Chapter 359: Chapter 344: Husband and Wife Reunite [2nd Update, Please Subscribe]
Xu Song did not lie to Zhouyang.
When Zhouyang followed his words and released a wisp of "Qianyang True Flame" to burn the "Nine Heavens Profound Gold" in his hand, the piece of seemingly ordinary dark golden Spiritual Gold gradually began to turn golden as the temperature rose.
At the same time, a dazzling golden Spiritual Light burst forth from the Spiritual Gold in his hand.
The golden Spiritual Light was brilliant and pure, giving off an indestructible feeling.
In fact, it wasn’t just a feeling; it was truly indestructible.
At least, when Zhouyang tried using the "Great Derivation Divine Light Sword," he found he couldn’t penetrate that layer of golden Spiritual Light!
Bear in mind, this was merely raw material that hadn’t undergone any processing or refining!
For a raw material to emit such Spiritual Light that the "Great Derivation Divine Light Sword" couldn’t pierce, one can imagine how strong the defense of an artifact refined from such material could be!
The Lifebound Spiritual Artifact Zhouyang planned to refine, the "Qianyang Golden Tower," was primarily a defensive and suppressive artifact.
If the "Nine Heavens Profound Gold" was added during the refining of this artifact, its defensive and suppressive effects would be several times stronger than if the "Nine Heavens Profound Gold" was not used.
After examining the quality of the "Nine Heavens Profound Gold," Zhouyang immediately placed the rare treasure in a Jade Box, adhered a Sealing Talisman that could seal the treasure’s Spiritual Light and Spiritual Qi, and carefully stored it deep in his Storage Ring.
Before he forms his core and refines this treasure into his Lifebound Spiritual Artifact, he must ensure that no one knows he possesses it, for even a senior like Master Cyan Yang, who highly regards him, can’t guarantee he wouldn’t try to seize it.
Next, eager to return, Zhouyang no longer lingered in Yuanwu Country and directly released the "Illusory Cloud Ship" to hurry back to Immortal Sun City.
He was still wanted by the Beast Taming Sect, so if he continued to ride the Golden-winged Thunder Eagle while traveling in the Liuyun Continent Cultivation Realm, he’d be exposing himself and inviting trouble.
But using the "Illusory Cloud Ship" was different. This type of flying artifact was extremely common among High-Tier Cultivators, and now that his cultivation had advanced from the First-Layer of the Purple Mansion to the Third-Layer, even if someone saw him, they wouldn’t easily associate him with the Beast Taming Sect’s wanted criminal.
Moreover, the disguise technique he currently used was not the easily detectable common variety from before but a profound secret technique imparted to him by Xu Song.
After casting this disguise secret technique, it was more exaggerated than those cosmetic surgeries from his previous life, directly altering a person’s appearance from bone to flesh to skin, making anyone unable to recognize his true face through facial identification.
Basically, after Zhouyang utilized this disguise secret technique, only those cultivators who had personally interacted with him and were familiar with his aura could recognize his identity based on his aura.
After all, while appearance and build can be changed, and cultivation realm concealed, it’s difficult to alter the aura of magical power.
However, since Zhouyang arrived in the Liuyun Continent Cultivation Realm, he’s always kept a low profile, and the number of High-Tier Cultivators he has interacted with can be counted on his fingers. The likelihood of encountering those people in the vast Liuyun Continent Cultivation Realm is only slightly higher than finding a needle in a haystack.
Thus nothing surprising occurred along the way, and he successfully entered Immortal Sun City while concealing his cultivation and appearance.
Immortal Sun City is the main territory of the Profound Sun Immortal Sect; within the city, even if a Beast Taming Sect cultivator discovered Zhouyang’s whereabouts, they’d have to wait until he left the city before making a move.
Therefore, once he entered Immortal Sun City, he relaxed completely.
At this moment, nearly fourteen years had passed since he left Immortal Sun City, and fifteen years since departing the Boundless Sea of Sand Cultivation Realm.
Zhouyang had left a letter for his Dao Companion Xiao Ying stating he’d return within ten years, but now he had failed to keep that promise.
This matter lingered on his mind, becoming a personal concern, so after entering Immortal Sun City, he chose not to return first to the cave dwelling he had rented but went to the Profound Sun Pavilion instead.
Before leaving, he had asked Xu Zhengyang to take care of Xiao Ying, and it was definitely correct to seek Xu Zhengyang first for information.
However, upon entering Profound Sun Pavilion, Zhouyang learned that Xu Zhengyang had resigned from the position of Head Shopkeeper of the pavilion five years ago, and now taking over was a Golden Core Stage Cultivator he didn’t know.
Fortunately, although Xu Zhengyang had left, most of the stewards in the branches within the pavilion remained, and they were aware of Zhouyang’s relationship with Xu Zhengyang, providing him with a precise message.
It turned out that Xu Zhengyang had been transferred back to the Profound Sun Immortal Sect’s mountain gate, and worried about Xiao Ying being alone in Immortal Sun City, he brought her to the sect’s mountain gate as a guest.
Upon learning this, Zhouyang hurried out of the city toward the mountain gate of the Profound Sun Immortal Sect.
The sect’s mountain gate was not far from Immortal Sun City, less than ten thousand miles away, and after leaving the city, Zhouyang spent several hours to reach just outside the mountain gate.
Outside the mountain gate, worried about revealing his identity, Zhouyang didn’t use the usual channels to pay respects to the mountain but directly sent a Communication Flying Sword to Xu Zhengyang.
Xu Zhengyang was indeed reliable; shortly after receiving Zhouyang’s Communication Flying Sword, he had sent one of his Purple Mansion Stage disciples to welcome Zhouyang.
Zhouyang waited outside the mountain gate for more than half an hour before seeing a soil-yellow Sword Light flying straight towards him, revealing a tall young man dressed in the inner sect disciple robes of the Profound Sun Immortal Sect upon landing.
The youth was a head taller than Zhouyang, over seven feet high, and his cultivation was a layer higher than Zhouyang’s.
Once he landed, he first curiously studied Zhouyang for a few moments before cupping his hands and saying, "I am Zhang Kai, second disciple of Elder Xu. My master must stay at the Sealed Demon Cave and cannot leave, so he specifically sent Zhang to welcome Fellow Daoist Zhou to the mountain."
Zhouyang saw this and quickly returned the gesture, saying, "So it’s Fellow Daoist Zhang. Elder Xu has already informed me about this, so I’ll have to trouble you, Fellow Daoist Zhang."
"You’re too polite, Fellow Daoist. Please follow me."
Zhang Kai didn’t seem to be much of a talkative person. After a few polite exchanges with Zhouyang, he got straight to business and led him up the mountain.
With Zhang Kai, a disciple of the Profound Sun Immortal Sect, personally leading the way, and with a letter of guarantee from Xu Zhengyang, a Golden Core Stage Elder, Zhouyang only needed to register his name and background at the reception of the mountain gate of the Profound Sun Immortal Sect. Then, he was directly led by Zhang Kai to Xu Zhengyang’s cave dwelling.
The Profound Sun Mountain Range spans tens of thousands of miles; this expanse of mountains is the core territory of the Profound Sun Immortal Sect.
Since the Profound Sun Immortal Sect established its mountain gate here, it has spared no effort in developing the entire mountain range. Up till now, apart from the main peak, Profound Sun Peak, which is a Tier Six Top-Grade Spirit Mountain, there is also one Tier Six Lower-Grade Spirit Mountain and over twenty Tier Five Spirit Mountains, as well as more than one hundred and thirty Tier Four Spirit Mountains.
As a well-regarded Golden Core Stage Elder within the Profound Sun Immortal Sect, Xu Zhengyang occupies a Tier Five Lower-Grade Spirit Mountain for cultivation in the Profound Sun Mountain Range.
Because Xu Zhengyang is guarding the restricted area "Sealed Demon Cave" within the Profound Sun Immortal Sect, his highest-ranking presence on "Zhengyang Peak" is his dao companion, Li Yuhua.
Li Yuhua isn’t a Golden Core Stage Cultivator but rather a Ninth-Layer Purple Mansion Cultivator, already over four hundred years old, with little hope of forming a core.
When Zhang Kai brought Zhouyang to "Zhengyang Peak," Li Yuhua, the lady of the house, graciously came out to meet him personally.
"Junior Zhouyang greets Elder Li."
Outside Zhengyang Peak, without needing Zhang Kai’s introduction, Zhouyang guessed the identity of the white-haired middle-aged woman flying towards him and quickly paid respects with junior etiquette.
Xu Zhengyang has given him kindness and can be seen as his elder. As Xu Zhengyang’s dao companion, Li Yuhua, although she shares the same cultivation of the Purple Mansion Stage, still requires him to treat her with elder etiquette.
"Young friend Zhou, you’re too polite. I have already sent a message to Ying’er when I heard you were coming. I believe she’ll soon come from Profound Pill Peak to meet you upon receiving the message."
Li Yuhua smiled slightly, calmly accepting Zhouyang’s greetings, and then addressed the concern on Zhouyang’s mind.
Sure enough, when Zhouyang heard that Xiao Ying was coming to meet him, a relaxed smile immediately appeared on his face.
This was the best news he had heard since returning.
Out of joy, he immediately bent down and gave a deep bow, saying, "Thank you, Elder Xu and Elder Li, for taking care of Ying’er all these years. Please accept Zhou’s bow."
Li Yuhua did not deceive Zhouyang. After Zhouyang had been a guest at Zhengyang Peak for less than half an hour, Xiao Ying, upon receiving the message, hurried back to meet him.
Fourteen years had passed, and indeed, Xiao Ying’s cultivation had improved to Ninth-Layer Foundation Establishment, ready to open the Purple Mansion at any moment.
The couple, reunited after long separation, naturally had countless words to share.
Fortunately, Zhengyang Peak was large enough. Besides Xu Zhengyang and Li Yuhua’s cultivation cave, there were a dozen more caves opened up for Xu Zhengyang’s disciples to live and cultivate. Xiao Ying was arranged to cultivate in a vacant cave when she followed Xu Zhengyang to the Profound Sun Immortal Sect.
Now this cave became a place for the couple to pour out their hearts to each other.
Zhouyang shared the gains from his travels with Xiao Ying, except for hiding the matter of the "Nine Heavens Profound Gold." He even truthfully told her about the encounter with Xu Song’s possession and accepting him as a ghost servant.
He, who directly experienced these events, recounted them like a story, feeling nothing extraordinary.
However, listening to his story, Xiao Ying, hearing about the dangers he had faced, was shocked and terrified.
Unlike the confident, aloof, and assertive Jiang Fengxian, Xiao Ying, although not lacking in Spirit Root talent, had a completely opposite personality.
She was timid, gentle, and insecure, not skilled in fighting and preferred quietly farming and refining pills on the mountain.
Such a person, upon hearing her loved one was several times in danger, how could she not be frightened and worried?
As dao companions who had known and been with each other for many years, how could Zhouyang not understand his dao companion? Seeing Xiao Ying’s expression was off, he immediately reached out and embraced her, and then with a smile blew gently into her ear, saying, "Alright, the tales of my experiences are over. Now, Ying’er, you tell me how you’ve been these years."
With such teasing, Xiao Ying’s inner tension eased considerably. She simply leaned against him and softly began to recount her experiences over the years.
Xiao Ying’s experiences over the years were simple, focusing on alchemy and cultivation.
Initially, she took on some alchemy tasks at the Profound Sun Pavilion, earning Spirit Stone rewards while honing her alchemy skills.
Later, after following Xu Zhengyang to the Profound Sun Immortal Sect, she was recommended by Xu Zhengyang to secure an alchemy position on Profound Pill Peak, specializing in refining some commonly seen Tier Three Spirit Pills.
With the help of the abundant resources at the Profound Sun Immortal Sect, though her alchemy skills had not broken through to Tier Four, she was already at the point where she could attempt to reach Tier Four at any moment.
After hearing about her experiences, Zhouyang affectionately patted her head and said, "Since your alchemy skills have reached such a level, Ying’er, you should go into seclusion on Zhengyang Peak to open your Purple Mansion. Once you successfully open the Purple Mansion, I have a grand gift for you!"