Chapter 66

Chapter 66

News of Tianyun Peak's recruitment of a disciple after fifty years swiftly spread throughout the Crimson Cloud Sect.

As the main peak of the Crimson Cloud Sect, Tianyun Peak had always been the focus of attention. Its disciples were all exceptionally talented individuals. While Sheng Zhenhai had not taken on many disciples, his first disciple Qin Hongdao, second disciple Yi Xuan, and youngest disciple Sheng Yunshen were all outstanding figures among their peers, truly deserving of the title "heavenly favorites."

What kind of talent could have compelled Sheng Zhenhai to take on another disciple?

On the day of the apprenticeship ceremony, the peak masters from all corners of the Crimson Cloud Sect paid their respects by attending the event and generously presenting gifts to the two new disciples. Those unaware of the true situation marveled at the grandeur of Tianyun Peak, even for something as simple as accepting a disciple. The generous gifts from each peak left onlookers astonished. However, those in the know understood that these gifts were actually aimed at the Demon-Quelling Pills, and they deeply regretted not being as swift as Sheng Zhenhai in securing the candidate.

Despite the elders from all peaks having rushed to Spirit Peak and personally meeting Ning Yuzhou, why hadn't their own elders seized the opportunity to bring him to their peak? Instead, Tianyun Peak had reaped the benefits.

Tianyun Peak indeed proved to be the most cunning within the sect, silently snatching the candidate before anyone else could react.

How they pounded their chests in frustration! How they regretted not acting sooner!

If Ning Yuzhou had been on their peak, how many Demon-Quelling Pills would they have had at their disposal in the future?

With Ning Yuzhou's talent in Alchemy, there was a chance his future accomplishments might surpass even Fei Yubai's. What were Heaven Rank Alchemists compared to King Rank or even Saint Rank Alchemists? Would they lack for King Rank Spirit Pills or Saint Rank ones then?

It must be known that although the Crimson Heaven Sect was a top-tier major sect, its achievements in alchemy were not high. The entire sect only had one Heaven Rank Alchemist, Fei Yubai, and no King Rank Alchemist at all. However, Fei Yubai had an eccentric personality. Despite his talent in alchemy, he didn't focus on his main duties. Apart from monthly sect missions, he spent the rest of his time researching all sorts of obscure spirit pills. Asking him to refine a pill was an extremely difficult task.

For this reason, the Crimson Heaven Sect desperately desired disciples with alchemy talents. If they found a disciple with such talent, they would nurture them wholeheartedly. Now that Ning Yuzhou had appeared, regardless of the suspicions surrounding him, as long as they confirmed his alchemy talent, the Crimson Heaven Sect would accept him without hesitation.

Only a powerful sect like the Crimson Heaven Sect, which lacked alchemists despite its martial prowess, wouldn't covet Ning Yuzhou's inheritance and allow him to grow stronger.

This was also Ning Yuzhou's choice after observing the various forces on the Central Continent.

Regardless of their regrets, the peak masters all wore cheerful expressions, giving full face to Heavenly Cloud Peak, making Sheng Zhenhai feel quite pleased with himself.

Not everyone had his foresight to make a decision promptly.

Thinking about how their Heavenly Cloud Peak would have an alchemist in the future, one whom even Fei Yubai would seek to befriend, made him even more delighted.

Sheng Zhenhai led his two new disciples to meet the other peak masters, introducing them, "This is my disciple Ning Yuzhou, and this is my disciple Min Cuo. They're young and at low cultivation levels. As their senior uncles and aunts, you'll need to take care of them in the future."

Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao stepped forward to pay their respects.

Each peak's masters also wore warm and friendly expressions, except for Fei Yubai, the master of Heavenly Spirit Peak, who remained cold. He said to Ning Yuzhou, "If anyone dares to bully you in the future, come to Heavenly Spirit Peak and tell me. The spirit pills from our peak won't be provided to that person."

This remark caught the attention of the core disciples from all peaks.

Compared to the peak masters who had received subtle hints from their elders, the core disciples knew nothing about why Heavenly Cloud Peak suddenly took in disciples, two at once. They had accompanied their seniors to witness the ceremony, and truthfully, they were quite disappointed with the cultivation levels of the two new disciples of Heavenly Cloud Peak.

But what did the master of Heavenly Spirit Peak mean by this now?

Fei Yubai was an honest man. Perhaps geniuses who dedicated themselves to a particular field tended to be arrogant and straightforward, unwilling to put on pretenses. He couldn't stand seeing someone bully his "esteemed younger brother" and "teacher," so he spoke bluntly, not even sparing the Sect Master's face.

Fortunately, everyone in Crimson Heaven Sect was familiar with his character and didn't take offense. Even Sheng Zhenhai, who had been directly targeted, merely chuckled. As a result, the disciples of Crimson Heaven Sect became particularly friendly towards the sudden appearance of Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao—after all, they couldn't guarantee that they wouldn't need to seek out Fei Yubai for spirit pills in the future.

On the Holy Martial Continent, alchemists were a group one could least afford to offend.

The ceremony went smoothly, and Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao officially became disciples of Heavenly Cloud Peak in Crimson Heaven Sect.

The peak masters led their respective disciples away. Just as Fei Yubai was about to call out to Ning Yuzhou, Sheng Zhenhai said, "Yuzhou, Ah Chuo, you are now disciples of Heavenly Cloud Peak. Train diligently and try to improve your cultivation first. You can practice on Lingyun Peak and Treasure Storage Peak..."

Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao both acknowledged his words.

Fei Yubai held back the words on the tip of his tongue.

He still wanted to continue discussing alchemy with Ning Yuzhou. Conversations with Ning always sparked new ideas and corrected many of his previous misconceptions. Given enough time, he might genuinely advance to become a Royal Alchemist.

But he couldn't hold Ning back from cultivation. In truth, Ning's current cultivation level was rather low. If he could raise it, crafting Earth Rank pills would be a breeze, let alone Mystic Rank ones.

Thus, Fei Yubai had no choice but to depart.

Sheng Zhenhai had been keeping an eye on him from the corner of his eye. Seeing him leave, he brightened up and continued, "Lingyun Peak is a Body Tempering Peak, I believe you're aware. Weaponry Peak houses all sorts of martial techniques and weapons, as well as specialized training chambers for martial practice. You can visit the Weaponry Peak if you wish."

Wen Qiao replied, "No need, I already have a weapon."

Ning Yuzhou also smiled and said, "Thank you, Master. Neither Ah Chu nor I require any weapons."

Sheng Zhenhai looked at them in confusion. At this moment, Sheng Yunshen spoke, "Younger Martial Sister, are you referring to that stone-gold whip?"

"It's a middle-grade Mystic Rank spirit tool," Qin Hongdao explained. "Not a bad option for Younger Martial Sister to use temporarily. When her cultivation advances, she can switch to a higher grade."

Wen Qiao said, "I'll just ask my husband to refine one for me when the time comes."

Ning Yuzhou gazed at her with a gentle smile, naturally not declining the offer.

Sheng Zhenhai, his wife, and their two apprentices watched them in astonishment, their words faltering. "Y-You mean that your weapon was actually forged by Junior Apprentice Brother Ning? But isn't Junior Apprentice Brother Ning an Alchemist?"

Sheng Yunshen appeared utterly disbelief.

Ning Yuzhou modestly replied, "I have some basic knowledge in forging."

Some basic knowledge? With only the cultivation of the Yuanming Realm, he could forge a middle-grade Profound Rank Spiritual Tool. This wasn't just basic knowledge; it was the talent of a forging genius!

If they knew that Ning Yuzhou had forged the Stone Gold Python Whip before even reaching the Yuanming Realm, their reaction would be even more intense.

But for Sheng Zhenhai and his group, this was already a great shock.

Not until his apprentices had all left did Sheng Zhenhai become ecstatic, unable to contain his excitement.

He paced around the hall, periodically addressing his wife, "My dear, we've struck gold on Heavenly Cloud Peak! I never imagined that Yuzhou is not only proficient in alchemy but also has a knack for forging. What can't he do? Although geniuses abound in this world, it's unlikely that one with such monstrous talent has emerged in tens of thousands of years... But now, he belongs to our Heavenly Cloud Peak! Hahaha..."

Liu Ruozhu looked at him helplessly, but she understood her Dao Companion's emotions.

Sheng Zhenhai inherited the leadership of Crimson Heaven Sect from his elders, burdened not only with the sect's development but also with preserving the prestige of Heavenly Cloud Peak. He never relaxed, yet he refused to employ cunning schemes, preferring transparency in his dealings with the cunning elders of other sects. His struggles were known only to himself.

For the sect's growth, various talents were needed, so instead of suppressing gifted and capable disciples or coveting their treasures, he dedicated efforts to nurturing them, hoping they would someday repay the sect's kindness.

Ning Yuzhou was a gem for the Crimson Heaven Sect. The more he could learn, the happier they were.

In the future, should any incident occur at the Holy Martial Hall that might threaten the sect, the Crimson Heaven Sect needed to be self-sufficient, able to protect its tens of thousands of disciples...

***

Upon returning to Jade Gathering Peak, Wen Qiao asked Ning Yuzhou, "Husband, do you plan to cultivate or do something else?"

Ning Yuzhou was incredibly busy. Just contemplating alchemy formulas, talismans, and formations consumed all his time, leaving none for cultivation. Time and energy were limited resources for cultivators, and it was already challenging to focus on one thing. Yet, Ning Yuzhou divided his attention among several pursuits.

Despite his intelligence and quick understanding, there were simply too many things he wanted to learn.

Seeing the earnest expression on the young maiden's face, Ning Yuzhou felt that if he mentioned anything other than "cultivation," he might receive a serious lecture. So, he replied, "Let's cultivate together first."

A smile lit up Wen Qiao's face. Softly, she said, "Then, husband, let's go to Lingyun Peak to temper our bodies together."

Her husband was too frail, especially physically, and needed some toughening up.

Ning Yuzhou might not know her thoughts, but he could read them from her expression. He silently vowed to allocate more time for cultivation, so his wife wouldn't genuinely worry about him being weak.

With his commitment, Wen Qiao was delighted. She planned to wait for Qin Hongdao to deliver their identity tokens before heading to Lingyun Peak for training.

"Should we tell our master and the others about our origins?" Wen Qiao suddenly asked.

When she became his disciple, she had used the pseudonym "Min Chuo," and hadn't disclosed to Crimson Heaven Sect that they were from Dongling, not Nansheng.

"For now, let's keep it as it is," Ning Yuzhou said calmly. "While the Crimson Heaven Sect can protect us, Dongling is too remote. There may be areas they can't safeguard. We'll reveal the truth when the time comes."

Upon hearing this, Wen Qiao knew he had a plan in mind.

To be honest, she also worried about Dongling. After all, Cangwu Mountain and Lintai Mountain couldn't entirely shield Dongling from the Central Continent. If someone targeted them in the future and vented their anger on Dongling, they might not be able to help in time.

Thus, it was better for them to grow stronger first, strong enough that no one would dare bully Dongling. Then, they could openly announce their connection.

Moreover, there was the Stealthy Scale Guard, secretly developing in the shadows... that could also be strategically planned.

Qin Hongdao promptly delivered their identity tokens.

Every disciple of Crimson Cloud Sect possessed such a token, which served not only as proof of identity but also as a pass to move about within the sect; otherwise, they would be blocked by the restrictions on each peak.

Following Qin Hongdao's guidance, both of them dripped their essence blood onto the tokens.

A spirit light illuminated from the tokens, and soon, they sensed a subtle connection forming with them.

"Junior Brother Ning, Little Junior Sister, the restriction on your Jade Verdant Peak is somewhat lacking. You can go to the Heavenly Array Peak to acquire a more powerful array formation for protection. That way, your safety will be ensured."

"Many thanks, Senior Sister. We will," they replied.

Qin Hongdao then mentioned several points of caution regarding life within the sect and urged them to focus on their cultivation before taking his leave.

Upon Qin Hongdao's departure, he left the sect altogether to continue investigating the mastermind behind the Yang Village murders, hoping in the meantime to find a cure from that person.

Following this, Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao also made their way to Lingyun Peak for their cultivation.

Upon arriving at Lingyun Peak, Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou encountered numerous core disciples from various peaks. These friendly fellow cultivators warmly greeted them and, upon learning of their intention to temper their bodies on Lingyun Peak, kindly offered tips and shared some secrets for an effective body tempering process.

Ning Yuzhou expressed his gratitude with warmth and ease.

Wen Qiao stood aside, not saying much. However, due to her young age, both male and female cultivators showed affection towards this junior sister. They didn't mind her cold demeanor, and some overly caring senior sisters even stuffed her with various trinkets, including food, items, and toys.

Wen Qiao: "...."

Curious, Wen TuTu stretched its rabbit paw to grasp at those objects. Upon seeing it, the senior sisters cooed over its cuteness and showered it with even more items.

Wen TuTu didn't have a storage bag; its cheek pouches were only suitable for holding spirit pills, not other belongings. Thus, it relied on its sister to help store them for later playtime.

"Wen TuTu says thank you," Wen Qiao sincerely thanked them.

"Oh, so its name is Wen TuTu. How adorable!"

"Wen TuTu, are you a little boy or a little girl?"

"It's a male," Wen Qiao replied expressionlessly.

"Then it must be a young master."

Wen Tuttu lifted its head proudly; it was now a young master.

Wen Qiao: "...."

After bidding farewell to the enthusiastic senior martial brothers and sisters, the pair arrived at a training ground at the foot of the mountain. Here, gravity was two times stronger than normal, allowing Ning Yuzhou to acclimate.

Ning Yuzhou walked through the training ground with somewhat sluggish steps, not as composed as usual. However, from his demeanor and expression, no one could tell he was struggling. His footsteps seemed meticulously measured, unhurried and steady.

Wen Qiao crouched aside, watching him with a hint of contemplation in her eyes.

It seemed that since they first met, she had never seen this man in a vulnerable state. Even when they were in the demon cultivator's cave in the Scale Platform Hunting Valley, facing an uncertain future, he remained calm and collected. As for later, when they fell into the underground chamber, Wen Qiao had passed out and missed the rare moment of his disarray.

This man always maintained such composure.

Whatever he did, he seemed fully prepared, even though his cultivation level wasn't high, his strength was incredibly formidable, making him extremely dependable.

However, his cultivation was still a bit too low.

Wen Qiao thought that once he adapted to the two-to-one gravity, she would take him to a training ground with five times the gravity, just like how she climbed up step by step.

Arriving at the training grounds with a gravitational force of ten to one, Ning Yuzhou was caught off guard and nearly collapsed.

Wen Qiao promptly supported him, her expression earnest as she said, "Husband, let's train here."

Ning Yuzhou replied, "...Okay."