Cultivation Starting from Full Talent-Chapter 537 - 535 Blood Replacement

"Senior Ning, Miss Shen Qing requests an audience!"

Though her appearance was exceptionally beautiful and her demeanor soft and gentle, she greeted with a fist-holding salute.

"Hmm~~"

A ripple appeared on the prohibition of the Cave Mansion, and the voice of Ning Daoran came from within: "Building Master Shen, no need to keep up appearances, please come in quickly, Old Lu and I are just about to start cooking!"

"Excellent, right on!"

Shen Luoyan covered her mouth with a smile and floated into the Cave Mansion.

"Eh?"

Her gaze immediately fell on Ji Ning, and she smiled, "Senior Ning, where did you kidnap this little beauty from?"

"Cough cough..."

Ning Daoran explained, "This is Ji Ning, a disciple of a deceased friend of mine from Fanshu City in Qing State. I happened to meet her in Hun State, so I decided to offer her some protection."

"I see, I thought she was your little sweetheart."

"..."

Ning Daoran looked helpless: "Building Master, there’s no need to keep calling me ’Senior.’ I can’t afford such respect. If you really don’t know how to address me, just call me Little Ning..."

Shen Luoyan almost burst into laughter.

Although Ji Ning only sensed that the other party was a Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, Ning Daoran’s flattering way made her aware that the woman’s identity must be significant, and her cultivation was certainly more profound than it appeared.

"Ji Ning greets Senior Shen!"

"Mm, no worries."

Shen Luoyan patted Ji Ning on the shoulder, smiling, "I’ve known Ning Daoran for many years and would like to have a chat. If you have nothing else to do, why not go for a walk outside?"

"Okay!"

Ji Ning happily left.

"Such an obedient girl."

Shen Luoyan watched Ji Ning’s retreating figure and said, "Where did you find such a well-behaved girl? She’s really not your concubine?"

"Truly, she is not."

Ning Daoran helplessly responded, "Building Master, please stop teasing me. I’m off to cook with Old Lu."

"Alright."

Shen Luoyan took out a rattan chair from her Storage Bag, and lazily reclined in it inside the little pavilion of the Cave Mansion, soon emitting soft snores, apparently very tired recently.

Before long, a table of delicious dishes was ready.

Ning Daoran, Big Stupid Deer, and Little Bai were in attendance, and Shen Luoyan ate and drank delightfully. After the banquet, Big Stupid Deer and Little Bai went to wash the dishes, while Shen Luoyan raised her hand to set up a prohibition, veiling the area.

"Tell me, what’s the matter that brings you looking for me this time?" Ning Daoran asked with a smile.

"There’s not really any big issue, just something I had promised you long ago has now come time to be fulfilled. But before we chat, let me show you something."

Saying this, Shen Luoyan tapped her Storage Bag, and suddenly a large block of ice flew out and landed on the ground.

"Ah?"

Ning Daoran swept his Divine Sense over it and shivered slightly. It was a head encased in the ice, and the face was all too familiar.

"The State Preceptor of Sangyu Country? That Luo Qi?"

"Exactly."

Shen Luoyan smiled, "I didn’t expect you would know this State Preceptor, that makes things easier, saves me some explanations."

"This State Preceptor was killed by Building Master?"

"Correct."

Shen Luoyan said, "This man was about to die, and I just delivered the final blow."

"So..."

Ning Daoran said, "The matter Building Master wants to discuss, surely it’s not just about killing a State Preceptor, right?"

"Indeed."

Shen Luoyan said, "Not to conceal it from you, but after Sangyu Country was defeated on the border of my Xia Country a hundred years ago and became a vassal state, it has already become unstable. At this very moment, Sangyu Country is undergoing a drastic change, with internal and external conflicts coming to an unsolvable point."

"Building Master, please elaborate."

Ning Daoran took out a plate of Spirit Fruits and offered them.

Shen Luoyan shot him a ’knowing’ look, then reclined in the rattan chair, her long fair legs stretched out as she popped a Spirit Fruit into her mouth, thoroughly enjoying it.

"The royal family of Sangyu Country holds the surname Chen and has ruled for thousands of years. It is said that the founding Emperor of the Chen family once worked diligently and promised to prioritize the common folk, promising that subjects and cultivators would share all under heaven. But alas, how many years has it been, and the Chen Dynasty has already fallen into terminal decline...

In the Capital, officials collude with local authorities, forming cliques and factions, the local officials exploiting the common people, offering their hard-earned wealth to the capital officials, with both sides deeply entangled in mutual benefits. This is no secret. Why did Luo Qi seek a royal decree from Lu Yunzhou under the name of the Court to suppress the Qiyun Tower?

It was nothing more than a mutual benefit exchange between Luo Qi and Lu Yunzhou, and secondly, it was to instigate a fight between the Beast Taming Sect and the Qiyun Tower. It might seem like the Beast Taming Sect won, but actually, in this great battle, the Beast Taming Sect lost a significant number of young cultivators too, severely wounded in vitality. This battle itself is an attempt to weaken the Cultivation World of Hun State."

Ning Daoran frowned, "So, the real intention of the Court is to weaken the strength of the Cultivation World, in order to better control all under heaven?"

"Exactly."

Shen Luoyan popped a grape into her mouth and said, "But these are just trivial matters, you and I, as cultivators, mostly don’t bother with the sufferings of the mundane world. However, recently the reach of the Chen Dynasty has stretched too far, they’re not satisfied with just suppressing and weakening the local cultivation world of Sangyu Country, they’ve even begun targeting the Slaying Immortal Tower."

"Wow, isn’t that stirring up a hornet’s nest?"

"Exactly."

Shen Luoyan chuckled lightly: "I can endure other things, but the fact that the State Preceptor is conspiring with the Emperor to gradually weaken Slaying Immortal Tower, even intending to eradicate all its branches across the various provinces of Sangyu Country, this I, Shen Luoyan, absolutely cannot tolerate. Hence, since the Chen Dynasty’s Emperor has become so muddled, there’s no need for him to remain on the throne. The court is terminally ill; it’s better to uproot it entirely and have a new group govern the nation. It would indeed be more refreshing that way."

"So..."

Ning Daoran frowned slightly: "Is Slaying Immortal Tower planning to assassinate the monarch?"

"Exactly."

Shen Luoyan smiled lightly: "The task at hand is indeed regicide. Since the Chen Dynasty intends to target Slaying Immortal Tower, then Slaying Immortal Tower must strike first. I have already ordered the assembly of our forces within Sangyu Country, ready to launch an assassination campaign against the capital. You are free to join or observe as you see fit."

"Do I also have a part?"

Ning Daoran revealed a slight smile: "Such an eventful affair, I of course must go."

"Hmm."

Shen Luoyan nodded and then with a meaningful smile said: "I heard that two years ago you helped the Beast Taming Sect eradicate the ancestral home of Qiyun Tower, even killing Jing Long’s Nascent Soul Spiritual Beast, the Bamboo Stick Insect. However, you ended up being treacherously backstabbed by Lu Yunzhou. Is this true?"

"Speaking of which, it’s quite embarrassing."

Ning Daoran clenched his fist: "In all my years of cultivation, I’ve never suffered such a loss."

"No worries."

Shen Luoyan smiled lightly: "After the upheaval in the Capital, there will be changes in the Martial God Pavilion and Zhenxian Tower, which are affiliated with the court. Then, the era of Lu Yunzhou holding great power and having the moral high ground will be over, and you will have many opportunities to exact revenge for this arrow."

"Master Shen speaks highly."

Ning Daoran asked: "When do we leave?"

"The great battle is imminent, should we leave in a bit?"

"Sure!"

Ning Daoran suddenly frowned again: "I have one more thing to ask Master Shen for guidance on."

"What is it?"

"Why is it that no matter where I hide, Master Shen can always find my location so precisely, is uncovering my whereabouts really that simple?"

"This..."

Shen Luoyan pursed her lips and said, "I don’t really know... If you really want a clear answer, I’d like to call it a kind of tacit connection. When someone is on my mind, I can sense where they are."

Ning Daoran broke out in a cold sweat.

Why does even Shen Luoyan’s speech sound so flirty now? It must be an illusion.

In the dead of night, Ning Daoran handed over the Cave Mansion Jade Token to Ji Ning to manage, while he and Shen Luoyan left floating away, turning into two crimson tunneling lights, disappearing into the horizon.

...

Ten days later.

Sangyu Country, Capital.

Ning Daoran revisited the old grounds, feeling slightly emotional.

The last time he came for the Four Symbols Spear Technique, he did not expect to catch the attention of Snow Soul True Monarch. Fortunately, with his profound foundations, he wasn’t murdered in his dreams by this Nascent Soul True Monarch.

Later, he even battled Lin Guo for over a hundred rounds in the Martial Temple, eventually winning Lin Guo’s approval and acquiring the highly secretive Four Symbols Spear Technique.

The acquisition of the Four Symbols Spear Technique was a complement to Ning Daoran’s close-combat skills. Without this spear technique, the terrifying aspects of his Dragon Demon Martial Infant and Mixed Element Realm cultivation could not have been fully realized. Relying solely on Dragon Demon Heart Scripture was insufficient, as the scripture focused on inner strength, but to unleash that inner strength, a combat technique like the Four Symbols Spear Technique was necessary.

So, are he and Lin Guo friends?

If so, if they meet again in the capital this time, it might not be so pleasant.

Lin Guo and Snow Soul True Monarch are affiliated with the Martial Temple, and the Martial Temple is loyal to the Chen Dynasty.

This time, Ning Daoran’s role is a cultivator from Slaying Immortal Tower. If he meets Lin Guo again, they might indeed clash in a bitter struggle to the death!

"Thump thump thump~~~"

As dawn broke, majestic spirit boats spanned across the clouds above.

On the spirit boats, flags of Slaying Immortal Tower were flying.

"Swish swish!"

Following two flashes of light, Ning Daoran and Shen Luoyan landed on a massive spirit boat at the center, where several Nascent Soul Great Cultivators, many of whom he knew, stood on the deck.

Vice Tower Master Long Xingtian, a Nascent Soul Middle Stage Cultivator, this goes without saying.

Sea Covering Monarch, also a Nascent Soul Middle Stage Cultivator, possessing a Treasure that Ning Daoran greatly coveted, the Sea Covering Immortal Furnace, this also needs no commentary.

Additionally, there were several Nascent Soul Cultivators he had met before; all this was normal, but Ning Daoran was surprised to see that Lin Tiannan, City Lord of Kunpeng Immortal City, was also present!

The renowned master of the Southern Heaven Palace, a Nascent Soul Middle Stage Cultivator, was also a member of Slaying Immortal Tower?

This was truly unexpected; such a strong-featured individual joining such a free-spirited organization!

"Young Friend Ning!"

Lin Tiannan greeted him first, smiling: "I never imagined that since our parting in Kunpeng Immortal City, you would advance so boldly and diligently, having smoothly ascended to Nascent Soul, truly a fortunate event for Xia Country’s Cultivation World!"

"Just by luck... pure luck!"

Ning Daoran returned the greeting with a smile: "Meeting City Lord Lin in Sangyu Country indeed brings me great joy!"

"Excellent, truly excellent! United here, let’s bleed the Cultivation World of Sangyu Country a bit!" Lin Tiannan exclaimed enthusiastically.

"Cough cough..."

Not too far away, Long Xingtian coughed lightly, signaling the two to keep it down a bit, as the place was filled with many Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators from Sangyu Country’s Slaying Immortal Tower.