Chapter 55: Chapter 70 (Revised)

Chapter 55 — Chapter 70 (Revised)

The giant Dragon roared at Piao Nanzi and counterattacked.

Piao Nanzi sneered, flicked his index finger on the sword, and shouted, "Beast, withdraw!"

The giant Dragon's body trembled, immediately withered, and unwillingly returned to the Purple Mountain Immortal Sword, which instantly became dim.

Liu Wenju and the old woman exchanged glances, both sighing. The old woman looked disheartened and said, "Enough. All Disciples of the Hengyue School, heed my command and leave with us." After speaking, she cast a lingering look around, sighed again, and floated into the sky.

Piao Nanzi narrowed his eyes and suddenly said, "My Xuandao Sect is recruiting Disciples here. If any of you wish to join, you may stay."

The ten Foundation Establishment Stage Elders all had strange expressions. Except for two who ascended to stand beside the old woman, the remaining eight looked at each other, not following.

Liu Wenju was startled, his expression subtly changed. He wanted to say something but ultimately couldn't, sighing inwardly, shaking his head, and ascending to stand with the old woman.

"Everyone has their own aspirations. Those who are unwilling to follow will not be forced," the old woman said in a deep voice, suppressing the anger in her heart.

The Elders of the Yellow Dragon generation hesitated for a moment. In the end, except for Yellow Dragon, Dao Xu, and the Red-Faced Elder, none of the others moved. Only these three ascended to stand behind the two Core Formation Grandmasters.

Among the dozens of Inner Sect Disciples, most remained in place, with only about ten flying up. Wang Zhuo hesitated for a long time, not daring to look into Dao Xu's eyes. His foot lifted and then fell, ultimately not following.

The Woman surnamed Zhou hesitated for a moment and also didn't follow. As for the girl surnamed Xu, seeing that Wang Zhuo didn't go, she remained silent for a bit, then put down her foot that she had stepped out.

Wang Hao gave a bitter smile and said to Wang Lin, "Brother Tie Zhu, I'm not going anywhere. I'm going home to accompany my father. Don't worry about your family; I'll take care of them."

Wang Lin only then noticed Wang Hao. He was about to speak when he suddenly let out a soft "eh," grabbed Wang Hao's arm, checked it briefly, and asked, "Wang Hao, where is your cultivation?"

Wang Hao smiled bitterly, shook his head, and said, "Brother Tie Zhu, don't ask. It's a long story!"

Wang Lin glanced at Wang Hao, no longer asking. He hesitated for a moment; he had too many secrets. If he went to the Xuandao Sect, there would surely be many unknown dangers. So, after a brief ponder, he made up his mind.

Liu Wenju and the old woman waited for a while longer. Seeing the Hengyue School Disciples on the ground all bowing their heads, with no intention of following, the two sighed. The old woman said, "Enough, let's go!"

After speaking, she took the lead and flew into the distance. The remaining ten or so people followed, their faces filled with bitterness.

The Hengyue School members, led by the two Core Formation Grandmasters, silently transformed into several long rainbows, like stray dogs, and left the Hengyue School far behind.

The Disciples of the Hengyue School were divided into three groups: one group left with Liu Wenju and the others, one group chose to stay, and the last group withdrew from the School and went down the mountain alone.

Wang Zhuo chose to stay and become a Disciple of the Xuandao Sect.

Wang Hao did not go with Wang Lin but silently descended the mountain. A faint, persistent twilight aura clung to him.

Although Wang Lin didn't know what had happened to him, it was clearly related to the Cultivation Technique he practiced. However, since Wang Hao chose not to speak, he respected Wang Hao's decision. Perhaps being a Mortal was more suitable for Wang Hao.

Wang Lin's status in the Hengyue School was already low. At this moment, no one stopped him when he chose to go down the mountain. As for Piao Nanzi, he merely glanced at him and then ignored him.

After descending the mountain, Wang Lin did not linger. He moved his body, attempting to circulate the Gravity Spell outside his body, floated into the air, transformed into a long rainbow, and disappeared into the sky.

Flying in mid-air, his longing for his parents gradually welled up in his heart. Soon, he saw his hometown in the distance. The mountain village was still the same, without much change, except for his own large courtyard, which had transformed from a small tiled house into a three-sided courtyard, with a large 'Fu' character pasted on the door. Although it was just dawn, he could hear a few barks and a rooster crowing from afar.

In the village in the early morning, cooking smoke drifted, and every household had already woken up early to prepare breakfast.

Wang Lin stood at the village entrance, gazing at his family courtyard. His heart was filled with surging emotions. Five years had passed in a hurry, and even now, the events of the past were still vivid in his mind, and his parents' expectant gazes remained in his heart.

He hesitated for a while, feeling a sense of trepidation near home. Then, he took a deep breath and slowly walked towards his front door.

Before even entering, Wang Lin heard a familiar voice from inside.

"You little rascal, how can you do carpentry work like that? Look at this thing you made, it's really… not even half as good as my boy's!"

"Master, Brother Tie Zhu is an Immortal. How can I compare to him? I'd be satisfied if I could even match half of his skill."

Wang Lin was startled upon hearing this. After a sweep with his Divine Sense, a smile immediately appeared on his face. He remembered the person speaking; it was a playmate from when he was in the village, who often pestered Wang Lin to ask his father to teach him carpentry.

Gently pushing open the door, Wang Lin looked at the aged back in the courtyard and softly said, "Dad, Tie Zhu is back."

The back trembled, and the carpentry tools in his hand dropped to the ground. He turned around, staring blankly at the young man of about twenty years old in front of him, vaguely recognizing the tender face of his child from back then.

"Tie Zhu?" Wang Lin's father rubbed his eyes hard, tears unknowingly flowing down.

Wang Lin stepped forward and embraced his father, wiping away the tears on his face. Looking at the dense wrinkles that had appeared on his father's face, he stepped back a few paces, knelt on the ground, and softly said, "Dad, Tie Zhu is unfilial; I haven't returned for five years."

"It's really Tie Zhu! Child's mother, our boy is back!" Tie Zhu's father excitedly helped Wang Lin up, looking him over from left to right, a joyful smile on his face.

"Tie Zhu, you've grown taller, almost catching up to your dad, and you're sturdier too. Very good, this is my son!" Tie Zhu's father was quite delighted.

At this moment, a slightly aged woman walked out of the room, staring blankly at Wang Lin, tears streaming down her face.

Wang Lin stepped forward and knelt before the woman, showing a rare expression of longing, and whispered, "Mom, Tie Zhu has come back to see you."

"You… how could you be so heartless, not returning for five years? Do you still have your parents in your heart? These five years, your father and I thought about you every day…" As she spoke, Tie Zhu's mother hugged Tie Zhu and began to sob.

"Woman's opinion! Our child is an Immortal, so naturally, important matters take precedence. Look at you, what kind of decorum is this? You'll make outsiders laugh. Xiao Liu, you should go back. You don't need to come for a few days. After your Brother Tie Zhu leaves, I'll call you." Tie Zhu's father glared at his wife, then turned to his apprentice beside him and said.

Xiao Liu's face lit up with smiles, and he repeatedly agreed. He looked enviously at Wang Lin and then left.

That day, Wang Lin's mother cooked a table full of delicious dishes, all of Wang Lin's favorites from before. The family of three caught up on the changes of the past five years.

Wang Lin had long since stopped eating Mortal food these past few years, but he found the dishes made by his mother particularly fragrant.

During their conversation, Wang Lin's parents asked about the massive mountain that appeared on Hengyue School a month ago. Wang Lin hesitated for a moment, falsely claiming that Hengyue School had moved and that he wouldn't be able to return often in the future. His parents didn't ask further, only reminding him to take care of his health.

Over the past five years, the family had changed a lot. Relatives visited frequently, and thanks to Fourth Uncle's help, his father even reclaimed his share of the family property, and their life was quite prosperous.

His father no longer carved wood much and had taken on several apprentices, passing down his craftsmanship.

Xiao Liu was the smartest among the apprentices, having basically learned five or six tenths of the skill.

Wang Lin heard this and laughed, "Dad, I just saw the wood carvings Xiao Liu made. They're pretty good! Not as bad as you say."

Wang Lin's father snorted and said, "They're far off. None of these people can compare to you. You were only eight years old when I taught you to carve wood, and what you made back then was already better than theirs!"

Tie Zhu's mother looked at her son with loving eyes and interjected, "That's right, our Tie Zhu has been smarter than them since he was little. I say, Tie Zhu, you're not young anymore. These past few years, many families have sent matchmakers to propose marriage. I heard that Immortals can also marry. Since you're back, don't leave yet. Come with Mom to meet them. If there's a good one, we'll arrange a marriage."

Wang Lin was startled and gave a bitter smile, "Mom, how old am I? Please don't worry about this."

"You little rascal, children your age in the village are already running all over the place!" Tie Zhu's mother immediately expressed her dissatisfaction, glaring at Wang Lin.

Wang Lin rubbed his nose and said, "Mom, getting married is a big deal. Just wait a few years, and I'll bring one back, okay? We're not in a hurry, alright?"

Tie Zhu's father saw that his wife was about to say something else, so he cleared his throat and said, "Child's mother, why do you worry so much all day? Our Tie Zhu is an Immortal, do you understand what an Immortal is? Can his wife be a Mortal? Tie Zhu means he's going to bring back an Immortal daughter-in-law for you, do you understand?"

Tie Zhu's mother's words faltered, and she mumbled, "What's so good about Immortals? An Immortal can go five years without coming home. If I had an Immortal daughter-in-law, they might not even come back once in ten years."

Wang Lin gave a bitter smile, just about to speak, when his mother glared at him and said, "Fine, I'll listen to your father. You boy probably have high standards and look down on the village girls. Mom will wait and see what kind of girl you can bring back."

Seeing his mother angry, Wang Lin quickly smiled and said, "Mom, don't worry, your son will definitely bring you a good wife."

After dinner, Wang Lin's parents seemed to have endless things to say, pulling him aside to ask about everything until late at night before they finally went to sleep.