Wanhua Pavilion.
The midday sun blazed overhead.
Even though it was still late January, the temperature had risen significantly after several consecutive days of warming. Ordinary townsfolk had already shed a layer or two of clothing.
Jiang Ning looked at Lin Qingyi, who had gracefully taken a seat across from him and couldn't help but feel exasperated.
"Sit down, why are you standing?" Lin Qingyi reclined in the rattan chair, propping her legs up on the stool in front of her. The smooth fabric of her long skirt slid down to her knees, revealing a glimpse of her shimmering calves.
Jiang Ning sat down opposite her.
But as soon as he looked up, he immediately stood again, coughed awkwardly, and moved to the chair beside her.
From his previous angle, the view had been… problematic.
Lin Qingyi seemed to notice the issue as well.
She pressed her legs together and then lowered them from the stool.
Maintaining her composure, she cleared her throat before speaking.
"Well? What brings you here?"
"Sister Lin, can't I just come to see you?" Jiang Ning smiled.
"Do you think I don't know you?" Lin Qingyi rolled her eyes, tucking her legs to one side and resting them against her body.
Her floor-length skirt now completely concealed her figure.
Jiang Ning said, "Sister Lin, I'm planning to make a trip to Dongling City."
"Dongling City?" Lin Qingyi murmured, then looked at him. "It's good for you to see more of the world. Staying cooped up in this small place will limit your prospects."
Jiang Ning replied, "Why don't you leave Luoshui County with me?"
"Oh? Can't bear to part with me?" Lin Qingyi smirked.
Jiang Ning chuckled. "Luoshui County might not be safe shortly."
"Why do you say that?"
Jiang Ning then told her about his discovery in Luoshui Lake, hoping to hear her insights.
After all, his knowledge came solely from books, whereas Lin Qingyi was a Grandmaster. Her experience far surpassed his.
"A great demon… a white Chi?" Lin Qingyi murmured, lost in thought.
After a moment, she straightened up in the rattan chair.
"Based on what you described, that demon is following an alternative path."
"Among demons, there are two ways to attain enlightenment. The first is to absorb the essence of the sun and moon, draw upon the energy of heaven and earth, and refine oneself through pure cultivation."
"This path is slow, but the foundation is solid step by step, making it easier to succeed during tribulation."
"The second path disregards ethics and morality, achieving enlightenment by devouring and refining living beings."
"This method progresses much faster and is more favored by demons. It was once the mainstream."
"But this path also has a drawback."
Hearing this, Jiang Ning grew curious. "What drawback?"
Lin Qingyi looked at him, a faint smile playing on her lips. "The karma is too great, the slaughter too heavy. The heavenly tribulation will be nearly impossible to survive."
"Nearly impossible?" Jiang Ning frowned in confusion.
"Yes. Nearly impossible." Lin Qingyi nodded slightly, her delicate chin tilting up.
Jiang Ning was surprised. He had expected her to say "utterly hopeless," but she had only said "nearly impossible."
Seeing his expression, Lin Qingyi shook her head.
"Don't underestimate how terrifying 'nearly impossible' is."
"You must understand, any great demon that reaches the stage of facing a tribulation has already endured countless trials and hardships."
"Each one is a renowned, awe-inspiring existence."
"Yet, under the heavenly tribulation, they must confront this near-certain doom."
Jiang Ning nodded in understanding.
From what he had read, any great demon with three thousand years of cultivation would face the baptism of heavenly thunder.
Only by surviving the tribulation and tempering their inner core could they continue their cultivation.
At this stage, they would be crowned as Demon Kings in the demonic hierarchy.
If they ascended to heaven, they could be listed among the celestial ranks, no different from immortals.
If they remained on earth, they would reign as Demon Kings, ruling over their domains.
Yet all of this had faded with the passing of the ancient era, buried in the dust of history.
Only fragments of records from that time remained.
Now he understood being "nearly impossible" to survive was indeed a terrifying prospect.
After all, any great demon that reached this stage was just one step away from immortality.
Having come this far, they had already surpassed countless living beings.
Who among them wasn't a prodigy? Who hadn't dominated their generation?
In the face of this trial, ninety percent will fall.
"Then what about the demons who cultivate by absorbing the essence of the sun and moon and gathering the energy of heaven and earth?" Jiang Ning asked again.
Lin Qingyi replied, "About half of them can survive this calamity."
"Half? That's five times the success rate!" Jiang Ning nodded.
Lin Qingyi continued, "But in this era, I've never heard of any great demon undergoing tribulation. The great demon you mentioned probably doesn't dare come ashore."
"Why?" Jiang Ning asked.
Lin Qingyi explained, "Times have changed. This era belongs to humanity! Martial arts flourish like never before immortals and gods no longer walk the earth."
"If that great demon truly dared to come ashore, a grandmaster would descend into the lake to slay it."
"In this era, even if it were just a great demon, let alone a demon king rivaling gods and immortals, it would still be cut down without mercy!"
"So there's no need to worry too much."
Hearing this, Jiang Ning nodded in understanding.
"Got it!"
"Want to grab a meal?" Lin Qingyi suddenly asked.
She looked at Jiang Ning and added, "A farewell drink before you leave."
"Sure!" Jiang Ning agreed.
An hour later.
Lin Qingyi, her face flushed, lay slumped weakly across the table.
"Sister Lin, maybe you shouldn't drink anymore?"
"I can still go!" Lin Qingyi's eyes narrowed as she refilled her cup.
Seeing her dazed, red-cheeked expression, Jiang Ning immediately stood up.
"You really can't drink anymore!"
He grabbed the cup in her hand and pressed it firmly onto the table.
Lin Qingyi looked up and met Jiang Ning's serious gaze.
"Fine, no more then!" she mumbled, then tried to stand.
The next moment, her legs gave way, and she swayed sideways.
Jiang Ning quickly reached out to steady her. Shaking his head at her drunken state, he said, "Alright, I'll help you back to rest."
"Hehe, sorry for the trouble~"
Lin Qingyi leaned limply against Jiang Ning.
He wrapped an arm around her shoulders but immediately felt it was inappropriate.
After all, Lin Qingyi was still wearing that same ruqun, which left her shoulders and arms exposed.
His hand slid lower to support her waist only to find that even more improper!
He immediately withdrew his hand.
"Hold my waist and help me back to bed... I'm a little dizzy!"
As Lin Qingyi spoke, Jiang Ning felt her cool fingers grasp his hand and press it against her waist.
At the same time, her body melted against his, her face flushed with intoxication.
Seeing this, Jiang Ning stopped hesitating.
He helped Lin Qingyi to her room and laid her on the bed.
Thud
With a soft sound, Lin Qingyi collapsed onto the bed, her eyes lightly closed.
Even lying flat, the curves of her body were strikingly pronounced.
Jiang Ning shook his head, lifted her legs onto the bed, tucked her in, and then turned to leave.
Creak
As the door closed, Lin Qingyi's eyes suddenly flew open.
She stared at the door, utterly exasperated.
She had given him every opportunity, yet Jiang Ning hadn't even tried anything!
This made her seriously question her allure.
Then she glanced down, loosening the tie at her chest.
"...No issues here," she muttered to herself.
From the way Jiang Ning's gaze occasionally lingered, she knew her figure held undeniable appeal for him.
Meanwhile...
Jiang Ning descended the stairs and stepped out of Wanhua Pavilion's main entrance.
He wasn't oblivious to the opportunity Lin Qingyi had offered.
But he didn't dare.
After spending time with her, he knew she carried great secrets and even greater troubles.
As a mere fifth-rank martial artist, how could he afford to entangle himself in her problems?
After all, Lin Qingyi had now stepped into the realm of grandmasters.
Even if she was the weakest among them a Human Path Grandmaster she was still a true grandmaster.
At the gates of Luoshui City.
A woman in a blue dress stood at the entrance, her face hidden beneath a white veil.
Her eyes lifted to the words "Luoshui City" carved into the wall.
Beneath the veil, her lips curled into a smile.
"Luoshui City... this is the place."
If Xiao Emei were here, she would recognize this woman as Yu Manyun.
The strongest competitor beneath her for the next position of Water Moon Sword Palace's master.
She had a poor start, failing to accomplish the task assigned by Xiao Qiushui to invite Jiang Ning as a guest to the Water Moon Sword Palace. After that, Yu Manyun took the initiative to shoulder this responsibility.
Her motives were self-evident.
Now, Yu Manyun appeared at the city gates of Luoshui City, also with Jiang Ning as her target.
Yu Manyun then strode toward the city gates of Luoshui County.
A moment later.
She arrived at the city gates and stood at the end of the sparse line by the small entrance, waiting her turn to enter.
Just then.
Clip-clop
The sound of hooves.
And the rumble of wheels reached her ears.
After just a brief moment.
Two carriages slowly emerged from the main city gate.
Yu Manyun couldn't help but glance at them a few more times.
Because the lead carriage was pulled by two Snow-Red Flame Colts.
The Snow-Red Flame Colt was a prized breed of horse, and even in Dongling Prefecture, it was considered exceptional.
Moreover, these two Snow-Red Flame Colts gave off a sense of robust strength, far surpassing ordinary ones.
It was like the difference between a common wolf and the alpha of the pack.
After a brief look, Yu Manyun averted her gaze.
The line for entering the city had reached her.
She knew her purpose for coming here and quickly proceeded inside.
Inside the carriage.
Lüyi knelt barefoot on the floor, quietly lighting incense.
On the table sat a water tank, inside which swam a gold-and-red-striped Dragon Carp.
The Dragon Carp floated motionless in the tank, fast asleep.
Jiang Ning sat quietly in the carriage, reading a book.
The skill of literacy was something he needed to continue improving.
He also needed to consider breaking through to the fourth rank from the fifth.
In terms of the fifth rank, he had already progressed much further than he realized.
With nearly two cycles of Jiazi (120 years) of cultivation under his belt, not only was he unmatched among fifth-rank martial artists, but even among grandmasters, he was no less formidable.
After all, a grandmaster's lifespan was only two cycles of Jiazi.
Even if one started practicing in the womb, under normal circumstances, they would only accumulate two cycles of Jiazi in cultivation.
However, those who could become grandmasters were anything but ordinary their talent and brilliance stood at the pinnacle of their era.
It was common for them to accumulate several years' worth of cultivation in just one year.
But even so, even for a prodigy who reached the fifth rank at the age of twenty-five.
Accumulating two cycles of Jiazi in cultivation would still take decades, by which time they would already be elderly.
Even if they achieved grandmaster status, maintaining peak conditions would be difficult.
So Jiang Ning knew that in terms of the sheer volume of internal energy, he had reached an unimaginable level.
Every time he thought about this, he felt he had previously underestimated the value of the Thunderclap Fruit, a treasure of heaven and earth.
Such a treasure far surpassed ordinary rare resources.
A single hundred-year Thunderclap Fruit had increased his cultivation by over one cycle of Jiazi.
Even now, the thought struck him as unbelievable.
It was precisely because of those Thunderclap Fruits that he had already completed the accumulation of internal energy.
As for the qualitative transformation, it wasn't far off.
If all went smoothly and the weather remained clear, it would only take ten days for his Internal Alchemy Cultivation Technique to reach perfection.
At that point, his internal energy would undergo a complete transformation, reaching the level of "thunderous resonance in the five organs, energy as solid as steel."
With steel-like internal energy stacked atop two cycles of Jiazi in cultivation, he could already be considered a peak powerhouse among fifth-rank martial artists.
The renowned master of the Medicine King Valley in Dongling Prefecture, Lu Qingshan, was only at this level the peak of the fifth rank.
Strictly speaking, once internal energy reached the "vast as the sea" level (30 years of cultivation) and completed its transformation, condensing into steel-like energy, one could be called a peak fifth-rank martial artist.
As for those who went even further, with cultivation reaching the "deep as the abyss" level (one cycle of Jiazi in cultivation), they were legendary figures.
A single breath capable of slaying a thousand soldiers was the kind of legendary feat such martial artists had achieved.
Let alone someone like him, who possessed two cycles of Jiazi in cultivation.
Thus, Jiang Ning understood that at the fifth rank, he was only one step away from completion.
Once his internal energy transformed, there would be little need for him to linger further at this level.
Breaking through to the fourth rank and then ascending to grandmaster status was now his goal.
Only by reaching such heights could he truly stand unrivaled across the land.
Otherwise, as he was now, though his strength was considerable, he remained in an awkward state neither here nor there.
As for the mystical traits he possessed, he dared not use them recklessly.
Because such power was too extraordinary if exposed, who knew what calamities it might invite?
Abilities like "Lord of Rivers and Lakes" were so profound that unless it was a life-or-death situation, he would never reveal them.
For now, they could only serve as his trump cards, hidden away.
Sitting in the carriage, breathing in the invigorating scent of incense, Jiang Ning continued flipping through the book in his hands.
Once he made his decision, all his time would be devoted to improving his literacy skills.
Coincidentally, the journey to Dongling City would take several days, and there was no need to rush.
Moving the entire family over a long distance required bringing many belongings.
Without carriages to carry them, relying on his hands alone wouldn't be enough.
He also planned to use this time to read books and increase his literacy experience.
The further one progressed on the martial path, the more important spiritual power became!
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