The Heart of the Matter

Nine Lotos was truly shocked. Although she admired Ji Ning greatly, the handsome, youthful-looking Ji Ning felt like a younger brother to her. Even the way he loved lying in a little boat, drifting on Serpentwing Lake, had touched the softness within Nine Lotos's heart… She had always felt a kind of maternal affection for Ji Ning.

She knew Ji Ning had extraordinary talent, but she had never imagined it would be this high, this monstrous! Yes, he was monstrous beyond her imagination.

"Among the Wanxiang Adepts of the Black-White College, there are three reincarnated Immortals. Senior Apprentice-Sister Yu Wei has trained for the shortest time, while the other two reincarnated Immortals have both trained for over ninety years. Ji Ning has only trained for thirty years, yet he can already match those two reincarnated Immortals. He might even be stronger!" Nine Lotos suddenly felt a sense of panic.

It was as if her Ji Ning was no longer within her control. He had surpassed it.

"What's wrong with me?"

"Why am I panicking? Why am I so unsettled?"

Nine Lotos immediately realized something was wrong with her emotions. "Ji Ning growing stronger is a good thing. Why am I panicking and uneasy?"

She questioned her own heart, again and again.

She interrogated herself, again and again.

Combined with the fact that she had been trapped in the Myriad Lotus Cave for nearly nine years, constantly challenging the 'Heart-Reflecting Formation' set up by Ancestor Dongyan, she had actually been very close to this step of 'Gaining Clarity on Her True Heart'. Now, the fact that Ji Ning had been able to force a Primal-level expert to retreat had involuntarily caused her to feel panicked and uneasy… and it finally helped her break through that final barrier.

"So this is me?" Nine Lotos suddenly calmed down. Her eyes were no longer confused; they only held the calm of a vast ocean. "So this is who I truly am."

"I am used to being in control."

"I like to control everything."

"I want everything around me to be within my sphere of control. I want to lead the Dongyan clan to greater heights, to leave my name engraved throughout the entire Grand Xia Dynasty." Nine Lotos softly murmured to herself. She had always been ambitious since childhood; she had just never clearly understood her own heart. Everything she had done in the past had been subconscious choices made in that direction.

Going to the Black-White College as a disciple was because she wanted to prove herself! To prove that even without the help of Ancestor Dongyan, she could enter a sect like the Black-White College, which only accepted the most peerless geniuses.

She had never been moved by Chen Jin, precisely because the 'Chen clan' behind him was something she could not control, and her subconscious rejected it.

She was moved by Ji Ning… precisely because his tribe, the 'Ji Clan', was very weak and completely within her sphere of control! Furthermore, Ji Ning himself was highly talented, yet he would still be within the control of her, the future leader of the Dongyan clan. As long as Ji Ning did not become a Celestial Immortal, he would remain within her control.

And Ji Ning's life story had touched her heart, making her want to protect him.

"He is stronger than I predicted." After clarifying her heart, Nine Lotos also calmed down. "But even if he does become a Celestial Immortal in the future, that will be a very, very long time from now. Over such a long period, the feelings between him and me will undoubtedly become incredibly deep."

Deep down, Nine Lotos didn't believe in love at first sight.

She believed more deeply in… love that grows over time.

"The Ancestor said that a Dao-companion is someone for whom you would be willing to die." Nine Lotos silently mused. "Perhaps I can't do that right now, but after a thousand years, I believe I will be willing to die for him from the bottom of my heart, and he will be willing to die for me."

With no more hesitation, Nine Lotos walked directly towards the grand formation.

The Heart-Reflecting Formation had blocked Nine Lotos for nearly nine years, but this time, it could not stop her.

Nine Lotos walked out of the Myriad Lotus Cave.

"Master." The maidservants outside saw their mistress emerge and immediately knelt in joyful reverence. "Congratulations, Master! Greetings, Master!"

Nine Lotos smiled slightly.

That very day. Nine Lotos left the Dongyan Mountains in Shangshui Commandery, heading for the Yan Mountains of Anchan Commandery.

Within a sun-drenched gorge, Ancestor Dongyan, who was leisurely fishing, revealed a look of astonishment. He softly murmured to himself, "Ruyin, although she looks like you on the surface, and her surface personality seems similar, her true heart is completely the opposite. This Nine Lotos has a far stronger will than you. She is a truly born leader. It seems my choice of her as the leader of the Dongyan clan might bring great benefits to our clan after all."

Brightheart Island, Serpentwing Lake, the Yan Mountains.

Beishan Baiwei sat opposite Ji Ning. They clinked their wine cups, engaged in lively conversation, and were having a wonderful time.

"Oh, there's something I've been meaning to tell you." Beishan Baiwei suddenly spoke up.

"What is it?" Ji Ning asked with a smile.

"Killing Yu Tong and Crippled Moon Realperson back then was you, right?" Beishan Baiwei first cast a spell around them to isolate sound before lowering his voice.

Ji Ning didn't hesitate and nodded.

He had asked Beishan Baiwei to help him buy the intelligence reports on Yu Tong, Shui Yi, and Dong Qi back then. It wasn't surprising that Beishan Baiwei had figured it out.

"Crippled Moon Realperson's background is quite extraordinary." Beishan Baiwei said in a low voice.

"What background?" Ji Ning was startled. He had guessed as much back then, which was why he had been so cautious.

"Crippled Moon Realperson was a retired cultivator from one of my Beishan clan's secret cultivation armies, the 'Xuan Army'." Beishan Baiwei said solemnly. "As you know, in the army, going through life-and-death situations again and again forges incredibly deep bonds. Very few truly live long enough to retire. If a retired cultivator is brutally murdered, his old battle-brothers will definitely step forward, and the entire Xuan Army will support them. They must ensure that their retired soldiers can live out their final years in peace."

Ji Ning was shocked.

So that was it. It truly was the secret cultivation army of Anchan's Beishan clan.

"With the Beishan clan's intelligence network, I should have been traced," Ji Ning said, frowning.

"If you had been traced, you wouldn't have had these ten years of peaceful life." Beishan Baiwei shook his head. After Ji Ning's battle with Chen Jin, he had been at Serpentwing Lake for a year, and then nearly nine more years had passed… It had indeed been about ten years since he returned to Serpentwing Lake.

Beishan Baiwei explained in a low voice: "The people from the Xuan Army did trace it back to my Beishan Blacktiger Estate. However, no matter how powerful the Xuan Army is, they ultimately serve our Anchan Beishan clan. They wouldn't dare to do anything to my Beishan Blacktiger Estate. The matter was blocked by my estate, and the Xuan Army had no choice but to give up. They couldn't investigate any further."

Ji Ning understood.

So it was the Blacktiger Estate that had helped.

But Ji Ning didn't know that the loyalty of an army is crucial. The Anchan Beishan clan also needed to consider the morale of the cultivators within the army, so it wasn't as simple as Beishan Baiwei made it sound. It was Beishan Baiwei himself who had shouldered the blame, letting the Xuan Army know that the matter had been done without the knowledge of Young Master Beishan Baiwei. The Xuan Army couldn't very well go after the Grand Young Master of the Beishan clan, so they had to give up helplessly.

Whether due to his past life or his present one, Ji Ning was never very good at understanding these political intricacies, so he naturally didn't comprehend the sacrifice Beishan Baiwei had made.

"Thank you, Brother Baiwei. And please thank your father for me as well." Ji Ning said quickly.

"It's nothing, nothing." Beishan Baiwei waved his hand dismissively with a smile, then lowered his voice again. "Brother Ji Ning, I've also heard a few things about you and your senior apprentice-sister, 'Nine Lotos'."

"You know about this too?" Ji Ning was surprised.

Beishan Baiwei nodded. "Once, while drinking at the Carefree Caverns, I was hosting Flamesaint. Chen Jin was there too. Your name came up in the conversation. I thought you were fellow disciples… mentioning your name would help build rapport. Who would have thought Chen Jin's expression would turn so sour? He soon made an excuse and left. Later, I asked Flamesaint and found out the full story."

Ji Ning understood and shook his head with a smile. "It's rather funny. Nine Lotos was never interested in this Chen Jin. It was entirely a one-sided infatuation! He even insisted on coming after me… unfortunately, I got him instead!"

Beishan Baiwei shook his head. "I can tell his hostility towards you is very deep. With such a narrow mind, I doubt he'll accomplish anything great. This Chen Jin is, after all, a son of the Chen clan of Shangshui Commandery. To be so narrow-minded, it seems the Chen clan of Shangshui Commandery's teachings for 'Chen Jin' were quite poor. He is probably not their chosen heir."

Major clans place great emphasis on the training and tempering of their leaders.

They must temper and foster a qualified leader!

Clearly, Chen Jin was very unqualified.

"Senior Apprentice-Brother Ji Ning!"

Suddenly, a clear, resonant voice rang out across the entire Serpentwing Lake.

"Ha!" Ji Ning immediately stood up, his face full of joy.

"Who is it that makes you so happy?" Beishan Baiwei asked in surprise.

"It's my junior apprentice-brother, Northson," Ji Ning said happily.

Immediately, Ji Ning and Beishan Baiwei flew into the air to welcome him. They saw a group of cultivators descending from the flying dragon-boat warship.

"So many people." Ji Ning was also taken aback.

These were all fellow disciples at the Wanxiang level, including Senior Apprentice-Brother Bloodshadow and Senior Apprentice-Sister Yu Wei. They were considered elites within the Black-White College. Upon a careful count, there were fifteen of them!

"Senior Apprentice-Brother Ji Ning." Mu Northson was the first to fly to Ji Ning's side, excitedly punching him in the chest. "Incredible! You managed to drive away an old Primal perfection-level fellow! When we ran into that Dragon Whale King back then, it was a real headache for us!"

"It wasn't a decisive victory at the time," Ji Ning immediately demurred.

Senior Apprentice-Brother Bloodshadow, with his white hair and pale robes, spoke up: "Junior Apprentice-Brother, you needn't be so modest. You practice Fiendgod Body Refining, while that Snowfeather Daoist practices Ki Refining… when strength is roughly equal, a Ki Refiner generally doesn't dare to trade blows with a Fiendgod Body Refiner. His retreat shows he was truly afraid of you, afraid of dying by your hand."

Seeing this, Ji Ning could only stop arguing.

"Junior Apprentice-Brother Ji Ning." A stunningly beautiful black-robed girl looked at him.

"Senior Apprentice-Sister Yu Wei." Ji Ning quickly replied.

Back in the Dao Debate Palace, it was Senior Apprentice-Sister Yu Wei who had ultimately defeated him. Moreover, during these nine years, when he went to the Yinglong Guard branch to accept missions, he had also heard news of 'Senior Apprentice-Sister Yu Wei'. In these nine years, Senior Apprentice-Sister Yu Wei had also caused quite a stir, even defeating a Primal-level Daoist of the middle stage. Her fame was no less than his own.

"If we were to compete again, I'm afraid I might not be able to defeat you, Junior Apprentice-Brother," the black-robed girl said with a smile.

"You flatter me, Senior Apprentice-Sister," Ji Ning quickly replied.

"Let me introduce you. You probably don't know him yet." The black-robed girl pointed to the deep-eyed man in grey beside her. "This is Senior Apprentice-Brother Cangjiang. Senior Apprentice-Brother Cangjiang often travels and trains outside. By coincidence, he happened to be at the Black-White College this time, so he came with us to meet you, Junior Apprentice-Brother."

Ji Ning was startled.

Senior Apprentice-Brother Cangjiang? Among the Wanxiang Adepts, there were three reincarnated Immortals. Yu Wei was one, and True Immortal Cangjiang was another. Furthermore, Immortal Cangjiang had been cultivating for much longer and was notoriously elusive, appearing and disappearing without a trace. This was truly the first time Ji Ning had met him.

Monday, requesting recommendation tickets~~