Chapter 34

Chapter 34

"A'zhuo!"

Ning Yuzhou looked at the girl in the spirit field with delight. Just as he was about to approach her, he suddenly heard a panicked voice, "Don't come over!"

Stopping in his tracks, Ning Yuzhou's face showed a hint of surprise, but he didn't proceed forward.

The surrounding spirit plants were thriving, growing wildly. To an uninformed observer, it might seem like this place had been abandoned for ages, resulting in an overgrowth of weeds that concealed the organized layout of the spirit field. Due to the robust growth of the spirit plants, only the girl's head and a delicate, fair neck were visible, hinting at what lay beneath.

Ning Yuzhou suddenly understood something, and his expression froze.

Wen Qiao was like a vigilant rabbit, hiding amidst the spirit plants while nervously staring at him. She stammered, "Can you... can you get me some clothes? I'm not able to conjure clothing yet."

Speaking up to this point, Wen Qiao felt a bit embarrassed.

Her inheritance did teach her how to manifest clothes when she transformed into human form. However, her strength wasn't sufficient; transforming into her humanoid state had already drained all her power. For the time being, she lacked the ability to create clothing, forcing her to hide like this.

Ning Yuzhou found the situation amusing. The girl in the spirit plants had big, round black eyes that sparkled, and though her baby-faced cheeks still carried a touch of innocence, one could glimpse the stunning beauty she would possess in the future.

In the end, Ning Yuzhou returned to the room and rummaged through the trunks Wen Qiao had brought when she married into the family. He retrieved a set of light green clothing.

"Wen Qiao, you can just hang it there," she whispered.

Ning Yuzhou hung the garment on a vine that extended from the stone golden python creeper behind him. The vine slithered silently like a snake, delivering the dress to the human girl in the spirit herb field.

Wen Qiao, with her dark, shimmering eyes fixated on the man outside the field, said bashfully, "Husband, could you turn around?"

Ning Yuzhou gave her a silent glance before turning his back.

Peering at the man with his back to her, Wen Qiao hastily put on the clothes.

Despite having been a grass for several months, being in human form without any attire felt odd and insecure.

"Husband, I'm done," she informed him.

Upon hearing her voice, Ning Yuzhou turned around. His gaze fell upon the maiden standing in the spirit herb field. She wore the light green dress gracefully, and her exquisite facial features were unparalleled. Her brows were naturally dark, and her lips a rosy hue without any makeup. With her clear, limpid eyes gazing at him, she stirred his heart.

Wen Qiao offered him a smile, her lips curling up to reveal a dimple and a hint of her cute little canines.

So adorable.

Ning Yuzhou found her infectious charm more appealing than her unparalleled beauty. He returned a warm smile and waved her over. "Come here, Ah Cuo."

Wen Qiao carefully stepped over the surrounding spirit herbs and approached Ning Yuzhou.

He lowered his head to examine her—porcelain skin, flushed cheeks. Compared to her former sickly appearance, Wen Qiao now looked like a healthy young lady. Of course, due to her previous stunted development, she still appeared delicate and frail, exuding a tender vulnerability.

He took her wrist to inspect her and discovered that the fire poison within her body had vanished.

Surprise flickered across Ning Yuzhou's face.

Wen Qiao submitted to his examination obediently. "Perhaps it's because I died once and my body was remolded, so the fire poison is gone too."

Previously, Wen Qiao had also examined herself. Now, she was in excellent health. Not only had the fire poison that had been consuming her disappeared, but the issue with her leaking spirit orifices had also been resolved. All thirty-six spirit orifices could now store essence spirit energy without fear of leakage.

It seemed that the benefits of her transformation into a demon form had emerged after her death.

Compared to human flesh and blood, a monster's physique was naturally more robust. Even if her monster form was just a tiny sprout, it still counted as a type of monster body.

Her meridians were somewhat fragile, but that was the only issue. Her innate weakness in meridians could be compensated for through cultivation in the future; it would merely take some time, and there was no real problem.

Ning Yuzhou's expression relaxed slightly after his examination, and he was naturally pleased.

The Spirit Aperture was where cultivators stored their Primordial Spirit Energy. If there were any issues with it, they would be the most challenging to treat.

Now that Wen Qiao had recovered on her own, there was no need for him to go out of his way to find a cure for her. In contrast, her weak meridians were a lesser concern. Given enough time, he was confident he could find heavenly treasures to expand them and develop a treatment plan to heal them completely.

Wen Qiao watched him intently without blinking. Seeing the relief on his face, she couldn't help but smile.

"Ah, your cultivation level..." She examined him closely and noticed that he was now at the late-stage Foundation Establishment realm. She smiled and said, "You've improved too."

Ning Yuzhou chuckled. "Father came by earlier and was still lamenting how low my cultivation level is and how slow my progress is."

Recalling that he hadn't yet shared the details about the spatial dimension with her, he decided to elaborate.

Wen Qiao was astounded. She never imagined that such an extraordinary bloodline existed in this world. She sincerely praised, "You're truly remarkable, inheriting such a powerful bloodline."

Ning Yuzhou, however, shook his head. "Though formidable, it comes with numerous restrictions; this spatial limitation being one of them."

Perhaps to the world, possessing a mustard seed space might indeed be advantageous, but it also restrained his cultivation speed. Those without steadfast determination and perseverance might spend vast amounts of time in cultivation without making progress. Eventually, they could unknowingly veer onto crooked paths due to various reasons, thus destroying themselves in the process.

The bloodline of the Five Emperors is indeed potent, but Heavenly Dao seeks balance and thus imposes constraints, ensuring it doesn't become so overpowering as to threaten the very foundation of all life's existence.

Wen Qiao seemed to grasp something.

Finally, she said, "It's alright. I cultivate at a fast pace. I'm already at the Yuanming Realm. I'll protect you from now on."

Her husband possessed an extraordinary divine bloodline and a mustard space, truly holding immense treasures within him. Yet, his cultivation was restricted by these assets, leaving him vulnerable to harm. If others discovered his divine bloodline, they might be tempted to kill him for it. Even worse, there could be those who would go to great lengths to seize such a bloodline from another. This was a risk they couldn't afford to ignore.

The young lady's earnestness and seriousness tugged at Ning Yuzhou's heartstrings. He smiled gently and nodded, "Alright then, I'll wait for Ah Chuo to protect me."

Wen Qiao hummed in response, inwardly vowing to work diligently on her cultivation, leaving no room for complacency.

After transforming into a demonic body, Wen Qiao's cultivation soared to the Yuanming Realm, transcending another major cultivation boundary.

It had to be said that this rate of cultivation progress was nothing short of heaven-defying and astonishing.

But considering the perilous journey she underwent to transform into an actual demon, it was no wonder.

In this world, who else could be as fortunate as her? Originally a frail half-demon, likely not to survive beyond twenty, fate intervened and, thanks to this stroke of luck, she escaped an early demise. She embarked on a smooth path of cultivation.

Wen Qiao knew all of this was due to Ning Yuzhou. If not for him taking her to the Scale Platform Hunting Valley, meticulously attending to her health, and persistently searching for her even after assuming her death, going so far as to reveal his spatial realm to aid in her transformation...

All these acts were akin to a second birth. Ning Yuzhou's actions surpassed those of her biological parents in every way.

***

After Wen Qiao's transformation, Ning Yuzhou led her out of the spatial realm.

Exiting the space, Wen Qiao sensed something collide with her chest. Instinctively reaching out, she found herself clutching a fluffy little rabbit.

The demon rabbit rubbed against Wen Qiao affectionately, its "Little Miao Miao" reemerging.

As they continued cuddling, the rabbit suddenly sensed something amiss. It froze, staring blankly as it realized the change.

Miao Miao is gone? ! !

No, wait—it's not that her little Miao Miao has disappeared, but it has transformed into a human!

Ning Yuzhou frowned slightly and picked up the bewildered rabbit spirit with his hand, saying to Wen Qiao, "Take a rest for now. This is where I retreat; no one dares to enter."

Wen Qiao nodded at him, understanding his intention.

Back then, she was still a tiny sprout, unsure when she could transform into a human form. Qian Shou thought she had died, while Cheng Hao believed she had been abducted by an outsider cultivator. That was the story they told others anyway. Since she wasn't in Dongling, if she were to suddenly appear, wouldn't that raise suspicion?

Thinking about how her parents' murderer might be lurking in the shadows, watching Dongling, Wen Qiao pressed her lips together, knowing that they needed to remain cautious and lay low for now.

Ning Yuzhou returned shortly, holding a food box in his hand.

The box was filled with spiritual food.

After more than two months, the couple sat down together for a meal once again.

Tasting regular food, Wen Qiao was so moved that she almost cried. Being a small sprout that could only drink spiritual medicine liquid had been quite a miserable existence.

The mystical rabbit, intrigued by their meal, leaped onto the table. After observing for a while and finding it unappealing, it sat beside them, nibbling on a spirit pill.

After dinner, the two sat together to discuss their future plans.

"Ning Yuzhou suggested, "Given your current situation, it's not advisable for you to appear in public. Perhaps we should leave Dongling. It's time for us to venture out and explore other lands as part of our cultivation journey."

There was much they needed to accomplish, with experience and strength enhancement being their top priorities at this stage.

Wen Qiao nodded, expressing no objections to his proposal.

"Let's set off in a month. During that time, I'll refine more spirit pills and talismans. Raising a rabbit isn't an easy task," Ning Yuzhou hinted, referring to the rabbit that rarely let go of its spirit pill.

Wen Qiao glanced at the rabbit, empathizing with the challenges of homemaking.

Curious, she then asked, "What level of spirit pills can you refine now? And what grade of talismans can you draw?"

"For spirit pills, most are currently at the Yellow Rank, but I can also refine some Mystic Rank pills, though the success rate isn't high."

Spirit pills were categorized into Sacred, Royal, Heavenly, Earthly, Mystic, and Yellow ranks. The Yellow Rank was the lowest level of spirit pills, commonly refined by novice alchemists.

During his previous one-and-a-half-month seclusion, Ning Yuzhou didn't solely focus on cultivation. He also tried his hand at alchemy and talisman-making.

It could be said that the slow pace of Ning Yuzhou's cultivation wasn't merely due to nurturing a spatial domain; it was also because he spent a significant portion of his time on alchemy and talisman-making.

Wen Qiao was about to remark that it was already remarkable for him to be able to refine a Profound Rank pill after just over a month of cultivation when she heard him say, "Substandard pills contain too many impurities and can't be considered good. If cultivators consume too many of them, impurities and pill toxins will accumulate in their bodies, hindering their cultivation."

Silently, Wen Qiao closed her mouth.

Alright, she knew that her husband was a perfectionist. Even in alchemy and talisman-making, he pursued flawlessness. He wouldn't use anything but superior-grade spirit pills and talismans, and naturally, he wouldn't feed her with inferior-quality spirit pills. The spirit pills she had taken before were refined by Ning Sect's alchemists, so Ning Yuzhou couldn't demand much and thus didn't stop Wen Qiao from consuming them.

Now that he could refine pills himself, he naturally wanted the best.

"As for talismans, most are currently High-Grade Yellow Rank, with very few being Superior Grade. I still lack proficiency and need more practice," Ning Yuzhou continued.

Wen Qiao watched him silently.

Ning Yuzhou smiled at her and said softly, "Although pills, talismans, weapons, and arrays are supplementary, they can catch opponents off guard in battle and buy you more time to turn the tide. Regardless of what it is, only by staying alive can one discuss other matters."

Wen Qiao took his words to heart. She lacked practical combat experience, so Ning Yuzhou's advice was crucial to her.

After setting the date for their departure, Ning Yuzhou retreated once more.

Wen Qiao, not being suitable to appear in public, naturally accompanied him. Seeing his dedication to alchemy, she asked him to transport her into the spatial realm, intending to tidy up the spirit herb field within.

Wen Qiao casually brought the demonic rabbit along with her into the space.

Upon entering the space, the demonic rabbit was stunned by the vast expanse of spirit herbs.

There were so many spirit herbs!

Excitedly, it pounced in, with its eyes set on the eighth-level Earth Dragon Entangle Orchid.

Wen Qiao promptly stopped it. "The Earth Dragon Entangle Orchid isn't mature yet. You can't eat it. When it's ripe, I'll ask Yuzhou if he can spare you a flower."

The demonic rabbit looked at her and, in the end, refrained from devouring the plant raw.

Of course, little Miao Miao's words had to be obeyed, and one couldn't offend an alchemist either, or there would be no more spirit pills to enjoy in the future.

***

Over the next few days, Wen Qiao tended to the spirit fields within the space, transforming them significantly.

The fields no longer resembled neglected patches of wild grass; they were now meticulously arranged and organized.

Wen Qiao had an innate affinity for spirit herbs and was knowledgeable about their habits and varieties. She rearranged them according to their preferences and needs, allowing them to thrive together in harmony. Each herb that was transplanted flourished with renewed vitality.

Ning Yuzhou glanced over occasionally, seeing Wen Qiao buzzing around the space like a busy bee. He smiled and continued his focused alchemy practice.

The demonic rabbit followed Wen Qiao, stealthily nibbling on the leaves and fruits of the spirit herbs when she wasn't looking. Fortunately, it knew not to devour the entire plant, allowing them to continue growing. Otherwise, Wen Qiao would have no choice but to banish it from the space.

It was undeniable that the demonic rabbit was cunning, adept at pushing Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao's boundaries without crossing them.

With the space organized, Wen Qiao, having nothing else to do, continued her cultivation and nurturing of the spirit herbs. Once they matured, she harvested them, processed them, and set them aside for Ning Yuzhou to use in his alchemy.

There were nearly a hundred types of spirit herbs in the space, with over eighty being low-grade. These herbs could be combined to create a dozen different spirit pills, providing ample materials for Ning Yuzhou to hone his skills.

Concerned that she might feel stifled staying in the space all the time, Ning Yuzhou occasionally allowed her to venture out for some activity.

Wen Qiao didn't particularly enjoy going out, so whether or not she left the space was of little consequence to her. When she did exit, she sat beside Ning Yuzhou, watching him practice alchemy.

Ning Yuzhou's skill in alchemy grew more refined, and the Yellow Rank spirit pills he produced transitioned from superior to supreme quality. His speed was remarkable; he could refine over a dozen batches of pills in a single day, all of them supreme grade.

After mastering the Yellow Rank pills, Ning Yuzhou proceeded to work on the Mystic Rank ones.

He only selected a few types of Mystic Rank pills to refine. Once he could consistently produce supreme-grade spirit pills, he took a break instead of pushing further.

Upon seeing him set up his brush, ink, and talisman paper, Wen Qiao went to assist him in mixing the ink.

The talisman ink was made from demonic beast blood, with some minerals and medicinal ingredients added to elevate the grade of the talismans it was used to draw.

Just like the brush and paper, the quality of the ink directly influenced the grade of the talisman.

Wen Qiao was unfamiliar with these intricacies, but Ning Yuzhou patiently explained while she listened attentively and attempted to mix the ink, producing her first batch.

Ning Yuzhou gently sniffed the ink and smiled, "Not bad, this is low-grade talisman ink."

Wen Qiao: "... Only low-grade?"

Seeing the disappointment on the young girl's face, Ning Yuzhou wondered if he had been too critical. He softly reassured her, "For your first time mixing ink, being able to produce low-grade talisman ink is quite impressive. Many people fail their first attempt and require multiple tries before successfully mixing usable ink."

Wen Qiao let out an "oh," then asked, "What grade did you produce during your first attempt at blending ink?"

"Top-grade."

Wen Qiao: ...

Sure enough, comparing oneself to others could be utterly frustrating. Her husband was a genius.

After failing several times and only managing to produce middle-grade talisman ink, Wen Qiao realized that she was not cut out for this. She wisely decided to quit while she was ahead to avoid wasting materials.

Somehow, she found such delicate work unsuitable for her. She would much rather engage in combat, like when she battled the Ice Tear Frogs in their territory for ten consecutive days without feeling bored; in fact, she could have fought for another ten days.

After observing for a while, Wen Qiao carried the demonic rabbit and went next door to practice swordsmanship.