In recent years, Zhenjun may have seemed aloof and indifferent, but in reality, he is extremely meticulous and thoughtful, even considering the bottlenecks Lin Yu encountered in his cultivation and his mental needs.
He quickly bowed. "Thank you for your consideration, Lin Yu. I am deeply grateful! I do wish to return to my hometown to visit and ease my longing, and I also wish to know about the current situation of my sect."
"Um."
Yang Jian said, "The flow of time at Guanjiangkou is indeed different from when you came to the mortal realm. Several years here may be longer or shorter there, but it is still a considerable amount of time. Since you wish to return, then go."
"Thank you for your kind permission, True Lord!" Lin Yu was overjoyed.
"Go," Yang Jian said, then closed his eyes again.
Lin Yu bowed again and left the True Lord Hall.
Standing outside the hall, my mind was filled with countless thoughts. I wondered how much time had passed outside and how my master and fellow disciples were doing.
He didn't set off immediately, but returned to his cave first and tidied up briefly.
There's really nothing to bring along; most celestial items are not meant to be displayed in the mortal realm.
However, he brought the little fox and the boy along, so it could be said that when one person attains enlightenment, even their chickens and dogs benefit from it.
Lin Yu brought them to the True Lord's Daoist Temple. In this place rich in immortal spiritual energy, one year there was equivalent to several decades or even hundreds of years of cultivation for them.
It's fair to say that they could easily rival those powerful demons who wreak havoc in the mortal realm if they went out into the mortal world now.
Afterwards, he went to say goodbye to each of the Six Sages of Mount Mei and explained the reason.
Upon hearing this, all Six Sages expressed their understanding.
Kang Anyu laughed loudly, "It's time to go back and give our regards to your elders! If anyone dares to bully your sect, they should mention the name of Guanjiangkou!"
Although it was a joke, it also revealed a sense of protectiveness.
Zhang Boshi then advised, "Although spiritual energy is scarce in the mortal realm, the vastness of the mundane world is the best place to temper one's mind."
"You are no longer an ordinary person. After you return, you should be careful with your words and actions, and do not easily interfere with mortal karma with your Immortal Dao powers, unless it involves the safety of your sect or the disturbance of evil spirits."
Yao Gonglin, Li Huanzhang, Guo Shen, Zhi Jian each gave their own instructions, which were nothing more than to pay attention to safety, go early and return early, and not to neglect their cultivation.
Lin Yu noted everything down, and after bidding farewell to the Six Sages, returned to the open area in front of the Cloud Light Cave.
He took a deep breath, calmed his mind, and followed the simple incantation taught by the True Lord, a ray of white light enveloped him.
The next moment, Lin Yu felt the surrounding space slightly distort, and the rich immortal energy and familiar scenery of the Guanjiangkou Dojo quickly faded away.
When the light faded and he felt solid ground beneath his feet, Lin Yu found himself standing in an unfamiliar mountain wilderness.
Surrounded by lush forests and undulating mountains, the concentration of spiritual energy dropped sharply, far less than that of the Guanjiangkou, but a familiar and welcoming atmosphere, belonging to the human world, wafted over.
Lin Yu amidst the mountains and fields, a wisp of immortal power condensing at his fingertips, probing along the familiar earth vein aura.
The flow of time at Guanjiangkou is indeed different from that in the human world. He sensed that the residual spiritual energy fluctuations in the air had settled for more than ten years since he left.
"So much time has passed..."
Lin Yu looked around and, after a brief moment of sensing, roughly determined the direction.
His Primordial Spirit extended, instantly sensing the approximate location of Ren Family Town. However, Lin Yu's expression was somewhat strange, and it was unclear what he had seen.
Without further hesitation, Lin Yu's body radiated a faint golden light, and his figure transformed into a rainbow, instantly appearing above the mortuary.
He stored the little fox and the boy in his sleeve to prevent them from revealing their divine presence and disturbing the mortal realm.
The divine sense swept over the familiar yet unfamiliar town below.
In my memory, Ren Family Town was a place of scattered houses and slightly chaotic streets, yet it was full of life and warmth.
At this moment, the mortuary that Ren Fa had rebuilt and expanded in my memory is now overgrown with weeds, the wooden door on the courtyard wall has long since collapsed, and the stone benches in the courtyard have also disappeared.
Only a few dilapidated wooden houses remained, swaying precariously in the wind.
It's obvious that no one has lived here for many years.
Lin Yu landed slowly, his footsteps light as he stepped into the dusty courtyard.
My fingertips brushed against the wooden door, where there was no longer any trace of my master meditating, nor any trace of Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng's playful antics.
He released his Divine Sense, carefully exploring every corner of the mortuary, but only sensed the desolation left by time, without a trace of familiarity.
"Where did Master and the others go?"
Lin Yu was somewhat puzzled. Logically speaking, given his master's cultivation level, there shouldn't be anything that could make him give up the dojo.
After that, he turned to Ren Family Town, which was not far away.
The town was a bit more bustling than I remembered, but all the pedestrians on the streets were unfamiliar faces.
Finally, he got the information from an elderly local man in Ren Family Town.
Ten years ago, the Japanese invasion of China reached this place, and Ren Family Town, as a well-known wealthy town, was inevitably invaded by the Japanese pirates.
According to the old man, although a master protected them during their safe evacuation, Ren Family Town inevitably suffered some damage.
They only returned to rebuild after the Japanese pirates were driven away.
"Where is the Ren Mansion?" Lin Yu pressed.
The old man shook his head. "Before the Japanese pirates came, the Ren family moved away. The old house was demolished long ago, and a new shop has been built in its place."
Lin Yu left Ren Family Town in silence. At least from the old man's description, he knew that his master should be alright.
"Master is a disciple of Maoshan. If he leaves the mortuary, he will surely return to Maoshan."
With this in mind, Lin Yu flew towards Maoshan.
In an instant, the outline of Maoshan appeared before my eyes.
Unlike Ren Family Town, where everything has changed, Maoshan is still shrouded in a mystical aura, with Daoist temples faintly visible in the mountains, still exuding that familiar atmosphere.
Lin Yu slowed down and landed outside the gate of Maoshan Mountain. He withdrew his immortal power and, in the appearance of an ordinary person, walked step by step towards the Heavenly Master Mansion at the top of the mountain.
On the mountain path, he occasionally encountered a few Maoshan. Seeing that he was a stranger, they did not stop him.
It's not uncommon for people to come to Maoshan to pray for blessings, so they're not surprised at all.
Lin Yu continued on his way and finally arrived at the Heavenly Master Mansion. Before he could even step forward, the gatekeeper stopped him.
The gatekeeper clasped his hands together and said respectfully, "Benefactor, the Heavenly Master Mansion is the core meditation area of Maoshan. Only disciples of our sect or those summoned are allowed to enter."
"If you are here to pray for blessings and peace, you can go to the Three Pure Ones Hall on the east side, where fellow practitioners will answer your questions."
Just as Lin Yu was about to reveal his identity, a familiar voice suddenly came from inside the mansion, gentle yet carrying a weighty weight of years, instantly striking his heart. "Xiao Yu, you're back."
Upon hearing this sound, Lin Yu suddenly looked up, a glint of light in his eyes. Ignoring the boy's surprised gaze, he strode quickly into the mansion.
Passing through the courtyard engraved with Daoist runes and around the artificial hill planted with ancient pines, one sees a middle-aged man in a purple Daoist robe sitting on a stone bench in front of the main hall, holding a cup of hot tea in his hands, looking at him with a smile.
It was Uncle Nine!
He still looked the same as I remembered, with the same upright and peaceful aura he exuded, just like back in the mortuary.
"Master!"
Lin Yu strode forward, his voice trembling slightly, and bowed respectfully. "Disciple Lin Yu has returned."
The gatekeeper stood frozen in place, his eyes wide with disbelief. The man before him, who appeared to be about the same age as him, was actually the Heavenly Master's disciple.
Uncle Nine put down his teacup, stood up and helped Lin Yu up, gently patting his shoulder with his fingertips, his eyes full of satisfaction. "Judging from your steady breathing, you must have put in a lot of hard work at Guanjiangkou."
How long will you be staying this time?
He turned to the still-dazed boy and smiled, ordering, "Go and make a cup of hot tea."
The boy then came to his senses and quickly bowed, replying, "Yes, Master!"
As she turned around, she couldn't help but steal a glance at Lin Yu, her heart filled with curiosity. Just who was this man? How could the acting sect leader take him so seriously?
After the boy left, Uncle Nine pulled Lin Yu to sit down on the stone bench and sighed softly, "Your Heavenly Master has ascended to immortality, but Maoshan cannot be without a leader. After discussion among the elders, we have decided to appoint me as the temporary head of the sect to oversee its affairs."
Uncle Nine changed the subject. "But now that you, the Heavenly Master, are back, wouldn't you like to see how well I, the acting Heavenly Master, am managing things for you?"
Just then, the boy returned with hot tea and a tea box. He had just placed the things on the stone table when he heard Uncle Nine's words, and he almost dropped the teacup in his hand.