Chapter 36

Chapter 36

In the following days, Ning Yuzhou continued his alchemy and talisman-making while Wen Qiao and Wen Tuttu practiced in the training room.

Whenever Ning Yuzhou took a break and expanded his senses, he would hear all sorts of cacophonous sounds from the neighboring room as if it were being torn down. As a result, he reinforced the array formation in the training room to ensure that it wouldn't collapse and bury the person and rabbit underneath. With the array formation in place, the training room stood resolutely, looking fine from the outside but pockmarked and dilapidated inside, without a single spot untouched by damage.

Fortunately, Ning Yuzhou had instructed that no one should enter, or else seeing the state of the training room, people would have wondered what he had been up to.

It wasn't until Wen Qiao could finally control her power with ease, wielding the Stone Gold Python Vine with fluidity and even blocking Wen Tuttu's escape routes a few times, that they finally set off.

Upon learning that his son was leaving for training, Emperor Chenghao rushed over immediately.

"Little Seven, are you really leaving Dongling?" Emperor Chenghao asked worriedly, assuming that his son was going to search for his unknown fiancée.

Ning Yuzhou affirmed, "Don't worry, Father. I'm already at the Essence Feather Realm, and besides, I have the Hidden Scale Guards with me. Everything will be fine."

Emperor Chenghao thought to himself, what was the point of being merely at the Essence Feather Realm? To those ancient monsters who had lived for hundreds or even thousands of years, cultivators at the Essence Feather Realm were mere ants that could be crushed at any moment. Furthermore, the cultivator who had taken away his daughter-in-law might belong to some powerful faction. If they clashed head-on, they would be the ones to suffer.

"The Covert Scale Guards were trained by me. Do you doubt their capabilities, Father?"

Upon seeing his unwavering determination, Cheng Hao Emperor sighed. "Then where do you plan to go?"

"I'm not sure. I'll just wander around."

Ning Yuzhou's response was sincere. He only had a general understanding of the world beyond Dongling, and he needed to see it for himself before making any decisions.

This made Cheng Hao Emperor even more worried. His son was only at the Yuanfeather Realm, and with or without the Covert Scale Guards, they would be insignificant in front of established forces outside.

"Father, don't worry. We'll keep a low profile on this journey and won't provoke trouble. We're not going out there to cause chaos. You don't have to imagine the outside world as a terrifying place... Yes, even if we search for Ah Chu, I'll exercise caution and won't act recklessly..."

After much persuasion, Ning Yuzhou finally convinced his father to accept his decision. Cheng Hao Emperor then took out a storage pouch and handed it to him.

"These are my years of savings. There are some Yuanjing inside. You'll need them for various purposes when you're out. Take them." Cheng Hao Emperor's love for his son was boundless, wishing he could give Ning Yuzhou everything he owned.

He knew that Ning Yuzhou personally funded the Covert Scale Guard unit led by Qianshoushi, and it didn't go through the Ning family's public accounts. Supporting such a large group wasn't easy, and he couldn't help but worry about his son stretching himself thin.

Ning Yuzhou declined. "Do you doubt my abilities, Father? I can now refine top-grade Yellow Rank pills. Earning Yuanjing is no longer an issue for me."

Speaking up to this point, Ning Yuzhou flipped his hand, dividing the spirit pills he had refined and talismans he had drawn in half, passing them to Cheng Haodi. Some were for Cheng Haodi's personal use, while the others were resources for the Ning family.

During this period, Ning Yuzhou had been diligently refining pills and drawing talismans not just because they needed them, but also to provide for Cheng Haodi and the Ning family.

These past few years, Cheng Haodi had been an arduous father, showing his deep affection for Ning Yuzhou. With his mother having perished during the demonic beast uprising, it was only his father that Ning Yuzhou cared about within the Ning family.

Cheng Haodi looked at him in surprise, "You can refine top-grade Yellow Rank pills now?"

"Mm, the success rate for refining top-grade Black Rank pills isn't high. I still need to raise my cultivation," Ning Yuzhou replied truthfully.

It could be said that Ning Yuzhou's cultivation advancement to the Origin Feather Realm within this month was due to the demands of pill refinement and talisman crafting.

If his cultivation were too low, the reserve of Essence Energy in his Spirit Orifice wouldn't be sufficient, making it difficult to refine top-grade Black Rank pills. The same applied to drawing Black Rank talismans. He had no choice but to spend time raising his cultivation to the Origin Feather Realm.

Upon hearing Ning Yuzhou's explanation, Cheng Haodi felt a mix of emotions.

His son's talent was still quite high. To refine Black Rank pills, he had resolved to raise his cultivation, and indeed managed to do so. This made Cheng Haodi feel as if his son's cultivation could be controlled at will, as if cultivation was effortless for him.

The Imperial Xi bloodline truly was formidable.

Emperor Chenghao felt a sense of relief mixed with his joy, dispelling much of his worry.

Ning Yuzhou continued chatting with the emperor, informing him that he would periodically send the Hidden Scale Guards back to Dongling to report on their safety and also deliver spiritual pills and talismans crafted by him. He urged the Ning family not to hold back in nurturing other disciples with these gifts.

"Also, regarding the Wen family..." Ning Yuzhou's expression softened. "The Wens are A'zhu's maternal family. I'd be grateful if you could secretly keep an eye on them, Father."

Emperor Chenghao's expression turned grave as he nodded silently. Over the years, he had discreetly supported the Wen family as a token of gratitude for Wen Boying saving his son's life. Moreover, he sought to uncover who was responsible for the tragic demise of Wen Boying and his spouse, and whether they still posed a threat to the Wens or Dongling.

***

Upon returning to the palace, Emperor Chenghao presented the spiritual pills and talismans given by his son to the elder in charge of managing the Ning family's resources.

The elder examined them, astonished. "These are all top-grade yellow-class pills and talismans. Which alchemist and talisman master produced these?"

Feeling a surge of pride, Emperor Chenghao replied with a faint smile, "You don't need to concern yourself with that. Just keep them safe. Elder Ning Huayuan will handle the details, so there's no need to know too much. Make arrangements to distribute some to the disciples training outside, ensuring their safety is even more secured."

The elder happily agreed, understanding that Elder Ning Huayuan would make the necessary decisions, and thus did not press for further information.

Having finished his instructions, Emperor Chenghao was about to depart when he happened upon Ning Pingzhou, who had come to collect his monthly allocation of cultivation resources.

Ning Pingzhou bowed respectfully. "Your Majesty, Father."

Emperor Chenghao acknowledged him with a soft hum and cast a glance at him. He noticed that after more than two months of recuperation, Ning Pingzhou appeared much thinner and quieter, lacking the youthful vigor and competitive spirit he once displayed in his duels with Ning Zhezhou. He seemed to have undergone a profound transformation, as if he had been reborn.

Sighing inwardly, Emperor Chenghao spoke warmly, "Has Pingzhou's injury fully recovered?"

Ning Pingzhou replied respectfully, "Thank you for your concern, Father. It has indeed healed."

After offering a few more words of comfort, Emperor Chenghao turned and left.

As Ning Pingzhou watched his father's departing figure, his gaze darkened as he thought of his sister still imprisoned in the water dungeon.

Due to her inability to discern people's true nature, Ning Yaozhu indirectly caused harm to Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou. The elders of the Punishment Hall had punished her by stripping her of her cultivation and confining her to the water dungeon for five years of self-reflection.

This punishment was severe; by the time Ning Yaozhu was released, she would be effectively incapacitated.

Such a penalty also served as a warning to other Ning family disciples, emphasizing that they must not engage in fratricidal strife.

**

Practitioners, when traveling, didn't need grand fanfare; they simply stowed their necessities in a storage bag and set off unburdened.

Ning Yuzhou brought the Hidden Scale Guards with him on this journey as well, though only twenty of them accompanied him, with Qianshoushi at his side.

"Niaozao, do you want to enter the space?" Ning Yuzhou asked.

Wen Qiao pondered for a moment before responding, "I'll stay outside."

Although cultivating within the space was beneficial, if any danger were to arise, she wouldn't be able to react promptly or provide assistance.

Wen Qiao's decision to stay outside meant she would not appear in her human form. Instead, she transformed back into a tiny sprout, rooting herself in a white jade vase.

During the past month, she had not only been playfully interacting with Wen Tuzi but also deliberately practiced shifting between her human and beast forms. Now, she could seamlessly transition between the two. If she wished to remain inconspicuous, she would revert to her beast form and burrow into the flower pot, blending in as an ordinary weed.

Aside from Ning Yuzhou, who had a drop of her essence blood in his heart, no one could perceive that the small sprout was actually her.

Seeing the appearance of the little sprout, the delighted Wen Tuzi, who was munching on spirit pills, eagerly pounced over, only to be stopped by Ning Yuzhou just as it was about to lick the sprout.

Ning Yuzhou lifted the white jade basin, ignoring the enchanted rabbit, and exited the room.

The Qianlin Guards were already waiting at the door, ready to depart at any moment.

Ning Yuzhou moved with great discretion; aside from Cheng Hao Emperor, no one knew of his departure.

Perched on the city wall, Cheng Hao Emperor watched as an unmarked beast carriage rolled out of the Imperial City, accompanied by twenty Qianlin Guards riding Swift Wind Beasts around it.

After leaving the Imperial City, the beast carriage sped towards Scale Platform Mountain.

Inside the demonic beast carriage, Ning Yuzhou consecutively set up several arrays around to shield from external prying eyes. He then spoke to the tiny sprout in the white jade basin, "Ah Chuo, you can transform into your human form."

Wen Qiao glanced around but noticed no abnormalities.

Ning Yuzhou thought of something and immediately understood. He chuckled and asked, "You still can't conjure clothing?"

The tender green branches of the young sprout, Miao Miao, visibly turned red at an astonishing speed.

Ning Yuzhou turned with a smile, casually picking up the demon rabbit that constantly tried to nuzzle against the little sprout. He held it down and fed it a top-grade spirit pill.

With the premium spirit pill in her possession, the obedient Wen Tuttu followed his instructions, steadfastly licking it before carefully placing it into her mouth.

Soft rustling sounds emerged from behind him. Soon after, a girl's sweet voice rang out, "Done."

Ning Yuzhou turned around to see the well-dressed young lady sitting across from him at the table inside the carriage. Her long, cloud-like hair cascaded down her back, and she held a hair tie in hand, her brows slightly knitted as she prepared to hastily tie up her sleek, black tresses.

This reminded Ning Yuzhou of the first time she had taken on her human form within the spatial realm, with her hair similarly flowing loose.

It was clear that the young lady wasn't skilled in managing her hair. She would casually tie it up with a hair tie, even during sparring sessions with Wen Tuttu in the practice room, leaving some strands untied that would often fall down.

"Come here, Ah Cuo. I'll help you comb your hair," Ning Yuzhou offered.

Wen Qiao, who was currently fumbling with her hair, looked at him in surprise. "Are you sure you can do it?"

A man must never admit defeat!

Ning Yuzhou narrowed his eyes slightly, maintaining his warm and gentle expression. He smiled and said, "I can manage."

Seeing his determination, Wen Qiao obediently sat in front of him, passing him the hair tie as she turned away. Then, she felt a pair of slender hands gather her long hair, a white jade comb gently running through her scalp with just the right amount of tenderness, causing her to close her eyes in bliss.

After a while, Wen Qiao heard the man behind her say, "That's it. Take a look and see."

A mirror was held before her. In its reflection, Wen Qiao saw herself with her hair tidily arranged in two buns, secured by a pink ribbon that draped down her ears, lending a playful touch.

It was a hairstyle perfectly suited for a girl in her early teens, complementing her facial features beautifully.

Looking at the adorable reflection, Wen Qiao turned to him, amazed. She sincerely praised, "You're so talented! Have you done this before for anyone?"

Ning Yuzhou replied nonchalantly, "No, I've only ever done it for you."

Wen Qiao felt a warm glow of happiness in her heart, yet she teased, "Then how can you be so good at it? Just like Lian Yue."

Similar to her inability to mix ink properly, Wen Qiao wasn't skilled in intricate tasks like hairstyling. In the past, Lian Yue had always helped her with her hair, so she never realized just how incapable she was.

"It's simple. I just had to take one look," Ning Yuzhou said as he fetched a pearl flower and inserted it into her hair.

Wen Qiao was convinced: her husband was indeed brilliant, able to grasp many things with just a glance. Few people in the world could match his talent. Fortunately, Wen Qiao was innately unbothered by such matters, not feeling overwhelmed by his superior abilities. She quickly let go of any lingering thoughts.

The journey from the Imperial City to Mount Lin Tai would take five days.

During this period, neither Ning Yuzhou nor Wen Qiao were idle. Ning Yuzhou continued his alchemy and talisman-making, while Wen Qiao practiced her control over plants and responsiveness by wielding a segment of the Stonegold Python Vine.

Wen Tuttu sprawled on her head, calmly nibbling on spirit pills. Watching the swaying vine before her, it finally couldn't resist pouncing to take a bite.

As a herbivorous rabbit, it couldn't tolerate other plants flaunting their leaves in front of its teeth.

Wen Qiao managed to retract the Stonegold Python Vine in time, but not before Wen Tuttu took a bite, leaving a deep mark from its rabbit teeth.

The demonic beast carriage was spacious, allowing Ning Yuzhou to continue his alchemy undisturbed at one end, while Wen Qiao played a game of "Plant vs. Demonic Rabbit" with Wen Tuttu at the other.

When Ning Yuzhou took a break, he saw Wen Qiao and Wen Tuttu chasing each other around with the vine. His gaze fell upon the segment of the Stonegold Python Vine that Wen Qiao used as a weapon.

After observing for a while, he called out to Wen Qiao, "Ah Chao, bring me that segment of the Stonegold Python Vine."

Wen Qiao passed it to him as instructed.

Wen Tuttu hopped onto Wen Qiao's head, and both of them watched Ning Yuzhou intently.

Ning Yuzhou examined the vine in his hand, then retrieved another segment from his spatial dimension. Comparing the two, he noticed that the one Wen Qiao had repeatedly accelerated had become even harder, as if it had absorbed excessive nutrients that were now concentrated in the vine.

Indeed, Wen Qiao was capable of nurturing spirit plants. All spirit plants thrived under her essence spirit energy, growing swiftly without any adverse effects. They could be considered a form of nourishment. This vine had been cultivated by her multiple times, solely as a weapon, yet its rank surpassed that of the Rockgold Serpent Vine in his space by one level, reaching the seventh tier.

The Rockgold Serpent Vine was already a material for forging weapons. It wasn't strange that Wen Qiao inadvertently nurtured it to the seventh rank.

Ning Yuzhou said, "I'll forge a weapon for you with the Rockgold Serpent Vine. Which type do you prefer?"

Wen Qiao's eyes sparkled as she looked at him. "You can forge weapons too?"

"I only know the theory and haven't practiced yet, but I should be able to manage," Ning Yuzhou modestly replied.

He wasn't wrong. Since he couldn't cultivate before, he naturally couldn't forge pills, talismans, or formations. However, he could read and learn about the theories. Now, he just lacked practice.

In recent days, Wen Qiao had been captivated by Ning Yuzhou's genius aura. Upon hearing this, she believed he could definitely forge a weapon. Immediately, she suggested, "I like whips. Can you forge a whip for me?"

Ning Yuzhou naturally agreed.

He took Wen Qiao's hand and gently squeezed her soft, delicate palm, trying to gauge her strength. Seeing her fingers instinctively curl up, he chuckled. Lifting his gaze, he noticed the slight flush on his young wife's face, stirring a faint flutter in his heart.