One of my fairy-like friends

However, staying in this sea of ​​qi is quite pleasant, as the concentration of spiritual energy is almost the same as that outside.

Mingyan left the Qi Sea and experienced the changes within himself.

The spiritual energy flowed faster, strengthening his physique as well. He felt full of power, energetic, and in excellent condition.

Mingyan opened his eyes, walked out of his house, and felt as if he had merged with heaven and earth, feeling incredibly comfortable.

"You've broken through to the Illuminating Sea Realm?" Yue Wuxia's voice came from her room. Upon hearing this, Ming Yan quickly put down his hand and walked to the door of Yue Wuxia's house. He saw Yue Wuxia walk out of the house, looking at him with a cold gaze. Ming Yan bowed and said, "Master, your disciple has broken through to the Illuminating Sea Realm."

"Not bad... I remember when I first met you, you were still at the Accumulating Flow Realm, while you had just broken through to the Taixi Realm when you left the Rain Terrace Blessed Land with the Phoenix Clan. Just over a month later, you've already broken through to the Illuminating Sea Realm. Such speed is worthy of your physique." Yue Wuxia's voice was quite gentle. Of course, if outsiders were present, they might find it strange that this was considered gentle. But for Yue Wuxia, although her voice still sounded quite cold, it was gentler than before.

"Consolidate your cultivation as soon as possible. Only after you have reached the Great Realm of Spring Drawing can you officially begin your cultivation journey. The path ahead is not something you can break through simply by absorbing spiritual energy," Yue Wuxia said. "Also, go down the mountain with your senior sister. We have guests."

"Disciple obeys." After bowing, Mingyan turned and walked to Yue Qingying's door. Yue Qingying also came out of the room. It must have been Yue Wuxia who informed her. The two left the Immortal Island together and went down to the front of the Holy Lord's Hall.

"You've already broken through? That's fast." As a Qi Sea Realm cultivator, Yue Qingying could tell Ming Yan's exact cultivation level at a glance. She smiled slightly and said, "I suppose it won't be long before you catch up with me."

"It's just that the speed is a bit faster in the first major realm where quantitative change leads to qualitative change. After that, the speed will slow down." Ming Yan shook his head. He also knew that after reaching the second major realm, the Transcendent Realm, it would be impossible to break through so easily.

"Don't wallow in self-pity. You are Master's disciple and should have enough confidence." Yue Qingying shook her head. "As a cultivator, confidence is very important. The mind is more important than things. If you lack confidence, it will affect your cultivation. The path of cultivation is the path of the mind. You must be confident."

Mingyan nodded. Although he was just being modest, he wouldn't refute his senior sister's teachings, because he knew that what she said was definitely right. Moreover, he had lacked confidence before because he didn't have a clear understanding of his own strength, but Mingyan wouldn't feel that way now.

Having experienced the battle with the masked cultivator, Ming Yan had figured out his own combat strength. With his current cultivation level at the Zhaohai Realm, he was probably no worse than an average Yinling Realm cultivator.

"Senior sister, Master said we have a guest. May I ask who it is?"

“Ning Feixuan, the Holy Maiden of Yaochi, come and deliver the invitation to the Peach Banquet.” Yue Qingying said with a smile, “The relationship between Fengling Yueying Holy Land, Yaochi Holy Land, and Huang Family is quite good. The other two families are all female cultivators, and Fengling Yueying also has Yueying Cinema, so they usually take care of each other. Moreover, Master has a good relationship with the Queen Mother of the West of Yaochi Holy Land.”

Ming Yan was somewhat surprised upon hearing this. It seemed that he and Ning Feixuan were indeed quite destined for each other; he had saved someone who was Ning Feixuan's friend, and now that he had become her disciple, his master was also a fellow Daoist...

"Senior Sister, do you know that the Holy Maiden of Yaochi is my savior?" Mingyan said. "If it weren't for her, I might have died long ago."

"Oh? Is that so?" Yue Qingying was quite surprised. "That's quite a coincidence. My relationship with Ning Feixuan is just so-so, so I don't know much about this. But Feiyan and Ning Feixuan have a very good relationship... she even saved my life. Hmm... have you done anything to repay her?"

Mingyan shook his head. "I want to repay her, but when I met Ning Feixuan before, she declined, saying that my being alive was the best repayment, and that I felt my current cultivation level was not enough to help her."

“Then improve your strength, and one day you will be able to repay this kindness. Just keep it in your heart.” Yue Qingying said with a smile, “In that case, I should thank Ning Feixuan properly. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have you as my junior brother.”

Mingyan smiled sheepishly upon hearing this.

The two descended the mountain together and waited at the summit of the mountain used for trials between the two academies. Some elders and young disciples were already waiting there. The young disciples from both academies looked at Ming Yan with curiosity. Several disciples from the Fengling Academy looked at Ming Yan with somewhat subtle expressions. One of them saw Ming Yan and Yue Qingying standing together and his eyes showed a faint hostility. After Ming Yan glanced at him, he looked away. Ming Yan frowned.

He had no entanglement with the disciples of Fengling Academy, and his master, Yue Wuxia, did not want him to associate with the people of Fengling Academy. Mingyan had never been to Fengling Academy. He wondered why this person was hostile to him. Could it be that he was in love with his senior sister?

Before long, a beautifully crafted chariot flew in from afar, pulled by several divine birds. It moved at great speed, leaving trails of light, and only slowed down as it approached the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Holy Land.

The carriage was quite luxurious. Since the Yaochi Holy Land was full of female cultivators, they valued these things highly, and the carriages that carried people looked extremely exquisite and beautiful.

After the carriage reached the mountaintop, it gradually came to a stop. Several divine bird paintings flew into the carriage, and Mingyan then realized that it was created by spiritual energy... The cultivator who could create such divine birds for transportation must have extremely high cultivation. However, this speed is not much faster than flying on his own, and it probably consumes more spiritual energy, right? Hmm... Of course, the other party is definitely more concerned with appearances. Their pursuits are different, so we can't make arbitrary judgments.

Chapter Fifty-Five: The Dark Ages

After the carriage stopped, female cultivators slowly floated out. They were all dressed in the same style, with a light pink gauze over their clothes and a plain white dress underneath, which completely covered their figures. These fairies were all of excellent appearance, like beautiful birds in flight, as if they were in a fairyland.

Mingyan had seen many female cultivators, whether from the Huang family, the Yaochi fairies, or some of the Moon Cinema disciples he had met. Their appearances were all quite good. It seemed that, except for a very few, the appearances of the immortal cultivators were not bad. Similarly, the same was true for male cultivators. He rarely encountered anyone who was extremely ugly. At the very least, they had an ordinary appearance, and most of them had very regular features.

These fairies from the Jade Pool all have a pale red lotus-like pattern between their eyebrows, which is extremely beautiful.

Before long, all the fairies in the carriage came out. Mingyan also saw Ning Feixuan. Her attire was different from the other fairies of Yaochi and most of the group of fairies. She was the most special one.

It seems that after cultivating the Imperial Scripture of Yaochi, a pale red lotus flower will naturally grow between the eyebrows. The lotus flower between Ning Feixuan's eyebrows is more exquisite and delicate, extremely beautiful. However, her expression is indifferent, and even when she smiles, it is an extremely restrained and polite smile.

"I hope my sudden visit has disturbed you all?" Ning Feixuan bowed slightly, her tone apologetic. As she bowed, she noticed Ming Yan's presence, a flicker of something unusual crossing her beautiful eyes before returning to normal.

As the Holy Maiden of Moon Shadow, Yue Qingying's status was equivalent to Ning Feixuan's, so it was natural for her to take the lead. She stepped forward and said with a light smile, "There is no need to disturb you. Welcome to the Holy Maiden of Yaochi, the elders of Yaochi, and all the fairies of Yaochi to the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Holy Land. Elder Qin, please take all the fairies of Yaochi to the guest rooms in Moon Shadow Cinema to settle in first, and we will prepare a banquet for you."

"Yes, Holy Maiden."

Yue Qingying holds an extremely high position in the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Holy Land, not only because she is the Holy Maiden of Moon Shadow, but also because her master, Yue Wuxia, is now the actual controller of the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Holy Land. With no Holy Master in the Wind Spirit Academy, everything is decided by Yue Wuxia alone. In addition, the Wind Spirit Academy does not yet have a Holy Son. Yue Qingying, as the Holy Maiden, has a position no different from Ning Feixuan's in Yaochi. Both are unique.

"Feixuan has come here to pay her respects to the Holy Lord of Moon Shadow. Feixuan has an invitation here, which my master instructed me to personally deliver to the Holy Lord of Moon Shadow. I wonder..." Ning Feixuan inquired.

“Then please come with me, Holy Maiden. The other fairies, please settle in first. Once the banquet is ready, we will inform everyone to attend.” Yue Qingying nodded.

Then, together with Ming Yan, they led Ning Feixuan toward the Holy Lord's Hall.

The three walked side by side, with Yue Qingying in the middle and Ming Yan and Ning Feixuan on either side of her.

Ning Feixuan glanced at Ming Yan with her beautiful eyes and sighed slightly, "I didn't expect to meet you here again."

“Yes, Holy Maiden, it has been more than a month since we parted. You are still as graceful and charming as ever, inspiring admiration.” Mingyan nodded, his heart stirred upon hearing her speak first.

Ning Feixuan smiled, her face revealing no hidden agenda. She was there to pay a visit, so naturally she couldn't conceal her beauty. Her features were so exquisite that even a simple smile was captivating.

“I heard from my junior brother that the Holy Maiden once saved his life. I also have to thank the Holy Maiden. If it weren’t for the Holy Maiden, I might not have been able to see my junior brother again.” Yue Qingying said with a light laugh, “The Holy Maiden probably doesn’t know yet that my master has taken Ming Yan as his closed-door disciple. This matter probably hasn’t spread yet.”

Ning Feixuan's eyes flickered slightly. Of course, she knew the rules of the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Holy Land, so upon hearing this, she knew that the Moon Shadow Holy Lord had definitely made an exception to accept Ming Yan as a disciple. When Ning Feixuan examined Ming Yan's physique that day, she only felt that his cultivation talent was good, but she did not expect him to be so outstanding. It was her oversight. She should have recommended him to a higher level at that time, and would not have wasted more than a year in the Rain Terrace Blessed Land... However, in this way, perhaps when Fei Yan encountered danger, Ming Yan would not have happened to be there and then taken Fei Yan home and saved her life.

It was truly a coincidence.

"It was just a casual gesture while passing by, no need to take it too seriously," Ning Feixuan shook her head.

“That may be true, but my junior brother has always remembered the Holy Maiden’s kindness and hopes to repay it one day. The Holy Maiden also knows that once such a thing becomes an obsession, it will become a stumbling block for cultivators.” Yue Qingying said, “He will not be at peace if he does not repay the kindness.”

Ning Feixuan was speechless. "It was I who hadn't considered things carefully..."

Mingyan was grateful to his senior sister for speaking up for him, and continued, "I know that my cultivation level may not be able to help the Holy Maiden much, but I will remember this kindness and gratitude and never forget it. I will definitely repay the Holy Maiden one day."

Ning Feixuan smiled helplessly upon hearing this and nodded. "I remember when I saved you, you had no cultivation at all. A little over a month ago, when I saw you at the Huang family, you were already at the Taixi Realm. And now, when I see you again, you've already reached the Zhaohai Realm. Such a speed of cultivation truly makes me admire you."

"The Holy Maiden is a Western Spirit Body, and her strength does not lie in cultivation speed... Among those of the same level, there are probably few who can rival her." Yue Qingying's beautiful eyes flickered, hinting at something.

“This life is slightly different. Generally speaking, special physiques rarely appear in the era of the Great Emperor, but in recent years, many special physiques have emerged. Isn’t the Moon Shadow Saintess also a special physique? And Fellow Daoist Mingyan, I presume you also have a special physique? Among those of the same level, I dare not say that few can rival me.” Ning Feixuan’s eyes were solemn. “Moreover, even in the Golden Age, it was rare for many special physiques to clash. Generally speaking, three or four was already a lot, but as far as I know, in the past few decades, at least a dozen or even dozens of special physiques have been born. Although some are superior and some are inferior, such a situation is truly rare.”

"Senior Sister also has a special constitution?" Ming Yan asked curiously. His master had never mentioned this, so he wondered what kind of special constitution Senior Sister possessed...

"In such an era, one can't help but sigh that no matter how outstanding one is, there is no chance to attain enlightenment." Yue Qingying shook her head gently and sighed softly.

"This world may be different from others. Empress Qingzi came to the Yaochi Holy Land to impart knowledge a year ago and discussed this matter with my master. Presumably, the Holy Maiden also knows that Yaochi will hold the Peach Banquet in a year and a half. This time, Yaochi has invited not only the holy lands and families of the Eastern Continent, but also extended an invitation to the entire continent to discuss the matters that Empress Qingzi and my master discussed." Ning Feixuan said, "Many special physiques have probably emerged as a result..."

Yue Qingying was quite surprised to hear this, whether it was the matter of Empress Qingzi descending to the Yaochi Holy Land to impart knowledge, or her conversation with the Queen Mother of the West about the extraordinary things in this world...

However, there are indeed rumors that Empress Qingzi has a deep connection with Yaochi... Yaochi Holy Land is very special, not only because it only recruits female disciples, but also because Yaochi Holy Land has always been absolutely neutral. Yaochi's "Western Emperor Scripture" contains many healing methods. In some special dark times, Yaochi Holy Land was a place of healing and saving lives. It rarely offends anyone and has good relations with many holy land families.

There was a rumor that when Empress Qingzi first arrived at the Manifestation Realm, she was seriously injured and almost died. It was Yaochi who used her imperial artifact to heal her and save her from the crisis. However, this was just a rumor and Yaochi never confirmed it.

"Regardless, it's crucial to improve our cultivation level as quickly as possible, because it's highly likely that another Dark Age is upon us." Ning Feixuan said solemnly, "The turmoil and bloodshed of the last Dark Age occurred only a hundred thousand years ago, and it's all recorded in history. Fortunately, there was no Great Emperor on the throne during the last Dark Age, and so many righteous heroes sacrificed themselves to end it. This time, however, we still have a Human Emperor ruling the world... I hope I'm just worrying too much..."

The Dark Ages? Mingyan kept it in mind. Seeing Ning Feixuan's serious expression, he knew that things were probably not simple. Turmoil and bloodshed... it was probably some kind of horrific disaster.

Upon hearing this, Yue Qingying's pretty face also turned serious. She and Ming Yan led Ning Feixuan to the Holy Lord's Hall, then asked Ming Yan to wait below before taking Ning Feixuan up to the Immortal Island.

Not long after, Yue Qingying came down alone.

"Senior Sister," Ming Yan asked as Yue Qingying came down, "Are you aware of the Dark Ages that the Holy Maiden of Yaochi spoke of?"

Yue Qingying nodded. "There have been eight Dark Ages in history. Each time, nearly half of the cultivators died. In the worst one, both human and demon cultivators were almost wiped out. That's why it's called a Dark Age."

"As for the reason, every few hundred thousand years, some visitors from unknown places will descend upon us. They will not communicate with us, but only kill, seemingly with the aim of eradicating humans and demons. Human and demon cultivators have no choice but to fight to the death. During each dark age, the major holy lands and families will unite in an extraordinary way to fight against the invaders. Do you know that there are nine forbidden zones of life on the continent?"

Mingyan nodded. "I know a little bit about it."

"Our planet is called Yao Guang Star. Beyond this planet, there are many other planets inhabited by humans and demons. The area beyond Yao Guang Star, where other planets are located, is what we call the universe. The universe is vast, and even Yao Guang Star is just a drop in the ocean, nothing special. Even a Supreme Emperor would find it difficult to explore the entire universe. However, Yao Guang Star is special. It is said that life was born here at the beginning of existence, and it is also the planet that has produced the most Supreme Emperors. Moreover, most Supreme Emperors choose to come to Yao Guang Star to leave behind their lineage when their lives are about to end."

"The Dark Ages brought calamity to the entire universe, and our Yao Guang Star was often the main battlefield. Apart from the central abyss, the other eight of the nine forbidden zones of life were once the landing sites of invaders from other realms. They were once the front line of resistance for cultivators. They were battlefields. Due to the battles of a large number of high-level cultivators, the laws of heaven in those places were completely shattered, so life and spiritual energy could not be born. Only chaos and violent foreign aura remained, which is why they were called forbidden zones of life. Because apart from the Supreme Emperor, other cultivators who went to those places could not use the laws and were no different from mortals. They would be killed by the turbulent currents."

"Throughout the long ages, there have been eight Dark Ages in total. Three of them were ruled by a Great Emperor. The Great Emperor is an existence of the highest order, and is recognized by the Great Dao of the Universe. With the existence of the Great Emperor, the number of people who die for the human and demon races will be greatly reduced. The lowest number of deaths was only two levels of cultivators in the universe, and the highest was no more than three levels. In the other five Dark Ages, there was no Great Emperor. The lowest number of deaths was six levels of cultivators, and the highest was... infinitely close to extinction." Yue Qingying said, "If what Empress Qingzi told the Queen Mother of the West is really the coming of a Dark Age... then the only thing we can be thankful for is that in this era, we still have an Emperor of the highest order."

Mingyan was silent for a moment before asking, "Even during the reign of the Great Emperor, so many people died... How could those invaders from other realms be so powerful?"

"Among the invaders from the outer realms, there are Emperor-level beings. So even a Great Emperor cannot take care of others in a battle of the same level. If we do not have Great Emperors, we can only rely on those with special physiques. In such a situation, all the holy land families will unite and use their resources to cultivate a few top-level Human Kings with special physiques that far surpass those of other Human Kings of the same level, in order to resist those Emperor-level beings."

Mingyan's heart skipped a beat.

Top-tier human king?

My master once said that I possess the physique of a Human King, destined from birth to become a Human King, and that my constitution far surpasses that of other cultivators of the same level. Ning Feixuan had also previously mentioned that this special constitution might be a product of destiny...

By combining these things, is it possible that one was born out of necessity?

"Don't overthink it. It might not necessarily be a Dark Turmoil. The previous Dark Turmoils were all at least 300,000 years apart, and the last Dark Age was only 100,000 years ago," Yue Qingying said. "Moreover, even if it really is a Dark Turmoil, we still have an Extreme Dao Emperor in power. We just need to improve our cultivation and contribute to resisting the invaders from other realms."

Mingyan nodded, feeling even more strongly the importance of improving his own strength, not only to catch up with Ning Feixuan to repay her kindness, but also... to protect himself and others.

Although the dark ages may not necessarily arrive at this time, when they do, one must have sufficient strength to protect oneself and others.

Unlike when he first left Sun and Moon Village, when he only cared about Ning Feixuan and repaying her kindness, now he has many other people he cares about. Even if he can't protect those innocent and weak people, he should at least have the strength to protect the people he cares about.

Chapter 56 Is it true that the older you get, the more beautiful you become?

"What do you think of Ning Feixuan, Junior Brother?" Yue Qingying asked, looking at Ming Yan with her beautiful eyes.

"How do you see it? I'm very grateful to her... and maybe there are some strange feelings that arise from that gratitude," Mingyan said upon hearing this.

There's nothing to hide. Mingyan is a rather frank person. Now that he trusts Yue Qingying, he won't keep things secret anymore. The reason he didn't tell Ning Feixuan was because he was worried that it wouldn't be appropriate to say it given their current distant and superficial relationship.

“I noticed that your gaze towards Ning Feixuan was slightly different, so I guessed that your feelings for her might not just be gratitude... You might like her?”

"To some extent, she did save me after all." Mingyan nodded.

Yue Qingying shook her head gently and smiled helplessly, "Then your competition will probably be very fierce... Ning Feixuan can now almost firmly hold the title of the most beautiful woman in Dongzhou. You have rivals everywhere. It will be difficult."

"Speaking of this... I'm quite puzzled. With Senior Sister's beauty, she's no less beautiful than the Holy Maiden of Yaochi, right? Although I'm very grateful to her, I'm still very curious why Ning Feixuan can hold onto the title of the most beautiful woman in the Eastern Continent." Ming Yan scratched his head, actually leaving out another question: "Our Master is clearly superior to Ning Feixuan, so why..."

Ahem, of course, Mingyan didn't say the last sentence, nor did he dare to say it aloud. To comment on an elder's appearance would be a great offense.

"You have a sweet tongue." Yue Qingying glanced at Ming Yan and said with a half-smile, "Feiyan's refusal to marry outside the family will certainly be a disadvantage. I rarely show my true face, but Ning Feixuan sometimes comes to visit like today, so it's not appropriate to hide it. Therefore, many people have seen her true face. Moreover, Yaochi is famous for its beauties. Almost every generation of Yaochi Holy Maidens has been one of the top fairies in the Eastern Continent. Ning Feixuan's master, the Queen Mother of the West, is also Ning Mengru, a friend of our master. She was once considered the number one beauty in the Eastern Continent. Everyone knows that the fairies of Yaochi are beautiful and kind-hearted, which adds to their charm."

"Yinyin? Then it seems there are others who are almost as good as her?"

“That’s our master.” Yue Qingying poked Ming Yan’s brow with her jade finger and smiled. “Our master was not only the number one genius in the Eastern Continent, but also ranked alongside the current Queen Mother of the West. She was one of the two peerless beauties of the Eastern Continent, and was as famous as the three sisters of the Huang family. However, people of their era have either died or grown old. Now, the only ones with the same cultivation and lifespan as our master are the Holy Lords, but they have long passed the age of chasing after fairies, so they probably don’t care about these things anymore. Although our master may still be the white moonlight in some people’s hearts.”

Mingyan nodded. Hearing his senior sister talk about their master's beauty, he couldn't help but say, "Master has shown his true face to me. He is indeed unrealistically beautiful. If the Queen Mother of the West and Master are on the same level, then the title of the number one beauty of Yaochi Saintess is really undeserved."

"When Ning Feixuan's cultivation level increases and she gets older, she won't necessarily be that bad. The Phoenix Family's 'Phoenix Nirvana Scripture,' the Yaochi Holy Land's 'Western Emperor Scripture,' and Feng Lingyueying's 'Moon Shadow Scripture'—these cultivation methods for women all have the effect of preserving youth. Ordinary women can improve their appearance and temperament after cultivating them, let alone someone like Ning Feixuan who is naturally beautiful. The scriptures will affect her temperament, her breathing, and even her behavior. So, in the later stages of cultivation, when all these factors are combined, won't she become even more beautiful?"

Mingyan was speechless. Didn't that mean that as long as one's appearance doesn't age, one becomes more beautiful with age?

Judging from this, Fei Yan's mother is definitely not bad either... Ugh, what am I thinking? Ming Yan realized he was daydreaming and quickly shook his head. "Senior Sister, I wonder if I will be able to go to the Peach Banquet in a year and a half?"

"That depends on Master's thoughts." Upon hearing this, Yue Qingying pondered for a moment and said, "I can't fathom Master's intentions, but if your strength is sufficient and Master has nothing else for you to do, then he will most likely take you to the Peach Banquet. If your strength is insufficient... the Peach Banquet is not only a gathering held by Yaochi for exchange, but also an opportunity for many holy lands and aristocratic families to let their younger generation compete. If your strength is insufficient, Master may not take you, after all, if you are defeated, it may affect your Dao heart."

"What level of cultivation would I need for Master to take me to the Peach Banquet?" Ming Yan frowned upon hearing this. He understood that if he was not strong enough and was taken to the Peach Banquet, losing the competition would not only affect his Dao Heart but also tarnish the entire Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Holy Land.