Departure

A month ago, Li Yu had failed to reach foundation establishment, and his life had plunged to rock bottom.

Now, not only had Li Yu recovered from his injuries, he had also received Jiang Taiyi's Heavenly Book legacy. A bright future lay before him.

Had he not experienced it himself, Li Yu would never have believed that his fortunes could take such a miraculous turn.

After laughing heartily, Li Yu immediately composed himself. Though he had gained this opportunity through the Heavenly Book, whether he could someday match Patriarch Jiang Taiyi's achievements remained to be seen.

For now, his highest priority was still foundation establishment.

Just then, a talisman flew down from the sky. Li Yu caught it with a wave of his hand, opened it, and discovered that it had come from the Transport and Herding Bureau.

The flying ship he had booked passage on to the Zhao Kingdom would depart tomorrow. The message reminded him not to be late; it would not wait for him.

At last, it's time to leave.

Li Yu put away the Flying Talisman and glanced at his cave abode, feeling a faint reluctance to part with it.

Since joining the Five Lotus Sect, he had lived here for a full forty years. He had not even spent that long at his own Heaven-Questioning Pavilion.

Over the past month, the Eastern Lands had grown even more turbulent. Within the Immortal Zhou Dynasty, the armies of various feudal lords were also assembling, and some perceptive cultivators had sensed the surging undercurrents.

Since Li Yu had resolved to steer clear of it all, he probably would not return for a very long time.

He tidied his cave abode thoroughly, then sent Li Dong a message by Flying Talisman, asking his eldest nephew to look after the place whenever he had time.

What Li Yu had not expected was for Li Dong to come over in person. Nor had he come alone: he had brought two outer disciples, a young man and a young woman, both at the fifth level of qi refinement.

"Ninth Uncle, these are disciples from our lineage who recently joined the sect. They're our younger cousins from the second branch, Li Ke and Li Ling." Li Dong first introduced the two beside him, then said to them, "This is the senior outer disciple from our lineage's previous generation. Just call him Ninth Uncle, like I do."

Li Ke and Li Ling exchanged a glance, then called out somewhat reluctantly, "Ninth Uncle."

Clearly, they both knew that Li Yu had failed to reach foundation establishment and no longer held any value, not only to the sect but even to their lineage.

However, the two of them had been sent off to the Five Lotus Sect and were not valued by their lineage either. They needed Li Dong's protection here on Hanging Moon Peak, so they were fairly obedient to him.

"Ninth Uncle, why are you leaving so suddenly? Has someone in the outer sect been bullying you?" After the greetings, Li Dong put on a concerned air and asked, declaring that he would certainly stand up for Li Yu.

With his lineage's support, Li Dong had reached the seventh level of qi refinement. With Ge Jin looking after him as well, he had become someone of some standing in the outer sect.

"These are turbulent times, and with this half-crippled body, there's nothing I can contribute to the sect. I might as well find somewhere with clear waters and lovely mountains to live out my remaining days. That will also spare certain people in our lineage the trouble of keeping me on their minds." Li Yu said it with a smile, leaving Li Dong looking rather awkward.

Although the Heaven-Questioning Pavilion's spirit vein had already fallen into Li Hun's hands, he still felt uneasy about Li Yu. After all, if Li Yu actually repaid the eight thousand spirit stones he owed the lineage, he would have the right to demand the spirit vein back. Thus, when Li Hun left the Five Lotus Sect, he had instructed Li Dong to keep watch over Li Yu.

In Li Hun's view, it would be best if Li Yu died under mysterious circumstances. Then there would never be any possibility of returning the Heaven-Questioning Pavilion's spirit vein.

But although Li Hun had hinted at this, Li Dong had pretended not to understand.

Partly, it was because Li Yu had spared no effort in guiding him for a time when he first joined the sect; partly, it was because Li Dong was timid. He knew that Li Yu was on good terms with Song Lingxi, and Ge Jin's cold gaze back at the White Dragon Pavilion had also left a deep impression on him.

Now that Li Yu was leaving, however, Li Dong had no choice but to come and ask about it, lest he be unable to answer any of Li Hun's questions when he returned to the lineage.

Li Dong said, "Where do you intend to live in seclusion, Ninth Uncle? Could you leave me an address? If I happen to pass by on a sect mission, I could come visit you."

Li Yu took out his ticket from the Transport and Herding Bureau and showed Li Dong the side bearing the words "Zhao Kingdom."

"The Zhao Kingdom is a fine place! Lovely scenery, a pleasant climate, and even better people and customs. With the Rizhao Hao Clan there, you won't have to worry about wars or bandit cultivators, either." Having received his answer, Li Dong was delighted. He even took twenty spirit stones from his storage pouch and wrapped them up as a farewell gift. "Ninth Uncle, I really ought to escort you there myself, but the lotus seeds in the lotus pond are ready to harvest, and I've accepted that mission. I truly can't get away. Please take these..."

Li Yu did not stand on ceremony at all and reached out to accept them.

"Ninth Uncle, we'll be going, then. If you ever run into any difficulties, just come find me on Hanging Moon Peak." With that, Li Dong left with Li Ke and Li Ling.

At dusk, Li Yu practiced the Purple Glow Art in front of this cave abode one last time.

Since he already possessed a foundation that put him close to foundation establishment, he had easily completed the qi refinement stage of this most basic body tempering technique from the Galaxy Alliance while recovering from his injuries.

Now, Li Yu had begun attempting whirling illumination.

However, his foundation was weak, so he had never managed to find his way into it.

Li Yu was in no hurry, though. He intended to leave the sect and settle down before devoting himself fully to comprehending this realm, which was entirely new to him.

Once the sun had sunk completely behind the mountains, Li Yu returned to his cave abode, took down the portrait of Jiang Taiyi hanging on the wall, and walked out the door with the storage pouch containing all his belongings.

Just as he was about to step beyond the bounds of Hanging Moon Peak, Li Yu turned to look toward the mountainside. He seemed to glimpse the White Dragon Pavilion beside the lake, and hesitation crossed his face.

In the end, he merely sighed and did not tell Song Lingxi that he was leaving.

As long as he worked hard at his cultivation, the two of them would surely have another chance to meet someday.

When that time came, Li Yu hoped he could stand before her shining brilliantly.

Having made up his mind, Li Yu left Hanging Moon Peak beneath a sky full of stars.

The Transport and Herding Bureau's flying ships always departed at daybreak, so Li Yu arrived at the main peak in the middle of the night. By the time he got there, quite a few disciples were already waiting in line.

After waiting for two hours, Li Yu boarded the flying ship.

He found a seat in a corner and sat down. Just as he was about to close his eyes and rest while pondering the realm of whirling illumination, a familiar voice sounded beside him. "Senior Brother Li, what a coincidence."

Li Yu opened his eyes and saw a beautiful young woman in a green dress standing before him.

"Junior Sister Xu Yao, are you going to the Zhao Kingdom too?" Li Yu looked surprised.

Xu Yao shook her head. "I'm accompanying my aunt home, but there isn't a flying ship directly to the Xu Kingdom, so we're going to the Zhao Kingdom to transfer."

Xu Yao's aunt?

Wouldn't that be-

Wen Weilan's other true disciple, Xu Ying. Hadn't she entered seclusion ten years ago to attempt core formation?

She's come out of seclusion now. Could it be...

At that thought, Li Yu shuddered and looked around. Soon, he spotted a woman in palace attire seated by a window near the front of the flying ship.