After Ning Yuzhou figured out the matter of the cave abode, he thought for a moment and asked, “Where’s my third brother?”
Wen Mei pursed her lips lightly and said in a soft voice, “After the labyrinth collapsed, we fell down from above. Later, due to some incidents, we became separated.”
“Incidents? Was it because of those two people?” Ning Yuzhou asked again.
Wen Mei shook her head and continued, “It had nothing to do with those two, but it was somewhat related to those foreign cultivators.”
As she spoke, her expression turned grave, and she said solemnly, “Seventh Highness, during this opening of the Lintai Hunting Valley, many foreign cultivators unknowingly infiltrated. These outsiders were extremely rampant and cruel in their methods, killing many of our Dongling people. If it hadn’t been for your rescue earlier, I might have…”
At this point, Wen Mei’s expression dimmed slightly, and she pressed her lips together.
The world often praised the Wen Clan’s twin sisters for their exceptional talent, calling them the genius disciples of this generation. Yet, they did not realize that there is always someone stronger, and there is always a higher heaven.
Dongling was merely a remote land with sparse heaven and earth spiritual energy. The so-called geniuses of Dongling were nothing in the eyes of those foreign cultivators, even regarded as insignificant ants that could be trampled at will.
After several confrontations with those foreign cultivators, she found that her experience and strength were far inferior to theirs and was easily crushed by her opponents. If not for Ning Zhezhou’s protection, she wouldn’t have survived to this point and would still have been chased into this place in disgrace.
Although those two people’s cultivation was higher than hers, it also made her realize her shortcomings.
For the first time in her life, Wen Mei’s pride was completely crushed, forcing her to recognize her inadequacies and igniting a yearning for the wider world beyond, no longer fixated on just the Wen Clan.
Beyond Dongling, there was a much broader world, filled with strong individuals and countless masters. The scale of Dongling was indeed too small.
Ning Yuzhou glanced at her and could naturally perceive the mood of this genius disciple of the Wen Clan.
But it had nothing to do with him.
Saving her and giving her an antidote pill was only because she was a clanswoman of Ah Chuo, and it would have been wrong to let her die.
Ning Yuzhou smiled faintly and lightly traced the rim of the white jade pot in his hand with his fingertips, his expression pensive.
After hearing her cousin’s words, Wen Qiao couldn’t help but use a leaf to nudge Ning Yuzhou’s fingers. When he looked over, she shook the leaf again.
As a small seedling that couldn’t speak, ordinary people would find it difficult to understand her body language. Yet, Ning Yuzhou inexplicably understood. He stroked her leaf with his fingertip to comfort her and smiled at her.
Wen Mei noticed his silence and didn’t dare interrupt recklessly. She focused on cultivating while waiting for the interrogation to finish on the other side.
After a while, the Qianlin Guards concluded their interrogation and brought the two men over to report the results to Ning Yuzhou.
These two were rogue cultivators from outside Dongling, at the Yuan Martial Stage. They had come to Dongling this time, reportedly because of the Sacred Martial Hall.
“Sacred Martial Hall?” Ning Yuzhou’s expression shifted slightly.
Wen Mei looked utterly confused, not knowing what this Sacred Martial Hall was.
Wen Qiao had never heard of the Sacred Martial Hall either. Observing her husband and cousin’s reactions, she realized that the royal Ning Clan must be aware of it, while the other forces in Dongling likely lacked the strength to know about it.
It seemed this Sacred Martial Hall was extraordinarily mysterious.
Sure enough, Feng Sanniang and her companions’ answers confirmed Wen Qiao’s speculation.
The tables had turned. Now that they had fallen into the hands of Dongling’s cultivators, Feng Sanniang and the male cultivator were no longer as arrogant as before, fearful that a single misstep could lead to their deaths at the hands of Dongling’s cultivators.
Both of them were now extremely cooperative, answering every question without hesitation.
“Has this young master ever heard of the Sacred Martial Hall?” Feng Sanniang smiled charmingly, her gaze like a hook, fixed on Ning Yuzhou.
As a prince of Dongling, Ning Yuzhou had been raised in luxury since childhood and carried an innate noble bearing. Coupled with his extraordinarily handsome appearance, even though his cultivation level was low, his face alone was enough to captivate any woman’s gaze.
Feng Sanniang’s eyes lit up as soon as she saw him. Unable to change her nature, she couldn’t resist throwing him a flirtatious glance, employing her beauty to her advantage.
Her beauty trap had always worked wonders, but today it failed miserably. Ning Yuzhou had seen the most beautiful woman in the world. Even though she was still young, he had already placed her in his heart and naturally wouldn’t spare other women even a glance.
Wen Qiao felt inexplicably annoyed, her leaves twitching slightly.
Ning Yuzhou stroked the restless leaf, shielding the lively seedling from others’ sight with his hand to prevent anyone from noticing her animated behavior.
He said indifferently, “I’ve heard some rumors. It’s said to be a very mysterious place.”
Feng Sanniang felt a bit relieved—at least he had heard of it. “It’s said that the Sacred Martial Hall has sent the Saint Martial Son to Dongling this time to search for the Chosen One.”
The Chosen One?
Wen Qiao and Wen Mei still looked utterly confused. The Qianlin Guards stood dutifully to the side, their faces blank, giving no indication of their thoughts.
Only Ning Yuzhou remained exceptionally composed, replying casually, “You’re not from the Sacred Martial Hall, are you?”
Feng Sanniang gave an awkward laugh. “Of course not. If we were capable of being chosen as the Saint Martial Son, why would we ever lay a hand on this young lady?”
The Sacred Martial Hall operated discreetly, keeping a low profile. It was highly mysterious even within the Sacred Martial Continent, and ordinary cultivators knew nothing of its existence.
However, influential factions with well-connected information networks were somewhat aware of the Sacred Martial Hall and treated its disciples with great respect.
It was said that the Sacred Martial Hall had extremely stringent requirements for accepting disciples. Those chosen as the Saint Martial Son were all extraordinarily gifted individuals with exceptional talent, destined to ascend. Ordinary cultivators couldn’t compare to them in any way.
If they were capable of becoming a Saint Martial Son, why would they bother coveting trivial gains?
Ning Yuzhou nodded. “True enough. You don’t look like it. You’re not qualified.”
Was it necessary to be so insulting? If the two of them weren’t prisoners right now, they might have exploded in anger out of humiliation.
Feng Sanniang swallowed her irritation, thinking that this handsome young man wasn’t charming at all—what a waste of such a face.
“This Chosen One has appeared in Dongling this time?” Ning Yuzhou asked again.
Feng Sanniang and her companion hadn’t expected him to be so well-informed about these details. Their faces showed a trace of surprise as they silently wondered if they had underestimated this tiny land of Dongling. They had assumed this backward and isolated little nation knew little of the outside world. Most of its cultivators had low cultivation and no real foundation. Who would have thought that this man—seemingly lacking in cultivation—was so well-informed?
Could it be that Dongling was actually a place of hidden dragons and crouching tigers?
The fact that a Chosen One had emerged from Dongling lent some credence to this guess.
“Yes, that’s what I heard,” Feng Sanniang replied, no longer daring to underestimate Dongling. “I only learned of it through hearsay… so we decided to come take a look.”
When the news first broke, it stirred many hearts. People wanted to see what made Dongling, this tiny nation, so extraordinary that it could produce a Chosen One, prompting the Sacred Martial Hall to send the Saint Martial Son to find them.
Of course, most came with the belief that Dongling might possess some unique quality, which drove them to travel such a long distance.
Coincidentally, the Lintai Hunting Valley was opened at the same time. The younger generation of Dongling cultivators entered the valley for training, and the Chosen One was among this group of young cultivators. As a result, these foreign cultivators infiltrated alongside them.
Among the foreign cultivators, there were also factions that opposed the Sacred Martial Hall. While taking advantage of the chaos, they also sought to sabotage the Hall’s plans. They aimed to kill the Chosen One before the Hall could find them, leaving the Sacred Martial Hall empty-handed.
Uncertain who the Chosen One was, they adopted a strategy of killing indiscriminately, determined to eliminate anyone who might be the Chosen One.
This was why, shortly after entering the Lintai Hunting Valley, Wen Qiao and her group encountered the tragic deaths of many Dongling cultivators.
Hearing this, Wen Qiao couldn’t help but feel that the Sacred Martial Hall’s actions were far too careless. Such a significant matter had been spread so widely, leaving Dongling’s cultivators particularly unlucky.
Wen Mei’s thoughts were similar, though even angrier.
If not for the Sacred Martial Hall spreading news about the Chosen One, Dongling’s cultivators wouldn’t have faced such malicious slaughter by foreign cultivators. More than half of the Wen Clan’s disciples had died at their hands.
Even Wen Mei herself had barely survived.
“Do you know who this Chosen One is?” Ning Yuzhou asked.
Feng Sanniang and her companion shook their heads honestly. “I heard the task of finding the Chosen One this time is being led by Yin Xingheng from the Sacred Martial Hall. His cultivation is extremely high, and we dare not get too close to him. We don’t know where he is now or if he has already found the person.”
Yin Xingheng was the direct disciple of the nineteenth generation of Saint Martial Sons in the Sacred Martial Hall. His status was lofty and not someone ordinary people dared to provoke.
Because of Yin Xingheng’s presence, even though the foreign cultivators despised Dongling, they didn’t dare to stir up trouble openly in Dongling. It was only after sneaking into the Lintai Hunting Valley that they began their killing spree.
Feng Sanniang and her companion had come to Dongling primarily to pick up scraps. In their minds, a remote place capable of producing a Chosen One must have some exceptional qualities. If they could take advantage of the situation to gather some cultivation resources, it would be even better.
However, after sneaking into this so-called Lintai Hunting Valley, they found that while the spiritual energy inside was indeed slightly richer than outside, that was the extent of it. The resources here couldn’t compare to the secret realms controlled by even minor sects in other places. Their journey and the effort they put into infiltrating this place seemed to have been a waste.
Fortunately, the appearance of the cave abode and the subterranean space’s spirit beasts and herbs made up for their disappointment.
After understanding the purpose of these foreign cultivators, Ning Yuzhou did not show anger, maintaining his usual calm demeanor.
He then asked, “Do you know Xu Jiuxiu?”
Feng Sanniang looked at him in surprise. “You know Ninth Master?”
So Ninth Master was indeed Xu Jiuxiu.
Ning Yuzhou smiled gently, his demeanor warm and refined. “Tell me about this Ninth Master.”
Although Feng Sanniang and her companion were puzzled, they didn’t withhold anything.
Xu Jiuxiu was from the Shadow Tower and was the Ninth Shura of its nine halls, known to the world as Ninth Master.
The Shadow Tower was an organization that specialized in assassination. It had nine halls, each responsible for assassination missions of different levels. As long as one could afford the cost in spiritual stones, the Shadow Tower would accept the task, boasting that there was no one they dared not assassinate.
Although Feng Sanniang and her companion were rogue cultivators, they had some connections with people from the Shadow Tower and were relatively well-informed.
The news about the Sacred Martial Hall sending a Saint Martial Son to Dongling also came from the Shadow Tower, which prompted them to follow suit. Upon encountering Wen Mei earlier, they discovered her rare water-elemental Heavenly Spiritual Root and were tempted to capture her as a gift for Xu Jiuxiu to curry favor with him.
Hearing their plan again, Wen Mei’s face filled with disgust and hatred.
Feng Sanniang and her companion cautiously watched Ning Yuzhou. They knew that among all the people here, it was this man with seemingly low cultivation who called the shots. Their fate rested in his hands.
Wen Mei also looked at Ning Yuzhou, clenching her fists involuntarily.
Feng Sanniang and her companion had killed many Dongling cultivators in the Lintai Hunting Valley with cruel and merciless methods. Leaving such people alive would only lead to more trouble. Wen Mei, full of hatred, wished she could kill them herself and naturally didn’t want Ning Yuzhou to spare them.
Ning Yuzhou, however, maintained his calm and gentle expression as he said to the Qianlin Guards, “Deal with them.”
Feng Sanniang and her companion’s expressions changed drastically. Before they could plead for mercy, their mouths were covered, and they were dragged away.
The Qianlin Guards swiftly handled the matter, throwing their corpses far away. Soon, spirit beasts would come to devour the bodies, leaving no trace of their deaths.
After dealing with them, Ning Yuzhou decided it was time to leave.
He turned to Wen Mei and politely asked, “What does Fourth Miss Wen plan to do?”
Wen Mei leaned against a nearby stalactite and stood up. Her face was still pale, and though the snake venom in her body had been neutralized, her injuries had not yet healed, leaving her with no combat ability. She forced a bitter smile and said, “With my injuries yet to recover, I only wish to find a place to heal and wait for the Lintai Hunting Valley to close.”
She looked at Ning Yuzhou, knowing that following him, with the protection of the Qianlin Guards, was the best option at this stage.
Ning Yuzhou said indifferently, “If Fourth Miss Wen doesn’t mind, you can come with us.”
“Of course, I don’t mind. Thank you, Seventh Highness,” Wen Mei said gratefully.
With that, the group left the area.
Led by the demon rabbit, they found a relatively hidden cave to use as a resting place.
Ning Yuzhou sat on a stone cleaned by the Qianlin Guards, holding the white jade flower pot in his arms. From his storage bag, he took out a bottle of spiritual liquid and poured it onto the roots of the little seedling in the pot.
Over these past days, Ning Yuzhou had been feeding the little seedling spiritual liquid three times a day. Those precious spiritual liquids were used as if they were free, making the Qianlin Guards increasingly puzzled. They wondered if their master was being overly indulgent with this little seedling.
Wen Mei sat nearby and happened to see this scene. She froze for a moment, then her eyes widened.
“You—you can cultivate now?” she said in shock.
Without lifting his head, Ning Yuzhou continued to carefully pour the spiritual liquid onto the seedling and replied casually.
Wen Mei was utterly astonished, doubting whether the rumors she had heard before were inaccurate. She carefully examined Ning Yuzhou’s cultivation and found it to be at the lowest Entry Yuan Stage, early phase. The spiritual energy fluctuations around him were almost nonexistent, which explained why she hadn’t noticed earlier.
After the initial shock, Wen Mei felt a sense of relief and couldn’t help but feel happy for Wen Qiao.
The marriage between Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou had seemed fitting in the eyes of others—one was frail and short-lived, and the other couldn’t cultivate. But as a cultivator herself, Wen Mei had always hoped her future husband would also be a cultivator. Putting herself in Wen Qiao’s shoes, she felt Wen Qiao likely shared the same sentiment.
Now that Ning Yuzhou could finally cultivate, regardless of his aptitude, at least he would no longer be mocked as useless by outsiders.
After finishing the spiritual liquid for the seedling, Ning Yuzhou instructed Wen Mei to recover here while he took the demon rabbit and the Qianlin Guards to search for spiritual herbs.
This place was very safe, so Wen Mei had no objections, nor could she raise any. After all, she and Ning Yuzhou were not close. The only connection between them was Wen Qiao, and even her relationship with Wen Qiao wasn’t particularly warm.
—
The following two days were unusually peaceful. With the demon rabbit leading the way, they avoided other cultivators and quietly searched for spiritual herbs without any trouble.
Time passed quickly, and the day finally arrived when the Lintai Hunting Valley was set to close.
Wen Mei, who was recuperating, opened her eyes.
Ning Yuzhou, holding the white jade pot in his arms, grabbed the demon rabbit, which was stuffing a spiritual pill into its cheeks. Since he had fed it so many pills, he naturally intended to bring it out with him to make it worthwhile.
Then, they allowed the suction force to send them out.