"The Heavenly Treasure Immortal Merchant is looking for me?" Ning Fa exclaimed in surprise.
This was truly unexpected, as that Heavenly Treasure Immortal Merchant was incredibly mysterious and had existed in the Nine Dragons Sea for an unknown number of years.
Throughout the history of the Nine Dragons Sea, many famous and named powerful figures had traded with him.
In a way, he could be considered a major spectacle of this world.
He had originally gone to Qiyuan Island in the Leiming Sea, and it was through chance that he had made a trade with the Heavenly Treasure Immortal Merchant and obtained the crucial Five-Colored Divine Soil.
Now, he was actively seeking him out for a trade. Could it be that Ning Fa possessed something he desperately needed?
Upon hearing that the Heavenly Treasure Immortal Merchant was currently in the Haoqiong Sea Domain, Ning Fa's heart stirred.
Could the savior that Fairy Yuanxing mentioned be him?
Ning Fa immediately said, "There's no time to lose, let's depart immediately."
Luo Feixuan nodded with a smile and left with Ning Fa.
Tianli's Wumeng Mountain was the sacred mountain of the Tianli Clan, and also the location of their Holy Temple.
In a secret chamber deep within the mountain peak, the air was filled with dense ice mist.
At the center was a peculiar Five-Colored Spirit Flower, several Zhangs tall. Currently, the spirit flower was closed, with its radiance flashing, as if something was gestating within.
Just then, with a strange humming sound, the spirit flower slowly unfurled, revealing a curled-up female figure.
She slowly opened her eyes, then stood up, revealing a flawless naked body. She appeared to be Ling Yuqing, who was supposed to have died in the Abyssal Heavenly Pool.
Her face was initially filled with confusion, but then, as if remembering something, her beautiful eyes were filled with disbelief and bewilderment.
Afterward, she waved her delicate hand, and a set of clothes flew over. Once fully dressed, she left the secret chamber.
Outside the hall, another beautiful woman was seated at a desk. However, she was frowning slightly. Although she held a book in her hand, her mind was preoccupied, and she couldn't focus on reading. This woman was Ling Yue.
Seeing Ling Yuqing emerge, her face lit up with surprise and joy. She rushed over, "Mother, you have finally awakened.
The soul fires of Su Rihe, Mei Danlun, and Aruoye, the three Holy Witches, have completely extinguished. The clan is in turmoil, and everyone is waiting for Mother to take charge."
Ling Yuqing's expression remained unchanged. She calmly said, "I am already aware of this matter, Yu'er. Prepare yourself, and you will depart for Great Qin tomorrow. People from the Brilliant Moon Palace will be waiting to meet you at the Cloud Break Mountain Range."
Ling Yue was shocked. She opened her mouth, wanting to say more, but Ling Yuqing did not allow her to refuse. She turned and walked directly towards another secret chamber.
Here, a complex array formation had already been fully set up. After Ling Yuqing activated it, a gray, dust-covered water mirror appeared in the center of the formation.
As the surface flashed with spiritual light, a male figure appeared.
His appearance was handsome and he looked quite young. It was Shen Cizhou of the Brilliant Moon Palace, who was also supposed to be dead.
"You've finally woken up. Tell me what happened in the Abyssal Heavenly Pool.
How could my Shadow Moon clone have perished so silently, without even having time to synchronize its memories with my main body?"
Shen Cizhou commanded in an irrefutable tone.
Ling Yuqing shook her head and gave a wry smile, "Although it was my main body that entered the Abyssal Heavenly Pool, I have no memory of what happened in the palace at the summit of Spirit Mountain. It should be due to the special barrier of the Abyssal Heavenly Pool.
However, I can confirm one thing: my main body was killed by Ning Fa."
"Ning Fa?"
Shen Cizhou's brows furrowed. Then, lost in thought, he said, "As expected, it was him. No wonder my Moon Coronet Mark is still here..."
But he still found it difficult to understand:
"With the assistance of that realm spirit, how could Ning Fa have harmed you?"
Ling Yuqing's beautiful eyes flickered, and she slowly said, "I suspect it was precisely because of Si Chenxing.
When I first entered the Abyssal Heavenly Pool, my main body had requested her to teleport Ning Fa out of the Heavenly Pool, to prevent him from accidentally dying inside and affecting the Lord's plans. However, Si Chenxing refused.
So, it is very likely that she also considered Ning Fa as another candidate and ultimately chose him."
Upon hearing this, Shen Cizhou's expression turned somber. After a long period of thought, he slowly said, "Immediately inform Yue Long of this news. Tell him that the secret of the Heavenly Pool has been obtained by Ning Fa."
"Ah? Why is that?" Ling Yuqing found it difficult to understand.
"Although we don't know what the ultimate treasure in the Abyssal Heavenly Pool is, it must be extraordinary and related to ascending to the upper realm.
Since we already know it might be with Ning Fa, why doesn't the Lord capture him directly and take the treasure for himself?"
Shen Cizhou, however, shook his head.
"Ning Fa is not as simple as you think. That old fellow Tianyi pays a lot of attention to him. Even a Spirit Transformation Cultivator would have difficulty capturing him easily.
Don't worry about it, just do as I say.
With the help of the treasure I gave you, even if Yue Long personally conducts a Soul Searching on you, he will absolutely not detect anything unusual."
Shen Cizhou said indifferently, then ended the communication.
At the same time, in a secret chamber an unknown distance away.
Shen Cizhou stood with his hands behind his back. He was silent in thought for a moment, then sneered.
"Zhu Yue, now there are only the two of us left in the Divine Moon Clan. This life, we must settle this one way or another.
I suspect you've placed a considerable wager on Ning Fa, who possesses the Five Elements Thunder Body.
I had originally intended to turn him into one of my Shadow Moon clones, but since he's become so deeply entangled with the secrets of the Abyssal Heavenly Pool, it's better to destroy him directly and extinguish your last hope.
As for what treasures lie within the Abyssal Heavenly Pool, heh, how can they compare to our clan's ultimate treasure?
Once I devour you, I can enter Mi Tian Valley and reclaim my clan's supreme treasure. With that, returning to the Upper Realm won't be difficult!"
At that moment, a black mist suddenly erupted from Shen Cizhou, his face contorting in a mask of pain and ferocity. He gritted his teeth and shouted, "Soul Fiend, what are you doing!"
A void-like, hollow voice echoed within his sea of consciousness:
"I merely saw you getting a little too pleased with yourself, so I'm reminding you not to forget the agreement between us."
"You and I are one now. What good would breaking the pact do me!" Shen Cizhou retorted furiously.
The voice let out a low chuckle and then fell silent.
Several days later, deep within the Cloud Wasteland Great Marsh.
Inside the palace-like flying artifact sent by the Tianwu Cultivation World, Spirit Transformation Cultivator Yue Long stood by the window, gazing at the howling gales outside. His pale golden face was etched with a cold, severe expression, clearly indicating his extreme displeasure.
Yesterday, the entrance array to the Abyssal Heavenly Pool finally closed, and the entire Heavenly Pool vanished.
Only three individuals emerged: Lu Caifu, Ye Cangfeng, and Hermit Xuyuan of Cangyuan.
It was evident that Ying Zhen had indeed perished within the Abyssal Heavenly Pool. This news had been received months ago from the Nine Immortals Association.
His life token had been extinguished, and even the special barrier left by Ying Zhen's grandfather, the chairman of the Nine Immortals Association, within his divine soul had failed to activate, making it impossible to detect who had attacked him.
Earlier, these Spirit Transformation Cultivators had clearly sensed a massive tremor within the Heavenly Pool, as if some tremendous upheaval had occurred.
If not for the fact that several Spirit Transformation Cultivators had died in the Heavenly Pool in the distant past, they might not have been able to resist the urge to investigate.
Now that the Heavenly Pool had closed, its existence could no longer be perceived.
Lu Caifu and the other two only retained memories of the first three layers of Thousand Vortex Spirit Mountain, with no recollection of what happened afterward.
Despite the efforts of several Spirit Transformation Cultivators to perform soul searching, no progress was made.
Furthermore, the legendary treasure of the Heavenly Pool, rumored to be related to their ascension to the Upper Realm, was nowhere to be found. This was undeniably difficult for the Spirit Transformation Cultivators to accept.
Yue Long could only send an urgent transmission to the rear, requesting his clan's divination masters to perform another divination to glean more information. However, this also yielded nothing.
Naturally, this left the Spirit Transformation Cultivator, who stood at the pinnacle of the Human Realm, in a foul mood.
After all, he had lived for two thousand years, with only two to three hundred years remaining until the lifespan limit for Spirit Transformation Cultivators.
If he couldn't ascend to the Upper Realm, he would simply turn into a pile of yellow earth. With his innate talent, how could he possibly accept such a fate?
Just then, a sound transmission talisman transformed into a streak of fire before him.
Upon hearing it, Yue Long's eyes suddenly shot out with brilliance, and a look of pleasant surprise appeared on his face.
Not long after, Yue Long, his body radiating golden light, slowly withdrew his hand from the top of Ling Yuqing's head.
Ling Yuqing, though pale, spoke with a calm demeanor, "Since Senior has performed soul searching, you should know that what I've said is true.
Although I don't remember all the final memories either, nor do I know the ultimate secret of the Abyssal Heavenly Pool, it is certain that Ning Fa obtained it."
Yue Long, who had been looking gloomy moments before, was now beaming with joy. He said with a smile, "Young friend Ling, you have done exceedingly well. Do not worry about your clan's affairs. From now on, our Nine Immortals Association will offer our support to your Tianli Clan."
"Thank you, Senior," Ling Yuqing replied with a bow and then took her leave.
At this moment, Yue Long could not conceal the excitement in his eyes. Not only had Ling Yuqing survived, but she had also shared this crucial information with him alone, giving him an undeniable first-mover advantage.
Although Ning Fa's whereabouts were unknown, this was not a problem for him.
He knew that Ning Fa had a significant clan in Cangyuan, with quite a few members.
"Heh, a mere Nascent Soul Cultivator. How could you possibly control such a secret? The Human Realm is vast, but where can you possibly escape to?"
Yue Long let out a cold laugh, then transformed into a golden light and vanished.
Shortly thereafter, in Cangyuan's Changning Mountain Range, the current ancestral land of the Ning Family.
At the summit of a spiritual mountain in the center, a large area of ancestral clan pavilions had been razed to the ground, replaced by a vast, deep pit hundreds of feet wide.
Mysterious blood-colored markings adorned its surface, faintly emitting a sanguine glow, appearing exceptionally malevolent.
Around this deep pit stood nearly a thousand members of the Ning family. Most of them were disheveled, bearing injuries. Some were bound tightly, while others had barriers implanted within them, rendering them like fish on a chopping block, lambs awaiting slaughter.
More than a dozen black-clothed cultivators stood guard around them, their expressions indifferent.
The spiritual pressure emanating from these individuals was extremely powerful, with each at least at the Nascent Soul realm.
Just three days prior, these formidable cultivators had suddenly appeared and apprehended all the Ning family members. Over these three days, many Ning family members who were outside had also been captured and brought back.
Most of the Ning family members wore expressions of terror. Some of the younger ones had already begun to sob softly, but they were immediately reprimanded by older cultivators, who whispered, "What are you crying for! Even in death, we must not shame the backbone of our Ning family! Our ancestors will avenge us!"
In the center of the crowd were the Ning family's two Core Formation elders – Ning Zhongyuan and Ning Zhongjiu.
The two looked up at the terrifying figure in the sky, clad in dragon robes as if he were a world-ruling monarch, despair evident in their eyes.
They knew that even if Ning Fa returned, he wouldn't be able to deal with the enemy this time.
"Zhongjiu, the two of us brothers have finally reached this point...
But as long as Xiao Fa is still around, our Ning Family won't perish, and I believe Xiao Fa will definitely avenge us in the future!"
Ning Zhongyuan sighed first, then said with a determined expression.
Although Ning Zhongjiu was silent, he nodded heavily.
Just then, cries of grief could be heard. The black-clothed cultivators were mercilessly pushing many Ning family members into the deep pit.
Yue Long in the sky watched all of this with a cold expression. His eyes flashed, and he said in a low voice:
"That kid has quite the fortune, finding an ancient teleportation array and planning to send his clansmen and sect members to another cultivation world.
It's just a shame that the teleportation array encountered trouble at the last moment, forcing these people to return.
The key is that they don't know where that teleportation array is. The one that could reach it is another short-distance teleportation array, and the other end has also been destroyed.
Hmph, what does it matter even if you go to another cultivation world?
With so many of your clansmen here, enough to refine a top-grade Bloodline Pearl, I can find you no matter where you run to."
At this moment, nearly a thousand Ning family members had been pushed into the deep pit. The blood-colored markings on the surface of the pit were all lit up. For a moment, blood light surged from the pit, emitting an eerie and evil aura.
A cruel smile flickered across Yue Long's face as he raised his right hand, about to lower it.
Just then, his expression suddenly changed, and he looked forward.
Spiritual light flashed there, and in the blink of an eye, a figure materialized from blurry to solid, revealing an old Daoist with slightly graying hair.
He wore a patched-up blue robe, his hair was messy, and he looked unkempt. His face was unique. Although there was a smile on his lips, he gave off a slick and improper feeling.
"It's you! Tianyi!" Yue Long exclaimed in surprise upon seeing this person, a hint of wariness appearing between his brows.
The person who arrived was the mysterious Hermit Tianyi.
"Daoist Friend Yue Long, long time no see."
Tianyi said with a smile, then looked at the Ning family members in the deep pit below. He spoke as if with lingering fear, "Fortunately, fortunately, this old Daoist didn't arrive too late."
"Daoist Friend Tianyi, what do you mean by this? Are you trying to stop me?" Yue Long said coldly.
Tianyi sighed, "Yes, this old Daoist cannot let you kill these Ning family members."
A cold glint flashed in Yue Long's eyes. "I am determined to kill these Ning family members. I advise you not to meddle in other people's business."
Hermit Tianyi gave a seemingly helpless smile, then flipped his right hand, producing a blue circular disk about the size of his palm.
The surface of the disk was covered with mysterious star patterns, and over a hundred tiny points of light, like stars, floated on it. Fine threads of light connected them into a whole.
These tiny stars revolved in a profound pattern; merely looking at them made one feel dizzy.
"This is... the Hunyuan Disk! You actually brought out this Heaven-Piercing Spirit Treasure?"
Seeing this treasure, Yue Long couldn't help but be startled, his eyes filled with even more apprehension.
Although the spiritual energy of the Human Realm where they were located had changed drastically, it had also been glorious in ancient times. Thus, quite a few Heaven-Piercing Spirit Treasures had been passed down to the present.
Naturally, there were differences in strength and rank among Heaven-Piercing Spirit Treasures.
And this Hunyuan Disk from the Tianhong Hall was an extremely rare mid-grade Heaven-Piercing Spirit Treasure.
Once a treasure reached the level of a Heaven-Piercing Spirit Treasure, even a small difference in grade was like a chasm, enough to bridge the gap in cultivation realms between cultivators.
Even though Yue Long himself possessed a Heaven-Piercing Spirit Treasure, it was only a lower-grade one. It was still quite inferior to this Hunyuan Disk. This treasure was also very famous among cultivators like them in the Spirit Transformation stage.
"Daoist Friend Yue Long, Ning Fa is of great importance. This old Daoist cannot stand by and watch you slaughter his clansmen.
While my divine abilities are not as good as yours, Daoist Friend Yue Long, with this treasure, you shouldn't be able to do anything to me, so don't waste your effort."
Hermit Tianyi said with a chuckle.
"Oh, and what if you add us to the equation?"
Just then, a voice rang out.
Two points of light appeared in the sky. With just a few flashes, they arrived nearby.
They revealed themselves as a stiff-looking old man, Old Ghost Star Remains, and a handsome young man from the Sea Race, Kailandir, a Spirit Transformation cultivator of the Sea Race.
The two of them stood by Yue Long's side, looking at Tianyi with shared enmity.