Chapter 794: Chapter 263: Qianmo Lamp_2
“The palace lantern, being a component of the flying boat, is a crucial clue! Back then, Senior Sister Meng took on this task, using this lamp to search for the flying boat everywhere.”
“As it concerns the sect’s spiritual treasure, I cannot conceal or omit it!”
“I will report this matter to the sect. Of course, I will also simultaneously report to the City Lord of White Paper.”
Sun Lingtong slapped her forehead: “Oh dear, oh dear, we shouldn’t have dismantled this array face-to-face.”
Ning Chen remained silent for a moment but eventually agreed: “Okay. But since I discovered this place, I have a request.”
“Since the Myriad Images Sect has retrieved their Qianmo Lamp, as a super sect, they should show some gesture, right?”
“At the very least, they should bring out an equivalent treasure to replace the Qianmo Lamp, continuing to suppress this place. What do you think?”
Upon hearing these words, Wen Ruanyu couldn’t help but look Ning Zhuo up and down with a different gaze.
Ning Zhuo was puzzled: “Lord Wen, why are you looking at me like that?”
Wen Ruanyu sighed: “I didn’t expect you, Jiao Ma, to have such magnanimity and nature, thinking of White Paper Immortal City first. This is rare at your age.”
Wen Ruanyu was impressed with Ning Zhuo.
He was a Confucian Cultivator, who cultivated oneself, managed the family, governed the state, and brought peace to the world, seeking to establish a core for heaven and earth, to set fate for the people, to continue the teachings of past sages, and to open peace for all eternity.
Therefore, Ning Zhuo’s actions were very much to his liking.
He smiled slightly and said, “Rest assured. I will not only ask for a sect treasure to continue suppressing this place but will also commend you!”
“For so many years, no one in White Paper Immortal City has discovered this secret.”
“Your contribution cannot be overlooked!”
“I will strive for the sect, giving you a chance to join our Myriad Images Sect.”
“Jiao Ma, with your proficiency, merely becoming a male concubine in White Paper Immortal City is an underuse of your talents.”
“For you, even White Paper Immortal City and this Black Swamp Wetland are too small. You should join a super sect; this would be the grand stage for your life to shine!”
Ning Zhuo was taken aback: “Join the Myriad Images Sect?”
He was greatly moved.
Because if he could join this sect, he would be able to access more of his mother’s past, seek more fuel, and further supplement Meng Yaoyin’s spiritual nature.
Aside from that, it would be his personal development.
Ning Zhuo inquired: “However, I don’t want to change my main cultivation method and would like to join with my current skills. Is that possible?”
Wen Ruanyu pondered: “Our Myriad Images Sect is all-encompassing and embraces all. There are so many who join with their existing skills.”
“Speaking of which, if you join the sect, the timing couldn’t be better.”
“The upcoming Flying Cloud Conference is about to commence. If you can make a mark in this grand event, you can quickly shed the identity of a menial disciple and even leap beyond being an outer sect disciple, achieving the status of an inner sect disciple in one go!”
Ning Zhuo heard Wen Ruanyu mention the Flying Cloud Conference for the second time and immediately pursued the details.
Wen Ruanyu explained: “Our Myriad Images Sect selects talents without being confined to one pattern. The Flying Cloud Conference is a grand ceremony for promoting talents; its scope is vast, affecting not just the Flying Cloud Country but even abroad.”
“Many in the sect discontented with their current positions, often prepare for many years for the Flying Cloud Conference.”
“At that time, Myriad Images Sect will issue all sect tasks, allowing both sect members and loose cultivators outside the sect to undertake them. By communicating with the divine beings of heaven and earth, each cultivator’s task completion and contributions will be immediately recorded, and their abilities will be assessed precisely.”
“Senior Sister Meng, back in the day, took on a task and obtained this palace lantern during the Flying Cloud Conference.”
“Alas, Senior Sister Meng was too kind-hearted.”
“She left this palace lantern here, but due to its loss, she was heavily deducted points and was not selected during the Flying Cloud Conference!”
Ning Zhuo suddenly felt a twitch in his heart and a hint of doubt arose.
He suppressed his doubt and thanked Wen Ruanyu with a cupped fist: “If I could receive your recommendation to join Myriad Images Sect, it would indeed be a great fortune! Thank you, senior, for your support.”
Wen Ruanyu: “Recommending talents to the sect also contributes to the sect. Of course, I also wish for an auspicious relationship with you, Jiao Ma.”
He didn’t hide it, and his candid demeanor was quite likable.
Ning Zhuo released his formal manner: “But before that, I need to first refine this palace lantern.”
Wen Ruanyu: ?
He hesitated and was about to speak but caught a glimpse of Ning Zhuo’s determined gaze.
Wen Ruanyu instantly understood that the latter’s will was firm on this matter, and negotiations were off the table.
Ning Zhuo’s expression remained unchanged, and his tone was even somewhat stiff: “Senior Wen, as long as you fulfill your promise, I will immediately exchange treasure for treasure.”
At this moment, Wen Ruanyu’s mind recalled the scene of Ning Zhuo overcoming three, capturing three Golden Core level ghost cultivators alive.
He smiled slightly: “Very well.”
Ning Zhuo: “I also ask, Lord Wen, to personally report the situation here to the City Lord. I will remain here and refine this palace lantern.”
Wen Ruanyu nodded: “This matter is significant and indeed requires my personal reporting to be secure.”
“But standing here alone isn’t safe for you.”
“How about this, I’ll leave a clone here to protect you from all sides!”
Clearly worried about Ning Zhuo disappearing after seizing a treasure, Wen Ruanyu spoke artfully.
Although he had a smile on his face, Ning Zhuo could still sense his insistence on this point.
Ning Zhuo nodded: “Very well.”
Seeing his consent, Wen Ruanyu immediately took out a scroll from his storage waist belt.
He infused mana and unfolded the scroll.
The figure inside was a self-portrait of himself.
Wen Ruanyu’s clone stepped out of the painting and landed in this array space, slowly saluting.
The aura of the clone was impressively at the Golden Core level!
Ning Zhuo curiously examined it and praised: “I’ve heard that Confucian Cultivators often cultivate the four arts: Qin, Chess, Calligraphy, and Painting. Today, witnessing it firsthand, Senior Wen, your proficiency in Confucian Cultivation is truly profound.”
Wen Ruanyu smiled and humbly demurred a few times.
He assigned the clone to a position away from the palace lantern to avoid suspicion. After making these arrangements, he didn’t waste time and withdrew.
Ning Zhuo floated into the air, slowly approaching the palace lantern, finally placing his hands gently on its surface.
He concentrated, channeling mana, and began the process of refining the treasure.
Sun Lingtong hid inside the Ten-Thousand-Li Travelling Dragon, standing guard over Ning Zhuo, vigilant against Wen Ruanyu’s painting clone.
“Little Zhuo, did you discover something else?”
Ning Zhuo transmitted thoughts through divine sense: “I do have a hypothesis. Once I refine this palace lantern, I may be able to confirm it.”
Ning Zhuo was not skilled at treasure refining, nor did he possess any superior treasure refining techniques.
However, when he refined up to thirty percent, he suddenly felt a shock, uncovering more of Meng Yaoyin’s arrangements, confirming his previous suspicions.
“Indeed, my mother has other arrangements!”
Ning Zhuo found Wen Ruanyu’s musings strange just after hearing them.
At the time, he thought: “How wise my mother is, why wouldn’t she report to the sect and directly exchange treasures? Why suffer such a loss and be disqualified from the Flying Cloud Conference? Unless she had other reasons or plans!”
Ning Zhuo gradually refined the palace lantern and slowly discovered more of Meng Yaoyin’s arrangements.
He found that the power of this palace lantern had already seeped into the endless yin tide, forming permanent paths.
These paths were very discreet, almost non-existent without the palace lantern’s activation. They were exceedingly long, seemingly extending endlessly, with no telling where they led.
When Ning Zhuo refined the palace lantern to sixty percent, he obtained the answer to this question—the paths actually traversed yin and yang, reaching directly into the Netherworld!
Sun Lingtong was shocked upon learning this information: “Little Zhuo, your mother’s handiwork is indeed significant, even setting up in the Netherworld. Though she utilized the unique geographical advantage of the Yin Tide Black Swamp Wetland, being able to accomplish yin-yang correspondence truly demonstrates great boldness.”
Ning Zhuo furrowed his brow, harboring a greater doubt in his heart: “Mother did not hesitate to be disqualified from the Flying Cloud Conference, temporarily sacrificing her future in the sect, all to set up in the Netherworld using the palace lantern.”
“Why did she do this?”
“There must be an unavoidable reason!”
When Ning Zhuo had refined the palace lantern to eighty percent, he experienced a profound shock both physically and mentally.
“What is this?!”