Chapter 628: The Final Farewell

For a devoted elixir pharmacist like Ximen Qianxue, this herb garden was undoubtedly the perfect gift in the world. She could refine many legendary pills using divine herbs and precious medicines. It should only be a matter of time before she became a real alchemist.

In addition, Ding Hao wrote about every elixir and herb he had learned from the Saber Master and the Sword Master, making a book he named Compendium of Materia Medica, and handed it to Ximen Qianxue.

She received it as if it were a priceless treasure.

Ximen Qianxue was extremely shocked. “These… you… my God, how do you know all of this?”

She couldn’t understand why Ding Hao knew so much about it. A lot of prescriptions for elixirs and herb descriptions in the book had been lost for thousands of years. Some refining techniques and methods were unheard of. “How did he know so much? He must be more than a genius.”

Ding Hao smiled and kept her guessing. “Hey, don’t worry, it’s not stolen, but it’s not a good time to explain now. You will know one day.”

Ximen Qianxue was not a curious person, so she stopped asking.

She said with some concern, “You’ve been so busy these days and have done so many preparations for the sect. Why do I feel that you’re planning to leave?” Ding Hao had spent every minute and second on enhancing the strength of the sect, making plans for everyone. It was as if he was leaving and would never return.

Ding Hao was stunned.

Her intuition was terribly acute.

Ding Hao said with sincerity, “I need to leave for a while to deal with something. But don’t worry, I will definitely come back.”

Ximen Qianxue’s body trembled slightly. She wanted to say more but stopped on second thought. Finally, she asked softly, “How long will it take?”

Ding Hao keenly detected the chemistry in the air. Looking at the beautiful woman in front of him, he said earnestly, “Maybe half a year, or maybe two or three years. I will stay in the Southern Region until I find my missing sister.”

Ximen Qianxue nodded slightly.

At that moment, she almost blurted out, ‘Why don’t you take me with you?’ In the end, reason prevented her from doing so.

The golden sunshine came in from the window frame and shone on Ximen Qianxue, turning her body into a beautiful golden-purple statue. Ding Hao understood what was on her mind. Ever since he had healed Ximen Qianxue’s wounds and restored her strength by dual cultivation accidentally, the two had become more intimate. It was as if they could read each other’s minds.

But in the end, he resisted the temptation to ask, ‘Do you want to go to the Southern Region with me?’

Ding Hao didn’t know how much time it would take or what kind of danger awaited him. It wasn’t proper for a quiet girl like Ximen Qianxue to live a wandering and risky life. Her passion was in alchemy. It would be better for her to enjoy her quiet life being accompanied by flowers and plants.

Ding Hao gently caressed Ximen Qianxue’s long hair and said softly, “Don’t worry. No matter how long it takes, I will come back.”

Ximen Qianxue raised her hand and held Ding Hao’s palm with her delicate hand. She nodded and said with a blush, “I’ll wait for you.”

Those words struck him like a thunderbolt.

In less than half a month, two girls had said this to him. For an indifferent and reserved person like Ximen Qianxue, it would take deep affection for her to do so.

It was both a moving and guilty moment for Ding Hao.

The kindness from a beauty could be overwhelming.

He didn’t mean to flirt around, but he still attracted those beautiful women.

It was permissible to have three wives and four concubines in this world, but Ding Hao didn’t like the idea…

Just when he and Ximen Qianxue were both lost in thought, someone appeared outside the window and left quietly after hearing the whole conversation.

…

After the Swordsmanship-seeking Sect swept all the major sects in the Snow Province like a gust of autumn wind, the storm was finally about to settle.

In recent days, in the entire Snow Province, no one, nor any sect would dare to stand against the Swordsmanship-seeking Sect.

Moreover, after the Battle of Frozen Peak, the poorly-informed warriors of the Snow Province had finally learned from some experts who lived in other provinces about what had happened in the Sage Battlefield which confirmed Ding Hao’s legendary achievements.

It wasn’t until this time that many martial artists in the Snow Province suddenly realized the weight of the four words “Saber and Sword Addict” in the Northern Region.

When they were still blindly questioning Ding Hao’s achievements in the Sage Battlefield, talents from other places had already spread the news to almost every other major province in the Northern Region. Almost all the super sects in the Northern Region had learned that there was a talented young man named Ding Hao, whose potential was comparable to the most outstanding new experts of both the Human and the Demon Clan in the Snow Province.

It was said that the sects specialized in information and intelligence had already released many rankings, highlighting the potential young generation disciples in the Northern Region after the Sage Battlefield was closed. Ding Hao, the Saber and Sword Addict, was listed on almost every one of them with an extremely high ranking, no lower than the top five range.

Many prestigious superiors of the older generation commented that Ding Hao was growing to become a supreme figure in the Northern Region.

A shocking storm was brewing in the other major provinces of the Northern Region. All because of Ding Hao.

The Purple Spirit Sect had coveted Ding Hao’s treasures. Their failed attempt proved how powerful Ding Hao was.

Most sects were powerless against that young genius.

Later, Song Que of the Blue Cloud Sect and Bai Quanshui of the Extermination Swordsmanship Sect announced to the public that Ding Hao was their brother. Whoever dared to conspire against him would be their enemy.

This deterred the sects with ulterior motives.

At the same time, many sects were impressed with Ding Hao’s potential and talent. They wanted to rope him in as their disciple and even prepared various benefits to attract him.

All kinds of news were spread across the somewhat underinformed Snow Province.

Many martial artists and sects in the Snow Province were regretful. If they had known more, they would have stood on the side of the Swordsmanship-seeking Sect a little earlier. They could have earned Ding Hao’s gratitude and benefited from it. Unfortunately, few sects other than the Heavenly Sound Valley, the Zero Thought Sect, and Chopping Sun City seized this opportunity.

More people were emotional as they finally saw a brilliant super-genius rise in the Snow Province, which had been short of talents for tens of millions of years.

To some extent, he could be regarded as the pride of the entire martial arts world in the province.

Thanks to this newfound prestige, the martial artists of the Snow Province could be received with respect in their future adventures across the Northern Region.

No one would look down on the martial artists of the Snow Province anymore at the mention of Ding Hao. They would no longer be treated as beggars and their province would no longer be perceived as the martial arts desert of the Northern Region. In the Land of Infinity, a person’s rise in fame not only brought prestige to sects or aristocratic families, but also the provinces.

If Ding Hao became the supreme master of the Northern Region, he could change the fate of countless warriors of the Snow Province if he cared to.

At the same time, everyone in the province realized that any provocation or challenge against Swordsmanship-seeking Sect had become impossible because of Ding Hao. Those who had hidden in the dark to plot against the Swordsmanship-seeking Sect would have to give up at this moment, as they would be waiting for an opportunity that might never come.

On that day.

“Phew… I’ve finally completed my plan.”

Ding Hao came out of the abyss found on the landfill cliff at the back mountain and took a long breath.

After days of hard work, he had finally transformed the mysterious giant crystal floating in the abyss into a secret practice field. Ding Hao had set up a transmission inscription formation there. He only needed to set up another at ground level to make it work.

In the future, the selected elite disciples could be transmitted to the practice field for special training.

That practice field would become one of the three secret weapons of the Swordsmanship-seeking Sect, along with the Small Divine Herb Garden’ and the high-grade Taiyi True Water Well.

On that day, the Swordsmanship-seeking Sect had finally completed its deployment and revenge across the Snow Province, having killed the last escaping expert who had participated in the invasion.

The entire sect once again went to the Valiant Burial Ground to mourn for their deceased heroes.

The heads of the culprits like Lu Xiongfei and Fang Xiaoan were placed in front of the tomb’s stone tablet. Paper money flew up and down with the sorrow of the living.

The eyes of countless disciples of the Swordsmanship-seeking Sect were red from crying.

The whole ceremony lasted for a whole day.

Many masters from other sects in the Snow Province also attended the ceremony to mourn for the dead.

There had never been a sectarian mourning ceremony attended by such a large number of experts in the Snow Province. Almost all the well-known leaders of all the major sects had appeared in the cemetery with grief.

Li Lan took charge of the whole event.

The Asura Fairy, whose fame had risen recently, led many public matters on behalf of the Swordsmanship-seeking Sect.

Ding Hao preferred no to get involved.

The moon rose as the sun set.

Night fell.

There were only a few stars in the sky.

Ding Hao entered the empty cemetery in the faint moonlight and appeared in front of a grave.

“Master, I specially made this liquor for you. I know you would have enjoyed this…” Ding Hao took out a green bottle from his storage space and poured it in front of Qi Qingshan’s grave.