Reflection Cliff, snow swirling in the sky.
A brilliantly colored little bird darted through the heavy clouds and mist clinging to the cliffs of Reflection Cliff, landing quietly in a crevice to secretly watch the two figures—one lying down, one sitting—on the cliff.
The stone slab was a bit hard, so Ning Yin rolled over.
I wonder how Senior Sister is doing, whether she’s woken up yet.
She probably hasn’t woken up, or else she and Yan Hanzhou would have been let out by now.
Returning to this old place, Ning Yin tossed and turned in the corner.
So much had happened these past two days that she simply couldn’t calm her mind.
One moment she’d recall the scene where she’d be hacked to death by the male lead in the future, the next she’d see Shi Yunzhao covered in blood, and then Yan Hanzhou’s wild, arrogant lines would echo in her head—so annoying she could hardly stand it.
She simply sat up and began to examine the intricate and mysterious patterns on the Cangming Ring.
The Cangming Ring—able to contain all things under heaven—according to unofficial histories, was a betrothal gift given by Lingxiao Immortal Lord to his fiancée.
But what its true origins were, no one could say for sure after a thousand years.
Actually, storage rings like this weren’t all that rare.
Even the lowest-ranking cultivators had basic storage tools, with cloth bags being the most common.
Cultivators with higher cultivation would carry storage bracelets and storage rings, which were both functional and elegant.
The reason so many cultivators fought over the Cangming Ring was entirely because it had been modified by Lingxiao Immortal Lord himself—a classic case of celebrity effect.
In the novel, Shi Yunzhao only used the Cangming Ring as a storage ring; it had no other purpose, and the author didn’t spend much ink describing it.
But later, when Shi Yunzhao was in danger, a trace of Soul Power from the Cangming Ring shielded her from a deadly blow by a Nascent Soul stage expert.
On the Jiu Zhou Continent, Foundation Establishment cultivators were everywhere, Golden Core cultivators were as common as dogs, Nascent Soul cultivators above Golden Core were already considered dragons among men, and experts in the stage above that were so rare they could be counted on one hand.
Being able to withstand a fatal blow from a Nascent Soul stage expert was like gaining another life.
Shi Yunzhao had, in fact, survived thanks to the Cangming Ring.
Perhaps she’d stared too intently at the patterns, for Ning Yin suddenly felt dizzy, her thoughts fragmenting for a moment.
When she came to, she found herself in a vast, endless space, surrounded by a boundless whiteness.
Where is this?
Ever since she’d accepted that she’d transmigrated into a cultivation world, no matter how bizarre things became, she could hardly be surprised anymore.
Could this be the inner space of the Cangming Ring?
Ning Yin looked around curiously, taking in the cloudlike whiteness before her. Unable to resist, she reached out to touch it.
Amazingly, the moment she touched it, the cloudlike substance seemed to come alive, streaming in through her fingertips.
A surge of pure, pristine spiritual energy raced through her body, flooding her meridians and dantian in an instant.
She felt as if she had endless energy, every inch of her body filled to bursting.
She hurriedly withdrew her hand.
At her current Foundation Establishment level, even a tiny bit of this was almost enough to make her explode.
So this cloudlike substance was condensed spiritual energy, a hundred or even a thousand times denser than the spiritual energy of the Jiu Zhou Continent.
Gathering spiritual energy here and making the storage space into a perfect cultivation ground—Lingxiao Immortal Lord really was formidable.
But how was she supposed to get out?
No sooner had she thought this than her vision blurred, and when she regained her senses, she was once again on Reflection Cliff, snow swirling all around.
She was out just like that?
Ning Yin stared at the intricate, mysterious patterns on the Cangming Ring, filled with suspicion and wonder.
Could it be that Shi Yunzhao hadn’t discovered the inner space of the Cangming Ring because she’d never performed the blood-recognition ritual?
Then how did Yan Hanzhou know about it?
She glanced over at Yan Hanzhou, who was still meditating.
Ever since being brought back to Reflection Cliff, Yan Hanzhou had sat alone in a corner, meditating in silence for a whole day and night without making a sound.
If Ning Yin hadn’t checked his breathing from time to time, she’d have worried that he’d been silently killed by the Lingxiao Immortal Lord’s Soul Power inside him.
“A…”
Yan Hanzhou opened his eyes, gazing at Ning Yin, who was now very close. “What is it.”
Ning Yin moved a little farther from him. “You’re awake?”
What Ning Yin feared most now was him getting lost in his own world.
After all his wild, arrogant talk, his silence always gave her the impression that he was plotting how to get rid of the main characters.
“I wasn’t asleep.”
“If you weren’t asleep, what were you doing?”
Yan Hanzhou frowned slightly.
He’d spent the day and night examining the state of this body.
The Soul Power had only fused with his remnant soul for a day, and this body, born with a Waste Spiritual Root, was already showing signs of backlash.
If he couldn’t resolve the flaws caused by the Waste Spiritual Root, this body would soon explode, and he’d die for good.
He recalled how, a thousand years ago, he’d been besieged by countless elders from various sects, captured and brought to the judgment platform, his cultivation and Spiritual Root destroyed. Later, someone had apparently fed him something, and his Spiritual Root had miraculously regrown.
Too bad he’d been in a stupor back then—blind, deaf, drunk all day—so he still didn’t know what he’d drunk.
But perhaps someone would know.
He looked at Ning Yin.
“I’m thinking about how to turn a Waste Spiritual Root into a Heavenly Spiritual Root.”
“You really are greedy. Being able to rebuild your Spiritual Root at all is already impressive, and you still want a Heavenly Spiritual Root? Do you think awakening a Heavenly Spiritual Root is that easy?”
“Is it so hard?” Yan Hanzhou hinted, “A thousand years ago, Lingxiao Immortal Lord also had his Spiritual Root destroyed…”
“How is that the same?” Ning Yin cut him off.
“He started cultivating at three, built his foundation at five, and completed in ten years what took others centuries—Lingxiao Immortal Lord was a once-in-a-millennium genius. Even after losing his Spiritual Root, he bounced right back to the top—U…”
“I also started cultivating at three, built my foundation at five, and finished in ten years what took others centuries.”
“That’s why you died, because your foundation wasn’t solid.”
“Wait!” Ning Yin suddenly realized something, and smiled slyly, “You want to know how Lingxiao Immortal Lord recovered after his Spiritual Root was destroyed, don’t you? If you want to know, just say so. Not that I’ll tell you.”
“How about this: you promise me one thing, and I’ll tell you.”
“What is it?”
“After you restore your Spiritual Root, focus on cultivation. Stop all the fighting and killing, go subdue demons, uphold justice—would it kill you to be a good person?”
Yan Hanzhou said nothing, his determination as unyielding as jade.
“Fine, fine, I’ll say yes, all right? No need to give me that face. I’m only doing this for your sake. If it weren’t for… never mind.” Ning Yin felt helpless.
She really couldn’t do anything about Yan Hanzhou’s stubbornness, so she thought carefully.
But there really wasn’t much written about Lingxiao Immortal Lord in the book; the useful information was scattered throughout and not very coherent.
After thinking for a moment, she said thoughtfully, “Back then, after Lingxiao Immortal Lord’s Spiritual Root was destroyed and he was humiliated, he was saved by his fiancée…”
Yan Hanzhou interrupted her. “He didn’t have a fiancée.”
“He did.”
“No, he didn’t!”
“Yes, he did.”
“No!”
“He really did!”
Yan Hanzhou said in a low voice, “If anyone knows whether he had a fiancée, it’s me!”
Each time, his voice rose a notch.
“Why are you yelling at me? Anyway, he was saved by his fiancée. She gave him Heavenly Spirit Spring Water to drink, and not long after, his ruined Spiritual Root was restored. Believe it or not!”
“Who was his fiancée?”
“How should I know?”
“Didn’t you just say he was saved by his fiancée?”
“That’s right. You probably don’t know much about this world yet, so let me tell you all about this Immortal Lord’s life.”
“The life of Lingxiao Immortal Lord is truly admirable, but the most talked-about part is his mysterious fiancée.
It’s said that his fiancée came from a prestigious cultivation family.
The two of them were a perfect match, but later, Lingxiao Immortal Lord was harmed by villains and his Spiritual Root was destroyed.
His fiancée’s family used this as an excuse to break off the engagement.
On the day of the breakup, Lingxiao Immortal Lord stood at the door, clutching the Betrothal Letter and shouting: ‘Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west, never look down on a poor youth!’”
“This is from ‘Lingxiao Immortal Lord: Unofficial History’ again?” Yan Hanzhou’s face was dark as ink.
“There are countless versions of Lingxiao Immortal Lord’s life. Even if this is from the unofficial histories, it’s one of the more credible ones. There are even bolder versions—if you’re interested, I’ll tell you next time.”
Yan Hanzhou took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The Soul Power in his body surged violently, nearly making him lose control and explode.
“I told you, but you still don’t believe me. Don’t ask me again in the future.”
After some time, Yan Hanzhou managed to calm the turbulent Soul Power and then asked in a much gentler tone, “Heavenly Spirit Spring Water—is that really the name?”
“If you don’t believe me, why ask?” Seeing Yan Hanzhou’s slightly pale face, Ning Yin frowned. “Yes, that’s the name. Why? Did I upset you again? Is the Soul Power in your body still unstable?”
Yan Hanzhou answered honestly, “This body can’t contain the Soul Power for long. If I don’t regain a Spiritual Root, I’ll explode sooner or later.”
Ning Yin jumped to her feet. “What? Explode? Are you out of your mind?! You know perfectly well what state your body is in, and you’re still being reckless. What are we supposed to do now?”
She looked at Yan Hanzhou in horror.
So, Yan Hanzhou was basically a walking time bomb right now? If he exploded, the power of his Soul would sweep through the entire Soaring Cloud Sect, as destructive as a nuke.
Anyone below Nascent Soul would be wiped out.
“If what you say is true, then only Heavenly Spirit Spring Water can save me.” Yan Hanzhou looked at Ning Yin, asking again, “You’re sure it’s Heavenly Spirit Spring Water?”
The situation was so serious that Ning Yin hesitated. “It should be… yes.”
Yan Hanzhou closed his eyes. “I understand.”
Now that she knew Yan Hanzhou was a walking time bomb right beside her, Ning Yin’s scalp tingled just thinking about it. “You… hang in there. Once I get out of Reflection Cliff, I’ll help you look for Heavenly Spirit Spring Water. You must hold on, don’t explode.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t explode right away.”
“If you can really rebuild your Spiritual Root, then Heavenly Spirit Spring Water must be incredibly rare. It probably won’t be easy to find, and your situation is urgent. Otherwise, should we talk to the Sect Master? Rumor has it the Sect Master is at the Great Ascension stage—he’s bound to have a solution.”
“His only solution would be to extract the Soul Power from my body. But it’s already merged with my remnant soul. If it’s removed, I’ll die for sure.”
Forget I said anything.
Outside Reflection Cliff, footsteps approached from afar.
Ning Yin’s eyes lit up. “Someone’s coming! Senior Sister must be awake and coming to let us out!”
No sooner had she spoken than several disciples from the Hall of Discipline approached sternly.
Ning Yin asked joyfully, “Has Senior Sister woken up?”
The leading disciple’s face was as cold as water. “Senior Sister has not yet awakened. By order of the Master, I am to take you two to the Palace Hall for judgment!”
Seeing how fully armed they were, Ning Yin took a few steps back. “Judgment? Senior Sister hasn’t even woken up—what’s there to judge? Didn’t I say? Once Senior Sister wakes up and you ask, you’ll know we’re innocent!”
“This is the Master’s order. Take them away!”
The Hall of Discipline disciples tied the two of them up with the Binding Immortal Rope, hands behind their backs.
Ning Yin whispered in Yan Hanzhou’s ear, “Why don’t you just explode now.”
Yan Hanzhou: