novelraw Chapter 690: Trust Me
Chapter 690: Trust Me
Ning Fan ultimately decided to bring Little Dugu along.
With Sovereign Xia accompanying them, the journey would pose no danger.
The Xia Kingdom’s Secret Ground, which Sovereign Xia has entered countless times alone, the greatest danger is only enough to kill an ordinary Fate Immortal.
For Sovereign Xia, no danger is a danger.
Ling Emperor heard that Ning Fan and Dugu were going to the Xia Kingdom’s Secret Ground and naturally advised them against going sternly.
However, when Sovereign Xia demonstrated a hint of his prowess before Ling Emperor, the latter was stunned and had no more doubts.
Ling Emperor never knew that the last Sovereign Xia of the Xia Kingdom had lived for six million years, living through to this era.
Sovereign Xia’s power is profoundly immeasurable, having him accompany them put Ling Emperor at ease.
"Let’s go."
Sovereign Xia took a single step forward, and immediately ripples appeared underfoot.
The ripples resonated beneath Ning Fan and Dugu’s feet, and they immediately felt integrated into heaven and earth.
In just the span of a breath, Sovereign Xia had taken Ning Fan and Dugu from Snow Frontier to Tianjiang.
"How incredibly mystical his cultivation speed!" Ning Fan’s eyes shone with amazement.
"This is the Art of Shrinking Earth into Inches, understood by only a few True Immortals. Take this jade scroll; it records my insights in understanding this technique. If one day you break through to the True Immortal stage, study this technique closely; you will surely reap benefits."
Sovereign Xia casually tossed Ning Fan a jade scroll without turning his head.
His gaze was filled with sorrow as he looked at a deep chasm before him.
This chasm is the entrance to the Xia Kingdom’s Secret Ground.
Ning Fan took the jade scroll, glanced at it once, and then sighed appreciatively, storing it away.
The jade scroll contains all of Sovereign Xia’s insights into the art of Shrinking Earth into Inches, yet these insights cannot be comprehended by the current Ning Fan.
Looking at the bottomless chasm, Little Dugu felt a slight ache in her heart for some reason.
She furrowed her delicate brows, her face slightly pale.
Ning Fan grasped Little Dugu’s soft hand, frowning. Little Dugu’s hand was so cold...
He transferred a thread of his Mana into Little Dugu’s body, and her complexion gradually improved.
"If you feel unwell, perhaps you shouldn’t go." Ning Fan said with concern.
"No, I want to go. But, could you let go of my hand..."
Little Dugu’s face flushed slightly, trying to withdraw her hand, but Ning Fan held it tightly, unable to pull away.
This was her first time holding hands with Ning Fan...
She could clearly feel the warmth of Ning Fan’s palm. Warm, safe, and somehow made her feel a bit attached.
"Just like this, I’ll hold your hand, and you’ll stay by my side. After entering the secret ground, no matter what danger arises, don’t be afraid. I’m here!"
Even with Sovereign Xia accompanying them, Ning Fan remained exceptionally alert.
One must never let their guard down.
"Follow behind me, and don’t take a step away." Sovereign Xia reminded them, his figure soaring as he leapt into the chasm.
Ning Fan momentarily released Little Dugu’s hand, making her feel somewhat lost.
Suddenly, Little Dugu felt a strong arm encircle her soft waist.
Ning Fan embraced Little Dugu, leaping straight to the bottom of the chasm. The chasm was a million zhang deep, where Sovereign Xia awaited at the bottom.
Releasing her waist, holding her hand once more, Ning Fan began to examine the environment at the chasm’s bottom.
This was an ancient relic, with an artificial crystal sun in the sky, making the underground as bright as day.
Underfoot, the soil was soft, overgrown with weeds. There was a scent of grass in the air, mixed with a faint blood scent.
Faint, but Ning Fan’s sensitivity to the scent of blood was notably keen.
Amid the grassy expanse were numerous toppled ancient monuments, each inscribed with just two words, written in Divine Seal Script...
Abandoned Sword!
The words were carved by a sword, elegant yet sharp, as if done by a woman.
It was easy to imagine, this being the Sword Ancestor’s Secret Land, the words were naturally inscribed by the Sword Ancestor.
But why did the Sword Ancestor carve the words "Abandoned Sword," and so many times?
Could there be some profound sword principles contained in "Abandoned Sword"?
"My Sword Intent was comprehended within this secret ground, hence carrying a hint of the Sword Ancestor’s Sword Intent."
"Beyond this grassland lies a deserted forest, where the Immortal Array is located; the people you sent died there."
Sovereign Xia finished speaking and went ahead.
Ning Fan deeply glanced at the ancient monument, holding Dugu’s hand as they left.
Dugu stared at the monument, temporarily lost, a bit bewildered.
"Abandon the sword, abandon the sword..."
She murmured these two words, feeling a slight pain in her heart.
She didn’t know why she had this feeling, just an inexplicable sense that the woman who carved these words must have felt deep, deep pain in her heart.
Why she had such a feeling, she did not know.
As she traveled more than ten miles forward, a huge desolate forest appeared before her.
In the desolate forest, each giant tree was a hundred thousand feet tall, with withered branches and no leaves.
On the ground, there were withered bones that had fallen for many years, and some newly arrived remnants of corpses.
The owners of these remnants were all the Encompassing Heaven Hall’s strongmen.
Ning Fan looked solemnly at each giant tree. He could tell that among every few dozen giant trees, there was a giant tree that contained Ancestral Sword Qi, capable of instantly killing a Broken First Layer cultivator.
Thousands upon thousands of giant trees were arranged according to an array, forming a terrifyingly powerful Immortal-grade Sword Formation!
The reason it was an Immortal-grade Sword Formation was that the power of the Sword Qi weakened over time due to erosion.
This formation was certainly set up by the sword ancestor. If its power were at its peak, any True Immortal venturing into it would face only death!
Seeing the countless remnants of the Encompassing Heaven Hall strongmen, Ning Fan felt no sorrow. The Encompassing Heaven Hall was originally an enemy, only forcibly taken as slaves by him; dead was dead.
Sovereign Xia, however, looked at the withered bones from years past with sorrowful and guilty eyes.
Those people were the strongmen of the Xia Kingdom from six million years ago, fallen here due to a momentary lapse by Sovereign Xia.
Hissing sounds!
As Ning Fan and his group delved deeper into the desolate forest, the surrounding sword array suddenly reacted, and hundreds or thousands of Ancestral Sword Qi burst through the formation, attacking Ning Fan and the others.
Ning Fan, without a word, pulled Little Dugu protectively behind him, ready to act at any moment.
His gaze was extremely grave, with at least twelve hundred Ancestral Sword Qi present here!
Each Sword Qi could instantly kill a Broken First Layer cultivator. If attacked by all twelve hundred Sword Qi simultaneously, even an ordinary Fate Immortal would be severely injured!
"Gather!"
Sovereign Xia grasped with a large hand, capturing all twelve hundred strands of Sword Qi into his palm.
With a concentration of mana, all the Sword Qi merged into a single golden sword light.
With another concentration, the golden sword light transformed into a small golden sword.
"This can be used for protection."
Sovereign Xia handed the small golden sword to Ning Fan, saying no more, and continued onward.
Ning Fan took the small sword, feeling the vast Sword Qi contained within it, his gaze changed.
This small sword was formed by Sword Qi and, once invoked, could transform into twelve hundred Ancestral Sword Qi, capable of severely injuring a Fate Immortal with a single strike!
Stowing away the small golden sword, Ning Fan took Little Dugu’s hand and closely followed behind Sovereign Xia.
Sovereign Xia stopped beneath the largest giant tree in the desolate forest and pointed a finger at it.
With a flash of golden light, the giant tree before them turned to dust and dissipated.
In the next instant, all the trees in the desolate forest turned to dust and dissipated.
After doing this, Sovereign Xia raised a hand towards the ground, pulling up a sword-shaped golden stone from below, and handed it to Little Dugu.
"The Immortal-grade Sword Formation has been destroyed. This is a sword stone formed by the array’s power, which can greatly enhance a Sword Cultivator’s cultivation. One sword stone is enough for you to directly break through to the Void Glimpse Stage."
Little Dugu glanced at Ning Fan, and seeing Ning Fan nod, she accepted the sword stone.
"Beyond the desolate forest, it becomes very dangerous. Of course, the danger is relative to you. Stay close to the old man, not straying a single step!"
Beyond the desolate forest lay vast, ancient tombs.
The air was filled with a sinister mist, and from within the mist came the distant sound of bells.
A supremely dangerous feeling immediately arose in Ning Fan’s mind.
Little Dugu, however, was lost in thought, oblivious to the perils of the place.
She silently gazed at the numerous ancient tombs, speechless.
Her heart once again felt waves of dull pain...
Unbidden images of flesh and blood flying filled her mind.
"It hurts..."
She cradled her head with one hand, biting her lip with her teeth, her eyes filled with pain, almost collapsing.
Disregarding the eerie bell sounds, Ning Fan hurriedly supported Little Dugu, channeling mana into her body continuously.
"What’s wrong?" Ning Fan’s face was full of concern.
"It’s nothing... just feeling a bit unwell... much better now." With Ning Fan’s help, Little Dugu’s complexion gradually improved.
Meanwhile, the bell sounds around them were drawing nearer.
Through the sinister mist, four Fracture Eighth Giant Ghosts approached, carrying a massive iron palanquin covered in chains, evoking a murderous intent.
Sitting atop the massive iron palanquin was a green-faced, sharp-toothed ghost, dressed in a long red robe, with rogue immortal-level cultivation yet physical strength comparable to a Fate Immortal!
Gradually, amidst the thick fog, a second, third, and fourth iron sedan chair appeared.
Four iron sedan chairs, sixteen giant ghosts with Fracture Eighth cultivation, four ghosts with bodies ascended to immortality!
Ning Fan’s gaze trembled. The Fracture Eighth giant ghosts were still manageable, but the four ghosts with immortal bodies were impossible for him to defeat!
The power of each punch from these four ghosts was comparable to a strike from a Fate Immortal!
Roar!
The iron sedan chairs descended, and the sixteen giant ghosts with Fracture Eighth cultivation strode forward, each step causing the earth to shake.
The four ghosts with immortal bodies had hollow eyes. Among them, two raised their fingers to point downwards, with two beams of sword light emitting from their fingers, aiming straight at the Sovereign Xia.
The other two flickered and vanished without a trace. In the next moment, they appeared simultaneously on either side of Ning Fan and Little Dugu, their ghost claws reaching directly toward the two of them.
A casual swipe of their claws was enough to easily tear apart a rogue immortal!
"Begone!"
Sovereign Xia’s gaze turned cold as he spat out a single word, and his voice immediately transformed into an invisible sword light, slashing towards the twenty ghosts.
In just an instant, all sixteen giant ghosts were shattered into pieces.
And the four ghosts with immortal bodies were directly bisected by the sonic sword.
"The Sword Technique of Words!" Ning Fan’s gaze trembled. To his surprise, such a technique truly existed.
It seemed Teng Xianrou was quite interested in the Sword Technique of Words. If he could obtain this technique and gift it to Teng Xianrou, it would surely be a lovely gesture.
Gazing again at the twenty ghosts Sovereign Xia had slain in an instant, they fell to the ground and immediately transformed into broken ancient swords, their light dim, their Sword Intent scattered.
"These are sword ghosts. When the Sword Master dies, the Sword Spirit perishes; when the Sword Spirit becomes a ghost, it turns into a sword ghost. In my younger years, I narrowly escaped death at the hands of the sword ghosts here..."
After speaking, Sovereign Xia took out a jade scroll from his storage pouch and handed it to Ning Fan.
Ning Fan glanced at the jade scroll and found that it contained the method for cultivating the Sword Technique of Words.
"The Sword Technique of Words is not powerful, but it contains a trace of the Great Divine Power of ’Spirit Speech’. The three major realms of a True Immortal are Enlightenment, Shedding Void Stage, and Shattered Thought. Shattered Thought has two stages: the Word Stage and the Thought Stage... Spirit Speech, as the thought arises, the Dao manifests. This is the key to breaking through the Shattered Thought realm. This technique is not strong, but it may help you realize the realm of Spirit Speech sooner."
After speaking, Sovereign Xia advanced once more.
Ning Fan sighed lightly. On this journey, Sovereign Xia continuously offered opportunities, only seeking his assistance.
Stowing away the jade scroll, Ning Fan held Little Dugu and followed closely behind Sovereign Xia, determined to help Sovereign Xia retrieve Mengx Bingyun’s remains.
Formation after formation was easily broken by Sovereign Xia.
Powerful sword ghosts were decimated with a mere pointed finger from Sovereign Xia.
He had come here many times. Since Mengx Bingyun’s passing, he had repeatedly stormed the forbidden land.
Initially, lacking in cultivation, he was no match for the sword ghosts and returned in defeat every time.
Later, he comprehended life and death, could contend with the sword ghosts, yet still couldn’t enter the Sword Lake.
Six million years had passed, and his strength had long reached the level of a True Immortal.
He could easily obliterate some of the living and dead things here, yet entering the Sword Lake was beyond him.
The lake’s waters seemed to mock him, as if lost things could never be reclaimed.
"We’ve arrived..."
Beyond a high mountain lay a serene lake flanked by peculiar stones, each with an ancient sword embedded upon it.
The glistening lake waters appeared ordinary, but Ning Fan sensed a hint of danger from them.
Ning Fan’s eyes glimmered as he casually picked up a fallen leaf from the ground and tossed it into the lake.
As the leaf touched the water, it sank directly, forming thin layers of ice...
"Even leaves can’t float..." Ning Fan furrowed his brows deeply.
With his Minor Five Elements Constitution, defending against the lake’s icy power wouldn’t be difficult.
Yet, with his current cultivation, should he enter the lake, he feared he would sink like the leaf, never able to rise again.
Only a Fate Immortal could traverse freely in this lake, it seemed.
Of course, any Fate Immortal would only have one chance to enter the lake; a second entry would defy the laws and result in certain death.
"This is Sword Lake, also known as the Sword Lake of Heart Inquiry. It’s said the lake’s waters can reflect shadows of past lives... but such reflections can only be seen by oneself, invisible to others."
Upon Sovereign Xia’s words, Ning Fan and Little Dugu, driven by curiosity, approached the lake, gazing down at their reflections in the water.
Ning Fan’s reflection in the lake was of butterflies, not just one, but hundreds and thousands.
He had reincarnated countless times, and in each life, he was a butterfly.
He traded the life of a butterfly through lifetimes for this one human life.
"Can you see your past life..." Ning Fan cast his gaze sideways, looking at Little Dugu.
At this moment, Little Dugu was tearfully looking at her reflection in the water.
What did she see? Ning Fan didn’t know; only Little Dugu herself knew.
"Don’t cry... I’m here."
Ning Fan didn’t ask what she saw; he simply held Little Dugu’s trembling body close, attempting to warm her wandering heart with his own warmth.
"Little demon Ning, was your past life a butterfly..." Little Dugu asked softly.
"Yes."
"I see... I abandoned my sword, gave up a lifetime of bloodshed, just to exchange for this reunion with you. It was worth it..." She didn’t say much, only spoke words that Ning Fan couldn’t understand.
Even though he didn’t fully understand, Ning Fan’s heart was inexplicably touched.
He had a vague feeling that he owed Dugu too much.
"What exactly did you see..." Ning Fan asked tenderly.
"Don’t ask, never know..." Dugu raised a tear-stained smile.
Ning Fan wanted to use the Mind Reading Technique to see what Dugu had seen.
In a past life, did he owe Dugu...?
He wanted to see clearly, but unfortunately, there was a powerful force inside Dugu protecting her, preventing Ning Fan from seeing her heart.
Don’t ask, never know...
That’s how it should be...
Dugu reached out her hand, gently caressing the contours of Ning Fan’s face, with gratitude and contentment.
This was her first time touching Ning Fan so proactively.
In her gaze, there seemed to be something more... longing.
Ning Fan felt a sudden pain, holding Dugu tightly in his embrace.
Damn it, what did this woman see that made her cry...
There was no answer, whether she chose to say it or not, it would never be spoken of in a lifetime.
This answer may only be found by Ning Fan himself, perhaps never in this lifetime.
"Ahem ahem..." Sovereign Xia coughed awkwardly.
He was still there, watching these two young lovers entwined as if there was no one else around.
Dugu’s face flushed red, wiping her tears inelegantly on Ning Fan’s collar, gently pushed Ning Fan away, and tidied her hair, "You should go help Senior Xia."
"What madam says is right, I almost forgot there were still duties to attend to."
Ning Fan teased, looking at Dugu’s playfully angry expression, his heart gradually calmed.
That answer, he would naturally know when his cultivations were enough.
The mystery of reincarnation encompasses all, allowing one to glimpse past and present lives.
"Senior, is it time to transfer the Spirit power to me?" Ning Fan asked.
With his cultivations, it was easy to enter Sword Lake, but impossible to leave.
Only with Sovereign Xia exerting all his power to temporarily grant him Life Immortal cultivations, could he confidently make the trip.
"Alright, I will draw out the Spirit power and temporarily lend it to you. Come closer."
Sovereign Xia raised a hand, pointing at Ning Fan’s Tian Ling, closing his eyes, transferring the Spirit power into Ning Fan’s body one by one.
His aura quickly diminished, though still an Immortal, no longer as mighty as before.
Meanwhile, Ning Fan’s aura surged, ascending from the Crumbled Void Seventh Layer, to the Eighth, the Ninth, and Peaked... Life Immortal!
Life Immortal is divided into Human Profound and Ghost Profound realms.
Ning Fan’s realm now was at the Human Profound Initial Stage of Life Immortal!
Feeling the vast mana within, Ning Fan’s eyes flashed, but there was not much shock.
Controlling the surging mana within was also very comfortable, with no discomfort.
He had once temporarily possessed Immortal Emperor Realm magic power; Life Immortal was naturally insignificant.
"Oh? You are able to easily control Life Immortal realm magic power?" Sovereign Xia’s face was pale like paper, his look slightly shaken.
Ning Fan’s capabilities were even greater than he had expected.
At this moment, Sovereign Xia had lent all his Spirit power to Ning Fan, leaving himself extremely weak, perhaps unable to best even Fragmentation Eight Cultivators.
Ning Fan sighed, turned towards Sword Lake, ready to leap in, but Little Dugu caught his arm.
"Take me with you!"
"Listen to me, Sword Lake is very dangerous, if there’s any accident..."
Ning Fan was interrupted by Dugu’s resolute words before he finished.
"Trust me, I won’t be in trouble, I can help you. Trust me."
Trust me, I can come and go from Sword Lake as I please, I can protect you...
Trust me, trust me...
Ning Fan was silent for a moment, then embraced Little Dugu, leaping into Sword Lake together.
He decided to trust her!
If she truly were in danger, he would protect her with his life! (To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com) with recommendation tickets and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please read on m.qidian.com.)