Chapter 532: Proving Himself
Chapter 532: Proving Himself
"Clear Butterfly Flower, Golden Spirit Bamboo, Jade Spirit Fruit... Hmm, what's this one?"
Ling Fengjing recited the names of the first three spirit herbs, but her brow furrowed in confusion when she saw the last piece of refining material.
"This is Quicksand Gold, a high-quality material used for crafting metallic magical artifacts. It's typically used for creating artifacts; even for top-tier ones, using it would be excessive."
"A metallic magical artifact refining material?" Ling Fengjing's eyes sparkled at Chu Ning's explanation.
Chu Ning smiled inwardly as he noticed the interest in her eyes.
The items he had presented were indeed rare and valuable treasures, especially for a typical Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Ling Fengjing, at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, likely didn't come from a particularly wealthy background, so it was understandable that she would be tempted by these offerings.
And indeed, that was the case.
However, to Chu Ning's mild surprise, Ling Fengjing's expression turned serious.
"Chu, your background might not be as ordinary as it seems. If I'm not wrong, you're likely a disciple of the Star Feather Sect. Luring me here and presenting these temptations... Do you take me for a fool?"
As she spoke, a weapon materialized in Ling Fengjing's hand, and she eyed Chu Ning with caution.
"I'm aware that your late Foundation Establishment stage cultivation surpasses mine. But I've already alerted the palace, and my sect members will be here soon. You won't escape the Skyfield Grassland unscathed."
Chu Ning offered a faint smile in response to her accusations.
"The Star Feather Sect? Are they rivals of your Sky Palace, causing you to be so wary of outsiders? Ling, I'm merely a wandering cultivator, not affiliated with the Star Feather Sect. If I were, I wouldn't have openly invited you here for a trade."
Upon hearing this, Ling Fengjing fell into contemplation, but doubt still laced her voice as she asked, "How can I be sure you're not trying to deceive me and gain something else from me?"
Chu Ning laughed bitterly, "If I wanted to pry into your sect's secrets, you wouldn't divulge them even if I asked directly."
However, Ling Fengjing shook her head, her expression resolute. "I still can't fully trust you. Unless you can prove that you're not a disciple of the Star Feather Sect."
Chu Ning felt a twinge of helplessness and asked, "How can I possibly prove that?"
Ling Fengjing reached out and produced a white crystal.
"Disciples of the Star Feather Sect ingest Star Hua Grass from a young age as part of their cultivation. Thus, before they form their Golden Core, their blood will contain traces of this herb. This crystal can detect those traces. If you want to prove your innocence, just place a drop of your blood on it."
"Very well!" Chu Ning agreed without hesitation and pricked his finger, letting a drop of blood fall onto the white crystal.
The drop of blood rested momentarily on the crystal's surface before sliding off and disappearing.
Seeing this, Ling Fengjing finally relaxed, her features softening.
"It seems you truly aren't a disciple of the Star Feather Sect. Please don't take offense at my earlier suspicions."
Chu Ning smiled gently, "It's understandable that you were cautious, given the circumstances of our meeting."
As he spoke, Chu Ning lifted the treasures in his hand once more.
"Ling, what are your thoughts on these items? Are you interested?"
"Chu, are you willing to trade all of these?" Ling Fengjing asked, her gaze locked on Chu Ning.
After receiving his affirmation, she inquired about the specifics of the trade.
"To be honest, Ling, I'm not well-versed in the going rates for items in the Skyfield Grassland. Why don't you suggest a price, and if it's reasonable, I'll gladly accept."
Hearing this, Ling Fengjing gave Chu Ning a surprised look.
She had never encountered such a trading approach before.
After a moment's thought, Ling Fengjing spoke again, "Chu, I propose six hundred medium-grade spirit stones in exchange for all of these items. What are your thoughts?"
Chu Ning nodded inwardly.
This woman was fair in her dealings; six hundred medium-grade spirit stones equated to sixty thousand low-grade spirit stones, a reasonable price without any attempts to take advantage.
Of course, to Chu Ning, these spirit stones held little value.
What he sought was to establish connections with cultivators from the Tianmu Continent and gather information.
So, Chu Ning spoke up, "Ling, I accept your offer, but in return, I'd like to ask you some questions, and I hope you can provide me with answers."
Hearing this, Ling Fengjing's wariness resurfaced, and she asked cautiously, "What do you wish to know?"
Chu Ning smiled and explained, "Don't worry, I've been cultivating in seclusion and have limited interaction with the outside world. That's why I inadvertently stumbled into the Skyfield Grassland. I want to ask if you possess a map of the Tianmu Continent or know where I can acquire one. Ideally, it should detail the territories of various sects to prevent me from inadvertently offending any powerful factions."
Upon hearing Chu Ning's request, the wariness in Ling Fengjing's eyes diminished, and she shook her head, "To be honest, I've never left the Skyfield Grassland since beginning my cultivation journey. The Tianmu Continent is vast, and I don't have access to such a comprehensive map. If you seek one, your best bet would be to go to Sky Palace City, the headquarters of our Sky Palace. But..."
She paused momentarily before continuing hesitantly, "However, outsiders are generally not permitted to enter Sky Palace City."
Chu Ning's eyebrows knit together slightly at this revelation.
Just then, Ling Fengjing pointed to the items in Chu Ning's hand.
"Chu, are you still willing to trade these items?"
"Of course," Chu Ning replied. "But Ling, I'm willing to accept five hundred medium-grade spirit stones for them. On one condition—you assist me in obtaining the type of map I mentioned from Sky Palace City. Naturally, I'll cover the cost of the map separately."
Chu Ning laid out his terms, and Ling Fengjing's eyes lit up with excitement once more.
"Are you serious, Chu?"
One hundred medium-grade spirit stones were a substantial sum, equivalent to ten thousand low-grade spirit stones, a windfall for Ling Fengjing.
After Chu Ning affirmed his offer with a nod, Ling Fengjing bit her lip and said, "Alright, Chu, follow me. I'll take you to the outskirts of Sky Palace City to wait."
"It's much more convenient for me if you can find that kind of map in the city and bring it out to me directly."
Chu Ning was pleased to hear this, as he didn't want to waste time waiting around.
Ling Fengjing removed the spiritual energy restriction and started to walk out.
Chu Ning's gaze shifted to Zhuo Dingcheng, who was standing outside the tent and looking over at them, as well as Yan Soyun and her son, who were eagerly watching from a distance.
Then he turned to Ling Fengjing and asked, "Ling, does your Sky Palace have such high standards for selecting cultivators? Even a child with a Wind Spirit Root like him can't enter the Palace to cultivate?"
As she was walking ahead and about to give some instructions to Zhuo Dingcheng and the others, Ling Fengjing turned her head abruptly upon hearing Chu Ning's question, her face filled with surprise.
"Wind Spirit Root? Chu, are you saying that child has a Wind Spirit Root?"
After speaking, Ling Fengjing followed Chu Ning's gaze and landed on the little boy named Zhi.
The next moment, Ling Fengjing walked directly to his side.
She examined the little boy up and down, then took out a small jade pillar from her storage bag, similar to the one used during Chu Ning's entrance test at Qingxi Sect.
"Place your hand on it."
The little boy glanced at Ling Fengjing, then at Chu Ning in the distance, and hesitantly placed his trembling hand on the jade pillar.
"Wind Spirit Root! It's actually a mutated Wind Spirit Root!"
The next moment, as the pillar lit up, Ling Fengjing exclaimed in delight.
"What's your name, and are you willing to join the Celestial Palace to cultivate?"
Despite having learned from Chu Ning that he possessed the ability to cultivate, the little boy still couldn't hide his excitement upon hearing Ling Fengjing's words.
He stuttered in response, "My name is Ding Zhi, and I want to cultivate."
"Good!" Ling Fengjing smiled and nodded upon hearing this.
Then she looked at Yan Soyun.
"Are you his mother? You have two incense sticks' worth of time to say your goodbyes. Don't bring too many things; after that, he will follow me back to the Celestial Palace to cultivate."
As soon as these words left her mouth, Yan Soyun immediately pulled little Zhi to bow in gratitude.
"Thank you, Immortal Masters!"
The rest of the tribe reacted with astonishment.
"Little Zhi can cultivate? He's going to become an Immortal Master?"
"Little Zhi is the weakest among the children in our tribe. How can he cultivate?"
"That's true. Immortal Masters have visited our tribe before, but none of them said he had a Spirit Root. Could they have made a mistake?"
These comments naturally reached the ears of Chu Ning and Ling Fengjing.
A flash of displeasure crossed Ling Fengjing's eyes, and she coldly swept her gaze over the crowd, who were now discussing the matter animatedly.
"Are you questioning my judgment?"
The pressure of a Foundation Establishment cultivator's spiritual energy was not something mortals could withstand. For a moment, those who had spoken up fell silent, intimidated.
Some of the more timid or physically weaker individuals even knelt down.
Watching this scene from a distance, Chu Ning sighed softly.
"To mortals, cultivators are indeed like gods. No wonder they call cultivators Immortal Masters.
This Ling Fengjing could easily wipe out the entire tribe if she wanted to.
Even if she didn't do that, no one would dare object if she decided to punish those who had offended her.
However, she seems to have a kind heart and isn't the type to kill indiscriminately."
Indeed, as Chu Ning was thinking this, Ling Fengjing huffed and her expression softened.
Then she turned to Zhuo Dingcheng and said, "You don't need to doubt the judgment of the Immortal Master who tested your Spirit Roots before. Normally, this type of mutated Spirit Root would have been discovered early on.
But there are also some people whose Spirit Roots don't manifest until they are older.
This child probably falls into that category."
Zhuo Dingcheng immediately bowed respectfully and said, "Immortal Master Ling is wise and discerning. We were foolish and spoke without thinking. Please forgive us, Immortal Master."
Ling Fengjing waved her hand, indicating that the matter was dropped.
During the next two incense sticks' worth of time, the tribe bid farewell to little Zhi, offering him their congratulations.
Then, little Zhi bade goodbye to his mother, Yan Soyun, and left with Ling Fengjing, accompanied by Chu Ning.
The journey to Tianqiong City was quite far, spanning tens of thousands of miles.
Even with Chu Ning's speed, it would still take a significant amount of time.
However, traveling with Ling Fengjing meant they had to go at a slower pace.
Along the way, Chu Ning learned from Ling Fengjing that she didn't usually spend much time in the city or cultivating in the Palace.
Instead, she often stayed in the tribal areas under her jurisdiction, which was why she had been able to arrive so quickly after Zhuo Dingcheng's message.
With Ling Fengjing leading the way, their journey proceeded without incident.
However, when they were about five hundred miles away from Tianqiong City, Ling Fengjing asked Chu Ning to stay back and not get any closer, to avoid causing any trouble.
Chu Ning casually found a small hill to wait on, while Ling Fengjing took little Zhi with her to the city.
The little boy, Ding Zhi, kept turning back to look at Chu Ning, his eyes filled with gratitude.
He clearly understood that the turning point in his life had come when he met Chu Ning.
Chu Ning simply smiled at him.
To him, this was a minor matter, and he had only done it on a whim. From now on, it was up to Ding Zhi to determine how far he could go in his cultivation journey.
Chu Ning waited on the small hill for nearly a day before he sensed Ling Fengjing flying towards him from the direction of the city.
However, Chu Ning's eyebrows furrowed slightly as he detected, through his spiritual sense, several cultivators following behind Ling Fengjing.
He had expected some trouble, but he needed the map from Ling Fengjing for his next move.
After a moment, he smoothed out his expression, pretending to be unaware of the situation.
(End of Chapter)
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