Liaozhai: Immortality Begins with Becoming Yan Chixia's Apprentice

Chapter 171 The Peach Blossoms Are Blooming

It was three days later when they returned to Lanruo Temple.

Yan Chixia was practicing his sword on the back mountain. When he saw him return, he sheathed his sword and looked at him.

"Has the matter in Jinling been resolved?"

Zhou Ning nodded and briefly explained the situation of the Nanjing disappearance case.

After listening, Yan Chixia remained silent for a moment, then said:

"The art of immortality is inherently defying the will of Heaven. To exchange the lives of others for one's own immortality is even more heinous. Prince Rui's fate was entirely his own fault."

He paused, then continued:

"Those who cultivate themselves should take the Dao heart as their foundation. If the Dao heart is not upright, even if one has extraordinary abilities, it will only bring disaster."

Zhou Ning nodded: "This disciple understands."

Yan Chixia continued, "Now, you are one of the top experts in the cultivation world. Although your Nascent Soul realm is not as advanced as it was in the past, you are still among the best in the world today."

"Someone once predicted that although the Three Realms are shattered, the order is still stable, and the beings in the Three Realms continue to live in an orderly manner and do not invade each other. Although you are not weak, do not slack off. Study the method of Dao Integration well. One day, you may be the first Dao Integration Realm expert of this era."

Zhou Ning nodded heavily, then retreated to his room, sat cross-legged on the bed, and probed the jade slip with his divine sense to study it carefully.

The content of the Dao Integration Chapter is more profound than that of the Divine Transformation Chapter.

It tells how to harmonize the primordial spirit with the laws of heaven and earth, how to mobilize the power of heaven and earth, and how to comprehend the essence of the Dao.

Each step requires extremely deep accumulation and opportunity.

In the days that followed, Zhou Ning cultivated in the back mountain every day to solidify his Nascent Soul stage realm.

He practiced the "Demon-Slaying Technique" repeatedly, infusing each sword strike with righteous energy to maximize the damage of the sword energy to demons.

He mastered sword control to a higher level, and all six flying swords could be arranged into complex sword formations in the air under the control of his divine sense.

His cultivation level is steadily improving.

The initial stage of the Nascent Soul realm has been completely stabilized, and the bottleneck in the middle stage of the Nascent Soul realm has begun to loosen.

He knew that if he had more time, he could break through to the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm.

But he wasn't in a hurry.

The path of spiritual practice is not something that can be accomplished overnight.

He needs time, experience, and insight.

On this day, he was meditating on the back mountain when he suddenly felt the communication jade talisman in his arms getting slightly warm.

He took out the jade talisman and infused it with a wisp of true essence.

Xin Shisi Niang's voice echoed in his mind, carrying a hint of joy:

"Young Master Zhou, I have already mastered the basics of the Water Scripture you gave me."

"Thank you!"

Zhou Ning smiled slightly and replied with his divine sense, "Miss Xin, you're too kind. I'm relieved that you can cultivate."

Xin Shisi Niang then said, "Young Master Zhou, the peach blossoms on Qingqiu Mountain are in bloom. Would you like to come and see them?"

Zhou Ning thought for a moment and said, "Okay. I'll go in a few days."

He put away the jade talisman and continued meditating.

Qingqiu Mountain.

The peach blossoms on Qingqiu Mountain are indeed in bloom.

Standing at the foot of the mountain, Zhou Ning gazed at the sea of ​​pink flowers covering the hillside, and a long-lost sense of tranquility welled up in his heart.

Peach petals drifted down in the wind, like pink snowflakes, swirling in the air before gently landing on the ground, shoulders, and hair.

The air was filled with a faint floral fragrance, which was refreshing and delightful.

Several bees were busy among the flowers, buzzing and adding a touch of life to the tranquil valley.

He climbed upwards along the mountain path.

Peach blossoms are in full bloom along both sides of the mountain road, and petals are falling everywhere.

Occasionally, a few white foxes would peek out from the flower bushes, look at him curiously, and then quickly retreat back inside.

Zhou Ning smiled slightly, ignored him, and continued walking upwards.

After walking for about an hour, he arrived at the stone gate of the Qingqiu Fox Clan.

The stone gate was open, and two young women stood at the entrance, dressed in white with delicate features, resembling members of the fox clan.

Upon seeing Zhou Ning, they quickly bowed.

"Young Master Zhou, you've arrived. Sister Fourteen has been waiting for you for a long time."

Zhou Ning nodded and walked through the stone gate.

Behind the stone gate lies a wide valley.

The valley is filled with peach trees, and the peach blossoms are in full bloom, with petals falling like rain.

Deep within the peach grove, one can vaguely see some exquisite pavilions and towers, like a paradise on earth.

Zhou Ning walked through the peach grove and arrived in front of a grand hall.

The main hall is magnificent and imposing, with blue bricks and gray tiles, carved beams and painted rafters, exuding a royal air.

At the entrance of the palace, Xin Shisi Niang stood there, dressed in a white dress, with long hair flowing down her shoulders, her face delicate and her features exquisite.

In her hand, she held a peach blossom, its petals still glistening with dew.

"Young Master Zhou, you've arrived."

Xin Shisi Niang smiled slightly, her eyes full of joy.

Zhou Ning cupped his hands in greeting.

"Miss Xin, it's been a long time."

Xin Shisi Niang led him into the main hall, invited him to sit down, and had tea and snacks served.

"Young Master Zhou, I have already mastered the basics of the Water Scripture you gave me."

"This technique is truly miraculous. After practicing it, I feel that the demonic energy within my body has become much purer, and my cultivation level has also improved considerably."

Zhou Ning nodded.

"That's good. The Water God's Scripture is an ancient water god's cultivation technique, of extremely high quality. Young lady, cultivate it diligently, and you will surely achieve great things in the future."

Xin Shisi Niang said, "Young Master Zhou, you've been so good to me, I really don't know how to repay you."

Zhou Ning shook his head.

"Miss Xin, you don't need to be so polite. You saved my life, and I saved yours. We're friends, and friends don't need to be so formal."

Xin Shisi Niang's eyes were a little red. She lowered her head and said softly, "Friends...yes, we are friends."

The two remained silent for a moment.

Xin Shisi Niang raised her head and smiled:

"Young Master Zhou, let me take you to see the scenery of Qingqiu Mountain. The peach blossoms here are unparalleled in the world."

Zhou Ning nodded: "Okay."

The two walked out of the main hall and along a path into the depths of the peach grove.

Peach petals drifted down in the wind, landing on their shoulders and in their hair.

Xin Shisi Niang walked ahead, her steps light and quick, like a joyful little deer.

Zhou Ning followed behind her, watching her back, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart.

"Young Master Zhou, look over there."

Xin Shisi Niang pointed to a huge peach tree.

"That's the oldest peach tree in Qingqiu Mountain, said to be over a thousand years old. Every spring, it blooms with its most beautiful flowers."

Zhou Ning walked to the peach tree and looked up.

The trees were covered in blossoms, like pink clouds that blotted out the sun.

The petals drifted down, swirling in the air before slowly settling on the ground, forming a pink carpet.

He could sense that this peach tree contained an extremely rich spiritual energy, the result of thousands of years of accumulation.

"What a fine tree," Zhou Ning praised.

Zhou Ning took out a jade pendant from his bosom and handed it to Xin Shisi Niang.

"Miss Xin, this is the token of the Qingqiu Fox Clan that you gave me. You told me to keep it safe, saying it would be helpful to me in the future, and I have indeed benefited greatly from this jade pendant. However, I feel that this jade is extremely precious, so it would be better to return it to you."

Xin Shisi Niang shook her head and said, "Young Master Zhou, you are too kind. This jade is destined for you, and it is also a small token of respect from my Qingqiu Fox Clan to our benefactor. Young Master Zhou, are you returning it because you think the gift is too small?"

Zhou Ning was taken aback, shook his head with a wry smile, put the jade pendant away again, and then said solemnly, "Then thank you very much, Miss Xin."

Xin Shisi Niang shook her head.

"Young Master Zhou, you saved our lives, what is this small token of our appreciation?"