Huh?
Ning Xiang looked at Su Lang on her left, then at Yu Tingchao on her right.
Goodness, being fussed over by two exceptionally handsome men left Ning Xiang positively intoxicated.
But remembering that neither man was someone she deserved to lay a finger on, Ning Xiang could only refuse through the pain. "It's fine. I can take it!"
Beside them, Bai Yueguang looked thoughtful and murmured, "Senior Sister Ning has given me new material. Inspiration has struck again."
"Let's go meet up with Fellow Daoist Mu and the others first..." The moment Ning Xiang finished speaking, a huge ring of light suddenly appeared beneath their feet.
It was a Teleportation Array.
Then they plunged into darkness for a brief moment. When they opened their eyes again, they were already outside the secret realm.
Four other teams had emerged along with them. However, when Ning Xiang counted, two Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators were missing.
"This disciple was useless. I failed to protect Junior Brother Chen, and he was swallowed by a Golden-Backed Venom Python."
"Junior Sister Yu was bitten to death by a Two-Headed Blazing Sun Hound. Please punish me, Martial Uncle."
Both of the dead cultivators belonged to the Beast Taming Sect. At a time like this, the Nascent Soul Cultivators could hardly bring themselves to say anything harsh. After offering some comfort, they decided to return to their respective sects.
Ning Xiang learned from True Lord Shaowei that those outside Thousand Calamities Valley had also noticed something strange about the secret realm. When they found they could no longer contact the cultivators inside, they had kept trying to summon them out. Only after several attempts had they finally succeeded.
Su Lang voiced his guess. "Could the Heaven-Splitting Python's remains have affected the formations in Thousand Calamities Valley? Perhaps the formations only recovered once Junior Sister gathered up those remains?"
Shaowei nodded. "I truly never imagined the Heaven-Splitting Python would perish in Thousand Calamities Valley. Four hundred years ago, he followed the Demon King into battle against the Demon Venerable. Even the Demon Venerable himself once said that the Heaven-Splitting Python was an opponent worth taking seriously."
Ning Xiang sighed. All she wanted was to be a salted fish, lazing her days away, yet that damned system insisted on giving her a pile of irrelevant side quests. What was this nonsense?
While she was lost in thought, a bright red pomegranate appeared before her. Ning Xiang looked up and saw Yu Tingchao's exquisitely beautiful face.
"Where did you get that pomegranate?"
He smiled. "We passed through the Mortal World just now, and I spotted a pomegranate tree laden with fruit. I flew down to pick one while none of you were looking."
The young boy's smile was even more dazzling than pomegranate blossoms in May.
Ning Xiang reached out to take the pomegranate, but Yu Tingchao withdrew his hand.
Stingy brat! If you won't let me eat it, fine. Are you just trying to make my mouth water?
Instead, Yu Tingchao conjured a White Jade Bowl. He broke the pomegranate open and carefully picked its seeds into the bowl, then scooped up the jewel-clear seeds with a dainty spoon and held them to Ning Xiang's lips.
[I'm so happy, so happy!]
Ning Xiang was so delighted she practically bubbled over with pink bubbles.
"How could I bear to let pomegranate juice stain your hands, Senior Sister?"
That was what Su Lang heard when he walked over.
Then he heard Ning Xiang's exaggerated reply. "You're my little sweetheart too, Tingchao. If you dirty your hands, my heart will ache for you too."
Su Lang: "..."
He picked Yu Tingchao up.
Ning Xiang blinked. What was Eldest Senior Brother doing?
"I have something to discuss with your senior sister. Go outside for now."
"What is it that I'm not allowed to hear?" Yu Tingchao refused.
Ning Xiang thought, [Goodness, the air reeks of gunpowder. Does Eldest Senior Brother dislike seeing me get too close to Junior Brother, so he wants to give me a warning?]
Su Lang's and Yu Tingchao's expressions stiffened at the same time.
In a tone that brooked no argument, Su Lang told Yu Tingchao, "Go organize your insights and gains from this expedition. Write them up in a report when we get back. I'll check it for you before you submit it to Master."
Yu Tingchao stubbornly refused to leave. "I still have lots of secrets to whisper to Senior Sister."
Su Lang would never indulge him. He promptly slapped an Immobilization Talisman on him and tossed him onto the deck outside, the whole sequence flowing as smoothly as drifting clouds and running water.
Wen Maimai, who had been admiring the scenery outside, hurriedly captured the scene with a Recording Pearl and secretly sent word to Zhou Ruoxue, Bai Yueguang, and the others.
Without Yu Tingchao to feed her, Ning Xiang had to pick up the spoon and feed herself. Inwardly, she sighed at how hard it was to return to frugality after a taste of luxury.
Su Lang sat down where Yu Tingchao had been. He was handsome and refined, radiant as the sun and stars.
[What does Eldest Senior Brother want? Is he staring at me like that to teach me how to eat?]
[I know! Eldest Senior Brother must have remembered how I humiliated him in the secret realm. He's here for revenge!]
Ning Xiang felt her analysis was perfectly accurate.
That damned system kept making her do ridiculous quests.
"Eldest Senior Brother, I was wro..." Ning Xiang was just about to activate her skill of admitting fault first.
But Su Lang conjured a bag of pine nuts and pushed it toward her. "The journey is boring. Take these to snack on."
Ning Xiang was overwhelmed by the favor, but she quickly remembered her place as a supporting female character.
[I get it. Eldest Senior Brother thinks I'm stupid, so he wants me to eat more nuts to nourish my brain!]
Su Lang thought, I don't! Stop overthinking!
Ning Xiang felt she had gotten a firm grasp on Su Lang's thoughts, and her guess was almost certainly right.
[Who would have thought Eldest Senior Brother would learn bad habits too? No need to ask-he must have learned them from that little black lotus. His scheming has become so twisted and deep. How hateful.]
Ning Xiang crunched away at the pine nuts.
Su Lang thought, Adorable. I want to give her a little pat.
"Eldest Senior Brother, didn't you say you had something to discuss with me? What is it?"
Su Lang thought, ...There wasn't anything. I just wanted a random excuse to chase Yu Tingchao out.
Ning Xiang cupped her chin in both hands and looked at him with sparkling eyes.
Warmth bloomed in Su Lang's chest, and he found an excuse. "Junior Sister, you're skilled at drawing talismans. Could you teach me?"
Ning Xiang thought, [So... this is what you sent the little black lotus away to discuss with me?]
Of course, no one could refuse Su Lang, who was like a clear breeze and a bright moon. Ning Xiang agreed.
The flying boat stopped at the main gates of the Profound Heaven Sect. Yu Tingchao let the other cultivators off, then flew back to Solitary Light Peak.
For some reason, the closer they got to Solitary Light Peak, the faster Ning Xiang's heart beat.
[Hmm, why do I have a bad feeling about this?]
At that thought, Ning Xiang held her forehead and pretended to feel unwell. "Oh dear, I must have injured myself when I fell into that underground cave. My head hurts so much now. I can't take it, I really can't. I need to go back and recuperate first."
"Eldest Senior Brother, Junior Brother, sorry for the trouble, but please explain things to Master for me."
Su Lang asked with concern, "Shall I go to Vast Subtlety Peak and ask a medical cultivator to examine you?"
"No need to trouble yourself, Eldest Senior Brother. I'll be fine after some rest. You should go report our experiences over the past two days to Master."
Su Lang wanted to say more, but then he heard Ning Xiang's thoughts-
[I'm afraid Iceberg Lu has seen Bai Yueguang's fanfic that desecrated my original work. Better hide for a while, just to be safe. Boo-hoo, I'm so weak and pitiful.]
Su Lang closed his mouth.
Solitary Light Peak.
Lu Qingchen held a book in his hand, but his thoughts had already drifted far away.
He had gone only two short days without seeing Ning Xiang, yet it felt as though countless years had passed.
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