Wait a minute, where is my master?

The Old Dean's proposal had been agreed upon by everyone.

Wrapped in the Taoist's spiritual power, they easily passed through the channel between the two worlds and returned to the Colorful Secret Realm.

As for the spatial channel, Jin Xu directly sealed it off temporarily with his golden spiritual power.

This time, he left no gaps whatsoever.

Having exited the Secret Realm and once again stepped onto the streets of Sae Island,

Elder Chi immediately pulled the Old Dean and the withered old man aside to talk the moment he had the opportunity.

No one knew what he told them, but the two obediently followed him, heading out to sea using an escape technique.

On Jin Xu's side, after casting a glance at the rapidly disappearing figures of the trio, who had become mere specks in the distance, he turned to the Shui Clan Elder and said,

"Grandma Yu, may I ask about the effects of those seven Strengthening Pills? Have you seen any results yet?"

Upon hearing this, the Shui Clan Elder's eyes revealed a strange glint.

She pondered for a moment before responding,

"There was a bit of an accident, but it's nothing serious. In another three to five days, I should be able to clearly understand the effects of those pills."

The young Taoist, upon hearing her response, was about to say something,

But a sudden and loud noise interrupted their conversation.

"Boom!"

Jin Xu and the others looked towards the source of the noise, only to find that it came from the direction where Elder Chi and his companions had escaped.

He furrowed his brows slightly, and with a thought, his Spiritual Sense spread out towards that direction.

And then...

The young Taoist saw the Old Dean and the withered old man trapped under a mountain deep beneath the sea's surface.

Tianxing Taoist from Kunlun Immortal Palace was leisurely positioned nearby, even using spiritual power to construct a lounging chair for himself.

"What kind of trick are these three old men playing at?"

A question arose in Jin Xu's mind, but it was quickly dispelled by Grandma Yu standing before him.

"Was that ruckus caused by Elder Chi and his lot?"

Although the Shui Clan Elder spoke in a questioning tone, there was a certainty in her voice.

Seeing the young Taoist nod, but still with a trace of confusion in his eyes, she continued to explain,

"Don't mind them. Whenever those few meet each other, there's bound to be some commotion, but they always know their limits. Back when your mentor was still around... What were you about to say just now?"

Jin Xu, hearing Grandma Yu mention his mentor, was about to perk up and listen carefully,

But she suddenly changed the subject and stopped mid-sentence.

He remembered the scene when he had just woken up, where Tianxing Taoist had taken him to fight a round with the elders of the Four Great Immortal Sects, and he continued with the conversation that had been interrupted earlier,

"I was about to say, if it's going to take another three to five days, then I might as well use this time to return to Shangjing City to deal with some trifles. In a few days, I will come to visit the Shui Clan again."

Jin Xu remembered that in Capital City, someone had gone through great lengths at Jingyu Building to obtain information on his itinerary.

"Hmm, when the time comes, have Yaoyao get in touch with me,"

Grandma Yu said as more booming sounds came from Elder Chi's direction.

In the distance, one could barely make out someone's cursing voice.

Jin Xu, feeling the faint trembling beneath his feet on the street, nodded in thanks.

Afterward, he and the three others, along with Grandma Yu and the ever-silent Ji Junqiao, said their goodbyes and headed towards Shangjing City.

It's worth mentioning that, to avoid disturbing Elder Chi and the other two elders, the young Taoist deliberately took a detour over the sea, steering clear of the direction of the noise.

An hour later,

Kunlun Immortal Palace Ancestor Elder Chi, in high spirits, descended from the sky and landed next to the Shui Clan Elder, who was taking a stroll on the street.

"Daoist Yu, where's the young Taoist?"

"He's returned to Shangjing City."

Grandma Yu casually responded while her eyes intriguingly surveyed the street stalls.

Elder Chi was startled upon hearing this; he'd intended, after defeating the Old Dean, to discuss with Jin Xu how to survive the calamity that would befall the Nine Provinces in a year's time.

Yet, to his surprise, in just half an hour, the young Taoist had already left again.

"In that case, Daoist Yu, I'll take my leave first."

Having said that, he didn't wait for a response. Utilizing his escape technique, he flew toward Shangjing City.

Grandma Yu turned her head to glance at the sky, muttering softly.

"Not sure what's the rush with this old man."

As her voice fell, she suddenly saw in the distance, two figures staggering and supporting each other, slowly flying in her direction.

On closer inspection, it was Yan Chu and the gaunt old man, who had been beaten for a solid half an hour.

...

...

At the time when Elder Chi had just set off from Sae Island,

Jin Xu, who had used all his might to soar like a rocket, could now see the towering walls of the immense Shangjing City.

The young Taoist skillfully controlled his golden spiritual power light shield to abruptly stop five miles away from Shangjing City.

The three of them quietly landed, switching their mode of transport to a husky, and then proceeded toward the city gates.

On the way, the young Taoist deliberately put on his dark mask again, to serve as a disguise.

When the three arrived at the city gates, Jin Xu took out Nalan Yuandao's communication jade token and sent him a message.

"I have arrived in Shangjing, you can spread the news now."

After the trio entered the long-missed Shangjing City, they soon received a response from Nalan Yuandao.

"I was fishing, so my reply was slow. The news of your arrival in Shangjing has been released. If there's anything else you need, just call me anytime."

Jin Xu casually replied with an okay, then put the communication jade token back into his storage treasure.

After that, he aimlessly led the two women on a leisurely stroll through Shangjing City.

However, not even a tea-time had passed.

Behind the three, who were waiting for the freshly baked pancakes at the stall, within the bustling crowd, a woman cultivator dressed in a white robe, but wearing a black veil hat, was slowly approaching from not far away.

The woman moved with the crowd, her eyes hidden under the black veil scanning the surroundings incessantly.

When she caught sight of the backs of the young Taoist and his companions, her eyes suddenly shone.

In front of the pancake stall.

Yu Yaoer, enticed by the gradually intensifying aroma of wheat in the air, couldn't help but swallow and say,

"Young master, after the pancakes are ready, let's go eat those buns."

The first snack chosen by the three upon their return to Shangjing City was the aromatic buns sold outside the royal venue.

But when they arrived there, they realized the bun seller was no longer there.

Seeing this, Jin Xu expanded his Spiritual Sense to cover the entire city; then, at another bustling street, he found the bun shop that had upgraded from a street vendor to a luxurious restaurant.

Although the target was located, the young Taoist noticed a small stand not far from them selling pancakes that seemed very similar to a snack he often ate in his previous life when he was short on money.

So the trio decided to stop there first.

"Alright, once the pancakes are done, we'll go for the buns."

Jin Xu responded with a laugh and then suddenly turned around.

The white-robed woman with the black veil hat didn't know when she had managed to get right behind them, mingling within the bustling crowd.