Chapter 1358: Ambushed

Chapter 1358: Chapter 686: Ambushed

Coincidentally, she recognized this power, which was the purest Cultivation Technique of the Chaoyun Sect. Soon, she realized that Huangfuming’s own cultivation had at least reached the Late-stage Divinity Transformation, just one step away from entering the Void Refining Stage.

For Humans, this was a cultivation speed as monstrous as that of Quan Shifang. Ning Xiaoxian cast a curious glance at him; this boy always acted unpredictably, and today he showed her a hint of his background. She had always forgotten that he was also a disciple of the Chaoyun Sect and had cultivated the most authentic Human Clan Cultivation Technique.

So the question arose, since he was a descendant of the Man Clan Royal Family, capable of wielding Evil Qi, theoretically, he shouldn’t be able to learn Human cultivator skills simultaneously, because Evil Qi would automatically repel the Spiritual Power within a Human. Therefore, Humans with the Man lineage generally had lower cultivation, so how did Huangfuming solve this problem?

Huangfuming naturally didn’t know what she was thinking at the moment. He just nodded forward and smiled, “How about this scenery?”

As soon as she looked up, she temporarily cast aside her doubts.

In front of her, a myriad of vibrant lights and willows, a bustling Mortal World.

Every year, the lantern festival was held by the banks of the Xiu Shui River, covering almost half the city. Now both sides of the river were lined with handcrafted lanterns, as if they were shining all the way to the sky, making one feel that “the stars descend, as the moon suspends by the building” at just a glance.

The Xinyu Lantern Festival had persisted for hundreds of years — its reputation truly well-deserved. Tiny lanterns transformed into countless variations here. Tens of thousands of the most ordinary large red palace lanterns were woven into a web of lights, hanging high above people’s heads like a sky full of red clouds burning to the horizon.

On both sides of the riverbank, lamp trees and lamp wheels stood tall, with firelight streaming through the colored paper and felt, rendering them hazy and beautiful. Ning Xiaoxian stood at the upper stream of the Xiu River, where the place was bustling with voices, and upon closer inspection, she found that it was filled with tourists purchasing river lanterns, preparing to set them afloat on the Xiu River.

The waters of the Xiu River were clear in texture, and when looking out from the riverbank, the smooth river surface was adorned with a myriad of river lanterns, drifting with the flow. Their light reflecting off the shimmering waters made it almost impossible to distinguish which were stars in the sky and which were little lamps in the river.

Many artisans stood by the upper reaches of the river, bringing their homemade river lanterns to sell. The most common shapes were lotus, plum blossom, and even boat-shaped, swallow-shaped, lantern-shaped, tower-shaped, and gourd-shaped… Regardless of the shape, the wick was typically made of hemp rope. The bottom of the river lantern was first filled with fine sand, then dipped in candle oil. Once the wax hardened, the sand became the river lantern’s “stabilizing stone,” adding weight and making it less likely to be blown over.

Due to the different materials, prices varied, too. Those made with wax paper were the most rudimentary, costing only one cent each; paper with wooden bases cost three cents each; finely woven bamboo boats went for about five cents each, in increasing prices. Silk-crafted ones looked best and were naturally the most expensive, requiring about sixty cents each.

Opulent displays of wealth were ubiquitous; the Xinyu Lantern Festival had a tradition spanning hundreds of years, naturally becoming a stage for the wealthy to “refine their tastes.” Beyond the small lights of ordinary people, the river hosted various luxury lanterns released by the affluent. These river lanterns were made of either gold and silver or adorned with turquoise and agate, further powered by the energies of an Array, making their movement exceptionally slow and shining brightly among the crowd.

The area gleamed with lights. The enthusiastic firelight tinged Ning Xiaoxian’s originally slightly pale face with a delicate pink hue, her dark eyes reflecting the river lanterns, as if tiny starfires danced within them. Her gaze appeared more lively, looking not so cold anymore. Huangfuming took a stealthy glance at her, unable to look away.

Perhaps laying down the burdens and just standing quietly with her amidst the bustling Mortal World wasn’t all that bad?

He didn’t know where this thought came from, but it vanished in an instant, and the hand supporting her arm tightened slightly.

Ning Xiaoxian gave him a puzzled look. Huangfuming smiled and said, “Sister, would you like to release a river lantern as well? The Prefecture hired someone to specially make two.” Extending his hand backward, someone naturally handed the prepared river lanterns into his palm. They were two small lotus lamps, each no bigger than a palm, made entirely of seven-colored glaze, with each petal outlined in “ancient gold.” This is a type of Metal with a shade darker than Gold, commonly used by truly wealthy families to embellish furniture and doors — luxurious and imposing yet understated.

As a result, when the firelight flickered, seven-colored rays poured forth, anchored by ancient gold, certainly not appearing flashy. Moreover, once the candles were lit, a small Illusion of a Profound Woman danced gracefully atop the lotus pedestal, with ethereal music faintly playing. Clearly, a small Array etched onto the petals had been activated, though not a trace of the Array’s lines could be seen from the outside.