I attained immortality through meditation in the Great Qian Dynasty.

Zhao Zian got up and stretched his limbs.

He looked up at Murong Qingxue and found her gazing at him with adoration, which made him chuckle.

He glanced again at the little white fox that was still fast asleep.

Its aura was also steadily increasing, indicating that the pill had greatly benefited it.

"I'll leave Xiaobai to you for now. Continue your cultivation here and don't wander off."

Zhao Zian said.

I need to go out for a bit.

Murong Qingxue was taken aback and quickly asked.

"Where are you going? Is there any danger?"

"It's nothing serious."

Zhao Zian reassured him.

"I've been away for so long, I should let my family know I'm safe."

The home he referred to was Liuxi Town.

There, are the people he cares about.

……

After leaving the valley, Zhao Zian did not exert his full strength to travel.

Two days later, he reached the outer edge of the Yunze Mountains.

Not far ahead, a trade route winds its way.

He found a stream, cleaned himself up, and changed into an ordinary blue cloth robe.

He waited for about an hour under a large tree beside the trade route.

Finally, a group of merchants slowly approached.

The person in charge was a middle-aged manager.

Zhao Zian went to greet him and cupped his hands in greeting.

"Sir, please wait a moment."

The middle-aged steward reined in his horse and looked at him.

"What can I do for you, sir?"

Zhao Zian took out two letters from his pocket and a silver ingot weighing ten taels.

"I would like to ask the steward for a small favor: to deliver these two letters to the Jishetang in Liuxi Town."

"Give one to Manager Su Mei of Jishetang."

"The other letter, please have her pass it on to a lady named Li Suqin."

"This ten taels of silver is the payment."

Ten taels of silver is a considerable sum of money for ordinary people.

The middle-aged manager glanced at the silver, then at Zhao Zian.

Seeing that he had a calm demeanor and didn't seem like a bad person, they accepted the letter and the silver.

"It's no trouble at all, Your Excellency. Rest assured, the letter will be delivered within three days."

Thank you.

Zhao Zian thanked him, then turned and walked into the dense forest, quickly disappearing from sight.

The middle-aged manager weighed the silver in his hand and urged the group to continue forward.

He didn't take it to heart.

They assumed it was just a young man from a wealthy family traveling abroad, sending a message home to let them know he was safe.

Deep in the dense forest, Zhao Zian stood on the canopy of an ancient tree, watching the caravan depart into the distance.

His gaze was distant.

In the letter, he wrote only a few words.

The letter to Su Mei was...

"I have a fortuitous opportunity on my journey and will need to retreat into seclusion for a period of time. Please take care of things at home. Don't worry about me."

The letter to his sister-in-law, Li Suqin, was even simpler.

"Sister-in-law is well, and Zi'an is doing well. He will be back soon. Don't worry."

He cannot go back.

The power of the Duke of Anguo's mansion is deeply entrenched.

If he shows up in Liuxi Town, he could very well cause Su Mei and her sister-in-law a lot of trouble.

He is not yet capable of contending with him.

The only way forward is to first help Murong Qingxue establish a firm foothold in the capital, then leverage her strengths and proceed gradually.

Zhao Zian withdrew his gaze and looked towards the direction of the capital.

……

Zhao Zian's figure moved through the dense forest.

Each step covered several meters, and in the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he returned to the secluded valley.

In the valley, Murong Qingxue was sitting cross-legged on a blue stone.

A faint aura of spiritual energy surrounded him.

Zhao Zian did not make a sound to disturb them, but simply stood quietly to the side.

He could sense that Murong Qingxue's spiritual power had been completely stabilized.

Furthermore, it was even more refined than when he left, clearly indicating that he had fully mastered that introductory mental cultivation method.

With remarkable talent, he has already taken the first step on the path to immortality.

Seemingly sensing his gaze, Murong Qingxue opened her eyes.

Their eyes met, and she was taken aback for a moment before smiling happily.

"You're back!"

She leaped down from the bluestone.

Just then, the little white ball of fur on the stone bed next to them, which was covered with animal hides, stirred.

The little white fox stretched.

As soon as it woke up, an aura far more powerful than Murong Qingxue emanated from its small body.

Although it doesn't match the power of Zhao Zian's Golden Core, it definitely surpasses the ordinary late-stage Foundation Establishment realm.

"Squeak!"

The little white fox let out a joyful cry and instantly jumped onto Zhao Zi'an's shoulder, nuzzling his cheek.

"How are you feeling?"

Zhao Zian smiled and stroked its soft fur.

The little white fox didn't say anything, but just proudly raised its little head.

The next moment, a glint flashed in its eyes.

The scene before Zhao Zian and Murong Qingxue suddenly changed.

The original valley disappeared, replaced by a peach orchard in full bloom.

The peach blossoms are in full bloom, petals are falling in profusion, and butterflies are fluttering among the flowers.

Everything was unbelievably real.

Murong Qingxue couldn't help but reach out her hand, wanting to catch a falling petal.

However, the moment the petals touched her fingertips, they turned into specks of light and vanished without a trace.

The peach orchard in front of us was also broken, and it returned to the original valley.

"This is……"

Murong Qingxue was so shocked that she covered her mouth.

"An illusion?"

A hint of approval also appeared in Zhao Zi'an's eyes.

I never expected that the little white fox's advancement this time would allow it to solidify illusions to such an extent.

It can even deceive your sense of smell and hearing.

This is no longer a simple visual illusion, but a small-scale, realistic illusion.

"Impressive, right!"

The little white fox's smug voice rang directly in his mind.

"This is called mind imagery. If I wanted, I could make them forever remain trapped in their most desired dream!"

Zhao Zian nodded.

He composed himself and looked at Murong Qingxue.

"It's time for us to get going."

Murong Qingxue nodded vigorously.

"Should we... still take the mountain path?"

She asked in a low voice.

She has experienced firsthand the dangers of the Yunze Mountains these past few days.

Zhao Zian shook his head.

"No."

"Let's fly there."

Murong Qingxue was stunned.

fly?

Crossing the entire Yunze Mountain Range?

Seeing her shocked expression, Zhao Zian explained.

"Walking on the ground is too conspicuous and too slow."

"But traveling by air is actually the fastest and safest way."

His confidence was not blind.

After advancing to the Golden Core stage, flying through the air became second nature to him.

More importantly, his divine sense was enough to cover an area of ​​dozens of miles.

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Zian gently waved his right hand.

Om-!

A sword's cry echoed through the valley.

A flying sword appeared out of thin air and hovered in front of the three of them.

The sword continued to grow larger, and soon it resembled a small boat.

"Come on up."

Zhao Zian stepped onto the sword first and reached out his hand to her.

Murong Qingxue looked at the palm, her cheeks flushing slightly.

He placed his hand on it.

With a little effort, Zhao Zian pulled her onto the flying sword.

It was the first time she had stood on this legendary magical artifact, and she felt slightly unsteady on her feet.

She subconsciously moved closer to Zhao Zian and grabbed his sleeve with both hands.

The little white fox then nimbly leaped and perched on Zhao Zian's other shoulder.