Flowing Gold Valley

"Martial Uncle Fenghuo, after our last conversation, I reflected deeply on myself, but I still think you should let go of that obsession."

"I'm not joking. That obsession has already affected your state of mind. It might even turn into an inner demon and torment you in the future. Maybe that's why your strength has remained at the Golden Core Stage all these years."

"We shouldn't dwell on the past. Since things have come to this, rather than blaming yourself and sinking into despair, you'd be better off looking ahead."

Fenghuo's aged face gradually darkened. He shot Shen Ge a cold glance, then raised a hand and threw him out.

"Brat, I've been too polite to you, haven't I? I was in a good mood and chatted with you for a bit, and now you're lecturing me? Scram! If you try talking to me again, I guarantee I'll throw you to the foot of the mountain!"

After falling for a short while, Shen Ge stepped onto his flying sword and returned to the air. He glanced at the old man below, shook his head without another word, and turned to fly back to his courtyard.

Shen Ge didn't want to say anything more about Martial Uncle Fenghuo. Everyone had their own thoughts. After all, you weren't him, and you didn't understand why he was like this.

Still, Shen Ge had offered him a rational word of advice, even though he knew it wouldn't work.

Back at his courtyard, Shen Ge glanced at the mountain peak. Seeing that the restriction was still in place, he shook his head and sighed. "I wonder what stage Master has reached. It's been over two years already."

He opened the door, entered the courtyard, and began studying the escape technique he had just obtained.

In the Golden Phoenix Kingdom, ten thousand miles away.

A youth with a masculine bearing held a folding fan as he walked into a valley against a raging wind.

Jagged rocks filled the valley, which was bare, without the slightest trace of green.

"A Rogue Cultivator?" A voice rang out in the valley and said casually, "It's not time to recruit disciples. Go back."

The youth remained calm and showed no disappointment. He took a jade ruyi from his Storage Bag and said, "This descendant of Lü Hou, a disciple of Xuanfeng of Flowing Gold Valley's Wind Gate Hall, requests an audience with Grandmaster today and asks to return to the sect."

"Lü Hou?"

"Martial Uncle Xuanfeng's disciple?"

"Interesting. Come in."

The raging wind parted to reveal a narrow path leading all the way to the depths of the valley.

After walking some distance, Lü Yang's surroundings suddenly opened up before him. The land around him was no longer barren, but lush and green, brimming with life. Nine waterfalls hung in the surrounding area, as though drawing their waters from the void.

At the center stood a gigantic stone pillar mountain, with magnificent palaces built upon it.

In the forest below, various small buildings were scattered in orderly fashion, while figures flitted through the woods and the sky.

Seeing the sight for the first time, Lü Yang was momentarily stunned.

"Come on. I'll take you to see Martial Uncle Xuanfeng." A figure had appeared beside Lü Yang at some unknown point and spoke with an indifferent expression.

"Senior Brother, sorry for the trouble."

The two passed through the forest and came to a giant tree. The man pointed at a hollow in the tree and said, "This is Martial Uncle Xuanfeng's residence. Go in yourself."

He had already informed Martial Uncle Xuanfeng before bringing Lü Yang in, and had only let him enter after receiving permission.

After thanking the man again, Lü Yang walked hesitantly into the cave abode. To tell the truth, he was unsure of himself. Although his grandfather had once been Xuanfeng's disciple, his aptitude had been poor and he had not been favored. Lü Yang could not guarantee that Xuanfeng would accept him for his grandfather's sake.

He had originally wanted to coax Brother Shen into coming with him, but now it seemed Brother Shen had made the right choice in choosing the Spirit Moon Sect.

Gathering his wandering thoughts, Lü Yang composed himself, looked at the woman sitting in the chair in the middle, and knelt. "This junior is Lü Yang. My grandfather was Lü Hou. I pay my respects to Grandmaster."

The woman looked to be around thirty, with long hair reaching her waist and a mature charm. Her smile gave her a very kind appearance.

"Get up." Xuanfeng waved a hand and lifted the kneeling Lü Yang to his feet. He studied him carefully before speaking. "You do look quite like that disappointing disciple of mine. But he had nothing but a handsome face, and his aptitude left much to be desired. I hope yours is better than his."

"Come here. Let me see what kind of Spirit Root you have. If it's the same as your grandfather's, then I'm sorry."

"Yes." With his heart full of apprehension, Lü Yang walked over to Xuanfeng, afraid that his aptitude would not satisfy him.

Before long, Lü Yang felt a strand of divine sense enter his body, and his heart immediately tightened.

The examination was soon over. Wearing a kindly smile, Xuanfeng said, "Not bad. High-grade dual metal and fire Spirit Roots. It seems Lü Hou did as I instructed."

Lü Yang breathed a sigh of relief. High-grade dual metal and fire Spirit Roots might not have been excellent, but they were not bad either.

"Boy, what was your grandfather's wife's name?"

Lü Yang was taken aback, confusion in his eyes. He didn't know why Xuanfeng had suddenly asked, but he answered earnestly, "Grandmaster, my grandmother's name was Lu Fang. She was from the Golden Phoenix Kingdom and was a young lady of a prominent clan."

Xuanfeng nodded. "I see. From now on, you'll be my youngest disciple. Cultivate diligently, and don't follow your grandfather's old path."

Delighted, Lü Yang hurriedly bowed. "Disciple Lü Yang pays his respects to Master."

Kaohai Commandery, in the south of the Flowing Cloud Kingdom.

A merchant caravan slowly entered Linhai City.

In the caravan, a young woman with slightly dark skin gazed curiously at everything around her.

"So this is Linhai City? It's so prosperous!"

"Princess, we've arrived in Linhai City. Should we go to the southern district to trade our goods first, or find an inn?"

A lazy, alluring voice came from a carriage. "There's no hurry to trade. Find an inn to stay at first, and have someone arrange some hot water."

"Yes."

After the guard left, the curtain beside the carriage lifted slightly, revealing an exquisite face. She looked at the young woman glancing around and chuckled. "Xiao Yu, what do you think? This place is countless times more prosperous than your little town, isn't it?"

Hearing the voice, Han Yu hurried forward a few steps to the carriage, her face full of excitement. "Princess, it really is so prosperous here! It's so big!"

"Actually, it's nothing much. You're amazed by the prosperity here only because you haven't seen much. Linhai City's prosperity belongs only to merchants and the rich and powerful. If you went to Qinghe Commandery, the fertile fields of grain stretching beyond the horizon would show you what prosperity really is."

"Fertile fields of grain stretching beyond the horizon? How much grain would that be?" Han Yu pictured the scene with longing, and for a moment she was awed by the sight she imagined.

The woman in the carriage smiled. "Enough that your little village might not finish it even in a thousand years. You should know that people in at least three of the Flowing Cloud Kingdom's commanderies depend on grain from Flowing Cloud Commandery."

"By the way, Xiao Yu, have you been studying the books I gave you seriously? I'll be checking later, so don't think you can fool your way through."

Han Yu's face flushed slightly. "Princess, I have been studying seriously. There are just some parts I still don't understand."