Going Home!

The morning sun spilled down, but Chen Zhou did not leave immediately; instead, he headed into the Spirit Pagoda.

Upon reaching the top floor and seeing Leng Yaozhu again, he recounted the story of being kicked out, along with the other events that had transpired.

Leng Yaozhu was completely indifferent to this.

She did not seem to feel anything at all, merely nodding calmly and gesturing toward a box on the side.

"Alright, don't be sad or upset. From now on, I am your mother."

"This box contains things prepared for you."

"You've heard of the Mystic Water Pill, right? It can enhance one's talent and physique. There are four pills here prepared for you; consuming them will help your cultivation speed progress even further."

Leng Yaozhu spoke quite casually, turning a page of the book in her hand as she did so.

However, Chen Zhou fell silent as he looked at the book she was holding upside down.

"Thank you, Foster Mother."

"Your great kindness is held in high regard, and this boy will never forget it."

After speaking, Chen Zhou picked up the box containing the four Mystic Water Pills.

His three ten-thousand-year Dragon Blood Fruits were still being refined and were not yet finished, so these four Mystic Water Pills would allow him to increase his soul power even faster in the short term.

He had already realized that his suppressed cultivation speed was likely around fifty times faster than normal—even more outrageous than Tang Wulin's had been at the time.

The problem was that his actual cultivation speed was two hundred and forty times faster, still far exceeding that of an ordinary person.

Under these circumstances, pills and spirit herbs that were rare for others were already useless to Chen Zhou; instead, he had to find ways to suppress his own soul power.

After all, if he reached the level of a Soul Emperor or even stronger by the age of ten, he would definitely be captured and sliced open for research.

That was not what Chen Zhou wanted; he wanted to keep a low profile.

Like a great tree, he needed to drive his roots deep into the earth to gain more nourishment; its top could be high and show off his talent, but it must never reach the heavens and provoke the wariness of others.

This was Chen Zhou's principle of survival.

Leng Yaozhu, however, knew nothing of this; seeing the young man accept the gift, she nodded calmly.

"Go back now. From now on, I will send you some pills every month."

"Furthermore, I will also collect some ten-thousand-year spirit herbs that you can use."

After speaking, Leng Yaozhu sat up, her gaze fixed on Chen Zhou as she spoke with great seriousness.

"You are six and a half years old this year. When you turn nine, it will be time to enter what you call an intermediate academy. I require your strength to reach the three-ring level by then."

"Your talent is very strong; as long as you practice diligently, the three-ring level should not be a problem for you."

Meeting Leng Yaozhu's earnest gaze, Chen Zhou nodded.

The total value of this resource support was absolutely astronomical. The Mystic Water Pills alone were difficult to obtain, and the three ten-thousand-year spirit herbs plus the monthly supply of pills constituted an unimaginable share.

Leng Yaozhu provided him with so many resources, and the return she asked for was merely reaching the three-ring level; this truly was not very difficult.

Even for a waste, this would not be a high hurdle.

What's more, with his cultivation speed, it would be even simpler to reach the three-ring level by then—he would just have to not cultivate for a year or two.

"Understood, Foster Mother. I will definitely reach the three-ring level in three years; I will not let you down."

"Just call me Aunt Leng; 'Foster Mother' is too awkward. Go back now. Wait at the entrance, and I will have someone take you back."

After speaking, Leng Yaozhu waved her hand at Chen Zhou, showing no intention of keeping him.

Chen Zhou did not mind; he bowed respectfully before turning to leave.

Less than a minute after stepping outside, the man in black from before walked over and respectfully led Chen Zhou to the high-speed rail station.

However, before leaving this time, Chen Zhou took a stroll around Shrek City.

He wasn't planning to buy anything for himself, but rather to bring back some gifts for Na'er.

After all, the little girl had been waiting for him for three or four days, and she must be very anxious.

Shrek City had plenty of food, with a dazzling array of all kinds of snacks.

Chen Zhou mainly bought some pastries and snacks that could be stored for a period of time to take back.

As the high-speed train moved slowly, sitting in the familiar business-class seat this time, Chen Zhou no longer felt the restraint he had before.

After all, this man in black had been sent by his foster mother, and with that backing, his previous nervousness had vanished.

With the stronger strength gained from fusing with the soul bone, Chen Zhou felt more hopeful about his future.

Of course, he could not relax, especially after returning, as he needed to incorporate the improvement of his forging skills into his core agenda.

Although his forging talent was very high, it still required diligent and arduous practice.

The high-speed train moved slowly, the whistle humming, and in less than a few hours, Chen Zhou returned to East Sea City.

Arriving at the entrance of the East Sea City station and watching the man in black bow respectfully before turning back, Chen Zhou let out a sigh of relief, picked up his suitcase and the large bag of food in his hand, and walked out.

But just as he stepped out, he saw that familiar vehicle.

It was the same car that had picked him up before, but the difference was that this time, not only did Su Xin step out, but a beautiful little girl was with her.

The little girl reached out with her chubby hands to wave at him, then came trotting over with quick, pattering steps.

Chen Zhou instinctively held out the food in his hand, but the little girl didn't even glance at it; she bypassed the snacks entirely and threw her arms tightly around him.

Chen Zhou froze for a moment. He wanted to say something, feeling a bit helpless, but as soon as he looked down, he saw the little girl was already crying, her tears splashing onto him.

Looking at the tear tracks on the little girl's face, Chen Zhou helplessly reached out to gently wipe them away before patting her head.

"What are you crying for? It's only been a few days since Brother left, why are you crying?"

"Did someone bully you?"

"I thought... Brother didn't want me anymore."

"Wuu wuu, Brother... you didn't come back for so many days."

The little girl spoke with hiccups, tears still clinging to the corners of her eyes, which truly made Chen Zhou's heart ache.

He stood up with a sigh, handed his luggage to Su Xin, who was standing to the side, and scooped the little girl up into his arms with one hand.

"It's alright, I would never not want you."

"Let's go back. Brother had a huge harvest this time."

A smile appeared on Chen Zhou's face as he spoke.

The gains over these past few days were simply too great; not only did he obtain a spirit bone, but his own strength had also improved significantly.

He carried the little girl, and the two of them followed Su Xin back into the Spirit Pagoda.

At this moment, on the top floor of the East Sea City Spirit Pagoda, Chen Mo was silent as he looked over the report sent by Leng Yaozhu.

"Oh my, playing for such high stakes? You went and beat up the future Pagoda Master directly."

"My disciple's talent is just a bit too good!"

Chen Mo muttered to himself while looking at the report in front of him.

His face held a mix of joy and helplessness; he could be certain now that he would likely be spending his retirement at the East Sea City Spirit Pagoda.

After all, going to the headquarters was now out of the question.