Chapter 55

The giant dragon roared at Piao Nanzi, lashing out in retaliation.

Piao Nanzi sneered, flicked his index finger on the sword, and shouted, "Beast, return!"

The giant dragon's body trembled, immediately withering, and reluctantly returned to the Purple Mountain Immortal Sword, which immediately dimmed.

Liu Wenju and the old woman exchanged glances, both sighing. The old woman's expression turned gloomy, and she said, "Enough, all disciples of Hengyue Sect, follow me and leave." She then glanced around wistfully, sighed again, and her body rose into the air.

Piao Nanzi narrowed his eyes and suddenly said, "My Xuan Dao Sect is recruiting disciples here. If any of you wish to join, you may stay."

The ten Foundation Establishment elders all had strange expressions. Except for the two who rose to stand beside the old woman, the other eight looked at each other and did not follow.

Liu Wenju was taken aback, his expression changing slightly. He wanted to say something but ultimately could not, sighing inwardly, shaking his head, and rising into the air to stand beside the old woman.

"Everyone has their own aspirations. Those who do not wish to follow, we will not force them," the old woman said, suppressing her anger.

The elders of the Yellow Dragon generation hesitated for a moment. In the end, except for Yellow Dragon, Dao Xu, and the red-faced elder, the rest did not move. Only these three rose to stand behind the two Core Formation ancestors.

Among the dozens of inner disciples, only about ten flew up, while the majority remained on the ground. Wang Zhuo hesitated for a long time, not daring to look at Dao Xu's eyes, lifting his foot and putting it down, and ultimately did not follow.

Zhou, the woman, hesitated for a moment and did not follow. As for Xu, the girl, seeing that Wang Zhuo did not go, remained silent for a moment, and put down her foot.

Wang Hao smiled bitterly and said to Wang Lin, "Brother Tiezhu, I'm not going anywhere. I'll go home and stay with my father. Don't worry about your family; I'll take care of them."

Wang Lin only then noticed Wang Hao. He was about to speak when he suddenly exclaimed softly, grabbing Wang Lin's arm and checking him briefly, asking, "Wang Hao, what happened to your cultivation?"

Wang Hao smiled bitterly, shaking his head and said, "Brother Tiezhu, don't ask. It's a long story!"

Wang Lin glanced at Wang Hao, no longer asking. He hesitated for a moment, considering the many secrets he carried. If he joined the Xuan Dao Sect, there would be many unknown dangers. After a moment's thought, he made up his mind.

Liu Wenju and the old woman waited for a while, seeing that the Hengyue Sect disciples on the ground all had their heads down, with no intention of following. The two sighed, and the old woman said, "Enough, let's go!"

With that, she flew off into the distance first. The remaining dozen or so, with bitter expressions, followed.

The Hengyue Sect disciples, led by the two Core Formation ancestors, left the Hengyue Sect like a pack of stray dogs, silently transforming into several long rainbows.

The Hengyue Sect disciples were divided into three groups: one followed Liu Wenju and the others, one chose to stay, and the last group left the sect and went down the mountain alone.

Wang Zhuo chose to stay and become a disciple of the Xuan Dao Sect.

Wang Hao did not go with Wang Lin but silently went down the mountain. There was a hint of twilight on his body, thick and unyielding.

Although Wang Lin did not know what had happened to him, it was clearly related to his cultivation method. Since Wang Hao chose not to speak, Wang Lin respected his decision. Perhaps being an ordinary person was more suitable for Wang Hao.

Wang Lin's status in the Hengyue Sect was low, and no one stopped him when he chose to go down the mountain. As for Piao Nanzi, he only glanced at him and then ignored him.

After going down the mountain, Wang Lin did not stop. He moved his body, trying to circulate the Gravity Technique outside his body, rising into the air and transforming into a long rainbow, disappearing into the horizon.

Flying in the air, thoughts of his parents gradually welled up in his heart. Soon, he saw his hometown in the distance. The village looked the same, with no significant changes. Only his family's courtyard, which had been a small tiled house, had become a three-sided courtyard with a large "Fu" character on the door. Although it was still early morning, he could hear the barking of dogs and the crowing of roosters from a distance.

In the early morning village, smoke drifted from the chimneys, and each household had risen early to cook.

Wang Lin stood at the village entrance, gazing at his family's courtyard, his heart surging. Five years had passed quickly, and the past still vividly remained in his mind. The hopeful looks of his parents still lingered in his heart.

He hesitated for a moment, feeling a sense of trepidation as he approached his home. He then took a deep breath and slowly walked towards the door.

Before he entered, Wang Lin heard a familiar voice from inside.

"You little brat, how can you do carpentry like this? Look at what you've made; it's not even half as good as my son!"

"Master, Brother Tiezhu is a cultivator. How can I compare to him? I'll be happy if I can catch up to half of his skill."

Wang Lin paused, his divine sense scanning the area, and a smile appeared on his face. He recognized the person speaking; it was a childhood friend who often pestered Wang Lin to teach him carpentry.

He gently pushed open the door and looked at the aged figure in the courtyard. Wang Lin softly said, "Father, Tiezhu is back."

The figure trembled, dropping the carpentry tools to the ground. He turned around and stared at the young man in front of him, who still bore a faint resemblance to the child he once knew.

"Tiezhu?" Wang Lin's father rubbed his eyes hard, tears streaming down his face.

Wang Lin stepped forward and embraced his father, wiping away the tears on his face. Looking at the deep wrinkles on his father's face, he stepped back and knelt down, saying softly, "Father, I have been unfilial, not returning for five years."

"It's really Tiezhu! My child, our son is back!" Wang Lin's father, excited, helped him up, looking him over with a broad smile.

"Tiezhu, you've grown taller, almost as tall as your father. You've also become stronger. That's good; that's my son!" Wang Lin's father was quite pleased.

At this moment, a woman with a slightly aged face came out of the room, staring at Wang Lin, tears streaming down her face.

Wang Lin knelt before the woman, showing rare emotion, and said softly, "Mother, Tiezhu is back to see you."

"You... How could you be so heartless, not coming back for five years? Do you even think of your parents? These five years, your father and I have thought of you every day..." As she spoke, Wang Lin's mother hugged him and sobbed.

"Women's talk. Our son is a cultivator and has important matters to attend to. Look at you, what a spectacle. What will people think? Xiao Liu, you can go home today. You don't need to come for a few days. I'll call you when Tiezhu leaves," Wang Lin's father scolded his wife, then turned to the apprentice.

Xiao Liu beamed, nodding eagerly. He looked at Wang Lin enviously and left.

That day, Wang Lin's mother prepared a table full of dishes, all his favorites. The family of three talked about the changes of the past five years.

Wang Lin had not eaten human food for years, but the food prepared by his mother tasted particularly good.

In the conversation, Wang Lin's parents asked about the huge mountain that appeared on Hengyue Sect a month ago. Wang Lin hesitated for a moment, lying that Hengyue Sect had moved, and he would not be able to return often. His parents did not ask further, only reminding him to take care of his health.

In the past five years, the family had changed a lot. Relatives often visited, and with the help of his fourth uncle, his father had reclaimed his share of the family property, and life had become prosperous.

His father no longer made much wood carving, having taken on a few apprentices and passed on his skills.

Xiao Liu was the most talented among the apprentices, having learned about half of the skills.

Wang Lin smiled and said, "Father, I just saw the wood carving Xiao Liu made. It's quite good, not as bad as you say."

Wang Lin's father huffed and said, "Far from it. None of them can match you. When you were eight, I taught you wood carving, and you were already better than them!"

Wang Lin's mother looked at her son lovingly and added, "That's right. Our Tiezhu has always been smarter than them. Tiezhu, you're not young anymore. Many families have sent matchmakers to propose. I heard cultivators can also start families. Since you're back, don't leave yet. Let's go see if there's a good match, and we can bring one home."

Wang Lin was taken aback and smiled bitterly, "Mother, I'm still young. Don't worry about this."

"Brat, in the village, boys your age already have children running around," Wang Lin's mother immediately retorted, glaring at him.

Wang Lin rubbed his nose and said, "Mother, getting married is a big decision. I'll bring someone back in a few years. We don't need to rush, okay?"

Wang Lin's father, seeing his wife about to speak, coughed and said, "Wife, why do you worry so much? Our Tiezhu is a cultivator. Do you understand what that means? Can a cultivator marry an ordinary person? Tiezhu means to bring back a cultivator's wife. Do you understand?"

Wang Lin's mother paused, muttering, "What's so good about being a cultivator? A cultivator can stay away from home for five years. If I had a cultivator daughter-in-law, they might not bring her back for ten years."

Wang Lin smiled bitterly, about to speak, when his mother glared at him and said, "Fine, listen to your father. You must have high standards, not liking the girls in the village. I'll wait to see who you bring back."

Seeing his mother upset, Wang Lin quickly smiled and said, "Mother, don't worry. Your son will definitely bring back a good wife for you."

After the meal, Wang Lin's parents had endless things to ask, pulling him and asking all sorts of questions until late at night, when they finally went to bed.