"Lu Lang, Qing Quan has grown big..."

"I know, I know!"

"Sister Ying..."

"Be careful next time!"

So that night Lu Zheng comforted Liu Qingyan well, and the matter was over.

The next day, Lu Zheng packed some gifts, then soared through the clouds and flew straight to White Cloud Mountain.

...

"Master!"

"Finally willing to return to the mountain?"

"I heard from Brother Yuan Jing that Master returned to White Cloud Mountain to cultivate, so I came to pay my respects to Master."

"You are thoughtful."

Daoist Mingzhang took a sip of tea, exhaled a puff of white mist, which transformed into a cloud-like white crane, gracefully floating into the air, then slowly dispersed.

"Master's cultivation has advanced again," Lu Zheng praised, clapping his hands.

Daoist Mingzhang said with a hint of pride, "This time back at the mountain, the patriarch guided me for two days. I said you, boy, should come back more often; if you meet the patriarch when he is free, you can listen to some true teachings."

Mingzhang had a hint of distress beyond his pride.

Lu Zheng nodded repeatedly, expressing his understanding, but also puzzled, "If that's the case, why does Master seem somewhat troubled?"

"Cough, cough... It's nothing..." Daoist Mingzhang coughed dryly.

"He, having caught the patriarch's attention, was told not to descend the mountain until his Dao Practice breaks the millennium mark."

Next to him, Daoist Ming Guang sipped a cup of Red Flower Tea sent by Lu Zheng, gloated, "Let's see how Mingzhang's aptitude is. If he can't break this barrier, he won't be leaving the mountain in this lifetime."

Daoist Mingzhang, "..."

Lu Zheng, "..."

"I believe Master can certainly do it," Lu Zheng said earnestly.

Mingzhang stroked his beard and laughed, while Ming Guang continued to jab, "I hope to see it in my lifetime."

"If you don't want to drink tea, just tell me!" Mingzhang tapped the table.

Ming Guang laughed heartily and no longer teased the blissful yet struggling Mingzhang, instead turning to Lu Zheng, "I heard from the disciples who went down the mountain that you toured Sanjiang Dao with your beauties, surrounded by dozens of stunning ladies!"

Lu Zheng raised his hand, "Slander! This is slander! There are not dozens, only three are my wives..."

"Only three?" Ming Guang narrowed his eyes involuntarily.

Lu Zheng immediately raised his cup and drank tea.

Daoist Mingzhang laughed heartily and even winked at Lu Zheng.

...

Having paid his respects to Daoist Mingzhang, Lu Zheng planned to stay on the mountain for a few days. After seeing Yuanlin, Yuan Qi, and other fellow brothers, and paying respects to Master Minghui, Master Yue Lu, and other elders, the remaining time was either spent in the Library Pavilion reading miscellaneous books or accompanying many elders in the back mountain playing chess and drinking tea.

During this time, he also met Dongyangzi and played a game of chess with him, and naturally, after trying hard, Lu Zheng lost by two pieces.

On the fifth day, Lu Zheng bid farewell to Daoist Mingzhang and left.

"You also heard Ming Guang say, I estimate I won't be able to leave the mountain for a while, Yuan Jing's cultivation is still lacking a bit, you take care of him more," Daoist Mingzhang said.

"Don't worry, Master, I often circle around Shaotong Mountain," Lu Zheng said.

After bidding farewell to Daoist Mingzhang, Yuanlin personally saw Lu Zheng off the mountain gate.

"Returning to White Cloud Mountain is like coming home, Brother, no need to be so formal," Lu Zheng said.

Yuanlin shook his head, raised his eyebrows, and smiled, "If you come a few more times, I won't be so formal."

"Indeed it's my fault," Lu Zheng said helplessly, "I will definitely come often in the future."

"That should be the case," Yuanlin said. "Your current Dao Practice is not weak, only because your talent is too strong, but I see the books you read in the Library Pavilion, many are not obscure in content, it shows that you might not be broad but not deep.

The White Cloud Temple Library Pavilion covers everything, if you have time, you can come and take a look, it actually benefits cultivation."

"I understand," Lu Zheng bowed in thanks.

...

After saying goodbye to Yuanlin, Lu Zheng rose and journeyed leisurely back.

"I seem to have promised Qian Bao'Er that after the flood was over, I would go to the East Sea to play and take her to make a movie?" Lu Zheng recalled the hooking pinky promise with Ao Qian, "Promising the Little Dragon Girl can't be vague."

"Also to the Jinhua Sect, I haven't visited since obtaining the Cultivation Technique from them, although the Abnormal People don't mind these bureaucratic formalities, but I met two Jinhua Sect disciples a few days ago, passing the gate without entering is still impolite, just this time it's on the way, so I'll drop by."

Lu Zheng thought about it then turned his cloud toward the southeast heading for Yinan Dao.

Soon, he arrived at the junction of Sanjiang Dao and Yinan Dao, crossed the Yi River mainstream, and entered a hilly, river-stream dense area, where white clouds floated in the sky, with streams and mountains below, villages like stars.

Lu Zheng, riding a white cloud, floated leisurely in the sky, looking down, like a beautiful landscape painting.

"Nice scenery," Lu Zheng nodded, then felt the gourd on his waist slightly jump.

"What's happening?"

Lu Zheng's eyes flashed, his right hand gripped the gourd, sensing faintly as the gourd jumped again.

"This is..."

Causing the gourd's abnormality was a piece of dark fish scale in the gourd's space, which suddenly flickered with several Spell Seals, faintly emitting wisps of black mist, appearing to tremble, causing the gourd's abnormality.

"Southern Border Black Fish, Divine Monarch Xuan Ruo?"

At the same time, Lu Zheng's Sea of Consciousness transmitted frantic vibrations and warning signals, as if a disaster was imminent.

In the next moment, Lu Zheng instantly activated dimensional travel without hesitation.

"Swish!"

With a light sound, Lu Zheng disappeared from this world, leaving no trace, and without his control, the white cloud beneath him collapsed and gently dispersed into floating clouds.

The next instant, a faint Divine Thought swept past where he had just been, then quickly passed, and soon vanished.

...

"What the hell!?"

Appearing in the Hai City penthouse living room, Lu Zheng couldn't help but curse.

"What the heck!? How could Divine Monarch Xuan Ruo be in Great Jing?" Lu Zheng blinked, barely calming his wildly pounding heart, "Isn't he severely wounded and fled back to the Southern Border Great Abyss Marsh?"

Patting his chest, Lu Zheng took the fish scale out of the gourd, flipping it left and right, "Goodness, that really scared me!"

This dark fish scale carries the aura of Divine Monarch Xuan Ruo. Lu Zheng certainly knew Xuan Ruo could sense this fish scale, but he hadn't cared before, thinking the distance needed to sense it was quite close.

So Lu Zheng never expected him to unexpectedly be just dozens of miles from Xuan Ruo, nor that the fish scale in the gourd could be sensed.

Licking his lips, for now, Lu Zheng didn't dare return; at least he must wait a few days, and then the fish scale must be stored in modern times.

"But..."

Sitting on the sofa, Lu Zheng wiped nonexistent sweat from his brow, eyes flashing, "Wounded, and hiding in Great Jing, this opportunity is rare..."