Upon witnessing the budding romance between the two from afar, Wei Haolong, seething with anger, grabbed the front of Shu Han's robe, demanding, "Old Yu! What's the meaning of this?"

Caught off guard, Shu Han responded, "Do... do I really need to explain? Isn't it pretty obvious? Looks like we might become in-laws soon!"

Furious, Wei Haolong retorted, "Get lost! Who wants to be your in-law?"

Their loud exchange startled the entwined Di Guxue and Bai Xingyan, who hurriedly separated.

With a dark expression, Wei Haolong approached them. Bai Xingyan, seeing the elder's furious face, felt a tinge of fear. Meanwhile, Di Guxue, with a playful smile, greeted, "Master, what brings you here?"

Wei Haolong glared and rebuked, "Why am I here? If I hadn't come, what would've become of this scene? Xue'er, how can a proper lady like you do such things in the bamboo forest, especially with this lad?"

Bai Xingyan attempted to defend himself, stammering, "Master Uncle, I..."

"Silence!"

Wei Haolong snapped, "Who's your master uncle? Show some respect!"

"Master!"

Di Guxue interjected, positioning herself in front of Bai Xingyan, "Junior brother Bai has been sparring with me for over a year. Can't you be a bit more courteous to him?"

On the verge of losing his cool, Wei Haolong retorted, "Sparring? Is that what you call it? Old Yu, come over here. Damn it! I see your scheming now. You've been plotting this since the Earth Fire Leaderboard, targeting my disciple!"

Scratching his head, Shu Han walked over, commenting, "Hey, Old Wei, why are you meddling in the disciples' affairs? Let them sort it out. Come on, let's go have a drink. I've brewed a lot of wine this time, enough to keep you satisfied."

Saying so, Shu Han pulled Wei Haolong away, but not before winking at Bai Xingyan and whispering encouragingly, "Not bad, disciple. You've won her heart in less than a year! Keep it up! I'll keep your master busy."

Panicking, Wei Haolong shouted, "Old Yu, let go of me! What's the meaning of this? Sending disciples to undermine me? Hey, where is your disciple's hand going..."

Using all his strength, Shu Han managed to drag Wei Haolong into the adjacent courtyard.

Sitting at the wine table, Wei Haolong maintained a sullen expression, angrily tapping his wine cup, casting cold glances at Shu Han.

Shu Han felt guilty inside and hastily poured a full glass of wine for Wei Haolong. Without hesitation, Wei Haolong drank it down in one gulp. Still unsatisfied, he snatched Shu Han's wine jug and took a long swig directly from it.

The more he drank, the more disheartened he felt. Clenching his fists and pounding his chest, he murmured resentfully, "Damn you, Old Yu! The girl I've raised with my own hands has been taken away by some pig!"

Shu Han's face darkened, and he slammed the table, retorting, "Mind your words! What do you mean 'taken by a pig'? Your disciple is pure and innocent, and mine is no less worthy. The Bai family he belongs to has an illustrious history. I find the two of them quite suitable for each other. Let them decide their own fate and stop meddling!"

"A prestigious family?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Haolong's spirits lifted. Sarcastically, he said, "I knew you were up to something! So you took him as a disciple to curry favor with his family. Tell me more about the Bai family. What's the highest cultivation level they've achieved?"

Taking a sip of his wine, Shu Han mused, "I've heard that the Bai family's ancestors were formidable experts at the Foundation Establishment stage. Their 'Bai Family Artifact Refining Manual' is a renowned treasure in the northern part of Great Cloud. But, currently, Bai Xingyan might be the only one from the Bai family who is noteworthy..."

Wei Haolong: ...

He stood up abruptly, scolding, "Old Yu, are you trying to mock me?"

Shu Han quickly calmed him down, explaining, "Maybe in your eyes, the Bai family isn't that remarkable. But they produced the mentor who taught me and saved my life." He drank deeply and continued, "Even if the Bai family isn't considered prestigious now, as long as I'm around, they won't be forsaken."

Wei Haolong grunted, waving dismissively, "Fine, fine! It's better for you to benefit from this than an outsider. After all, it's better to keep resources within." Taking the wine jug, he poured a glass for Shu Han, saying, "Old Yu, the reason I called you here today is to bid you farewell."

Stunned, Shu Han asked, "Where are you going?"

"To see my mother."

"And your father?"

Wei Haolong chuckled, "I've reached the Core Formation stage. He no longer has any control over my choices. This trip, I'm determined to break his formation and rescue my mother. Even if I can't cure her madness, I can't bear to see her confined in that tiny cave."

Shu Han nodded, inquiring, "Are you confident?"

"I'm not sure."

Wei Haolong sighed deeply, "My father is at the peak of the mid-stage, well-versed in formations. Breaking his formation won't be easy. I probably won't be able to leave for a while. Think of it as seclusion. My lifespan has already exceeded a millennium. Perhaps, I'll attempt to advance to the next stage while in the cave."

Shu Han looked at Wei Haolong's resigned expression and smiled, "Since you've made up your mind, I wish you a triumphant return." Then, Shu Han took out a bag from his jade pendant and placed it in front of Wei Haolong. Instantly, a refreshing and invigorating aroma emanated from the bag.

Wei Haolong's eyes widened, "Is this...?"

Shu Han explained, "These are the Heart-Seeker Holy Petal I brought back from the Souther Forest. I'm giving you half, and I've kept the other half. Initially, I intended to use them to treat my master's madness. After trying for a while, I realized they were ineffective. Might as well give them all to you. Even if they don't cure madness, they can still nourish your mother's spirit."

Holding the large bag of Heart-Seeker Holy Petal, Wei Haolong was overwhelmed with emotions.

He took a deep sigh, clinked glasses with Shu Han, and declared, "I've not been wronged in having a friend like you! If you're ever in trouble, I, Wei Haolong, will brave all odds to help you."

Shu Han laughed, "Then you'd better come out soon. If you wait another eight years, I'll surely surpass you in cultivation. By then, your help might not be that useful!"

Wei Haolong laughed heartily, "You're still as boastful as ever! But you do have the potential. Fine, I'll try to break through the formation before the 'Fiery Sun Dominating the Sky'. Let's see how far you can progress in a mere eight years!"

"You'll definitely see me stronger than you! I don't have the time to be stuck at the Core Formation bottleneck for hundreds of years!"

Wei Haolong cursed, "Always hitting where it hurts, aren’t you?"

...

After bidding farewell to Wei Haolong, Shu Han returned to the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect.

All the way, he pondered, "In these eight years, how far can I progress? Can I truly reach the False Core stage as planned and achieve Core Formation through 'Fiery Sun Dominating the Sky'?"

Looking towards the southern sky, Shu Han felt a sudden pang of melancholy.

Linlin, it's been almost five years since we parted. For Core Formation experts like you, five years may feel like a fleeting moment. But for me, it feels so much longer.

After a deep sigh, Shu Han composed himself and headed to his cave dwelling to resume his duties.

Suddenly, he noticed a mighty figure standing at the entrance.

It was Heavenly Fire Elder.

Heavenly Fire Elder stared coldly at the returning Shu Han, speaking with authority and detachment, "Yu Tiancheng, tomorrow at midnight, be at the Heavenly Fire Platform on the summit of Fire Cloud Peak. The sect leader has summoned you."