Half a Year!

How many things in this world are truly perfect?

In the days that followed, Zhou Hao spent Tiandu with Xiangcao.

He was studying the supernatural power of "Law of Heaven and Earth" and practicing the "Heaven Escape Needle Art," while Xiangcao watched from the side.

Gradually, Xiangcao's body became weaker and weaker, and she would have difficulty breathing even after walking a few steps.

Time passed.

The day has finally come.

"Zhou Hao."

Xiangcao lay on a chair in the courtyard with her eyes closed.

That chair was made for her by Zhou Hao himself.

I'm here.

Zhou Hao sat to the side, not cultivating.

"I want to go back to the tribe, I want to go back to the wilderness," Xiangcao murmured softly. "I still prefer being free and unrestrained in the boundless wilderness..."

"Okay." Zhou Hao nodded gently.

Swish!

A soft animal skin blanket appeared in Zhou Hao's hands.

He carefully covered Xiangcao with the animal skin blanket, then picked her up.

Xiangcao is very light.

The slightest touch made Zhou Hao's heart ache.

"I'll take you to the wasteland, right now," Zhou Hao whispered in Xiangcao's ear.

"Mm." Xiangcao nodded slightly, a smile playing on her lips.

Whew~~~~

A gentle breeze carried Zhou Hao, Zhou Hao was holding Xiangcao in his arms. The two flew out of Jade Dragon City, facing the rising sun.

... in mid-air.

After leaving Jade Dragon City and entering the Great Wild Plains, Xiangcao seemed to have gained more vitality, and even her voice seemed to have some strength.

She opened her eyes wide, gazing longingly at everything on the wasteland.

Suddenly, Xiangcao reached her hand out from under the animal skin blanket and pointed to a vast, dark mass of Wild Ox in the distance.

"Look, it's Wild Ox."

"Hmm." Zhou Hao smiled and nodded, carrying Xiangcao as he landed on the Wild Ox in the wasteland.

The owner of the Wild Ox was a burly tribal man. He stared blankly as Zhou Hao flew down from the sky carrying Xiangcao, and immediately knew that he had encountered a cultivator.

Whoosh!

A beam of green light flew towards the burly man, who was so frightened that he immediately lay down on the ground and begged for mercy.

"I'll buy this cow." The gentle voice seemed to whisper in the man's ear.

He cautiously raised his head and saw that the two cultivators who had just flown in were already sitting on the back of a Wild Ox, heading into the depths of the wilderness.

At that moment, a piece of metal the size of a fingernail, shimmering with a bluish light in the morning sunlight and resembling gold, caught his attention.

"Thunder Gold!?" The man was overjoyed. "Thank you, sir! Thank you, sir!"

"I'm so sleepy." Xiangcao leaned against Zhou Hao.

The hair on the Wild Ox's back was like a thick blanket, making her eyelids feel heavy.

"Go to sleep if you want," Zhou Hao said softly. "You forgot, I'm an expert at taming Wild Ox. It will lead us back to the tribe."

"Nonsense!" Xiangcao felt her eyes were too heavy to keep open, so she closed them and said with a laugh, "If you weren't so strong, Wild Ox wasn't afraid of being thrown out, it wouldn't listen to you."

"Yes, back then you even told everyone not to come and help me."

"But now I can make them obey without throwing cattle."

"I wish a few more Wild Wolf came now."

"Ever since you first saved me, it seems like I've never encountered Wild Wolf again."

"They chased me so badly back then..."

Zhou Hao spoke softly the whole time, and Xiangcao listened with her eyes closed, her smile growing brighter and brighter.

"If I meet you again in the next life and we are being chased by Wild Wolf, I will still save you!"

Xiangcao is gone.

Zhou Hao held her close, and they sat on the back of the Wild Ox for three days before finally returning to the Iron Ox Tribe.

Iron Ox, Iron Pillar, Cao Rong, Yang Yun, and other familiar faces from the tribe were already waiting there.

The Iron Ox Tribe's new camp is located in a canyon.

Together, they buried the Xiangcao at the highest point of the canyon.

From here, you can easily see the entire Iron Ox Tribe, as well as the boundless wilderness beyond the canyon.

This canyon was also named ' Xiangcao Valley ' by the people of the Iron Ox Tribe.

After burying Xiangcao, Zhou Hao did not leave immediately, but continued to stay in Xiangcao Valley.

Aside from his daily cultivation, during his occasional breaks he would sit at the highest point of the canyon, talk to Xiangcao, and watch together as the Iron Ox Tribe grew stronger day by day.

Iron Pillar and the other children also moved back from Jade Dragon City.

True Person Muxuan arranged for a Jade Dragon Army and three thousand Green Flood Dragon Army to be stationed in the Iron Ox Tribe for a long period of time.

At the same time, the teachers from Iron Pillar's school were also hired to the Iron Ox Tribe.

Autumn passed and winter arrived in the blink of an eye.

Snowflakes began to fall on the wasteland.

"Zhou Hao"

From below the canyon, Iron Pillar shouted loudly.

Swish!

Zhou Hao appeared in front of Iron Pillar as if he had teleported.

"Father and the others are all ready," Iron Pillar said excitedly.

"Then let's go." Zhou Hao smiled, glanced back at the Xiangcao Valley, and walked towards the Iron Ox Tribe with Iron Pillar.

Yesterday he told Iron Ox that he wanted to go back to Jade Dragon City, Iron Ox said that it would be good to go with him.

Before winter, the tribe had collected a lot of monster pelts, which they brought back to Jade Dragon City to sell.

However, Zhou Hao did not tell Iron Ox that he planned to leave the Great Wild Plains and Jade Dragon City after this trip.

East City Jade Dragon City, in the Cultivation Market.

At first glance, the wide street is lined with countless stalls.

Compared to the bustling West Gate Market, this place was filled with ordinary people setting up stalls, and many of them sold slaves and wild animal pelts.

In the East City Market area, cultivators set up stalls everywhere.

Even the weakest among them are at least Xiantian Lifeform.

Next to each stall was a white stone with the inscription of the treasure the stall owner wanted to exchange for it.

"Brother Zhou, what are we doing here? You left us so many magical treasures and weapons, we don't need to buy any more."

Iron Ox felt somewhat bewildered upon seeing so many cultivators.

Iron Pillar, on the other hand, looked around curiously.

"Brother Iron Ox, I'm preparing to leave the Great Wild Plains," Zhou Hao said to Iron Ox as he walked slowly. "Before I leave, I'd like to buy some more cultivation methods to leave for the tribe."

To be honest, he had been in Jade Dragon City for half a year, and this was his first time visiting the market town in the East City.

"You're leaving?" Iron Ox was taken aback.

Iron Pillar also turned to look at Zhou Hao, his eyes already red.

"I haven't fulfilled the promise I made to Master Jingzhi. Half a year has passed, and it's time for me to leave."

Zhou Hao reached out and wiped away Iron Pillar Zhu's tears.

"It's not like you're never coming back. Once you enter the Purple Mansion, I'll take you to a celestial sect to become their disciple."

"Yes." Iron Pillar nodded emphatically, "I will definitely enter the Purple Mansion!"

Iron Ox then realized what was happening and said repeatedly, "Brother Zhou, it's time for you to leave and explore the world. The Great Wild Plains are too small, Xiangcao Xiangcao wouldn't want you to stay here forever."

Zhou Hao nodded.

suddenly--

"Commander Zhou?" a somewhat unfamiliar voice rang out.

Zhou Hao turned his head and saw a round-faced young man walking towards him in the distance.

Beside him was a young man with a somewhat cold demeanor.

"You are... Shen Nan from the First Squad?" Zhou Hao thought for a moment and immediately recognized the person.

When he first joined the Jade Dragon Army, during the selection for commander, he bet on the High-Grade Origin Stone that he could defeat the Vine Wood Puppet. He then packaged and sold the various magical treasures and weapons he had obtained from Motai Jie and Yuan Lie to Shen Nan.

As for the boy next to Shen Nan, Zhou Hao also found him somewhat familiar, but he couldn't quite place where he had seen him before.

"Commander Zhou Hao."

The boy walked up to Zhou Hao and knelt down on the ground with a thud.

"Last time, when I was being chased by the Shang Clan at sea, I was fortunate that Commander Zhou Hao came to my rescue and even killed two of Shang Youde's sons, avenging my family. Xia Jie will never forget this kindness in his life!"

Chased by the Shang Clan... Xia Jie?

Zhou Hao suddenly remembered.

That happened when I led my team to garrison Crouching Ox Island; no wonder he looked familiar.

In just six months, the boys from back then have already become Xiantian Lifeform?

Sorry for the lateness. I finished organizing the plot for the next chapter tonight.

By the way, I'm taking the kids to my mother-in-law's house on the 20th, so I probably won't be able to write 10,000 words by midnight. I'm asking for leave in advance.

If I get back early, I'll update another chapter. If I get back late, it might be past midnight again.