Chapter 119: Planning the Route, Preparing to Depart (Bonus Chapter)

As he spoke, Cao Chengyu released a faint trace of his own Purple Mansion aura.

"This is?! Purple Mansion realm?!!!"
"You've reached the Purple Mansion realm?!"

Luo Yuzhu gripped Cao Chengyu’s shoulders, her expression filled with utter disbelief.
"You’re only seventeen this year, how is this possible? How could such a dual-cultivation method exist in this world?"

It truly did not exist. His current strength was earned entirely through his own hard work; he hadn’t actually made much use of the *Green Dragon Yin-Yang Scripture*.

"I have excellent talent, and coupled with the cultivation feedback from Sister Yun early on, both my Qi-Nurturing and Spirit-Refining stages progressed incredibly fast."
"So, you were already at it when you were six?"

Luo Yuzhu’s pupils dilated; her worldview was shaken.

"No, no, that’s an exaggeration. Don’t let your imagination run wild."
"So-called dual cultivation doesn't necessarily require that kind of intimacy. Other fringe methods also have effects, though they are a bit weaker."
"Oh..." Luo Yuzhu sounded somewhat despondent.

Cao Chengyu declared with righteous solemnity:
"Therefore, Sister Yun has shown me great kindness. No matter how this is handled, I must help her!"
"Do you have feelings for her? Or is it just a transactional relationship?"

Cao Chengyu desperately wanted to say no, but looking into Luo Yuzhu’s tear-filled eyes, he chose not to lie. He could weave endless deceits to keep the partners by his side, but he refused to lie about the things they cared about most.

"I have feelings. I don’t know when my filial piety turned into something else, but my feelings for you exist just the same."

Cao Chengyu took Luo Yuzhu’s slender hand and placed it on his chest.
"Can you feel it? This heart is burning and beating for you!"
"Tch, disgusting."

Pulling her hand back, Luo Yuzhu’s expression was complex, but she stopped pressing the issue and instead asked about the state of Great Yue.

He knew he had managed to muddle through for now. In the future, he would have to keep these two apart to prevent them from getting too close and chatting about him, or he would be done for.

"The situation in Great Yue is a long story. By the time I left, Chi Jiuxiao had completely seized control. All major factions, including the Five Elements Sect, were trapped in his Yin formation. They are likely all dead by now."

"Is it really that terrifying? There were nearly forty Golden Core masters."
"I remember Chi Jiuxiao only being at the late Purple Mansion stage. How could he have the capability?"

Cao Chengyu sighed, recounted the events, and concluded:
"In short, the Five Elements Sect is on the verge of collapse. You can notify your master; they could make a fortune."
"One last question: are you willing to come with me? Let’s go to the Eastern Territory together and fly away like a pair of lovebirds."

Regarding this, Cao Chengyu was conflicted—he both wanted and didn't want her to come. Luo Yuzhu was equally torn; on one side was the man she loved, and on the other, her master, who was like a father to her.

As for why neither of them suggested bringing Miaodan along, it was because they both knew Cao Chengyu did not trust him enough. Taking a peak-stage Golden Core cultivator onto the spirit boat would be an irresponsible risk to his family's lives. Furthermore, while Cao Chengyu had benefited from Miaodan during his Spirit-Refining stage and received some protection when defecting from the Heaven-Watching Tower, Miaodan had later betrayed him once, leading three Golden Cores from the tower to hunt him down, and had even tried to kill him on Mount Tianlang.

The debts and grudges were too tangled to unravel. Out of respect for Luo Yuzhu, they reached a tacit understanding to let it be—neither would owe the other anything.

Watching the conflicted Luo Yuzhu, Cao Chengyu said:
"Master Miaodan may be good to you, but it is because of your talent. He cultivates you without reservation only because you are the heir to his legacy."
"Before you decide, think about Xiang Liuyan. Before you broke through to the Purple Mansion, her status was similar to yours, but now that you have broken through, she has died in the chaos of Great Yue."
"At the end of the day, the world of cultivation is a realistic one. To emphasize emotion above all else is just too idealistic."

Although Cao Chengyu struggled with emotional issues, he didn't want to see Luo Yuzhu get bullied. Since Miaodan was near the end of his lifespan and could not perform soul-possession, he felt at ease on that front.

They talked for a long time, though the final outcome remained unknown. Cao Chengyu walked away with a look of disappointment.

Back on the spirit boat, his family was waiting for him. Seeing their concerned faces, Cao Chengyu slowly regained his smile, took control of the vessel, and headed toward the Eastern Territory!

"You can explain now."

Looking at Lin Yunjiao’s serious face, Cao Chengyu groaned.
"Don't do this!"

...

The night passed without incident. The explanation Lin Yunjiao wanted yesterday turned out to be a false alarm. She simply wanted to understand the full story of the Great Yue upheaval, the final fate of the Demon Centipede, and the reason for their relocation.

Except for the fate of the centipede, which Cao Chengyu was unsure about, he could explain everything else clearly.

Traveling from the Wu Kingdom to the Eastern Territory required exiting the Hundred Kingdoms Domain. The domain was filled with countless dynasties and kingdoms; he didn't even know its true scale. The entire Hundred Kingdoms Domain was merely a corner of the Desolate Domain.

Fortunately, Cao Chengyu had looted a large number of texts from the Five Elements Sect’s Scripture Pavilion. Some of these were travelogues and chronicles of strange tales. Thanks to the "Hundred Solutions of Cultivation" provided by the former rankings, he had a basic understanding of the world map.

The world was flat and round. Imagine a circle in the center of a scroll representing the Central Territory—the heart of the world—enclosed within a square, with the four territories of East, West, South, and North surrounding it. Beyond that square were irregular blocks of land drifting in from outside the world. The area beyond the Eastern Territory was the Desolate Domain.

The Hundred Kingdoms Domain was located on the northern edge of this irregular Desolate Domain. To reach the gateway between the Eastern Territory and the Desolate Domain, Cao Chengyu had to travel west, all the way to the border, until he reached the giant mountain range formed by continental collisions: the Tianxu Mountains!

Once he crossed those mountains, he would arrive in the Eastern Territory—a cultivation world far more advanced than the Desolate Domain. Along the way, he would have to traverse three entire regions: the Hundred Kingdoms Domain, the Mountain Ridge Domain, and the Giant Domain.

Using the travelogues, Cao Chengyu planned his route. Before departing, he needed to obtain the Yin-Polar Yang-Fire and search for herbs and minerals along the way to maintain his rapid rise in power.

As for where to settle his family, after calculations using esoteric arts, the best result was a town affiliated with a sect called "Yelan" in the Mountain Ridge Domain. The divination showed that for the next hundred years, the region would enjoy favorable weather and peace, with no disasters or illness. The warm winds blowing through the city and the light of the sun suggested the local officials were incorruptible.

With the sun’s glow bathing the city, demons and ghosts would find it hard to intrude, and the probability of disaster was almost zero. Such a good place was perfect for retirement.

However, everything had its pros and cons. The peace and prosperity of the next hundred years would come at a price: after a hundred years, the place would suffer a great catastrophe. Cao Chengyu could not yet calculate what it would be; he only had a vague premonition. But given the circumstances, this was already as good as it could get.