Grandpa, times have changed.

Chapter 878 It would be strange if I weren't moved.

Outside the stone house.

Xu Xing looked at the bronze incense burner in his hand, which was emitting wisps of fragrance, but his expression did not change much.

The Heart-Questioning Furnace.

It is a magical artifact that Hong bought from the Myriad Races Academy in the Heavenly Realm.

It comes with various different incense sticks, each producing different effects when lit.

The incense lit at this moment can amplify the desires of beings below the Divine Forging Realm.

He deliberately feigned weakness beforehand to complement the effect of the Heart-Questioning Furnace.

To be honest, if he could, he didn't actually want to kill them.

After all, there are too few cultivators among the human race now, especially those who have reached the Unity Realm, each one is very precious.

But no way.

He couldn't stay in this settlement for long, nor could he guarantee that they wouldn't monopolize the cultivation methods after he left.

That's why he used the Heart-Questioning Furnace to eliminate potential problems in advance, so that the settlement wouldn't repeat the same mistakes after he left.

As for whether this constitutes entrapment...

Xu Xing didn't care.

As long as the immediate problem can be solved and future risks can be eliminated, that's fine.

Thinking it over, he clasped his hands together and put the Heart-Questioning Furnace back into the storage bag at his waist, then walked toward the center of the settlement.

The problem has been solved, now...

It's time to pass on the practice.

……

evening.

The unsettling atmosphere that permeated every corner of the settlement vanished.

Instead, there were vortexes of spiritual energy, some large and some small, each different.

Humans, especially the human race of this era, have a very strong ability to adapt to sudden changes in the environment.

Xu Xing, who was clearly terrified at noon, killed Jie and an elder.

Moreover, not to mention everyone in the settlement, most people, though they dared not show it, still harbored hostility towards him.

After all, he killed the leader and the elders.

But as Xu Xing passed down the cultivation method and he received real benefits, the fear and hostility hidden deep in his heart disappeared almost entirely in an instant.

It should be noted that when the leader was still alive, only a few elders and the leader's own relatives were able to receive the cultivation methods.

And now, this mysterious person who suddenly appeared...

Do not!
He should be called a 'savior'.

Not only does he possess the ability to slay the ancestral tree of the Willow Ghost Clan, but he also reveals his cultivation method without reservation.

Is it really necessary to distinguish which is good and which is bad?
The setting sun hangs halfway in the distant sky, its afterglow reflecting in the evening glow.

Xu Xing sat quietly on a stone platform in the center of the settlement.

The afterglow of the setting sun cast a long shadow on him, adding to his sense of holiness.

A little girl in a red dress ran over at some point.

Clinging to the edge of the stone platform, she stared intently at him, just as she had when they first met.

Xu Xing opened his eyes and looked at her with a smile.

"what happened?"

Perhaps it is because of the extreme purity of their souls.

Although she was young, after spending time with her, Xu Xing realized that this little girl was far more mature than her peers.

We can't really treat her like an ordinary child.

"Big brother! Why did you do that?"

She didn't understand at all.

The leaders and elders were all unwilling to share their possessions with others, even if those were their own people.

But this older brother was completely different.

They were clearly strangers.

"emm..."

Looking into those clear and pure eyes, Xu Xing pondered for a moment before finally deciding to answer seriously.

"Born into a world where none of us know when we will suffer an accident or lose someone important."

“I’ve been through it once, and I know what that feels like. If possible, I hope that others will at least have some other options when faced with unexpected events.”

"Maybe one day I'll..."

Master's expectation: the rise of humanity...

More than any of these, this is actually his true inner thought.

That feeling of helplessness...

At this point, Xu Xing gave a self-deprecating laugh.

He was answering the little girl's question, but his tone sounded like he was giving himself an answer.

"Hehe, even if I can't go home, I can still leave some traces of my existence in this world."

"Maybe someone else will come."

The little girl was a bit confused.

Although she was more mature than her peers, she was still just a little girl under ten years old.

It's still hard to understand what Xu Xing is saying at this moment.

However, Xu Xing didn't intend for her to understand right now.

She was just thinking that these words would be helpful to her when she grew up.

"Alright, go cultivate." Xu Xing reached out and ruffled her hair. "Ask me anytime if you have any questions."

The little girl thought for a moment, then turned and ran to the side.

He found a relatively flat piece of bluestone, and like Xu Xing, he sat cross-legged and began to practice breathing exercises.

Soon, the spiritual energy floating in the surrounding void surged towards her.

It's quite a coincidence that the entire settlement has more than 2,700 people.

She has the best qualifications.

However, the cultivation methods in this settlement are severely incomplete, with only some cultivation methods that are biased towards body refinement remaining.

That's why she was sent to the Willow Ghost Clan as a destined sacrifice.

If the original cultivation method had been complete, it wouldn't have been misjudged to this extent.

As for why the elder who was the first to be killed by him and who was knowledgeable in all cultivation methods wasn't mentioned...

It all boils down to one word: jealousy.

He himself is stuck in the mid-stage of the Qi Condensation Realm and cannot make any progress, so how can he be willing to see other cultivators rise up?

They might even be secretly pushing for the best children to be sent away as sacrifices.

Really...

Kill!

With his eyes closed, Xu Xing continued to circulate the "Refining Spirit Method" to adapt to his own state.

Even as the sun sank below the horizon, golden flames still danced around it, making it appear exceptionally mysterious.

……

The moonlit night was bright.

"Is it Senior Spirit Ancestor or Senior Demon Ancestor?"

Chi Jiuyu squatted down in front of the little girl, staring at her intently.

If nothing unexpected happens, this little girl is probably, likely, 80% likely, very likely!

But who exactly is it?
Is it the Spirit Ancestor or the Demon Ancestor?
She simply couldn't tell.

We can't just assume she's the Meizu just because she's wearing red, can we?

She, Chi Jiuyu, has always been the most meticulous and serious!
How could you be so hasty!
"..."

I stared at it for a while longer, but still couldn't figure it out.

She scratched her head and stood up.

She's definitely too thin.

They're so thin, you can't tell who's who!

Whether it's the Spirit Ancestor or the Charm Ancestor, their figures are both excellent, unlike now, which is practically like a bean sprout!
Thinking about it, she looked at Xu Xing.

Without a doubt, this is a classic hero-saves-the-damsel-in-distress scenario, even if it's a bit cliché...

But the results speak for themselves!
The later Demon Ancestor and Spirit Ancestor were completely devoted to their Martial Uncle.

The Spirit Ancestor even said something like, "She minds, but she accepts it."

Although she still doesn't understand what Senior Lingzu cares about and what he accepts, it is obviously related to her martial uncle.

After all, she only overheard one sentence, and her master hung her on a rack for a whole week!
…… ……

For some time afterward.

Other races inhabiting this land with scarce spiritual energy could no longer contain themselves and came to the human settlement one after another to test the waters.

But Xu Xing easily blocked them all.

Even Yang Wu from the Qiu Yue Yang clan was subdued by Xu Xing with one hand, witnessed by many other clans.

Such behavior directly extinguished some of the inappropriate thoughts of the surrounding tribes.

At this point, the human race completely replaced the Willow Ghost Race and officially gained absolute control over this land with scarce spiritual energy.

When people from the settlement go out to collect spiritual items, other groups will immediately avoid them.

Their situation was much better than it was before Xu Xing arrived.

And these changes finally made the people in the settlement fully accept Xu Xing's existence.

Besides fear, there was also a sense of awe.

And just like that, a year passed quickly.

One year!
Xu Xing was also preparing to set off again for the next human settlement.

"Are you really leaving?" an elder asked, his face full of reluctance.

The elders behind him behaved in the same way.

At first, they were indeed not used to Xu Xing's arrival.

But after spending a year together, they found that Xu Xing was a person who was absolutely flawless.

Externally, he single-handedly subdued many surrounding tribes, providing humanity with a stable living environment.

Internally, during this year, he not only passed down all his cultivation methods, but also the "Tai Xu Sword Technique" that combines all his knowledge, as well as the "Piercing Golden Eyes" that can see through the flow of spiritual energy and enhance eyesight.

Without reservation, without any secrets.

They have genuinely accepted his existence and even recognized his status as a 'leader'.

"It's time to go," Xu Xing said calmly. "My cultivation method has just been completed, and I must pass it on to more people."

His gaze swept over the group.

This time, however, the group did not lower their heads as they had a year ago; instead, they dared to meet his gaze directly.

"I hope you will not follow in their footsteps."

The "they" here naturally refers to the leader Jie, whom he killed a year ago, as well as the elders.

"Don't worry, absolutely not!" an elder with white hair said solemnly.

His name was Qian Xiang.

He is the future founder of the Wanfa Dao Sect and one of the first councilors of the Righteous Path Alliance.

However, the future Dao Master of Dongzhen is currently only at the peak of the Qi Condensation stage.

And it will take some time to refine it before it can break through to the God-forging stage.

The elders behind Qian Xiang echoed his sentiments.

"Hmm." Xu Xing nodded slightly, and finally smiled, "I hope that when we meet again, we will both still be alive."

"..."

Qian Xiang remained silent for a while, then finally spoke firmly.

"Most definitely!"

Beside him, Chi Jiuyu stared blankly at Xu Xing.

From the moment my uncle arrived in this settlement, a year has passed, and now my uncle is preparing to leave.

She witnessed everything that happened during this time, the changes in everyone in the settlement, including the elders.

She also had to admit that her senior uncle at this stage was a person with great leadership charisma.

And I didn't want it to be so... 'distant' later on.

Correct!
It's just far away.

Compared to that distant and untouchable, seemingly omnipotent senior uncle in the future,

He is now more like a leader who has become aware of what he should do and can lead those around him to find their own goals.

Chi Jiuyu's expression became somewhat complicated.

A somewhat inexplicable thought also arose in my mind.

Whether it's the Spirit Ancestor or the Charm Ancestor, they wouldn't be tempted by such a senior uncle...

That would be strange, wouldn't it?
……

……

soon.

Xu Xing arrived outside the stone house.

People nearby all looked at him, each with a different expression.

Longing, reverence, attachment, and even fanaticism.

But everyone only dared to watch from afar, except...

"Big brother! Are you leaving?"

A red figure rushed towards him, like a fiery cloud falling from the horizon.

Compared to her emaciated appearance a year ago, she now has sufficient nutrition to replenish her energy, resulting in delicate and fair skin, arched eyebrows, and pure, crystal-like eyes, making her look as exquisite as a porcelain doll.

His cultivation level had even reached the eighth level of Qi Refining.

Qi Refining Level 8...

Xu, after two years of cultivation, only reached the sixth level of Qi Refining.

This little guy has reached the eighth level in just one year, which is faster than the cultivation progress of Hong and Yuan back then.

In other words, they don't have the exaggerated level of understanding that Hong and Yuan, the siblings.

Although their current cultivation method, after their improvements, is far superior to the Qi refining method they practiced before...

But this progress in cultivation is still quite exaggerated!

If someone you casually save is a genius, am I, Xu, really the protagonist?
"Ah."

Suppressing the jumbled thoughts in his mind, Xu Xing looked at the little girl in front of him.

"Got to go."

Qian Xiang and others had mentioned more than once that they wanted him to bring her along.

But he himself was only at the Yangwu realm, and in this vast and boundless Taixuan Realm, teeming with killing intent, he was just a slightly larger ant.

Even his own safety is a problem, how could he possibly bring her along?

So naturally, I refused.

"Will we ever see each other again?"

"Yes, we'll meet again," Xu Xing said with a smile. "When you grow up, we'll definitely meet again someday."

He certainly wouldn't talk about serious topics like life and death in front of children.

"Yes!" The little girl nodded very seriously.

"Oh, right, this is for you."

Xu Xing took out a thumb-sized, prismatic crystal that emitted a fiery red light flowing inside.

"When in danger, infuse a wisp of spiritual energy."

With this little girl's talent, she will eventually have to go out; she can't stay in this place lacking in spiritual energy forever.

This prism contains the power of his three swords.

After a year of adjustment, he is now a completely different person from how he was back then.

Each of these three sword strikes can unleash the power of his 'Sword of Annihilation' from the previous year when he used all his strength to sever the Willow Ghost Tree!
He also left a few swords with the elders.

It should be enough to protect this settlement until the birth of a God-forging cultivator.

"Alright, now it's really time to say goodbye."

With that, Xu Xing prepared to leave.

However, the little girl tugged at her sleeve.

"Big brother! Could you... give me a name?"

name?

Xu Xing was taken aback.

But when I met her eyes, I recalled what she had said when we first met a year ago.

After thinking about it seriously for a while, he said solemnly.

"You should find your own meaning and then decide on your own name."

For her, a name...

It must be quite important.