Chapter 547: Return to Ning’an! A Perfect Conclusion

Lan Yufei replied gravely.

“I…”

“Ke’Er, go back and focus on your recovery. Today’s events were certainly a shock, but you must learn to accept them.”

Lan Yufei said, looking at him seriously.

“Yes… I… will obey!”

Ouyang Ke nodded and sighed.

……

With the conclusion of the battle at the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect, news spread throughout Nanzhao Prefecture, stirring up a massive commotion.

The various factions of the Nanzhao Martial World were abuzz with discussion.

After all, this matter was truly extraordinary.

The Ten Thousand Poisons Sect was Nanzhao’s foremost major sect, possessing a profound heritage.

And Black Wind Valley, Beast Taming Mountain, and the Thousand Bamboo Sect were no pushovers either, all being among the major powers in Nanzhao Prefecture. What’s more, the notorious Blood River Sect had also gotten involved.

This chaotic battle was no less tumultuous than the great upheaval in Ning’an before.

The news spread rapidly in every direction.

And details of the battle also continued to circulate.

For example, the four major powers, including the Blood River Sect and Black Wind Valley, had joined forces and colluded with Grand Elder Song Zhe from within the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect, plotting to annihilate it. In the end, however, they fell into a trap and suffered a crushing defeat.

Another rumor was that Elder Ancient Vassal from Profound Yin Valley had appeared at the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect, fought the Nie Family’s Zhenren, and returned in utter defeat.

Each and every one of these was a piece of news capable of causing turmoil.

When all these stories came together, the shock they caused was self-evident.

After all, one side was a major power from the Southern Border, and the other was a thousand-year-old noble family from Yunzhou.

With these two powers clashing head-on, many people thought the Southern Border would likely face a massive upheaval.

However, to everyone’s surprise, Profound Yin Valley acted as if it had never heard of the battle, showing no reaction whatsoever. The Nie Family also behaved as if nothing had occurred, treating the incident as a mere misunderstanding.

Only a few people knew that the confrontation had moved from the open into the shadows.

Neither Profound Yin Valley nor the Nie Family could possibly let it go so easily.

Chen Sheng was one of those in the know.

After all, the Nie Family’s plan was to extend their reach into the Southern Border and expand their influence. Since Nanzhao was within Profound Yin Valley’s sphere of influence, the two sides were bound to engage in numerous open and hidden struggles.

However, Chen Sheng had little interest in focusing on these matters.

Right now, all his attention was on his cultivation.

Although Chen Sheng’s cultivation had greatly improved, he had yet to reach the true peak of the mid-Profound Mastery stage. With everything now settled, he naturally intended to raise it further.

And with Lady Lan’s assistance, this wasn’t a major issue.

The nourishment he received from the union of the Yin-Yang Gu King far surpassed what he could gain from painstaking cultivation alone.

His cultivation was also steadily improving. In just a few short days, he successfully brought his cultivation to the peak of the mid-Profound Mastery stage.

……

Once his cultivation had completely stabilized at the peak of the mid-Profound Mastery stage, Chen Sheng could clearly sense that Yin-Yang Dual Cultivation with Lan Yufei alone could no longer bring him significant progress.

The bottleneck to the late-Profound Mastery stage was like an invisible yet incredibly solid chasm lying before him.

The three realms of Profound Mastery: Primordial Sea, Thunder Sound, and Divine Communication.

In essence, they were a progressive tempering and sublimation of a cultivator’s essence, energy, and spirit.

The gathering of energy culminates in the Primordial Sea, where immense True Essence is accumulated as the source of power.

The forging of essence occurs at the Thunder Sound realm, tempering the body’s apertures until Blood Qi billows like signal smoke and the Thunder Sound reverberates.

And the final stage, Divine Communication, is about the transformation of the spirit.

To truly break through, one must open a Spirit Platform within the fragile and profound Mud Ball Palace between the eyebrows. This platform houses the origin of one’s Divine Soul. One must then ignite the Divine Fire and, finally, give birth to a Divine Sense capable of leaving the body and perceiving the most minute details.

This Divine Communication stage is particularly perilous and difficult.

The Mud Ball Palace is the residence of the Divine Soul; it is mysterious beyond measure and exceptionally fragile.

When opening the Spirit Platform, the slightest mistake can lead to a damaged Divine Soul, wasting all previous efforts.

A severe mistake can cause the Spirit Platform to collapse, the soul to scatter, and result in utter death and the end of one’s path!

For this reason, late-stage Profound Mastery experts are exceedingly rare in both Nanzhao and Ning’an.

Without perfect preparation and sufficient confidence, no one would dare to attempt it rashly.

Take Sun Yuzhi, for example. Back then, she only dared to enter seclusion to break through to this realm after accumulating a deep enough foundation and feeling she had more than an eighty percent chance of success.

Chen Sheng was not one to act recklessly.

However, he was not entirely unprepared.

The Ten Thousand Poisons Sect’s ultimate treasure, the Bright Divine Pearl, was an excellent secret treasure for assisting in breaking through this stage.

This pearl has the miraculous effects of nurturing the Divine Soul and stabilizing the Spirit Platform. It can even provide an extra layer of protection and assistance at the critical moment of opening the Spirit Platform and igniting the Divine Fire.

This trip to Nanzhao, to obtain the Yin-Yang Gu King and borrow the Bright Divine Pearl, were the two main goals of Chen Sheng’s plan from the start.

When he first proposed borrowing it, Lan Yufei had politely refused on the grounds that it was a great treasure of the sect and not a decision one person could make.

However, things were different now. Lan Yufei was his dao companion, and the original Profound Mastery elders of the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect had either betrayed the sect or been killed. They were all gone, leaving no one who could mount any real opposition.

Therefore, when Chen Sheng once again proposed borrowing the Bright Divine Pearl to aid his cultivation and prepare for his future breakthrough, Lan Yufei did not refuse this time.

After a brief discussion with Ouyang Ke, she solemnly placed the pearl—which was as warm and smooth as jade and held a swirling divine light within—into Chen Sheng’s hands.

“This pearl is indeed miraculous, but the matter of Breaking Realm is no small thing. It concerns your path and even your life and death. You… must be extremely cautious. Only attempt it when you are absolutely certain.”

Lan Yufei held his hand, her eyes filled with concern and earnest advice.

“Rest assured, my lady. I will remember.”

Chen Sheng took her cool, soft hand in his, his tone steady.

He didn’t need her to say more. Chen Sheng would not gamble with his path and his life.

The path of cultivation was fraught with peril. He had always been one to plan meticulously before making a move.

“Mm…”

Lan Yufei nodded slightly. As if thinking of something, a blush rose to her cheeks. She unnaturally tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and said in a low voice:

“The Bright Divine Pearl is, after all, an ancestral treasure of my Ten Thousand Poisons Sect. According to tradition, it cannot easily be taken from the sect… Why don’t you stay here at the sect to cultivate? Everyone in the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect will do everything in their power to help you break through.”

She truly couldn’t bear for Chen Sheng to leave.

‘Perhaps I can use this as an excuse to keep him here a while longer.’

“Well…”

Hearing this, Chen Sheng was about to consider the proposal.

BANG!

But at that moment, the door to the guest room was violently pushed open.

Sun Yuzhi stood at the door with a grave expression, her gaze like lightning fixed straight on Chen Sheng. Her voice was clear and heavy:

“Chen Sheng, there’s trouble in Ning’an.”

“What is it?” Chen Sheng’s brow furrowed instantly.

“Chu Kuangfeng was seriously injured. The attacker was Monk Yikong, a True Inheritor of the Celestial Dragon Temple.”

Sun Yuzhi’s speech quickened:

“Furthermore, Li Chengyin, the True Inheritor of Dragon Tiger Mountain, and Wei Jing, the True Inheritor of the Vast Sea Sect, have also arrived in Ning’an. Judging by their movements… I’m afraid they’re coming for you.”

Chen Sheng’s eyes narrowed slightly, a cold glint flashing in their depths.

Then, a cold, battle-hungry curve slowly formed on his lips.

“Since they’re coming for me… then let’s go back to Ning’an!”

He had long expected this. After he led the destruction of Qingfeng Temple and Golden Spring Temple, he knew their backers, Dragon Tiger Mountain and the Celestial Dragon Temple, would never let the matter rest.

It seemed now that the pressure from the higher-ups had been temporarily blocked or resolved.

So the other side had resorted to a method more in line with the rules of the Jianghu—sending geniuses of the same generation to settle the score under the guise of sparring.

“My lady.”

Chen Sheng turned to Lan Yufei, a hint of apology in his eyes.

“I had wanted to stay in Nanzhao a while longer to focus on my comprehension, but it seems the plan has to change.”

Lan Yufei’s gaze sharpened. She quickly suppressed her worry and reluctance, saying decisively:

“In that case, the situation is urgent. Take the Bright Divine Pearl with you. Remember, your safety is paramount at all times. If the situation becomes untenable, do not rush in and fight recklessly.”

Chen Sheng gently pulled Lady Lan into an embrace. The curve on his lips did not fall; instead, a sharp, cold light flashed in his eyes.

“I have taken your words to heart, my lady.”

‘Of course I wouldn’t fight recklessly.’

‘Because they aren’t worthy!’