Chapter 20
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Chapter 20: Arrival at Panshi City
In the main hall of Shouchun Garden, Lin Zhi Shou sat at the head seat while Lin Nian stood nearby with a respectful posture.
Zhou Luo had not seen this elder for some time.
Unlike them hiding behind the scenes to concoct potions, Lin Zhi Shou had always been at the forefront.
After some days apart, the wrinkles on the elder’s face had visibly deepened, and his expression looked very haggard.
The constant travel and intense potion-making had taken a heavy toll on his mind and spirit.
Seeing him, Zhou Luo solemnly bowed. \"Uncle Shou, you’ve worked hard.\"
Lin Zhi Shou waved his hand. \"Go prepare. In ten days, you and Xiao Nian will come with me to the Spiritual Pill Conference.\"
\"So soon?\" Zhou Luo asked in surprise.
With nearly two months until the Spiritual Pill Conference, this seemed too early.
\"This year’s conference is in Panshi City. We must travel ahead of schedule,\" Lin Zhi Shou explained.
Panshi City was the territory of the Li Family.
As one of the long-life families, the Li Family was geographically isolated and thus kept a low profile, rarely appearing in public.
Had the hosting duty for the Spiritual Pill Conference not fallen to them, they likely wouldn’t have drawn such attention.
Panshi City’s remote location made early departure a wise choice.
Zhou Luo did not question further.
Lin Zhi Shou then examined Zhou Luo’s potion-making proficiency.
He discovered to his astonishment that the youth had progressed yet again—now producing three potions in a single furnace.
Zhou Luo explained this was the result of relentless practice during this period.
\"Pressure breeds excellence,\" Lin Zhi Shou remarked without doubt. He then turned to Lin Nian. \"You must train harder too.\"
\"Yes, Grandpa Shou,\" Lin Nian replied with a lowered head.
After leaving Shouchun Hall, Zhou Luo—who had intended to achieve a breakthrough before departure—hurried straight to the spiritual vein.
Due to his elevated status, he was now assigned to the \"Earth\" Tower.
His location was even deeper within than before.
Practicing here was twenty times more effective than outside.
Sitting cross-legged on the cushion, Zhou Luo activated the Spirit Gathering Technique.
With the help of this Qi Refinement-grade mid-level technique, his training speed accelerated dramatically.
On the seventh day, he finally advanced from the great perfection stage of Qi Refinement Level One to Qi Refinement Level Two.
Zhou Luo felt profoundly exhilarated.
Leaving the spiritual vein and returning home, he informed Lin Qing Han of his upcoming journey.
\"Be extra cautious,\" urged Lin Qing Han, holding little Chang An.
Zhou Luo playfully teased the baby and smiled. \"Don’t worry. With Uncle Shou present, all will be well.\"
\"Mm.\" Lin Qing Han nodded, then abruptly said, \"Stay with me tonight?\"
\"Aren\’t you having little Chang An sleep with you?\" Zhou Luo questioned.
\"He can stay with Aunt Jing for now.\" Lin Qing Han stared at him, her small face earnest.
A faint smile touched Zhou Luo\’s lips. \"Alright. I know.\"
The agreed-upon day arrived swiftly.
On this day, all five women stood at the entrance, watching Zhou Luo prepare to leave.
Lin Qing Han still held little Chang An; her usual cool expression gave nothing away.
\"Husband, traveling afar, you must take good care of your health.\"
When she remained silent, Lin Fei Ying couldn\’t help but remind him.
Lin Yi Yi and Lin Zi Er also offered their concerns.
\"I\’m just going out to see the world, that\’s all.\" Zhou Luo replied dismissively.
After brief exchanges, Zhou Luo picked up his bundle and departed.
\"Miss, are you really not going to say anything?\" Lin Lan asked softly, resting a hand on her pregnant belly.
Lin Qing Han gazed at the retreating figure, silent.
What needed saying, she had already said on those recent nights.
…
In Shouchun Garden, Lin Zhi Shou was drinking tea in the courtyard.
Only upon seeing Zhou Luo arrive did he stand and say, \"We can depart now.\"
As he spoke, he gave a slight lift of his hand. A streak of light shot from his sleeve and landed on the ground.
Zhou Luo focused his gaze, seeing a small boat appear out of thin air.
It was the very flying boat he had ridden on that previous day.
Empowered by Lin Zhi Shou\’s spiritual energy, the flying boat suddenly grew in size.
The three of them stepped onto it.
The next moment, the flying boat rose into the sky and transformed into a streak of light, streaking through the sky towards the distance.
Zhou Luo couldn\’t help turning to look back at the gradually shrinking buildings of the Lin Family compound. His gaze then shifted to Lin Zhi Shou, who stood with hands behind his back at the boat\’s prow, and he felt a surge of emotion within.
One day, he too would soar freely beneath this sky and atop this earth.
The flying boat left Maple Leaf City behind, heading directly towards Panshi City.
During the journey, Zhou Luo sat cross-legged, placing the bundle from his back between his legs.
This bundle was prepared by the women for him.
He had no idea what was inside.
Might as well open it now to see.
Swoosh—
The wind howled fiercely, yet it couldn\’t affect the three people inside the flying boat.
Zhou Luo opened the bundle. What met his eyes was a lunch box pasted with a spiritual symbol.
He removed the spiritual symbol used for insulation and opened the lunch box. Immediately, the fragrance of cooked food wafted out.
It even caught the attention of Lin Zhi Shou and Lin Nian. Both of them turned around simultaneously to look over.
\"You brought spiritual food?\" Lin Zhi Shou asked in surprise.
This journey to Panshi City was inevitably going to take several days.
Originally, the three had planned to subsist on Vitality Pills.
But how could a dry potion compare to fragrant spiritual food?
Besides, it was precisely mealtime right now.
Upon seeing the food nestled in Zhou Luo\’s arms, even Lin Zhi Shou had a glimmer of light flash in his eyes.
Lin Nian stared directly at him.
\"Uncle Shou, please try my wife\’s cooking.\" Zhou Luo dutifully handed the lunch box over.
\"No need, you eat,\" Lin Zhi Shou retorted, mindful of his pride, and didn\’t accept it.
Zhou Luo continued, \"There are exactly three servings here. We can share them.\" The lunch box had three layers; it seemed to have been specifically prepared for the three of them.
Seeing this, Lin Zhi Shou said no more. He sat cross-legged opposite Zhou Luo and casually took the lunch box.
Using chopsticks, he picked up a piece of spiritual food and put it into his mouth. In the next second, an expression of pure enjoyment appeared on his face.
\"Hmm, the spiritual food is actually this delicious?\"
\"Fei Ying is indeed a talented cook,\" Zhou Luo laughed. Among the five women, only Lin Fei Ying\’s cooking skills were exceptional; her spiritual food was delicious, flavorful, and fragrant.
Lin Nian, now holding the lunch box, started devouring the food like a starved wolf.
\"Delicious!\" Even he couldn\’t help but praise.
\"Haha, it really is different to have a wife. Xiao Nian, you need to hurry up and get married too,\" Lin Zhi Shou teased, a rare occurrence.
\"Grandpa Shou, getting married hinders cultivation progress,\" Lin Nian argued.
\"Then do you see it hindering Zhou Luo?\" Lin Zhi Shou asked.
\"That\’s different,\" Lin Nian retorted with a pout, then buried his head back into the food.
After eating, Zhou Luo repacked the lunch box and put it back into the bundle.
Next, he spotted another item.
It was a mirror.
When he looked at himself in it, the mirror\’s surface warped and revealed Lin Yi Yi\’s face, bearing a sweet smile.
Zhou Luo was speechless.
He could almost involuntarily imagine Lin Yi Yi\’s voice at that very moment.
Putting down the mirror, Zhou Luo didn\’t look further. Instead, he placed the bundle aside and closed his eyes to rest.
Originally, he had intended to cultivate like Lin Nian.
But fearing that Lin Zhi Shou might detect something unusual about his cultivation technique, he simply gave up on the idea.
Life on the flying boat was monotonous, but its speed was an advantage.
Five days later, the three finally laid eyes on Panshi City, that colossal city.
