The time had come. The time to leave Xiayang city and explore other places for both Ren's growth and to find more of his disciples. He wanted to go to the main city in the country to find better weapons for his disciples since Xiayang City couldn't offer that.

The City Lord along with Divine Wind sect offered their respects. Liuyue's father gave Ren a storage ring that contained his gifts, and the compensation money. Divine Wind sect offered him a banner that had the name of their sect to display from their carriage while they traveled.

Ren would have preferred to use his void to get to the capital city faster, but without ever being there, the possibility of him walking into a volcano was higher.

He had understood how the portals worked. He had to have visited the place himself, or his disciple was in that location so he could be drawn to them like a magnet.

He hired a few independent cultivators so they could deal with any squabbles that may arise along the way as well as do the heavy work for them.

"Do you miss home already?" Ren asked seeing Liuyue peek out the window at the city gates that were growing smaller and smaller with distance.

She shook her head releasing the curtain. "It's just that... This feels different than the last time.

"That's because the future has been rewritten. We won't experience the same things as we would have. Now start practicing. I want you to summon something when we get to Yueming."

"Master, what do you want me to summon?" She asked with the rush of excitement flowing in her eyes.

Ren gently hit her head with the book in his hand without answering her question.

Their journey would last a month since they'd only be traveling in the daytime.

Ren intended to check the growth of everything in his sect, including the beasts he had purchased. Nothing and no one would be getting free meals under him. And to understand them better, he was now reading about the different types of beasts, their abilities, their flaws, and what they'd need to grow up healthy.

Liuyue had already provided all the information she had about azure snakes, which wasn't a lot. But it was enough for Ren to learn how to take care of Clay.

If he grew under the right conditions, he would someday become an azure dragon.

#############

The world was more beautiful than Ren had imagined. The mountains were tall and full of life, and the rivers flowed with life. Even the fish tasted different, flavourful, and juicier than any fish he had ever had before.

Without even realizing it, he grew a preference for his fish and wanted only Wu Tao to smoke it himself.

Slowly and carefully, Wu Tao started opening up to them. He smiled more, laughed more, and spoke more. After his brush with death at the hands of his younger brother, he had withdrawn mentally. But after feeling genuine warmth from Liuyue and Liu Ming, who had been strangers, the darkness started fading, and he at times started thinking about accepting Ren as his master.

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He wasn't prideful because of his age because that meant nothing to a cultivator. However, he did question how the one who looked the youngest among the three men was the strongest.

"How old are you?" Wu Tao's mouth ran before his mind could stop it.

"Hmm...how old am I?!" He pinched some meat from the fish in hand and put it in his mouth.

The other two shared a glance, expressing their own curiosity as the fire crackled in the middle.

"In my original body, I'm seven hundred years old. My human body is about three months old."

Liu Ming instantly splattered out the tea he had been drinking, splashing it over the fish crossed above the fire. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'll go catch another one."

Wu Tao was left in a daze. He had doubted Ren so much, but upon hearing his age, he started eyeing him oddly thinking to himself that he was old enough to be an ancestor.

"What is your original body?" His curiosity got the better of him again.

Ren opened his palm before letting his gold qi rise in the air to take the form of a...ginseng.

Liuyue gasped slapping her mouth with both her hands. "Master. Is that why your name is..."

"You are a ginseng?!" Wu Tao's mind was now going wild as images of ginseng growing somewhere defenseless filled his mind. More strange images came of the ginseng being bitten by a rabbit and fighting back while screaming.

Ren picked up the book lying next to him and threw it at Wu Tao after accidentally reading his mind and hearing the weird thoughts crossing it.

"Ow! Why have you-"

"Study everything in that book in two days. If you cannot cultivate, then you will be in charge of the beasts. I'll prepare a test in two days, so make sure you study properly."

"Master I-" He stopped talking after realizing how he had addressed Ren. "Um... I will do as you say." He picked up the book from his lap and turned away, embarrassed by that little incident.

Ren scoffed in his head, wondering why these disciples of his had such odd personalities.

Out of concern for Wu Tao's eyes, he made him a fireball to aid in his reading and then continued to eat his fish.

Liuyue, who had been quiet while observing their interaction, smiled to herself, glad that Wu Tao was welcoming not just them but their Master as well. She wanted to get along with everyone to help Ren achieve his ultimate goal, which she could no longer remember.

##############

The days passed by rather quickly but didn't fail to give them various challenges along the way: groups of bandits, wild beasts, more bandits, natural calamities, horse strikes, thieves, and denial to pass through certain villages or towns.

But with the difficulties, Ren's heart sprouted an emotion he hadn't felt in a long time... happiness.

He would sometimes spy on his disciples as they played amongst themselves and felt contented. Seeing them do something other than cultivating brought him peace.

They deserved to live more freely because the future promised to come with its share of difficulties.

The journey's experiences had enriched their souls and minds, which was considered essential for a cultivator.

Ren had much more to gain than the others to expand his mental prowess and open himself up to the cosmic laws.

When they reached Yueming city gates, the inspection was thorough. Soldiers were posted everywhere along the gigantic wall adding more security and comfort to those who resided in it.

There was an extra layer of protection which were the formations covering the sky. Though invisible to weaker cultivators, Ren could clearly see the sophisticated details of the circles that seemed not never stop spinning slowly like wheels.

Whoever had created those must have been a master at formations for they all possessed the same energy.

He couldn't help but think of the old man he was yet to find.

"So beautiful," Liuyue marveled, staring outside from her window at the people, buildings, beasts soaring in the sky, and people flying as well.

They went straight to the inn recommended by Liuyue's father. Energetic and curious, Ren's three disciples went out to play around, leaving him in his room. Of course, if an emergency was to arise, he could get to them in a heartbeat. This skill was much better than the storage, but he was grateful all the same.

"You're finally out of hibernation again," Ren said feeling Clay stirring in a pocket in his void. Since the tribulation, Clay fell asleep to digest the intense energy it had consumed. The kind of energy even Ren couldn't refine in his current stage even if he tried to.

He opened the void on his palm and eagerly awaited the 'little' snake to slide out.

The first thing he noticed was the two black horns sticking out of the head coming in sight and the double pupils, which were starting to merge.

Clay slithered fully out of the darkness and onto Ren's lap.

It was covered in new scales, horns developed, and length increased.

"You're longer than my arm now. Guess this means you won't be sitting on my shoulder from today."

It hissed before rolling around. Red qi formed around its body like a cloud. And when it cleared, Clay was back to its previous size but with tiny horns.