Volume 2 Chapter 32

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Volume 2 Chapter 32: Farewell

Three days later.

Compared to the mysterious and perilous nights of the Southern Wasteland, its daytime seemed gloomy too, with the sky overcast by clouds. Under the faint sunlight, the Southern Wasteland appeared even more desolate.

In this dim sunlight, Xu Qingfan slowly opened his tightly shut eyes, circulated his Spirit Qi, and found that his internal injuries had mostly healed. The two qi of Wither and Flourish in his body had also nearly fully recovered. He nodded with satisfaction, stood up, and bowed to the two Penance Valley cultivators behind him, saying, "Thank you, Venerable Ones, for your assistance."

Over the past three days, these two cultivators from Penance Valley continuously helped Xu Qingfan with his healing and Spirit Qi recovery. So, upon regaining his strength, Xu Qingfan’s first action was to express his gratitude. With the aid of the Penance Valley cultivators and numerous spiritual medicines, Xu Qingfan’s internal injuries and depleted Spirit Qi from the battle healed completely within just three days. On his own, Xu Qingfan would have needed over ten days of meditation to restore his exhausted Spirit Qi, and even longer to fully recover from his injuries.

"Taoist friend, there’s no need to be so polite. Young taoist friend, you sustained these severe injuries while trying to stop the Demon Orb from harming the world. It is only right that we assist in your healing and recovery of Spirit Qi, so how can you thank us?" one Penance Valley cultivator said with a smile. The other cultivator nodded in agreement, although he did not speak.

"You overpraise me, Venerable Ones. I am humbled," Xu Qingfan clasped his hands and continued, "Stopping the Demon Orb from ravaging the Southern Wasteland was merely a small effort on my part. In the end, it was thanks to the timely assistance of all the Venerable Ones from Penance Valley. Otherwise, I would have become nothing more than dust in the Southern Wasteland."

"Qingfan, nephew, it’s not my place to say this, but your skills and insight are exceptional, and you are indeed a good person. However, in your conduct, you tend to be overly old-fashioned and formal at times."

Just as the two Penance Valley cultivators were about to speak again, Bao Wei’s voice suddenly came from behind Xu Qingfan. Turning his head, Xu Qingfan saw Bao Wei and Xuan Xiu Xuan Xian walking side by side towards him. After the shared battle, Bao Wei seemed warmer towards Xu Qingfan, speaking in a more familiar tone befitting a kind elder.

Following Bao Wei and Xuan Xiu Xuan Xian were Lv Ziqing, Shang Nianyao, Xu Xiurong, and Hou Wanjun — four disciples of Qingxu Gate, along with Xu Qingfan’s only remaining family member, Ting’er. During Xu Qingfan’s three days of healing, Xu Xiurong had been entrusted with caring for Ting’er. For some reason, Xu Xiurong seemed a bit downcast, while Ting’er remained as aloof as always, quietly watching the newly recovered and composed Xu Qingfan, her thoughts inscrutable.

Both Bao Wei Xuan Xiu and Lv Ziqing Shang Nianyao had regained their color, their steps were steady, and their eyes shone with a sharp light. Clearly, after three days of healing, they had recovered from their injuries with the help of the cultivators and pills in Penance Valley.

Seeing that Bao Wei and the others had fully recovered, Xu Qingfan felt a wave of relief and politely said to Bao Wei, "I apologize for any embarrassment, sir."

Observing Xu Qingfan’s continued politeness, Bao Wei shook his head and said, "Your master has quite a sharp tongue and never hesitates to speak his mind; I wonder how he managed to teach a disciple like you."

Hearing Bao Wei’s words, Xu Qingfan gave a slight, rueful smile, understanding there was no malice towards his master, and continued to politely say, "I apologize for any embarrassment, sir."

Little did Bao Wei know that although Xu Qingfan had studied under Lu Huayan for over ten years, it was the Second Elder of Xu Family Village and his elder brother Yue Qingru from childhood who had the greatest influence on his character. In addition, Xu Qingfan had been studying literature for many years, which made him somewhat scholarly and slightly pedantic despite his elegance.

Seeing Xu Qingfan still the same, Bao Wei sighed softly and said, "Nephew, I’ve come to bid you farewell this time."

Surprised by Bao Wei’s words, Xu Qingfan asked, "Are you returning to the mountain, sir?"

Bao Wei nodded and said, "This matter is resolved. We have found the whereabouts of our junior disciples, and Naxiu, the culprit, has met his end. It is time for us to return. Not only us, but the cultivators of Penance Valley are also preparing to go back."

After Naxiu’s defeat, most of the cultivators from Penance Valley had already returned to the mountain to continue their cultivation. For those devoted to the pursuit of immortality, any time spent away from cultivation felt like a waste. So after handling Naxiu, only a dozen cultivators stayed to care for Bao Wei, Xu Qingfan, and help them heal, while the rest returned to Penance Valley three days ago. Now that Xu Qingfan and the others had recovered, it was time for the remaining cultivators to leave as well.

Although the time spent together was short, Xu Qingfan still felt a deep sadness at the thought of parting. He didn’t know why, but being with Bao Wei Lv Ziqing and the others made him feel much more at ease than when he was at Jiuhua Gate. With a touch of melancholy, he said, "I wish you all a safe journey and great progress in your skills. I hope we will meet again someday."

Those in the cultivation world generally spend most of their lives in training. To enhance their abilities, they often enter seclusion for long periods. Those with lower skills may spend several dozen days in retreat, while those with greater skill may retreat for years, even decades. As the saying goes, "In the mountains, time is forgotten; in cultivation, years are without measure." Additionally, people from the Immortal Realm rarely come down, and the entire Shenzhou Continent is vast. Therefore, it is truly fate that Xu Qingfan met and got to know Bao Wei and the others. However, the chance of meeting again in the future is very slim. This is why Xu Qingfan feels so sad now.

"We will definitely meet again one day," Lv Ziqing said with a cheerful smile.

"Oh? What do you mean, Senior Brother Lv?" Xu Qingfan asked with curiosity.

"My master and I will represent our sect in the Newcomer Competition jointly held by the six Holy Lands in three years. I believe with Senior Brother Xu’s abilities, he will surely represent Jiuhua Gate, right? Won’t we meet again then?" Lv Ziqing explained with a smile.

Hearing Lv Ziqing’s words, Xu Qingfan suddenly understood, and his once dim mood brightened considerably. Smiling, he said, "Then I will eagerly await you and your master, Senior Brother Lv."

"We will have to ask Senior Brother Xu to be lenient with us then," Lv Ziqing responded with a smile and a respectful gesture.

Saying this, the two exchanged a knowing smile, everything understood without words.

At this moment, Xu Qingfan turned to Shang Nianyao, Hou Wanjun, and Xu Xiurong. When the three noticed Xu Qingfan’s gaze, they all nodded at him in acknowledgment but didn’t say much else.

Shang Nianyao had a hidden illness, making it difficult for him to speak, while Hou Wanjun rarely spoke whenever Bao Wei was around. It was no surprise to Xu Qingfan that these two didn’t say much, but he was rather taken aback by Xu Xiurong’s silence, as she was somewhat familiar with him.

After bidding farewell to Shang Nianyao and Hou Wanjun, Xu Qingfan turned to Xu Xiurong and said with a smile, "Martial Sister Xu, please take care of yourself in the future."

Xu Xiurong first glanced at Xu Qingfan with a complex expression, and when she noticed Xu Qingfan was looking at her, she quickly lowered her head, her cheeks slightly reddened, and softly said, "Senior Brother Xu, you take care as well."

Seeing Xu Xiurong’s sad and complicated expression, Xu Qingfan couldn’t help but feel puzzled. Just as he was about to ask something, Bao Wei beside him suddenly inquired, "Nephew, where is your next destination?"

"My next step is to go to the old site of the Xu Family Village to avenge my clan and sever my worldly ties," Xu Qingfan replied respectfully.

Upon hearing Xu Qingfan’s words, Bao Wei frowned slightly and said, "Are you planning to deal with that Blue-eyed Cloud-foot Beast?"

Xu Qingfan nodded and said, "Yes, indeed."

Seeing Xu Qingfan acknowledge it, Bao Wei frowned and said, "The Blue-eyed Cloud-foot Beast is quite powerful, classified as a human level advanced demon beast. Once it matures, it possesses late stage Lingji Stage strength. Although your methods may be profound, defeating it could be very challenging. If you require assistance, I can accompany you to handle the demon beast. What do you think, nephew?"

Hearing Bao Wei’s words, Xu Qingfan felt touched, knowing Bao Wei spoke out of care for him. Still, he declined, "There’s no need to trouble you, elder. Although the Blue-eyed Cloud-foot Beast is incredibly strong, I am confident in my ability to defeat it on my own."

Before coming to the Southern Wasteland, Xu Qingfan wouldn’t have been so sure. But this trip to the Southern Wasteland brought him great gains; he collected countless rare flowers and herbs, making his skills stronger than before. With the help of the cultivators in Penance Valley, Xu Qingfan found his abilities had improved further, boosting his confidence.

Hearing Xu Qingfan’s confident words, Bao Wei nodded slightly and said, "Even so, you must still be cautious, my young friend."

"Thank you for your concern, senior," Xu Qingfan replied with a bow.

Bao Wei nodded and then said, "In that case, Ziqing and I will return to Qingxu Gate. If you have time in the future, you are welcome to visit me there."

"If I have the chance, I will definitely come. Please don’t find me bothersome when I do," Xu Qingfan said with a smile.

Hearing Xu Qingfan’s words, Bao Wei couldn’t help but laugh heartily. After saying goodbye to the people of Penance Valley, a large, colorful cloud appeared beneath their feet, carrying Lv Ziqing and the others swiftly northwards. The cloud moved incredibly fast, and in the blink of an eye, Bao Wei and his group became a tiny dot in the sky before vanishing completely.

Xu Qingfan stared into the distance where Bao Wei and the others had disappeared, lost in thought for a long time.

Just before Bao Wei and the others left, while saying goodbye to the people of Penance Valley, Xu Xiurong shyly approached Xu Qingfan. Ignoring the surprised looks from Lv Ziqing and the others, she lowered her head and said to Xu Qingfan, "Senior Brother Xu, I’ll be joining Senior Brother Lv three years later for the Newcomer Comparison."

After speaking, Xu Xiurong blushed and quickly ran back to Bao Wei’s side, leaving swiftly with the help of Bao Wei’s cloud.

Seeing Xu Xiurong’s shy and bashful appearance, although Xu Qingfan never had any thoughts about romance, he couldn’t help but feel a slight stirring in his heart.