In the main hall of Longevity Spring Garden, Lin Zhishou sat in the seat of honor, with Lin Nian standing respectfully at his side.
During this recent period, Zhou Luo had not seen the old man at all.
Unlike those who had stayed in the rear to refine pills, Lin Zhishou had been stationed at the very front lines.
Having not seen him for some time, Zhou Luo noticed that the wrinkles on the elder’s face had deepened considerably, and his expression was weary.
The constant travel and relentless demand for pill-refining over the past weeks had clearly taken a heavy toll on his spirit.
Upon seeing him, Zhou Luo bowed deeply and saluted him with great respect. “Uncle Shou, you have worked hard.”
Lin Zhishou waved his hand dismissively. “Go back and prepare. In ten days, you and Xiao Nian will accompany me to the Alchemy Gathering.”
“So soon?” Zhou Luo exclaimed in surprise.
There were still nearly two months left before the gathering was set to begin. This seemed remarkably hasty.
“This time, the Alchemy Gathering is being hosted in Pan Shi City. We must set out early,” Lin Zhishou explained.
Pan Shi City was the territory of the Li family.
Though they were also a prominent Longevity Family, the Li family had always kept a low profile and rarely meddled in external affairs due to their geographic isolation.
If the rotation for hosting the Alchemy Gathering had not fallen to them this year, they likely would not have drawn so much attention.
Pan Shi City was a vast distance away, so departing early was indeed the sensible course.
Zhou Luo did not press further.
Following this, Lin Zhishou took the opportunity to test Zhou Luo’s progress in alchemy.
To his surprise, he discovered that the youth had improved yet again, now capable of yielding three finished pills from a single cauldron.
Zhou Luo quickly explained that this progress was merely the result of the intense, non-stop pill-refining he had undergone during the recent conflict.
“Indeed, pressure can be a great motivator.” Lin Zhishou did not doubt his words. He then turned his gaze toward Lin Nian. “You must also redouble your efforts.”
“Yes, Grandfather Shou,” Lin Nian replied, bowing his head in obedience.
Upon leaving Longevity Spring Hall, Zhou Luo-who had originally hoped to make a breakthrough before departing-wasted no time and hurried directly toward the spiritual vein’s blessed land.
Following his rise in status within the family, he had been reassigned to the Kun cultivation building.
His new chamber was situated much deeper within the building than his previous one.
Cultivating here allowed him to gather Spirit Qi at a rate twenty times greater than that of the outside world.
Zhou Luo sat cross-legged upon his meditation cushion and began to circulate his Spirit Gathering Incantation.
With the aid of this mid-grade Qi Refining cultivation method, his progress was swifter than ever.
By the seventh day, he finally crossed the threshold from the Grand Perfection of the first layer of Qi Refining into the second layer.
Zhou Luo was thoroughly elated.
Leaving the spiritual vein’s blessed land, he returned home and informed Lin Qinghan of his impending departure.
“You must be careful out there,” Lin Qinghan said, cradling Little Chang’an in her arms.
Zhou Luo gently teased the child, a warm smile on his face. “Do not worry. With Uncle Shou leading the way, nothing will go wrong.”
“Mmh.” Lin Qinghan nodded quietly, then added out of nowhere, “Why don’t you stay in my room tonight?”
“Aunt Jing can look after him for the night,” Lin Qinghan said, her gaze fixed intently on him, her delicate face serious.
The corners of Zhou Luo’s mouth curled upward. “Very well, I understand.”
The day of departure arrived in what seemed like the blink of an eye.
On this morning, all five of his wives stood at the gates of the courtyard, watching him as he prepared to set out.
Lin Qinghan still held Little Chang’an, her elegant, cool expression revealing nothing of her inner thoughts.
“Husband, when you are away from home, please take good care of yourself.”
Seeing that Lin Qinghan remained silent, Lin Feiying could not help but speak up to offer her reminders.
Lin Yiyi and Lin Zi’er also offered their own warm wishes.
“I am merely going to broaden my horizons,” Zhou Luo said with an easygoing smile.
After a few more parting words, Zhou Luo took up his travel bundle and walked away.
“Young Miss, are you really not going to say anything more to him?” Lin Lan asked softly, gently resting a hand on her pregnant belly.
Lin Qinghan watched his retreating figure, remaining silent.
Everything that needed to be said had already been whispered between them during the quiet nights of the past week.
At Longevity Spring Garden, Lin Zhishou was quietly sipping tea in the courtyard.
When he saw Zhou Luo arrive, he rose to his feet. “We may set out now.”
With a flick of his sleeve, a beam of spiritual light shot forth and descended onto the open ground.
Zhou Luo watched closely as a miniature boat materialized out of thin air.
It was the very same Flying Boat he had traveled on once before.
Under the infusion of Lin Zhishou’s True Essence, the Flying Boat rapidly expanded to its full size.
The three of them stepped aboard.
In the next instant, the vessel rose into the sky, transforming into a streak of flowing light that soared toward the horizon.
Zhou Luo turned back to look at the shrinking estate of the Lin family below, then glanced at Lin Zhishou, who stood with his hands clasped behind his back at the prow. A swell of emotion rose in his chest.
One day, he too would roam freely through these vast heavens.
The Flying Boat left Maple Leaf City far behind, charting a direct course for Pan Shi City.
As they traveled, Zhou Luo sat cross-legged and placed his travel bundle on his lap.
This bundle had been packed by his wives, and he had not yet had the chance to see what they had placed inside.
Now seemed as good a time as any to look.
Whoosh-
Though the wind howled fiercely outside, the defensive barrier of the Flying Boat kept the three passengers entirely shielded from the elements.
He peeled back the talisman, and the moment he opened the container, a rich, mouth-watering aroma of spiritual food wafted through the air.
The scent was so potent that it immediately caught the attention of Lin Zhishou and Lin Nian, who both turned around to look.
“You brought actual spiritual meals?” Lin Zhishou remarked in surprise.
The journey to Pan Shi City would take several days, and they had originally planned to sustain themselves purely on dry, tasteless Inedia Pills.
Yet, how could those chalky pills ever compare to freshly prepared spiritual delicacies?
It also happened to be the perfect hour for a meal.
As they stared at the container in Zhou Luo’s hands, even Lin Zhishou’s eyes flickered with a hint of interest, while Lin Nian simply stared flatly at the food, his mouth practically watering.
“Uncle Shou, why don’t you try my wife’s cooking?” Zhou Luo offered tactfully, holding the container forward.
“No need, you should eat it yourself,” Lin Zhishou replied, attempting to maintain his dignity as an elder.
But Zhou Luo insisted, “There are exactly three portions packed here. We can all share.”
The container indeed had three layers, clearly prepared with the entire party in mind.
Seeing this, Lin Zhishou did not refuse further. He sat down opposite Zhou Luo and took a set of chopsticks.
As he tasted the first bite, a look of pure satisfaction washed over his face.
“Mmh, this spiritual food is remarkably well-prepared.”
“Feiying’s culinary skills are indeed exceptional,” Zhou Luo said with a grin.
Among his five wives, Lin Feiying was easily the most gifted in the kitchen, capable of turning simple spiritual ingredients into fragrant, delicious meals.
Lin Nian, having received his portion, was already digging in voraciously.
“Delicious!” he managed to mumble between bites.
“Haha, it seems having a wife truly makes a difference. Xiao Nian, you should think about settling down soon as well,” Lin Zhishou teased lightly.
“Grandfather Shou, taking a wife will only distract me from my cultivation,” Lin Nian retorted defensively.
“And what of Zhou Luo? Has it slowed him down?” Lin Zhishou countered.
“That is different,” Lin Nian mumbled, lowering his head to focus entirely on his food.
Once they finished, Zhou Luo packed the container away and placed it back in the bundle.
As he did, his hand brushed against another object.
It was a small, polished hand mirror.
When he looked into it, the reflective surface rippled slightly, revealing a brief, illusions-like projection of Lin Yiyi’s sweet, smiling face.
Zhou Luo was momentarily speechless, already able to hear her cheerful voice ringing in his ears.
He smiled and put the mirror back, setting the bundle aside to close his eyes and rest.
He had initially considered cultivating during the flight, just as Lin Nian was doing.
However, fearing that Lin Zhishou might detect the unique nature of his mid-grade Qi Refining technique, he ultimately chose to simply rest.
The days spent aboard the Flying Boat were monotonous, but its speed was undeniable.
After five days of continuous travel, the massive, towering outline of Pan Shi City finally appeared on the horizon.