Ning Cheng understood Chen Xingwen’s thoughts, but he wouldn’t get into these muddy waters. He already harboured some doubts about Chuan Xinlou’s demise. In any case, if Chuan Xinlou came back and learned that Chen Xingwen coveted his spot, it would turn things quite lively.
“Sect Master Chen, as I said in front of Chuan Xinlou, my Mysterious Yellow Celestial River will always remain independent from the four starry skies. Therefore, I don’t see any reason to partic.i.p.ate in this meeting. But of course, I will support Sect Master Chen in my heart.” Ning Cheng said with a slight smile.
Chen Xingwen chuckled a few times, “Since that is the case, I won’t force Sect Master Ning anymore. On behalf of Culmination Grand Starry Sky, I’d like to thank Sect Master Ning for his support.”
Ning Cheng sneered in his heart. Chen Xingwen, you really want to represent the Culmination Grand Starry Sky, huh. Stop Dreaming. Naturally, Ning Cheng wouldn’t say it out loud. Instead, he showed a smile and said, “Striking Order Heavenly Emperor and Heavenly Emperor Wu Hong have good relations with me. If Culmination Grand Starry Sky changes in the future, then I would like to ask Sect Master Chen to help me take care of their territories.”
Chen Xingwen naturally understood what Ning Cheng meant. That is, I don’t care if you want to control the Culmination Grand Starry Sky. But you better not dare to interfere with Striking Order Starry Sky or Bright Heaven Starry Sky. Even if Striking Order Heavenly Emperor and Heavenly Emperor Wu Hong didn’t return, you better stop having any ideas about these starry skies.
It made Chen Xingwen angry, but he did not show it on the surface. Instead, he still spoke with enthusiasm, “Naturally, friends of Sect Master Ning are also friends of this Chen Xingwen.”
“Sect Master Chen, I do have a question for you, though. Do you know where I could buy a Breaking Boundary Talisman?” Ning Cheng asked before leaving.
Chen Xingwen was an old b.a.s.t.a.r.d just like Chuan Xinlou and lived for G.o.d-knows how long. Therefore, Ning Cheng understood that, even if he disregarded cultivation, Chen Xingwen’s knowledge far exceeded his. In fact, the difference between his and these old monsters’ experiences exceeded that of the distance between stars.
Hearing Ning Cheng wanted a Breaking Boundary Talisman, Chen Xingwen shook his head. “Sect Master Ning, the value of this talisman exceeds anything that could be put in Permanent Essence Pills. In my memory, even though Culmination Starland has hosted many auctions, it had only appeared once. Moreover, it was more of a barter.”
“Breaking Boundary Talisman? Does Sect Master Ning need a Breaking Boundary Talisman?” Yu Baihong suddenly asked from the side.
Ning Cheng nodded. “Yes, I’m really in need of a Breaking Boundary Talisman. I want to enter a low-level interface, but my strength is not enough to tear the void around low-level interfaces. Could it be that City Master Yu has a Breaking Boundary Talisman?”
In fact, Ning Cheng didn’t know if he could tear the void around the interface. He had never attempted such a thing at all. Ning Cheng was also afraid of tearing through an unrelated interface, and not being able to return from there. Something he didn’t want.
But despite the dangers, he wanted a Breaking Boundary Talisman to return to Graceful Star Mainland. He had promised that giant who saved his life in Forefather’s Altar to help him in the future. Since he had vowed to help, then he would see it through to the end. He would take the eye of the giant nailed to the bottom of White-robed Ghost Lake and return it to the giant.
Even in such a miserable situation, that giant had helped him escape from the heart within the blood lake. Receiving such graciousness, Ning Cheng would repay the favour him even if it meant risking his life. If he couldn’t even repay such kindness, then wouldn’t he become someone even worse than beasts?
Yu Baihong quickly replied, “Yu Clan’s Corner had once obtained a Breaking Boundary Talisman. But a cultivator by the name of Duan Gantai bought it from us sometime back.”
Duan Gantai? Ning Cheng felt truly strange in his heart on hearing this name. Why was this fellow everywhere? Was he a ghost that liked to pop up everywhere? Although Yu Baihong didn’t explain what had transpired, Ning Cheng had already guessed what might have happened. Most likely, Duan Gantai forced Yu Clan’s Corner to give him this talisman through some coercive means.
“Many thanks for the hospitality, City Master Yu. I’ll be taking my leave now.” Ning Cheng finished and cupped his fists towards Chen Xingwen and quickly left with Shen Mengyan and the others.
After Ning Cheng left, Yu Baihong truly felt relieved. In any case, it looks like he hadn’t thoroughly offended this Sect Master Ning. Otherwise, Yu Clan’s Corner would have been in a truly precarious position.
Chen Xingwen acted as if Ning Cheng had never even visited this place. Instead, he laughed and said, “Brother Yu, I came here for another thing. Xiao Yu is a disciple I’m proud of. Moreover, Yu Zi from Yu Clan’s Corner also has a beautiful appearance. I think it might be time for the two sides to get married……”
Chen Xingwen didn’t finish, but Yu Baihong knew that it wasn’t something good. Cheng Xingwen wanted him to let Xiao Yu marry his granddaughter Yu Zi. If Ning Cheng hadn’t appeared, he would have felt quite happy with this proposal. But he had already determined in his heart that he would use Yu Zi in place of Yu Qing to befriend and marry Ning Cheng. Unexpectedly, he couldn’t even get to implement this plan yet, when Chen Xingwen suddenly brought up this matter.
For a while, Yu Baihong didn’t even know how to refuse.
……
As soon as Shen Mengyan boarded Ning Cheng’s Starry Sky Wheel she spoke up. “Ning Cheng, a Breaking Boundary Talisman could help in entering a low-level interface. But the low-level interface’s laws wouldn’t allow a powerhouse like you to enter. If you forcibly enter the low-level interface, it would immediately throw the laws into chaos resulting in an implosion. If enough of those laws implode, it could severely injure an Eternal-level expert. Perhaps even kill them.”
“Yeah, I know this. I will be careful about it.” Ning Cheng knew about such a restriction even if Shen Mengyan didn’t mention it. If he thought about it for a moment or two, even it was a low-levelled positional place, the worldly laws were still the most powerful. With the myriad broken laws imploding at once, even a cultivator in the Eternal Realm would find it challenging to survive.
Therefore, if he had to fulfil his promise, he would have to reach at least the late-stage Eternal Realm to help the giant. Otherwise, he would only be risking death if he went earlier. Similarly, he would have to reach the Eternal Realm before even considering to re-enter Graceful Star Mainland.
While answering Shen Mengyan’s words, Ning Cheng also unsealed the Connecting Spirit Silk. But to his disappointment, even after unsealing the Connecting Spirit Silk, he could not find any information about Duan Gantai. This fellow had come to see him when he was still trapped within the Ancient Shadow Temple. But now that he wanted to find this fellow, he disappeared.
Ning Cheng felt sure that Duan Gantai did this to conceal his movements and out of spite. If Duan Gantai wanted to meet him, he would not have sealed the Connecting Spirit Silk.
After mulling over Ning Cheng’s words from before, Shen Mengyan, Sisi and Ai Ku learned that Ning Cheng truly owned an independent Celestial River. Moreover, he had also established the Mysterious Yellow Sect.
“Aunt Yan, let’s go to Jiangzhou Star for now. Jiangzhou Star belongs to Senior Apprentice Brother Ning, which makes it a much better place than anywhere else.” Sisi, on hearing that Ning Cheng owned a celestial river and the master of Mysterious Yellow Sect, immediately wanted to go to Jiangzhou Star.
Shen Mengyan remained silent for a moment before speaking, “Sisi, you and Ai Ku will stay in Mysterious Yellow Sect with Ning Cheng. After my cultivation gets restored, I have something to do by myself. Since Qing’er has already pa.s.sed on, I no longer have anything to worry about.”
Sisi didn’t want to separate from Shen Mengyan. She quickly grabbed onto Shen Mengyan’s hand and started sobbing. “Aunt Yan, are you going to look for Uncle Chen? But the universe is so vast, where are you going to find him?
Ning Cheng also wanted to persuade her to stay. But even though he wished to speak, he didn’t. In all honesty, the only reason Ning Cheng and Shen Mengyan met today was because of Yu Qing. With Yu Qing no longer in the picture, and with Shen Mengyan not wanting to stay in Jiangzhou Star, what else could he do?
Shen Mengyan remained silent again. Only after a long time did she give out a sigh and spoke. “Ning Cheng, although Qing’er has pa.s.sed on, you are not an outsider in my heart. But I really want to go looking for Qing’er’s father. Qing’er’s father is Yu Yuechen, and the first person within Yu Clan’s Corner to advance to the Eternal Realm.”
“Ah….” Sisi, on hearing that Yu Baihong wasn’t the first Eternal expert of Yu Clan’s Corner, spoke up in surprise.
Shen Mengyan’s eyes flashed with a trace of loneliness but continued. “I’m probably the only one who knows about his promotion to the Eternal Realm. But instead of staying in Yu Clan’s Corner and strengthening it, he wanted to pursue a higher level of strength. He wanted to reach the Dao Confirming Realm. But among the four grand starry skies, opportunities to reach this level are almost impossible to find. But he vowed that if he found a Dao Confirming opportunity, he would return immediately to pick me and Qing’er.”
Ning Cheng felt a little speechless on hearing these words. “Aunt Yan, Sisi is right. The starry skies are just too vast. It would be almost impossible to find someone. I think Aunt Yan should stay in Jiangzhou Star. At least till your cultivation reaches a sufficient level before going out into the starry skies to look for him.”
Let alone Shen Mengyan wanting to look for Yu Yuechen across the vast starry skies. Even if he knew that Ji Luofei was somewhere within Striking Order Starry Sky, he still couldn’t find her.
Shen Mengyan hesitated for a moment and said, “I know that he went to the Thousand Mound Forest in Mysterious Yellow Starland….”
“Isn’t Mysterious Yellow Starland Senior Apprentice Brother Ning’s starland? Since we’re already going there….” Sisi heard that and quickly spoke up in surprise.
Ning Cheng had to explain. “My place is called Mysterious Yellow Celestial River, not Mysterious Yellow Starland.”
Then he remembered that he had unintentionally picked a name that was only slightly different from Mysterious Yellow Starland. However, Ning Cheng didn’t plan to change the name ‘Mysterious Yellow Celestial River’. Instead, he explained to Shen Mengyan, “Aunt Yan, I have visited the Thousand Mound Forest once, and I can tell you that it’s not an ordinary place. If you want to go there, then I strongly suggest that you should put those plans on hold for now. If you want to go there, you will need to wait. After I advance to the Eternal Realm, I will make a trip to the Thousand Mound Forest. At that time, Aunt Yan, you can come with me.”
Shen Mengyan and Sisi looked at Ning Cheng in amazement, and only now did they realise that Ning Cheng wasn’t yet an Eternal cultivator.
However, Shen Mengyan didn’t ask anything about Ning Cheng’s cultivation. She nodded and agreed with Ning Cheng’s words, “Well, when you go to the Thousand Mound Forest, don’t forget to call on me. I will stay in Jiangzhou Star for the time being.”
……
Before Ning Cheng set up Jiangzhou Star’s Star Protecting Grand Array, there was only one ordinary starry sky public square outside of Jiangzhou Star. But now, one could see several starry skies public squares outside. Countless rogue cultivators kept flowing through these temporary areas but couldn’t enter Jiangzhou Star. Regardless, it created quite a bustling scene outside Jiangzhou Star.
Since the establishment of Jiangzhou Star’s new rules and regulations, everyone was now treated as equals. People no longer tolerated bullying, hegemony, or killing and pillaging others for treasures. As such, it quickly became popular among rogue cultivators. Rogue cultivators lived a precarious life, so why wouldn’t they want to come here to cultivate in such a calm and peaceful place.
What’s more, rumours went around that Jiangzhou Star’s Celestial Lord Ning Cheng was a Starry Sky Tier 8 Pill Emperor. Moreover, everyone also knew that Deputy Sect Master Cang Caihe of Jiangzhou Star’s Mysterious Yellow Sect was the premier starry sky Pill Emperor. Because of these rumours, everyone thought that they could get a chance to obtain high-grade medicinal pill at prices much cheaper compared to other places. In any case, at Jiangzhou Star, if one did business fairly and honestly, one could acc.u.mulate enough celestial coins to purchase high-grade medicinal pills.
Unfortunately, the conditions for entering Jiangzhou Star were just too harsh. Not only did it depend on one’s character, but also on whether one had the necessary skills and qualifications.
In the early days, some cultivators had willingly escaped from Jiangzhou Star because of these various rumours. But now they all felt their intestines turn green. If they hadn’t run away, they wouldn’t have had to feel jealous about the cultivators who had decided to stay in Jiangzhou Star.
As soon as Ning Cheng’s Starry Sky Wheel landed on one of the starry sky public squares outside Jiangzhou Star, Bei Junyi quickly rushed over. Ning Cheng had handed him the auxiliary control over Jiangzhou Star’s entrances, so he naturally wouldn’t dare to neglect his duties. If not for this Sect Master Ning, he probably wouldn’t have ever reached the Heaven Seated Realm in his lifetime.
“So many people!” Sisi exclaimed when she saw the crowd on the public square outside Jiangzhou Star.
Ning Cheng was just about to greet Bei Junyi when the Connecting Spirit Silk, wrapped around his wrist, suddenly vibrated. The next moment, he sensed Duan Gantai’s position.