Chapter 67

Chapter 67

Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou had been practicing on Lingyun Peak for two months.

During this period, the two had not left Lingyun Peak. Wen Qiao accompanied Ning Yuzhou in adjusting to one martial practice arena after another, and the pair progressed upward at a remarkably gradual pace.

Pushing to the limits, he then proceeded to the gravity chamber.

Despite their recent induction into the Crimson Heaven Sect, their identity tokens held nearly ten thousand contribution points, a reward granted for providing the sect with Demon Expelling Pills. With these points, they could not only access some cultivation grounds within the sect that required contributions but also exchange for various resources, many of which were precious and unavailable outside, possessions typically held by major sects with profound foundations.

This was the advantage of joining a major sect.

When their cultivation sessions came to a temporary halt, they left Lingyun Peak, planning to return to Jujue Peak for some rest before resuming their practice.

Upon reaching the foot of Jujue Peak, they saw Qin Hongdao emerging from Snow Blade Peak.

"Junior Brother Ning, Little Junior Sister, you've emerged from your seclusion?" Qin Hongdao said with a smile, eyeing the pair with delight. "Not bad, both of you have made progress."

Wen Qiao had now reached the peak of the Primordial Martial Realm, while Ning Yuzhou was in the late stages of the Yuanming Realm. The speed at which they cultivated showcased their impressive talents. With their focused practice over the past two months, they had made tremendous strides forward.

The two greeted her, and Ning Yuzhou asked, "When did Eldest Senior Sister return?"

"Only a few days ago," Qin Hongdao replied, furrowing his brows slightly as he looked at Ning Yuzhou, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.

"Senior Sister, is there something on your mind?" Ning Yuzhou inquired.

Qin Hongdao sighed. "I've captured the culprit behind the Yang Village murders, but I couldn't find the antidote from him."

For the past two months, Qin Hongdao had been relentlessly pursuing the killer.

Due to her successful advancement to the Yuan Zong realm, her strength had increased, allowing her to capture the culprit smoothly during their confrontation and extract some information.

It turned out that the Yang Village murders were committed by a Mo Zong cultivator.

Mo Zong cultivators were different from righteous cultivators; they followed an extreme cultivation path and were ruthless in their actions. The reason for the Mo Zong cultivator's massacre in Yang Village was straightforward – he aimed to create living corpses by sacrificing the entire village's lives for his sinister cultivation method. Only those unscrupulous Mo Zong cultivators would engage in such wicked practices.

This Mo Zong cultivator held a high position within the sect, even serving as an elder of a small faction affiliated with the Mo Zong. It was unknown how he obtained such a potent and deadly poison, one without an antidote, not even for himself.

Mo Zong cultivators were adept at using poisons and favored employing various types, which was one of the reasons they were disliked by the righteous cultivators. The poisons they crafted were bizarre and diverse, and they focused solely on creating them without bothering to develop antidotes. When confronting a Mo Zong cultivator, righteous cultivators often needed to guard against their toxins, as being poisoned without an antidote meant a slow and painful death.

Qin Hongdao's face was grave. "I didn't expect that a demonic cultivator would actually cross the border to our righteous cultivators' territory to refine living corpses. If I had known back then that the guy in the cloak, all wrapped up in black, was a demonic cultivator, I wouldn't have let Junior Brother Sheng get involved."

It had originally seemed like a simple mission, but it unexpectedly entangled them with demonic cultivators.

Demonic cultivators were notorious for their ruthless methods. One should never provoke them without the necessary skills. Qin Hongdao had chosen to confront the Mozong because he had encountered demonic cultivators ruthlessly persecuting righteous cultivators, which had driven him to fury and resulted in the slaying of countless demonic cultivators, turning him into a nightmare for many of them.

Wen Qiao held Wen Tuzi and asked, "Sister, have you still not gathered all the ingredients for the Second Transformation Yin Essence Pill?"

"All except for the Thousand-Year Heart-Eating Grass," Qin Hongdao replied.

Wen Qiao understood. It seemed that this Thousand-Year Heart-Eating Grass was indeed extremely hard to find. With only two months left until Sheng Yunshen's poison relapsed, if they couldn't locate the grass to refine the Second Transformation Yin Essence Pill during this time, it would mean that Senior Brother Sheng would still need to suppress his poison, and the consequences wouldn't be pretty.

Qin Hongdao shared this information merely to keep them informed and not to burden them. "Forget it. We can only hope that our sect can locate the Thousand-Year Heart-Eating Grass as soon as possible. Junior Brother Ning, Little Junior Sister, you don't have to worry about it. Just focus on your cultivation."

After patting them on the shoulders for encouragement, he hurriedly left.

After Qin Hongdao left, before Ning and Wen could enter the Jade Green Peak, they were stopped by disciples from the Heavenly Spirit Peak who were guarding the area nearby.

"Junior Brother Ning, congratulations on your breakthrough. The peak master has asked me to invite you to the Heavenly Spirit Peak if you're free now," said the sweet-tongued disciple from the Heavenly Spirit Peak.

Upon seeing this, both of them knew that the Heavenly Spirit Peak disciple had been waiting here for their return, having refrained from calling out due to Qin Hongdao's presence earlier.

The Heavenly Spirit Peak disciple, worried about Ning Yuzhou's refusal, stood there rather nervously.

Ning Yuzhou chuckled and said, "Coincidentally, I also have something to discuss with Senior Apprentice Uncle Fei. Let's go then." As he spoke, he turned to Wen Qiao and asked, "Ah Chuo, would you like to come along?"

Wen Qiao shook her head. "I'll go check on Senior Brother Sheng."

"Go ahead. You can help me deliver these spirit pills to him," Ning Yuzhou said, passing her several bottles of pills he had refined in the gravity chamber.

These spirit pills were specially crafted by Ning Yuzhou for Sheng Yunshen—Pure Essence Pills that couldn't remove the poison within Sheng Yunshen's body but could somewhat suppress its effects. They could be consumed like sweets without any side effects.

Despite cultivating in the gravity chamber, they occasionally retreated into the spatial realm for a brief respite. Ning Yuzhou would seize the opportunity to refine a few batches of pills to alleviate the exhaustion brought on by cultivation. While others rested when fatigued from cultivation, Ning Yuzhou alleviated his exhaustion through pill refinement, leaving others at a loss for words.

After Ning Yuzhou and the Heavenly Spirit Peak disciple left, Wen Qiao summoned a flying crane. She carried Wen Tuantuan and sat on the crane's back, heading towards Sky Cloud Peak.

Due to the poison impairing his ability to cultivate, Sheng Yunshen had been residing on Sky Cloud Peak lately.

Upon reaching Sky Cloud Peak, Wen Qiao leaped down from the flying crane.

The disciples of Heavenly Cloud Peak bowed to her, addressing her as Little Junior Sister. Although they were inner sect disciples, there was still a significant gap in status between them and the direct disciples, necessitating respectful greetings when encountering the latter.

Wen Qiao nodded silently at them before ascending to the grand hall situated halfway up the mountain.

Upon entering the hall, she found the Sect Leader and his wife seated, engaged in hushed conversation with somber expressions on their faces.

Noticing Wen Qiao's arrival, the couple simultaneously paused their discussion, adopting warm expressions. Sheng Zhenhai smiled and said, "Ah Chu has emerged from seclusion. Excellent, your cultivation has advanced."

Wen Qiao greeted them respectfully. As a first-time disciple, she wasn't adept at being affectionate or coquettish. Instead, she got straight to the point, asking, "Master, Mistress, where is Senior Brother Sheng?"

"You're here to see Yun Shen?"

Wen Qiao spoke earnestly, "My lord prepared the Pure Essence Pill for Senior Brother Sheng, and asked me to deliver it to him."

Upon hearing this, the expression on Sheng Zhenhai and his wife's faces softened significantly, prompting them to summon Sheng Yunshen, who was resting in the rear chamber.

Perhaps due to the proximity of the day when the poison would take effect, Sheng Yunshen's spirits were not in their best state. The marks on his face seemed to be darkening, giving him an appearance akin to a lifeless cabbage, devoid of vitality and freshness.

Yet, upon seeing Wen Qiao, he perked up and said with a smile, "Little Junior Sister, I've heard that Senior Brother Ning has prepared a spirit pill for me. What is it?"

Wen Qiao didn't beat around the bush and promptly handed him several bottles of spirit pills.

Without hesitation, Sheng Yunshen poured out a pill, ready to toss it into his mouth. Suddenly, he paused, eyes widening as he exclaimed, "This is an Ultimate Pure Essence Pill?" He then looked at the remaining pills in the bottle—goodness, all five bottles were filled with Ultimate Pure Essence Pills.

The sect leader and his wife were also stunned by Ning Yuzhou's generosity.

Pure Essence Pills were Mystic Rank pills known for their ability to cleanse one's mind and spirit, useful during periods of agitation or when one was on the verge of losing control during cultivation. Consuming them casually could also calm the heart and clear the mind, allowing one to continue practicing. Although not a necessary type of spirit pill, they were still highly sought after by cultivators.

While they were aware of Ning Yuzhou's talent in alchemy, they hadn't expected his skills to surpass their expectations.

"Yes, quickly consume it," Wen Qiao urged, her gaze fixed on him.

With a face brimming with gratitude, Sheng Yunshen sighed, "Sob, sob, sob, Senior Brother Ning is so kind to me. I can finally indulge in enjoying Ultimate Pills like sweets. Fortunately, my father is cunning, knowing the importance of seizing the initiative and snatching you both early..."

Sheng Zhenhai: "What nonsense are you spouting?!" Why was he blurting out such candid truths?

Liu Ruozhu chuckled, her eyes gleaming slightly as she observed the Pure Essence Pills in her son's hand.

After delivering the spirit pills and bidding farewell to Sheng Yunshen, Wen Qiao took her leave from the sect leader and his wife.

"Ning Yuzhou, let me escort you," Sheng Yunshen offered, his vitality renewed perhaps due to the supreme-grade Pure Essence Pill, his smile shining brighter than before.

Wen Qiao did not decline.

The two of them exited the grand hall and made their way towards the foot of Skycloud Peak.

On the path, Wen Qiao, in an unusual display of comfort, said, "Don't worry, we'll definitely find that thousand-year Heart-Eroding Grass. If we can't, your husband can suppress the poison again. It's just your appearance that might suffer, but as long as you're alive, there's always hope. None of us will ever disdain you for it."

Though touched by his little junior sister's words, Sheng Yunshen couldn't help but find them a tad too piercing.

"Little Junior Sister, thank you..." he replied weakly.

Wen Qiao responded, "It's nothing. After all, you are our senior brother now."

While Ning Yuzhou's initial motive was to broker a deal with Crimson Heaven Sect, the act of taking him in as a disciple was genuine, fostering a sense of kinship. Wen Qiao sincerely treated them as her elders within the sect.

After bidding farewell to Sheng Yunshen, Wen Qiao boarded a flying crane to head for Heavenly Spirit Peak.

The disciples on Heavenly Spirit Peak were familiar with both her and Ning Yuzhou, so they did not obstruct her as she made her way straight to Fei Yubai's alchemy chamber.

Wen Qiao stood not far from the alchemy studio, peering through the windows and door. She noticed Ning Yuzhou and Fei Yubai engaged in a discussion, their voices faintly reaching her ears. They seemed to be researching the poison affecting Sheng Yunshen.

After listening for a while, Wen Qiao turned and left.

Despite the rare break, she didn't slack off. She tended to all the spirit plants on Jade Gather Peak, silently hastening the growth of spirit fruit trees to produce sweet and fragrant fruits for Wen Tuttu as snacks. Then, she went to the waterfall to catch a fish, clumsily starting a fire to grill it, only to end up with a burnt, charred mess.

Wen Qiao: "..."

It seemed she lacked the talent for spirit cooking. In comparison to her husband, there was still a significant gap.

Wen Tuttu, holding a spirit fruit, glanced at Wen Qiao and then at the blackened fish. Wisely, it chose to remain silent, quietly enjoying its fruit.

Ning Yuzhou returned to find the charred fish and couldn't help but cough, concealing his smile. He asked, "Ah Chuo, what were you doing?"

"I thought the cold fish in the pond would make a nice grilled meal, but it didn't turn out as expected," Wen Qiao admitted honestly.

Upon hearing this, Ning Yuzhou rolled up his sleeves, personally caught a few more cold fish, prepared them, skewered them onto branches, and placed them over the charcoal fire. He also retrieved some seasoning from his storage bag.

Before long, the air was filled with the aroma of grilled fish.

The scent carried far and wide, drawing Sheng Yunshen, who had nothing better to do, over.

As he gnawed on the fish, Sheng Yunshen mumbled, "Junior Brother Ning, how can there be someone as perfect as you in this world? You're good at everything. If I were a female cultivator, I'd pester you relentlessly to marry me."

Wen Qiao lifted her head to look at him, narrowing her eyes slightly.

Ning Yuzhou's smile froze at the corners of his lips. Gazing at Sheng Yunshen's masculine face, he said, "Senior Brother Sheng, don't say such things anymore. Even if you were a female cultivator, I wouldn't be interested in you. I already have Ah Cuo."

Seeing his little junior sister staring at him with an ambiguous gaze, Sheng Yunshen hurriedly clarified, "I was just joking. Even if I were a female cultivator, I wouldn't compete with you, Little Junior Sister. Don't worry."

Only then did Wen Qiao avert her gaze. She decided that once Senior Brother Sheng's poison was neutralized, she would find a time to spar with him.

Unaware that he might get a sound beating from his little junior sister after his poisoning was cured, Sheng Yunshen left in a good mood after finishing the delicious grilled fish.

Ning Yuzhou washed his hands in the icy cold pool before leading Wen Qiao back to their cave abode to rest.

Inside the cave, there was a bed with soft bedding. After washing up, the two of them lay down on the bed, a rare moment of relaxation for them. Their shoulders brushed against each other as they chatted aimlessly.

"Dearest husband, if we can't find the Thousand-Year Heart-Eroding Grass, will Senior Brother Sheng die?"

"I don't know. Does Ah Chuo wish for him to perish?"

"Mm-hm, Senior Brother Sheng is quite kind."

Ning Yuzhou reached out, pulling the young maiden by his side into his embrace. He caressed her delicate butterfly bone on her back, sighing softly, "It's been a year since our wedding, hasn't it?"

"Mm-hm, exactly a year."

Wen Qiao remembered vividly that she was now sixteen. In this past year, she had finally grown a bit, but she still appeared petite. Presumably, like her original form, her growth was incredibly slow.

Ning Yuzhou chuckled lightly, leaning down to kiss the tender and smooth cheeks of the girl in his arms. Gently brushing against her soft, rosy lips, he deepened the kiss gradually...

***

The following day, Ning Yuzhou continued his journey to Heavenly Spirit Peak, while Wen Qiao headed for Heavenly Cloud Peak.

Upon arriving at Heavenly Cloud Peak, she found the Sect Master's wife and her son already waiting there.

"Little Junior Sister, you're here," Sheng Yunshen greeted her cheerfully.

Liu Ruozhu smiled at her and said, "Your master has been quite busy lately, so I'll be guiding your cultivation. If you have any questions, feel free to ask."

Liu Ruozhu was an Emperor Realm cultivator, considered one of the top experts on the Holy Martial Continent. Without her cultivation level, she wouldn't have been able to command the respect of Sect Leader Sheng Zhenhai, nor would the entire Crimson Heaven Sect call her Sect Leader's wife with sincerity. She even had a say in many significant matters within the sect, far from being just a figurehead.

Moreover, Liu Ruozhu was also a blade cultivator who taught Qin Hongdao.

It was more accurate to say that Qin Hongdao was Liu Ruozhu's disciple rather than Sheng Zhenhai's. However, both husband and wife treated their disciples as their own children, nurturing them with care. Whichever of them had time would teach, and they didn't mind whose disciple they were technically.

Wen Qiao naturally had no objections. Having a high-level Emperor Realm cultivator guide her was something others could only dream of.

"We'll go to the peak. It's peaceful up there, perfect for cultivation," Liu Ruozhu said, leading them to the summit.

With nothing else to do, Sheng Yunshen happily followed along, chattering the whole way, "Mom, you must teach Little Junior Sister well. Make sure she becomes even stronger than Mu Shan. That way, Mu Shan won't dare bully anyone anymore."

Liu Ruozhu chuckled. "What nonsense are you talking? Mu Shan is a young lady. How have I taught you to behave?"

"…To respect female cultivators. One shouldn't look down on them just because they're strong. When female cultivators are powerful, even men can't withstand them. You mustn't underestimate any female cultivator in this world."

"Good girl!"

"..."

In the following days, Wen Qiao came to Heavenly Cloud Peak for her daily cultivation, with Liu Ruozhu guiding her by the side.

Despite being a Body Cultivator, Wen Qiao's current cultivation level was too low. However, Liu Ruozhu could still offer some guidance.

Initially, Liu Ruozhu intended to assess Wen Qiao's progress and recommend a suitable martial technique from the Treasure Pavilion. But after witnessing Wen Qiao perform the first move of the 'Heavenly Body Fist,' Liu Ruozhu realized that this martial technique seemed tailor-made for Wen Qiao; there was no better choice for the young disciple.

Thus, Liu Ruozhu decided against pursuing other options and let Wen Qiao continue practicing the 'Heavenly Body Fist.'

Martial techniques were not about quantity but finding the one most suited to oneself. The 'Heavenly Body Fist' was powerful and domineering, capable of overcoming all techniques with its strength. Its variations were boundless, and even the first move revealed great depth.

When Wen Qiao shattered a half-human-height Clear Light Stone with a single punch, Sheng Yunshen's spiritual pill slipped from his hand, leaving him rooted to the spot in astonishment.

Clear Light Stones were universally acknowledged as one of the top ten hardest stones in the cultivation world. Many cultivators used them as door tablets or for sharpening their swords. A single half-human-height Clear Light Stone was enough for ten sword and saber cultivators to hone their skills.

Yet their little junior sister actually shattered it with one punch.

What kind of monstrous strength was this?

Liu Ruozhu was also surprised, but given her extensive experience, she quickly composed herself and smiled. "Indeed, you're well-suited for the path of Body Cultivation. Your strength surpasses that of ordinary cultivators. Coupled with this 'Heavenly Body Fist,' your power will increase, making you a formidable opponent in close combat."

Sheng Yunshen's spirit pill dropped once more.

His mother had always been someone with high standards, so for her to give such high praise, it was clear that his little junior sister truly had exceptional talent.

Wen Qiao nodded, knowing that her adoptive mother likely had more to say.

Sure enough, she continued, "However, if your opponent excels in ranged combat, you'll be at a disadvantage."

During her training on Cangwu Mountain, Wen Qiao had already vaguely realized her weakness. Hearing this now didn't come as a surprise, so she promptly sought advice on how to deal with opponents skilled in ranged combat.