Chapter 1340: Zhou Ningshuang's Intentions

Inside a secret room on Qinglian Peak.

Wang Changsheng sat cross-legged on a futon, his eyes slightly closed. A large expanse of blue mist enveloped his body, with tendrils of blue vapor flowing through his mouth and nostrils, entering his system.

After a while, Wang Changsheng opened his eyes, which gleamed with a sharp light.

He clenched his right hand into a fist, emanating a burst of blue light. He then unleashed a punch towards the stone wall.

Countless tendrils of blue mist materialized, coalescing into a blue fist-shaped shadow more than ten zhang in size. It slammed into the stone wall with a piercing whoosh.

Rumble! The entire stone chamber trembled slightly, as a faint yellow light emerged on the stone wall, blocking the blue fist-shaped shadow.

The blue fist-shaped shadow vanished, leaving behind a thin layer of white ice chips on the stone wall.

"Good," Wang Changsheng murmured to himself. "If I could completely refine all this ice-attributed spiritual water, its power would increase significantly." He then stood up and walked out.

Leaving the secret room, he made his way to the chamber where the Azure Lotus Cauldron was kept.

He struck a spell formation on the array disc. The silver glow dissipated, and the Azure Lotus Cauldron descended to the ground with a dull thud.

Wang Changsheng effortlessly lifted the cauldron lid with one hand. Inside the Azure Lotus Cauldron was a foot-long piece of glazed bamboo.

Over the years, the Wang family had collected some millennium glazed bamboo. Wang Changsheng intended to refine a set of flying sword artifacts for Wang Qingshan. With a set of flying swords, Wang Qingshan's strength would be significantly enhanced.

He had, in fact, refined multiple sets of flying swords for Wang Qingshan, a privilege no other family member had received.

Wang Changsheng put away the glazed bamboo and instead placed a piece of pale golden ore into the cauldron, then struck another spell formation on the array disc.

The array hummed dully as a large expanse of silver light rose from it, lifting the Azure Lotus Cauldron. The azure lotus patterns on the cauldron's body immediately brightened.

Outside, the Qilin Turtle was frolicking in the lake.

It had grown to two zhang in size. Its slender neck was adorned with palm-sized blue scales, and faint blue patterns had appeared on its shell.

As if sensing something, its body glowed brightly with blue light, then dissolved into myriad blue specks and vanished.

The next moment, tendrils of mist appeared beneath Wang Changsheng's feet, revealing the Qilin Turtle's form.

It was now a second-tier high-grade beast, proficient in water-element spells, and its mastery of Water Shadow Art had become even more refined.

Wang Changsheng took out two palm-sized blue fruits and fed them to the Qilin Turtle. After eating the two fruits, it was still not satisfied. It circled Wang Changsheng, emitting a strange hissing sound.

Wang Changsheng flipped his hand, and a blue wooden box appeared. Inside the box were two low-grade, third-tier water-attributed demonic cores.

After consuming the two third-tier demonic cores, the Qilin Turtle became drowsy. With a swift movement, it suddenly appeared in the lake and submerged itself to the bottom.

A soft rustle of footsteps sounded as Wang Ruyan walked in.

"Husband, you've emerged from seclusion?" she asked.

"Wife, the Nascent Soul Ceremony is about to begin, isn't it? How many guests have arrived?"

Wang Changsheng placed great importance on this Nascent Soul Ceremony. It was a way for the Wang family to display its strength to the outside world, as connections were also a form of power.

"Many people have arrived," Wang Ruyan replied. "The Gan Yang Immortal Couple from Beijiang, the Great Yan Imperial Family and Murong Royal Family from Zhongyuan, the Taiyi Immortal Sect, Myriad Flowers Sect, and Tang family from Donghuang, and the Myriad Sword Sect and Ouyang family from Nanhai have all sent Nascent Soul cultivators. Especially Fellow Daoist Wu and his companions, who personally came to Qinglian Island, giving us immense respect."

Wang Ruyan hadn't expected the Gan Yang Immortal Couple to personally travel to Nanhai to attend Wang Qingshan's Nascent Soul Ceremony.

Wang Changsheng nodded and said, "They are truly considerate. We must repay this favor. Didn't Fellow Daoist Wu mention a sparring match? That's unlike him."

He hadn't had much interaction with Wu Chang, but Wu Chang had left a deep impression on him. Given Wu Chang's combative nature, it was rare for him to visit Nanhai, so he should have wanted to spar.

Wang Ruyan smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist Wu did indeed want to spar with you again, but he has already advanced to the mid-stage Nascent Soul realm. Princess Zhou Ningshuang of the Great Yan Imperial Family personally led the delegation, saying they have something important to discuss with us in detail."

Although the Gan Yang Immortal Couple were renowned in Beijiang, in terms of overall strength, the Wu family was far inferior to the Great Yan Imperial Family. The latter had a heritage spanning tens of thousands of years, while the Wu family's heritage was less than ten thousand years old.

"Zhou Ningshuang herself led the delegation?" Wang Changsheng mused. "Let's go meet them together! We cannot be neglectful towards the Great Yan Imperial Family."

Wang Changsheng's expression turned somewhat solemn. The overall strength of the Great Yan Imperial Family surpassed even that of the Myriad Sword Sect or the Taiyi Immortal Sect, so he naturally could not afford to be disrespectful.

Not long after, they appeared outside a secluded valley. The valley was surrounded by mountains on three sides, and a vast expanse of light azure spiritual flowers grew outside.

Wang Ruyan sent a transmission talisman, and soon, a tall, middle-aged man emerged. He bowed respectfully and said,

"Junior Zhou Guofeng greets Senior Wang and Senior Wang. The Princess is currently playing the zither. Please come in, seniors."

Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan followed Zhou Guofeng into the valley. Inside the valley was a courtyard with green bricks and white tiles. As soon as they approached the courtyard, they heard a joyful zither melody.

Zhou Ningshuang sat inside a green stone pavilion, with a silver phoenix-tail zither, about a zhang long, placed before her. She played with full concentration, seemingly unaware of Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan's arrival.

Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan stood to the side, listening quietly.

The zither music gradually became more poignant, adding a touch of melancholy.

After half a quarter of an hour, Zhou Ningshuang's hands left the zither strings, and the music ceased.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, Madam Wang, I apologize for keeping you waiting."

Zhou Ningshuang said with an apologetic tone.

"Madam Zhou, you jest," Wang Ruyan replied tactfully. "Your composition has a unique charm, but it's filled with too much sorrow, and the transitions are too abrupt, making it difficult for listeners to fully immerse themselves."

Wang Ruyan commented subtly, implying that given Zhou Ningshuang's status and position, she shouldn't be so troubled.

"I forgot Madam Wang is proficient in music," Zhou Ningshuang said. "What Madam Wang said is true; the transitions are indeed a bit abrupt, making it hard to immerse oneself. I was merely playing casually. Please, Fellow Daoists, have a seat."

As soon as Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan sat down, Zhou Guofeng approached with a tray. After placing a pot of spiritual tea and two plates of refreshments on the table, he withdrew.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, Madam Wang, please try this Golden Camellia Spiritual Tea. It's a special spiritual tea unique to our imperial family, known for its soothing and soul-stabilizing effects, though its yield is quite low."

Zhou Ningshuang poured a cup of spiritual tea for Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan each. The tea was golden in color and exuded a rich aroma.

Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan didn't stand on ceremony. They picked up their cups and took a sip. A warmth spread through their limbs and bones, then flowed directly to their foreheads, followed by a refreshing coolness that permeated their entire bodies. It was like experiencing both ice and fire, with alternating hot and cold sensations, offering a unique flavor.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Zhou Ningshuang got to the point: "Fellow Daoist Wang, Madam Wang, to be frank, I have a request for you during my visit to Nanhai. This matter concerns the safety of the entire Dongli Realm."

As she spoke the last words, Zhou Ningshuang's expression turned solemn.

"Madam Zhou, please speak freely," Wang Changsheng said. "We are also part of the Dongli Realm, and if we can help, we certainly will."

Wang Changsheng's expression also became serious. Since Zhou Ningshuang brought up the safety of the Dongli Realm, this matter was certainly not trivial.