Chapter 171: Trust Her Sword, It Can Protect Him
Because Ming Zhaoshuang left enough Primordial Spirit Fruits for Fei Changxiu and the others, several of them, except for Qin Feilong, all stepped into a minor realm.
Fei Changxiu and Ming Chenxing both reached the mid-Nascent Soul stage, while Qin Feilong intuitively crossed a major realm, reaching the early Nascent Soul stage.
After consuming the breakthrough lotus seed hearts, Fei Changxiu and Ming Chenxing were already not far from the mid-Nascent Soul stage, so their breakthrough using enlightenment was a natural progression.
Qin Feilong, with his Innate Gold Spirit Root, inherently had better talent than their peak-grade spirit roots, so his breakthrough to the Nascent Soul stage, while incredible, was not entirely unexpected.
As long as he honestly fills in the gap of his inflated cultivation, there will basically be no problems.
As for the Mysterious Spirit Pills, how could they not know that Ming Zhaoshuang needed them greatly, so they all gave them to Ming Zhaoshuang.
Fei Changxiu touched his head and said, “I felt quite embarrassed about the Talisman Saint Talismans Junior Sister Ming gave me back then. Although I had my father send many things to the Ming family, they weren’t valuable.”
“If Junior Sister Ming needs Mysterious Spirit Fruits, our Fei family has plenty more, and we’ll give them all to you too.”
Ming Chenxing did not speak, only handed over the Mysterious Spirit Fruit in his hand to him.
Back then, Ming Zhaoshuang also gave him an Explosion Talisman, and she didn’t take it back when he later tried to return it.
At that time, he really wanted to ask if this newly arrived Eldest Young Lady had any idea of the preciousness of Talisman Saint Talismans.
Qin Feilong also said, “Junior Sister Ming generously attacked and helped our Ao Tian Sect regain its face, so we can’t possibly let you leave empty-handed.”
Therefore, the Ao Tian Sect also sent some Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures to the Ming family that day, and now Qin Feilong is willing to give the Mysterious Spirit Fruits to Ming Zhaoshuang.
Disliking Ming Zhaoxue is one thing, but it doesn’t prevent them from being willing to direct the resources they have towards Ming Zhaoxue.
Since that was the case, Ming Zhaoxue said no more, accepted them one by one, and gave them to Ming Zhaoxue to consume.
Good news: it was effective; the dragon’s divine soul did indeed recover somewhat. Bad news: it was only a little, and it had no significant effect at all.
However, Ming Zhaoshuang also saw the possibility of medicinal treatment and was not discouraged.
Thus, the Great Sui Grand Competition ended, and they would soon welcome the new year and bid farewell.
On the eve of the new year, Cheng Zhaoyang prepared a fluffy padded jacket for Ming Zhaoshuang, smiling as she dressed her up, half-tying her usually loose hair into a bun and adorning it with two bright red plum blossoms.
She wore red and white clothing, and the tassels below her ears were the blood red color that Ming Zhaoxue had transformed for her that day.
The luminous pearls twinkled, just like the bright moon.
A red mole at the corner of her eye added a touch of charm, making Cheng Zhaoyang unable to help but pinch her cheek and say with a smile, “Your skin is so soft. Come, let me kiss you.”
Ming Zhaoshuang: “……”
Although she called Sister Zhaoyang so smoothly, she was actually in her twenties in modern times, much older than Cheng Zhaoyang.
To have Cheng Zhaoyang play such childish games with her, it was really hard for her not to break down.
When would she finally grow up?
As the two were talking and laughing, Si Yuyan walked over. He still had the same indifferent, almost harsh expression as before, with only a trace of warmth appearing when he saw Cheng Zhaoyang.
He was looking for Ming Zhaoshuang to take him to the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion.
After Ming Zhaoshuang clarified things with him, she rode her sword Flying Frost, leading Cheng Zhaoyang and others, towards the Spirit Gathering Formation she had previously sketched.
She had also been cultivating in the Spirit Gathering Formation for the past few days and deeply experienced the joy of spiritual power growth.
This further strengthened her resolve to create formations from talismans.
She refused to believe in any limitations; she was born to break them!
In the path of talisman formations, she would become the number one person in all of history!
Ming Zhaoshuang sped away, and Si Yuyan, wanting to speak but stopping, could only sigh in the end.
He was currently still a mortal and couldn’t ride a sword.
Si Yuyan lowered his head and saw Cheng Zhaoyang’s long sword directly, reflecting in his eyes. She was clad in red, appearing exceptionally stunning against the snow-white soil.
Cheng Zhaoyang said, “Get on.”
Si Yuyan smiled, not mentioning that sharing a sword was something only Dao Companions could do so intimately, because he knew Cheng Zhaoyang wouldn’t care about such details.
Si Yuyan silently stepped onto Cheng Zhaoyang’s sword.
The latter’s spiritual power surged, and the long sword flew up. He almost fell but was grabbed by Cheng Zhaoyang.
Cheng Zhaoyang tightly held Si Yuyan’s hand and turned her head to say to him, “Don’t be afraid, I won’t let you fall.”
Si Yuyan looked down at the prosperous yet serene Changjing City below the vast sky, with its layered red walls and black tiles, and patches of white snow and flying frost – a beautiful scene he had never seen before.
And Cheng Zhaoyang was holding his hand.
Her palm was so warm, like a ball of bright, burning fire.
He took a gentle breath, but Cheng Zhaoyang thought he was just afraid of heights.
Her back was to him, her three thousand strands of black hair loosely hanging down her back, and her voice drifted, “A Yan, you don’t have to believe me, but you must believe my sword, okay?”
Believe that her sword could protect him.
When they arrived at the mountain forest that Ming Zhaoshuang had sketched, Ming Zhaoshuang had been waiting for a long time. Seeing Si Yuyan’s face slightly flushed, she couldn’t help but chuckle and say:
“Lord Si, this is at most only a thousand feet high. You’re not getting altitude sickness, are you?”
Si Yuyan cleared his throat and said, “I’m not in good health. Fairy Ming, you must excuse my appearance.”
Ming Zhaoshuang laughed heartily and invited him into the formation she had sketched, saying to him, “Infusing the jade pendant with spirit will take some time, so Lord Si, please wait a while.”
Although the Spirit Gathering Formation can gather spirits, it cannot be accomplished instantly.
After Ming Zhaoshuang activated the formation with her spiritual power, she saw Si Yuyan standing within it. The surrounding spiritual power, as if having substance, continuously flowed around the jade pendant in front of Si Yuyan, like drifting clouds, gradually enveloping Si Yuyan.
Ming Zhaoshuang estimated that it would take about three to four more hours for the jade pendant to completely finish gathering spirit.
So, she simply sat down and began to cultivate within the Spirit Gathering Formation.
Seeing this, Cheng Zhaoyang laughed, “So diligent?”
Ming Zhaoshuang said, “I want to overwhelm all geniuses and let them know that in front of me, they are just mediocrities!”
Cheng Zhaoyang chuckled at this and said nothing more. She sat beside her and also began to meditate and cultivate.
Turning geniuses into mediocrities?
This made her very interested and want to try it.
Only Si Yuyan remained clear-minded. He sat in the center of the Spirit Gathering Formation, like a statue adorned with wind and snow, his eyelashes lowered, silently watching Cheng Zhaoyang.
He did not speak, and his expression did not change in the slightest.
The sound of the wind and snow gradually stopped. The patterns on the jade pendant gradually changed from a dim deep ink to a crystalline light green, until silver-white spiritual energy gushed out, slowly opening a passage in front of them, revealing an alternate space.
It was deep winter, yet within that space, a scene of spring appeared.
Pavilions and towers, small bridges and flowing water, rustling falling flowers brushed past them, and as they fell, two figures could be seen.
One in ink green, one in profound black, knelt in the pavilion.
In front of them, a chessboard was placed, one black and one white, unpredictable.
The one in ink green was a woman. Her hair was snow white, her expression calm. As she looked at them, her smile was serene, tinged with a hint of joy.
The one in profound black was a man. His face was cold, his pupils golden, and his gaze was fixed solely on the chess game, not giving them even a glance.
The woman stepped out from the painting scroll, her divine sense fluctuating, and looked at Ming Zhaoshuang, smiling, “We meet again.”
Ming Zhaoshuang had just broken out of her cultivation state. Hearing this, she frowned slightly, thinking that she was not familiar with this woman and what was she saying to her.
The woman spoke to Ming Zhaoshuang, “I knew you wouldn’t give up.”
Ming Zhaoshuang wanted to ask her what this vague statement meant. Before she could speak, she saw the woman turn to look at Si Yuyan again and say with a smile:
“The Heavenly Secrets Pavilion has been in disarray for tens of thousands of years, and now it is finally reconnected.”
Si Yuyan looked at the woman. She had white hair and a youthful appearance, like a young girl, yet also like an old woman. In her calm and faint gaze, he could not utter a single word.
He opened his mouth and said, “You are……”
The woman smiled and said, “The Great Elder of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, Qichun Mountain, has been waiting for you for tens of thousands of years in the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion.”
Ever since the previous Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion exhausted his life force tens of thousands of years ago just to revive Feng He, Qichun Mountain had been waiting for this moment, waiting for Feng He to send their Pavilion Master to them once more.
