Early the next morning, outside Longevity Hall in Great Qin's Imperial Palace.
There was no grand send-off attended by all the civil and military officials, nor any ceremony laden with formalities. Only Qin De, Qin Feng, Qin Zheng, and Qin Yu stood quietly below the jade steps to see Qin Chen off.
The faint light of dawn fell across Qin Chen. He wore spotless white robes, with Xiaobai perched on his shoulder.
"Father, Eldest Brother, Second Brother, Yu, even if you escort someone a thousand miles, you must part in the end. Let's say goodbye here." Qin Chen turned around, his gentle gaze passing over his closest family.
Qin De stepped forward and clapped Qin Chen firmly on the shoulder. A thousand words finally became a single weighty admonition. "Be careful in everything you do out there. Great Qin has us, so you needn't worry. If... if you encounter an obstacle overseas that you cannot get past, come back. This will always be your home."
"Don't worry, Father." Qin Chen smiled faintly, then took a jade slip glowing with a soft, lustrous light from inside his robes and handed it to Qin Zheng. "Second Brother, this jade slip records the methods for setting up three Protective Nation Formations, along with several dozen pill formulas suitable for cultivators below the Golden Core stage. Great Qin's foundations are still too shallow. These things will be enough for Great Qin to raise a true army of cultivators within a hundred years."
Qin Zheng solemnly accepted the jade slip with both hands and said in a deep voice, "Rest assured, Third Brother. I will not fail the trust you have placed in me."
Finally, Qin Chen looked at Qin Yu. The nine-year-old boy clenched his fists tightly, his eyes slightly red, but he gritted