"Where is my uncle now?"
Song Lingxue fell silent for a moment, a worried frown appearing between her brows, "Am I going to be a burden to my uncle?"
The worst-case scenario had once been the death of only her own family, but if that implicated her uncle's family as well, she truly would die with lingering regrets.
"There's no need to worry too much, seeking refuge with your uncle is the last resort,"
Song Tonghai shook his head, "Your uncle isn't in Great Zhou, not even within the four surrounding countries, people here cannot reach that far."
"If you travel thirty thousand miles to the southeast from the border of Great Zhou, there is a country called 'Giant Marsh,' which is composed mostly of islands and is in a state of chaotic turmoil, an age of strife,"
"Every three years, your uncle and I exchange messages. Three years ago, your uncle had already established connections with the local Immortal Sect 'Qionglou' and was ready to make his mark and build a legacy. It seems they are in need of people."
"It's a really long journey from Great Zhou to Giant Marsh, the letter I wrote to him two months ago is probably still en route..."
The more he spoke, the more forlorn Song Tonghai's expression became.
This would be a long migration. Just making it to Giant Marsh Country could take several years, essentially meaning a complete abandonment of what the Song Family currently possesses.
And on this journey, who knows what kind of turmoil they might encounter.
Song Lingxue listened in silence. Great Zhou itself covered a hundred thousand miles, a vast expanse without borders, and beyond its borders, yet another thirty thousand miles would have to be traveled to reach Giant Marsh.
No matter how she heard it, it sounded like a fable. Whether they could even survive the journey there was an absolute uncertainty.
"If it truly comes to an unavoidable situation, take Song Yun with you for company. As for that Chu Zheng..."
Mentioning Chu Zheng, Song Tonghai paused slightly, then shook his head:
"If you like him you can take him with you, and I will also find several experienced martial masters to accompany you, to handle miscellaneous matters. On the road, you should try to stay out of sight as much as possible."
Immortal Sects are not all reclusive hermits; many evils lurk among them, and even within the territory of Great Zhou, there live cultivators of demonic paths.
When outside home, even grandmasters need to be constantly cautious. Song Lingxue, being young and possessing a certain level of strength, can easily become a target if too conspicuous.
Listening to Song Tonghai speak as if he were handing down his final arrangements, Song Lingxue's lips tightened slightly, understanding some things didn't need to be stated too explicitly.
If the moment to abandon her home really came, naturally, someone would need to draw attention to allow her a chance to escape.
She didn't utter naive phrases like dying together; staying at home with her current level of strength would be like throwing a pebble against a rock—a foolish act.
There's a long future ahead, and as long as she survives, there's a chance to discuss revenge later.
If she were to die alongside the others, when Ling Qing returned, there would be no enemies to find.
Thinking of Ling Qing, her eyes suddenly brightened, "Father, can we ask Phantom Spirit Sect for help?"
"Do you even know where Phantom Spirit Sect is? Do you think the people of Phantom Spirit Sect are unaware of our situation?"
Song Tonghai shook his head, bitterness swimming in his eyes: "In the eyes of those superior immortals, our lives aren't worth a dime. The only value might be to use us as leverage against Ling Qing."
"If Phantom Spirit Sect intervenes now, what about the next time?"
"If I were a member of Phantom Spirit Sect, I would rather the Song Family simply vanish now, once and for all, to spare Ling Qing some trouble."
Immortal Bone Heavenly Grant, the Immortal Path is merciless.
...
...
The Mansion's Treasury had been cleaned up, and Chu Zheng returned to his rightful place.
In a small room to the side of the treasury, originally filled with some cabinets and stools, space had been cleared after Song Lingqing was selected to join the Immortal Sect to collect various ancient artifacts.
These relics from ancient times were only favored by some high officials and nobles for their amusement and, aside from their expensive prices, they weren't of much practical use.
Over the years, the Song Family had spent a significant amount of silver collecting these items.
Chu Zheng found the items stored here extremely fascinating and would've liked to live inside the treasury if it weren't against the rules, just to accumulate repair experience faster.
To fix the Great Circulatory Qi Guideline - Upper Volume a thousand times, according to the current panel, it would take two hundred days, which was indeed a long time. Clearly, waiting idly the entire time was not an option.
The introductory volume alone was enough for Chu Zheng to practice cultivation for a long time. He wasn't in a rush to repair the subsequent cultivation techniques; instead, he wanted to advance his Repair Master rank first, to see if the panel would present some new changes.
...
...
The setting sun was gradually swallowed by the mountains, and as the last streak of twilight vanished, Chu Zheng stepped into the moonlight, returning to his dwelling.
It wasn't even midnight yet, so it was still too early to circulate qi through the Grand Circulation. For a moment, Chu Zheng found himself rather bored.
In the past dozen days or so, he had nearly finished studying the several books left behind by Song Lingqing.
Not to mention the Initial Understanding of Immortal Path, within the Chronicles of the Rainbow Sword Immortal, there were some peculiar tales.
However, the Rainbow Sword Immortal only claimed to be as such, with a cultivation not beyond the Fourth Realm of the Immortal Path, 'Soul Condensing,' far from a True Immortal.
Most of the chronicle was filled with self-aggrandizing stories, basically detailing on a specific year, month, and day, slaying demons at certain places, battling individuals with spells, engaging in fierce combat, and eventually triumphing.
It also described various secret realms and wonders, but the expression in the text was too pale, and some unfamiliar bizarre vocabulary made it impossible for Chu Zheng to imagine the details.
Heavenly Stars and Phenomena was even more outrageous—it was a veritable book of miscellany, which recorded various calamities triggered by changes in the positions of stars and also recounted methods of divining fortune based on astral projections.
In Chu Zheng's view, most of it seemed far-fetched, and as for the term 'fate,' he didn't quite believe in it.
From what he had seen in the ancient records, the development of all events had a trajectory to follow, and in the end, it all came down to the choices people made, rather than any predetermined paths.
The Chronicle of Shuoxue Tianjun was the thinnest among these four books, but it was also the most exaggerated biography.
Celestial Lord is the title given to a True Immortal. This Shuoxue Tianjun once controlled thousands of realms and nations, dominating the world and bearing the mandate of heaven for hundreds of thousands of years before vanishing without a trace.
A True Immortal, one who could hold the sun and moon in his hands, flip the seas with his eyes, and sever the Milky Way with a thought.
And in the chronicles of Shuoxue Tianjun, he had slain no fewer than ten True Immortals. Reading throughout, the only words that came to mind were 'invincible.'
Considering Chu Zheng's impression of the scale of the stars, it was difficult to picture any being capable of such feats—indeed, it was somewhat abstract.
If such high-level life forms could focus their strength on common development, how many ordinary people could they sustain?
This was the first thought that crossed Chu Zheng's mind after reading the Chronicle of Shuoxue Tianjun.
But the idea of True Immortals farming was, of course, rather unrealistic.
Flipping through the items he currently had on hand, Chu Zheng's eyes suddenly sharpened, and his interest was piqued.
[Aged Diary (Zeroth Order/Incomplete): A journal written by a martial artist surnamed Song. After repairing it, you can use it to pass the time.]