Chapter 196

Chapter 196

As Qiao Leshan was in a dilemma, Ning Yuzhou arrived with two demonic beasts.

Wen Tuantuan and Wen Guangun climbed onto Wen Qiao's shoulders, showing great affection. Their fluffy appearance made them look like two adorable little creatures.

Qiao Leshan's gaze couldn't help but fall on these two fluffy little ones again.

During their journey with Ning Yuzhou, he had assumed that these fluffy demonic beasts were their pets, as many female cultivators enjoyed keeping cute demonic beasts. The beasts' combat abilities were secondary; what mattered was whether they liked them. However, when Wen Tuantuan tore through talismans and crushed enemies with its claws, he instantly realized that these weren't just cute little creatures—they were lethal rabbits.

The other black-and-white furball didn't move, but it somehow felt more than just harmless and cuddly.

"Are you both alright?" Ning Yuzhou asked with concern.

"We're fine." Wen Qiao smiled at him, her dimples sweet and soft, making one's heart melt. It was hard to imagine the ferocity with which she had beaten up the cultivator from the Primordial Spirit Realm earlier.

Qiao Leshan's eyes flickered, not daring to meet her gaze even though she was beautiful.

Seeing that both were unharmed, Ning Yuzhou said, "It's not far from Yunping City. Let's leave now."

The explosion of the Bursting Pearl had been too powerful, likely attracting the attention of cultivators from Yunping City. If they encountered those people, it would bring trouble.

Wen Qiao and Qiao Leshan understood his concern and quickly flew away using their swords.

Half a day later, a cloud-colored flying boat weaved through the clouds.

Qiao Leshan curiously examined the flying boat, increasingly convinced that Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao must come from prestigious backgrounds. Otherwise, how could they have so many valuable items? Even he, who was not short of cultivation resources thanks to his brother's support, felt like a pauper in comparison.

Moreover, Wen Qiao's ability to beat up a cultivator from the Primordial Spirit Realm was intimidating.

Only a deeply rooted force could cultivate such a formidable young woman.

Thinking this way, Qiao Leshan suddenly realized that he, a penniless victim of family betrayal, had nothing worth coveting. These two bringing him along and helping him heal was truly an act of kindness.

Qiao Leshan couldn't help but marvel again, giving Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao high praise in his mind.

Unaware of Qiao Leshan's thoughts, Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou were dividing the spoils from the storage bags they had taken from the bandits.

These bandits seemed to be cultivators from Yunping City, with considerable wealth. There were plenty of spirit stones alone.

Wen Qiao placed several piles of spirit stones aside, creating a dazzling heap that sparkled brilliantly.

Wen Tuantuan rolled in the pile of spirit stones but found it less comfortable than rolling in spirit pills, losing interest quickly.

Qiao Leshan chuckled, "Those bandits said they wanted to borrow our spirit stones, yet they had so many themselves. Why borrow?"

Wen Qiao glanced at him, seeing his indignant expression, and said, "So now we've 'borrowed' their spirit stones! It's fair, don't you think?"

Qiao Leshan was speechless, feeling that Wen Qiao always managed to make others speechless with her words. If the bandits heard her, they'd probably be furious.

After sorting out the contents of the storage bags, Wen Qiao divided them into three portions.

Qiao Leshan hesitated, saying, "I... I don't need to take any..."

"You contributed, so you deserve your share," Wen Qiao said firmly, adding, "You're so poor; you need something to rely on."

If Qiao Daxun found out they hadn't shared the loot with his brother, he might think poorly of them.

Wen Qiao wanted to prevent any future issues and maintain their noble image.

Ning Yuzhou smiled at her and said to Qiao Leshan, "Take it as Chui suggested."

Qiao Leshan reluctantly accepted, then handed his portion to Ning Yuzhou, saying, "This is part of the consultation fee."

Ning Yuzhou accepted it and distributed it to Wen Tuantuan and Wen Guangun, acknowledging their protection during the fight.

Wen Tuantuan and Wen Guangun were touched, their eyes brimming with gratitude, feeling that Ning Ge still cared for them.

Ning Yuzhou calmly turned away, ignoring their adoring gazes, and asked Qiao Leshan, "We need to buy some spirit herbs and medicines for alchemy. Do you know which cultivation city nearby has the most?"

Qiao Leshan perked up, saying, "I know. We can go to Danfu City. It's the territory of the Danfu Sect, about half a month's journey from here, not too far."

"Alright, let's go to Danfu City," Ning Yuzhou decided.

After settling this, Ning Yuzhou asked Qiao Leshan kindly, "What are your plans for the future?"

Qiao Leshan looked confused. What plans did he have? Wasn't he supposed to follow them and get treated first?

Seeing his confusion, Ning Yuzhou showed no surprise, maintaining a calm demeanor, and said, "After all you've been through, don't you want to tell your brother so that Senior Qiao isn't deceived by the Qiao family, claiming benefits in your name?"

Qiao Leshan's face darkened, his eyes burning with anger, and he said, "Of course not."

He resented the family for protecting Qiao Daxun and the elders who used any means for profit. How could he let his brother be deceived?

He took a deep breath, "Thank you for reminding me, Master Ning. Once we reach Danfu City, I'll find out about my brother's situation."

Feixian Island had strict rules; disciples were not allowed to leave without reason, and outsiders could not enter. Even the location of Feixian Island was isolated, making it mysterious in the Flying Star Continent. Since his brother joined Feixian Island, he had only left a few times in a hundred years, and each meeting between brothers was brief.

It had been twenty years since he last saw his brother.

Finding out about his brother's situation within Feixian Island was difficult, let alone contacting him.

Thinking about this, Qiao Leshan felt worried.

Ning Yuzhou, seeing Qiao Leshan's worry, did not say more and instead asked about the Danfu Sect.

Half a month later, they arrived at Danfu City smoothly.

On the Flying Star Continent, the art of talismans prevails, while alchemy, artifacts, and formations take a backseat. Even spirit pills, which cultivators need most during their cultivation journey, can only barely hold a place, but cannot compare to the art of talismans.

The reason for this phenomenon is quite simple: first, the Flying Star Continent has a well-established tradition of talisman mastery, leading many cultivators to choose to study talismans, resulting in a flourishing scene of diversity and prosperity. Second, many secret realms and dangerous places on the continent require talismans to be accessed, making them highly valued by cultivators.

After entering Danfu City and seeing shops selling talismans lining the streets, with cultivators coming and going, they couldn't help but think of Tian Dan Valley. The spirit medicine shops there were just as bustling, with a constant stream of cultivators.

Wen Qiao couldn't help but sigh, "If the people from the Talisman Cauldron Sect came to the Flying Star Continent, they would be very happy."

Ning Yuzhou smiled gently, "Indeed."

Qiao Leshui, who was ahead of them, saw the two talking and wanted to speak up but hesitated, not wanting to disturb the couple. He was quite conflicted.

Fortunately, Ning Yuzhou soon called out to him, asking him to rent two cave abodes in the city first, while he and Wen Qiao would explore the city and buy some spirit herbs and medicines. They planned to meet back here in two hours.

Since they needed to treat Qiao Leshui, they had to find a suitable place to stay, making it convenient for the treatment. Danfu City, backed by the Danfu Sect, was expensive but safe, allowing them to rest temporarily.

Qiao Leshui asked, "Young Master Ning, Miss Wen, do you have any specific requirements for the cave abodes? Do you need ones with earth fire or should we buy talismans that seal earth fire?"

Ning Yuzhou asked curiously, "Talismans that seal earth fire?"

"Yes."

Through Qiao Leshui's explanation, they learned that the Talisman Masters on the Flying Star Continent had established an organization called the Talisman Light Alliance, where Talisman Masters had long invented talismans capable of sealing earth fire.

Cultivators could seal collected earth fire within talismans, allowing alchemists and artisans to use the earth fire directly when refining pills or crafting artifacts, without necessarily needing dedicated rooms unless the earth fire required was more advanced.

This method was far better than using simple fire talismans, especially for cultivators traveling and unable to rent alchemy or artifact rooms.

Wen Qiao was stunned, finally understanding the extent of the talisman art's development on the Flying Star Continent. This method of sealing earth fire with talismans was unheard of on the Holy Martial Continent, and even Ning Yuzhou's inherited knowledge did not include it.

This wasn't surprising, as Ning Yuzhou's inheritance came from divine bloodlines, essentially a summary of knowledge passed down by the Heavenly Dao.

However, the cultivation world constantly evolves, and human wisdom and creativity know no bounds. They have their own ways of survival and creation, producing things that even those with inherited knowledge might not know about.

Ning Yuzhou never believed that having an inheritance made him invincible; the knowledge provided merely served as a reference. After all, the vast world is full of wonders, and the inventions of cultivators are not covered in his inheritance. He needed to keep learning.

For instance, when refining pills, although he had an inheritance in alchemy, he preferred creating new formulas suited to the current cultivation world rather than relying solely on inherited knowledge.

Similarly, the talismans that sealed earth fire piqued his interest greatly.

After explaining, Qiao Leshui suddenly felt something was off and asked, "Young Master Ning, you don't know about sealing talismans?"

Ning Yuzhou calmly replied, "Indeed, I've only recently started studying talismans and focused more on alchemy before."

This wasn't a lie, just phrased in a way that made Qiao Leshui assume Ning Yuzhou was previously an alchemist who had recently turned to talismans. This explained why Ning Yuzhou could produce so many spirit pills; he had refined them himself.

Considering their young age—both under thirty—in Qiao Leshui's eyes, they were still youngsters compared to his over-a-century-old self.

It all made sense.

Qiao Leshui, having filled in the gaps in his mind, didn't dwell on it further. Feeling embarrassed, he took the spirit stones Ning Yuzhou gave him to rent the cave abodes—before meeting his brother, penniless Qiao Leshui could only rely on these two.

Debts piled up, but he had become numb to them!

Qiao Leshui hoped his brother would have enough spirit stones to cover the costs of the medical fees, living expenses, and spirit pills he owed Ning Yuzhou.

As a brother destined to depend on his sibling, Qiao Leshui felt deeply guilty and vowed to work harder and be kinder to his brother in the future.

***

After Qiao Leshui left, Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou headed towards the street selling spirit medicines.

The Danfu Sect got its name because it practiced both alchemy and talisman arts, making it one of the few sects on the Flying Star Continent with a relatively complete alchemy tradition.

However, after seeing the variety of spirit pills sold in the alchemy shops in Danfu City, Ning Yuzhou felt that the Danfu Sect's alchemy tradition was inferior to some second-rate forces on the Holy Martial Continent and certainly couldn't compare to the Danmeng. Given that the sect combined alchemy and talismans, it was clear that alchemy alone could not sustain the sect, hence the emphasis on talismans according to the situation on the Flying Star Continent.

Compared to other sects, however, the Danfu Sect was already quite impressive.

They entered a shop on the street selling spirit medicines at random.

Ning Yuzhou rattled off dozens of names of spirit herbs and medicines and said, "I'll take these for now."

The shopkeeper looked bewildered and awkwardly said, "Sir, we only have a dozen or so of the herbs you mentioned. The rest..."

Danfu City boasted the most comprehensive collection of spirit herbs and medicines on the Flying Star Continent, and this shop was one of the largest on the street. Yet, they couldn't provide the requested items, leaving the shopkeeper feeling ashamed.

Other customers, mostly alchemists buying spirit herbs and medicines, also looked bewildered at Ning Yuzhou.

Some of the herbs Ning Yuzhou mentioned were unheard of, but his confident demeanor suggested he wasn't joking. Instantly, they realized his alchemy skills must be exceptional, and he likely possessed a complete alchemy tradition.

Ning Yuzhou didn't show any dissatisfaction and said, "Then please bring out what you have."

The shopkeeper breathed a sigh of relief and quickly fetched the available herbs, thinking this customer was quite patient, unlike others who would complain if they couldn't get what they wanted, sometimes even making things difficult for the staff.

Everyone was trying to earn cultivation resources, and even if they faced difficulties, they had to endure it with a good attitude.

The shopkeeper quickly packed the herbs and handed them to Ning Yuzhou, even offering a discount with a smile, "Please come again if you need anything else."

Ning Yuzhou put the packed herbs into his storage bag and said, "If you get the herbs I mentioned, please keep them for me, and I'll send someone to buy them."

"Of course, sir."

Just as they were about to leave the shop, a voice called out from behind them, "Excuse me, friend, please wait."