At this moment, Liu Ningshuang casually waved her hand toward the sky above the Tianmo Sect, and the spatial rift that was large enough to tear the heavens apart slowly began to heal.
The entire North Region fell into a deathly silence under that terrifying pressure that transcended the very laws of the world.
Then, Liu Ningshuang’s gaze fell upon Lu Ning once again.
“Ning’er.”
“You said earlier that you would be willing to grant your Master any request afterward?”
Upon hearing those words, Lu Ning’s body stiffened abruptly.
She knew that what she had been dreading was finally coming.
“Ye… Yes, Master.”
“Very good.”
Liu Ningshuang smiled with satisfaction.
Then, she slowly extended her right hand and pointed a finger gently at the woman in white.
An invisible rune instantly sank into the other woman’s body.
“I have sealed her cultivation and her divine soul; currently, she is no different from a mortal.”
“However, she is a member of the Heavenly Dao Alliance from the Central Region and holds a special status. Killing her outright would indeed invite unnecessary trouble.”
“Since you want her, Ning’er, I shall bestow her upon you as a reward.”
Liu Ningshuang paused, her gaze shifting to Jing Linglong, who stood to the side.
“You possess the Phoenix bloodline and hail from the Great Desolate Dynasty.”
Liu Ningshuang’s tone was flat, yet it made Jing Linglong’s heart tighten involuntarily.
“This person from the Central Region will be temporarily placed under your supervision.”
“If you let her escape, or if she tries any tricks…”
Liu Ningshuang did not finish her sentence, but the implication was self-evident.
“This junior understands.”
Jing Linglong bowed slightly, her posture humble.
In the face of absolute strength, her pride as the Eldest Princess of the Kingdom of Dahuang was not worth mentioning at all.
“As for you…”
Liu Ningshuang’s gaze finally landed on Gu Qinghuan, who had remained vigilant from start to finish.
“You must be the current Saintess of the Tianmo Sect, Gu Qinghuan. I have heard Ning’er mention you.”
“Your disciple is here.”
Gu Qinghuan hurriedly stepped forward and gave a respectful salute.
There was a hint of approval in Liu Ningshuang’s tone.
“To be able to stabilize the entire Tianmo Sect by your own efforts while Ning’er was away—I have witnessed both your ability and your loyalty.”
“This disciple does not dare to take the credit.”
A look of being overwhelmed by the unexpected favor appeared on Gu Qinghuan’s face.
“From today onward, all matters within the Tianmo Sect, large and small, are temporarily entrusted to you to handle with full authority.”
“I am taking Ning’er back to the Forbidden Area in the back mountains to cultivate in seclusion for a period of time.”
“You only need to remember one thing.”
“Before I and Ning’er return, guard the Tianmo Sect well.”
“If any lowlifes dare to act recklessly at my Tianmo Sect…”
“Kill them without mercy.”
“Yes! This disciple obeys your command!”
Gu Qinghuan’s voice was filled with an unprecedented firmness.
She knew that this was both a test and a sign of trust from the Grand Patriarch.
She would certainly not fail these expectations.
However, amidst her excitement, a wave of inexplicable loss surged in her heart.
Her Master… was leaving again.
Furthermore, she was being personally taken away by the Grand Patriarch this time.
She did not know when their next meeting would be.
She looked at Lu Ning, who stood beside Liu Ningshuang and had remained silent throughout the process.
Her cold eyes were filled with reluctance to part.
Having assigned all the tasks, Liu Ningshuang did not linger any longer.
She glanced at Lu Ning and A-Lin beside her.
“Let us go.”
As the words fell, she waved her jade-like hand.
A spatial rift appeared out of thin air once more.
She took Lu Ning and A-Lin and stepped into it, their figures vanishing instantly.
Only the members of the Tianmo Sect remained, staring at each other in silence.
The Back Mountain Forbidden Area.
When Lu Ning returned to this familiar, ancient mountain range, her heart was filled with emotion.
In just a few short days, it felt as though she had lived through an entire century.
She glanced at the calm Liu Ningshuang beside her, then at A-Lin, who was tightly clutching her arm, her heart full of complex feelings.
“A-Lin.”
Liu Ningshuang’s voice suddenly rang out, breaking the silence.
“Ah?”
A-Lin responded subconsciously, her body trembling slightly.
“Do you know your mistake?”
Liu Ningshuang’s voice was flat, yet it caused A-Lin’s cute little face to collapse instantly.
“A-Lin… A-Lin knows she was wrong.”
Her voice carried a sob, and tears spun uncontrollably in her eyes.
“Knowing you were wrong is not enough.”
“As the ancient beast, the Dark Qilin, your strength is sufficient to look down upon the entire North Region.”
“But look at you.”
“Not only do you lack even a shred of the majesty of an ancient beast, but you also act like a child who hasn’t been weaned, knowing nothing but how to act spoiled behind Ning’er all day.”
“Even three ants at the Great Completion Peak nearly pushed you into a desperate situation.”
“A-Lin, you have disappointed me too much.”
Liu Ningshuang’s words made A-Lin bury her head even lower.
Her large, watery black eyes were brimming with tears.
She knew that everything Liu Ningshuang said was the truth.
She was too weak.
She was the one who had brought trouble to Sister Lu Ning.
She didn’t want to be a burden to Sister Lu Ning anymore.
“From today onward, you will stay in the depths of this Forbidden Area and cultivate properly in seclusion.”
“You may come out to see Ning’er only when your cultivation breaks through to the Tribulation Transcendence Stage.”
“Otherwise, the two of you shall never meet again.”
Upon hearing this, A-Lin’s body shook violently.
She slowly raised her head, her tear-filled eyes wide with disbelief.
‘Never meet again?’
No!
She didn’t want that!
She didn’t want to be separated from Sister Lu Ning!
“Sister Lu Ning!”
A-Lin suddenly threw herself into Lu Ning’s arms and began to wail loudly.
“I don’t want to! I don’t want to be separated from Sister Lu Ning!”
“Waaaah…”
Lu Ning looked at the young girl crying her heart out in her arms and felt a wave of helplessness.
She reached out and gently patted A-Lin’s back, her voice comforting.
“A-Lin, don’t cry.”
“Master is doing this for your own good.”
“Don’t worry, I will wait for you.”
“Wait until you have become stronger, then come find me.”
Lu Ning’s voice was very gentle, as if she were coaxing a child who had been wronged.
Hearing these words, A-Lin’s crying gradually subsided.
She looked up from Lu Ning’s embrace.
“Mm!”
“Sister Lu Ning, you wait for me!”
“A-Lin will definitely… definitely break through to the Tribulation Transcendence Stage as quickly as possible and then come find you!”
After she finished speaking, she took one last reluctant look at Lu Ning.
Then, she wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, turned around, and ran toward the depths of the Forbidden Area without looking back.
That small figure seemed exceptionally determined at that moment.
Lu Ning knew that Liu Ningshuang was not truly punishing A-Lin by doing this.
Rather, she was using this method to stimulate A-Lin’s potential.
At the same time, it was a disguised way of sending away the last “helper” by her side.
And then…
Lu Ning did not dare to think further.
She slowly turned around and looked at the calm Liu Ningshuang.
“Master, now…”
“Is it my turn?”
Seeing her trembling state, the corners of Liu Ningshuang’s mouth slowly curved into an arc.
“Indeed, it is your turn.”
“Let’s go. Master will take you to a wonderful place.”
As she spoke, she took Lu Ning’s hand and led her toward another direction in the mountain range.
This time, they did not go to the small wooden shack that had filled Lu Ning with psychological trauma.
Instead, they arrived at a spiritual spring shrouded in dense celestial mist.
The water of the spiritual spring was crystal clear, and steam continuously rose from the eye of the spring, emitting a refreshing fragrance that cleared the mind and spirit.
All around the spring grew various rare flowers and exotic herbs that had long been extinct in the outside world.
The entire place looked like a legendary immortal realm.
Lu Ning looked at the beautiful and magnificent scene before her, but her heart was filled with vigilance.
She knew that the more beautiful a place was, the more dangerous it tended to be.
“Ning’er.”
Liu Ningshuang’s voice rang out in her ear.
“This is the place where I usually bathe and practice quiet cultivation. It is named the Yaochi Immortal Spring.”
“This spring water is formed by the convergence of the purest congenital spiritual energy in heaven and earth; it will be of great benefit to your cultivation.”
“From today onward, you are to cultivate here for one month, until you return to the Great Completion Stage.”
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