Chapter 155: Journeying with the Celestial Fairy

Chapter 155: Journeying with the Celestial Fairy

"Brother Cen is indeed punctual."

Chu Ning flew out of his cave abode and spotted Cen Ziqin, clad in a white dress and a veil, exuding an ethereal aura.

"Would you like to rest in my cave for a while before we depart?"

"No need, let's go directly," Cen Ziqin replied, and with a wave of her hand, a three-foot-long embroidered silk handkerchief appeared by her side.

The handkerchief had a fresh green crocheted lace border embroidered with gold thread and amber, giving it a delicate and exquisite appearance.

From its design, it seemed to be a high-quality flying magical artifact.

"Do you have a flying artifact, Brother Chu?" Cen Ziqin inquired.

Chu Ning was slightly surprised by her question and asked, "Are there other cultivators residing on the islands near Calm Lake Island? Shouldn't we just teleport there?"

Upon hearing this, Cen Ziqin fixed her clear eyes on Chu Ning. "Brother Chu, if you don't mind being seen with me, we can certainly use the teleportation array."

"Never mind, let's forget about that," Chu Ning quickly waved his hand in refusal.

He realized that he hadn't considered the situation carefully enough. Given Cen Ziqin's fame in this land of a thousand lakes and islands, if they traveled together openly, those influential families might connect him to the talisman master behind Cen Workshop.

Even without that connection, Chu Ning felt that the attention they would attract was more than he could handle.

Just as he was about to retrieve the Wind Chasers from his storage bag, Cen Ziqin spoke up.

"Please come up, Brother Chu. This artifact can accommodate two people, and we can arrive faster."

Hearing her suggestion, Chu Ning put away the Wind Chasers and levitated onto the silk handkerchief.

Cen Ziqin immediately channeled her spiritual power, and in an instant, they transformed into a stream of light and disappeared from their original location.

The silk handkerchief was only three feet in size, so the two of them couldn't stand too far apart. As a result, they stood less than two feet apart.

As the artifact flew, a refreshing and fragrant scent wafted into Chu Ning's nostrils.

Chu Ning instinctively looked forward and noticed that while Cen Ziqin's veil covered her face well from the front, it didn't provide much coverage from the back.

He could glimpse her fair skin beneath her delicate ears, and due to their slightly staggered positions, he could also make out her exquisite facial features.

She truly lived up to her reputation as a celestial fairy, ethereal and breathtakingly beautiful.

As a Foundation Establishment cultivator, Cen Ziqin possessed an exceptionally keen perception of her surroundings.

She naturally noticed Chu Ning's gaze and realized that inviting him onto the artifact with her might not have been a good idea.

Her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly, and she was about to say something when she noticed that Chu Ning had withdrawn his gaze.

Instead of looking at her face, he was now gazing to the side.

Cen Ziqin's eyebrows relaxed, and she skillfully maneuvered the artifact, accelerating their speed toward Calm Lake Island.

The silk handkerchief flew swiftly, and in a little over an hour, they arrived above Calm Lake Island.

"There's a type of demon beast called the Umbral Bat on this island. They can be troublesome if we encounter them in the air. Let's walk the rest of the way after landing," Cen Ziqin suggested as she began to descend.

Chu Ning naturally had no objections.

After landing on the island, they took a moment to sense the spiritual energy in the area. Chu Ning, driven by curiosity, asked, "The spiritual energy here is quite dense. Why hasn't anyone considered clearing out the demon beasts and turning this island into a cultivator's residence? Eh?"

Chu Ning paused halfway through his sentence, suddenly struck by a realization.

He had been about to ask why no one had thought of clearing out the demon beasts and making the island habitable for cultivators. However, when he tried to extend his spiritual sense, he found that he could only reach about half the usual distance.

Chu Ning directed his spiritual sense away from Cen Ziqin, so she didn't realize that he was attempting to extend it. She only looked at him when he exclaimed in surprise, "Brother Chu, have you noticed something amiss?"

Chu Ning carefully sensed his surroundings and confirmed that there was indeed something on the island that interfered with spiritual sense.

However, he shook his head and replied, "I don't feel anything unusual, just that my thoughts seem even more muddled after entering this island."

Cen Ziqin's eyes widened slightly in surprise at Chu Ning's observation. "Your sensitivity is quite remarkable, Brother Chu. Indeed, this island does interfere with cultivators' spiritual sense. Since you didn't extend your spiritual sense, the effect isn't as noticeable. The deeper one goes into the island, the more pronounced the interference becomes. Previous elders from my family have investigated, but they couldn't find the cause."

As she walked toward the island's interior, she continued, "Even Foundation Establishment cultivators will experience significant spiritual sense exhaustion if they stay here for extended periods, especially if they try to extend their spiritual sense. It's even less suitable for Qi Refining cultivators to remain here long-term. Hence, despite the presence of a second-grade superior spiritual vein, this place isn't ideal for cultivation."

Hearing Cen Ziqin's explanation, Chu Ning naturally refrained from extending his spiritual sense further.

However, after some thought, he reached into his storage bag and retrieved the puppet bird.

This artifact, which provided a hundred-meter field of vision, had proven useful to him on numerous occasions.

Cen Ziqin watched Chu Ning's actions with curiosity, and when she saw that the object in his hand could provide a field of vision, she was taken aback.

"My, this is quite a marvelous artifact. It can be quite handy," she remarked.

"Indeed," Chu Ning agreed. "Sister Cen, if you can point us in the right direction, this puppet bird can lead the way."

After Cen Ziqin indicated the direction, the two of them set off, with the puppet bird guiding their path.

Even though they weren't flying at full speed, their progress was swift thanks to the puppet bird's assistance. Cen Ziqin also pointed out the location Chu Ning had marked in the documents as having second-grade demon beasts.

Most of the bamboo was ordinary Spirit Bamboo, but Chu Ning's sharp eyes spotted a few stalks of Cloud-Patterned Bamboo among them.

However, these bamboo shoots were simply growing out of the ordinary earth, and naturally, they weren't Chu Ning's target.

"This bamboo forest is quite large; I recall it covers over ten thousand acres. Once we pass through this bamboo forest, we'll reach the iron meteorite stone forest ahead."

As Cen Ziqin spoke, the two of them continued to fly forward.

However, due to the dense bamboo forest, their speed naturally slowed down.

After traversing the ten-thousand-acre bamboo forest, at the edge of the forest, there truly was a large stone forest of iron meteorites of varying heights and sizes.

These iron meteorites were iron-brown and seemed to absorb light unusually, making the entire stone forest appear dark and gloomy.

Even the entire stone forest seemed to be enveloped in a brownish haze.

Chu Ning didn't rashly use his spiritual sense to probe and instead asked Cen Ziqin, "Sister Cen, can you use your spiritual sense to examine these iron meteorites?"

Cen Ziqin shook her head.

"Now that we've entered the more central area of the island, my spiritual sense is greatly interfered with when I try to extend it outward. I can only reach about thirty feet or so."

Speaking of this, she reached out and gently touched one of the iron meteorites.

"This iron meteorite is exceptionally hard. Can the Cloud-Patterned Bamboo really grow on this stone?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Ning hesitated slightly and said, "I've only seen it in the documents before, but I don't know if it's true or not. Let's take a look."

As he spoke, Chu Ning leaped and flew onto a taller stone, trying to get a better view from a higher vantage point.

However, the brown mist was too dense, and Chu Ning couldn't see very far.

So, he could only send the puppet bird forward and carefully search.

Considering that this iron meteorite forest was adjacent to the bamboo forest, the two of them naturally didn't venture too deep into the stone forest.

Instead, they searched along the edge of the stone forest, about a hundred feet inward, to see if they could find anything.

After searching like this for nearly a thousand feet, Chu Ning's eyes suddenly lit up.

On the puppet bird's scrying mirror, through the hazy brown mist, a faint image of a slender, emerald bamboo shoot could be seen.

"Found it!"

As soon as Chu Ning spoke, Cen Ziqin immediately moved closer.

After seeing the image on the scrying mirror, the two of them quickly walked over.

As they approached, they saw a bamboo shoot as thin as a pen and about a foot tall, growing straight out of an iron meteorite.

The main stem of the bamboo was covered with fine veins.

If it weren't for the fact that the two of them had just seen Cloud-Patterned Bamboo outside and that there were still a few scattered bamboo leaves on this shoot, they would have thought it was just a pen stuck in the stone.

"This iron meteorite is extremely hard. Are there any special requirements for harvesting the Cloud-Patterned Bamboo?"

Cen Ziqin asked Chu Ning.

Chu Ning shook his head.

"Just dig it out of the stone, and try not to damage the roots as much as possible."

As he spoke, Chu Ning added, "You can dig a wider area around it first, and then carefully remove the roots afterward when we get back."

As he spoke, Chu Ning didn't make any move to start digging.

He had a small, pitch-black dagger that was extremely sharp, and if he used it to dig up the bamboo, it should be no problem.

However, he didn't want to reveal his most powerful damaged magical artifact.

Since Cen Ziqin had invited him here, she should have made the necessary preparations.

Sure enough, the next moment, Cen Ziqin took out a shimmering, cold dagger from her storage bag.

After asking Chu Ning about the approximate area to dig, she plunged the dagger into the iron meteorite.

The dagger was incredibly sharp, and the extremely hard iron meteorite was easily cut like tofu under its edge.

Chu Ning watched, unable to hide his surprise.

At this moment, Cen Ziqin carefully dug around the bamboo shoot with the dagger.

She was clearly using her spiritual sense to feel her way, and while her movements were slow, she didn't touch a single root.

It wasn't until the entire bamboo shoot was dug out that she seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

Holding the bamboo shoot, Cen Ziqin handed it to Chu Ning.

"Finally, it's done. We can figure out a way to remove the stones between the roots later.

Forget it, I'll just keep it with me for now; this iron meteorite is a bit tricky to deal with..."

As she spoke, Cen Ziqin took the bamboo shoot back.

Chu Ning, who had been about to take the Cloud-Patterned Bamboo, never expected her to take it back.

So, he couldn't stop his movement in time.

As a result, he ended up grabbing Cen Ziqin's slender and delicate hand.

Realizing what he had done, Chu Ning quickly withdrew his hand.

A flash of embarrassment and annoyance passed through Cen Ziqin's clear eyes, but she seemed to understand that Chu Ning hadn't done it on purpose, so she just gave him a light glare.

Then, without a word, she put the Cloud-Patterned Bamboo and dagger back into her storage bag.

At this moment, Chu Ning acted as if nothing had happened and casually said, "Your dagger is quite a treasure; it's exceptionally sharp."

Cen Ziqin lightly hummed in acknowledgment, then seemed to feel that this reaction was too deliberate and added, "This dagger is made of red gold. Although it's only a high-grade magical artifact, in terms of sharpness, many top-grade magical artifacts can't compare.

I usually use it for inscribing formations."

Upon hearing this, Chu Ning showed a look of realization.

The two of them retraced their steps, heading back the way they had come.

Having obtained the Cloud-Patterned Bamboo so smoothly, they both felt relieved.

As Cen Ziqin flew back, she said, "After leaving this island, let's go to your cave abode first to make that talisman brush. If you can create a mid-grade lower-tier talisman, you'll be doing me a huge favor..."

However, just as she spoke these words, Cen Ziqin suddenly paused.

As Cen Ziqin spoke, a long sword appeared in her hand.

She turned to see that Chu Ning now held a spear.

Noticing the quality of the spear, her clear eyes flickered with surprise, but she quickly averted her gaze.

Looking in the same direction as Chu Ning, she whispered, "It seems there's more than one. Be careful, Chu Ning. I'll handle the demon beasts."

Hearing her words, Chu Ning nodded slightly.

Suddenly, his eyes narrowed further as he sensed something.

He saw a flash of crimson wind, and in the next moment, a massive beast with the body of a bird and the head of a leopard pounced towards them.

"Golden-Plumed Panther!"

Chu Ning immediately recognized the demon beast from the jade slip's description.

Before the beast could reach them, a dark golden light shot out from its mouth.

Cen Ziqin swiftly moved in front of Chu Ning, her sword flashing.

Instantly, a wall of water appeared in front of them, blocking the incoming attack.

At the same time, Cen Ziqin's left hand formed a complex seal.

A water-attributed spell shot out, striking the ground to their left.

Seeing this, Chu Ning, who had been gripping his spear tightly, relaxed slightly.

The water column struck the ground, and a black light shot out, blocking the water attack.

Then, a two-zhang-long worm-like demon beast, covered in spikes, appeared before them.

It was the Poisonous Spiked Sandworm, another second-grade demon beast on the island.

"Why did two second-grade demon beasts from different directions suddenly appear here together?"

Cen Ziqin's eyes narrowed slightly, and she felt that something was amiss.

Chu Ning's brows furrowed as he, too, realized that something unusual was happening.

Just as he was about to hide behind Cen Ziqin and play dead, he brandished his spear and moved to her side.

"Cen Daoist, I'll hold off this demon beast for a moment. Finish off the other one quickly."

"Can you handle it?" Cen Ziqin asked as she slashed her sword, sending two beams of white light towards the two demon beasts.

Chu Ning remained silent, feeling insulted by her question.

He swung his spear, sending a burst of flames towards the Poisonous Spiked Sandworm.

The demon beast had just taken a hit from Cen Ziqin's sword and was unable to dodge in time.

The flames engulfed its body, forcing it to retreat several zhang.

Seeing this, Cen Ziqin felt relieved.

She stopped paying attention to Chu Ning and focused on the Golden-Plumed Panther, her sword flashing as she unleashed a series of water-based attacks.

On the other hand, Chu Ning, seeing that his Fire Phoenix Feather Spear's attack had no effect on the Poisonous Spiked Sandworm, quickly activated several talismans, sending out beams of colorful light.

However, the Poisonous Spiked Sandworm suddenly disappeared from the ground, causing Chu Ning's spells to miss.

Surprised, Chu Ning's wariness heightened, and he quickly released his spiritual sense. Although he couldn't scan a large area, he could still detect movements within a few zhang of his surroundings.

As soon as he released his spiritual sense, he noticed something unusual in the ground a short distance away.

He leaped into the air and immediately activated several mid-grade lower-tier defensive talismans.

At the same time, he channeled his spiritual power into the Earth Spirit Bracelet, ready to activate it if needed.

Facing these second-grade demon beasts, Chu Ning dared not be careless.

Just as he finished his preparations, a black shadow burst out from underground. The Poisonous Spiked Sandworm, which had shrunk to the size of a regular snake, shot towards Chu Ning's defensive shield like a poisonous spike.

Chu Ning's three layers of mid-grade lower-tier defensive talismans shattered one after another under the impact.

Just as the demon beast was about to break through, a black shield appeared in Chu Ning's hand, blocking the attack.

After falling to the ground, the Poisonous Spiked Sandworm regained its massive size.

Chu Ning seized the opportunity and infused his Fire Phoenix Feather Spell into the spear.

The top-grade artifact glowed with fiery light.

Without hesitation, Chu Ning thrust the spear directly into the demon beast's head!

"Tss!"

The spear, enveloped in flames, pierced through the creature's skull.

A surge of fire-attributed spiritual power then flooded the demon beast's body.

"Shriiiek!"

The Poisonous Spiked Sandworm lifted its head, emitting an ear-piercing shriek.

Its body writhed violently as it tried to break free.

However, Chu Ning refused to let it go.

He gripped the spear tightly, pinning the demon beast to the ground.

To Chu Ning's surprise, when the Poisonous Spiked Sandworm realized it couldn't break free, its body writhed, and it split in half, abandoning its head and fleeing.

Just as Chu Ning was about to attack, he paused and changed his mind.

At that moment, a beam of white light descended, slicing through the fleeing half of the Poisonous Spiked Sandworm.

Cen Ziqin had finished off the other demon beast and was now lending a hand.

Sheathing her sword, Cen Ziqin turned to Chu Ning, about to speak, when a harsh, raspy voice rang out.

"Well done, Cen Xianzi!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end