novelraw Chapter 1019: South Sea Spring Water
Chapter 1019: South Sea Spring Water
"We won..."
Ning Fan waved his hand, and the night Dao Image that stretched across ten thousand miles instantly dispersed like smoke and clouds.
His expression was very calm, with an extremely subtle change in temperament compared to before. It was as if there was an added confidence in him, a result of defeating the Baihua Empress, bringing about an enhancement to his Dao heart.
If compared in terms of cultivation, he might not yet be a match for the Immortal Emperors.
But if compared in terms of Dao Image, even against the Sixth Calamity Immortal Emperor, he would dare to fight, having no need to feel inferior when facing an Immortal Emperor.
The entire Baihua Main Peak was engulfed in demonic qi due to Ning Fan’s Dao Image, and the demonic aura lingered. Many of the Baihua cultivators, who were well-versed in Buddhist law, were visibly struggling to endure the demonic qi but remained silent and did not leave. The scene was eerily quiet, leaving only the sound of the mountain wind, as if everyone was still immersed in the shock of the Baihua Empress’s defeat.
A lower-rank Immortal Venerable actually defeated the illustrious Baihua Great Emperor in terms of Dao Image, and if this spreads, it will surely cause a sensation in the Middle State!
Moreover, observant people could see that the Baihua Empress’s defeat wasn’t because her Dao Image was too weak, but because Ning Fan’s Dao Image was too strong!
Unbelievably strong!
Cough cough cough!
The Baihua Empress barely stabilized her stance and weakly began to cough, looking at Ning Fan with a gaze that held undisguisable shock and despair.
After a long while, she finally emerged from that despair and, with an expressionless face, said to Ning Fan,
"You have won. As this emperor has spoken, it shall be done. From this moment on, the enmity between Baihua Peak and Chulie Duolan is... wiped clean! Should Chulie Duolan wish to pay respects to her mother, no one shall stop her, nor shall anyone... attack her within Baihua Peak’s territory..."
Her tone held a slight reluctance...
"Someone come, prepare guest rooms for Young Friend Ning and the Chulie Saintess. From today onward, these two are esteemed guests of Baihua Peak, and no one shall disdain them! The duel has ended, those not involved in the mountain patrol, quickly leave the main peak!"
With the Baihua Empress’s command, she was aided by several young boys with wings and turned to leave.
Then came an uproar in the crowd!
Before this, who could have imagined that Ning Fan, who had caused such a disturbance at Baihua Peak, wouldn’t be punished but would instead defeat the Baihua Empress and become an esteemed guest of the Baihua Empress!
And who could have imagined that Duolan, who had deep hatred with Baihua Peak like a sea, would reconcile their enmity due to today’s events.
Humph!
Many Baihua cultivators snorted coldly and left, their sleeves flicking. Most of these people’s friends or relatives had died at the hands of the former Chulie Emperor, so their hatred for Duolan was extreme. Unfortunately, now that the Baihua Empress had issued a command, even if they were unwilling, they dared not act against Duolan any longer.
A few cultivators did not leave immediately; instead, they exchanged a few polite words with Ning Fan before leaving the main peak.
Consider it a way to get acquainted with Ning Fan.
With the pride of the Dabei people, they generally wouldn’t warm up to a mere foreign cultivator. However, in any place, the strong are respected. Ning Fan’s uprising victory against the Baihua Empress in the Dao Image battle showcased his strength. Once the news spreads, it is enough to astonish the world and make these arrogant Dabei people respect him.
Still, due to the Baihua Empress dispersing everyone, these people, while intending to befriend Ning Fan, dared not linger, only exchanging names before leaving.
Among these people were even the peak masters of several auxiliary peaks.
Aside from Mingfeng Immortal Venerable of the Sixth Auxiliary Peak, who was severely injured and not present, the other six peak masters were there, each briefly exchanging names with Ning Fan, their tones unfailingly polite. Even the peak masters of the First and Second Auxiliary Peaks addressed Ning Fan as equals without any arrogance.
With the shrewdness of these six peak masters, how could they not grasp the Baihua Empress’s intentions? Ning Fan was aligned with the foreign cultivator who healed the Baihua Empress, making him an esteemed guest of Baihua Peak; having the ability to shatter the Dao Image of an Immortal Emperor, befriending him did not harm their status.
In response to the six peak masters’ overtures, Ning Fan responded with great civility, showing neither the recklessness from his mountain invasion nor the intimidating demonic demeanor as when confronting the Baihua Empress.
Rather, he was as gentle as a modest gentleman.
This surprised the peak masters greatly, leading them to hold Ning Fan’s demon cultivation in even higher regard. The ability to control one’s demonic heart at will is not something just any demon cultivator can accomplish.
After brief pleasantries, the six peak masters did not dare linger on the main peak any longer and took their leave. However, as they left, they all extended invitations to Ning Fan, inviting him to visit their respective auxiliary peaks in the future, promising to entertain him with each peak’s most precious spirit fruits. Unable to refuse such hospitality, Ning Fan had to agree to each invitation.
Once all the observing cultivators had left, several young boys with wings came to lead Ning Fan and Duolan back into the cave mansion to rest in the guest rooms.
The guest rooms numbered over a hundred, mostly unoccupied and gathering dust. Only three rooms were spotlessly clean and had maids in service.
"These three guest rooms belong to Lord Yue, Lord Ouyang, and Lord Wu. At this hour, the three lords are still engaged in alchemy for the esteemed one and can’t spare a moment. In about one more cup of tea’s time, Lord Ning will most likely be able to meet the three lords." One of the winged youths explained with a wooden expression.
The "Lord Yue" mentioned by the youth naturally referred to Burying Moon. Being in the Dabei Clan’s list of many enemies, revealing her identity could invite trouble, hence she entered Baihua Peak under an alias. Ning Fan quickly understood this.
"The rooms for the two lords will be cleaned shortly, please wait a moment."
As he spoke, eight young and beautiful maidens were dispatched to clean the guest rooms. In no time, two rooms were prepared, with four maids stationed in each room.
Of course, these two rooms were one each for Ning Fan and Duolan.
However, before checking in, the winged youths asked courteously, "Do Lord Ning and Lord Duolan wish to share a single room? If there’s a need for this, we can arrange for the maids to clean a more spacious room for the two lords to reside, to facilitate activities during the night."
Activities during the night... activities during the night...
Duolan felt her ears burning, hurriedly explaining, "No need for that, I and Senior Ning don’t have that kind of relationship, we can each have our own room."
She’s not some concubine for Senior Ning, how could they stay together... come to think of it, perhaps these Corpse Demons misunderstood something; otherwise, why would they ask such an additional question?
Now that she thinks about it, Senior Ning dared to openly defy the prestigious Baihua Great Emperor just to protect her, even going so far as to face off against an Immortal Emperor’s Dao Image. To outsiders, this would likely fuel all sorts of imaginings.
Others might view Ning Fan’s actions as a hero rescuing a beauty, suspecting some ambiguous relationship, some private feelings between them...
But only Duolan knew that Senior Ning harbored no romantic feelings for her, merely acting out of protectiveness, determined to protect her.
Simply because of a protective nature... Duolan inexplicably felt a little disappointed.
Ning Fan, amused, thought that these Corpse Demon youths were highly intelligent; to consider such ******** matters so thoroughly.
They were far smarter than typical Corpse Demons.
It seems the Baihua Great Emperor has a unique method in crafting Corpse Demons...
The winged youths were merely asking, and seeing Duolan refuse, after thinking for a moment, they added, "The two of you are distinguished guests of the esteemed one, and according to the rules, during your stay at this estate, you are entitled to a Cauldron Furnace to serve you by your bedside. Should Lord Ning require a female attendant for the night, you may freely use the maids here. As for Lord Duolan... there are no male cauldrons to serve in this estate; all males here belong solely to the esteemed one. Without the esteemed one’s command, we cannot serve Lord Duolan. So, if Lord Duolan has any needs, please notify us in advance, and we will find a way to procure some male cultivators for your enjoyment."
"No need! I don’t require male attendants for the night!" Duolan’s face reddened further, secretly cursing that like master, like servant, for these winged youths’ minds seemed solely fixated on affairs between men and women...
Could they not have a single question not related to such matters!
"Lord Duolan doesn’t seem very interested in such affairs? Could there be a physical ailment? The esteemed one excels at crafting fragrances from the nectar of a hundred flowers, which can increase desires, treating various ailments related to such affairs. Among them, there are perfumes suitable for women’s use, including the Soft Body Embrace Fragrance, Red Path Moist Fragrance, and One Night Ten Husbands Fragrance. If Lord Duolan needs any..."
"No! I want none of those fragrances!"
"Various jade apparatuses are provided in the guest rooms, Lord Duolan can use them at your discretion..."
"I don’t need them!"
"At midnight every day, maids will serve the Uniting Yin Warming Yang Tea..."
"I don’t need it!"
"The Dual Cultivation Enlightenment Stele of the esteemed one is available for viewing by the guests; if Lord Duolan needs it..."
"I don’t need it!"
"There’s a secret scroll of room techniques painted by a famous monk in the storeroom, I wonder..."
...
...
......
"I don’t need anything!"
Duolan’s pretty face turned so red it seemed like it might drip blood.
The young men with flesh wings were somewhat nervous; could it be that this Lady Duolan was not satisfied with their hospitality? If the Lord were to blame them for their lack of courtesy, it would be troublesome. Thus, the more Duolan refused, the more enthusiastic they became.
"Alright, you can leave now. If there’s anything needed, the Chulie Holy Maiden will inform you," Ning Fan said, seeing Duolan was truly embarrassed, and thus dismissed the young men with flesh wings.
Duolan immediately cast him a grateful glance.
Upon meeting Ning Fan’s candid gaze, she couldn’t help but recall the scene where he decisively shielded her, and instantly, Duolan felt her heart was in tumult, full of unspeakable gratitude. Yet, she remembered Ning Fan’s advice, stating their situation could be considered more foe than friend, which left her speechless.
She knew, deep down, she had really fallen in love with Senior Ning.
But this was...wrong...
Ning Fan withdrew his gaze, sighed lightly, and said calmly, "Is there anything you want to say?"
"No..." Duolan lowered her head with some guilt, her cheeks flushed red.
"That’s for the best. When you ascended the mountain, you were trapped by that mist formation and got injured. If not treated timely, it might leave hidden dangers, so you should go heal yourself quickly. I also gained some insights from the earlier battle and am eager to return to my room to ponder over them, so I won’t keep you any longer."
Ning Fan turned around and headed toward his guest room.
Watching Ning Fan’s retreating figure, Duolan’s heart was filled with unspoken emotions, turning into a sigh of longing.
"By the way, I haven’t returned your thing yet. The long-bearded monk previously took your hair tie made of Flood Dragon’s Tendon. I retrieved it but was too busy breaking into the mountain to return it then."
Ning Fan suddenly turned back, handed a storage pouch to Duolan, and then entered his room.
This was the storage pouch taken from the long-bearded monk, containing his cherished mumblings. However, it was neither here nor there for Ning Fan now, so he gave it to Duolan.
Duolan opened the storage pouch and took out her Flood Dragon’s Tendon, feeling warmth suffuse her heart.
"Thank you..." she whispered as if to herself, then also stepped into her room.
...
Upon entering the guest room, Ning Fan immediately dismissed the four charming maids, staying alone inside.
He was not a man of lust; rather, he was a person whose life was not lacking in women, so he had no intent of indulging with the maids here.
This left the four maids, eager to form a bond with Ning Fan, very disappointed.
Ouyang Nuan and others were still busy and would return later. Before that, Ning Fan did indeed wish to organize his insights from the previous battle.
After battling with the Immortal Emperor, Ning Fan continuously comprehended many uses of the Dao Image, and for the first time, he grasped the essence of the Ancient Demon lineage.
Annihilation...
Ning Fan could faintly sense that after grasping the concept of annihilation, the Ancient Demon Bloodline within him felt complete. It was as if only from this moment did he become a true Ancient Demon who could proudly face the Immortals and Buddhas.
However, Ning Fan was only at the initial understanding of the Ancient Demon Annihilation Dao. To deepen his insights, it would likely require a long time to accumulate.
The Dao of the Ancient Demon is the word annihilation.
What then is the Dao of the Fiendgods?
And what is the Dao of the ancient demons?
Presumably, one must have some comprehension to make both truly complete.
To become a true Fiendgod, a true ancient demon!
Shortly, Ning Fan roughly sorted the gains from this battle and suddenly remembered the last scene of Baihua Emperor’s defeat, which made his expression somewhat solemn.
After Baihua Emperor’s defeat, he turned into a wilting, lifeless flower...
Turning into a flower can be explained by Baihua Emperor’s true form as a sentient flower; if he was struck back to his original form, naturally, it would appear so.
But why was it a flower without any sign of life...
Even if Baihua Emperor’s body was a flower, there should still be life.
Could it be that Baihua Emperor was actually a dead person?
This was not impossible, as there were powerful Corpse cultivators who were indeed lifeless existences.
However, the point of confusion was that in human form, Baihua Emperor exuded no trace of Corpse Qi to Ning Fan but had an exceptionally vigorous life aura.
He was undoubtedly alive...
If he was truly alive, then the lifeless flower as his original form couldn’t be explained; a living person’s true form could be a flower but not a dead one...
What troubled Ning Fan most was that moment when his left demonic eye distinctly sensed an extremely subtle and weak illusionary power from the dead flower.
Possessing the Fuli Illusion-Breaking Talent, Ning Fan had a very keen perception of illusions. He was confident he didn’t mistake it; at that instant, he perceived an almost terrifying illusionary power from the dead flower!
Subsequently, as the illusionary power was activated, it seemed to transform the dead flower bit by bit into the form of Baihua Emperor...
Ning Fan’s expression was extremely grave.
The level of illusionary art was something he had never witnessed!
It was as if someone used incredibly powerful illusions to transform a flower without cultivation or life into an Immortal Emperor...
Could it be that Baihua Emperor wasn’t a truly existing person, but a creation of illusion magic!
This thought, once it appeared, set off huge waves in Ning Fan’s heart.
He couldn’t be sure whether this conjecture was true, but if it were, it would be truly terrifying...
Baihua Emperor was absolutely not a weakling!
How powerful one must be to create a Baihua Great Emperor with illusions!
And what a profound illusionary art it must be!
Moreover, if this were true, would anyone in the Dabei clan know the secret about Baihua Emperor? Or was he alone privy to this secret...
If this were to get out, would it touch upon some taboos within the Dabei clan...
Or perhaps he was overthinking, and there was no conflict between the living person and the dead flower; it was merely the effect of a Cultivation Technique...
Can illusions that create an Immortal Emperor really exist in this world?
Ning Fan sighed slightly, feeling that the Baihua Peak’s depths were even beyond his imagination.
After a while, a wave of black fortune aura rushed in from outside the door, and Ning Fan opened his eyes, knowing Wu Laoba and others had returned.
"Master, my most beloved Master, you finally came! During the days you were absent, Little Ba remained loyal and true, as steadfast as Guan Yu, protecting Madam Yue and Madam Ouyang, enduring countless hardships and suffering numerous grievances. The difficulties we can’t share with outsiders, even being hunted by various city lords due to ignorance of Middle State laws, standing solitary and unaccompanied..."
Ning Fan only saw a shadow flash before his eyes, and an elder with bean-sized eyes and a wretched appearance had already flashed in, kneeling on the ground, clutching his knees, bawling.
Who else could it be, if not Wu Laoba!
"You’ve used some words incorrectly..." Ning Fan was somewhat speechless.
"Master, you know not, you know not! Little Ba has suffered countless hardships, and nearly died several times! If not for unwavering loyalty, passionate sincerity, if not for yearning to serve the Master, with gratitude and longing, if not worried about tarnishing your mighty and heroic reputation, Little Ba would have been slain by enemies long ago..."
"Enough! Let me see the storage pouch!" Ning Fan frowned, dark thoughts flickering. Wu Laoba shivered, stood up straight, and tried to hide the storage pouch around his waist, his heart shaken.
Having not seen him for a while, the aura of this star of misfortune in the evil path has grown stronger! It’s terrifying...
"Wh... what storage pouch, what is Master talking about, Little Ba doesn’t understand... Little Ba is really foolish, really ignorant, unable to comprehend Master’s golden and jade words..."
"Within three breaths, if you don’t hand over the storage pouch, face the consequences yourself!" Ning Fan chuckled inwardly, but made a fierce face outwardly.
Frightened, Wu Laoba quickly handed over the storage pouch, with a seemingly willing attitude.
Ning Fan just quickly scanned the storage pouch and was rendered speechless.
He didn’t believe that Wu Laoba suffered or was wronged on his way to the Middle State.
Though his cultivation was heavily sealed by the Punishing Ring, his fortune was not sealed. Knowing Wu Laoba is full of black fortune divine skills, most are directly linked to fortune levels, rather than related to cultivation...
If this guy wanted to frame someone, he would likely succeed every time. Following his temperament, entering Middle State in chaos likely yielded substantial profits.
Therefore, as soon as Ning Fan met him, he asked for the storage pouch to see Wu Laoba’s gains in the Middle State.
Indeed, Wu Laoba, when left to his own devices, had his storage pouch filled with countless good things.
Medicine Soul Stones... not less than ten million pieces! Where did this guy get so many Medicine Soul Stones? This could let them stay with the Dabei Clan for a very long time.
For foreign cultivators without strong Medicine Souls, the quantity of Medicine Soul Stones directly determines their stay’s duration here!
Expensive pills... no less than a hundred bottles, and each bottle is Nineth-Revolution and above pills, produced by the Dabei Clan, ranging from Lead Elixir, Silver Elixir to Golden Elixir...
Magical treasures... Surprisingly, there’s a Twelve Nirvana Acquired Treasure in this guy’s storage pouch and about ten Nine Nirvana and Ten Nirvana magical treasures! The extra Twelve Nirvana treasure is an emerald Imperial Ancient Crown, seemingly a defensive magical treasure with considerable power, and besides its defensive effects, it seems to have other abilities...
It seems it can temporarily boost a cultivator’s fortune...
"If Master desires that Imperial Jade Fortune Crown, please take it. Little Ba swindled this treasure precisely to present it to you, with absolutely no intention of keeping anything for myself! Please accept it, Master!" Wu Laoba was inwardly pained but wore a fawning smile.
Ning Fan smiled slightly, shaking his head. He had an Ancient Kingdom’s God-Destroying Shield, so he didn’t need this mere Twelve Nirvana Acquired Treasure. Although the treasure could enhance fortune and was quite mysterious, it was evident that it would benefit Wu Laoba more, considering his ace is his black fortune...
This treasure’s utility was even greater than a regular Innate Treasure to Wu Laoba.
"Don’t worry, you can keep this green hat, I don’t want it."
Ning Fan’s words were music to Wu Laoba’s ears, completely ignoring the other implication of a ’green hat’. As long as the Master didn’t compete for this ’green hat’, the rest of the contents in the storage pouch were his to take, Wu Xiaoba didn’t mind! Naturally, he flattered Ning Fan again, expressing his loyalty, asserting that with the green hat boosting black fortune, he would serve the Master valiantly on the battlefield, becoming a sharp blade for the Master, conquering far and wide, using my blood to set the boundaries for you...
Ning Fan ignored these flattery entirely. Calmly, he took away over half of the Medicine Soul Stones, leaving only a few for Wu Laoba, also took away most of the expensive pills, then returned the storage pouch to Wu Laoba.
Wool cannot be shaved all at once.
Ning Fan was still expecting Wu Laoba to continue plundering in all directions to accumulate wealth for him, so naturally, he had to leave him some benefits.
After finishing all this, Ning Fan completely ignored Wu Laoba. His gaze shifted slightly, meeting the somewhat mischievous smiles of Ouyang Nuan and Zang Yue.
This master-servant pair is truly a pair of jokers...
"Are things going smoothly?" Ning Fan was naturally inquiring about the matter of investigating the Jiuli Ritual Vessel.
Zang Yue and her group came to Middle State in advance, and wasn’t it just for this matter?
"It’s going smoothly. As per our agreement with the Baihua Emperor, as long as Sister Nuan nourishes enough dan medicine to help her heal her injuries, she will tell us what she knows about the ritual vessel. Unfortunately, someone recklessly made a move, injuring the Baihua Emperor in a lower position, which worsened her injuries. In this way, Sister Nuan and I are afraid we’ll have to nourish more dan medicine to fulfill the agreement..." Zang Yue glared at Ning Fan with ill humor, having already heard about Ning Fan’s Dao Image duel on the way back to the guest room.
That look of anger without words seemed to blame Ning Fan for injuring the Baihua Emperor.
After all, she had some old friendship with the Baihua Emperor and even owed her some favors. She was really worried that Ning Fan directly killed the Baihua Emperor...
The Baihua Emperor was already seriously injured and dying, her injuries couldn’t be further aggravated...
Of course, Zang Yue would never admit that she was actually a bit worried about Ning Fan too. Fighting the Immortal Emperor, it was indeed a bit reckless. It would be best if this little thief won, but if he lost, it would be dangerous...
The Dao Image duel was extremely perilous. Even if the Baihua Emperor spared Ning Fan’s life, she would most likely punish Ning Fan in some way.
Serious injury, demotion of realm... all were possible.
Ouyang Nuan, however, did not hide her concern for Ning Fan. She wanted to say some reproachful words, but upon meeting Ning Fan’s somewhat fiery gaze, her words immediately lost momentum, and she only sighed softly, "The opponent is the Immortal Emperor. Husband should have been more cautious..."
Then she glanced at Ning Fan with some reproach, "I heard Husband clashed with the Baihua Emperor because of a Dabei woman?"
"It’s not what you think..." Ning Fan felt a headache, just about to explain.
But Ouyang Nuan and Zang Yue said in unison, "I understand, no need to explain." The two women had such deep tacit understanding!
Only the former spoke in a calm tone, while the latter in a mocking tone.
Ouyang Nuan was already aware that Ning Fan was the inheritor of Ancient Chaos and had psychological preparation for such matters.
Zang Yue had long believed that Ning Fan was a little thief, trying to seize any opportunity to ridicule Ning Fan with a few words.
No need to explain, huh...
Forget it, I won’t explain then...
Ning Fan left the pitiful Wu Laoba aside and sat down with the two women to chat, asking about their experiences along the way.
With Wu Laoba accompanying them, their journey was naturally chaotic, but most of the enemies were directly dealt with by Wu Laoba’s Black Fortune, including Immortal Venerable and Immortal King. As long as an Immortal Emperor didn’t appear, there were really few who could do anything to Wu Laoba.
Especially midway, Wu Laoba unexpectedly gained a green hat as a trophy, after which his Black Fortune ability increased significantly, making him even more formidable.
Though they caused quite a stir in Middle State, when they reached Baihua Peak, they were directly regarded as honored guests by the Baihua Emperor. Because of this, those forces wanting to make a move on them became quite cautious and dared not act.
After that, Zang Yue and others stayed at Baihua Peak to nourish dan medicine for the Baihua Emperor.
According to Zang Yue, the Baihua Emperor did not lack Alchemists, having hired several Ninth Revolution Golden Pill-level Alchemists to exclusively refine Healing Pills for her.
For the Four Heavens, there were very few Ninth Revolution Golden Pill-level Alchemists; for the Dabei clan, Gold Core-level Alchemists were also not many, but not rare either.
The Baihua Emperor’s injuries were extremely peculiar, and the Healing Pills were a very niche type of Ninth Revolution Golden Pill. Despite having many exclusive alchemists, there was no need for Ouyang Nuan to personally make the pills. In fact, many semi-finished pills had already been refined. However, the refining requirements of this pill were quite harsh, requiring the assistance of several rare medicine souls to succeed, and the Five-Color Medicine Soul was precisely one of them.
"The Baihua Emperor is injured by the power of reincarnation, which is why her injuries have been slow to heal..." Zang Yue sighed slightly, revealing the hidden secret.
"Power of Reincarnation? If it’s the true power of reincarnation, it might directly take Baihua Emperor’s life. Even if it causes injuries, it’s definitely not something that the Ninth Revolution Golden Pill can heal. I suppose the power of reincarnation that injured Baihua Emperor, if not flawed, must have some defects..." Ning Fan, having some understanding of the power of reincarnation, guessed correctly.
"Correct, the one who injured Baihua was merely a mimicked reincarnation power from a Second Step Great Power, not the real thing. Otherwise, Baihua’s injuries wouldn’t be so simple..." Burying Moon sighed, and after a moment, gratefully held Ouyang Nuan’s hand.
"If it weren’t for Sister Nuan possessing the Five-Color Medicine Soul, which happens to have the rare medicine soul power to refine the Divine Origin Pill, healing Baihua wouldn’t be so easy. I must thank Sister Nuan for her assistance in this matter."
"Sister Burying Moon, no need for politeness. In essence, this matter is to help my husband, so it’s natural for me to do my part."
"The Dabei Clan has many ancient pill recipes, none of which can be refined without having rare medicine souls. This is why the Dabei people hold rare medicine soul possessors in such high regard..."
"Speaking of rare medicine souls, sister, do you remember those possessors we met days ago..."
Unexpectedly, Burying Moon and Ouyang Nuan got more and more engrossed in conversation, leaving Ning Fan sidelined; the two women continued chatting on their own.
Ning Fan found it amusing, feeling he couldn’t interject, so he simply sat aside, listening to the two of them talk.
"Master... Little Ba, loyal to the core, willing to keep you company?" Wu Laoba sensed an opportunity to show loyalty, his body trembling as he approached.
"No need." Two words, understated yet cold enough to hit Wu Laoba hard!
Master Ning preferred silence to chatting with Little Ba...
Master Ning preferred silence to chatting with Little Ba...
Master Ning preferred silence...
Master...
Continued to ignore the pitiful Wu Laoba.
As Ning Fan listened deeply, his gaze gradually grew solemn because Burying Moon finally talked about her past exploits in Dabei...
According to Burying Moon, she was deeply trapped at the time when Baihua Emperor saved her, thus owing Baihua Emperor a favor.
Because of this, when Ning Fan was away, she heard of Baihua Emperor’s severe injury and contacted Baihua Emperor using Secret Technique. Learning Baihua might know the whereabouts of the ritual vessel, she rushed to Middle State with Ouyang Nuan to rescue Baihua Emperor.
In a rush to save a friend, she couldn’t wait for Ning Fan to return!
From this point of view, despite Burying Moon’s flaws, she was indeed someone who knew gratitude and repaid kindness.
"Back then, I relied on my Immortal Emperor peak cultivation to rampage in Middle State, but was severely wounded by an Ox Demon that suddenly appeared. At the critical moment, Baihua used her profound Dao of formations to save me. Without her, I might not have died, but would have paid a huge price."
"I still remember when Baihua and I first met, she was soft-hearted and merciful, as compassionate as the bodhisattva depicted in Buddhist scriptures, never so fond of youthful men... I never expected, after all these years, she would become this way... decisive in killing, overwhelmingly domineering, and surprisingly now has many male attendants..."
"After years apart, truly everything has changed..." Burying Moon mused deeply, the transformation covering all the years from ancient times to today.
Comparing the current Baihua Emperor, she certainly preferred the old Baihua, the girl who would save even ants.
Very naive, naively unlike a cultivator, but truly adorable.
Although today’s Baihua Emperor is vastly different, uninhibited and cunningly ruthless, she has always valued gratitude, and naturally wouldn’t forget the life-saving grace due to these changes.
True friendship lasts regardless of how someone changes; she is who she is.
She is just herself.
"Wait, you’re saying Baihua before and now are very different in personality?" Ning Fan suddenly spoke, interrupting the two’s conversation.
Burying Moon habitually teased, "Why do you care so much about topics related to Baihua? Are you, the little lecher, interested in Baihua? If that’s really the case, let me caution you, Baihua is the type of woman you should stay far away from."
Although her tone seemed teasing, there was a hint of genuine advice.
Fearing Ning Fan might fail in dual cultivation with Baihua and be drained by her...
Baihua now is not a kind type, better not touched...
"I’ll remember your advice. Although, do answer my question." Ning Fan felt a bit helpless, wondering when Burying Moon will change her explosive ways.
"Alright, alright, you’re the master. If you ask, how can a subordinate not answer? Baihua indeed seems different from before, but cultivation matters are just like this — people always change over time. No one stays in one place forever, nor does anyone remain unchanged..."
Is it really like this?
Ning Fan squinted slightly, his mind envisioning scenes of the old Baihua Emperor, pure as a bodhisattva, unwilling to harm even an ant.
Could it be possible...
The Baihua Emperor hasn’t massively changed in personality...
But the old Baihua and the current Baihua might not be the same person...
"Regardless of the truth, it has nothing to do with me, it’s best not to delve too deep..."
Ning Fan made a decision, stopped probing any more information on Baihua Emperor, chatted a bit more with the two women, and then went back to his room.
Ouyang Nuan had consumed a lot of energy refining pills for Baihua Emperor, so Ning Fan didn’t stay with Ouyang Nuan, giving her enough time to rest instead.
The next morning, as before, Ouyang Nuan, Burying Moon, and Wu Laoba went together to the dan refinement room in Baihua Emperor’s dwelling to use the Five-Color Medicine Soul to nurture Baihua Emperor’s semi-finished Divine Origin Pill.
Ning Fan went to check on them, realized that according to his current medicine soul level, he couldn’t help much, thus refrained from revealing his medicine soul or interfering, choosing to protect Ouyang Nuan instead.
On the third day, Ning Fan still stayed to protect Ouyang Nuan.
On the fourth day, many peak masters from Baihua Peak’s Seven Aids and Forty-Nine Peaks sent invitation cards, inviting Ning Fan to visit.
Ning Fan had promised to visit that day, and it wasn’t proper to reject, so he planned to fulfill his promise, visit them, and gather some intelligence regarding the second round of the Tomb Reseizing Competition.
The second round of the Tomb Reseizing is about to start soon!
According to Burying Moon, the second round reward includes an item vital for Baihua Emperor’s recovery after injury, and only by achieving a certain rank in the second round can one obtain this item. Without it, even a large number of Divine Origin Pills couldn’t prevent Baihua Emperor’s cultivation from dropping after recovering from injuries...
This item is called South Sea Spring Water; it’s said that consuming it ensures that after healing from severe injuries, there’s no concern about cultivation level dropping.
Given Baihua Emperor’s status, if it were a common item, she could acquire it without needing Ning Fan to win and obtain it in the second round.
The issue is, the entity offering the South Sea Spring Water as a reward isn’t from Middle State’s forces but from the Holy Mountain Sect, which apparently has some history with Baihua Emperor. Thus, even with Baihua Emperor’s special status, acquiring this item is very hard...
Unless someone could legitimately win it in the second round and give it to Baihua Emperor.
"If the South Sea Spring Water truly has such magical effects, it would greatly aid Baihua Emperor and potentially help the Ancient Chaos Grand Emperor as well..."
Ning Fan’s thoughts drifted afar; if the Ancient Chaos Grand Emperor could be successfully saved, whether he could recover his former cultivation remains uncertain.
But if he had the South Sea Spring Water...
Thus, for this second round of the Tomb Reseizing, he indeed needs to plan meticulously.
In the meantime, gathering more intelligence could increase his chances...