“Go in.” Shui Yueke also sensed the fluctuations rushing in their direction.
Without hesitation, Ning Cheng rushed into Shui Yueke’s cultivation chamber. Seeing Ning Cheng rush in, Shui Yueke raised her hand to activate the restrictions. However, Ning Cheng was even faster than her. He had already struck several restrictions before she did, and then his entire body, including his aura, faded into nothingness.
Just when Ning Cheng finished concealing himself, several strong spiritual consciousnesses rushed into Shui Yueke’s room.
Shui Yueke hurriedly bowed and moved to the side. But before she could speak, a slightly old voice rang out in her room, “There’s an invader in the sect. Go out immediately and join the search…..”
The moment the last word fell, the voice also disappeared. Then, a few moments later, another intense explosion erupted somewhere further away.
Ning Cheng walked out of the cultivation chamber with a sigh of relief, cupped his fists to Shui Yueke and thanked her. “Many thanks, Senior Apprentice Sister Shui. If I was still outside, someone would have already discovered me with their spiritual consciousness.”
“Ji He, who the hell are you?” Shui Yueke stared at Ning Cheng and asked with a quiet tone.
“My real name is Ning Cheng. Because I killed Man Jiuren and was chased around by Man Huishan, I had no choice but to impersonate Ji He….” Ning Cheng didn’t hide it. Since Man Huishan already knew about Ning Cheng disguising as Ji He, he no longer felt the need to hide it.
Shui Yueke couldn’t help but look at Ning Cheng in shock, while her heart filled up with admiration. This fellow’s strength was the best among his peers, and his courage wasn’t small either. He actually dared to kill Man Jiuren and even got chased around by Man Huishan. Moreover, he even snuck into 9-Revolution Sacred Dao Pond. She didn’t know whether to call this action daring or stupid.
“Then, is the person everyone is looking for outside your companion?” Shui Yueke asked once again.
Ning Cheng shook his head. “It’s true that she and I came together. But we’re not companions. She has her own affairs; I have mine.”
Thinking about his own matters, Ning Cheng hurriedly asked. “Senior Apprentice Sister Shui, is there a woman called Shi Qionghua in your sect?”
Shui Yueke shook her head, “I haven’t heard of that name. Did you come here to look for her?”
Ning Cheng hurriedly replied, “No. But I want to ask Senior Apprentice Sister Shui for a favour. I will definitely not forget your great kindness.”
Shui Yueke nodded, “Just tell me what you want. As long as I can help, I will help. But let me state beforehand that even with my help, it would be impossible for you to get out of the 9-Revolution Sacred Dao Pond. So what do you need from me?”
“I have a very close friend called Yan Ji……” Ning Cheng understood that Shui Yueke was the only one who could help him. Otherwise, he wouldn’t know where they kept Yan Ji.
“Yan Ji?” Shui Yueke asked in surprise. “Isn’t she that outer disciple with the colourless fire-attributed spirit roots?”
“You know Yan Ji? That’s great. However, I don’t know what type of disciple she is, but she is someone very close to me. Can you tell me where she is right now?”
“Yan Ji’s spirit root is about to be grafted away. I can tell you where she is, but you won’t be able to take her away.” Shui Yueke was a little puzzled. When she saw Yan Ji the last time, Yan Ji had just stepped into the Life and Death Realm. Yan Ji didn’t have high cultivation. The difference was just too far away from Ning Cheng. How did Ning Cheng know Yan Ji?
Ning Cheng bowed to Shui Yueke and then took out a bottle of Empyrean Consciousness Transmutation Pills and placed it in front of Shui Yueke. “Senior Apprentice Sister Shui. This is a bottle of Empyrean Consciousness Transmutation Pill. It can expand the Sea of Consciousness and also strengthen spiritual consciousness. It can even repair injuries to the Sea of Consciousness…….”
“Wait, isn’t this the same pill you traded with the Star Stepping Tower Master at the Grand Essence Public Square?” Shui Yueke didn’t wait for Ning Cheng to finish speaking before she realised something. She naturally knew about the preciousness of this pill. Would someone like the Star Stepping Tower Master even care about Ning Cheng’s pill if it wasn’t valuable?
“Yes, if Senior Apprentice Sister Shui needs it, I can still help you refine more of it. It’s just that I only have one bottle of it on me right now.” Ning Cheng gave an honest reply.
Shui Yueke sucked in a deep breath and even took a few steps back. She had never seen this kind of pill before. However, she was an inner disciple of the 9-Revolution Sacred Dao Pond and had spent considerable time in the Extraterritorial Spirit Pool. As such, she already knew about the most sought-after pill that had appeared in the Grand Essence Domain. It was none other than the Empyrean Consciousness Transmutation Pill. A type of elixir that even her 9-Revolution Sacred Dao Pond couldn’t obtain.
Shui Yueke pushed the jade bottle back to Ning Cheng. “This type of pill is too precious for me. I don’t dare to accept it. A high-grade Empyrean Consciousness Transmutation Pill had recently appeared in an auction in Heaven Essence Sacred City. Do you know how much it fetched? 26 million spirit crystals. Moreover, the one who purchased it was the Great Spirit Pill Sect. Although the Great Spirit Pill Sect purchased it to analyse it, it still shows the value of such a pill.”
This time, it was Ning Cheng who sucked in a deep breath. He guessed that this pill should have come from Xin Xiu. A high-grade Empyrean Consciousness Transmutation Pill auctioned off for 26 million spirit crystals? He thought of his previous deal with Shattered Rain Demon Saint for the Dark Void Milk. The deal in which he had taken out six Empyrean Consciousness Transmutation Pills and even added two million spirit crystals. Comparing the two, it truly made him look like an idiot.
Shattering Rain Demon Said definitely knew about the Empyrean Consciousness Transmutation Pill. This meant that the only reason he pretended not to know about it was to make him suffer a loss.
Those old bastards truly were all foxes pretending to be pigs. They were not only rich but also smelly. Ning Cheng had initially thought that he had seen through Shattered Rain Demon Saint’s little trick, but he didn’t expect that he was the one who got tricked in the end.
Shattered Rain Demon Saint only pretended to not know about the Consciousness Transmutation Pill. Most likely, it was to hunt him down later when he went out in his ‘original’ appearance. Fortunately, because Ruo Xi, a Dao Essence powerhouse, stayed by his side at all times, he couldn’t carry out his plan.
Moreover, the price for the pill soared only because the Great Spirit Pill Sect purchased it for research purposes. But even then, Ning Cheng understood that his Empyrean Consciousness Transmutation Pill was worth more than a million spirit crystals from this point alone.
“Wait-wait, did you just say that you can refine the Empyrean Consciousness Transmutation Pill? Are you a Pill Deity?” Shui Yueke, on seeing Ning Cheng silent, suddenly recalled the last two sentences Ning Cheng had just said.
Ning Cheng slowly nodded his head. “That’s right. I’m indeed a Pill Deity. But I can only refine Dao Sculpting Spirit Pills at the moment. Even this bottle I’m giving to Senior Apprentice Sister Shui, I refined them personally.”
Even though he had not yet refined a Dao Sculpting Spirit Pill, Ning Cheng still had gained significant benefits from Pill Sage Min Kong’s jade strips. Moreover, he also understood that a true Dao Sculpting Spirit Pill could only be created after proving his Dao. Otherwise, the spirit pills that he refined would only have a form but not a spirit.
Besides, the only reason he could refine the Empyrean Consciousness Transmutation Pill was that the Empyrean Consciousness Transmutation Pill had nothing to do with the Dao. It was just a spirit pill that affected the Sea of Consciousness, which just happened to be his strong point. Of course, he could also refine a few ordinary Dao Sculpting Spirit Pills, but the pill rhythm in them wouldn’t be too deep.
Ning Cheng had understood a few things after going through Pill Sage Min Kong’s jade strips. As such, even though he called himself a Pill Deity, there was actually a limit on the spirit pills he could refine. A true Pill Deity or even a Pill Sage had to incorporate dao rhythms into the refining process. Only by fusing dao rhythms with one’s Dao of Pills could one refine a genuine spirit pill.
“Then, many thanks, Senior Apprentice Brother Ning. In any case, my cultivation level is lower than Senior Apprentice Brother Ning and status even further before that of a Pill Deity. Senior Apprentice Brother Ning can just call me Yueke from now on.” Shui Yueke put away the pills.
Without waiting for Ning Cheng to ask further questions, Shui Yueke took out a thin strand of silk and tied it around Ning Cheng’s wrist. She then tied the other end to her own wrist. “Senior Apprentice Ning, come with me. I will take you there.”
“You’re going to lead me there?” Ning Cheng looked at Shui Yueke in amazement.
Shui Yueke nodded, “Yes, I do plan to take you there. The string I tied to your hand is the Hidden Heaven Silk, a treasure left by my father. After my sister’s death, I ended up inheriting this treasure.”
Ning Cheng nodded but didn’t ask how Shui Yueke’s sister had fallen. It wasn’t the right time nor the right place to ask about such matters.
……
All the people outside were attracted by the commotion caused by Ruo Xi. It allowed Ning Cheng and Shui Yueke to easily cross several forbidden barriers and enter the inner areas of the 9-Revolution Sacred Dao Pond.
An incense stick worth of time later, Shui Yueke led Ning Cheng to a snow-white building. It had several forbidden restrictions covering the entrance but had no one guarding it. There was also a pond full of lotus flowers outside it, which initially looked nothing special.
Shui Yueke whispered to Ning Cheng, “Senior Apprentice Sister Yan Ji should be inside that building. There is a spirit purification formation here that purifies one’s spirit roots. It’s used to keep the spirit roots at their purest state before the spirit union. Do you see that pond? That’s where all the impurities gather. The lotus flowers here are all Spirit Devouring Lotuses. If a cultivator accidentally enters it, it will immediately begin swallowing the person’s Sea of Consciousness.”
Ning Cheng subconsciously looked at the pond once again. Looking at the pond covered by large lotus leaves, he couldn’t help but doubt what Shui Yueke claimed. Was it really that powerful? Even if he stayed in this pond for some time, could it really empty his Starry Sky Sea of Consciousness? But when he found that his spiritual consciousness couldn’t even penetrate the surface, he immediately understood that Shui Yueke’s words definitely had some truth in them.
“Let’s go in. Be careful though, the forbidden restrictions here are very powerful….” Shui Yueke had just said half a sentence when her entire body stiffened.
She and Ning Cheng shared the Hidden Heaven Silk, which concealed his aura and connected their senses. Therefore, he immediately understood what was going on. Several figures were flying in their direction from afar, coming straight towards the white building. It was inevitable that even without the Hidden Heaven Silk, there was nowhere for him and Shui Yueke to hide.
Ning Cheng had experienced too many things and, compared to Shui Yueke, was even more decisive in handling things. At this moment, he didn’t even wait for Shui Yueke to react. With a single side-step, he immediately jumped into the pond filled with Spirit Devouring Lotuses with Shui Yueke.
An icy cold stinging sensation emerged, followed by a tingling pain in the Sea of Consciousness. It felt as if there was an invisible force trying to devour the Sea of Consciousness.
Even though he knew that this pond would devour the Sea of Consciousness, Ning Cheng still felt shocked at the effect of those terrifying lotuses. Even with this Starry Sky Sea of Consciousness, he wouldn’t be able to hold on for long. As for Shui Yueke, it would be even more challenging for her.
Even though Shui Yueke didn’t say anything, at this moment, her body was visibly shaking. Obviously, the pond had already started to devour her Sea of Consciousness.
“Senior Apprentice Sister Shui, hurry up and swallow an Empyrean Consciousness Transmutation Pill.” Ning Cheng hurriedly transmitted a message to Shui Yueke.
Shui Yueke’s Sea of Consciousness barely could hold against the devouring power of the Spirit Devouring Lotuses. So when she heard Ning Cheng’s voice transmission, she immediately took out an Empyrean Consciousness Transmutation Pill and put it in her mouth. In the same action, she took out another one and stuffed it into Ning Cheng’s mouth. In her heart, however, she felt secretly shocked. Ning Cheng could even transmit his voice in this place. It showed that his cultivation genuinely surpassed her.
A warm aura penetrated into Shui Yueke’s Sea of Consciousness, and she felt pleasantly surprised to find that her Sea of Consciousness had stopped being devoured. Not only that, her Sea of Consciousness had started to slowly expand. Even her spiritual consciousness had begun to stretch even though she had not even activated her cultivation method.
Shui Yueke almost didn’t want to come out of hiding from the Spirit Devouring Lotus Pond. Not only was it no longer devouring her Sea of Consciousness, the devouring power even helped expand it. Of course, she would definitely think it was nothing more than nonsense if someone else said this. But now, she found herself in the exact same situation. The Empyrean Consciousness Transmutation Pill was just too powerful.
