“Die, demon!” While Ning Buwei was in a daze, someone suddenly shouted angrily, and a palm strike flew towards Ning Xiu, Jiang Yizheng, and others behind him.
Ning Buwei’s eyes turned cold. He flew forward and forcefully met that palm strike.
Feng Zizhang reacted quickly for the first time, wanting to protect his younger brothers and sisters. As a result, he slipped and fell into the sea with a splash.
Ning Buwei diverted his attention to save him, but unexpectedly saw a figure that shook his mind.
The formation that had originally restrained Ning Fan and Xie Jiu suddenly loosened, revealing a momentary flaw. Two streaks of light instantly escaped.
However, neither of them noticed two black insects that clung to the back of their necks, silently merging into them.
Although Wang Bin’s sneak attack failed, his goal had been achieved. After a feint, he disappeared without a trace.
Feng Zizhang splashed up from the seawater, with various bits and pieces hanging on him. Jiang Yizheng hurriedly helped him remove them.
“The Purple Mansion is gone!” Someone emerged from the sea, exclaiming in exasperation. “Venerable Jinghe’s Purple Mansion has been taken away!”
“Could someone have taken it away in the chaos?” A young cultivator scanned the surroundings.
Many of the elders present were from various major sects and families. It was not impossible for someone to quietly take away a Purple Mansion while others weren’t paying attention.
“Why? Shouldn’t we all get a share?” Someone grumbled sarcastically, “Just because they have higher cultivation doesn’t mean they can bully us like this…”
Some frowned, disapproving. “Venerable Jinghe sacrificed himself to protect everyone. He just passed away, and you’re already fighting over his Purple Mansion—”
“You say that, but we’ll naturally remember Venerable Jinghe’s kindness in our hearts. However, even if we don’t take it, others will. Why let others benefit for nothing?”
“This is a rare great opportunity…”
Some cultivators who felt this behavior was highly inappropriate stayed far away from those who were red-eyed for treasures, but they were ultimately the minority.
With profit in sight, and a huge profit at that, few could suppress their greed.
Even some elders began searching everywhere, trying to find the person who had taken the Purple Mansion for themselves.
Hao Zheng listened to these cultivators’ words and sighed.
A disciple beside him said, “Dean, these people are too much. They didn’t act like this when they were under the Venerable’s protection earlier. It’s really not worth it for Venerable Jinghe.”
Hao Zheng shook his head, “This is just human nature.”
Sang Tian looked at the scattered remains of Dao Discussion Mountain floating on the sea surface, his face pale. Someone approached to report to him, “Acting Tower Master, of the Canghai Tower disciples… only two or three out of ten remain. The madam, young miss, and young masters were far away and were rescued in time, so they are unharmed.”
“As long as they’re alive, it’s good…” Sang Tian’s eyes were dejected, but he forced himself to be positive, “Organize the remaining disciples to search and salvage.”
“Yes, and our Canghai Tower’s Soul-Calming Flowing Cloud…”
Hearing this, Sang Tian spread his divine consciousness to try to find traces of the Soul-Calming Flowing Cloud, but to no avail. Even if he could find it, he didn’t have the confidence to snatch it from Ning Buwei’s hands.
After a moment, he flew on his sword to Hao Zheng’s front, bowed and said, “Thank you, Daen Hao, for lending a hand.”
Hao Zheng said, “No need to thank me. Ning Fan and Xie Jiu had set up a fortune-exchange formation on Dao Discussion Mountain. If it wasn’t for Ning Buwei forcibly changing the formation at the crucial moment, I’m afraid your Sang family’s fortune would have been completely extinguished.”
Sang Tian’s expression changed drastically.
“He saved your Canghai Tower Sang clan’s fortune, leaving you a glimmer of hope—” Hao Zheng looked at Sang Tian with a far-reaching gaze, “This karmic debt, even after a hundred or thousand years, will be difficult for your generation to repay.”
Sang Tian bowed deeply, “Thank you, Dean Hao, for your guidance.”
Hao Zheng sighed, “I wouldn’t call it guidance. I just hope your Sang family will act wisely.”
As soon as he finished speaking, dozens of streaks of light suddenly arrived from the horizon.
It was Shang Nuanwei who had arrived with her people, accompanied by Shen Xi.
Shang Nuanwei handed a scroll of paper to Hao Zheng, saying, “We have found a way to break these parasitic gu, but implementing it will be a bit troublesome.”
Hao Zheng nodded and passed it to an elder beside him, saying, “Send people to distribute this. No one is allowed to leave this place on their own before the parasitic gu are completely eliminated.”
The person took the method to remove the gu and left. Soon after, everyone rushed up to get it. After all, with gu in their bodies that could cause them to go berserk at any time, they couldn’t help but worry.
After the initial chaos, the various sects quickly organized themselves. With people from Canghai Tower and Wanxuan Academy maintaining order, it suddenly looked orderly.
However, some cultivators who were still obsessed with Venerable Jinghe’s Purple Mansion persisted in searching the sea. After a scolding from the hot-tempered Shang Nuanwei, they also obediently went to remove the parasitic gu.
Shang Nuanwei returned to Hao Zheng’s side to remove the parasitic gu from his body, saying, “Earlier, no matter what we did, we couldn’t contact Dao Discussion Mountain. All messages sent were never returned. If we hadn’t met Elder Shen Xi from the Wushi Sect, I’m afraid we would have arrived even later.”
Shen Xi’s face was still pale, but at least she could move freely now. She had been recuperating in her room, but when she sensed the disturbance in the Changsheng Dao Field, she found a loophole during the chaos of the formation and escaped from Dao Discussion Mountain. She happened to meet Shang Nuanwei and others who were helpless to enter Dao Discussion Mountain, and helped bring them in. The Wushi Sect disciples who were trapped in Yumian Mountain were fortunately saved from this disaster as they were timely transferred to Leyuan City.
“I have contacted the sect leader. People from the Wushi Sect and Chongzheng Alliance are on their way,” Shen Xi said.
The fall of Venerable Jinghe was undoubtedly a major event for the Wushi Sect. Having studied with Chu Linyuan for so many years, it was the first time she saw a shocked and helpless expression on her usually unperturbed master’s face.
Venerable Jinghe’s fall was a fatal blow to the entire Wushi Sect.
Hao Zheng sighed, then said seriously, “This time, it was Ning Fan and Xie Jiu who caused trouble, and even the Wang family was involved. All sects suffered heavy losses. However, when I searched the surroundings earlier, I didn’t find any trace of them…”
Sang Tian, listening on the side, was about to mention Ning Buwei, but suddenly remembered what Hao Zheng had said earlier about fortune. He sheepishly closed his mouth.
How could their Sang family repay such a great favor?
On the sea surface, Jimo Hongcai, having removed the poison of the parasitic gu from Bu Qing and Zong Liu, Zong Sheng, was saying goodbye to Pei Heguang.
“Thank you for your help in the Dao Field, Brother Pei,” Jimo Hongcai bowed to him and said, “If it weren’t for Brother Pei, we few would have hardly escaped this disaster. We can’t repay such great kindness. In the future, when Brother Pei goes to Qingdan Hall for medicine, just mention my name, and it will all be free.”
Pei Heguang scratched his head embarrassedly and smiled, “Oh, it was just a small effort.”
After parting with Pei Heguang, Bu Qing said to Jimo Hongcai. “Senior brother, didn’t we previously promise to give Ning… the Soul-Stabilizing Pill?”
Jimo Hongcai’s eyes held an indecipherable meaning as he said in a low voice. “We’ll discuss this matter later.”
On the beach far away, a girl who looked no more than fifteen hurriedly entered a nearby flying boat.
A woman wearing a goose-yellow robe was drinking tea on the boat, with a gentle girl of eighteen or nineteen standing beside her, carefully refilling her tea.
“Master, I heard that the fortune-exchange formation was broken by Mr. Ning,” Zhong’er lifted the curtain and walked in, saying, “Although the Sang family suffered heavy losses, their lifeline remains, and their fortune still exists.”
“Master, is this the glimmer of hope you said you sought for the Sang family?” Yinan boldly asked.
“That’s right,” Sang Yun slowly said, “If it weren’t for the opportunity accumulated by our ancestors, even a hundred Soul-Calming Flowing Clouds might not have been enough to seek this glimmer of hope, let alone one.”
“The opportunity accumulated by our ancestors?” Yinan had heard a lot about the Sang family from Zhong’er these days, “Could it be Ancestor Sang Panfeng?”
Sang Yun neither confirmed nor denied.
“Then Mr. Ning—” Zhong’er was somewhat worried, “How can we repay such a great favor?”
“That’s for the Sang family to consider,” Sang Yun said. “It no longer concerns us.”
“Master, has Venerable Jinghe really fallen?”
“The secrets of heaven cannot be revealed.”
The spirit boat silently flew into the clouds, getting further and further away from the remains of Dao Discussion Mountain, until it disappeared.
****
A giant jade ruler was flying high in the sky.
Big Yellow stood on the ruler, slipped, and vigorously shook off the seawater on his body, letting out a big sneeze.
Jiang Yizheng was healing Feng Zizhang. Although he had luckily escaped from Chu Xin’s hands, he was still seriously injured.
Cui Yuanbai sat beside Ning Buwei, his brows tightly furrowed, looking quite uncomfortable.
Ning Xiu was held in Ning Buwei’s arms, tugging hard at his sleeve, “Ah~dada~”
Father~ Where did Mother go~
Ning Buwei put away the newly acquired Suzaku knife fragment, his gaze obscure.
Cui Yuanbai tugged at his sleeve and said softly, “Dad, I don’t feel well.”
Ning Buwei suddenly came back to his senses and picked him up, placing him on his lap, “Where don’t you feel well?”
“My stomach.” Cui Yuanbai lowered his head and patted his belly, “It feels so full.”
Ning Buwei checked his pulse. There was a slight indigestion. He asked, “What did you eat earlier?”
“I just swallowed that Purple Mansion,” Cui Yuanbai frowned tightly, “Father told me not to throw it up no matter how uncomfortable I felt.”
“Oh, of course you’d feel uncomfortable after swallowing the Purple Mansion—” Ning Buwei suddenly froze, his voice suddenly rising, “What did you say you swallowed!?”
Cui Yuanbai looked bewildered and said, “That big Purple Mansion that fell into the sea just now, the one that Dad and Father rescued me from before.”
He sighed in an imitative manner, “Father said this Purple Mansion was mine, and I couldn’t let others snatch it away. I had to swallow it as soon as it appeared.”
Ning Buwei: “……”
That Chu Jun, really…
Swallowing a Purple Mansion realm whole was something only cultivators above the Fusion stage could barely manage. However, Cui Yuanbai was originally the spirit of the Purple Flame Knife, and this Yumian Mountain Purple Mansion realm was formed after his own father’s fall. Naturally, he could swallow it.
Not only could he swallow it, but he could also fully refine it into his own Purple Mansion.
Moreover, this Yumian Mountain realm had just been discovered not long ago. The treasures Cui Chenghong had accumulated for a lifetime, plus all the spiritual objects and treasures formed by gathering the essence of heaven and earth over these ten thousand years…
It was a windfall from heaven.
To what extent was this fortune? In short, even if Cui Chenghong were alive now, he would be envious enough to fight for it desperately.
With this Purple Mansion, Cui Yuanbai wouldn’t need to work hard to find opportunities and accumulate wealth like other cultivators in the future. The things inside were enough to support this little guy all the way to ascension.
Ning Buwei vigorously rubbed Cui Yuanbai’s head, “Listen to your mother. No matter how uncomfortable you feel, don’t throw it up.”
“Mother?” Cui Yuanbai looked confused.
“‘Dad’ and ‘Father’ mean the same thing,” Ning Buwei pointed at himself, correcting his “incorrect” way of addressing, “That surnamed Chu can be your mother.”
“But…” Cui Yuanbai hesitated.
“Call me ‘Dad’, and I’ll help you rub your tummy,” Ning Buwei said quite shamelessly.
Cui Yuanbai didn’t hesitate. “Dad.”
