Chapter 192: Giving Spirit Grass
The two arrived at Shen Luo’s residence in no time. Despite being gone for over a year, the courtyard remained immaculately clean, clearly maintained by regular visitors.
“Big Brother Shen, where have you been for the past year? Why didn’t you send any word back to the village? I thought you’d been devoured by the Heaven Devouring Tiger,” Ying Luo grumbled slightly.
“I apologize, Daoist Ying. That day when chased by the Heaven Devouring Tiger, I accidentally stumbled into a hidden cave. The exit was sealed by a prohibition and I was trapped inside until recently when I managed to escape,” Shen Luo explained nonchalantly, his eyes flickering subtly.
He withheld information about the incident in the Oblique Moon and Three Stars Cave and didn’t tell it to Ying Luo.
This was because for people like Ying Luo, the immortal of Mount Fangcun was the sole beacon of hope in their hearts. This hope provided them the strength to persevere through the hardships in the village. If they were to learn that Mount Fangcun had been wiped out, they would undoubtedly fall into despair.
“So that’s how it was. But, Big Brother Shen, it seems like your cultivation has further improved?” Realizing what happened, Ying Luo looked Shen Luo up and down, her eyes flashing a hint of surprise.
... Not being capable of sensing Divine Sense, she couldn’t perceive Shen Luo’s cultivation realm. However, his overall demeanor, especially the substantial change in his physical strength compared to before, caught her attention. Unfamiliar with body-refining techniques, she mistook these for improvements in Shen Luo’s cultivation, which was somewhat spot-on albeit inadvertent.
“Being trapped in a cave for years, diligent cultivation was my only hope of escape. Daoist Ying, your cultivation has also significantly improved, reaching the Late Stage of Qi Refining,” Shen Luo casually replied with a smile.
During their second trip up Mount Fangcun, Ying Luo had already advanced to the Mid-Stage of Qi Refining. Now, after just over a year, her cultivation had not only increased, but it seemed she had undergone other changes as well.