bookpower Chapter 316: Reappearance of the White Robe
Chapter 316: Reappearance of the White Robe
Read 30 Chapters Ahead On Patreon :D /zilawere
Lan Chang'an’s face revealed a thoughtful expression as he exited his secluded cultivation alone.
Splash!
By the pool near the cave dwelling, Yun Ling, dressed in a simple, elegant white dress, was sitting absentmindedly, her rosy lips gently pursed, her gaze unfocused. Her small feet idly splashed at the water, creating ripples.
"Mister Xu, you’re out of seclusion," Yun Ling’s clear eyes sparkled as she stood gracefully, bowing lightly in greeting.
Instinctively, her gaze flickered behind Lan Chang'an, but a hint of disappointment flashed across her face.
“The Big Turtle is still in secluded cultivation, practicing its spiritual beast secret technique. You’ll have to wait a bit longer...” Lan Chang'an had clearly noticed her thoughts.
A few years ago, Yun Ling had broken through a minor realm and smoothly advanced to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.
“Mm.”
Yun Ling softly acknowledged, her worry evident but refraining from asking further questions.
Having spent so many years closely interacting with the Big Turtle, she couldn’t help but sense something peculiar:
The turtle’s spirituality and its nurturing, restorative water-bubble baths were far from ordinary, unlike typical Water Jet Turtles.
Her skin had grown even more delicate and supple, surpassing the smoothness of her youth. Her bone structure and physique, even her flexibility, had all remarkably improved.
Even the female cultivators of the Xuan Yin Pavilion were envious and frequently sought Yun Ling for tips on skincare and maintenance.
Bang! Bang!
From the underground chamber, the Profound Water Turtle banged its head against the door in protest, making a loud noise to express its dissatisfaction.
Its deep, dark-green eyes no longer held the simple, innocent charm they once did but instead faintly revealed traces of agitation and aggression.
Recently, Lan Chang'an had forbidden it from meeting Yun Ling.
The reason lay in the Profound Water Turtle’s water-element techniques and demonic energy fluctuations, which had begun to carry a Chilling Yin energy —characteristics of the Heavy Water Divine Ability.
Until it could completely control its innate bloodline talent and cast harmless, pure water-element spells, it was prohibited from seeing Yun Ling.
For the Profound Water Turtle of the past, achieving such precision would have been extremely difficult.
It required precise control over its bloodline power to maintain its pure form as a Water Jet Turtle or a Profound Water Turtle.
Yet, in just three months—
The Profound Water Turtle emerged from seclusion, fully capable of controlling its bloodline’s transformative powers and casting pure water and wood-element techniques.
Lan Chang'an had tested its abilities, discovering that the Profound Water Turtle’s offensive capabilities had reached at least the average level of a heavenly-grade bloodline. Its combat prowess had grown immensely. ŗÀ????oᛒÊⱾ
But gains often came with losses.
The Profound Water Turtle’s restorative and nurturing abilities for humans had decreased by 20-30%.
However, this decline did not extend to spiritual beasts, and its nurturing capabilities for the Xuanmu Vine Gourd had even improved.
“Big Turtle!”
Yun Ling’s eyes moistened with joy, her radiant smile blooming as she spread her arms wide.
The turtle was too large, so she could only embrace its head against her chest.
The agitated emotion in the Profound Water Turtle’s eyes settled, and it gently extended its head, affectionately nuzzling against her.
A few drops of water dampened Yun Ling’s dress.
Her exquisite, porcelain-like face flushed a rosy hue as she realized the impropriety of the situation. She quickly removed her shoes and sat cross-legged on the turtle’s back.
Lan Chang'an, clad in his simple green robes, stood with his hands clasped behind his back, nodding silently in approval.
The Profound Water Turtle after the elevation of its bloodline had been affected by the innate turbid qi, subtly altering its temperament.
After observing for several days, Lan Chang'an confirmed that Yun Ling’s presence and affection provided a stabilizing influence, aiding the turtle’s psychological development.
As for the Earth Burrowing Rat, there was no cause for concern. Its temperament had not changed significantly.
The Earth Burrowing Rat’s talent in earth-element spells, earth traversal, speed, and close-combat had all seen minor improvements.
Additionally, it had grown more adept at stealth, becoming harder to detect when burrowing underground or ambushing prey.
Previously, the Earth Burrowing Rat relied solely on acquired skills in concealment, honed through years of practice. Now, it had developed an innate talent in this area.
...
Another month passed.
The Profound Water Turtle’s condition stabilized, and the Earth Burrowing Rat showed no signs of unusual behavior.
Only then did Lan Chang'an feel relieved.
The innate turbid qi, while beneficial to most spiritual beasts, posed potential negative effects on humans. For humans, it was often harmful.
One day, Lan Chang'an called Yun Ling aside for a private discussion.
“Ling’er, the Big Turtle, and I will be returning to the Righteous Dao Alliance. You may return home for a year or so to reunite with your grandmother and elder brother,” Lan Chang'an explained his plans.
Yun Ling nodded in agreement. Every two to three years, she would return to the River Source Oasis for a visit.
Since Fang Zhen’s death years ago, the greatest threat from the Flame Departing Palce had been eliminated. This allowed the sect to steadily develop in the Outer Sect Alliance.
The mountain villa where Lan Chang'an had once trained had now given rise to a new cultivation family known as the Duan Clan.
Perhaps out of protection or for other reasons, Yun Ling’s grandmother had not forced the Yun siblings to change their surname.
Three days later.
Lan Chang'an and Yun Ling set off in a humble, low-profile carriage magical treasure. The carriage, with its unassuming dark-green exterior, shielded them from the outside wind and sand.
After traveling thousands of li, a veiled woman in a green dress joined them midway.
Lan Chang'an and the green-dressed woman exchanged polite nods but did not speak.
Yun Ling could only catch a faint glimpse of her vague features through the veil. Apart from her graceful figure, the woman’s appearance and aura seemed unremarkable.
The carriage reached the clouds above the River Source Oasis.
Yun Ling bowed and bid farewell to Lan Chang'an.
Before leaving, she couldn’t help but glance at the veiled green-dressed woman again.
“This little girl Ling is becoming more and more refined. Her innate beauty and potential have grown so much that even I’m tempted to take her as a direct disciple,” the green-dressed woman finally spoke after Yun Ling departed.
Her voice, clear and melodious like pearls cascading onto a jade plate, carried a sense of ethereal beauty, leaving listeners feeling tranquil and pleased.
This seemingly ordinary woman in green was none other than Fairy Ni Yue, the top Core Formation female cultivator of the Outer Sect Alliance.
“She has already entered the path of Talisman Dao and does not have the energy to pursue musical arts,” Lan Chang'an said flatly.
Fairy Ni Yue chuckled softly, “I was merely testing you, but you reacted as though guarding a treasure. You’ve given yourself away!”
“Mister Xu, could it be that you’re grooming an exceptional beauty early on, hoping to replace me in the future once I grow old and lose my charms?”
Her gentle, flirtatious tone carried a trace of feigned grievance.
“Is the renowned first beauty of Fengyuan Kingdom so insecure?” Lan Chang'an replied with a faint smile.
He wasn’t one to "raise treasures" for a specific taste.
The high-crowned middle-aged man was none other than Li Congren, the patriarch of the Li Family of Snow Plum Mountain.
He was also the first Fake Dan cultivator in the history of Li Erqing’s direct descendants.
“Brother Changxiu, there’s no need for such formalities,” Li Congren said warmly, waving his sleeve dismissively.
In terms of seniority, Li Congren and Mu Changxiu were of the same generation, though the former was slightly older.
When Li Congren landed, he was accompanied by a young man and woman, one at the Foundation Establishment stage and the other at the eighth layer of Qi-Refining. Both were descendants whom Li Congren favored highly.
“Immortal Li, please come inside.”
Mu Changxiu respectfully extended his hand, inviting Li Congren and his two juniors into his mother’s cave dwelling.
The elder members of the Mu Family watched their family head fawn over and flatter the visitors with mixed feelings of bitterness, envy, and indignation.
Over a hundred years ago, when the Mu Family split into two branches, who could have foreseen today’s outcome?
After decades of fleeting prosperity, the Mu Family began to decline.
Meanwhile, the Snow Plum Mountain Li Family, which had branched out on its own, produced a Fake Dan cultivator and rose to fame as a powerful cultivation family in Liang Kingdom.
With Mu Bingyun’s passing, the surrounding powers would begin eyeing Feiyue Lake’s remaining resources.
Now, the Mu Family had no choice but to seek an alliance through marriage with the Snow Plum Mountain Li Family, hoping to gain their protection.
This explained Mu Changxiu’s deferential and humble demeanor.
“Sigh, we never should’ve given half of Old Ancestor Erqing’s ashes to the Snow Plum Mountain Li Family back then! It spoiled the feng shui of the Mu Family!”
An old man of the Mu Family, watching from afar, clenched his fists in frustration. His voice trembled with regret and anger.
That meddlesome Turtle Immortal back then, he was really too biased in his behavior!”
“Rise and fall, tides of fortune... Do you really think half a jar of ashes can determine the fate of Feiyue Lake?”
A calm and indifferent voice suddenly echoed beside the old man’s ears.
“Who?! Who’s there?!”
Startled, the elderly man looked around in panic, but there was no one to be seen.
His breathing grew erratic, and he fell to the ground, trembling with fear. The voice he had just heard seemed like a hallucination.
...
Moonheart Island, Mu Family's Old Ancestor's cave dwelling.
“How is Aunt Bingyun’s condition?” Li Congren asked.
“She’s barely holding on. Her qi and blood have dried up, and her body can no longer accept any supplements. Only a trace of spiritual energy sustains her...”
Mu Changxiu’s voice was low and sorrowful, but he didn’t seem overwhelmingly grief-stricken.
After all, Mu Bingyun had lived to the age of 210, and the family was already preparing for a dignified funeral.
The group entered Mu Bingyun’s sleeping chamber, speaking in hushed tones.
“Mother, Immortal Li is here,” Mu Changxiu said softly, bowing by his mother’s bedside.
On the bed lay a silver-haired female cultivator. Despite her advanced age, her face retained the appearance of someone in their forties. Her features were delicately made up, and her elegant, well-defined facial structure made her look like a timeless beauty frozen in sleep.
This sight caused Li Congren to pause for a moment, a certain rumor from the past flashing through his mind.
He raised his hand to signal his two juniors to remain silent.
Hearing the voice, the silver-haired woman struggled to open her eyes. Her fatigued and lifeless gaze flickered faintly with disappointment upon seeing Li Congren.
“Congren... After I’m gone, please...”
Mu Bingyun managed to speak a few words to Li Congren before her eyes closed again.
She was far too weak, clinging to life only through sheer willpower.
Li Congren sighed as he turned away.
He could tell that while Mu Bingyun’s passing would be a peaceful one, her final moments were tinged with melancholy, as though a lingering regret weighed on her heart.
Just now, it seemed as if she wanted to ask him something but lacked the courage to do so.
Li Congren knew what Aunt Bingyun wished to ask—he wanted to know the answer as well.
The trail of that person's life and death remained a mystery in the Liang cultivation world.
“Lan... Uncle Lan...”
Suddenly, a cry broke the silence.
The aged voice of Mu Bingyun rang out from her bed, her tone rising in intensity.
Li Congren, Mu Changxiu, and the two juniors turned back abruptly.
They saw Mu Bingyun’s trembling, withered hand reaching out, as if grasping at something invisible in the air.
Her dull, murky eyes seemed to light up like candles, gleaming with a brilliance that hadn’t been seen in decades.
It was as if she had returned to her days on Little Turtle Peak, once again the gentle and lonely maidservant of her youth.
However, to the four people watching, the space before Mu Bingyun’s bed was completely empty.
“Is the old ancestor experiencing hallucinations at the end of her life?”
The two young Li Family juniors exchanged glances, their eyes filled with curiosity and confusion.
Only Li Congren, with his Fake Dan cultivation, suddenly froze, his expression shifting dramatically.
Through his spiritual sense, he detected an invisible ripple—a transparent barrier that isolated the space in front of the bed from the outside world.
Within the ripple, a familiar figure in white robes stood silently by Mu Bingyun’s bedside.
The man’s youthful appearance remained unchanged, his expression calm and indifferent, as if untouched by the passage of time.
He held Mu Bingyun’s frail hand with a faint smile, speaking softly with the silver-haired woman who was now radiant with the light of her final moments.
“Uncle Lan... Little Turtle Peak... May we meet again in the next life...”
In her final moments, Mu Bingyun’s face relaxed, a gentle smile curving her lips. At long last, she fulfilled her final wish.
The man in white placed his hand over her eyes, gently closing them. His expression remained serene, neither joyful nor sorrowful.
“The Mu Family’s fortune at Feiyue Lake ends here...”
The man in white stood, pausing momentarily in thought as he calculated something with his fingers. His brows furrowed slightly.
During this time, he cast a faint glance at Li Congren and the others.
“Grandfather, what are you doing...?”
The two juniors from the Li Family were stunned.
Before their eyes, the stern and dignified patriarch of the Li Family, a Fake Dan Immortal, bowed deeply toward the empty space by Mu Bingyun’s bed.
His expression was solemn and reverent, and he remained prostrate for a long time, without rising.