Enlightenment Fruit.
This was a supreme divine object whispered to exist only in the legends of the ancient era!
Rumors claimed that this fruit was produced by an innate spiritual root condensed from the laws of the Great Dao when heaven and earth first opened.
It took 3,000 years to flower, 3,000 years to fruit, and another 3,000 years to ripen.
For cultivators, the Enlightenment Fruit was a treasure capable of defying the heavens and changing one’s fate.
It could not only cleanse a cultivator’s physical body and soul, allowing them to be reborn, but also allow the consumer to enter a state of “Unity of Heaven and Man” for a short time.
In this state, whether one was comprehending cultivation methods or breaking through bottlenecks, the result would be twice the effect for half the effort, progressing at an incredible speed.
Lu Ning never expected that such a divine object would actually appear before her in the flesh.
Furthermore, it had been given to her by A-Lin as if it were a common gift.
“Sister Lu Ning, why aren’t you saying anything?”
A-Lin looked at Lu Ning’s dazed expression, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes.
“Do you… not like the gift A-Lin gave you?” she asked cautiously.
“No… that’s not it.”
Lu Ning snapped back to her senses and hurriedly took the Enlightenment Fruit from A-Lin’s hands.
“I… I like it very much.”
Lu Ning’s voice trembled slightly, her eyes filled with an irrepressible excitement and ecstasy.
This Enlightenment Fruit was practically a timely rescue for her current self.
Although her cultivation had already recovered to the middle-stage Nascent Soul, her foundation was severely damaged.
She did not know how much time and resources it would take to return to her peak.
But with this Enlightenment Fruit, everything would be different.
If she could restore her cultivation to the Spirit Severing stage and then consume this Enlightenment Fruit, she would not only be able to reshape her Dao base in one go and completely eradicate the hidden dangers in her body, but she could also use that power of enlightenment to push her cultivation to an unprecedented height.
“As long as you like it.”
Upon hearing Lu Ning’s answer, a brilliant smile instantly bloomed on A-Lin’s face.
She lunged into Lu Ning’s arms again like a clingy kitten, rubbing her small head with its little horns back and forth against Lu Ning’s chest.
“Sister Lu Ning, if you like it, A-Lin will pick more for you in the future.”
Hearing these words, Lu Ning felt caught between laughter and tears.
‘Pick more? Do you think the Enlightenment Fruit is like a common cabbage? You can just pick them whenever you want?’
However, she did not correct A-Lin’s “wrong perception.”
She simply reached out and doted on A-Lin, stroking the small head with its little horns.
“A-Lin, thank you.”
“Hee-hee, you’re welcome.”
A-Lin nuzzled into Lu Ning’s embrace, finding a more comfortable position.
“As long as Sister Lu Ning can stay with A-Lin forever, A-Lin will be satisfied.”
Lu Ning felt a strange warmth in her heart upon hearing this.
Looking at the young girl before her who had no reservations and was filled with such reliance and trust, she was deeply moved.
“A-Lin,” Lu Ning spoke slowly, her voice carrying a hint of curiosity.
“Have you stayed in this place the whole time?”
“Mm.”
A-Lin nodded.
“Ever since you left, Sister Lu Ning, A-Lin has stayed here without going anywhere.”
“Then what about my Master? Have you seen her? She came here to go into seclusion to break through a long time ago.”
Lu Ning finally asked the question she was most concerned about.
She wanted to know if that legendary previous Sect Master of the Tianmo Sect, Liu Ningshuang, was actually still here.
Upon hearing this, A-Lin’s body clearly stiffened.
She lifted her head from Lu Ning’s arms, a flash of fear crossing her watery, large black eyes.
“Sister Lu Ning, are you talking about that bad woman?”
A-Lin pouted, seemingly having a very poor impression of Liu Ningshuang.
“She left here a while ago. She said she was going to a very far place to handle a very important matter. As for when she’ll be back, she didn’t say.”
Hearing this news, Lu Ning secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
It was good that she wasn’t here.
Although she was curious about this legendary Grand Elder Sect Master, given her current appearance and the fact that her cultivation had plummeted, it was better not to meet.
….
“By the way, Sister Lu Ning.”
A-Lin seemed to think of something as she looked at Lu Ning with a hint of curiosity.
“Why are you asking about that bad woman? Do you actually want to see her? It was because of her that Sister Lu Ning and I were separated for over 100 years.”
“Ahem…”
Lu Ning cleared her throat and put on a kind smile.
“That’s not it. I was just asking. I mainly came here this time to take you out of here.”
“Take me out?”
A-Lin’s eyes instantly lit up.
“Really? Sister Lu Ning, are you really going to take me away from here?”
“Mm.”
Lu Ning nodded heavily.
“Didn’t we agree back then? When I returned, I would take you to see the world outside.”
“That’s great!”
Excited, A-Lin jumped directly out of Lu Ning’s arms and spun around in circles several times.
She had waited for this day for over 100 years.
Watching her innocent and romantic behavior, Lu Ning felt a surge of emotion.
‘Truly a silly girl. I should be better to her in the future.’
Amidst her sentimentality, Lu Ning also began to calculate secretly.
Although her cultivation had only recovered to the middle-stage Nascent Soul, she now had a top-tier fighter at the Great Ascension Perfection stage by her side.
This was practically a godsend!
With A-Lin around, those several righteous forces were nothing to fear.
If they dared to come knocking, she would let them see just how terrifying a legendary-level fierce beast could be.
More importantly…
The cold and beautiful face of Gu Qinghuan involuntarily surfaced in Lu Ning’s mind.
‘Humph. You rebellious disciple, your good days are over. Once I return this time, I’ll make sure you thoroughly experience what it means to “respect your Master and honor the Dao”!’
At the thought of this, Lu Ning’s mood became exceptionally pleasant.
She even began to imagine the scene after she brought A-Lin back to the Tianmo Sect, where Gu Qinghuan would have no choice but to be a well-behaved disciple.
“By the way, A-Lin.”
Lu Ning seemed to remember something and looked at the girl still spinning excitedly.
“Compared to my Master, who is stronger?”
Although she had already vaguely guessed the answer from her memory fragments, she still wanted to confirm it personally.
Upon hearing this question, A-Lin stopped spinning.
Her small face, which had been wearing a brilliant smile, instantly slumped.
She pouted, her voice carrying a hint of indignation.
“That bad woman is very strong. If she doesn’t hold back, A-Lin… A-Lin can’t even take one strike from her.”
Hiss—
Hearing this answer, Lu Ning sucked in a breath of cold air.
Although she had anticipated it, hearing A-Lin admit it personally still made her heart race.
A one-strike kill against a Great Ascension Perfection?
What kind of terrifying strength was that?
The Tribulation Transcendence stage!
Without a doubt, Liu Ningshuang’s strength had definitely reached the legendary Tribulation Transcendence stage!
If an ultimate powerhouse of the Tribulation Transcendence stage descended upon the North Region, it would be like a god arriving in the mortal world, enough to sweep away everything.
For someone of her level, the “tiny speck” that was the North Region was indeed too small.
However, since Liu Ningshuang had already left, it was actually a good thing for her.
At least she wouldn’t have to worry about an additional, difficult “Master” for now.
“Alright, A-Lin, it’s time to go.”
Lu Ning stood up and patted the dust off her clothes.
“Transform back to your original form first. I’ll open the exit and we’ll head straight out. Once the matters of the Tianmo Sect are handled, I’ll return here with you to cultivate.”
“Mm-hmm!”
A-Lin nodded heavily.
However, just as she was about to transform back.
A light, airy voice suddenly echoed slowly through the Primordial Mountain Range.
“Ning’er, we haven’t seen each other in 100 years. Why has your cultivation become so weak?”
Hearing this voice, Lu Ning’s body stiffened abruptly.
She slowly turned around and looked in the direction the voice came from.
Above the blood-red sky, a white figure had appeared at some point.
It was a beautiful woman dressed in white palace attire, her temperament cold and transcendent.
She hung there silently in the air, emitting no aura, yet she seemed to have merged with the entire heaven and earth.
Her lovely eyes were quietly watching Lu Ning, a hint of faint disappointment within her gaze.
Liu Ningshuang! She… she had actually returned!
Looking at the woman who was exactly like the one in her memory fragments, Lu Ning felt her mind go completely blank.
….
In the forbidden area of the back mountain, under the blood-colored sky.
Lu Ning stared blankly at the white figure suspended in the air, feeling her heart skip a beat.
She hadn’t expected her mysterious Master to appear before her in such a manner at such a time.
Beside her, the moment A-Lin saw Liu Ningshuang, her small face which had been full of smiles instantly turned pale.
She hurriedly hid behind Lu Ning, only daring to poke out her small head to peek timidly at the woman in white.
“Bad… bad woman…” A-Lin’s voice was filled with trembling and fear.
Clearly, her dread of Liu Ningshuang was etched into her very bones.
Liu Ningshuang ignored A-Lin’s words.
From beginning to end, her gaze remained fixed on Lu Ning.
She slowly descended from the air, appearing silently in front of Lu Ning.
The distance between them was less than 3 feet.
Lu Ning subconsciously wanted to retreat, only to find that her body had already been imprisoned by an invisible force.
“Ning’er,” Liu Ningshuang spoke slowly, her voice cold.
“Tell me, what have you experienced all these years? Why has your cultivation fallen to such a degree? And…”
Liu Ningshuang’s brow furrowed slightly.
“What is with this mixed aura on your body? The Power of Lunar, the Phoenix Fire, and the scent of a strange flower fragrance. What have you been doing with those random women?”
Hearing this, Lu Ning’s heart sank.
With just one look, the other party had seen through her from the inside out.
Since things had come to this, further concealment and excuses were useless.
“Ma… Master.”
As she spoke the word “Master,” the expression on Liu Ningshuang’s cold and beautiful face softened significantly.
“You still know to call me Master? I thought after being the Sect Master for over 100 years, you had forgotten who you were.”
“I wouldn’t dare. I just… I just didn’t expect to see you again, Master.”
Looking at her like this, the anger in Liu Ningshuang’s heart actually dissipated quite a bit for some reason.
She knew that her disciple had been skilled at using this method to gain her sympathy since she was a child.
Even though she knew the other party was acting, every time she saw this pitiful look, her heart, which had been frozen for 100 years, couldn’t help but soften.
“Enough.”
Liu Ningshuang turned her head away unnaturally, not daring to look into Lu Ning’s eyes anymore.
“Stop acting in front of me. Do you think your little thoughts can hide from me? Speak, what exactly happened?”
Lu Ning breathed a secret sigh of relief and then began to recount her experiences during this period, mixing truth with lies.
She simply said that she had been ambushed by the three leaders of the righteous path, resulting in severe injuries and a drastic drop in cultivation.
Afterward, she was kidnapped by the Eldest Princess of the Dahuang Dynasty.
Finally, with the “help” of the Baihuagu Sect Leader, Su Yuexi, she managed to escape by luck and return to the Tianmo Sect.
As for the mixed auras on her body, she downplayed them as things she had accidentally come into contact with during the healing process.
The entire story was told with ups and downs, making it sound thrilling and heart-wrenching.
She painted herself as a tragic figure who endured humiliation and hardships before finally returning like a fallen king.
Liu Ningshuang listened quietly.
Only after Lu Ning finished did she speak slowly.
“Xuantiān Holy Land, Wanjian Mountain Manor, Miaoyin Pavilion…”
Liu Ningshuang’s eyes narrowed slightly, a dangerous cold light flickering within them.
“Good, very good. A group of ants who don’t know the meaning of death actually dared to touch my disciple.”
As soon as she finished speaking, an indescribable, terrifying killing intent erupted from her body!
The entire forbidden area shook violently under the influence of this killing intent, as if it would collapse at any moment.
A-Lin, hiding behind Lu Ning, was so terrified that she shivered and didn’t even dare to breathe.
Lu Ning was also shocked by Liu Ningshuang’s terrifying killing intent.
She didn’t expect this “Master,” who looked cold and transcendent as if she didn’t belong to the mortal world, to be so protective.
However, amidst the horror, Lu Ning also breathed a sigh of relief.
It seemed she had truly found a powerful backer this time.
With a Tribulation Transcendence stage powerhouse protecting her, wouldn’t she be able to walk horizontally through the North Region from now on?
However, before she could be happy for long, Liu Ningshuang suddenly retracted her killing intent.
Her cold eyes fell on Lu Ning once more.
“However… it is also a fact that you yourself were incompetent. When I handed the Tianmo Sect to you, I hoped you could lead it to even greater glory. But what about you? Not only did you fail to take the Tianmo Sect to the next level, but you also made such a mess of yourself. You were even toyed with by a group of women. Ning’er, you have truly disappointed me.”
Lu Ning’s face turned pale instantly.
“Ma… Master, I…”
Lu Ning opened her mouth to explain something, only to find that any words felt hollow and powerless at this moment.
“There is no need to say more,” Liu Ningshuang interrupted her.
“From today onward, you will stay here and reflect properly along with A-Lin. You will not leave this place until your cultivation returns to the Great Ascension stage.”