Chapter 156 - 108: Ling’Er’s Departure

Chapter 156: Chapter 108: Ling’Er’s Departure

Inside Jiang Ningzhi’s bedroom, Li Yinsheng, Shangguan Ling’Er, and Jiang Ningzhi were all present.

"Are you returning to the Dharma Vein tomorrow?" Jiang Ningzhi asked. "Why the sudden rush?"

"It’s my master. She suddenly sent a message last night telling me to return, saying there’s an urgent matter." Shangguan Ling’Er shook her head. "But she didn’t tell me what exactly it was about."

It had only been a few days since she returned from the Jade Altar Temple, yet she had already received her master’s message. She hadn’t planned on going back so soon. After all, the Dao Examination was at the end of the year. Since Li Yinsheng and Mu Xiaoyu were both participating, she could have just gone to the Dharma Vein together with them at the end of the year. But now, with her master’s orders, she had no choice.

"She’s just like this, always acting so mysterious all day long," Shangguan Ling’Er said, shaking her head. She had to take the opportunity to complain a little while her master couldn’t hear her. Otherwise, once she returned, she would have to keep it all bottled up.

"Besides, staying here indefinitely hasn’t given me any clues on how to exchange for a Life Breathing Creation Pill." She looked at Jiang Ningzhi. "Once I return to the Dharma Vein, I can ask around and gather information from other Fellow Daoists."

"Thank you for your hard work, Ling’Er," Jiang Ningzhi said softly.

"Don’t be so polite with me now." Shangguan Ling’Er waved her hand with a smile. "Wait until your Cultivation recovers, then you can think about how to thank me."

"Then Miss Shangguan should head back first. At the end of the year, when my junior martial sister and I go to the Dharma Vein to participate in the Dao Examination, we’ll find you to catch up," Li Yinsheng said.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You, participating in the Dao Examination..." Shangguan Ling’Er looked Li Yinsheng up and down, a mischievous smile curling on her lips. "Quite a few people are going to be out of luck."

"Why do you say that, Shangguan?" Li Yinsheng asked.

"You know exactly why!" Shangguan Ling’Er rolled her eyes. "Although there is no shortage of Daoists among the Cultivators participating in previous Dao Examinations, it is extremely rare to see a Grand Daoist.

"Not to mention, you are a Grand Daoist practicing Sword and Body Dual Cultivation. An ordinary Daoist would be better off surrendering directly when facing you. Even if there are other Grand Daoists participating, they’ll break out in a cold sweat and tremble in fear when they encounter you."

"It’s just friendly sparring, knowing when to stop. There’s nothing to be nervous about," Li Yinsheng said with a smile.

"The Daoists who participate in the Zhengyang Field Dao Examination, aside from a few who have absolutely nothing better to do, are mostly those who have recently broken through. Their reputations haven’t been established among their fellow Daoists yet, so they need to prove their strength at the Dao Examination." Shangguan Ling’Er shook her head. "If they meet a freak like you and get taken down in just a few exchanges, there won’t be any chance for them to prove their strength."

"I’ll hold back depending on the situation. We’re all Fellow Daoists; there’s no need to make them lose too ugly," Li Yinsheng said. Of course, it would be a different story if he ran into someone from the Shouyi Temple.

"You’re quite easygoing," Shangguan Ling’Er said with a strange expression. "Logically speaking, many geniuses from various sects whose talents are inferior to yours act far more arrogantly than you do."

"Arrogantly?" Li Yinsheng asked curiously. "How arrogant can they be?"

"You’ll have chances to see for yourself in the future. None of those genius Fellow Daoists who manage to become Grand Daoists in just a few decades are easy to talk to," Shangguan Ling’Er replied.

Li Yinsheng looked at her and nodded in agreement. "That’s true."

He had already witnessed just how "polite" this Shangguan was when visiting someone else’s Daoist Temple.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Shangguan Ling’Er immediately read Li Yinsheng’s gaze and pointed at Jiang Ningzhi. "Compared to your Martial Uncle, I’m considered to have an exceptionally good temper!"

Li Yinsheng looked at his Martial Uncle in surprise.

Jiang Ningzhi looked a bit embarrassed, but she didn’t deny it. Instead, she scolded Shangguan Ling’Er playfully, "Why are you bringing this up? Those are all old matters from when I was young and hot-blooded!"

"Old matters?" Shangguan Ling’Er raised an eyebrow. "How come I remember that just two years before the incident at the Xuanzhen Temple, you still—because of a simple disagreement—"

"Stop, stop, stop!" Jiang Ningzhi hastily interrupted.

Li Yinsheng couldn’t help but shake his head. It seemed that highly talented Cultivators did indeed have somewhat flamboyant personalities. They weren’t like him, who took his Cultivation one step at a time, remaining exceptionally steady and grounded.

After seeing Shangguan Ling’Er off, Li Yinsheng attempted a Refinement of Moon Dew during the full moon.

The small-scale Moonlight Spirit Refining Array didn’t even require fixed materials; he only needed the black and white chess pieces from the Array of Profound Mystery for Array Formation.

An epiphyllum flower, roughly ten feet in diameter, bloomed above his head, receiving the Moonlight and undergoing Refinement into Moon Dew. A single night yielded only ten drops. This was only because he already possessed considerable attainment in the path of the Array, allowing him to maximize the Array’s operational efficiency. Otherwise, he estimated he would have gotten only seven or eight drops.

For his current Soul, a mere ten drops of Moon Dew could hardly provide any improvement. If he normally used this method for the Refinement of Moon Dew, it could only be considered better than nothing.

But if the full moon in the Grotto Heaven was real...

The full moon in the outside world lasted only a few hours a night, but the full moon in the Grotto Heaven was ever-present.

Early the next morning, Mu Xiaoyu was practicing the Yin Yang Light-Splitting Sword in front of the main hall. She had been in a good mood lately.

The Blood Refining Core was close to finishing the complete Refinement of the Mother Insect’s energy within her body. In half a month at most, she would no longer have to endure the body-incinerating agony of the Blood Refining Core during her daily Cultivation. She could even appropriately reduce her Cultivation time!

"Junior martial sister." Li Yinsheng emerged from out of nowhere, looking at her with a smile. "The Shifeng Conference is in half a month. Are you nervous?"

Mu Xiaoyu nodded honestly. "A little nervous."

Although she had sparred with her senior martial brother and had been arranged by him to fight monsters to the death, thus gaining some experience in Magical Combat, participating in a major tournament and engaging in Magical Combat with other Fellow Daoists was truly a first for her. Alongside her nerves, she also felt some anticipation.

"There’s no need to be nervous, junior martial sister. I already asked during registration," Li Yinsheng said, his expression somewhat odd. "You’re sixteen, so you perfectly qualify to be placed in the youngest age group."