Xituo Commandery.
West-Guard Pass.
A vast number of refugees stood in a long queue that stretched beyond sight.
The monk-soldiers guarding the pass watched this scene with palms pressed together, their faces blooming with joy. "My Way flourishes, my Way flourishes..."
In the distance, a convoy slowly approached and merged into the sea of people.
"So many people..."
Fang Yixin was high-spirited. A faint image of clear springs and gentle breezes seemed to surround him as he looked upon the scene, and he could not help but sigh with emotion.
Hu Quan'an truly was a generous elder. He had personally refined three True Swallows of "Earthspring Tempered Essence" for their family and originally refused to take so much as a scrap in payment.
Yet only after the Fang grandfather and grandson repeatedly pleaded with him did he reluctantly accept one.
Fang Yixin had long since familiarized himself with the cultivation art, and now that he had a True Swallow, he consumed True Essence and entered the Dao while traveling, becoming a true Qi Ingestion cultivator. Seeing his grandson step onto the path of cultivation, Fang Jingchun pondered for several days before copying out the contents of the Black Ridge Observation Book through the ninth layer of Qi Ingestion and giving them to the Hu Family as well. He even revealed that his family vaguely had an immortal ancestor.
The two families had laid everything out in the open and prepared to cooperate wholeheartedly, seeking to gain a foothold in Xituo Commandery.
"Young Master..."
At that moment, a mounted rider galloped up with a report. "The checkpoint ahead is guarded by White Bone Way monk-soldiers... Mortals may pass freely, but cultivators must pay a tax..."
"What?"
The moment Fang Yixin heard this, his brow furrowed. The joy of becoming a cultivator