Chapter 503: The Effects of the Celestial Flame Core, Essence Points Breaking 50,000!

Chapter 503: The Effects of the Celestial Flame Core, Essence Points Breaking 50,000!

Nine Heavens Tower.

The three of them sat by the window.

"Would you like some wine?" Jiang Ning held up the wine the waiter had just brought and asked Wang Qingtan.

"Sure, a little!" Wang Qingtan nodded eagerly. "I've heard that the Immortal Nectar at Nine Heavens Tower is really good."

"You've never tried it?" Jiang Ning asked.

"Nope!" Wang Qingtan shook her head. "Dad doesn't let me drink at home, and he's very strict. But here, I'll give it a try!"

"You'll protect me, right?" Wang Qingtan gazed at Jiang Ning with sparkling eyes.

Jiang Ning nodded. "Of course, you're my big benefactor."

Wang Qingtan got the answer she wanted and immediately poured herself a small cup of wine, taking a sip.

Instantly, her eyes lit up.

"It has a fruity flavor, and it's really good!"

She took another sip, savoring it in her mouth for a moment before swallowing, her eyes becoming even brighter.

"Really delicious!" Wang Qingtan exclaimed again.

Seeing Wang Qingtan about to pour herself another cup, Jiang Ning reached out and grabbed her hand.

"This wine has a strong kick!" Jiang Ning said.

"Mind your own business!" Wang Qingtan looked up at Jiang Ning.

"Yes, I do mind!" Jiang Ning replied.

"Fine, I'll listen to you!" Wang Qingtan withdrew her hand without a trace of irritation.

She then picked up a piece of fennel bean from the table and popped it into her mouth.

Crunch!

The bean cracked under her teeth.

"You seem quite relaxed?" Jiang Ning asked.

"Of course!" Wang Qingtan nodded, swinging her legs back and forth under the table, showing how at ease she was.

"You said you'd help me, so that issue can't bother me anymore. Naturally, I'm relaxed!" Wang Qingtan explained.

"Before, I had to consider my father and sister, so I had to delay things. Coming to Guangning City was also to find you, to see if you could help me through your connections with the Imperial Inspectorate."

"Now that you've promised, I don't have to worry about it anymore."

Wang Qingtan continued, swinging her legs lightly as she spoke.

"Really believe what I say? That involves Prince Huai'an!" Jiang Ning said.

"Of course, I trust you! I chose you, so how could I not trust you? I never doubt my choices!" Wang Qingtan's tone was sincere.

At that moment,

"Inspector Jiang!"

"Junior Sister Wang!"

A voice came from the stairs on the third floor.

Turning to look, they saw Lu Junyi, the young Marquis of the Lu family, whom Jiang Ning had met before.

Seeing Jiang Ning's gaze, Lu Junyi recalled the warning Jiang Ning had given him.

"Inspector Jiang, don't misunderstand. I didn't send anyone to follow you. One of my subordinates just happened to be dining in the lobby and saw you and Junior Sister Wang, so he informed me."

Jiang Ning nodded, indicating he understood.

"Shall we share a table?" Lu Junyi looked at Wang Qingtan, then at Jiang Ning, hiding his emotions well.

"Be my guest!" Jiang Ning gestured.

Seeing this, Lu Junyi didn't hesitate.

He hooked the bench with his foot, pulled it out, and sat down.

"Inspector Jiang, the Immortal Nectar at Nine Heavens Tower is good, but it doesn't match my Hundred Flowers Brew. Would you like to try it?"

As he spoke, Lu Junyi took out a cup of wine and placed it on the table.

"I wouldn't refuse such an offer!" Jiang Ning nodded in agreement.

He was also curious about Lu Junyi's intentions.

Wang Qingtan was with him, and Baihesong would surely pay a visit in the next couple of days.

Conflict might arise then.

Seeing Jiang Ning's nod, Lu Junyi smiled.

He then looked at Wang Qingtan.

"Junior Sister Wang, you just arrived in Guangning City today, right?"

"Right!" Wang Qingtan nodded, her expression slightly cold.

"Do you have a place to stay?" Lu Junyi asked.

"She's staying with me!" Jiang Ning casually poured himself a cup of Lu Junyi's Hundred Flowers Brew.

He had heard about this wine during his recent meals at the tower. It was rarer and more precious than the Immortal Nectar.

At the same time,

Lu Junyi was taken aback by Jiang Ning's response. He looked at Jiang Ning, then at Wang Qingtan, and took a deep breath.

He now understood why Jiang Ning had shown such an attitude earlier.

"If Inspector Jiang needs anything, I can speak to my master on your behalf."

"No need!" Jiang Ning shook his head. "I'll wait for him to come to me."

"Understood!" Lu Junyi nodded.

He then stood up.

"Inspector Jiang, since that's the case, it wouldn't be appropriate for me to dine here, to avoid my master blaming me later."

"Go ahead!" Jiang Ning said.

"Excuse me!" Lu Junyi bowed and left with his subordinates.

On the third floor,

"Little Marquis, why were you so friendly to that Jiang Ning today?"

Lu Junyi glanced at his attendant.

"According to reports, Jiang Ning has been visiting the Ye residence and Marquis Shen Wenyuan's manor frequently these past few days."

"You mean Jiang Ning is on good terms with Ye Zhengqi and Shen Wenyuan?" the attendant asked, understanding evident in his tone.

"Not necessarily, but they clearly have a good relationship!" Lu Junyi replied.

He turned and looked up at the third floor.

"Perhaps that's why Jiang Ning has the confidence to say he'll wait for my master to come to him!"

"Do you think he won't succeed?" the attendant asked.

Lu Junyi shook his head. "Let's see how it plays out. He is from the Imperial Inspectorate, and they are very protective of their own. If Ye Zhengqi helps him, even my master Baihesong will have to back down."

Back on the third floor,

"You don't seem to like your senior brother much?" Jiang Ning asked Wang Qingtan.

Wang Qingtan pouted. "He's just a nominal senior brother! When Baihesong took me as a disciple, he didn't really put in any effort. He just gave me the Cranesong Sword Art and Cranesong Steps to practice on my own."

Jiang Ning smiled.

The dishes they had ordered arrived just then, and he focused on eating.

The Celestial Flame Core had helped him refine his body, improving his innate constitution and purging impurities from his body.

This left him feeling hungry.

A short while later,

"You really can eat!" Wang Qingtan looked at the pile of chicken and duck bones on Jiang Ning's plate, filled with admiration.

"Are you teasing me or complimenting me?" Jiang Ning finished the last half-cup of wine and asked.

"Of course, it's a compliment!" Wang Qingtan said. "I read in a book that being able to eat a lot means you have good stamina!"

Being able to eat?

Good stamina?

Jiang Ning was slightly taken aback, looking at Wang Qingtan in confusion.

Wang Qingtan's face flushed slightly as she got up, somewhat awkwardly.

"Let's go! We've had our fill, it's time to head back!"

"Alright!" Jiang Ning nodded.

Lvyi also rose silently beside them.

After being lectured by Jiang Ning earlier, she had been eating with him. Now, she wisely refrained from speaking.

As the three of them walked toward their residence, it was already dusk, and the sun had sunk behind the mountain ridge.

The sky began to darken gradually, like a piece of rice paper being slowly stained with ink.

Lvyi and Wang Qingtan walked on either side of Jiang Ning.

They passed by an alley entrance.

"1-2-3, statues! 1-2, statues!"

Seeing a few boys and girls playing and laughing in the alley, Wang Qingtan couldn't help but smile.

"How wonderful!" she exclaimed.

"Life is worth living!" Jiang Ning said.

"Right, life is worth living!" Wang Qingtan nodded vigorously.

Then she turned to look at Jiang Ning's profile.

Under the dim light from the western sky, his face seemed a bit blurry to her.

Suddenly, Jiang Ning felt a hand slip quietly into his.

The fingers were slender, the palm soft, almost boneless.

Looking at Wang Qingtan's twinkling eyes, Jiang Ning smiled.

Back at their residence:

"I'm going to take a shower!" Wang Qingtan said.

"Alright!" Jiang Ning nodded.

"Lvyi, let me show you to the bathroom!" Lvyi offered.

"That would be very kind of you, Lvyi!" As she spoke, Wang Qingtan suddenly took Lvyi's hand.

"No trouble at all, no trouble at all!" Lvyi was slightly startled, her body tensing up.

Then, Jiang Ning watched as the two women, led by Lvyi, headed toward the bathroom.

He chuckled and shook his head, then turned his attention to his status panel.

Primordial Essence: 37,087

He couldn't help but feel excited about how many Essence Points he would have by tomorrow.

With the Celestial Flame Core in his body, he was confident it would bring a significant increase in his Essence Points.

If his Essence Points grew from their current level, he wouldn't be far from the 50,000 points he needed.

He then began practicing the Adamantine Indestructible Body.

Meanwhile, Wang Qingtan and Lvyi entered the bathroom.

A short while later, the sound of women playing and laughing could be heard from inside.

The moon rose higher, casting a bright, white light over Guangning City.

Under the moonlight, a woman with long, black hair and a white dress sat by the window, reading and writing a letter with a charcoal pen.

Scritch, scritch, scritch—the sound of the charcoal pen on the white paper echoed.

Halfway through writing, the beautiful woman looked up from the window, gazing at the courtyard.

Seeing Jiang Ning, his muscles rippling and sweat dripping, she couldn't help but smile.

"Really quite diligent!"

"No wonder he has made such great progress!"

"To reach the Third Rank at his age, it seems my earlier guess was right; he is no ordinary person."

Thinking of this, Wang Qingtan felt a heavy heart.

She could feel her memories gradually resurfacing.

The memories of her past life.

Fragments of memories flew through her mind, and her strength was improving rapidly.

This abnormality made her uneasy.

She often pondered a question:

If she truly regained all of her (His) memories, would she still be herself?

Under the impact of countless years of memories, would she still be herself?

Every time she thought of this, she felt as if her life was slipping away.

She was afraid, afraid that one day, she would wake up and no longer be herself, but dominated by the deep-seated memories in her mind.

Furrowing her brow, she lowered her head and continued writing the letter.

Her long hair, like black silk, cascaded over her shoulders, gleaming under the moonlight, as if silver moonlight was dancing on her hair.

A moment later, she finished the letter, folded it, and placed it in a prepared envelope, sealing it with wax.

At the same time,

Huff—Jiang Ning exhaled a long breath in the courtyard, then slowly finished his practice.

Skill: Adamantine Indestructible Body (One Limit Break: 4,677/20,000) (Trait: Dragon-Elephant Might)

Glancing at the progress of the Adamantine Indestructible Body, Jiang Ning closed his status panel.

As he looked up, his gaze met Wang Qingtan's, who was sitting by the window inside the room.

Their eyes locked, and Jiang Ning's gaze was drawn to her slender shoulder bones.

It was a natural reaction, and he couldn't control his gaze.

Wang Qingtan, after her shower, was wearing something rather revealing, exposing her fair shoulders and smooth arms.

In her past life, this wouldn't have been unusual, as such attire was common on the streets.

But in this world, people were more conservative, and such sights were rare.

With Wang Qingtan's beauty, she would have been unmatched even in her past life.

How could makeup and filters compare to natural beauty?

On the path of Martial Arts, reaching a certain level granted one Immortal Skin and Jade Bones, elevating one's life essence and beauty even further.

Although Wang Qingtan hadn't reached that level yet, her innate beauty was already exceptional.

Suddenly, Wang Qingtan smiled, a hint of pride in her eyes.

She smiled mysteriously, then closed the window.

Seeing this, Jiang Ning retracted his gaze and shook his head.

He then turned and headed toward the bathroom.

It was late, and after practicing the Adamantine Indestructible Body all night, he needed a shower before sleeping.

When he emerged from the bathroom, he felt refreshed, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.

The courtyard was now quiet, the moon high in the sky, and even the sounds of insects were few.

The distant streets were silent, with only the occasional bark breaking the night.

Jiang Ning quickly returned to his room.

The room had been cleaned by Lvyi during the day, and even the thin blanket on the bed had been washed and aired.

Jiang Ning then went to bed.

The next day, he opened his eyes.

The dawn was breaking, the sky outside the window turning white.

Primordial Essence: 55,431

Checking his status panel, he was momentarily stunned.

The increase in Essence Points was much more than he had expected.

The points had risen from less than 40,000 to over 50,000, with a significant surplus.

"55,431 points!"

Jiang Ning exclaimed, his eyes gleaming.

At this moment, he had a deeper appreciation for the value of the Celestial Flame Core.

Even with just partial digestion, the Celestial Flame Core was still having a significant effect.

His Essence Points had nearly doubled.

If he fully digested it, the total Essence Points provided might exceed 50,000, or even more.

Jiang Ning's eyes flickered with excitement, and he closed his status panel.

In the next moment, he pushed open the door and stepped into the courtyard.

The sky was just starting to brighten, the air clear and cloudless.

The entire city of Guangning was just waking up.

The distant streets were still quiet.

Clearly, Wang Qingtan was still sleeping.

On the contrary, Lvyi was already up.

He heard her washing clothes in the back of the courtyard.

Jiang Ning retracted his attention and looked at his status panel again.

With his Essence Points now exceeding 50,000, he could choose to break the limit with Script Awakening.

Thinking of this, his gaze turned toward the room behind him.

Just after waking up, the Ice Coffin was still by the bedside, less than thirty centimeters away. (End of Chapter)

Chapter end