Winter cos and sumr goes; spring departs and winter arrives. The bamboo grove outside the door is blanketed by snow again and again, and the icicles hanging from the eaves fall ti after ti. The world changes, yet the cultivation within the cave mansion goes on year after year without the slightest alteration.
And so, in the blink of an eye, ten years have passed.
In this year, Ning Daoran turned 450 years old, and the day of the opening of Jiuyou City drew ever closer.
"Boom——"
Within a small house in the Spirit Garden Cave Heaven, a wave of energy rippled outward. The air faintly surged with the mystical image of a Dragon Demon.
"Awooo~~"
Big Stupid Deer hurriedly bolted out of another small room, only to see his elder brother step out, emanating a striking Dragon Demon aura. His physique had grown even more balanced and muscular, and he wielded a Big Green Dragon spear with a faint smile upon his face.
At this mont, the twenty-eighth layer of the Dragon Demon Heart Scripture had finally advanced!
Ning Daoran’s goal was to reach the thirtieth layer of the Dragon Demon Heart Scripture. According to its derived knowledge, once this cultivation technique was refined to the thirtieth layer, it would produce a transformation, allowing the practitioner to summon a domain force known as the "Dragon Demon Dojo"!
Throughout history, only the original creator of this martial art was able to cultivate the Dragon Demon Dojo. That individual was a true power, who had once used iron fists to slay Divinity Transformation Stage terrors in the Human World!
"Mission accomplished!"
Ning Daoran took a quick stride forward, grabbed Big Stupid Deer’s head, and gave it a vigorous rub, laughing: "Old Lu, did you miss ?"
"Awooo~~~"
Big Stupid Deer’s tail wagged so fast that it beca a blur, expressing that his elder brother’s retreat had already lasted ten years, and he’d been missing him to the point of nearly losing his appetite and sleep.
"Brother Ran!"
Not far away, Little Blackie and Ning Xiaogui arrived, standing with straight postures, exuding the appearance of battle-ready warriors.
"Young Master."
Little Bai drifted over lightly, her charming face glowing with joy.
"Young Master..."
From another direction, a flickering ghostly light approached—it was Little Qing. At this mont, she remained an Early Nascent Soul Stage evil spirit, but the longer she spent cultivating and nurturing herself in the Spirit Garden Cave Heaven, the more her hostility dissipated and her spiritual energy increased significantly.
Ning Daoran even suspected that Little Qing’s future achievents in the Earth Immortal Realm would not be insignificant. The ghostly cultivation path she walked might share a similar reasoning as Lin Man’s painstaking plans for Chi Shan’s "ghost cultivation!"
Hence, he began plotting to smuggle Little Bai, Little Qing, and others to the Ascension Platform. Given their advancent speed, by the ti he reached the Divinity Transformation Stage, they likely would not yet achieve that stage. Waiting was not an option, so smuggling them to the Earth Immortal Realm—with its richer spiritual energy and more perfected cosmic laws—would enable them to cultivate more rapidly.
Of course, such matters could not be rushed; it depended on fate.
...
Walking out of the cave mansion, he arrived before Jade Marrow Immortal’s gates.
"Yusui, I’ve erged from seclusion. Are you there?"
"I’m here."
Jade Marrow Immortal imdiately lifted the restrictions on her cave mansion and said with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Ning, please co in."
Ning Daoran placed one hand behind his back, exuding the charm of immortality, as he stepped inside her cave mansion and chuckled, "Ten years apart, you’ve beco more beautiful..."
"Oh?"
Jade Marrow Immortal cast him a sidelong glance and responded with a laugh, "Ten years apart, Fellow Daoist Ning seems to have developed a glib tongue?"
"Haha, it’s rely that ten years apart, I found myself missing you a little. By the way... have the hundred talismans I commissioned been refined?"
"Mhm."
Jade Marrow Immortal took out a storage bag and handed it over, saying, "The talismans you entrusted to refine are all here. Please check them thoroughly."
"Indeed, that must be checked."
Ning Daoran opened the storage bag and carefully counted.
After so ti, he looked up in surprise. "One hundred twenty-six pieces?"
"Exactly."
Jade Marrow Immortal explained with a smile, "Although your order was for one hundred fourth-order talismans, you provided ample talisman paper and Dan Sand. In the interest of not wasting materials, I refined them at a slower pace and achieved a higher success rate, ultimately producing a total of one hundred twenty-six fourth-order talismans."
"..."
Ning Daoran was taken aback; this was not conventional practice.
Commissioning talisman refinent had always carried a gamble. Ning Daoran indeed provided ample materials, but the demand was explicitly set at one hundred fourth-order talismans.
The premise, however, was that higher success rates would yield more profit for the refiner, while lower rates would require the refiner to supplent the talismans out of pocket.
Yet now, she had given him all the excess talismans, which was indeed bending the rules.
"This won’t do."
Ning Daoran extracted twenty-six talismans and offered them back. "The order clearly stated one hundred talismans—no more, no less. I cannot take advantage of you. Please reclaim these twenty-six talismans."
"You are heading to Jiuyou City, and talismans are invaluable. There’s no need to be so polite. Ultimately, I just hope you return safely. What do a few talismans matter?" Jade Marrow Immortal was resolute.
"However, taking this advantage of you is truly..." Ning Daoran hesitated.
"Fellow Daoist Ning..."
Jade Marrow Immortal bit her red lips and gazed at him, puzzled. "You are truly peculiar. I’m willing for you to take advantage, yet you refuse to accept it. Where in the cultivation world can one find soone like you..."
Ning Daoran flushed with sha, at a loss for words.
"Brother, are you in the cave mansion?"
At that mont, a voice called from outside—it was Ning Mingyu.
"Fellow Daoist Ning, Fairy Mingyu is here to see you."
Jade Marrow Immortal smiled and added, "Hurry on, then."
"Never mind."
Ning Daoran sighed helplessly. "I’ll argue with you about this later."
"I look forward to your argunt."
With that, Ning Daoran drifted out of the cave mansion.
"Brother?"
Ning Mingyu stiffened slightly as she cast a suspicious look at Ning Daoran, wondering why he had erged from Jade Marrow Immortal’s cave mansion.
"Prior to my retreat, I commissioned Yusui to refine talismans. This visit was to settle that commission."
"I see."
Ning Mingyu smiled. "Father sent to inform you—the opening of Jiuyou City is scheduled for one month from now, and he hopes you can prepare yourself well. There may be magic-immune demons in Jiuyou City, and since you are the primary force in this expedition, you mustn’t slack off."
"Understood."
Ning Daoran asked, "Mingyu, are you going as well?"
"Of course!"
Ning Mingyu answered. "I have re-refined my Sea Covering Sword Formation and mastered its use. This ti, I’m planning to cut down all my enemies within Jiuyou City."
"Cut down all your enemies?"
Ning Daoran’s mouth twitched. "Worry about your own safety first. If you can return unscathed, I’ll thank the heavens. As for cutting down enemies—that’s the job of Nascent Soul Late Stage cultivators and Divinity Transformation powerhouses. What business does a Nascent Soul Early Stage shrimp like you have with it?"
"..."
Ning Mingyu dropped her head, utterly speechless.
Ever since she ford her Nascent Soul, she had been addressed as a senior and even esteed as "Ancestor Mingyu" by descendants of the Ning Family. Yet, in Ning Daoran’s words, she was rely a Nascent Soul Stage shrimp?
But Ning Mingyu couldn’t refute him. She was well aware of Ning Daoran’s abilities. In the Endless Demon Sea, he displayed combat strength equal to Nascent Soul Late Stage, and in the Black Tide battle, his power surpassed even Divinity Transformation Stage!
Her father, Ning Tianyi, though profound in his Divinity Transformation cultivation, had never dared to venture into the depths of a Black Tide Abyss alone!
"Brother, you always belittle !" she protested with a pout, clutching Ning Daoran’s arm.
"I’m just reminding you not to get carried away after advancing to Nascent Soul. The path forward is long; aim to be unrivaled among peers and strive to beco a top-tier Nascent Soul cultivator. Understand?"
"I understand."
Ning Mingyu leaned her delicate face against his shoulder and chuckled, "Brother, you’ve been in retreat for ten years. Do you know how I’ve managed these ten years? Every ti I think about the Braised Golden Dragon Spirit Carp you made, my pillow ends up wet from dreaming about it at night..."
"Such a little glutton..."
Ning Daoran replied helplessly.
Ning Mingyu giggled.
The two stepped into the cave mansion, and Ning Daoran imdiately commanded sternly, "Old Lu, fire up the wok and heat the oil! Start caralizing the sugar!"
...
Several days later.
Having eaten her fill, Ning Mingyu rubbed her round belly with a satisfied smile and departed in a flash of tunneling light.
"Fellow Daoist Ning."
In the afternoon, True Monarch Liu Yun visited.
"Fellow Daoist Liu Yun, please co in."
Ning Daoran rose promptly to greet True Monarch Liu Yun and welcod her into his cave mansion, then asked Little Bai to prepare tea and Big Stupid Deer to ready various ingredients for the evening’s cooking.
"Hehe~~"
Seeing Big Stupid Deer head to the kitchen, True Monarch Liu Yun knew she was in for a feast.
Once seated, True Monarch Liu Yun remarked, "The opening of Jiuyou City is less than a month away. For the past two years, there’s been much fervent talk around the city. People speculate that Jiuyou City may contain extraordinary opportunities. Perhaps we might make so unexpected discoveries."
"Don’t get your hopes up."
Ning Daoran replied, "Jiuyou City is a demonized domain. Just surviving and leaving safely would already be no small feat. As for opportunities, it’s best to let fate decide."
"True!"
True Monarch Liu Yun agreed. "It’s been over ten years now. How has your study of the Void Returning Array inheritance progressed?"
"Study?"
Ning Daoran blinked in surprise. "I’m supposed to study it still?"
"Huh? You..."
True Monarch Liu Yun abruptly rose in astonishnt. "You don’t an to say..."
Ning Daoran swiftly tapped his storage bag, and in an instant, several array flags and array plates flew out—a complete Void Returning Array. With these, he could imdiately set up a Fourth-Order Top-Grade Void Returning Array!
"Ah!?"
True Monarch Liu Yun collapsed delicately to the floor, her face pale as a ghost.
How was this even possible? He’d simply refined it outright? Advancing to a Fourth-Level Top-Grade Array Master was truly that effortless?
She had spent ten arduous years in seclusion but had only grasped about eighty percent mastery of the Void Returning Array. Refinent wasn’t even within reach yet. How could Ning Daoran possibly be human?
In the Array Path, Ning Daoran was unparalleled; none could compare.
"Swish!"
He promptly retracted the array flags and array plates, unaware of the profound blow this matter had dealt to True Monarch Liu Yun.
"Fellow Daoist Liu Yun."
Ning Daoran cleared his throat and said warmly, "You might as well stay here at my cave mansion for the ti being. If there’s anything unclear regarding the Void Returning Array inheritance, you’re welco to ask. I’ll share everything I know without reservation, withholding nothing!"
"Truly?"
True Monarch Liu Yun’s face lit up with delight, deeply touched. Despite being renowned as an aloof and proud female cultivator, she now felt the impulse to beco Ning Daoran’s concubine!
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