Since they were destined to part ways, it would ease his conscience if he attempted to compensate the youth in another way.

Although he promised to teach the youth some techniques for self-defence, Bai Fanlu didn't know where to start. After all, he was not the original owner, and he had to pick up cultivation techniques from scratch and was not familiar with them. How then could he teach an ordinary person spells?

Bai Fanlu endeavoured to recall and pick up clues from the immortal cultivation novels he had read before, but he didn't get much from them.

He did not read too many of such novels in the first place. Besides, the novels' protagonists were either talented and intelligent, talented but foolish, or were fortunate enough to encounter and master extraordinary skills. Others were characters like Yun Zhan, who was exceedingly gifted and blessed with abundant opportunities, growing more formidable each year and effortlessly surpassing their peers.

Bai Fanlu was indeed in a pickle, but every time Xiao Liu stood in front of him and stared at him with an expression of earnestness and expectation, he wanted to laugh but was also flustered at the same time. For the first time in his life, he assumed the role of a teacher and feared that he would mislead his disciple and humiliate himself.

Suppressing this shame, Bai Fanlu cleared his throat and deepened his tone, "One's cultivation base is the foundation of all spells and techniques. You have no cultivation base in your body right now, and I am afraid that you cannot cast any spells."

"Then how can I obtain a cultivation base?"

"Hmm..." Bai Fanlu brooded for a while and said, "Meditate in places where spiritual energy is dense."

That should be the correct answer, right? Other disciples seem to do nothing but practise swords or meditate every day.

"A place where spiritual energy is dense?"

Xiao Liu was thirsty for knowledge and was a keen learner. He excitedly engraved the words of his half-assed master firmly in his mind and continuously contemplated on such a place along their journey

For example, when the duo approached a mountain, the youth asked about the state of the location's spiritual energy. Bai Fanlu swayed his head and recited leisurely, “Even if the mountain is not high, it shall be considered divine and filled with spiritual energy as long as an immortal dwells. If there is no immortal within this mountain, we will naturally know it is ordinary.”

Xiao Liu tilted his head and asked, "If gege enters the mountain, wouldn't that count as one?"

"..." Bai Fanlu paused, cleared his throat and answered, "It has to be an immortal who cultivated in the area. A foreigner does not count."

Xiao Liu turned his back, shrugged his shoulders a few times, and after a while, he turned back and acknowledged with hesitance, "Okay..."

Bai Fanlu felt that the youth must have just snickered with his back facing him. He reddened with embarrassment and casually swung the ruler, pretending to be offended. At this, Xiao Liu extended his hands obediently to let his master strike softly on his palms.

As for why Bai Fanlu was using such a weird instrument as the ruler was all Xiao Liu's idea, the youth came up to him with a section snapped from bamboo and requested physical disciplinary punishment one day.

And that was how it came to be.

Another example was when the duo passed by a river. Xiao Liu also made a point to ask about the location's spiritual energy to pick up more knowledge along the way. Bai Fanlu patiently explained, “Even if the waters are not deep, as long as a dragon dwells here, it shall be considered divine and filled with spiritual energy. If there is no dragon within this river, we will naturally know it is ordinary.”

Xiao Liu seemed to have realised something and scratched his head, asking, "Immortal gege, do you not wish to teach me spells?"

"..." Bai Fanlu paused again and replied with a guilty conscience, "A teacher merely opens doors for the disciple. The depth of cultivation is dependent on the individual."

Xiao Liu sighed with a distinct and lingering melancholy, "It must be because I am too dull…otherwise, why can't I comprehend anything?"

Bai Fanlu was entirely aware that it was not the fault of the youth, but his lack of skill. The youth was determined to learn, but it was a pity that he followed the wrong person. Bai Fanlu felt a little guilty, and this guilt burdened him until deep into the night. Watching the youth asleep with Zhizhi in his arms, he saw the epitome of pitiful lonesomeness.

The further north they went, the lower the temperature dipped.

After several rounds of hesitations and internal struggles, Bai Fanlu finally called out softly, "Come closer to sleep."

His voice was very low and it was deliberately so, such that if the other party could not hear him, then so be it.

But this party was Xiao Liu.

Even if it were the cry of a mosquito, he would have heard it. And so, he blatantly hugged the little monkey and leaned in, laying down next to Bai Fanlu.

Bai Fanlu had spiritual power to protect his body but had no idea if it could benefit another. As he deliberated this, Xiao Liu spoke, "I feel so warm hugging my gege."

Bai Fanlu had an answer at once. He believed it because as soon as the youth leaned over, he did not shiver any longer. This also gave Bai Fanlu a vague sense of accomplishment. It could be considered a form of care and concern bestowed by a master to his disciple, right?

Could this be the reason why Ling Qingzi was particularly doting towards the original owner? Just because he was his foremost disciple?

At this thought, Bai Fanlu realised that he hadn't seen his Shizun for quite some days. In this period, he had been through quite a lot consecutively, and the separation felt even longer than it was.

Strictly speaking, ever since he transmigrated, he only met Ling Qingzi in a hurry three times. Yet, for some reason, at the thought of his Shizun, he vaguely had a sense of nostalgia.

It was probably as the saying goes, He who taught me for a day shall be my father for life. Bai Fanlu was aware that Ling Qingzi was genuinely kind and sincere to the original owner. Even when the original owner became a demon, Ling Qingzi never took the initiative to hurt him. The injury of the original owner inflicted by Bing Zhuo was also of his own doing and he received it when he snatched the weapon in a determined attempt to cut ties with the immortal realm.

When thousands of immortal cultivators besieged the original owner, Ling Qingzi was not present either. The author did not bluntly state a reason, but perhaps it was also not difficult to guess. The man did not want to see his beloved disciple killed.

Bai Fanlu felt that as long as he did not become a villain, his Shizun would naturally not grieve. This thought strengthened his conviction once again as he held onto his goal.

In any case, it was impossible for him to follow in the footsteps of the original owner and sadden those who genuinely cared for him for the sake of a scumbag. Bai Fanlu was confident about this.

They continued their journey for another day, and finally, there were no tall mountains or deep lakes in sight. However, they did pass by a rapid that dropped down a steep slope, forming a waterfall.

Xiao Liu went around the perimeter of the water body, and suddenly ran back topless. He eagerly held Bai Fanlu's hand and cried, "Gege! I've succeeded! I've cast a spell!"

"What?"

Bai Fanlu was meditating and adjusting his breath, so he did not react immediately. He was just wondering what Xiao Liu was up to that required him to take off his top. Was it because of a piece of nonsense he spouted, "For Heaven and man to become one, one must strive to be closer to nature"?

Xiao Liu interpreted the lack of reaction as Bai Fanlu not believing him. He raised his eyebrows and added, "Are you underestimating me? I shall demonstrate it before your eyes. Watch carefully!"

Then, the youth struck some hand seals, and three swooshes sounded as three rays of spiritual energy the size of silver needles emerged from his fingertips. They hit a huge rock sitting in the middle of the waterfall.

"Look, that's not exactly a spell..." Before he could finish his words, Bai Fanlu widened his eyes slightly and heard a sudden rumbling as a large stream of water from the waterfall crashed into that rock.

Next, the rock that split the waterfall into two streams as it cascaded down was wholly shattered and dropped straight down. It splashed up great waves of water, drenching the two from head to toe.

Bai Fanlu was stunned and turned his head to look at Xiao Liu with a complex expression.

"Uh..." Xiao Liu glanced at his fingers, leaned behind him, and muttered embarrassedly, "I didn't control it well... It was quite mild earlier."

The last part of his sentence was the youth mumbling to himself, and Bai Fanlu didn't quite catch it. He asked, "What did you say?"

"Oh! It's nothing!" Xiao Liu answered with a grin, "It seems that I have to practice more..."

Bai Fanlu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He cast a spell to dry both of them right away.

"Gege..." Xiao Liu tailed behind Bai Fanlu, and like a child who had done something wrong, he whispered, "I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for?" Bai Fanlu teased, "You took such a short time to pick up the spells. That is impressive! Just be careful to not make the same mistake as earlier and be mindful to prevent causing harm to others."

Xiao Liu scrutinised Bai Fanlu's expression and was confident that the man was not angry. He then gave a wider grin, "Gege, am I particularly suitable to practice immortal cultivation? Could this be a form of...gift from heaven?"

Bai Fanlu thought that even though Xiao Liu was a mere mortal, he might actually be gifted. If not, why would Silver Snow follow him?

There was also Zhizhi. Although it appears to be an ordinary little monkey now, he had no doubt that the creature once had a divine light emanating from its body.

"I think there is this possibility." Bai Fanlu nodded.

Xiao Liu was encouraged and thumped his chest excitedly, "Then I must practice really hard and become the number one in the world!"

The youth was still topless, and his exaggerated actions accentuated the contours of his beautiful chest muscles. Bai Fanlu couldn't help looking down his lower torso and got envious of his defined V-lines.

This kid was in really good shape. If he existed in the real world, he would definitely be eye candy.

Realising that Bai Fanlu was glancing at him, Xiao Liu didn't bother to hide and generously allowed him to have a good look.

Bai Fanlu felt heat rising on his cheeks when he realised that he had been staring for too long. The youth paid him no mind, casually bent down to pick up his clothing from the bank, and put it on swiftly.

Yet, the brief look of regret for not viewing enough that darted across Bai Fanlu's eyes within a split second was entirely caught by Xiao Liu.

In Bai Fanlu's flash of dizziness, Xiao Liu leaned in and whispered, "When I become the most formidable man in the world, I will be able to protect my gege."

Bai Fanlu was startled by Xiao Liu's intent gaze. The youth was not joking.

"You…" Bai Fanlu helplessly raised his hand and ruffled the youth's hair, "Then I shall wait for the arrival of that day."

Speaking of this, if Xiao Liu were to become the number one in the world, then what would become of Yun Zhan?

Funny indeed! How could it be that easy to become number one. Yet, he honestly believed Xiao Liu's words.

It seems that after spending time with this naive little sprite, he had become childish himself. Despite that, rather than feeling terrible, Bai Fanlu was pleased.

The two stopped and walked all the way, staying longer wherever it was fun, Yun Zhan never heard from him, and Bai Fanlu didn't rush forward.

At first, he was not in a hurry, but slowly and gradually, he developed an agenda. If they were to reach Ling City, the time would have come to part with Xiao Liu. Even though they weren't moving fast, the destination would unaffectedly get closer over time.

The further north the duo went, the more uneven the terrain became. The region was primarily mountainous and not accessible by ordinary steeds. However, Silver Snow still trod on effortlessly, as if the land was flat, with Xiao Liu on its back. Bai Fanlu, on the other hand, was still insistent on travelling next to them by sword flight, for the roads ahead were steep, and it was ideal for scouting their path at a height.

When the two of them passed through Erji Mountain, they were tasked by some herdsmen at the foot of the mountain to hunt down two brown bears, which had matured into evil beings and wounded humans.

Xiao Liu had to take credit for this assignment. This was the first time he applied his newfound skills ever since learning spells. He received a Snow Lingzhi as a reward and offered it to Bai Fanlu as an appreciation gift for accepting him as a disciple.

Bai Fanlu refused it at first, but Xiao Liu insisted, "This is a tonic to replenish your body. If you don't accept it, I'll feed it to Zhizhi."

Bai Fanlu could only accept and place it in his treasure pouch but did not expect that this action would trigger a system prompt.

[Side mission has been unlocked: "A Compassionate Mother, A Child's Filial Piety', The Mission Objective: Lingzhi is a gift borne out of Spring's Love.]

[Task completion reward: 'Reader's Brain Fragment × 3, activate the hidden event to obtain additional rewards.]

[Mission Hint: To see one's child die before oneself, the heart of a loving mother is not understood, cycles of parting and return, the wanderer will eventually come home.]

This mission was not like the first two plot branches, for it was not triggered within a specific plot or a distinct context. Bai Fanlu could not make out the mission scope just from those few lines uttered by the system. As such, he decided to let it unravel one step at a time.

After crossing the Erji Mountain, they were close to Ling City. The mountains in this area seemed to act as the last barrier, obstructing the cold air. After traversing the mountain peaks, the difference in the climate they experienced was stark.

The northern wind was howling, and snowflakes as large as cotton flowers rushed towards their faces. Fortunately, the Erji Mountain herders were warmhearted. When they heard that the duo was heading to Ling City, they prepared pieces of wolf fur for them to keep out the cold.

Even with Bai Fanlu's immortal cultivator physique, the environment was still a little harsh, and he couldn't help but sneeze after a short distance.

"Gege!"

Xiao Liu called to him from the horseback below, "Don't fly in the sky. The wind and snow are too strong! Ride on the horse with me."

Bai Fanlu had been flying on his sword continuously for a while. The winds were indeed getting too strong until he had to expend a lot of energy to stabilise himself on the flying sword. As such, he accepted Xiao Liu's kind request and descended.

As soon as he sat down, he was encircled by a pair of arms. Xiao Liu was still holding onto the horse's rein, but instead of letting his hands relax, the youth hugged Bai Fanlu with a bit of strength.

Wrapped under two fur skins, Bai Fanlu felt warm as if he was basking in the spring's day.

"It's so cold out here! Hugging gege still feels the warmest."

Before Bai Fanlu could speak, Xiao Liu sighed, pressed his forehead against the back of his head and leaned forward.

With this, everything Bai Fanlu had wanted to say fell back down his throat. The young man's chest was firm and warm under that wolf skin. This feeling of having someone to depend on and be depended on was a much better feeling than flying in the sky alone. Bai Fanlu was somewhat reluctant to break away from this.

He had to tell himself that this was merely an exception due to the harsh environment. It was expected and no big deal to draw warmth from each other.

The further they went, the heavier it snowed, and blanketed the ground in a thicker layer of snow. Silver Snow galloped its way through to speed up all four hooves to reduce the resistance. As such, Bai Fanlu never got off the horse after that.

Once one has experienced warmth, it is unbearably difficult to return to the cold environment regardless of immortals or demons.

It took a long time to complete the last leg of the journey and they finally left the legendary wind and snow belt, arriving at clear and open lands.

As if the belt was forcibly cut apart, it suddenly transitioned from a snowy day to a sunny one. Now, they could even see the sun hanging in the west, glowing bright red and casting its dazzling light rays all across the land.

In just a few miles further north, they will reach Ling City. Bai Fanlu decided to make an effort to speed up to enter the city before sunset.

But as he continued forward, he noticed a strange phenomenon. There was no snow in this area, yet the snow piled on the ground was almost the same thickness as the wind and snow belt earlier. Where did this snow come from? Was it written in the book?

Bai Fanlu could not recall it.

The book only described the climate to be sunny once they crossed the wind and snow belt, and the city was close by. There was no mention of the strange landscape.

After walking for a while, Bai Fanlu sensed something was awry. It was odd that they had not encountered other people or so much of a shadow near Ling City.

He surveyed the surroundings and caught a faint glimpse of a dull blue speck amidst the vast white lands in the far distance. At first, he thought it was perhaps a stone, but as he got closer, he realised that it was an exposed section of the city wall covered by the snow.

The nearer they approached, the more "city walls" there were, scattered like stones in the snow, and there was no seeming pattern on how these walls broke.

Suddenly recognising something, Bai Fanlu quickly jumped off the horse and stepped forward. He raised his hand to cast a spell, and the snow in front of him was pushed away and scattered. Two red characters engraved on the blue city wall were revealed at once: ‘Ling City’.