Chapter 202

Chapter 202

Wen Qiao fought on the arena for another half a month and earned herself another batch of spirit stones.

This time around, Wen Qiao did not win every match; she occasionally lost. Nevertheless, she remained the most prominent figure in the arena, attracting the admiration of countless male cultivators.

As for her having a fiancé, the crowd paid little attention to it.

As the saying goes, "A virtuous lady is what every gentleman desires." As long as a couple has not held their dual cultivation ceremony, they can be separated. Who knows, with some effort, one might win the heart of the beauty?

Many male cultivators harbored this thought, leading to a significant number of them cheering Wen Qiao on whenever she challenged the arena masters, with the majority being male cultivators themselves.

Xiong Yan, upon discovering the ill intentions of these male cultivators, naturally had to protect his brother Ning's fiancée.

Whenever any male cultivator with ulterior motives approached Wen Qiao, Xiong Yan would unceremoniously chase them away like flies, not holding back his words, "Don't you look at yourselves? How dare you pursue my sister! A celestial being like my sister deserves only someone as celestial as Brother Ning."

Clearly, Ning Yuzhou had left a very good impression on Xiong Yan, so much so that he was willing to stand up for him.

Even though Ning Yuzhou was not present, Xiong Yan would still guard his little wife, ensuring no male cultivator with ill intentions could covet his little sprout.

The male cultivators who were rebuked laughed in anger, unable to resist countering, "Xiong Yan, don't you look at yourself either? Do you have the right to criticize us? And even if we are bad, we are better than someone at the Primordial Pulse realm, right?"

The other male cultivators proudly displayed their cultivation levels.

While they might not match Ning Yuzhou in appearance and demeanor, their cultivation levels far surpassed his.

Xiong Yan, however, grew even more disdainful, "He is a genius in both alchemy and talismans, and he is young. With his aptitude and talent, the Primordial Spirit realm is nothing. His future achievements will certainly not be inferior to yours."

The male cultivators: "…………"

Thus, even when Ning Yuzhou was not present, he could still use his strength to deter male cultivators with designs on his fiancée.

**

After fighting on the arena for half a month, Wen Qiao was finally led away by Ning Yuzhou, who had come to fetch her.

Seeing her leave with her fiancé, the arena masters secretly breathed sighs of relief.

These arena masters did not necessarily enjoy fighting; most were there for the spirit stones. As long as they defended their arenas, they could earn plenty of spirit stones.

Every time they were knocked out of the arena by a female cultivator with lower cultivation, losing face was a minor issue; losing spirit stones was the real problem.

Back at their cave abode, Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao rested for a day before entering the space.

Nothing had changed within the space, except that Wen Guangun had eaten all but a few pitiful stalks of the Purple Jade Bamboo.

Wen Guangun was very persistent about its food. Crawling over, it hugged Wen Qiao's leg and whined pitifully, looking as miserable as possible.

Wen Qiao had no choice but to transform into a small sprout to help nurture the Purple Jade Bamboo.

Upon seeing the small sprout appear, the big fluff ball that had been lazily lying in the Immortal Spirit Flower field instantly jumped up and joined Wen Tuantuan in guarding the small sprout.

The tender green sprout planted beside the Purple Jade Bamboo shook its leaves, helplessly accepting the protection of the three beasts, feeling more and more like it had summoned guardian beasts.

Ning Yuzhou, sitting on the platform of the vine house, observed the scene by the Purple Jade Bamboo for a while and noticed that the small sprout seemed to have grown an inch taller.

Although only an inch, it was still something to be happy about.

Smiling, he thought, indeed, the small sprout needed more exercise to grow tall and strong. He wondered what it would become in the future—would it be like the man-eating flowers of the Thousand Islands or a towering tree?

Filled with anticipation for the growth of the small sprout, Ning Yuzhou took out his talisman drawing tools and began drawing talismans leisurely.

During the time Wen Qiao was fighting on the arena, Ning Yuzhou not only listened to the Talisman Masters of Danfu Sect explain talismans in the Talisman Forest but also interacted with many Talisman Masters in Danfu City, learning a lot of new knowledge about talismans, some of which were quite enlightening.

However, no matter how prosperous the talismans were on the Flying Star Continent, some traditions were not known to outsiders. Ning Yuzhou could only access widely known talisman knowledge, and deeper knowledge was beyond reach.

After exchanging ideas with other Talisman Masters, Ning Yuzhou clarified several types of talismans he was interested in.

The ones he was most interested in were the Sealing Talisman and the Talisman Person.

The Sealing Talisman is a gradeless talisman, ranging from Yellow Grade to Holy Grade. The higher the grade, the better the quality of the earth fire it can seal. It is said that a Holy Grade Sealing Talisman can even seal heavenly and earthly fires.

The Talisman Person is a Heavenly Grade talisman, which can only be drawn by Heavenly Grade Talisman Masters.

When drawing a Talisman Person, a considerable amount of spiritual energy is required, and the control of spiritual energy during the process must be meticulous, leaving no room for error. Even the slightest mistake would result in failure.

Although the Talisman Person is a Heavenly Grade talisman, the abilities and strength of the person drawn depend on the Talisman Master's skills, requiring the Talisman Master to create and explore further.

After spending half a day, Ning Yuzhou finally drew a High-Grade Earth Sealing Talisman.

Spiritual light flashed and then dimmed, and a Sealing Talisman was completed. Faint glimmers of light flickered on the talisman paper, but it was not a flawless top-grade talisman.

Ning Yuzhou was not satisfied and set it aside, drawing another Sealing Talisman.

By the time Wen Qiao successfully nurtured a large patch of Purple Jade Bamboo, Ning Yuzhou had successfully drawn a flawless Sealing Talisman.

Spiritual light shimmered smoothly, without any stagnation.

Slightly satisfied, Ning Yuzhou flicked his finger, and a wisp of greenish flame appeared. He tried to seal the thin thread of the earth core red flame into the talisman.

With a loud explosion, not only were the beasts guarding the small sprout startled, but so were the two yellow crystal ants on the Ant Fragrance Tree.

Several pairs of eyes turned toward the vine house, noticing that the platform in front of it had been blown apart.

Wen Qiao quickly transformed back into human form, hurriedly running over and leaping onto the platform of the vine house, "Husband, are you alright?"

Ning Yuzhou tidied his slightly disheveled clothes, "I'm fine; I'm wearing a Fine Gold Feather Soft Armor."

Wen Qiao checked him thoroughly and, finding him unharmed except for being a bit disheveled, finally breathed a sigh of relief. She asked, "What caused the explosion just now?"

Ning Yuzhou honestly recounted what had just happened to her.

"Do you want to try sealing the Heart of the Earth Crimson Flame with a Sealing Talisman?" Wen Qiao blinked. "Husband, if I remember correctly, the Heart of the Earth Crimson Flame is a celestial flame and can only be sealed with a Saint-level talisman, right?"

"Yes, that's why I was just trying it out earlier," Ning Yuzhou said calmly. "I only tried with a small portion of the flame, but it still didn't work."

Wen Qiao: "..."

Wen Qiao realized that her husband occasionally had flights of fancy and wasn't always calculating every move.

Seeing him trying to maintain a composed expression but unable to hide his embarrassment, she held back a laugh. "Go ahead and experiment, Husband, but please be careful."

Ning Yuzhou smiled at her, acknowledging her words.

For Ning Ge, who pursued perfection, knowing that he would fail meant he wouldn't easily attempt such an uncertain task again.

Seeing that everything was fine here, Wen Qiao restored the Stone Golden Python Vine that had been blown up and returned to the spirit field. Then, she was pushed by Wen Qiuball to Zhusenling's flower field and stood before several large stones.

Wen Qiuball pointed at some stone cavities that had been manually dug out in the large stones.

Wen Qiao leaned closer and found that there was quite a bit of Immortal Spirit Honey in the stone cavities. The thick, amber-like liquid emitted an exceptionally sweet and fragrant aroma, causing the spiritual energy within her body to stir slightly.

"Ji ji!"

Wen Qiuball called out proudly to her.

Wen Qiao was touched, realizing that Wen Qiuball had indeed been working hard to take care of her as it had promised. The Immortal Spirit Honey in the stone cavities was fresh, collected recently, and intended for her.

"Wen Qiuball, thank you."

Wen Qiao reached out and hugged the round, furry body of the big ball, burying her face in its soft fur and rubbing against it affectionately, accepting its kindness.

Since it was Wen Qiuball's heartfelt gesture, Wen Qiao didn't refuse. She filled half a jade bottle with the honey and stored it away, then helped Wen Qiuball nurture Zhusenling.

After planting the seeds of Zhusenling, Wen Qiao transformed into a small sprout and rooted herself in Zhusenling's flower field, nurturing it diligently.

Wen Qiuball watched the small sprout very contentedly, while Wen Tutu and Wen Guangun also squatted nearby. The beasts got along very harmoniously.

**

They stayed in the space for half a month until the beginning of another month arrived, and then they emerged from the space.

When Qiao Leshan came over and learned that Wen Qiao had gone to fight in the arena again, he was very envious.

As a penniless individual who couldn't even afford medical fees, he also wanted to go to the arena to earn spirit stones. However, Ning Yuzhou had warned him not to engage in combat until he fully recovered, lest he damage his already fragile sea of consciousness. No one knew if the dark substances still lingering in his sea of consciousness might become active again and further erode his divine sense.

So during this period, Qiao Leshan could only obediently stay in the cave abode, practicing alone, with no income, continuing to rely on others for food and shelter.

Wen Qiao comforted him, "Don't worry, in two months, you'll be able to go to the arena."

Qiao Leshan looked at Ning Yuzhou eagerly, knowing that the final decision rested with Young Master Ning.

Ning Yuzhou said, "It might not be possible."

The two were speechless.

"Wouldn't Young Master Qiao return to the Qiao Family after recovering? Or perhaps find Senior Qiao?" Ning Yuzhou asked, as staying in Danfu City indefinitely wasn't practical.

Qiao Leshan frowned hesitantly and said, "Young Master Ning, to be honest, I don't want to return to the Qiao Family."

The reason for not returning was simple. Even if he sought justice, the Qiao Family might help Qiao Daxun kill him again. Although the Qiao Family was a minor clan, after Qiao Leshan joined Feixian Island, the family received rewards from the island, allowing an ancestor at the Yuanzong realm to advance to the Yuanhuang realm.

With that Yuanhuang realm ancestor overseeing things, Qiao Leshan couldn't confront them now.

Having narrowly escaped death, Qiao Leshan cherished his life dearly. Knowing that the Qiao Family was akin to a dragon's lair or tiger's den, he wouldn't recklessly return to seek his own demise.

A gentleman takes his revenge when the time is right; he would first find his brother and inform him of the situation before settling his score.

After hearing this, Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao felt he was clear-headed. Though simple, he wasn't impulsive and could distinguish right from wrong, not blindly believing rumors or judging things superficially.

"It's best that Young Master Qiao thinks this way. Once your injuries heal, we'll go to Tianzhiyuan."

Qiao Leshan was surprised. "Are the two of you also going to Tianzhiyuan?"

Ning Yuzhou nodded. "Didn't you say that disciples of Feixian Island would go to Tianzhiyuan for trials? It's rumored that other cultivators will also enter. Why don't we join in the fun?"

That was true; Tianzhiyuan wasn't a secret realm, and anyone could enter. While Feixian Island's disciples used it for trials, other cultivators could also enter.

However, Tianzhiyuan was known as a dangerous place on the Flying Star Continent, and its risks were evident.

Qiao Leshan worriedly said, "Young Master Ning, Tianzhiyuan is extremely dangerous."

"I know. If we stop because of danger, how can we cultivate? Cultivation is fraught with dangers, and to grow stronger, we must not fear them," Ning Yuzhou said solemnly.

Qiao Leshan was slightly shaken but didn't persuade further. He said earnestly, "Young Master Ning, Miss Wen, if you're entering, please be careful. I hope we can go together."

"Of course, we can watch out for each other," Ning Yuzhou said gently.

Wen Qiao didn't object, thinking that separating would make it harder to find Qiao Leshan and gather information about Feixian Island. So, Qiao Leshan needed to stay with them for now.

After discussing this, night fell.

As last month, Wen Qiao used the Thousand Threads Vine to bind Qiao Leshan. When he started having an episode, Ning Yuzhou checked his condition and fed him the second Yin-Yang Nirvana True Pill.

Wen Tutu and Wen Guangun stared at the pill, swallowing their saliva secretly.

After Ning Ge finished feeding him the pill, the two beasts cuddled up to him, rolling, spinning, and exposing their bellies—acting as cute as possible.

Unfortunately, Ning Ge remained unmoved, his heart as hard as iron.

Wen Qiao, unable to hold back, said to Ning Yuzhou, "Husband, will you be making more Yin-Yang Nirvana True Pills?"

Ning Yuzhou glanced lightly at the two beasts with their ears perked up and said, "Yes, I'll make some more for backup."

The two beasts immediately became happy and continued to act cute, hoping that Big Brother Ning would give them a taste due to their adorable appearance.

However, Wen Qiao felt that Ning Yuzhou wouldn't prepare without reason, so she asked, "Husband, will we encounter more people like Qiao Leshui in the future?"

Ning Yuzhou nodded slightly, "Although I don't know what method Qiao Daxun used to scheme against Qiao Leshui, it is extremely vicious. It's unlikely that a disciple from a minor family could achieve this."

The dark substances in Qiao Leshui's sea of consciousness were terrifying, neither like poison nor any kind of evil aura. Once they entered a cultivator's sea of consciousness, they silently devoured the divine sense, causing the cultivator to suffer a monthly episode akin to a deviation in cultivation, effectively damaging their primordial spirit.

Such a dual attack caused the cultivator to die unknowingly.

Regardless of where Qiao Daxun obtained this method, it must have been given to him by someone with ulterior motives.

It's not about the ten thousand possibilities but the one possibility. Even if others might not encounter it, what if they did?

For their safety, Ning Yuzhou decided to make more Yin-Yang Nirvana True Pills as a precaution.

Now it seemed that the Yin-Yang Nirvana True Pills could indeed clear those dark substances, and having more was beneficial.

After Qiao Leshui regained consciousness, Ning Yuzhou examined his body again, instructing him to continue taking those few types of spirit pills to repair his sea of consciousness and primordial spirit, and to reassess next month.

After sending Qiao Leshui back to his cave abode to cultivate, Wen Qiao continued her arena matches, while Ning Yuzhou stayed in their rented cave abode, making many Yin-Yang Nirvana True Pills and also drawing numerous talismans.

When the third month began, when Qiao Leshui had another episode, Ning Yuzhou checked his sea of consciousness again and found that the dark substances were very minimal. Another Yin-Yang Nirvana True Pill should clear them completely.

This time, when Qiao Leshui regained consciousness, he found himself still very tired but in better condition than the previous two times.

Excitedly, he asked, "Young Master Ning, am I cured now?"

Ning Yuzhou didn't give a guarantee, only saying, "If you don't have another episode next month, then you can consider yourself healed."

Qiao Leshui was still overwhelmed with excitement and asked eagerly, "So, are we staying in Pill Talisman City for another month?"

"Yes, once your injuries recover, we'll go to Heavenly Plains."