110 - A Farewell to Mr. Luo

# Chapter 110 Sheng Ji hurried into the room and found Sheng Lan with her eyes tightly shut, her breathing faint. He examined her internally and discovered that her spiritual power was severely depleted, and her body had suffered various degrees of fractures. It didn't seem like she had been wounded by any spells, but rather had suffered blunt force trauma. Furthermore, Sheng Lan's cultivation level had drastically fallen, dropping from the Golden Core stage to the Foundation Establishment stage. “Step aside,” Sheng Ji commanded, waving the servants away. He took a step to Sheng Lan's side and placed his hand over her. A stream of spiritual light slowly flowed from his palm. The spiritual light enveloped Sheng Lan, gradually healing her injuries. Although the wounds weren't life-threatening, her spiritual power was exhausted to such an extent that it couldn't recover quickly and would require the slow nourishment of spiritual pills. “Lan’er,” he called softly after the light in his hand faded away. His heart ached as he looked at his granddaughter. For most of his life, Sheng Ji had been single-mindedly devoted to cultivation, indifferent to family matters. It wasn’t until a century ago, when he had sustained soul damage, that he realized he only had this one granddaughter left. Recognizing that his chance for ascension was unattainable, he placed all his hopes on her. Though Sheng Lan didn’t possess extraordinary talent in cultivation, the resources he provided were immense. Even without her diligent effort, Sheng Ji could have pushed her to the Mahayana stage through sheer resources. Sheng Lan, having recovered from her injuries, slowly opened her eyes. Seeing the familiar figure made her nose tingle as she choked out, “Grandpa.” “Lan’er, is there anywhere that still hurts?” Sheng Ji asked gently. “Grandpa, you must avenge me,” Sheng Lan pleaded, her previous hatred transforming into grievance and pouring out in front of her closest kin. “What happened? Tell Grandpa who hurt you.” “It was two thieving women. After taking my Golden Bangle, they let a brute torment me. Trapped inside the bangle without any spiritual energy, I could not recover my spiritual power to use spells. That brute used barbaric strength to severely injure me and nearly killed me,” Sheng Lan recounted tearfully. Fury ignited in Sheng Ji’s eyes. “There are such audacious people! Lan’er, tell Grandpa where those vile women are now.” Crying, Sheng Lan replied, “I used the teleportation array you gave me to return. I know that place was desolate with a large boulder but don't know which part of the Northern Continent it is. They were standing there together when I left.” Sheng Ji frowned. Finding someone without knowing their precise location would be extremely difficult, especially with the vastness of the Northern Continent. He placed his hand on Sheng Lan’s forehead, and a faint light appeared. Sheng Lan quickly succumbed to drowsiness and fell asleep without any defense. Sheng Ji then probed her memory, stopping when he clearly saw Bai Fan’s face. This scene, from when Bai Fan and Sheng Lan had clashed, presented Bai Fan’s appearance most clearly; Ming Zhu and He Yi Man were somewhat blurry but identifiable. With this clue, Sheng Ji believed that finding one would lead him to all three. After removing his hand from Sheng Lan’s forehead, Sheng Ji rose and commanded, “Investigate this person’s activities in Loulan City.” A piece of blank paper materialized in mid-air, gradually revealing Bai Fan’s exquisite face, which was quite memorable. “Yes,” responded his subordinate. The authority of a cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage was formidable indeed, and when they took action, it could overturn clouds and rain. Not long after, Bai Fan’s movements in Loulan City were thoroughly investigated. Her residence near Crescent Lake, the six cultivators she had killed, and her travel companions were duly noted. Even signs of a battle outside the city were documented. Upon seeing Bai Fan’s information, Sheng Ji snorted with contempt. “A mere Golden Core cultivator dares act so brazenly in my Loulan City. She will pay with her life, and I will bring her head back to avenge my Lan’er.” He noted that Bai Fan had left months ago, heading west, and pondered, “To the west? Could they be headed for the plateau? What could possibly attract them there?” Being the only Nascent Soul cultivator in the Northern Continent, Sheng Ji had traveled to the four main continents but had never ventured into the wilderness beyond them. He suspected this might be a diversionary tactic by the demonic cultivators but decided to remain in Loulan City, guarding the Northern Continent. He only sent others to hunt Bai Fan. Meanwhile, Bai Fan and her companions, unaware that their whereabouts had been discovered and their travel route exposed, continued their desperate flight. They had been flying non-stop for tens of thousands of miles, but the pursuers Sheng Ji had dispatched, using a flying artifact, were moving five to six times faster and would catch up in about a month. As they fled, Bai Fan felt increasingly unsettled, a foreboding sense of doom gnawing at her. She hypothesized that Sheng Lan had informed her Nascent Soul grandfather. Given the speed of a Nascent Soul cultivator's travel, they would soon be caught, leaving no escape route for the three of them. In this critical moment, Bai Fan’s mind raced, thinking of ways to evade pursuit. She concluded that there was only one viable option. “Wait a moment,” Bai Fan called out to Ming Zhu and He Yi Man, who were flying ahead. “What is it, Ye He?” Ming Zhu asked. “I have an idea. I want you to hear me out,” Bai Fan urged. “Go ahead,” He Yi Man responded. “I suspect Sheng Lan has returned to Loulan City. The white light looked like a teleportation array. If so, Loulan City likely knows about us,” Bai Fan explained. He Yi Man was stunned for a moment. “So we’re probably already being pursued.” Bai Fan nodded. “Yes. If the pursuer is a Nascent Soul cultivator, we have no chance of escape. We must split up now. If any of us survive, let’s leave a message in the Southern Continent’s Immortal City.” He Yi Man took out a green flute, her mind made up. “I’ll leave this flute at the bookshop’s entrance.” Ming Zhu, rolling up her sleeve, retrieved a long sword with a familiar symbol that Bai Fan recognized from the memory of the Dragon Spirit—a symbol of the Central Empire. “This sword is unique in the world,” Ming Zhu said, then looked to Bai Fan. Bai Fan considered for a while. She had nothing distinct except her Golden Bangle, which was firmly attached. Finally, she bared her arm, showing a few white scales. “I’ll leave a scale with a message only we can understand.” After memorizing each other’s items, Ming Zhu noticed that Bai Fan seemed to have more to say to He Yi Man. Discreetly, she departed first. “I’m going now, Ye He. Take care.” “Go on,” Bai Fan acknowledged with a nod. As Ming Zhu vanished into the distance, Bai Fan turned to He Yi Man. Taking a deep breath, she apologized, “I’m sorry. This is my oversight. I didn’t intend for things to go so wrong. I can only accompany you this far on the road to the wilderness, but once I reach the Mahayana stage, I will find you.” He Yi Man smiled faintly. “Achieving the Mahayana stage is no small feat. By the time you reach it, I may already be dust.” “It's fine. You are in great danger too. Be cautious along the way. Someone in Loulan City must have leaked your identity. You are no longer safe in the Northern Continent.” “By the way, did you take the beauty retention pill I gave you in the underground palace?” Bai Fan asked. He Yi Man shook her head. “Take it now,” Bai Fan insisted, grabbing her wrist as He Yi Man looked at her, puzzled. “What is it?” “That pill retains youth and increases lifespan by over two hundred years,” Bai Fan explained. He Yi Man's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this. Could such an elixir truly exist in this world? “Where did you get this from?” she asked. “From the underground palace. Hurry up and take it now,” Bai Fan urged, growing increasingly anxious for He Yi Man to consume the beauty retention pill. Even though He Yi Man didn’t entirely believe it—having never heard of such an elixir existing and doubting that anyone else in the world knew of it either—she complied to satisfy Bai Fan’s insistence. She swallowed the two beauty retention pills right in front of Bai Fan. As soon as the pills entered her mouth, they dissolved instantly. Once inside her body, He Yi Man felt as if her entire being was immersed in a spiritual liquid. A layer of black grime began to seep out through her skin, and her already disheveled appearance became even filthier, resembling someone who had just crawled out of a mine shaft. “How do you feel?” Bai Fan asked anxiously, eyes fixed on He Yi Man, worried something might go wrong. The sensation He Yi Man experienced was profound. If her mortal body had once felt like a burden, now she felt considerably lighter, almost weightless while flying. Her entire being was rejuvenated, and she could even smell the essence of spiritual energy in the air with each breath. “It seems to be effective,” she remarked, blinking in amazement, marveling at this newfound physical sensitivity to spiritual energy. “That’s good, that’s good,” Bai Fan muttered. Though she spoke, inwardly she was relieved. It seemed the Ghost Lamp's words were true. She regretted not having found more beauty retention pills in the underground palace, as it might have extended He Yi Man’s life by another two hundred years. Bai Fan then mused that learning the art of alchemy might not be a bad idea. If she could obtain the formula for the beauty retention pill, she could ensure an endless supply for the future. As Bai Fan was lost in thought, a peculiar fragrance began to emanate from He Yi Man’s body. The black grime on her skin gradually cracked and flaked off, revealing pristine, white skin underneath. ※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※ I'm unsure what to say at this moment; I just feel quite uncomfortable. Previous chapter Table of contents Next chapter Home Computer Version Bookshelf Novel Collection Popular Novels