Ethereal Immortal Heart Art

Feng Xiao's inability to awaken his Bloodline Factor was like a thorn in his throat, like needles against his back. For every day it remained unresolved, he had to endure another day of mockery from others. He had long had enough of such humiliation!

Take today, for instance. The reason he had come out with Nie Liu was precisely to ease the gloom in his heart!

Now that he suddenly heard the youth say he could help him awaken his Bloodline Factor, one could imagine his shock. He drew a deep breath and forcibly suppressed his excitement. "If you can help me awaken my Bloodline Factor, forget one Beardless Grass—even if you want me to follow your orders and become your subordinate from now on, I would have no objection!"

It was not that he did not believe the youth before him. The matter was simply too unbelievable!

Over the past six years, both he and his family had sought out countless people to examine him, all to no avail. The final conclusion had always been that his Bloodline Factor was innately blocked and beyond cure. Yet this youth, only sixteen or seventeen years old, claimed he could help awaken it. If Feng Xiao had not just witnessed his miraculous Art of Disguise and peerless cunning, he would have taken him for a madman on the spot!

"Since I dared to say it, naturally I'm confident!" Nie Yun said, ignoring the irritation in the other's voice.

"Confident? Even Liu Chengze, Jibei City's master alchemist, wouldn't dare say such a thing. You're just some insignificant nobody, boasting so wildly—do you really think I'll believe you?" Though he said this, Feng Xiao stopped and turned around, his eyes fixed intently on the youth, as if trying to see through his composed exterior and discover what he was truly thinking.

Liu Chengze of Jibei City was known as the Shenfeng Empire's third greatest alchemy expert. His skill in pill refinement was wondrous and unparalleled. Even after Feng Xiao had sought his help, he had received the answer that awakening was impossible. Yet this youth claimed to be confident—how could he believe it?

"Heh, you can choose not to believe me! A Beardless Grass may be precious, but I'm not injured right now. Whether I have it or not makes no difference!" Nie Yun casually waved a hand, retreating in order to advance.

He truly wanted the Beardless Grass to restore his father's Qi Sea, but if he appeared too eager, it might backfire instead!

Feng Xiao stared into the youth's eyes for a long while. Finding not the slightest trace of mockery or deceit, he gritted his teeth. "Fine, I believe you! Tell me what I need to do!"

At any rate, he had already reached the end of the road. He might as well trust him once—perhaps there would be a turning point.

"Since Young Master Feng Xiao trusts me, I won't waste words. Prepare one hundred-year-old Primordial Yang Grass, two fifty-year-old Green Chanting Flowers, and two thirty-year-old Zigui Roots... The age of these medicinal herbs must be sufficient. Do not try to pass fish eyes off as pearls!"

The medicinal herbs Nie Yun listed were precisely the ingredients needed to refine the pure-yang attribute Blazing Fire Pill, with quite a few ingredients for refining the Heart-Returning Pill mixed in as well.

So long as the Blazing Fire Pill was refined, Feng Xiao's awakening of his Bloodline Factor and condensation of his dantian would be as certain as nails in a board. Nie Yun was penniless right now, so this was the perfect excuse to acquire some of the ingredients for the Heart-Returning Pill too.

"Fine. I'll have the herbs ready this afternoon and come find you at the Nie Tian Branch! Whether it succeeds or not, I, Feng Xiao, will owe you a favor!"

These herbs were all rather unusual. Anyone who did not know alchemy or medicinal ingredients would not even remember their names, yet the youth had recited them offhand. It was clear he knew something about pills.

Hearing him name these ingredients, Feng Xiao secretly believed him a little more.

"Then many thanks, Brother Feng!" Nie Yun had called him "Young Master Feng Xiao" earlier, but now called him "Brother Feng." The distance between the two had already narrowed.

"Farewell!" Feng Xiao clasped his fists, turned, and walked away. Before long, a rapid succession of hoofbeats sounded outside the tavern, gradually fading into the distance.

The matter of awakening his Bloodline Factor was clearly far too important to him. He did not want to waste even a moment.

After watching him leave, Nie Yun shook his head and strode into the private room.

Inside, Nie Xiaofeng sat with her hands clasped together, her face tense as she wondered how her younger brother would scold her.

"Big Sister, it's settled. Let's head home!"

Seeing his sister again and having helped her resolve her crisis, Nie Yun was in high spirits. The moment he entered the room, he could not resist making a joke.

"Little Brother, I was wrong. I shouldn't have come here without telling you... Hm? Head home?"

The moment she saw Nie Yun enter, Nie Xiaofeng rattled off the explanation she had prepared. But after only one sentence, she saw that her brother was not blaming her at all—instead, he wore a smile. Her words caught in her throat, and she stared at him strangely.

In the past, if she had acted on her own like this, her brother would definitely have scolded her the moment he saw her. So why... not only was he not scolding her today, he actually seemed very happy?

"That's right. Let's go!" After speaking, Nie Yun turned and instructed, "Nie Liu, prepare a carriage. Also bring me twenty thousand taels of silver. I need them!"

"Twenty thousand taels? All the properties of our branch combined only amount to thirty thousand taels. This tavern only has fifteen thousand taels. How about I return to the branch and get the rest for you..." Nie Liu had apparently said something to Nie Yun earlier in the room. Now, like a wronged little wife, he spoke with a bitter expression.

An outer branch of the Nie Family did not have much money. Thirty thousand taels was likely already the largest amount of liquid funds the Nie Long Branch possessed.

"Go back to the branch to get it? No need. Fifteen thousand taels is a little short, but it'll do!" Nie Yun said casually.

"Yes!" Nie Liu answered and withdrew. Before long, he had prepared both the carriage and the silver.

"Fifteen thousand taels..."

At first, Nie Xiaofeng did not pay it much mind. But when she saw the gleaming white silver laid out before her, she was immediately stunned.

When she had come to borrow ten thousand taels, Nie Liu had hemmed and hawed in every possible way. Yet now... her brother casually asked for fifteen thousand, and Nie Liu did not dare say a word before bringing it over?

What... was going on?

Having followed instructions and remained in the private room, Nie Xiaofeng had no idea what had happened earlier.

Her younger brother had always worked hard before, but because of their uncle, he had carried a sense of inferiority deep in his heart. Yet now, his bearing was calm and steady, and even his every gesture was different. Had he changed?

Right—he had used an Art of Disguise just now. When had he learned the Art of Disguise? Why had she never heard of it?

In that instant, Nie Xiaofeng suddenly felt that she could no longer quite understand the younger brother she had lived with day and night.

Sitting in the carriage, Nie Yun saw that his sister was full of questions yet unable to voice them, and he did not know how to explain either. He could hardly tell her that he had been reborn!

If he really said that, even if it did not frighten her to death, others would probably drag him away to study him like a laboratory mouse.

Better to tell her later!

"Big Sister, your constitution is somewhat weak, and cultivating the family's martial art has made your progress very slow. I have a cultivation art suitable for you. Since we have time now, I'll tell you about it!"

Since he could not speak of his rebirth, Nie Yun changed the subject.

His sister had been weak since birth. The family's cultivation art followed a fierce and forceful path, which truly did not suit her. Thus, although she had begun cultivating even earlier than he had, she was still only at the first realm of Qi Guiding within Qi Sea Nine Heavens.

"A cultivation art suitable for me? How do you have a cultivation art outside the family's?" Nie Xiaofeng asked, her face full of confusion.

"Don't ask where I got it. It definitely won't cause any trouble. Just remember what I'm about to tell you..." Nie Yun cut off her question and continued, "This cultivation art is called the Ethereal Immortal Heart Art..."

The Ethereal Immortal Heart Art had been the core cultivation art of a sect called the Linglong Immortal Sect in Nie Yun's past life. Though its power was inferior to his Nine Revolutions Nirvana Art once cultivated to completion, it was exceptionally suited to women—light and ethereal, like an immortal maiden descending to earth.

"How could this be... Even the Primordial Yang Heart Art cultivated by our clan head isn't this powerful. Could it be a Noble Grade technique...?"

Before long, after listening to her younger brother explain the cultivation technique, Nie Xiaofeng's face was full of shock. She simply could not believe it.

The strongest cultivation technique in the Nie Mansion was the Primordial Yang Heart Art, which only the clan head was qualified to cultivate. Yet it was merely a Noble Grade Lower technique. Judging solely from its profundity, the one her younger brother had taught her was no less impressive—perhaps even greater. Could it really be a Noble Grade technique?

But... every time a technique like that appeared, Luoshui City would be drenched in blood and swept by foul winds. How could her younger brother possibly have one?

"A Noble Grade technique?" Hearing his sister's doubt, Nie Yun wore a strange expression, but then he smiled. "You can think of it that way! As long as you cultivate properly, your strength definitely won't improve slowly!"

How could the Ethereal Immortal Heart Art be some Noble Grade technique? Though it could not compare with his Nine Revolutions Nirvana Art, it was still a supreme technique. A Noble Grade technique was not even worthy of carrying its shoes!

Of course, Nie Yun would not say that aloud. After all, even Luoshui City did not possess such a technique. If word got out, the trouble would be enormous!

"It really is a Noble Grade technique? This is far too precious..." Hearing her younger brother admit it, Nie Xiaofeng was somewhat at a loss.

"Sigh!" Seeing his sister like this, Nie Yun could not help shaking his head with a sigh. "Just cultivate according to the technique's requirements without worry. Oh, right—take charge of this money together with Mother. Our branch has languished for so long; it's time for us to rise again!"

"Me and Auntie taking charge of it... All right!" Hearing that her younger brother was entrusting such wealth to her, Nie Xiaofeng's face flushed red with excitement. In all her life, she had never seen so much money!

The carriage moved swiftly, with Nie Liu personally handling the reins. Before long, they returned to the branch. The moment they entered the courtyard, they heard a commotion inside. The old steward, Nie Chong, rushed over, his face full of anxiety the instant he saw Nie Yun. "This is bad, Young Master! Madam... she went with people from the Nie Zhang Branch to Xialuo Mountain to gather Pengxin Snow Lotus, and they've already been gone for more than half a day!"

"What? She went to Xialuo Mountain?" Nie Yun's scalp instantly went numb. Nie Yun: Why did my scalp go numb? Because you didn't vote with recommendation tickets... or save this...