Chapter 91

Yinggeye merely glanced at Jinling'er and then fell silent, drinking his clear wine alone.

Jinling'er did not disturb him, took a cup, poured herself a drink, and while sipping it, she looked toward the end of the bamboo grove, as if waiting for someone.

"Yin..."

A clear and resonant sword cry echoed, bamboo leaves fell one by one, and a gentle breeze blew. Yinggeye and Jinling'er both looked toward the bamboo grove.

A figure came riding on a sword, leaped a few times, and a man in white robes landed in the pavilion. He had a straight nose and bright eyes, and his brows were finely shaped. Seeing Jinling'er, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, then he smiled faintly and looked at Yinggeye.

"Brother Yingge, it's been a long time!"

Yinggeye stood up, clasped his hands in a salute, "Brother Chenyu, it's been a long time!"

Jinling'er also stood up, bowed, and smiled, "So it's Chenyu from Jinshan Temple, nice to meet you!"

"Jinling'er of Huanhuan Dao, I have heard much about you!" Chenyu laughed heartily.

Yinggeye extended his hand and smiled, "Please sit, it's not easy for Brother Chenyu to come out once."

"Alas, it's hard to explain. It's all because the old monks in the temple are too strict. If not for this time, the temple wouldn't have let me out." Chenyu smiled bitterly and sat down at the stone table.

Jinling'er smiled. Chenyu was a lay disciple of Jinshan Temple, but because of his mischievous nature, he was never restrained and enjoyed freedom. However, the abbot of Jinshan Temple said that Chenyu had a connection with Buddhism, so he was highly regarded.

"May I ask the Holy Maiden to play a tune?" Chenyu looked at Jinling'er and smiled faintly.

"Of course!"

Jinling'er flew into the bamboo grove and returned a moment later, holding a lute. Red gauze fluttered, and the lute music sounded like pearls falling on a jade plate.

"I wonder if the news from Xuixin Dao is accurate. It concerns events from eighteen years ago, and no one can be sure it's him." Chenyu picked up his wine cup, took a sip, and looked at Yinggeye.

"It's most likely him. I've seen him once, and the grand array of Xuixin Dao is no joke. In the last battle at Black Mountain, Xuixin Dao suffered heavy casualties, and the sect leader passed away. The grand elder relied on his connection with the Qin King to become the new sect leader. In the past two years, Xuixin Dao has gradually become a lackey of the royal family, killing many people of the demon path. The conflict between the righteous and the demon paths has become increasingly intense."

Chenyu's eyebrows lifted slightly as he looked at Yinggeye, "Because of this, the Daoist, demon, and evil sects of the Nine States have all been alarmed. As far as I know, the Five Dao, Three Sects, and Two Temples—Fangxian Dao, Xuixin Dao, Yuxian Dao, Tianmo Dao, Huanhuan Dao, Qingcheng Sword Sect, Baiyue Sect, Tianmen, Baima Temple, and Jinshan Temple—have all sent their experts. Ren Xiaoyao, Li Daoyuan, Xiao Yixuan, Fayuan, Nalan Hongye, and Yue Guocheng have all come to Dongting Lake. The righteous and the evil will gather at Dongting Lake, and there will be a battle."

Thinking of the impending disaster, both of them felt heavy-hearted and just drank, without speaking.

"I have always been curious, what does he have that makes Xuixin Dao unwilling to let go after eighteen years?" Jinling'er pressed the strings, the tune ended, and she smiled.

Yinggeye and Chenyu shook their heads and smiled bitterly, "Who knows what happened eighteen years ago. The older generation keeps it a secret. There are rumors that the Holy Maiden of Xuixin Dao stole a treasure map passed down by Xuixin Dao, which leads to the cave of an ancient immortal. There are also rumors that after Xiaotian assassinated Yang Jian, he obtained a treasure map of the Sui royal family. I think the latter is more likely. The Sui Dynasty lasted for over three hundred years, and the accumulation of several generations of the royal family is far more than what the Tang Dynasty discovered."

"Regardless of the reason, we need to find him first."

In the fishing village, several Daoists stood in Ning Wuxue's house, all frowning.

"Old Village Chief, do you know where else he might go?" The black-robed Daoist asked the old fisherman, looking at the talisman paper on the table that had not yet burned out. He walked over, picked it up, and sniffed it.

"The old man is not quite sure. Mr. Ning doesn't have many acquaintances in the village and rarely speaks to anyone. No one knows his background." The old fisherman was very respectful. These people suddenly appeared in the fishing village this morning, claiming to be looking for a distant relative. The old fisherman had seen some things in his life and could tell that these people were not here with good intentions.

In fact, this was not the first group to come looking for Ning Wuxue.

"Brother, how is it?"

The black-robed Daoist frowned deeply, "Someone has cast a spell here to disperse his demonic aura. Who could it be?"

"Damn it, we've been outdone again. The disciples of the righteous path have been restless these past few days. Could it be them?"

"Try to avoid conflict with the righteous path. It's not the right time yet."

The old fisherman watched the black-robed Daoists leave, looked at the house, closed the door, shook his head, and sighed softly, "I wonder what sin I have committed."

In the Dongting Dragon Palace, in the water palace, a silver glow flickered and moved, performing a series of agile and fluid movements. Sometimes it embraced the moon like a wolf, and sometimes it pounced like a fierce wolf, moving with incredible speed.

A kick was delivered, and the figure followed swiftly. The sharp claws dug into the rock wall, tearing off a handful of gravel, leaving eight claw marks on the wall. The figure landed with a thud, causing the ground to crack with fine fissures.

"Phew..."

Ning Wuxue took a deep breath, closed his eyes to meditate, and a white mist like a dragon enveloped him, his breath long and continuous. As his breathing calmed, Ning Wuxue opened his eyes, and a fierce and cold light flashed in his golden eyes.

"Ha ha ha, good, very good. I thought it would take you a month, but you managed it in just twenty days. The geomagnetic energy here is no longer useful to you."

The Dragon King of Dongting stood outside the cave, looking at Ning Wuxue, his eyes showing surprise. Ning Wuxue's transformation was so great that it was hard to believe. If the Ning Wuxue from over twenty days ago gave him the impression of a weak scholar, now he was like a fierce beast out of its cage, his lean and muscular body exuding danger.

In just ten days, Ning Wuxue had learned to withstand the compression of geomagnetic energy. Of course, these ten days refer to the time outside the cave. Inside the cave, time flows differently. Ten days outside the cave is equivalent to a hundred days inside.

The next ten days, Ning Wuxue used to hone his martial arts.

Martial arts are divided into physical conditioning, combat, and performance. The *Taiyin Jue* is a cultivation method for demons, naturally including various combat techniques of demon races. The *Huangti* given to him by the old demon of Black Mountain is a boxing method for strengthening the body. One for physical conditioning and one for combat, sufficient for him to practice.

Ning Wuxue put on a piece of clothing, walked out, and took a deep breath, "How about it, can I now withstand the power of the medicine?"

The Dragon King of Dongting nodded, looked Ning Wuxue up and down, and said solemnly, "Your bloodline talent is indeed stronger than I expected. However, the world is never short of geniuses. Throughout history, many geniuses have died on the path of cultivation. Those who truly reach the end are often those who are not so well-known. I hope you can go further."

On the path of cultivation, geniuses merely move faster than others, but moving fast does not mean moving far.

Ning Wuxue was silent for a moment, then nodded. Being a genius means facing far more storms and tribulations than ordinary people.

"I understand!"

The Dragon King of Dongting smiled faintly, "Follow me. This is not the place with the densest energy in the Dragon Palace. You will break through better there."