Senior sister, stop working and go home for dinner.

Hidden Cloud Mountain, six months later.

The resort at the foot of the mountain has grown twice as big as it did six months ago.

The ordinary people who came from all directions initially numbered only a few dozen households, but now they have gathered into a village of over a hundred households. Thatched huts have become wooden houses, and wooden houses have become brick and tile houses.

The resort does have houses, but most of those spaces have been allocated to the Feng, Jiang, and Maoshan families, as well as the other sects they have incorporated.

Therefore, the resort has been expanding over the past six months.

At this time, the original resort is gradually developing into a small, habitable city.

Old Shi stood at the entrance of his own yard, squinting in the sun.

Back in Shicun, this little old man was not only the village head, but also an honest and simple farmer. He had toiled in the fields his whole life and never imagined that he would one day live such a life.

The courtyard wasn't large, with three brick and tile houses surrounded by a fence. A few chickens were kept in the yard, and two vegetable patches were planted at the base of the fence. After finishing her lessons with Master Feng Zhi, the granddaughter went to play at the foot of the mountain, saying she wanted to follow the immortals on their patrol.

"All you do all day is cause trouble for the immortals," Old Man Shi muttered, but a grin was on his face.

He turned and went back into the house, took a cloth bag from the cabinet, opened it, and found a stack of papers inside.

The paper had words printed on it, along with some pictures.

This is a "half-year record" that he asked Jiang Yun, a young man from the Jiang family, to write down. He was illiterate, so he asked Jiang Yun to write down his experiences over the past six months, saying that he would read it to his granddaughter when she grew up.

"On the eighth day of the fourth month, three more families came today. They were all refugees from the north, saying that there was a demonic calamity there and most of the village was destroyed. I gave them a woodshed and some rice."

"On the second day of the fifth month, the immortals from the mountain came down with a batch of spirit grain seeds, saying that they could keep 70% of the grain they grew. This was something we wouldn't have dared to dream of before."

"On the eighth day of the sixth lunar month, I was working at the Immortal Cuisine Shop when Immortal Li praised me for being diligent and rewarded me with a candy called 'Mentos.' That candy was so sweet it was almost cloying; I had never eaten anything so sweet in my life. I couldn't bear to eat it and brought it back to my granddaughter."

"In early July, those once aloof immortals of Qingyang Valley became much more amiable and started working alongside them..."

Old Shi flipped through the papers; although he couldn't understand them, he felt at ease.

He rewrapped the cloth bag, put it back in the cupboard, and went out into the yard, gazing at the distant, mist-shrouded mountain.

Hidden Cloud Mountain.

Immortals live on that mountain.

A true immortal.

They are not the kind of aloof immortals who treat mortals like ants; they are the kind of immortals who come down from the mountain to give them seeds, treat illnesses, and repair houses.

Shi Laosi suddenly remembered that half a year ago, those immortals left Yunyin Mountain, saying they were going to some "Tianjing". At that time, he was very worried, afraid that the immortals would never return, and that his life would return to what it was before. Later, someone told him that the immortals would return. Only then did he feel relieved.

Old Shi calculated the days, "The ninth day of the ninth month marks exactly half a year since the immortal left. I've been counting down the days."

……

Xian Shan Fang.

Fatty Li sat behind the stove, his spatula flying across the pan, the iron pot sizzling with the aroma of oil.

After three months of seclusion, with the abundant spiritual energy of heaven and earth and the blessing of those elixirs, he officially entered the ranks of cultivators, possessing the cultivation level of the mid-stage Qi Refining Realm.

On the day he emerged from seclusion, Fatty Li ran a lap around Cloud Hidden Mountain, scaring all the wild boars in the mountains away to the other side. But after returning, he went straight to the Immortal Cuisine Restaurant to continue working as a cook.

"Master Li, how do I cut this fish?"

"Master Li, is it ready yet?"

"Master Li, would you like to taste this soup and see if it's too salty?"

Seven or eight villagers, men and women, were gathered around. They had all come from various places in the past six months. Fatty Li took them in as his cooks and taught them how to cook.

"When cutting fish, cut along the grain, don't chop across it, that's a waste," Fatty Li instructed while stir-frying the vegetables. "The heat? Look at the bubbles in this soup, small bubbles mean low heat, big bubbles mean high heat, figure it out yourself. As for whether it's salty or not, taste it yourself, I'm not your palate."

The villagers nodded repeatedly, but their hands were still clumsy.

Fatty Li wasn't annoyed; he just sighed and continued cooking.

He cooked chicken stew with king oyster mushrooms.

These spirit mushrooms were grown on the mountain, and they've been growing exceptionally well for the past six months, with harvest after harvest. The chickens were monsters that Bell had Stone deliver. Not to mention, Fatty Li fed them with spirit grain bran, making the meat even firmer, and the soup was so delicious you could swallow your tongue.

In modern times, this would be unthinkable. Back then, only his master would send down some spiritual rice and vegetables every now and then. There wasn't enough for people to eat, so how could he possibly use it to feed poultry?

"When Master and the others come back," Fatty Li muttered to himself, "I'll have to show off my skills."

He thought of Chen Anran, Xiao Ling'er, and his companions who had traveled through time with him.

Six months.

I wonder how they are doing in Tianjing.

Fatty Li ladled the food out of the pot, added more fuel to the fire, and started stewing the next pot.

……

On the mountain.

The Yunyin Sect has expanded its sect again compared to half a year ago.

Zhang Laoshi and his disciples had been busy for the past six months. They added a few more brick and tile halls to the Yunyin Sect. Although they couldn't compare to the grandeur of those immortal sects with thousands of years of history, they were still quite presentable. Spirit stone steps were laid in front of the halls, a training ground was built behind them, and a row of side rooms was added on both sides for the disciples who would be joining the sect in the future.

"Master, where should we put this pillar?"

"Master, are these enough tiles?"

"Master, could you take a look? Is the foundation crooked?"

Zhang Laoshi was so busy he barely had time to breathe, but the smile on his face never stopped.

He was an honest man, and honest men are the most grateful. When he and his disciples first sought the path to immortality, Master Chen accepted them without hesitation and even let them rebuild the sect. For the past six months, he had eaten and slept well, his disciples had all gained weight, and they had all embarked on their cultivation journeys. He remembered this kindness in his heart and could only repay it by working hard.

"Move the pillar three inches to the east," he instructed. "If we don't have enough tiles, we'll fire more. The kiln at the foot of the mountain is still usable. The foundation isn't crooked; it's your eyes that are crooked."

The apprentice scratched his head, chuckled, and ran off.

Zhang Laoshi looked up at the sky.

The sun was shining brightly, warming my skin. In the distance, clouds and mist swirled, and I could vaguely make out several higher mountain peaks.

He recalled the day Chen Zhenren and the others left six months ago. At that time, he felt empty inside, as if something was missing. Later, he realized that he had lost his pillar of support.

……

The back mountain.

Beside the medicinal herb field, two girls were squatting on the ground, heads together, studying something.

"Sister Mengmeng, shouldn't this plant be watered?"

"Wait, let me see... Hmm, the soil is still wet, let's wait a little longer."

Zhao Mengmeng reached out and pinched the soil in the herb garden, then leaned closer to examine the leaves of the spiritual herb. Although her master had been away for the past six months, she hadn't been idle at all. She spent her days cultivating, tending the herb garden, and studying alchemical texts, leading a very fulfilling life.

Lin Xiaoman squatted down next to her, holding a small watering can, and stared longingly at the medicinal herb field.

"Sister Mengmeng, when do you think Brother Chen and the others will be back?" Lin Xiaoman asked.

Zhao Mengmeng paused in her movements.

"I don't know either, but Master and the others have been gone for so long, they should be back soon."

Lin Xiaoman sighed, "When they're not around, time always seems to drag on forever."

Zhao Mengmeng smiled and reached out to rub her head.

Missing Xiaoling'er?

"Hmm." Lin Xiaoman nodded. "She was so lively, always running around. It's strange that she's suddenly gone."

Zhao Mengmeng didn't say anything, but continued to tend to the medicinal herb field.

She wanted to too.

I miss my master, I miss Xiao Ling'er, and I miss my companions who traveled through time with me.

But she knew that her master had important business in Tianjing. She couldn't help, so all she could do was guard Yunyin Mountain and wait for her master to return.

"Let's go," she stood up, "let's go take a look over there. Those newly planted plants need fertilizing."

Lin Xiaoman responded and followed after him, carrying her small water bottle.

The two girls disappeared into the depths of the medicinal field.

……

At the foot of the mountain, there is the Lingqiao Workshop.

It's called a workshop, but it's more like a factory filled with all sorts of strange objects.

The workshop was filled with piles of things.

On the wooden shelf against the wall, various parts were neatly stacked: copper wire, iron sheets, wooden blocks, jade, animal bones, and some metals whose names I didn't know.

In the corner were several half-dismantled machines, including electric fans brought from modern society and bronze components seized from sects such as Qingyang Valley.

The most eye-catching thing was what was placed on the large table in the middle.

It was a palm-sized jade pendant, entirely white, but its surface was inlaid with several neatly cut LCD screens. These screens were very small, only the size of a fingernail, and were currently emitting a faint blue light, displaying symbols that only Jiang Yun and A Sheng could understand.

Jiang Yun sat at the table, holding a slender carving knife, carefully carving something on the jade plaque. He carved slowly and steadily, pausing after each stroke to check for a long time before making the next cut.

Ah Sheng squatted on the stool next to him, holding a palm-sized round plate in his hands. The front of the plate was covered with dense patterns, while the back had a groove in which a crystal the size of a soybean was embedded. He stared at the plate for a long time, then suddenly looked up.

"Brother Yun, this formation is still unstable."

Jiang Yun didn't even look up: "Where is it unsteady?"

"If I input spiritual energy too quickly, it will lag." Ah Sheng frowned, his face scrunched up. "I adjusted it according to your algorithm, but every time I input spiritual energy for more than three breaths, it's as slow as an old ox pulling a broken cart."

"Let me see."

Jiang Yun then raised his head, took the disc, and looked at it.

This is something they've been working on lately—a spirit energy acceleration array.

The principle is simple: it combines array runes with modern computer algorithms to make the flow of spiritual energy in the array plate faster and more efficient.

The two of them haven't been idle for the past six months. They know that the electronic devices they brought from modern society will eventually break down. They can't rely on those machines forever; they must learn to use the tools of this era to create magical artifacts that can replace or even surpass those machines.

"Brother, do you think they'll be shocked when Master Chen and the others come back and see this?"

Jiang Yun smiled: "I wouldn't be so surprised. What hasn't Master Chen seen? But he should be happy."

"Of course." Ah Sheng happily put away the array plate. "Keep this and show it to them when they come back. Let them know that we haven't been idle for the past six months. When your uncle sees it, he won't say that we're not doing our job properly, that we're not studying the weapon-forging methods of our predecessors, and that we're just messing around all day."

Jiang Yun sighed, "I hope so."

The windows of the workshop were half-open, and the afternoon sun slanted in, casting a golden glow on the table piled with parts.

Jiang Yun paused, his carving knife still in his hand. He looked up, his gaze passing through the window to the path leading up the mountain.

"Ah Sheng," he suddenly spoke.

"Hmm?" Ah Sheng was holding the array plate, examining it over and over, without even looking up.

"Look over there."

Ah Sheng then raised his head and followed Jiang Yun's gaze to look out the window.

A group of people are walking along that winding mountain road.

He is Xuanzhenzi of Qingyang Valley, Miaoyuer of Hehuan Sect, the sect leader of Zidian Sect, and other important figures from various sects.

Ah Sheng blinked, then blinked again, and suddenly burst out laughing.

"Isn't this Xuanzhenzi and the others? What brings you all up the mountain today?"

Jiang Yun put down her carving knife and walked to the window.

The group had already passed the halfway point of the mountain and was heading towards the sect. Xuanzhenzi, the leader, turned back and said something to the people behind him before continuing uphill. His back view exuded a sense of tragic grandeur.

"What are they doing...?" Ah Sheng tilted his head, "...coming up the mountain to petition?"

Jiang Yun didn't speak, but just watched the backs of the group of people, a slight smile curving her lips.

Ah Sheng glanced at him, then looked out the window, and suddenly remembered something. He slapped his thigh: "Oh—I know! They can't wait any longer!"

"Can't wait?" Jiang Yun looked at him.

"That's right!" Ah Sheng counted on his fingers, "It's been half a year. From the time Master Chen and the others left until now, a full six months. In these six months, our Feng family, Jiang family, and Maoshan family have been cultivating as usual, working as usual, and living very comfortably. But what about them?"

He pointed out the window to the group of figures who had almost reached the mountainside.

"When these people surrendered, weren't they all hoping to join the Cloud Hidden Sect? But as soon as Master Chen left, the matter was put on hold. Fine, let it be, we'll wait for Master Chen to return. But for the past six months, their cultivation has been sealed, and they've been stuck at the foot of the mountain doing odd jobs with ordinary people. Do you think they're not anxious?"

Jiang Yun nodded: "Anyone would be anxious."

"Especially that Xuanzhenzi," Asheng said gloatingly. "I don't know how he offended Master Tianbao back then. Master Tianbao once snorted at Master Chen and told him to go lay bricks, and he actually ended up being sent to lay bricks."

Jiang Yun's lips twitched.

"And then there's Lei Xiaozi," Asheng continued. "Isn't he an inner sect elder? He was sent to make bricks. It's in the southeast corner, far from the commercial street. A new brick kiln opened there, and he's there mixing mud, making bricks, and firing them. I went over to take a look, and he was covered in mud, his face streaked with black and white. Where was the slightest bit of his ethereal, otherworldly appearance?"

Jiang Yun was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "What about the Hehuan Sect?"

"Those few," Ah Sheng thought for a moment and then replied, "Now Senior Ling Caiyou is leading them all over the mountains to catch and raise monsters, saying she wants to set up some kind of spirit bird breeding farm."

…………

Chen Anran and his group were not far from Yunyin Mountain when, for some reason, a deer in the group suddenly sneezed.