NOVEL NEXT Chapter 35
Chapter 35: A Place to Rest
Nan Gong Xiu was deep in thought.
“This matter has no direct relation to you, so you don’t need to inquire further into the details.”
Chen Ansheng felt frustrated.
It was clearly your daughter who wanted to kill me, and yet you’re telling me not to investigate?
What kind of logic is that?
However, from a series of hints, Chen Ansheng could infer that Ji Ziling’s animosity towards him was related to Brother Li.
“Perhaps it has something to do with a story of betrayal, which is why she finds it hard to speak about?”
Chen Ansheng mused internally.
Seeing Chen Ansheng’s sorrowful expression, since Nan Gong Xiu had forcibly retained him, she naturally intended to uphold her oath and ensure his safety.
“There’s no need for you, Uncle by apprenticeship, to worry. To the west of these bamboo groves, there is an old house where the former master of the cave used to reside. It has powerful wards protecting it, and besides me, no one can forcibly enter. You shall endure some inconvenience and practice cultivation there, will that suit you?”
Nan Gong Xiu proposed.
Finally, Chen Ansheng let out a sigh of relief.
If there was such a safe place to reside, it was at least less of a worry.
Even though he knew it was a form of “special care” given unwillingly, Chen Ansheng still expressed his gratitude and immediately agreed.
Not long after, Chen Ansheng followed Nan Gong Xiu to an old but clean courtyard.
The courtyard wasn’t small, roughly covering ten acres.
There was a gigantic phoenix tree in the yard, one that had likely been growing for countless years.
“This jade token is the key for you to come and go. You must not lose it under any circumstances.”
Nan Gong Xiu handed the jade token to Chen Ansheng.
Chen Ansheng received the jade token.
“To avoid disturbing you, Uncle by apprenticeship, I won’t arrange for anyone to attend to you. Furthermore, inside this house, you’ll find a complete cultivation method called ‘Narving Technique,’ which you may consult and practice.” Nan Gong Xiu instructed.
“Lord of Nangong Cavern, as this dwelling was once used by the former cavern master, if I were to stay here, wouldn’t it cause dissatisfaction among others?”
Chen Ansheng was personally quite satisfied with this place.
Strong protective wards, free from external disturbances, safe and convenient for him to descend to the lower realms.
“You haven’t officially entered our sect yet. You are a respected elder guest of mine personally, there’s nothing inappropriate. Please stay with peace of mind.”
Nan Gong Xiu’s words allayed Chen Ansheng’s concerns.
“Thank you, Lord of Nangong Cavern,” Chen Ansheng expressed his gratitude, but it was merely out of basic politeness.
Nan Gong Xiu slightly nodded and then departed.
“At least I’ve entered the spirit cave for cultivation, for now, this will suffice.”
Chen Ansheng was filled with mixed emotions.
Being able to step into a place of cultivation with rich spiritual energy was acceptable. However, the humiliation endured today was not negligible, and the days to come would likely not be peaceful either.
“Who cares. A great man can bow and rise. As long as I can cultivate inside the Spirit Cave, receiving a few verbal insults is not a big deal.”
Chen Ansheng temporarily set aside the unpleasantness in his heart and entered the old house before him.
The furnishings inside were simple: a stone bed, a set of stone table and chairs, and a wooden rack holding some books. There was nothing else.
“Why do high-level practitioners always prefer to live in such simplicity? I’m different. Once I succeed, I’ll build a heavenly palace to live in.”
Though Chen Ansheng dared not complain about the place, his expectations lay elsewhere.
After tidying up a little, Chen Ansheng found the “Naleng Technique” Nan Gong Xiu had spoken of, on the bookshelf.
This was the foundational method available in all major immortal caves, and one had to master this art to maximize the utilization of spirit energy.
According to the book’s instructions, Chen Ansheng attempted to practice for several hours.
“It’s quite difficult.”
Chen Ansheng frowned.
Without a guide or mentor, and without anyone to teach him, it was indeed not easy to practice on his own.
Moreover, cultivating the Narving Technique depended not only on one’s enlightenment but also required a significant amount of time for practice.
“The time span between the Immortal Realm and the Mortal Realm differs. I might as well go to the mortal realm to cultivate, that way I could save a lot of Immortal Realm time.”
One hour in the Immortal Realm equaled one day in the Mortal Realm, differing by a factor of twelve.
Taking the cultivation method to the mortal realm for Chen Ansheng would keep his cultivation time unchanged, but in the eyes of others in the Immortal Realm, his cultivation time would then be shortened by twelve times!
“Nan Gong Xiu probably won’t come around for a while.”
According to Nan Gong Xiu, no one other than her could trespass into this place.
And Chen Ansheng understood that while Nan Gong Xiu appeared to treat him quite well on the surface, she didn’t truly care much about him. There was no reason for her to come over frequently to show concern.
With this thought in mind, Chen Ansheng activated the boundary stone, his figure fading into the light portal.
…
Inside the Forbidden Palace of the True Immortal Sect.
Chen Ansheng opened his eyes, and the sense of invincibility returned!
“Damn it, if I had this kind of prowess in the Immortal Realm, would I still have to endure all that nonsense?”
Invincibility breeds arrogance.
The moment he arrived in the mortal realm, Chen Ansheng’s anger over what happened in the Immortal Realm flared up again.
After calming down for a moment,
Chen Ansheng emerged from the private chamber and reclined in a swing chair in the courtyard.
“Get me someone to attend to me.”
At the sound of his call, Qing’er, who had been meditating nearby, opened her eyes with joy and flew over to him.
“Master, you’ve emerged from your seclusion!”
“Hmm.”
Chen Ansheng replied nonchalantly.
“Your servant will arrange for the necessary attentions.”
Soon, a few exquisite maidens arrived with fine wine and delicacies to serve Chen Ansheng.
“During my seclusion, has any major event occurred?”
Chen Ansheng asked as he drank alcohol and ate meat.
“Master, shortly after your seclusion, Patriarch Li personally attacked the Flying Immortal Sect alone, crushed the remnants of their sect, and formally incorporated the old site of the Flying Immortal Sect into our sect’s domain.”
Still recounting, Chen Ansheng asked, “Very good. How have other sects responded?”
Qing’er replied, “There haven’t been any significant reactions, especially from the Radiant Moon Sect, who not only dared not blame but also announced to all sects that the Flying Immortal Sect is greedy and brought about its own downfall.”
Chen Ansheng laughed heartily, much of the gloom in his heart dissipated. “Go on.”
Qing’er respectfully bowed. “There have been no other major events, but the Radiant Moon Sect and the Supreme Sun Immortal Sect have both recommended a potential partner to you. The two women have visited numerous times, and your servant has turned them away each time.”
Chen Ansheng immediately perked up. “How do they look?”
Qing’er hesitated for a moment and replied, “Both have remarkable beauty, one pure and graceful, the other more heavily adorned.”
Curious about what these two women were like, Chen Ansheng ordered, “Inform them that I will meet them.”
“Yes, Master, I will arrange this right away.”
Qing’er somewhat reluctantly complied, but as a servant, she knew she had no standing to oppose her master’s decision.
After Qing’er left, Chen Ansheng extended his divine consciousness to look for Li Huaizhen’s energy.
“I don’t know if Li Huaizhen has advanced in cultivation.”
Li Huaizhen was practicing the unmatched devil art; his progress in cultivation directly affected Chen Ansheng’s standing in the Immortal Realm, which couldn’t be overlooked.
“Hmm?”
When the divine sense detected Li Huaizhen, Chen Ansheng couldn’t help but frown.
“Why is he injured?”
In his perception, Li Huaizhen’s energy was floating and he had suffered serious internal injuries.
Chen Ansheng’s figure disappeared on the spot and appeared in the palace where Li Huaizhen was cultivating.
“Li Huaizhen, how did you sustain such serious injuries?”
Upon hearing Chen Ansheng’s voice, Li Huaizhen became aware of his presence.
“Master, I was injured near the forbidden zone.”
Li Huaizhen quickly rose and bowed respectfully.
“What happened in the forbidden zone?” Chen Ansheng asked.
Li Huaizhen explained the events in detail.
It turns out that after Chen Ansheng left, Li Huaizhen had been pondering how to quickly master the True Devil Heart Sutra.
After careful thought, he traveled to the forbidden zone, intending to leverage the dense devilish aura there to enhance his cultivation and comprehension.
For the first two months, nothing extraordinary occurred. Bathed in the devilish aura, Li Huaizhen’s cultivation and understanding indeed improved.
Starting from the third month, however, the forbidden zone underwent a strange metamorphosis. Not only did its scope expand tenfold, but the devilish energy became so intense that even Li Huaizhen found it difficult to endure.
Desperate to master the devilish art sooner, Li Huaizhen, despite the erosive effect of the devilish energy, persisted in staying within the forbidden zone.
He wasn’t sure if it was due to mental confusion or something else, but Li Huaizhen often felt as if an extremely terrifying presence was observing him.
Ultimately, he abandoned the attempt and decided to leave the forbidden zone.
However, the changes within the forbidden zone had attracted the attention of powerful factions outside of Chu State, and over the past month, many highly skilled experts had arrived at the borders of Chu State.
Recently, while checking the situation near the edge of the forbidden zone, Li Huaizhen encountered several experts from outside. Upon seeing him cloaked in devilish energy, they attacked him without hesitation, inflicting severe injuries.
“Do you know who these people are?”
Having listened to the story, Chen Ansheng’s countenance darkened.
You dare to bully someone from my True Immortal Sect—don’t you want to live?