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With extremely complicated feelings, Lei Wanhe sped all the way back to Huangfeng Valley, which was located within the territory of the Nine Kingdoms Alliance.

He didn't even have time to rest before heading straight to the forbidden area behind the mountain to seek an audience with the sect's only Nascent Soul Ancestor—Ancestor Linghu.

Linghu Laozu was meditating in his cave when he heard that Lei Wanhe was in a hurry to see him and that his expression was strange. He knew that there must be something important, so he immediately summoned him.

When Lei Wanhe revealed that he had been surrounded in the Mulan Grassland, rescued by Su Ning and Han Li, and the current cultivation level and status of the two, even the usually composed and stoic Linghu Patriarch completely lost his composure!

"What?! You...who did you say? Su Ning?! Han Li?!" Ancestor Linghu suddenly stood up from the futon, his eyes wide open, his face filled with extreme shock and absurdity. "Late-stage Nascent Soul Perfection?! Early-stage Nascent Soul?! This...how is this possible! Wan He, have you fallen under the illusion spell of the Mage Mulan?!"

He simply couldn't believe it!
He remembered both of those disciples!

Su Ning is a disciple with five spiritual roots. Although he is at the late stage of Foundation Establishment, he believes that he will eventually become just another ordinary person.

Han Li, on the other hand, possessed the aptitude of four spiritual roots. Back then, it was he who personally and tacitly approved the sacrifice of the two as expendable pawns!
How could two such useless individuals with pseudo-spiritual roots possibly achieve Nascent Soul formation in just a few hundred years?

One of them even reached the Nascent Soul Great Perfection realm, which he had always dreamed of but could never even touch!

"Ancestor! It's absolutely true! This disciple saw it with my own eyes and experienced it firsthand! There's no falsehood!" Lei Wanhe smiled bitterly as he described his shock and embarrassment at the time. "Su Ning killed several late-stage Core Formation cultivators with a wave of his hand. The terror of his spiritual pressure far exceeded this disciple's imagination. He was definitely at the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage! Han Li also personally admitted that he was already at the early stage of the Nascent Soul stage, and judging from his dense aura, he was definitely not a newcomer to this realm!"

He added, "Moreover, their current status is extraordinary! Su Ning is now the Enforcement Elder of Taiyi Sect, the number one sect in the cultivation world of the Great Jin Dynasty, with immense power! Han Li is also a Guest Elder of Taiyi Sect, appointed to oversee the three sects of Luoyun Sect, Ancient Sword Sect, and Hundred Crafts Academy in Tiannan Yunmeng Mountain!"

Every word was like a heavy hammer blow, striking Linghu Laozu's heart!
The Great Jin Taiyi Sect!
That's a legendary super power!
Enforcement Elder! In charge of three sects!

Moreover, Linghu Patriarch had naturally heard that the three sects of Yunmeng Mountain had become second-level sects of the Taiyi Sect of the Great Jin Dynasty. He had secretly mocked them along with other Nascent Soul cultivators from the Tiannan Sect.

The color drained from Linghu Patriarch's face, his body swayed slightly, and he slowly sat back on the futon, his eyes glazed over, muttering to himself, "The enforcement elder of the Taiyi Sect? Or a Nascent Soul Grand Perfection cultivator? In charge of the three sects of Yunmeng Mountain?"

Suddenly, he raised his hand and slapped his thigh hard. His face contorted with endless regret and remorse. He was so regretful he felt like his guts were about to turn green!
"Oh dear! What a mistake! What a huge mistake!!!"

A long sigh, filled with heart-wrenching pain!
He recalled how he hadn't paid much attention to Su Ning and Han Li back then, letting them leave on their own.

Back then, Lei Wanhe insisted on keeping Su Ning, but he used the excuse of making the whole show to force Su Ning and Han Li to become expendable pawns to lure the demonic path.

if……

If only we had paid more attention to and nurtured Suning back then, if only we had invested more in and protected Han Li's seemingly impossible resilience...

Today, Huangfeng Valley has two Nascent Soul cultivators, one of whom is at the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage, and is backed by the Taiyi Sect of the Great Jin Dynasty...

Huangfeng Valley is destined to become the overlord of Tiannan, and may even challenge an even larger scale!

This is a once-in-a-millennium opportunity, enough to bring glory to the family and ensure that Huangfeng Valley will be passed down for generations!
He actually pushed me away with his own hands, which could even be described as offending me!

This immense psychological gap and regret gnawed at Linghu Laozu's heart like poisonous insects.

He was a master of calculation and weighing of pros and cons throughout his life, but he never expected that he would miss out on the biggest investment right under his nose!
Just as Linghu Laozu was beating his chest and stamping his feet in regret, Li Feiyu, having received the news, also rushed to the cave in the back mountain.

"Master, Senior Brother Lei, I heard..." Li Feiyu had just entered the room and hadn't finished asking when he saw Linghu Patriarch's regretful expression and Lei Wanhe's complicated expression.

Lei Wanhe sighed and repeated the news to Li Feiyu.

Upon hearing this, Li Feiyu froze on the spot, as if he were a clay or wooden sculpture.

Is Suning a Nascent Soul cultivator at the Great Perfection stage? A law enforcement elder of the Taiyi Sect?
Han Li is in the early Nascent Soul stage? And he governs three sects?

These words challenged his preconceived notions.

He clenched his fists unconsciously, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force.

As an old friend who had struggled together in the Seven Mysteries Sect and entered the Yellow Maple Valley together, he had witnessed Han Li rise from a lowly garden servant with extremely poor aptitude who was not favored by anyone to the height that he now looked up to.

Suning, on the other hand, has already soared to great heights, reaching a level that Suning could hardly even imagine.

After the initial shock, a complex and indescribable emotion welled up in Li Feiyu's heart.

Are there any people who are happy for them?

Perhaps there was a hint of it, but mostly it was bitterness, disappointment, and a touch of something he himself was unwilling to admit…

Hey.

They both came from ordinary backgrounds, both entered the Dao through martial arts, and both put in countless efforts and sweat...

Why has the gap become so vast?
Despite his best efforts and countless life-and-death battles, Li Feiyu is only at the mid-stage of Core Formation.

And the formation of the infant...

For him, it remains a distant dream, one he dares not even imagine.

A deep sense of powerlessness swept over my entire body.

But can we really blame him entirely?
A bitter self-mockery welled up in Li Feiyu's heart.

Today, Huangfeng Valley is located in the Nine Kingdoms Alliance and borders the Mulan Grassland year-round. The sect's primary task has never been to focus on development, but rather to prevent the invasion of Mulan mages.

As a core member of the sect, Li Feiyu spent most of his time patrolling the border, fighting with the Mulan mages, and carrying out various dangerous missions.

While their combat experience has increased, the time available for quiet cultivation and enlightenment has been greatly reduced.

The sect's resources are already limited, and they are prioritized for Elder Linghu and Uncle Lei Wanhe. How much will he actually get?

His cultivation level was achieved almost entirely through countless battles and life-threatening struggles on the border, progressing slowly and with great difficulty.

If he could have the same opportunities as Han Li, if he could have the same extraordinary means and resources as Su Ning…

Will the outcome be different?
The thought flashed through his mind for a moment before Li Feiyu forcefully suppressed it.

He took a deep breath, trying to make his expression appear calm. He cupped his hands to the distraught Linghu Patriarch and the deeply moved Lei Wanhe, and said in a somewhat hoarse voice, "Master, Senior Brother, if there is nothing else, Feiyu will take his leave. The border patrol mission has not yet been handed over."

After saying that, he turned and left the cave. His shadow stretched long in the setting sun, making him look somewhat lonely and desolate.

Inside the cave, only Linghu Patriarch's endless regret and sighs and Lei Wanhe's helpless shake of his head remained.

Huangfeng Valley ultimately missed out on a tremendous stroke of luck.

Li Feiyu's Dao heart was also shrouded in a shadow that was difficult to dispel because of today's events.

……

At this moment, troubles are brewing again in the south.

Unwilling to accept that he had been tricked by the Ghost Spirit Sect last time, gained nothing, and almost lost his life, the Marquis of Nanlong devised a plan to shift the blame eastward.

He secretly spread rumors that the Ghost Spirit Sect had mastered a method to safely enter the core area of ​​the Fallen Demon Valley.

This news immediately caused a huge uproar in the cultivation world of Tiannan, with major sects from both the righteous and demonic paths, the Heavenly Dao Alliance, and the Nine Kingdoms Alliance putting pressure on the Ghost Spirit Sect.

Under immense pressure, the Ghost Spirit Sect had no choice but to compromise, forced to disclose some of the not-absolutely-safe path information and create the so-called "Demon Fall Tokens," which were issued in limited quantities, allowing token holders to enter the valley together to explore for treasures at specific times. They ostensibly did this to "explore immortal opportunities together," but in reality, it was to share the risks and try to use this opportunity to achieve their own goals once again.

Inside the Luoyun Sect, Han Li received messages from Marquis Nanlong, Fairy Ziling, and Mei Ning.

He hesitated for a moment, then decided to go again.

On the one hand, the Creation Pill refined from the Spirit Candle Fruit last time had an excellent effect, and if he could obtain a few more, it would be crucial for his comprehension of cultivation techniques; on the other hand, he also wanted to completely eliminate the hidden dangers in the valley, especially the escaped soul of the ancient demon.

He then extended another invitation to Su Ning, while simultaneously going into seclusion to refine a large number of Core Formation stage puppets as a precaution.

……

Inside a refined pavilion of the Su family of the Taiyi Sect in the Great Jin Dynasty, Han Li, Su Ning, and Marquis Nanlong reunited once again.

In addition, there was a graceful female cultivator with a face veiled by a light gauze—the Purple Spirit Fairy.

"Zi Ling greets Senior Han and Senior Su." Fairy Zi Ling's voice was still melodious, but when facing Su Ning, her eyes flickered and her tone was slightly unnatural.

Su Ning's gaze fell on Zi Ling, carrying a complex mix of inquiry and unspoken emotions.

He was silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke: "Fairy Ziling, as far as I know, I personally wiped out Jiyin Island long ago. The promise to avenge your parents can be considered fulfilled. Logically speaking, shouldn't you remove this veil?"

Zi Ling's delicate body trembled slightly, and she subconsciously took half a step back: "Senior Su... this..."

Su Ning gazed at her, as if trying to see through the thin veil to discern her true appearance: "Moreover, for some reason, I feel as if I've met you before, like old friends reunited. Have we... truly met a long time ago?"

Upon hearing this, Zi Ling's panic intensified, and she hurriedly shook her head, "No...no! Senior must be mistaken. My first meeting with you was when the Void Heaven Palace opened, introduced by Elder Jin Kui of the Star Palace. It was only one encounter." Seeing Zi Ling's resistance, a barely perceptible hint of disappointment flashed in Su Ning's eyes. He then waved his hand, his tone becoming listless, "Since that's the case, then let's assume I'm mistaken! If you're unwilling, I won't force you."

He was already suspicious, and he was almost certain that he knew this Fairy Ziling, perhaps from her past life, or from some other connection.

There are rumors in the Immortal Realm chapter of "A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality" that this Fairy Ziling is actually the reincarnation of Mo Caihuan, but Su Ning cannot sense any trace of Mo Caihuan's aura in Ziling at all.

instead……

Another vague guess emerged in his mind, but he did not voice it.

Since the other party is unwilling to acknowledge him, there is no point in forcing it. Perhaps she has already grown tired of him.

Han Li and the Marquis of Nanlong watched from the sidelines, not understanding what was going on, but not daring to interrupt.

After a brief discussion, the four of them finalized their initial plans for entering the valley and then went their separate ways to prepare.

Seeing that Su Ning didn't persist, Fairy Zi Ling felt relieved and left with Han Li.

However, Su Ning felt complicated as she looked at the back of this most beautiful woman in the world...

……

Soon the Demon Valley reopened, its malevolent aura even stronger.

Various factions, armed with the "Demon Fall Order," poured into the valley, each with their own ulterior motives.

After entering the valley, Su Ning and Han Li met up with Nanlong Hou and his friend Lu Weiying as planned.

The four joined forces, overcoming numerous dangers, and slew an ancient python guarding the mine and a fire toad beast dwelling deep within the lava. They successfully obtained the extremely rare Gangyin Sand and a jade slip containing the method for refining the ancient Tongtian Lingbao, the Seven Flames Fan, reaping a rich harvest.

Afterwards, Su Ning and Han Li bid farewell to Nanlong Hou and his companion, and then reunited with Zi Ling and Mei Ning, who had been secretly following them.

Thanks to Han Li's familiarity with the Ghost Spirit Sect's techniques and Su Ning's powerful divine sense, the three of them skillfully avoided being seen and tracked the Ghost Spirit Sect's team, and surprisingly found another undiscovered place where the Spirit Candle Fruit grew!
The three quickly picked the fruit, and Han immediately started the furnace to refine pills, successfully producing several Creation Pills once again.

Su Ning and Han Li immediately took the Creation Pill again, experiencing the profound realm of soaring comprehension and clearly seeing the rules of the Great Dao, deepening their understanding of their own cultivation techniques.

However, a crisis followed.

Marquis Nanlong and Lu Weiying were unlucky and encountered the ancient demon blood flame main soul that had escaped last time!
This demonic spirit seems to harbor a deep grudge against the Marquis of Nanlong, relentlessly pursuing him to the death.

Despite their valiant resistance, the two were ultimately no match for the demonic soul and were devoured by it, their cultivation becoming nourishment for the ancient demon!

Having devoured two Nascent Soul cultivators, the Blood Flame Main Soul recovered significantly and became even more ferocious and violent. It began to hunt Nascent Soul cultivators indiscriminately within the valley, absorbing their essence.

Linghu Laozu, Hehuan Laomo, and other top cultivators from Tiannan were also targeted by him and were caught in a fierce battle, their lives hanging by a thread.

Meanwhile, the three elders of the Ghost Spirit Sect, including Wang Tiangu, were bewitched by a more deceptive wisp of the Blood Flame Main Soul, mistaking it for a guiding spirit left behind by an ancient cultivator. They foolishly led it to a place in the valley with a high density of spatial rifts.

The divided soul seized the opportunity to occupy the sealed and incomplete body of an ancient demon and frantically attacked the restrictions at the crack, attempting to break free completely!

"Boom!!!"

A violent spatial explosion occurred, shaking the entire Fallen Demon Valley!

All the cultivators who entered the valley were alarmed by this earth-shattering event.

The Blood Flame Main Soul, which was pursuing Linghu Patriarch, sensed the movement of the split soul and was overjoyed, intensifying its attack. Linghu Patriarch and the others were in grave danger.

At the critical moment, Suning and Han Li arrived!

"You beast! Cease your arrogance!" Su Ning shouted coldly, the God-Slaying Spear already in his hand, its murderous aura soaring to the sky, aiming straight for the Blood Flame Master Soul!
Han Li did not hesitate either. He set up a sword formation with his Golden Thunder Bamboo Flying Sword, and golden lightning filled the sky, forming a net. He was supported by the newly refined puppet army from the side!

An earth-shattering battle has broken out!

Su Ning's God-Slaying Spear is incredibly powerful and has a strong restraining effect on demonic souls; Han Li's Evil-Repelling Divine Thunder is even more of a nemesis of demons.

The two joined forces and managed to hold off the Blood Flame Main Soul, whose power had surged dramatically, saving the wounded and terrified Linghu Patriarch and the others.

On the other side, at the spatial rift, the Blood Flame Soul Split finally broke free from the restriction and began to merge with the demonic body, emitting a terrifying demonic aura no weaker than the main soul!
It roared with laughter as it charged into the outer valley, beginning to devour cultivators to regain its strength.

The surviving Nascent Soul cultivators in the valley were forced to gather together and, under the organization of powerful figures such as Master Mulan and Venerable Zhiyang, joined forces to besiege the demonic soul's fragmented soul.

A chaotic battle ensued, resulting in the deaths of several Nascent Soul cultivators. Han Li's divided soul was also severely injured by Master Zhong and others. However, it was extremely cunning and forcibly seized Han Li's two Azure Bamboo Bee Cloud Swords, transforming into a streak of blood light in an attempt to escape.

"Want to leave? Stay here!" Su Ning, who had been keeping a close eye on the battle, sneered.

The God-Slaying Spear flew from his hand, transforming into a gray light that tore through space. It arrived faster than the heavily injured and fleeing split soul in an instant!

"No—!" The divided soul only had time to let out a terrified scream before it was pierced by the God-Slaying Spear, and the vast demonic energy and soul power were frantically devoured and absorbed by the God-Slaying Spear!
At this moment, the God-Slaying Spear shone brightly with gray light and hummed incessantly, clearly indicating that it had gained a great benefit.

Before the God-Slaying Spear, which had devoured the divided soul, could fly back, the space there became extremely unstable due to the great battle and the impact of demonic energy, and suddenly collapsed into a huge vortex!

The powerful suction instantly enveloped Su Ning, Han Li, and the Blood Flame Main Soul who was confronting them!
"Not good!" The three of them exclaimed, their expressions changing. Before they could even resist, they were all sucked into a bizarre and fantastical spatial rift.

……

After a dizzying spin, the three of them fell into a dilapidated ruin that was filled with a rich ancient spiritual energy.

This place appears to be a fragment of an ancient sect's medicinal garden, known as the Lingmiao Garden Remains.

The remaining spiritual restrictions within the garden greatly suppressed the demonic energy, significantly weakening the Blood Flame Main Soul's power, causing it to scream in agony.

With the balance of power shifting, would Suning and Han Li let this opportunity slip by?

"Demon! Your death is near!" Su Ning activated the God-Slaying Spear with all his might, while Han Li activated all the flying swords and puppets to attack.

In the end, even this powerful ancient demon soul could not escape the fate of being devoured by the God-Slaying Spear!
Having devoured two great demon souls in succession, the God-Slaying Spear underwent an astonishing transformation. The spear body became more ancient and profound, and the illusory shadows of demon souls wailing could be faintly seen in the swirling gray light. Its power had obviously increased by a huge step!

In this dilapidated herb garden, Han Li discovered many ancient spiritual herbs that had long since disappeared from the outside world. Although most of them were incomplete, they were still priceless.

The two used whatever materials were available. Han Li started refining pills, while Su Ning protected him and studied the spatial structure of the place.

After the elixir was successfully refined, the two went into seclusion to cultivate in the relatively safe ruins of the Spirit Misty Garden.

With the help of the Creation Pill and the newly acquired spiritual pill, Han Li broke through the bottleneck in one fell swoop and successfully advanced to the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm!

Although Su Ning did not dare to directly break through to the Nascent Soul stage, he was mainly worried about failing to attack the Nascent Soul stage.

However, his cultivation has also improved significantly, and his realm has been completely stabilized at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage. It seems that he is only a thin layer of paper away from becoming a Deity, and his future is truly bright.

However, Su Ning had a vague feeling that the greatest opportunity for him to break through to the Nascent Soul stage did not seem to lie entirely in the accumulation of magical power, but rather in Ling Yuling, who was far away in the Chaotic Star Sea.

Her Star Spirit Body is a key aid for me to break through the Nascent Soul stage, and I need her cultivation to reach a certain level as well.

This matter cannot be rushed. After all, such an important matter requires everything to be prepared. We absolutely cannot become a laughing stock like Elder Feng of the Luoyun Sect.

After they emerged from the pass, the two worked together to find a way to escape.

Before leaving, Su Ning did something that left even Han Li speechless...

He summoned the Void Realm (which was Su Ning's spatial world), unleashing powerful spatial force that actually tore apart and devoured this broken Lingmiao Garden space, merging it into the Void Realm!

"Senior brother, what is this?"

"Junior brother, your biggest secret is that little green bottle you obtained from the Tai Xuan Sect, while this Tai Xu Realm is my biggest secret."

"Oh? The collapse of the Crimson Forbidden Zone and the Tai Xu Palace?"

“That’s right! It has already become part of the Taixu Realm, just like this Lingmiao Garden.”

"..." It was only at this moment that Han Li realized that Su Ning was the biggest winner.

After completing all of this, the two tore through space and returned to Tiannan.

The Fallen Demon Valley was closed again, leaving behind a scene of devastation and legends of the many Nascent Soul cultivators who perished.

Meanwhile, Su Ning and Han Li quietly returned to Luo Yun Sect to digest their enormous gains and await the next momentous occasion.

...(End of chapter)