In the blink of an eye, that graceful figure had already flown close.
She was clad in a silver-white palace dress, with strands of white radiance swirling around her like ribbons.
Her beauty was such that even the bright moon in the sky paled in comparison.
Her eyes, like the stars and moon, shone brilliantly.
Her aura was ethereal and transcendent, as if a fairy from the Moon Palace had descended to earth.
It was none other than the Divine Maiden, Zhu Lingyun.
Having once been subjected to the Nine Li God Sealing Curse, she had now finally been reborn from the ashes.
Ning Fa gazed at her intently, his eyes filled with emotion. Though a thousand words rushed through his mind, he found himself unable to speak.
Le'er, cradled in his arms, looked back and forth between the two with her large eyes, then suddenly exclaimed, "Father, Mother, what's wrong? Don't you recognize each other?"
As if reminded, Ning Fa looked at Zhu Lingyun and said in a deep voice, "Lingyun, you're finally awake."
This intimate address caused Zhu Lingyun to furrow her brow slightly, but she still nodded gently. "I must thank you for venturing to Tianli to find the Thousand Soul Grass and for refining that Soul-Bending Pill for me. Without it, Le'er and I might not have survived to wake up."
As she spoke, a complex expression flickered across Zhu Lingyun's beautiful eyes.
Ning Fa shook his head. "You are my Dao Companion, and Le'er is our daughter. It's only natural that I would do this. There's no need to be so distant."
Zhu Lingyun's brow furrowed again, followed by a soft sigh. "What happened between us was merely a coincidence. Let's not mention the matter of being Dao Companions again."
Seeing this, Ning Fa could only offer a bitter smile. He knew it wouldn't be this easy.
Le'er, overhearing them, became anxious. She quickly flew to Zhu Lingyun's side, tightly grasping her hand, her face filled with worry. "Mother, what's wrong? Are you leaving Father? It took so long for Le'er to see Father again."
As she spoke, Le'er erupted into sobs.
Zhu Lingyun looked at Le'er, and her eyes immediately softened with affection. The ethereal Moon Palace fairy transformed into a doting mother.
She wiped away Le'er's tears and said gently, "Le'er, you're still young and don't understand adult matters. But no matter what, we are your parents, and that will never change."
Ning Fa looked at her and said seriously, "Lingyun, can't you understand my feelings for you? Since we've already shared intimacy and have Le'er, why won't you accept me?"
Zhu Lingyun's black hair fluttered in the wind, and her star-lake-like eyes once again held a complex expression. She sighed softly. "I never intended to become a Dao Companion with anyone, and my feelings haven't changed. Moreover..."
At this point, Zhu Lingyun stopped speaking.
Ning Fa's heart sank. Although Zhu Lingyun hadn't finished her sentence, he understood her meaning.
If Ning Fa had been alone, Zhu Lingyun might have agreed to be his Dao Companion for the sake of their child.
The problem was that Ning Fa already had other Dao Companions, and quite a few of them, which was clearly unacceptable to Zhu Lingyun.
However, Ning Fa quickly regained his composure. He stared intently at Zhu Lingyun and declared, "Lingyun, I will definitely make you change your mind."
Zhu Lingyun furrowed her brows but said nothing further.
At this moment, Le'er quietly looked at Ning Fa and transmitted a message, "Father, keep it up! Le'er will help you too. Mother dotes on Le'er the most."
Ning Fa smiled warmly. He decided not to press the issue further and changed the subject. "Lingyun, how are you feeling now? Has the Nine Li God Sealing Curse truly been completely broken?"
Zhu Lingyun gave him a somewhat helpless look at Ning Fa's continued intimate address, then nodded gently.
Ning Fa immediately asked again, "Have you truly mastered the Nirvana Soul Essence Technique from the complete Primordial Soul Splitting Art?"
"Yes, and I owe much of it to Le'er's help, as well as the Soul-Bending Pill with the One Dao Mark that you refined for me. Otherwise, it would have been very difficult for me to cultivate it successfully."
Ning Fa asked nervously, "Have you noticed anything unusual?"
A hint of recollection appeared in Zhu Lingyun's eyes as she slowly replied:
"I know what you're worried about. In fact, by the time I had cultivated the Nirvana Soul Essence Technique to a significant extent, I had already broken free from the Nine Li God Sealing Curse.
But ever since then, a malevolent force tried to invade my Divine Soul. If it had succeeded, I might have become an unconscious puppet by now.
Fortunately, Le'er helped me at that time and helped me defeat that malevolent force."
As she spoke, Zhu Lingyun looked at Le'er again, her eyes filled with tenderness.
At this moment, Le'er had already zipped over and perched on Ning Fa's shoulder. She tilted her small face up and proudly sought praise from Ning Fa. "Father, wasn't Le'er amazing?"
Ning Fa looked at his daughter with astonishment. It seemed Le'er's extraordinary nature surpassed even his imagination.
That malevolent force must have been left by that powerful Ancient Immortal, and Le'er had managed to break free from it.
Ning Fa asked Le'er in surprise, "How did you help Mother?"
Le'er tilted her head. "I can't really explain it. And I felt that besides me, other forces were also helping Mother at that time."
Ning Fa was even more surprised by this and looked at Zhu Lingyun.
Zhu Lingyun's brow was also slightly furrowed. "That's right. Even with Le'er's assistance, that force was still very powerful, and the situation was critical.
But at that moment, the Taiyin Moon Essence Power around me suddenly became extremely dense, and with its aid, we managed to completely defeat that force.
However, to this day, I still don't know why. Was it a fortunate encounter with a celestial phenomenon, or was someone helping me from the shadows..."
Hearing this, Ning Fa's brow furrowed. It seemed the situation behind this was not as simple as he had initially thought.
He didn't press for details, as Zhu Lingyun and Le'er were safe for now.
Ning Fa said in a deep voice, "The ancient immortal's unfathomable nature cannot be judged by ordinary means. It's possible that he could rise again."
"I've gotten you the Soul Nurturing Divine Spring, as well as the powerful Divine Soul Secret Technique from the old Blood Heaven Sect, the Primordial Soul Splitting Art. Once you cultivate it successfully, you won't have to fear that Ancient Immortal anymore."
As he spoke, Ning Fa handed Zhu Lingyun several Purifying Bottles containing the Soul Nurturing Divine Spring and a Jade Slip.
Zhu Lingyun was taken aback at first, looking at Ning Fa with a complicated expression in her eyes. She naturally knew how precious these two items were and didn't reach out to take them immediately.
At this moment, Le'er's eyes darted around, and she immediately flew over, taking the items into her arms before pushing them into Zhu Lingyun's hands without further ado.
"Mom, if you're going to be so formal with Dad, Le'er will get angry!" Le'er said, hands on her hips, her little face stern.
Zhu Lingyun smiled helplessly and put the items away.
Just then, a sound of wind breaking through the air announced the arrival of two figures, Luo Feixuan and the Heavenly Treasure Immortal Merchant.
Luo Feixuan observed the family of three, her gaze especially fixed on Zhu Lingyun, causing the latter to frown slightly. She also glanced at Ning Fa with a faint look, clearly misunderstanding the situation.
Ning Fa couldn't help but smile wryly, blaming his reputation.
He was about to introduce them.
But at this moment, the Heavenly Treasure Immortal Merchant, who had been maintaining a calm demeanor as if nothing could disturb his peace, suddenly changed his expression upon seeing Le'er. He stared intently at her.
Le'er's small face immediately showed fear, and she zipped behind Ning Fa, peeking out from behind him to look at the merchant.
Zhu Lingyun also furrowed her delicate brows and moved closer to Ning Fa, sensing the unfathomable depth of the Heavenly Treasure Immortal Merchant.
"Don't be scared, Le'er. Daoist Heavenly Treasure is Dad's friend."
Ning Fa said to Le'er with a smile, then looked at the Heavenly Treasure Immortal Merchant in surprise, "Daoist Heavenly Treasure, what is this?"
He noticed that Heavenly Treasure, who had always been like a block of wood, now had an expression full of pleasant surprise, which made him wary.
At this moment, the Heavenly Treasure Immortal Merchant turned to Luo Feixuan and said in an irrefutable tone, "Daoist Luo, please step aside for a moment. I need to conduct a transaction, and it has nothing to do with you."
Luo Feixuan's delicate brows rose slightly. She took another deep look at Zhu Lingyun before gracefully departing.
Ning Fa's brow furrowed even deeper. Could the transaction Heavenly Treasure mentioned be related to Le'er?
At this point, the Heavenly Treasure Immortal Merchant had once again cast that unique golden net soundproofing barrier. He said solemnly:
"Daoist Ning, your daughter is an Immortal Descendant."
He then sighed, "Even in the Spirit Realm, Immortal Descendants are exceedingly rare. I never expected one to be born in the lower realm with such thin Spiritual Energy."
Ning Fa and Zhu Lingyun exchanged bewildered glances; neither of them had heard this term before.
From Heavenly Treasure's words, it seemed that Immortal Descendants were a very powerful race in the Spirit Realm. The fact that even the Heavenly Treasure Immortal Merchant was so shocked indicated their extraordinary nature.
But the problem was, both of them were genuine humans. How could Le'er be an Immortal Descendant?
"Can Daoist Heavenly Treasure explain it more clearly?" Ning Fa asked anxiously.
The Heavenly Treasure Immortal Merchant's expression returned to calm as he explained:
"Immortal Descendants are not descendants in the way you understand it. It's more like a cultivator's Spiritual Root, determined by heaven. Once chosen by the Great Dao, they automatically become part of the Immortal Descendant race.
Every Immortal Descendant possesses unfathomable cultivation potential and very powerful innate racial abilities.
Basically, as long as they don't die prematurely, they can grow into high-level cultivators, and they are generally stronger than cultivators of the same level.
In fact, to some extent, Immortal Descendants are even stronger than the descendants of many True Spirits.
With such natural advantages, they are called descendants of immortals.
So, even though the Immortal Descendant race is small in number in the Spirit Realm, they are still a force to be reckoned with. However, the Immortal Descendant race has always been extremely mysterious, and the outside world's understanding of them is just the tip of the iceberg."
Ning Fa was somewhat dumbfounded. Although he had expected Le'er's potential to be extraordinary, it seemed his expectations were still too conservative.
This Immortal Descendant race sounded incredibly powerful, even surpassing many True Spirit descendants.
At this point, the Heavenly Treasure Immortal Merchant pointed to the conspicuous nine-colored spiritual flower pattern on Le'er's forehead and said, "This is the unique mark of the Immortal Descendant race—the Immortal Extreme Flower."
Le'er, who had already become somewhat frightened by the conversation, peeked her head out from behind Ning Fa and shouted, "I'm not any Immortal Descendant, I'm human!"
Zhu Lingyun also calmed down slightly from her shock. It seemed she had thought of something, and immediately asked, "Daoist, judging by your words, does this Immortal Descendant race actively seek out their awakened members and bring them back to the clan?"
As she spoke, Zhu Lingyun clenched her fists tightly, her face filled with anxiety.
Ning Fa's heart also tightened abruptly.
The Heavenly Treasure Immortal Merchant nodded, "Indeed. Every awakened Immortal Descendant is sensed by their clan, and then someone will be sent to guide them, cutting off all previous ties."
"No, I don't want to be an Immortal Descendant! I want to stay with Mom and Dad forever!" Le'er cried out loudly upon hearing this.
Zhu Lingyun's face also turned deathly pale.
Ning Fa took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, and immediately asked, "Can they send people down to this realm?"
The Heavenly Treasure Immortal Merchant pondered for a moment, "I've never heard of Immortal Descendants being born in such a lower plane, so I don't know if they can sense it.
If it were another lower realm, perhaps it would be possible. But the current Human Realm is sealed by a powerful force. There might still be a way to sneak into the Spirit Realm, but it should be impossible for the Spirit Realm to send someone down again. Moreover, it's highly likely that the Immortal Descendant race cannot sense it either."
Hearing this, Ning Fa and Zhu Lingyun both breathed a sigh of relief.
Ning Fa let out a wry laugh. His two children were truly more heaven-defying than the other.
His son had attracted the covetous attention of Outer Realm Heavenly Demons before he was even born, and his daughter was a legendary Immortal Descendant. He now wished they merely possessed ordinary Spiritual Roots.
At this moment, the Heavenly Treasure Immortal Merchant looked at Ning Fa with a solemn expression and said, "Daoist Ning, I wish to make a transaction with your daughter, that is, this newborn Immortal Descendant. Given her young age, I will temporarily ask for your opinion."
"What kind of deal?" Ning Fa furrowed his brows, beginning to understand why the Heavenly Treasure Immortal Merchant had been so overjoyed just now.
The Heavenly Treasure Immortal Merchant said frankly, "To be honest, I do come from the Spirit Realm. I was forced to flee to this plane after a confrontation with a powerful enemy.
During that escape, a very important treasure of mine was severely damaged.
For many years, I've tried to repair it, but I haven't succeeded.
However, your daughter, once she advances to the Spirit Transformation realm, should awaken a unique ability of the Immortal Descendant clan.
With that, she might be able to help me fully repair that treasure, or at least a major part of it.
So, the deal I wish to make is a promise: I hope your daughter can help me repair this treasure after she advances to the Spirit Transformation realm in the future.
In return, the time limit you originally paid for my services can be extended.
This means that five drops of Star River Essence Dew and twenty top-grade Water Spirit Stones can hire me for a hundred years.
Furthermore, if my treasure is repaired because of this, then the matter you previously asked me about – whether I could ascend to the Spirit Realm with you – I can also agree to that."
Ning Fa couldn't help but be startled. The Heavenly Treasure Immortal Merchant had just increased the original time limit tenfold. This meant his existing Origin Points could hire him for another five hundred years, which would be incredibly cost-effective.
Meanwhile, Zhu Lingyun's delicate brows knitted as she looked at Ning Fa, opening her mouth to speak.
At this moment, Ning Fa's sharp eyebrows furrowed as he said, "Dao Companion Tianbao, will Le'er suffer a great cost helping you repair the treasure, perhaps by depleting her own essence?"
Zhu Lingyun let out a sigh of relief, her gaze towards Ning Fa softening considerably.
The Heavenly Treasure Immortal Merchant calmly replied, "You can rest assured about that. It might cause her to expend some vital energy, but it absolutely won't harm her essence.
Moreover, to be frank, once your daughter advances to the Spirit Transformation realm, with her Immortal Descendant aptitude, there will likely be no one in this world who can do anything to her, including myself.
If you're still not at ease, I have a fifth-tier Taiyi Divine Contract here. We can sign this agreement."