Chapter 538 - Orders From The Central State, Southeastern Cultivator Union (1/2)
(Unedited)
After Si Wuxie’s clone was gone, Ning Fan stood on the reef of the South Sea.
A huge reef beside him was carved with two graceful words that were of the small plum blossom calligraphy style. They should be the words that Si Wuxie carved on it when she was waiting for Ning Fan.
Sky’s Horizon…
Apparently, these two words that Si Wuxie left behind expressed her intention to bid farewell to Ning Fan.
Unfortunately, Ning Fan stubbornly embraced her, vowing to become her tribulation. Probably, he was not going to give her a chance to bid farewell to him…
Looking at the flowing sea water, Ning Fan’s eyes gradually turned deep.
The waves splashing on the shores had their ebbs and flows. At the end of the day, they would need to return to the vast ocean.
She’s left… At the end of the day, she still belongs to Kunlun Jade Pool.
“So after fifty years have passed, I still feel slightly reluctant…”
Ning Fan sighed gently.
He remembered the promise he made to Si Wuxie. Fifty years later, he would head to the Ancient Heavenly Court to search for the Undying Tree. Today, however, he must return to Seven Apricot City.
Just as he was about to leave, a message-transmitting flying sword suddenly appeared in the sky, flying toward him by tracking his qi.
Ning Fan made a wave with an open palm, catching the flying sword into his hand and broke it as soon as he caught it.
A voice immediately echoed into Ning Fan’s ears. It was Xu Qiuling’s voice.
“If you’ve successfully attained the Void Inquiry Stage, return as soon as possible. There are guests in Seven Apricot City – the Qiu and Han companions from the Southeastern Cultivator Union.”
Ten years had passed. Xu Qiuling had already broken through to the Mid Divine Transformation Realm and had the ability to send out message-transmitting flying swords.
Zhi He, Lan Mei, Bai Lu and others had also achieved the Gold Core Realm. Even Bai Su had already advanced to the Harmonious Spirit Realm.
Yue Lingkong, on the other hand, had a huge improvement in her magic power under the help of the moonlight gemstone that Ning Fan gave to her. However, she was still far away from advancing to the Void Pierce Stage. That moonlight gemstone was none other than the gemstone Ning Fan obtained from the auction in the Mist Horn Clan in the past.
After hearing Xu Qiuling’s voice, Ning Fan’s face looked as if he was deep in thought.
Some guests had visited Seven Apricot City. They were the Qiu and Han companions, who were members of the Southeastern Cultivator Union of the Rain World.
One hundred plus cultivation countries including Yue Country were all located at the southeastern continent of the Rain World. Before the rise of Seven Apricot City, the largest force on the continent was none other than the Southeastern Cultivator Union.
It was a union of rogue cultivators and it was led by the Qu and Han companions who were husband and wife.
The husband, Yang Qiu, was a Void Pierce Stage sword cultivator whereas the wife, Sun Han, was a Void Inquiry Stage zither cultivator.
Countless thoughts ran across Ning Fan’s mind. However, he could not figure out what brought them to Seven Apricot City.
The only thing about the Southeastern Cultivator Union that concerned him was Yun Ruowei. When he parted ways with Yun Ruowei in Great Jin in the past, she said that she wanted to leave the Rain Palace and join the Southeastern Cultivator Union.
“Yun Ruowei… In Great Jin, I’d seen Ning Qian and Yun Tianjue in her dreams… According to rumors, the reason why she could join the Rain Palace despite her demon body was because of Yun Tianjue’s recommendation…”
“If I am not mistaken, the winged demon in her dream, Ning Qian, is my mum… Yun Tianjue has lost his memories and he can’t remember who Ning Qian is. Hence, I can’t ascertain the relationship between him and Ning Q ian. Yun Ruowei, however, must know it. With her help, I might be able to find Ning Qian…”
“Ning Qian… My mother… I was born without a parent. If I can find my mother, it’ll really make me at a loss of what to do…”
“Dong Xu once helped me perform divination on my mother in the past and found out that she isn’t dead yet. She’s still in the Rain World… As a son, I have to find her whereabouts in order to put my mind at rest…”
Ning Fan shook his head and smiled. Speaking of Old Ancestor Dong Xu, he once promised to help him achieve the Void Refinement Realm.
Ten years have already passed. I guess he probably is already fully prepared for that breakthrough. If I have time, I’ll help him to advance to the Void Refinement Realm in the Sovereign’s Tomb.
With Ning Fan’s current understanding of the ‘void’, it should not be difficult for him to aid Dong Xu in achieving that breakthrough.
*Chi*
As Ning Fan turned around, his body transformed into a ray of travelling light and returned to Yue Country.
…
The Flying Snow Palace of the western part of Seven Apricot City was a newly-built palace that was meant for receiving all visitors.
In the Flying Snow Palace, Su Yan, Yue Lingkong, Ming Que, Xu Qiuling and the other women were sitting on the main seats, welcoming their guests.
On the guest’s seating, there was a man in green robes and a lady in pink robes. Forty plus Nascent Soul Realm cultivators and six Divine Transformation Realm experts were standing behind them in attendance.
That pink-robed lady was called Sun Han. She looked like she was in her late twenties. Her appearance was not peerlessly beautiful but she looked extremely dignified and decorous.
That green-robed man was called Yang Qiu. The way he spoke was rather refined and gentle. Unfortunately, there were a few scars on his face which made him look like a rough bandit.
The two of them were none other than the leaders of the Southeastern Cultivator Union – the Han and Qiu companions.
As for the cultivators who were standing behind them, all of them were rogue cultivators they brought from the union.
Su Yan was once the leader of a clan while Yue Lingkong was once the master of a sect. Therefore, it was an easy task for them to receive the guests.
When the Qiu and Han companions arrived at Seven Apricot City, they never mentioned anything about their intention of their visit. They only said that they would tell them about it after Ning Fan returns.
“What exactly is the intention for the members of the Southeast Cultivator Union to come to Seven Apricot City?” Yue Lingkong asked Su Yan via telepathy.
“I have no idea. However, I heard that the Qiu and Han companions are rogue cultivators and they actually have already joined the Rain Palace. They even carry the identities as the feudal ranking elders of the Rain Palace and always help the Rain Sovereign pass a secret order. Perhaps the reason why they came is because they want to convey a secret message to Ning Fan…” Su Yan guessed.
At the rooftop outside the Flying Snow Palace, a small black sable was yawning lazily while guarding Seven Apricot City. It seemed like she was being wary of the Qiu and Han companions in case they bore malice toward the city.
All of a sudden, a ray of light flew into the city.
The little sable raised her head lazily and took a glimpse at the travelling light. Then, she snorted lightly and turned around to leave.
“Humph. This stinky man is finally back. It seems like he has successfully attained the Void Inquiry Stage. His luck is quite good…”
That travelling light was publicly exposing the Void Inquiry Stage aura force. It descended outside the Flying Snow Palace and turned into a young man in white robes. He was Ning Fan.
He slowly walked into the Flying Snow Palace. When the women in the palace sensed the Void Inquiry Stage aura force from Ning Fan, their faces were filled with joy. Apparently, Ning Fan had already achieved the Void Inquiry Stage with success.
The Qiu and Han companions were slightly stunned upon seeing Ning Fan enter the Flying Snow Palace. The two of them immediately rose to their feet. The man cupped his fists while the lady curtsied. Together, they said, “The Qiu and Han companions from the Fallen Autumn Country greet Marquis White Robe!”
“Fellow Daoist are being too polite. So what’s the matter that brought the two of you to visit my Seven Apricot City?” Ning Fan cupped his fists toward both of them and went to the main seat of the palace. His eyes unintentionally glimpsed at the group of Nascent Soul Realm and Divine Transformation Realm cultivators behind them.
When he saw no sign of Yun Ruowei among those cultivators, he could not help but feel slightly dispirited.
“The reason why we headed to Seven Apricot City is to pass an imperial order from the Rain Sovereign to you. Marquis White Robe, please have a look at this jade slip.”
Yang Qiu took out a jade box which contained a golden jade slip. As he flicked his finger, the jade box flew toward Ning Fan.
Ning Fan took out the golden jade slip and inserted his spirit sense into it. There was only one order from the Rain Sovereign inside the jade slip. After Ning Fan had read it, it instantly burned itself without fire and disintegrated into ashes.
The Rain Sovereign’s order was simple. He was just hoping that Ning Fan could head to the Rain Palace in the Middle State as soon as possible as he had something to discuss with him.
The reason why the Rain Sovereign made Ning Fan as a revered elder of the Rain Palace and even appointed him as the palace lord of the Scarlet Heaven Palace eventually was solely because Ning Fan’s ‘Indestructible Fire Body’ was of great use to him. He needed Ning Fan’s help to retrieve something from an abyss of flames.