They lingered in the territory of the Ice Tear Frogs for a few days.
This was Ning Yuzhou’s decision. He treated the Ice Tear Frogs as sparring partners for Wen Qiao, having the Qianlin Guards control the number of Ice Tear Frogs and confine them to a designated area where Wen Qiao and the frogs would engage in fierce combat.
This method was highly effective. Though dangerous, the path of cultivation defies the heavens. On the road of cultivation, one faces countless crises. Only by breaking through oneself, constantly improving and advancing through battle, can one live better.
Ning Yuzhou understood this deeply.
Thus, he methodically trained Wen Qiao, hardening his heart to make her join the fights. Even when she was injured, he refrained from letting the Qianlin Guards intervene.
Moreover, when devising Wen Qiao’s training plan, Ning Yuzhou exhibited a terrifyingly precise level of control. He maintained a perfect balance, allowing Wen Qiao to use the Ice Tear Frogs to temper herself while stopping just short of her breaking point, keeping her oscillating daily between bursts of strength and utter exhaustion.
Every time, Wen Qiao ended up in a sorry state. The once beautiful young girl now looked like a dirty and tattered beggar, a far cry from the pristine and elegant image she had when entering Lintai Hunting Valley under Ning Yuzhou’s and the Qianlin Guards’ protection.
Her quality of life had changed dramatically.
However, Wen Qiao knew Ning Yuzhou was doing this for her own good. In the past, due to health issues, she spent half of each month bedridden and had limited time to cultivate, let alone gain combat experience. This trip to Lintai Hunting Valley was a rare chance to make up for her lack of battle proficiency. Wen Qiao cherished it deeply and wished her body were stronger so she could train even more.
The results were remarkable; Wen Qiao’s cultivation improved at a terrifying pace.
—
After collapsing from exhaustion once again, Ning Yuzhou walked over, fed her a spiritual pill, then carried her limp body from the cold, damp ground into a nearby tent.
Compared to the frost-covered world outside, the tent was warm and cozy. The ground was lined with soft beast furs, and a temperature-regulating array kept the cold at bay.
Ning Yuzhou fetched water to wipe Wen Qiao’s face and exposed skin. When he began to remove her sweat- and blood-soaked clothes, the exhausted girl quickly clutched her garments, blushing as she whispered, “I’ll do it myself.”
Ning Yuzhou studied her for a moment. Seeing that she still had the strength to change clothes today, he decided he could increase the intensity of her training.
He turned around as the girl behind him shuffled to change her clothes. Once she was done, he took out medicinal herbs, ground them into a paste, and carefully applied them to her wounds.
With internal pills and external ointments working in tandem, her injuries healed almost entirely by the next day, allowing her to fight again.
Afterward, he brought over a bowl of Six-Yang Seven-Flavor Profound Yin Soup for her to drink.
By the time she finished, night had fallen.
Ning Yuzhou sat across from Wen Qiao. The two of them, husband and wife, faced each other.
Wen Qiao straightened her back, adopting a serious expression as she listened attentively to her husband’s advice and critiques of her cultivation shortcomings.
Yes, ever since Wen Qiao had broken through to the Yuan Feather Stage, Ning Yuzhou had assumed the demeanor of a senior, analyzing her flaws after each battle. The first time he critiqued the weaknesses in her Graceful Maiden’s Swallow Sword Technique, Wen Qiao was completely stunned.
Over the past days, she had already realized that her husband was not the useless man the outside world believed him to be. But did he have to be this monstrous? While he couldn’t cultivate, his insights were sharp and his knowledge incredibly vast—like a walking encyclopedia of the cultivation world. He could even pinpoint the strengths and weaknesses of techniques with uncanny precision. The word “monstrous” hardly sufficed to describe it.
Wen Qiao almost suspected that he was a great master reborn after taking over someone else’s body.
Only someone with such extensive experiences could, as a mere mortal, possess such a keen eye and guide cultivators on their path.
But her suspicions were quickly dispelled. Ning Yuzhou was simply too astute. Before she could dwell further on her thoughts, he had already noticed and said, “Though I cannot cultivate, my perspective is not limited to one domain. I can observe and analyze. These techniques are relatively low-level; even ordinary cultivators can discern a thing or two.”
He looked at her with a smile, his gaze warm and his tone gentle.
Wen Qiao: “…”
At that moment, Wen Qiao stared at him fixedly, while Ning Yuzhou returned her gaze with calm and sincerity. It was then that she confirmed—Ning Yuzhou was an incredibly clever and frightening person, so sharp that he could match cultivators even as a mere mortal.
Even though he couldn’t cultivate, he possessed an even more terrifying level of knowledge and perception. If such aptitude were placed in a cultivator, it would be like adding wings to a tiger.
Later, the reactions of the Qianlin Guards further validated her suspicions.
For the Qianlin Guards not only obeyed Ning Yuzhou alone but also regarded him as their faith.
Wen Qiao finally understood that this group of Qianlin Guards was personally created by Ning Yuzhou. They were his Qianlin Guards, unrelated to the Ning imperial family. They obeyed only him and would sacrifice their lives for his sake.
After pointing out the shortcomings in Wen Qiao’s battle today, Ning Yuzhou said, “You’re now in the late Yuan Feather Stage. Tomorrow, we’ll leave here and move to the next location. Let’s aim to break through to the Yuan Bright Stage as soon as possible.”
Clearly, the third-grade Ice Tear Frogs were no longer suitable sparring partners for Wen Qiao. Ning Yuzhou had decided to find the next place for training.
In just ten short days, Wen Qiao had already reached the late Yuan Feather Stage, crossing three minor realms. To cultivators, this was extremely rare and demonstrated the exceptional quality of her Yuan Spiritual Root. The extraordinariness of a supreme-grade Heavenly Spiritual Root was evident. With Ning Yuzhou’s guidance in nourishing her body, she could accumulate strength and make rapid breakthroughs through continuous effort.
However, it was also normal for cultivators to progress quickly at lower stages.
Wen Qiao gave a soft “Oh,” showing no opposition to his decision.
During this time, her husband had already proven with his intelligence that all of his decisions were correct. Wen Qiao trusted him deeply.
The two of them then rested. Ning Yuzhou lay down, his warm eyes fixed on the meditating figure not far away.
Wen Qiao had grown used to his gaze and didn’t mind. She quickly immersed herself in cultivation, allowing the surrounding Yuan energy and the essence of grass and trees to flow into her body, nourishing it. The spiritual energy gathered in her spiritual apertures and steadily grew.
The cultivation environment in Lintai Hunting Valley was undoubtedly far superior to the outside world.
Though Ning Yuzhou couldn’t sense the presence of the Yuan energy or the essence of plants and trees, he could notice the changes in Wen Qiao. He watched her cultivate with a faint smile, but he didn’t point it out.
—
The next day, they left the territory of the Ice Tear Frogs.
Perhaps because they had fought so many battles with the Ice Tear Frogs during this period—Wen Qiao facing them head-on and slaying many under her sword—their blood had stained both her and the Qianlin Guards. As a result, the surrounding Ice Tear Frogs no longer dared to attack them, allowing them to leave the territory smoothly.
The icy mist dissipated, and the surrounding moisture rose, filling the air with a warm and humid atmosphere.
Lush grass and towering trees stretched skyward, dense vines coiling around their trunks and hanging down. From within the forest came the occasional rustling of unknown insects and ants crawling about.
As they walked, the scenery alternated between mountains, forests, and open plains, all teeming with countless beasts. By now, everyone understood that this Lintai Hunting Valley was predominantly home to beasts. Strange terrains, which often bred rare treasures, were sparse, leaving many participants disappointed.
Although there were plenty of beasts in the dense forest, there was also an abundance of spiritual herbs.
That day, Wen Qiao was carefully digging up a third-grade Suspended Silk Grass. She had just painstakingly gathered its tens of thousands of silky threads and was preparing to cut it with a shovel when a sudden explosion sounded from ahead. The blast startled the beasts in the forest. Several low-grade beasts fled in panic, and one of them dashed right past her, nearly trampling the delicate threads of her hard-won Suspended Silk Grass.
Wen Qiao reached out and pinched the fleeing beast with her slender fingers, lifting it up.
“Help!”
In the distance, a cry for help rang out, accompanied by a loud buzzing. Moments later, four figures came fleeing toward them, pursued by a swarm of fist-sized demon bees. The dense swarm, like a black cloud, chased relentlessly after the four.
As they ran, the four attackers threw talismans behind them, each exploding in the swarm with loud booms.
Although the explosions from the fire talismans killed many of the demon bees, it only enraged the swarm further, driving them to pursue even more fiercely.
The four noticed the Qianlin Guards ahead and their faces lit up with joy. Without hesitation, they bolted in their direction.
Wen Qiao swiftly finished digging up and storing the Suspended Silk Grass. Seeing the four rushing straight toward them, she instantly understood their intentions. Her expression turned serious, and she immediately positioned herself protectively in front of her husband.
Amid the chaos, the four fleeing cultivators mustered all their strength, sprinting as if their lives depended on it.
Qian Shou realized that it was too late to escape, so he decisively commanded the Qianlin Guards to form a defensive array to fend off the enemy.
When the four reached the group, they saw the formidable Qianlin Guards and sighed in relief. Without a second thought, they veered to the side, leaving the Qianlin Guards to face the demon bees directly, clearly intending to shift the trouble onto someone else.
One squad of Qianlin Guards stepped forward in formation, brandishing their weapons. Soon, the ground was littered with the corpses of demon bees. Another squad moved to flank the swarm, using fire talismans to attack from behind.
Under the two-pronged assault, the swarm was quickly reduced by half.
The four fugitives, who had made it to safety, didn’t flee far. They turned to watch, realizing the Qianlin Guards were holding their ground. Exhausted, they stopped to catch their breath, their faces pale. It was clear they had almost drained their Yuan Spiritual Energy during their escape, which was why they had wasted so many explosive talismans earlier.
They popped spiritual pills into their mouths to replenish their Yuan Spiritual Energy while observing the battle. To their astonishment, the Qianlin Guards were recklessly throwing talismans into the fight, one stack after another, completely obliterating the demon bee swarm. A wave of envy rose in their hearts.
Who were these wastrels? It was just a group of second-grade demon bees, yet they had squandered so many talismans to deal with them.
When they finally noticed the couple being protected by the Qianlin Guards, it suddenly clicked.
It was the infamous seventh prince, the so-called “good-for-nothing” who couldn’t cultivate, and his wife.
To all the cultivators who had entered Lintai Hunting Valley, Ning Yuzhou and his wife were here for leisure, not actual training. Even encountering them now only elicited sighs. If not for the prowess of the Qianlin Guards, how could this couple have made it this far?
After the demon bees were dealt with, part of the Qianlin Guards cleaned up the battlefield, collecting the relatively intact corpses of the demon bees, while another part remained stationed around Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao.
Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao turned their gazes to the four cultivators.
Encircled by the Qianlin Guards, the couple looked down from their higher position at the disheveled and exhausted figures sprawled on the ground.
Qian Shou stepped forward and asked, “Who are you? Which family are you from?”