Chapter 348

Chapter 348: Return to Immortal City

An hour later, Zhou Luo had completely drained all power from the jade piece.

His entire body erupted with intense radiance, a dazzling brilliance so splendid it made him resemble a celestial star—sacred and formidable.

Every inch of his skin had become tight without any gaps, his physique now as resilient as a magical artifact.

He opened his eyes, feeling the heart of the path was clear and his spirit refreshed.

"Just one more piece of such treasure fragment to upgrade to the Foundation Establishment magical artifact grade," he murmured to himself.

If he could obtain another treasure fragment, perhaps his physical body would successfully advance to the Foundation Establishment magical artifact tier.

Then, unless a cultivator at peak Foundation Establishment intervened, few could seriously harm him.

If he reached the high-grade Foundation Establishment magical artifact tier, it would only be effective if a Golden Core master took action.

After absorbing every trace of energy, he stood up, collected his belongings, including the unused Second Level spiritual symbols, and stepped out of the room.

Outside, Bai Jia Yu had been silently standing guard.

Thanks to her, nobody had disturbed him this entire time.

She truly knew her duties well, understanding what should and should not be done.

"Go rest," Zhou Luo said.

…

In the following days, Zhou Luo rarely left seclusion, focusing entirely on body refinement and advancing his cultivation level.

Exactly one month later, he finally prepared to depart with Bai Zhi Yan.

On their parting day, Bai Chen summoned him to the study for a careful discussion about the marriage alliance and partnership between their families.

Zhou Luo reassured him that he’d already sent word to his clan, and someone would soon initiate talks with the Bai family.

Hearing this, Bai Chen temporarily set his worries aside.

For now, this cooperation remained tentative—merely probing each other’s intentions at best.

The true alliance between these long-life families would only begin once both sides progressed steadily.

Zhou Luo wasn’t rushed. He’d specifically appointed someone to handle the liaison, a person he trusted most within the Lin Family—Xu Changsheng.

Once everything was settled, he journeyed toward Maple Leaf City with Bai Zhi Yan.

Along the way, watching mountains, rivers, and vegetation swiftly recede, he softly said, "You could have temporarily stayed with the Bai family."

Upon hearing these words, Bai Zhi Yan shook her head. "I don’t want to end up like Mother, who regretted for life after failing to keep up with Father’s pace, ultimately aging alone."

This visit home had profoundly affected her: witnessing her mother fade into twilight while her father solidified his Foundation Establishment.

As a child, she recalled her parents’ deep affection, and even as she grew, their mutual respect remained constant—there were never whispers of discord.

Yet after Father’s Foundation Establishment, though little externally changed, an unbridgeable gap had silently emerged between them.

Now the two were no longer of the same world.

This lingering separation was something Bai Zhi Yan felt herself living through.

Hundreds of years later, Zhou Luo, already established in Foundation Establishment, would surely remain as young and handsome as he was today.

But what about her?

If she continued to stagnate, wouldn’t that be just like her own mother?

Bai Zhi Yan couldn’t accept that.

Even though Zhou Luo rarely stayed by her side nowadays, she felt it was still better this way; gazing up at him from afar was more than enough.

So, she needed to succeed in Foundation Establishment at least within her remaining lifespan.

This wasn’t impossible.

After all, Zhou Luo provided them with copious amounts of potions essentially every month, they cultivated in a spiritual vein, and with her Sixth Grade spiritual roots, Foundation Establishment was certainly achievable.

Upon hearing her words, Zhou Luo nodded silently and said nothing more.

The hardest thing in the world is to change someone’s mind.

He only needed to focus on his own affairs.

A few days later, they returned to Maple Leaf City.

After seeing Bai Zhi Yan home, Zhou Luo hurried nonstop back to the Immortal City.

The Immortal City hadn’t changed much; the only noticeable difference might have been the commercial district developed in partnership with Tian Xia Restaurant.

That area was clearly even more bustling than before, featuring various novel activities that drew crowds, essentially monopolizing the trade of the entire inner city.

It had to be said, Long Yunshuang, having taken office as the new manager, was quite capable.

In such a short time, she not only gained full control of Tian Xia Restaurant’s operations in Qinyuan City but also mastered communication channels, reviving the business so efficiently.

Returning to Zhou Fu, Zhou Luo handed the top-grade Gu insect and the ancient book over to Yao Wu.

She might need these things more than he did.

As for himself, he took the Snow Fruit acquired in Snowfall City and began refining the Three Life Dan.

Refining the Three Life Dan wasn’t difficult, and the materials required had already been delivered by Wang Lang.

Thanks to the collaboration with Tian Xia Restaurant, the materials had been gathered with remarkable speed.

It could be said that from now on, Zhou Luo no longer needed to worry about sourcing materials.

Unless a material was so rare that even the entire Qinyuan Domain lacked it.

With the materials assembled, he commenced refining the Three Life Dan.

With his Second Level alchemy skills, refining it posed no challenge.

In a single day, he produced four potions.

Holding the potions, he went to where Lin Xi was undergoing her Closed-Door Training.

Lin Xi was currently still in the first stage of Foundation Establishment, the tempering of the physical body.

Compared to Zhou Luo, Lin Xi’s physique was noticeably weaker. Under the torrential wash of spiritual energy, her body had developed numerous issues.

These issues were unavoidable for every cultivator aiming for Foundation Establishment.

Truly, only a cheat like Zhou Luo was the exception.

Problems that might seem minor initially could, over time, lead to hidden ailments.

Even achieving a breakthrough wouldn’t prevent enemies from exploiting weaknesses spotted in future battles, causing severe consequences.

At such times, taking the Three Life Dan was the best solution.

Sadly, the Three Life Dan was as scarce on the market as the Foundation Establishment Dan.

The main reasons were the hostility between Chimagong Sect and Qinyuan Sect, making Snow Fruit rare across Qinyuan Domain. Additionally, the skill level of Pill Masters outside the Immortal Sect remained mediocre.

Seizing a moment during Lin Xi’s rest, Zhou Luo immediately presented her with all four Three Life Dan pills and urged her to take one.

As the efficacy of the potion took effect, warm currents surged within Lin Xi’s body.

Those currents flowed like rivers through her meridians, nourishing her physique and repairing hidden ailments.

The process brought Lin Xi an intense feeling of relief.

She looked at the man before her, her beautiful eyes shimmering with profound gratitude.

Zhou Luo gave her a reassuring look.

Their understanding was mutual, leaving no need for further words.

Time flashed by.

In the blink of an eye, a full year had passed.

One day, just after Zhou Luo had finished dallying with his Concubine, a notification sound suddenly rang in his ears.

[Congratulations to the host. Through relentless effort, you have successfully impregnated your partner. You have been granted one lottery chance.]