts.Gu Yao found it odd that Old Demon Tianzhu hadn't shown up this time, but as they approached the passageway, he saw from a distance a figure standing there, with a conspicuously large spider beside him. Who else could it be if not Old Demon Tianzhu?
Gu Yao instinctively looked towards his uncle. Yin Hua ground his teeth and muttered resentfully, "Like some bog monster, can't shake him off."
Chi Changye and Gu Yao twitched the corners of their mouths. This description from their uncle reminded them of the bog monster they had once encountered, which had given them quite a bit of trouble. To think it was now being used to describe Old Demon Tianzhu.
"What are you doing here?"
Old Demon Tianzhu shrugged, "I'm coming with you all. Xiao Yao has Daoist Chi for protection, but you, with your skinny arms and legs, need someone to look after you, don't you?"
"How about we fight to see who with skinny arms and legs needs protection?" Yin Hua retorted defiantly, rolling up his sleeves and swinging his fists.
In terms of physical strength, Yin Hua wasn't even a match for his own nephew. Gu Yao had tried many times to get his uncle to join him in body cultivation, but his uncle always had an excuse to get out of it.
After a few times, Gu Yao understood that his uncle was afraid of pain and hardship. This fact left him speechless, so he could only think of another way. He concocted several kinds of medicinal pills to at least enhance his uncle's physical strength somewhat."What's there to fight about? We need to hurry on our way, let's go." Old Demon Tianzhu grabbed Yin Hua and darted into the passageway. The spider agilely jumped onto his shoulder, and in the blink of an eye, the two of them and the spider had vanished in front of Gu Yao and the others. That speed...
"No way, we must catch up!" Gu Yao quickly pulled Chi Changye and hurried into the black hole as well. Not wanting to be separated from his uncle, Tian Feirong quickly threw out a rope he had prepared earlier, tying the four of them together, afraid that someone might fall behind.
Chi Changye would bet that Old Demon Tianzhu did this on purpose, wanting to get rid of him and Gu Yao so he could be alone with Yin Hua. That way, once they arrived on the other side in Wanluo Continent, his uncle probably wouldn't be able to shake off Old Demon Tianzhu. After all, in an unfamiliar environment, they would face many unknown dangers, and the strength of Old Demon Tianzhu was not to be underestimated.