Reunion with Jiang Xiaohua
In the afternoon, a sound transmission talisman was sent to the outside of Zhou Ning's courtyard.
"Alchemist Zhou, Little Willow Marsh is in dire need of help! Go to the Azure Mystic Sect immediately to pay your respects, and then return to Little Willow Marsh at once!"
Zhou Ning accepted the communication talisman and chuckled, "Are you rushing me to my death?"
However, he really couldn't stay on Bamboo Creek Island any longer, so he packed up and left the courtyard.
Old Jia was waiting outside. When he saw Zhou Ning, he tossed something to him with a pained expression.
"Zhou boy, I know Little Willow Marsh is a treacherous person. You can take this and use it!"
Zhou Ning was stunned. He glanced at the array plate and saw that it was engraved with dense array patterns.
With his limited knowledge of array formations, he could vaguely discern that this array plate served both as a means of evasion and as a defensive measure.
This item isn't cheap; I estimate it would cost at least ten Spirit Stone in this realm.
Is Old Jia really that rich? Something doesn't seem right.
Seeing that he had accepted it, Old Jia turned his face to the other side and waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "Take it away quickly, take it away quickly!"
He can't look at it anymore; if he does, he'll be tempted to take it back!
Zhou Ning found this useful, so he put it into his Storage Bag and casually tossed out a Jade Slip.
Then I glanced at Old Jia and saw a lot of white hairs mixed in with his black hair.
Zhou Ning has been on Bamboo Creek Island for fifteen years.
When I first arrived here, I became neighbors with Old Jia. Old Jia was already sixty years old then, and now he's in his seventies or eighties.
Time has brought many changes.
However, cultivators who take good care of themselves can live to be 120 years old, and even at 110, they are still full of energy and vitality.
This alone makes him far more respectable than an ordinary person.
Zhou Ning activated his bamboo leaf Law Artifact, his robes fluttering in the wind as he shouted, "With this favorable wind, I'll soar to the heavens!"
Having said that, he soared into the sky.
"Damn it, you stole my poem!" Old Jia cursed.
He watched Zhou Ning disappear into the horizon, filled with envy. In his thirties, at the Late Qi Refining, how carefree and at ease he was!
He was just like Zhou Ning back then, but alas—youth never returns!
Old Jia felt another pang of heartache when he thought of his array plate.
Although the money for buying the array plates was saved up little by little over the years by him as a purchasing agent for Zhou Ning, cough cough--
He then remembered the Jade Slip that Zhou Ning had given him.
He placed it between his eyebrows and was stunned. Inside were Zhou Ning's insights on alchemy, densely packed, especially the part about processing medicinal materials, which was extremely detailed.
Even if Wan'er can't become Alchemist, she'll be more than qualified to be a medicine apprentice after she learns the skills.
"Zhou boy, come back alive!"
In the afternoon, Xu Qinghou visited Yuan Dahu's courtyard.
The banquet was in full swing, with mortal women invited to play musical instruments and sing, while the guests below clinked glasses and drank merrily.
After Yuan Dahu had his fill of fun, he went up to the platform, drinking and reciting the poem that Scholar Xu had taught him beforehand. "The tiger leaps high in a single day, soaring straight up ninety thousand miles!"
Scholar Xu coughed up the wine he was about to drink, and clapped his hands, exclaiming, "Excellent poem! Excellent poem!"
A mortal boy shouted, "Alchemist Zhou of Zhuxi presents a bottle of Azure Essence Pill!"
The retainers gasped in shock. A bottle usually contained three pills, worth half a Spirit Stone —that was terrifying!
When the newly arrived young retainers heard about such a generous gift, they silently calculated in their minds that they could earn ten catties of spirit rice a month, a hundred catties a year, and it would take them five years of not eating or drinking to save up half a Spirit Stone!
The key issue is that we simply can't save up enough for daily training expenses.
Alchemist Zhou, what a generous gift!
The mortal boy continued reciting his message: "Luyou Island, Puppet Master Lin, presents one Tier 1 puppet!"
"Luyou Island, Pharmacist Lan, presents a Honey Zha and a large blue crab from Emerald Lake--"
The outstanding individuals who followed were of higher cultivation and extraordinary status, and they quickly overshadowed Alchemist Zhou.
Just as the banquet was reaching its most enthusiastic moment...
Steward Su Changhe flew above the courtyard and sent out a transmission talisman. The voice of an elder from the clan resounded. "In a quarter of an hour, all retainers, carry spiritual resources Law Artifact, and follow me to South Qian Mountain to defend the Bai Household!"
"Those who violate this rule will be expelled from Cuiwei Lake!"
Upon hearing this, Xu Qinghou's face turned pale.
It's over! The peaceful days at Cuiwei Lake are completely over!
Everyone present looked anxious and uneasy.
Seven days later, the golden sunset poured down on the Azure Mystic Mountain Range.
Zhou Ning stood at the foot of the mountain, gazing upwards, his eyes slightly narrowed.
Amidst the vast sea of clouds, a cyan mountain gate appears and disappears.
That's truly amazing!
I came here with a dream of becoming an immortal, only to be cast down to the mortal realm.
I swore that if I ever returned to this place, I would become a great monk!
It was indeed successful, but it was only a major overhaul at the Late Qi Refining.
Zhou Ning felt slightly embarrassed.
He had already handed over the token, and before long, a blue spirit boat flew out from the clouds, and the person who came was none other than Gu Xiangning hair was as black as a waterfall.
"Huh, Seventh Layer of Qi Refining?" Gu Xiangning exclaimed in surprise, realizing that he had reached the same cultivation level as her.
Zhou Ning: "It was just luck; I can't compare to the disciples of a major sect."
He's over thirty years old this year.
Gu Xiangning joked, "Short-term gains aren't necessarily faster. We cultivators should think long-term. There's never a shortage of those who achieve great things later in life."
"Oh, are you praising me for being an old horse still eager to run?" Zhou Ning joked.
"No way."
After considering for a moment, Gu Xiangning said, "Senior Brother Fang's banquet is about to begin. Why don't you join us, Brother Zhou? There will be plenty of delicious food on the table!"
Zhou Ning readily agreed.
So the flying boat went straight up to the Heavenly Gate, traveled for half an hour, and then flew down the mountain. Zhou Ning was overwhelmed with the sights.
One can see towering peaks, shrouded in mist, with cascading waterfalls and springs hanging down from the heavens.
Amidst the various scenes of immortals, Zhou Ning gradually fell silent.
Gu Xiangning sighed inwardly: Stupid pig Su Yanghao!
After passing a small hill, the flying boat gradually slowed down. Zhou Ning did not activate his Spirit Eye Technique, nor did he dare to release his Divine Sense. He looked up and gazed around.
Under the glow of the sunset, the mountain streams, medicinal fields, and sacred sites were all present.
Inside a building perched on a cliff, lights shone brightly and figures moved about.
"This is Senior Brother Fang's cave abode," Gu Xiangning introduced.
Zhou Ning sensed the abundant spiritual energy, which definitely fell within the realm of a second-tier Spirit Vein.
He said, "Brother Fang's cave abode is quite unique; it's actually a brothel."
Gu Xiangning chuckled, "After Senior Brother Fang advanced to the Foundation Establishment, the entire mountain belonged to him; he doesn't usually live here."
Zhou Ning: --A rich dog.
Gu Xiangning put away her flying boat and came to the front of the building. She showed the white jade token at her waist to the Qi Refining cultivator at the door.
Zhou Ning presented a gift, and the person noted his name before Zhou Ning entered.
Upon entering, Zhou Ning sensed a series of powerful auras; there were more than a dozen Foundation Establishment cultivators present.
However, after entering the Late Qi Refining, upon closer examination, he discovered that although these auras were profound, they had a vaguely loose feel, far less refined than the Land of Wei Cultivation Method.
The Foundation Establishment in this realm possesses a kind of powerful, flying brick beauty.
There was one exception, and Zhou Ning's gaze was involuntarily drawn to him.
In a corner, a short-haired woman in a white training uniform sat alone, drinking wine. No one approached her within a two-zhang radius.
Zhou Ning looked at his brows and felt a sense of familiarity.
The short-haired woman seemed to notice, glanced at Zhou Ning, and then calmly looked away.
Gu Xiangning's lips moved slightly.
Zhou Ning recognized the lip movements and was incredulous: Jiang Xiaohua?
Why have things changed so much?
Not only her appearance, but her temperament has also completely changed, becoming sharp and dashing, like a sword yet to be drawn.
His Qi and Blood was even greater than that of someone who had opened six meridians.
Moreover, his Law Power was quite solid, surpassing that of the Foundation Establishment cultivators present.
"She could probably take on three Fang Tianyu, right?"