Chapter 80: Hidden Peak's Little Lamb

Le Rou smoothed the hem of her sword-robe and slowly settled onto the chair.

"Mm... it seems fine after all," she mumbled, gently leaning into it. She then slowly put her full weight on the chair.

Only after confirming that nothing was amiss did her body relax slightly. She sighed, "Ah, I still underestimated the quality of this chair. If only I had known, I would have sawed a bit more—" "Ah!"

*Clang!* A chair leg snapped, and the severed piece of wood flew far away. Amidst a short yelp, Le Rou's body suddenly sank and tilted, hitting the ground before she could even activate her spiritual energy for protection.

"Ugh... ow..."

Le Rou lay half on the floor, clutching her waist and groaning, glaring resentfully at the broken chair. Fortunately, as a cultivator, the fall hadn't truly hurt, and no one had seen it, so it wasn't a big deal.

As she thought this, she grabbed the edge of the table to get up, and then yelped again.

She accidentally grabbed the booklet she had tampered with. The sword intent emanating from the side seam of the pages instantly cut her finger. Subconsciously, she put her finger in her mouth to suck it, and then she froze.

"Ah!" she yelped again, quickly pulling her finger away. Seeing the faint blood on her finger, she remembered the medicine she had applied. The drug took effect almost instantly, making her dizzy. She stumbled to her feet, holding onto the table, and sat down in Ning Xiaoling's spot.

"It's nothing, just an accident. A good night's sleep will fix it..." Le Rou constantly reassured herself, not forgetting to warn, "Definitely don't touch that pen, definitely don't touch that pen, uh... where is the pen?"

"Ah!"

Le Rou looked at what she was holding in her left hand and yelped again.

*Clatter!* The pen dropped to the floor.

Seeing the three words "I am a pig" written on her palm, she felt as if she had been struck by lightning.

"Ning—Chang—Jiu!"

Le Rou leaned back in the chair, utterly wronged, and began to cry into her hands.

Ning Changjiu, who was watching from the side of the Sword Hall, smiled faintly, his body hidden in the shadows. Le Rou's loud cry, of course, wouldn't summon Ning Changjiu. Instead...

"Le Rou!" Lu Jiajia stood at the doorway with a cold expression, her gaze as sharp as frost as she looked at the broken chair lying on the floor. "What are you doing now?"

Le Rou, covering her face, glimpsed her Master's icy figure through her fingers. She immediately pressed her fingers together, eliminating the gaps, and her body subtly shifted as if she wanted to slide under the table and hide.

"Sob... Master, I was wrong, please let me explain..."

Inside the Sword Hall, crisp sounds and a girl's pained cries rang out again. Ning Changjiu glanced back, slightly surprised, then turned and left.

"Little Brother Ning, how has your cultivation been recently? Do you have any difficulties? Big Brother Lu here can offer some guidance."

On his way to the Scripture Pavilion, Ning Changjiu was stopped once more.

"There actually is," Ning Changjiu said, stopping.

Lu Yuanbai was startled. "You brat, are you really cultivating?" he asked.

Ning Changjiu countered, "Why wouldn't I be?"

Lu Yuanbai's interest was piqued. "Alright, alright, tell me quickly. What problems have you run into? Is it that you can't find a way to enter the Profound Realm, or is it simply difficult to even absorb spiritual energy?"

"It's much simpler than that," Ning Changjiu replied.

Lu Yuanbai was stunned. "How much simpler could it be?" he asked.

"Where can I find spiritual fruits?" Ning Changjiu asked. "Spiritual pills with condensed spiritual power would be even better."

Lu Yuanbai was taken aback. "You want to rely on natural treasures to force your way into the Profound Realm?" he exclaimed.

Ning Changjiu nodded.

Spiritual fruits and pills offered minimal benefit after reaching the Longevity Realm, but they were highly advantageous in the Profound Realm. However, rashly consuming them when one's foundation was unstable could lead to a superficial cultivation realm, where one possessed spiritual power without the corresponding mastery, making it difficult to fully utilize. It could even directly hinder the possibility of ascending to the Immortal Realm.

"Who told you about this method?" Lu Yuanbai said. "Aren't they trying to lead you astray?"

"I just want to try them," Ning Changjiu replied.

"Try them? Do you think it's as simple as picking peaches?" Lu Yuanbai scoffed, massaging his forehead. "I used to think you had the potential for an ethereal, Daoist aura. I never imagined you'd want to turn yourself into a living medicine-taker. This... your future looks bleak."

Ning Changjiu smiled. "Then I have indeed disappointed Uncle-Master Lu."

"If you really want them," Lu Yuanbai said, "just get some from your junior sister. She's highly regarded by Lu Jiajia, so it shouldn't be hard for her to obtain them."

Ning Changjiu gently shook his head. "I cannot hinder my junior sister's cultivation."

Lu Yuanbai smiled and nodded, thinking to himself that Ning Changjiu must have been unable to get resources from his junior sister, which was why he was asking such questions. *Heh*, how long had it been, and this pair of senior and junior disciples were already growing jealous and resentful due to the vast disparity in their cultivation realms?

As expected, human nature couldn't withstand trials.

At that moment, most of the younger disciples were cultivating in the sword training grounds. In the Scripture Pavilion, only a few older disciples were diligently reading books.

Grand-Uncle-Master Yan Zhou lay there as usual, appearing as if asleep or dead.

Ning Changjiu walked to the secluded corner from yesterday, pulled out the book, and opened it to the first page.

As the light of the small aerial teleportation array shimmered, Ning Changjiu's white robe seemed to dissipate like clouds caught in the wind, and he vanished from the Scripture Pavilion in an instant.

Amidst the Hidden Peaks, dark green stone slabs, smooth as water and jade, reflected his figure.

After the fleeting sensation of weightlessness passed, he found himself amidst the Hidden Peaks.

The spiritual energy amidst the Hidden Peaks was several times more abundant than outside. Cultivating here indeed yielded twice the results with half the effort. However, if one's cultivation foundation wasn't solid, then no matter how much spiritual energy entered the body, it would be impossible to refine.

Ning Changjiu remembered the young man named Nan Cheng from yesterday and walked towards his secluded cultivation cave.

"Senior!" Nan Cheng sensed his arrival and opened his eyes, his expression betraying his excitement.

Ning Changjiu calmly asked, "Do you understand it?"

Nan Cheng nodded vigorously. "Yesterday, I read it several times and mentally simulated it a few times. It should be correct, but I still have some questions."

Ning Changjiu sat down cross-legged in front of him. Instead of directly asking about his difficulties, he asked, "Do you cultivate here relying solely on absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth? Do you have any pills to assist you?"

Nan Cheng was slightly taken aback, wondering if this senior had never been to the Hidden Peaks before. He thought for a moment before replying, "Of course there are. There's a dedicated treasury within the Hidden Peaks for cultivators in seclusion. Hmm... this token is enough. Since I'm the youngest generation of disciples, my withdrawal limit isn't very high."

As he spoke, he pulled out a green jade token from his robe. On it was inscribed the character "C".

Ning Changjiu glanced at it, nodded slightly, and asked, "What questions do you have?"

Nan Cheng immediately brightened up and one by one articulated the many questions he had from yesterday regarding the formation of the Post-Heaven Sword Embryo.

Ning Changjiu listened quietly, his tone unhurried, answering calmly. His words were clear and well-structured, exuding the demeanor of a true master.

Nan Cheng occasionally showed signs of sudden understanding, becoming even more convinced and respectful.

The question-and-answer session lasted for about an hour.

"Any more questions?" Ning Changjiu asked.

Nan Cheng thought for a while before nodding seriously. "No, none," he replied.

Ning Changjiu hummed. "If there are no more questions, you may begin," he said.

Nan Cheng suddenly knelt on one knee and performed a deep bow, earnestly saying, "Thank you for your great benevolence, Senior!"

"No need for such formality," Ning Changjiu said, "However, if you truly wish to thank me..."

As he spoke, he held out his hand.

Nan Cheng was slightly puzzled.

"The jade token," Ning Changjiu said. "I'd like to take a look at the treasury."

Nan Cheng quickly pulled out the jade pendant and handed it to him, saying, "Senior, if you find anything you like that happens to be below C-grade, please feel free to take it."

Nan Cheng instantly understood: how could a master like this possibly be interested in C-grade pills and treasures? He must be giving him an opportunity to repay his kindness, to clear away the cloud of gratitude and guilt in his Dao heart.

*It seems this master also holds me in high regard...* Nan Cheng suddenly felt a sense of honor, and an intense anticipation for his future path of cultivation bloomed within him.

Ning Changjiu calmly took the jade token and asked, "The way?"

Nan Cheng wasn't sure if he was feigning ignorance or genuinely didn't know, but he still respectfully pointed out the way.

Ning Changjiu nodded. "Mm, cultivate well. Don't disappoint your Master."

Nan Cheng's eyes sparkled. "I will certainly not disappoint the expectations of my Master and Senior," he declared.

Ning Changjiu turned and departed.

Nan Cheng quickly asked, "Will Senior come again later?"

"It depends," Ning Changjiu replied.

Ning Changjiu entered the treasury and emerged with a pile of spiritual fruits and pills. Looking at the jade token, he was still not entirely satisfied. "It's a pity it's only C-grade," he muttered. "I can only take this much in one day. It seems I'll have to visit this little lamb more often in the future... This innate spiritual attribute really is quite accurate."