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Chapter 364: A Great Secret
Chapter 364: A Great Secret
"I won't be staying in the Thousand Lakes and Islands for long. After I leave, those two might bear a grudge against you." Chu Ning looked at Cheng Xinxin and spoke slowly.
Only then did everyone understand why Chu Ning had made a move to kill.
"Thank you, young master Chu," Cheng Xinxin said gratefully.
The little girl, Su Keke, nodded her little head vigorously and then asked curiously, "Young Master Chu, what stage of cultivation are you at now? Grandma said that those two are both at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. Before we came, she specifically told us not to offend them. But I don't think they're that great; they couldn't even withstand a single move from you."
When the little girl spoke, Cheng Xinxin didn't interrupt, but the middle-aged male cultivator beside her immediately chastised her, "Keke, don't be rude."
"It's fine," Chu Ning smiled at that moment, his gaze falling on Su Keke. "You're even more lively than your grandmother was back then. I'm currently at the late Golden Core stage."
"Late Golden Core stage!" Chu Ning's words caused the group to exclaim in surprise.
They had known that Chu Ning was a Golden Core cultivator, but they hadn't expected him to have already reached the late Golden Core stage.
Cheng Xinxin and Su Keke were fine, but the other female cultivator, the beautiful middle-aged woman, and the male cultivator became much more restrained.
Chu Ning's gaze swept over the group before landing on the tombstone once more. He turned to Cheng Xinxin and asked, "Are these your family members? What happened here?"
Hearing Chu Ning's question, Cheng Xinxin quickly replied, "Young Master, they are my daughter and son-in-law."
Cheng Xinxin seemed eager to tell the story of what had happened back then, and she didn't even introduce their names before continuing. "Back then, the Thousand Islands Alliance gathered Foundation Establishment cultivators like us under the pretext of the Thousand Islands Competition. After you left, we continued to wait in this cave abode. But after a few days, news spread that the Yin Demon Sect had come to the Thousand Lakes and Islands and set up some kind of grand formation. All the Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Thousand Lakes and Islands were caught in one fell swoop. When my grandfather and I heard this news, we went out to find out more, but as soon as we reached Illusion Island, we were trapped and couldn't leave. It was only a year later, after the Yin Demon Sect withdrew, that we were able to return to Rainbow Island. But by then, we found that the formation here had been broken and the cave abode destroyed."
As Cheng Xinxin spoke, her voice carried a hint of emotion. "Moreover, during that year, we indeed found out that over a hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators had been killed on Illusion Island. We guessed that you might have also met with an accident, disappearing without a trace or a body. We didn't even have any of your belongings. So, my grandfather buried the talisman you had given us here and set up this tombstone."
Hearing Cheng Xinxin's words, Chu Ning continued, "Back then, I was indeed lucky to escape, but I was also pursued by a Golden Core cultivator from the Yin Demon Sect. I hid for three months before I could shake them off. This cave abode wasn't destroyed by someone else; I came back and took away the spirit plants and the tools used to set up the formation. When I returned to the cave abode, I didn't see any of you, and I had no idea where you had gone, so I couldn't even send a message."
Chu Ning reminisced about the events of eighty years ago, feeling a mix of emotions.
Back then, he had considered leaving a message for Island Master Jiang Hongguang of Rainbow Island. But with the Yin Demon Sect's influence spreading throughout the Thousand Lakes and Islands, Chu Ning had eventually dismissed the idea.
However, even when he left, he still encountered cultivators from the Yin Demon Sect. Chu Ning was pursued by a Golden Core cultivator from the sect, and it was only when he was about to teleport away that he managed to activate the Ice Shadow Sword Talisman.
These memories flashed through Chu Ning's mind, and he turned to Cheng Xinxin and asked, "By the way, what about Old Man Cheng?"
"Grandfather never managed to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage. He passed away when his lifespan ran out," Cheng Xinxin said with a hint of sadness.
Chu Ning sighed softly when he heard this; it wasn't entirely unexpected.
Old Man Cheng had already been quite old when he followed Chu Ning all those years ago.
"How have you been doing all these years?" Chu Ning asked again, looking at the group. Among them, only Cheng Xinxin had reached the Foundation Establishment stage, and the highest cultivation level among her descendants was her son-in-law, who had only reached the ninth layer of Qi Refining.
It seemed that life hadn't been particularly smooth for them.
Indeed, Cheng Xinxin continued, "After the Yin Demon Sect left, the Thousand Lakes and Islands fell into chaos, and then cultivators from other places started arriving. My grandfather and I didn't have high cultivation levels at the time, so we naturally couldn't obtain any good resources. We drifted from island to island."
Hearing this, Chu Ning furrowed his brows slightly.
She then continued, recounting her own story. After Chu Ning's departure, she and Cheng Zuyuan continued to live in the Thousand Lakes and Islands, much like before they met him. However, with the resources, techniques, spells, and talismans that Chu Ning had provided, their lives were somewhat better off than the average cultivator.
Cheng Xinxin eventually married an outsider cultivator, and through their accumulated resources, they were able to purchase a Foundation Pill, allowing her to successfully establish her foundation.
But their happiness was short-lived. Cheng Zuyuan passed away when his lifespan ran out, and Cheng Xinxin's husband met with an accident while hunting for demonic beasts.
Thus, the four of them were left behind.
Over the years, Cheng Xinxin would come to this place every year to sweep the tomb and pay her respects.
Back then, Cheng Zuyuan had anticipated that this spirit vein would be taken by others, so he specifically chose a remote location at the foot of the mountain for the tomb, and they had lived in peace for many years.
Unexpectedly, when Cheng Xinxin brought the group here this time, the couple had expanded their cave abode, even occupying the area at the foot of the mountain.
This led to the conflict that unfolded earlier.
Hearing Cheng Xinxin's explanation, Chu Ning finally understood the whole story.
Looking at the wrinkles on Cheng Xinxin's face and recalling her lively and cheerful demeanor from years ago, he couldn't help but sigh softly.
"You've endured a lot these years."
After a moment of contemplation, Chu Ning turned to Cheng Xinxin and asked, "I've been cultivating in a major sect all these years, and I'm planning to bring some disciples back with me this time. However, I still need to see if the teleportation array in the Thousand Lakes and Islands can be repaired. What are your plans? Do you want to come with me, or should I leave you some resources to continue cultivating here?"
Upon hearing Chu Ning's words, Cheng Xinxin remained calm, but Su Keke and her family showed signs of excitement.
"Young Master, I..." Cheng Xinxin hesitated.
Seeing her reaction, Chu Ning smiled gently and said, "You don't have to answer me right away. I'll be staying here for a few days and won't be leaving immediately. Take your time to discuss it with your family, and you can let me know later."
"Thank you, Young Master," Cheng Xinxin said gratefully.
"Let's go take a look at Swallow Peak. Later, I'll set up a simple formation here. You can cultivate here for the next few days while you think it over. I'll come back for your answer in a few days. By the way, I haven't introduced her yet. This is my Dao Companion, Cen Ziqin."
Hearing Chu Ning's introduction, Su Keke and her family remained silent, but Cheng Xinxin exclaimed, "Cen Ziqin?"
Cen Ziqin's name had been well-known back then, even to the young Cheng Xinxin.
"Don't call me that," Cen Ziqin said with a smile. "That title was just a joke among cultivators back then."
"When I used to visit Swallow Peak frequently, Chu Ning hadn't brought you all back yet. Otherwise, we should have met by now," Cen Ziqin added.
As they chatted, the group ascended Swallow Peak.
The place had changed hands several times over the years, and compared to a hundred years ago, it had undergone significant transformations.
However, the cave abode by the lake that Chu Ning had created back then still remained, perhaps because of its picturesque scenery.
Sitting there and sipping spiritual tea, Chu Ning and Cen Ziqin reminisced about the past.
They stayed on Swallow Peak for an entire day, during which Chu Ning set up several formations and restrictions before bidding Cheng Xinxin and the others farewell, giving them time to make a decision.
Then, Chu Ning and Cen Ziqin flew towards Jade Spring Island, where the teleportation array had been set up in the past.
Upon arriving at the island, they were relieved to see that the array was still there, albeit heavily damaged. However, with their expertise in formations, repairing it wouldn't be a challenging task.
They began studying the array's setup while searching for the necessary materials in their storage bags.
After a day, they had formulated a preliminary plan for the array's restoration.
Through this process, they also gained a basic understanding of each other's proficiency in formations.
Chu Ning recalled Cen Ziqin mentioning her family's formation heritage after achieving core formation, and he asked, "By the way, you mentioned before that after you formed your core, you returned to the Thousand Lakes and Islands and obtained your family's formation heritage. I forgot to ask you back then, but where did your family get that heritage from?"
Cen Ziqin didn't hide anything and replied, "It originated from an ancient sect that you've probably never heard of—the Thunderfire Sect."
Upon seeing the expression on Chu Ning's face, Cen Ziqin couldn't help but be surprised as well. It was clear that he had heard of the sect before.
"Have you heard of this sect?" she asked.
Chu Ning nodded and then used his divine sense to transmit his voice to Cen Ziqin, recounting his experiences.
"Are you saying that the Thunderfire Sect's ruins are located within the Thousand Lakes and Islands, and that you've been there twice?" Cen Ziqin asked, her face filled with astonishment as she listened to Chu Ning's story.
"Indeed, I've been there," Chu Ning confirmed with a nod.
"Our ancestor from the Cen family accidentally saved a junior disciple from the Thunderfire Sect, and in return, he taught us this formation," Cen Ziqin explained. "According to that senior cultivator, the Thunderfire Sect held a great secret, one that could affect the lives of countless cultivators in our entire Tian Yan world. He told our family that if we ever had the chance, we should find the Thunderfire Sect's ruins."
Hearing Cen Ziqin's words, Chu Ning's eyes narrowed slightly.
"I did obtain some treasures within, and from the murals, I learned about the Thunderfire Sect's past," Chu Ning acknowledged. "However, as for it being a secret that affects all cultivators in the Tian Yan world..."
Chu Ning paused as he thought, then reached into his storage bag and took out an object. It was the map of Jiuyan Spirit Mountain that he had obtained from the Thunderfire Sect's Great Elder's cave abode.
"I obtained this map from the Thunderfire Sect's ruins, but over the years, I've tried several times to examine it, yet I still can't see its contents," Chu Ning said as he opened the map. Aside from the characters for 'Jiuyan Spirit Mountain', the rest of the map's contents remained invisible.
"Could it be that the secret the cultivator spoke of is this Jiuyan Spirit Mountain?" Cen Ziqin wondered aloud as she carefully studied the map.
Chu Ning's gaze flickered as he considered the matter.
This map, along with the feather of the Blazing Sun Spirit Bird and the Ice Shadow Sword Talisman, had been kept together in the Great Elder's cultivation room.
While the Blazing Sun Spirit Bird's feather and the Ice Shadow Sword Talisman were indeed rare treasures, as Chu Ning's cultivation level increased, he realized that they did not quite qualify as sect-protecting treasures.
Even if this map was more valuable and placed with the other two items, it shouldn't be exorbitantly so, to the extent that Cen Ziqin claimed it could affect the lives of all cultivators in the Tian Yan world.
"Perhaps the Thunderfire Sect's true secret lies in the innermost layer of the Elder's mountain, which I didn't get a chance to explore," Chu Ning mused aloud.
"Do you think you can find the Thunderfire Sect's ruins again?" Cen Ziqin asked eagerly.
Chu Ning shook his head gently. "It's hard to say. That site is actually a small world, and the boundary point with our real world can change at any time. Even a Golden Core cultivator wouldn't be able to detect it. When I was being pursued by the Yin Demon Sect's Golden Core cultivator, he couldn't find where I was hiding. It's been a hundred years since then, and I don't know if White Ling can locate it with her divine talent."
Chu Ning turned to Cen Ziqin and asked, "Your senior disciple sister and the others will be arriving at the Thousand Lakes and Islands soon, but it will still take some time. We don't need to rush to repair the teleportation array, so why don't we go take another look at the Thunderfire Sect's ruins?"
Cen Ziqin nodded slightly. "I was thinking the same. Our ancestor from the Cen family specifically mentioned going to the Thunderfire Sect as well."
Both of them were intrigued by the Thunderfire Sect, and the task of repairing the teleportation array wasn't complicated, so they didn't need to start working on it right away.
Chu Ning led Cen Ziqin toward the place where he had entered the Thunderfire Sect's ruins in the past as they flew away.
Chu Ning had entered the Thunderfire Sect's ruins twice. The first time was on Luoxia Island, when he was being pursued by the Song family cultivators and accidentally stumbled upon it. It was there that Chu Ning and White Ling officially signed their contract and he cultivated the Mysterious Life Manual.
The second time was when he was being chased by the Yin Demon Sect's Golden Core cultivator, and he deliberately hid within the Thunderfire Sect's ruins. During that encounter, the Yin Demon Sect's Golden Core cultivator directly sacrificed his Golden Core, severely injuring Chu Ning. It was only with the help of the Mysterious Life Manual and the jade bone left behind by the Thunderfire Sect's Great Elder after his sitting transformation that Chu Ning was able to recover within just a few months.
If they were to enter this time, it would be his third visit.
The two of them flew swiftly, and it didn't take long for them to reach the area.
White Ling was released by Chu Ning, and after a brief moment of sensing her surroundings, she exclaimed, "I sense it!"
(End of Chapter)
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