Chapter 206: Who is Chu Ning to be an Executor?

Chapter 206: Who is Chu Ning to be an Executor?

Three months later, at the Jiuhua Sect.

In the Executor's Hall of the Pill Refining Pavilion, several people watched Chu Ning's departing figure and turned to He Yanzong with questions:

"Brother He, this Chu Ning seems very young. Although he has already reached the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, why has he become an executor of our Pill Refining Pavilion?"

The speaker was a Foundation Establishment cultivator with a much younger appearance than He Yanzong. He had a medium build and looked to be only in his thirties, evidently having entered the Foundation Establishment stage early, thus preserving his youthful looks.

Once a cultivator reaches the Foundation Establishment stage, the aging process slows significantly. So, many Foundation Establishment cultivators who are already a hundred or two hundred years old may not look much older than when they first entered the stage.

This person was another executor of the Pill Refining Pavilion, Yuan Rongzhang, a junior of another Golden Core Elder in the sect. Even though He Yanzong mentioned Palace Master Guyu, Yuan Rongzhang still frowned and asked, "I know that Palace Master Guyu appointed him, but there are requirements for becoming an executor in the pavilion. One must be a mid-tier intermediate alchemist, capable of refining at least five types of mid-tier intermediate pills with a success rate of over 60%, and ten types of mid-tier low-grade pills with a success rate of over 80%. Otherwise, they cannot hold this position. Does he meet these requirements?"

As Yuan Rongzhang spoke, he curled his lips and continued, "Currently, our Pill Refining Pavilion only has four executors, but we can't just bring in anyone because of our shortage of staff. Lately, we've been the laughing stock of the sect. If we add an executor who can't even refine pills properly, won't we lose even more face?"

Yuan Rongzhang then turned to a woman in palace attire and an elderly man, "Sister Su, Brother Xu, don't you think so?

The woman in palace attire was named Su Yuqing, and the elderly man was Xu Minghua, both executors of the Jiuhua Sect's Pill Refining Pavilion.

Su Yuqing, with her dignified and graceful appearance, smiled and said, "Since Palace Master Guyu has chosen to let Brother Chu be an executor in the Pill Refining Pavilion, he must have his reasons. As for Brother Chu's pill refining skills, we will naturally find out soon enough."

Xu Minghua said, "What Brother Yuan said is not unreasonable, Brother He. We should indeed find out about Brother Chu's pill refining abilities."

Hearing their words, a hint of helplessness flashed across He Yanzong's stern face. Finally, he said vaguely, "Let's see how things go. Brother Chu has just arrived at the sect and hasn't settled in yet. We can discuss this again after he's settled in."

The expressions on the faces of the few executors present varied upon hearing He Yanzong's words.

If the executors themselves were not unified in their opinions, the other cultivators in the Pill Refining Pavilion were naturally even more vocal.

Especially since there were now only five executors in the pavilion, including Chu Ning, but there were far more Foundation Establishment cultivators.

For a time, the Pill Refining Pavilion was filled with all sorts of discussions.

"Uncle Liu, I heard that a young mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator has become an executor in the pavilion. Is it true?"

"We have another executor in the pavilion. I heard that he was personally brought back by Palace Master Guyu. He's apparently the son of the Palace Master's old friend, and he looks even younger than me."

"So what if he's an executor? Right now, we don't have any mid-tier Foundation Establishment pills in the pavilion, and cultivators from other pavilions in the sect are ridiculing us for it."

...

At this moment, Chu Ning, the subject of everyone's discussion, had arrived at a small courtyard with a disciple from the Pill Refining Pavilion.

"Executor Chu, this cave abode has been assigned to you by the pavilion."

The disciple leading Chu Ning was a twenty-year-old cultivator at the ninth level of Qi Refining, named Wang Ping. He had a honest and simple look on his face and didn't seem particularly quick-witted.

However, Chu Ning thought that for someone of his age to have reached the ninth level of Qi Refining, his talent in cultivation was not bad.

Wang Ping then handed a jade plaque to Chu Ning and said, "Executor Chu, this is the jade plaque to activate the restrictions in the cave abode."

Chu Ning casually took the plaque and said, "I'll go in by myself. You may leave."

"Oh, alright, then I'll take my leave!" Wang Ping didn't say much more and simply bowed before leaving.

"He Yanzong probably thinks that I'm unsociable and difficult to talk to, so he assigned such an honest and simple disciple to guide me," Chu Ning muttered to himself.

Chu Ning then proceeded towards the courtyard with the jade plaque in hand.

The small courtyard was built against the mountain, with a steep slope and a sheer cliff in front of it. It bore some resemblance to Xiao Cheng's previous residence, but the location and spiritual energy were far superior.

This was one of the unique features of Jiuhua Mountain, distinct from Chu Ning's previous experiences at Qingxi Sect and Thousand Lakes and Islands.

Jiuhua Mountain had numerous peaks, and each peak had its fair share of cliffs and precipices. The cave abodes of the sect's cultivators were often built on small platforms atop these cliffs.

Due to the terrain, the abodes weren't dug very deep, so they were typically designed as independent small courtyards.

As for pill refining, there were specialized refining rooms in the Pill Refining Pavilion with more stable earth fire.

Chu Ning entered the courtyard, walked around, and nodded in satisfaction.

The courtyard was spacious, with a large area for planting right after entering. Although it wasn't as large as his garden in Yan Peak, it was sufficient for growing spiritual herbs and medicines.

At the back of the courtyard, nestled against the mountain, was a two-story small pavilion that served as a cultivation and living quarters.

The entire courtyard was located on Lingyan Peak, one of the peaks with rich spiritual energy in the Jiuhua Sect.

While it couldn't compare to the spiritual energy density of the cave abodes of Golden Core cultivators, it was still twice as dense as his previous abode at Yan Peak.

The courtyard was enveloped in swirling spiritual energy, thick as white mist.

The only thing that Chu Ning felt was somewhat lacking was the array within the courtyard.

Having encountered numerous arrays and restrictions over the years, he could easily discern their quality.

Whether it was the spirit-gathering effect or defensive capabilities, they were inferior to the array that Cen Zikin had set up for him in the past.

Fortunately, he had brought along the array setup tools, so he could just replace this one.

He could even use the array setup tools that Cen Zikin had refined with great care as a gift before she left. In theory, they should yield even better results.

Chu Ning immediately set to work, dismantling the array in the courtyard.

Since the courtyard was now his according to the agreement with Gong Yuyuan, no one would interfere with how he chose to set it up.

When Chu Ning agreed to join the Jiuhua Sect, he had made a few requests to Gong Yuyuan.

One of them was to have a secluded and peaceful place for cultivation that was abundant in spiritual energy.

This request was not excessive, so Gong Yuyuan readily agreed.

In addition, Chu Ning asked for resources to support his cultivation and pill refining endeavors, to which Gong Yuyuan did not hesitate to promise.

He even pledged that as long as Chu Ning could refine certain pills that were in short supply within the sect, he would receive slightly better treatment than the other pavilion executives.

Furthermore, Chu Ning made another request that surprised them.

He asked to join the Jiuhua Sect under the name Chu Ning instead of continuing as Xiao Danshi.

Chu Ning explained to Gong Yuyuan that his master had an enemy, and he had only recently understood the full extent of their grudge. He wanted to sever all ties with his past and no longer hide.

Moreover, over the years, in order to avoid this enemy, he had intentionally portrayed himself as reclusive and aloof, which had created barriers between him and other cultivators. He didn't want these entanglements to follow him into the sect, so he decided to cut all ties with his previous identity.

He also wanted to avoid any potential trouble from his master's enemy or their associates in the future.

These were indeed Chu Ning's true intentions. Although he had borrowed Xiao Cheng's identity for a while, he didn't want to cause any more trouble because of the other party's affairs.

Taking this opportunity to reveal his true self was a good idea.

His explanation did not arouse Gong Yuyuan's suspicion; instead, it seemed like it would reduce trouble for the Jiuhua Sect, so he readily agreed.

Thus, the Jiuhua Sect had released news that Xiao Danshi had angered the sect and was being pursued.

As for Xiao Danshi's disappearance after that, people naturally assumed that he had been killed by the sect.

Even so, it took Chu Ning three months before he finally arrived at the Jiuhua Sect.

With Gong Yuyuan's arrangement, he directly became an executive in the Pill Refining Pavilion.

When Gong Yuyuan first made the announcement, many of the pavilion executives, including He Yanmo, had their doubts, but Chu Ning didn't mind.

He would have enough time to display his pill refining skills to everyone.

Since Gong Yuyuan and He Yanmo believed that Xiao Danshi's pill refining skills were qualified for the position, he would certainly be able to prove himself as well.

After replacing the array in the entire courtyard, Chu Ning began to plant the spiritual plants he had stored in his storage bag.

In terms of cultivation resources, Jiuhua Mountain was richer than anywhere Chu Ning had been before.

In the short time he spent as Xiao Danshi a few months ago, he had collected quite a few spiritual herbs.

Adding those to the medicinal ingredients Xiao Cheng already had, he indeed had more than he did back at Yan Peak.

Now that he had entered the Jiuhua Sect, he would have access to even more spiritual herbs.

However, there were some irreplaceable spiritual herbs in Chu Ning's possession.

Other spiritual plants could be found elsewhere, but herbs like the Yanmu Twin Fruits, Tiehunhua, and Shijuehua were brought by Chu Ning from the Spirit Domain, and even Jiuhua Mountain might not have them.

After Chu Ning took out and planted the contents of his storage bag, the entire herb garden was almost full.

Chu Ning performed the Xuan Qingchun Hua Technique and then began his cultivation.

【Yan Huo Shenmu Gong (Xuan Tier High-Grade), Third Layer (1600/20,000)】

【Jiuyan Refining Body Scripture, First Volume, Undying Golden Body (150/10,000)】

【Refining God Technique, Third Layer (7,152/8,000)】

Nearly five months had passed since Chu Ning's breakthrough to the mid-foundation stage at the Lei Huo Zong ruins and the completion of the first volume of the Jiuyan Refining Body Scripture, the Unbreakable Soul Cultivation.

His proficiency in various cultivation techniques had improved to some extent, but none were close to a breakthrough.

Among them, the progress of the Jiuyan Refining Body Scripture was the slowest.

After entering the final layer of the first volume, the Undying Golden Body, even with the help of the hybrid spiritual fruit Tieyuanguo, Chu Ning could only increase his cultivation by one point per day.

On the other hand, he had already mastered the entry-level top-grade spell, Wind and Fire Ravaging the Plains.

After completing his cultivation, Chu Ning began to practice the spell again.

He casually threw out a fireball and then, with a quick gesture, cast an undetectable wind-based spell that followed.

The fireball suddenly accelerated forward, and in the next moment, it abruptly changed direction.

Then, at a certain moment, it exploded!

"Bang!"

A faint explosion sounded, and flames splashed everywhere.

Thankfully, Chu Ning had set up a protective restriction in the spell-practicing area of the courtyard, so the explosion didn't affect the entire building.

"Cen Zikin's array... even a Golden Core cultivator would probably find it difficult to break," Chu Ning muttered to himself.

"But when I practice more powerful spells in the future, I'll have to go to the sect's specialized training grounds."

He let out a soft sigh, his thoughts turning to Cen Zikin.

"I wonder if I'll ever have the chance to meet her again, and if I do, when will it be?"

With that thought, Chu Ning turned his attention back to the Wind and Fire Ravaging the Plains technique before him.

'Ordinary fireballs can now be fully manipulated with the Wind and Fire Ravaging the Plains technique, and their power has indeed increased by fifty percent.

Next, I can try combining them with the Fusion Fireball from the Fiery Flame Scripture.

As for cultivating the Flamewing Bird and others, I'll slowly attempt that later.'"

As Chu Ning thought, he began to practice the Fusion Fireball technique along with the Wind and Fire Ravaging the Plains.

Time passed bit by bit as Chu Ning cultivated in this manner.

Previously, when he was with Xiao Cheng, he had refined several furnaces of the Spirit Refining Green Wood Primordial Yang Pill, and coupled with the Iron Spirit Flower he had planted, he had sufficient cultivation resources for each day.

Accustomed to solitary cultivation, Chu Ning stayed in his cave abode for half a month without stepping out of his door.

Meanwhile, He Yanzong, on the other hand, was far from being at ease.

With the successive deaths of two stewards and the seclusion of the Golden Core Elder in charge of the Pill Refining Pavilion, the affairs of the pavilion fell onto He Yanzong's shoulders.

On top of that, his amicable personality made him a popular figure among the pill refiners, who often sought him out with questions.

Especially Yuan Rongzhang and his cohort, who made it a daily affair to pay him a visit.

On this particular day, He Yanzong had just sent away some sect cultivators who had come to collect Foundation Pills when Yuan Rongzhang strolled into the Pill Refining Pavilion.

Upon seeing He Yanzong, Yuan Rongzhang immediately asked, "Brother He, our Chu Executor still hasn't shown himself? Don't tell me he's off studying pill refining techniques."

He Yanzong's brows furrowed slightly as he listened to Yuan Rongzhang. He, too, was curious about Chu Ning's absence, but recalling the other's reclusive nature, he felt that it wasn't entirely unexpected.

Noticing the other cultivators in the vicinity listening in on their conversation, He Yanzong paused before replying, "It would indeed be good for Brother Chu to meet everyone."

He then turned to a young disciple nearby, the same one who had led Chu Ning to his abode, and said, "Go invite Executor Chu over, and tell him I have something to discuss with him."

"Yes, Executor!" The disciple, Wang Ping, replied and promptly left the Pill Refining Pavilion for Chu Ning's abode.

Seeing this, Yuan Rongzhang's eyes flickered, and he turned to a nearby Qi Refining disciple and instructed, "Go inform all the pill refiners and disciples who aren't refining pills that our new Executor Chu wants to meet everyone and get to know each other. We can't have them saying that we in the Pill Refining Pavilion have no manners."

He Yanzong was taken aback for a moment, but upon reflection, he felt that there was nothing wrong with what Yuan Rongzhang had said, so he didn't voice any objection.

The rest of the pill refiners in the pavilion were equally curious about Chu Ning, the new executor.

Upon hearing that the new executor wanted to meet everyone, those who weren't refining pills quickly gathered in the main hall of the Pill Refining Pavilion.

On the other end, Chu Ning, who was in the midst of his cultivation, heard Wang Ping's voice and stepped out of his abode.

"Does Brother He have something to discuss with me?" he asked.

When Wang Ping explained the reason for his visit, Chu Ning was slightly surprised.

Back when he had agreed to join the Jiuhua Sect, one of his conditions was that he wouldn't involve himself in trivial matters, so he could focus on cultivation and pill refining.

Both Palace Master Guyu and He Yanzong had agreed to this condition, so he was curious as to why they were looking for him.

Although he was puzzled, Chu Ning didn't refuse and accompanied Wang Ping back to the Pill Refining Pavilion.

As they walked, Wang Ping's expression turned hesitant, his confliction evident on his face.

With his keen spiritual sense, Chu Ning easily picked up on Wang Ping's inner turmoil.

After a few steps, Chu Ning suddenly stopped and turned to face Wang Ping.

"Is there something you want to tell me but don't know how to bring up?" he asked.

"Ah? How did you know, Executor Chu?" Wang Ping asked in surprise.

Chu Ning found this amusing. Wang Ping's conflicted expression practically screamed his dilemma.

"Just say it," Chu Ning said.

Upon hearing Chu Ning's words, Wang Ping replied with an "Oh" and then, without further hesitation, began to speak. "Brother He asked you to come over because he was forced by Executor Yuan.

But please don't tell anyone that I told you this, Executor Chu. Aside from Executor Yuan, many other senior disciples and brothers also want to meet you. They are all curious about you, the new executor, and they said..."

Wang Ping paused, seemingly unsure how to continue.

However, Chu Ning was a perceptive person, and with a moment's thought, he understood what was going on.

"Are they saying that I only became an executor because of my connection with Palace Master Guyu, and that my pill refining skills are questionable?" Chu Ning asked calmly.

Hearing this, Wang Ping scratched his head, his honest and bewildered expression asking, "How did you know, Executor Chu?"

Chu Ning smiled but didn't answer. He could guess as much.

"Let's go," Chu Ning said, unperturbed. He waved his hand, summoning a flying boat, and after Wang Ping boarded, they flew directly towards the Pill Refining Pavilion.

In a short while, they arrived at the pavilion.

Chu Ning retracted his flying boat and walked into the Pill Refining Pavilion at a leisurely pace. As he entered the main hall, he found it filled with people, all of whom turned their gazes towards him as he entered.

They eyed him curiously, taking in the appearance of the new executor of the Pill Refining Pavilion.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end