NOVEL WEB Chapter 124: Departure
With Lu Yu's assistance, the construction of the Taoist Temple and its mountain gate sped up significantly, and soon a brand-new Taoist Temple appeared before everyone's eyes.
The ancient mortise and tenon structure perfectly blended with the surrounding environment, making it very comfortable to behold. With Lu Yu's help, the pines and cypresses brought from deep within the mountains flourished exceedingly well.
All the craftsmen looked on at the new Taoist Temple with satisfaction. Having such a creation in their lifetime, they could die without regrets.
The Old Taoist looked at the Taoist Temple excitedly. From now on, this would be his place of refuge and his foundation.
"We cultivators always emphasize the four essentials: dharma, wealth, companions, and land. Now that you have this Taoist Temple, you have the land. As long as you do not neglect your cultivation in the future, you will surely have a long and lasting life," Lu Yu said earnestly to the Old Taoist.
"Humph! That scoundrel dared to deceive me!" Ruyi True Immortal complained indignantly to one side.
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He had also spent a lot of money on his Gathering Immortals' Retreat, but compared to the new Taoist Temple before him, it was worlds apart, making him feel cheated and deceived.
The Old Taoist said with a bitter smile, "Honored Master, our Taoist Temple does not have so many skilled craftsmen!"
Ruyi True Immortal glanced at the respectful Old Taoist and felt a surge of nameless anger when he thought about how his meticulously sought residence had ended up benefiting the old fellow before him.
Lu Yu gently pulled the ribbon in his hand, and Ruyi True Immortal suddenly found himself uncontrollably being led forward by Lu Yu.
The Old Taoist urgently asked, "Immortal Master, what are you doing?"
"Our destinies have diverged. Let's part ways now!" Lu Yu's voice came, and soon astral clouds surged under his feet, leading the White Ox away into the distance.
The Old Taoist remained kneeling in place until Lu Yu's figure disappeared from sight. He then stood up, and the surrounding craftsmen gathered around, clamoring, "Taoist, since the Immortal Master has left this Taoist Temple to you, you should quickly name it!"
"Yes, yes, it must have a good name."
"Exactly, don't let it be like the Gathering Immortals' Retreat; I thought it was a nunnery!"
The crowd discussed fervently. The Old Taoist stood at the grand entrance of the Taoist Temple and after a long contemplation finally said, "This temple was left by the Immortal Master; from now on, it shall be called Liuxian Temple."
The crowd cheered in agreement, and the newly constructed Taoist Temple now had its own name.
Henceforth, within the Kingdom of Women, there emerged a new Cultivation Sect, founded by an Old Taoist. However, at the top of the ancestral hall, rather than a portrait of the Old Taoist, there hung a portrait of a Scholar in a green robe. He wore a Treasured Sword at his waist and held a Treasure Vase in his hand, his posture naturally graceful and free.
Lu Yu rode the clouds and mists and quickly arrived at the boundary region. He noticed that the previously thick fog, through which one could not see even five fingers away, had begun to thin. Lu Yu clearly felt that the Kingdom of Women was gradually integrating into the Three Realms and would become one of the mortal realms in the future.
He looked back. The Mother and Child River meandered past, enveloping the Kingdom of Women. As the integration proceeded, the magical water of this river would gradually lose its effect. Without the replenishment from the True Lord of the Moon, once the Lunar Energy was exhausted, this stretch of river would no longer possess the miraculous effects it once had. However, for the people of the Kingdom of Women, this might not be a bad thing.
Thinking of this, Lu Yu couldn't help but smile, and then, without looking back, dashed out of the dense fog. It was time to return.
Just as Lu Yu was leaving, in the capital of the Kingdom of Women, Chang'e, with a lazy Jade Rabbit in her arms, looked up at his receding figure and a smile appeared on her face.
"Xuan Yue, your lover has left!" Chang'e teased Xuan Yue, who was still cultivating not far away.
Xuan Yue opened her eyes from her meditation, a flash of sorrow passed through her beautiful eyes, but she quickly composed herself. She looked towards the distance, seemingly able to see Lu Yu's departing figure. Smiling, she said, "One day, I will stand proudly beside him, and he will no longer be able to escape."
At that moment, determination was evident on Xuan Yue's face.
Chang'e gently stroked the fur of the Jade Rabbit, a contented smile on her beautiful face as she said, "That's my disciple, indeed you should have such spirit."
Looking in another direction, through space, she saw Hou Yi lying in that mysterious space. The faint soul had already begun to grow stronger.
"One day, I will also stand by your side," Chang'e murmured to herself.
The Jade Rabbit in her arms, however, opened its eyes, gazing at the master and disciple lost in thought beside it, curious in its heart. Is love really that powerful? It really wanted to experience it at least once, the Jade Rabbit thought secretly to itself.
In another part, Lu Yu, leading Ruyi True Immortal through the vast white fog, saw again the endless yellow sands. He carefully sensed the time and discovered that time within the Kingdom of Women seemed to pass a bit faster than the outside world, but with the ongoing integration, it would soon be unified.
Returning to Mountain Luoxia, seeing the familiar scenery and the unchanged mountain gate, Lu Yu felt a sense of calm in his heart; the Taoist temple was where the Old Taoist had established his life, and this place was where he had established his.
Moreover, having glimpsed his destiny, he knew that the Cave Heaven and Blessed Land would play a significant role in the future. At that moment, he felt secretly fortunate that he had found this place, and with Liu Qingyun, such a diligent disciple, managing it, the development of the Cave Heaven was quite remarkable, laying a solid foundation for the future.
The stir caused by Lu Yu's arrival had already alerted the few cultivating within the Cave Heaven, who ran out to welcome their teacher's return.
Ruyi True Immortal looked in surprise at these people, who were respectfully saluting Lu Yu, sensing the aura emanating from them. None of them were ordinary individuals; even the two young ones emitted an aura that made his heart tremble as if encountering a natural enemy, causing his body to shudder involuntarily.
Liu Qingyun and others also saw the Ruyi True Immortal led by Lu Yu and immediately asked in surprise, "Teacher, who is this?"
Lu Yu said with a smile, "I often go out, and the Cave Heaven relies on your careful management. Thinking of giving you a gift, this time in the Kingdom of Women, I subdued a White Ox, which will serve as your mount!"
Upon hearing this, Liu Qingyun's eyes immediately lit up. He had just observed the White Ox and noticed its extraordinary nature, assuming it was a high-level Demon Immortal. Initially, he thought it was his teacher's new mount, but it turned out to be his own.
"How do I deserve this honor!" Liu Qingyun said somewhat embarrassedly.
"You are my senior disciple, and you have always worked hard and achieved much. You deserve this," Lu Yu said with a smile, handing the ribbon in his hand to Liu Qingyun.