Chapter 258: Surrounded
Over the next few days, Ning Xiaochuan secluded himself in the Jade Viewing Tower to cultivate, striving to break through to the Fifth Level of the Transcendent Realm.
At the same time, he ordered Situ Fengwu to purchase and gather the materials needed to refine the "Great Earth Solemnity Pill."
The Great Earth Solemnity Pill was among the pinnacle of Advanced Mystic Pills, requiring seven rare primary profound medicines and thirty-seven auxiliary profound medicines. The timing of adding the medicines and the control of the flame were both extremely precise—even the slightest mistake would result in failure.
Of the seven primary profound medicines, Qiu Xinghui had spent years searching and managed to acquire five. Since he had requested Ning Xiaochuan to refine the Great Earth Solemnity Pill for him, he handed over these five primary medicines.
Now, only two primary medicines remained: "Earth's Wonder" and "Magma Blood from the Earth's Core."
As for the thirty-seven auxiliary profound medicines, though also rare, they could still be purchased at a high price from the Three Great Heart Nurturing Halls.
The most critical preparations before Ning Xiaochuan now were finding the remaining two primary medicines and obtaining the Pill Formula for the Great Earth Solemnity Pill.
The Great Earth Solemnity Pill was no ordinary pill. It was originally devised through the extraordinary wisdom of ancient sages, then refined and perfected over generations before being recorded as a "Pill Formula" and preserved.
The Pill Formula not only listed the profound medicines required but also detailed the flame control at different stages and the precise order in which the medicines should be added.
Though merely a formula, it was the culmination of countless geniuses' lifelong efforts—a priceless treasure for Heart Nurturers.
For an Advanced Heart Nurturer, refining Intermediate Elixirs was trivial, as they were far simpler than Advanced Pills. The medicines used were relatively basic, and no Pill Formula was needed—just a Heart Nurturer's understanding of medicinal principles to devise their own Intermediate Elixir.
However, in the Yulan Empire, it was rare for anyone to independently develop an Advanced Pill.
This was because Advanced Pills were not easily devised. Their complexity was ten or even a hundred times greater than Intermediate Elixirs. Only by relying on ancient Pill Formulas could one successfully refine an Advanced Pill.
For an Intermediate Heart Nurturer, the most important task was gathering materials to refine a True Cauldron and fuse with it.
For an Advanced Heart Nurturer, the most crucial task was—finding Pill Formulas.
Every Pill Formula was an invaluable treasure to an Advanced Heart Nurturer, representing the ability to refine an Advanced Pill and earn widespread reverence as an Advanced Heart Nurturer.
Of course, Pill Formulas for Advanced Pills were exceedingly rare and difficult to obtain. Most were hidden deep within the treasuries of nobles, imperial palaces, or secret sect vaults. Ordinary Heart Nurturers had no access to them, and even some Advanced Heart Nurturers without powerful backing might never acquire one.
The Pill Formula for the Great Earth Solemnity Pill, however, was relatively less scarce and could be found in many ancient noble estates. Unlike some unique Advanced Pills, whose formulas were one-of-a-kind and only discoverable by the luckiest Heart Nurturers.
Naturally, the Jian Pavilion Marquis House also possessed the Pill Formula for the Great Earth Solemnity Pill, and Ning Xiaochuan intended to retrieve it now.
Ning Xiaochuan had promised Qiu Xinghui to refine the "Great Earth Solemnity Pill" for him within three months. Now, two months had passed. The Divine Sword Palace had begun to develop steadily, and Ghost Manor had also started expanding aggressively, seizing territories. The threat from the Lifeless Dao had been temporarily resolved, allowing him to finally focus on refining the "Great Earth Solemnity Pill."
Of course, Ning Xiaochuan wasn’t refining the pill solely to repay Qiu Xinghui’s favor. He was also doing it for himself—and to help Murong Hua, who was at the ninth level of the Transcendent Realm, break through to the Earthly Venerable Realm and earn the title of "Martial Venerable."
If both Lin Sanzhi and Murong Hua became Martial Venerables, Ghost Manor would possess two Martial Venerables simultaneously, matching the Jian Pavilion Marquis House in strength. Moreover, Ning Xiaochuan himself would eventually need to break through to the Earthly Venerable Realm. Refining the "Great Earth Solemnity Pill" now was also preparation for his own future.
Situ Fengwu received Ning Xiaochuan’s order to purchase the profound medicine required for refining the "Great Earth Solemnity Pill." As soon as she stepped out of the Jade Viewing Tower, she immediately headed toward the Crown Prince’s Palace.
"Ning Xiaochuan actually thinks a mere Gu worm can control me? Though the Gu worm is formidable, it’s not impossible to remove. Once I reveal his secrets to the Crown Prince, it will be his death sentence—and Ghost Manor will fall with him." Situ Fengwu had submitted to Ning Xiaochuan only to get close to him and uncover his identity. Now that she knew who he was, and with Ning Xiaochuan sending her out alone, she naturally wouldn’t miss this opportunity to report the information to the Crown Prince at once.
The Crown Prince’s Palace was located in the Tianluo District of the Inner City, an area filled with grand mansions, red walls, and green tiles. The streets here were wider than elsewhere, and even the servants walking along them carried themselves with an air of superiority, as if they were inherently above others. Among the mansions in this district, the Crown Prince’s Palace was the most magnificent, with carriages constantly coming and going through its gates, accompanied by orderly processions and numerous servants.
Situ Fengwu moved with incredible speed, her body like a white shadow as she darted to the front of the Crown Prince’s Palace and strode inside.
"Whoosh—"
Her vision blurred, and suddenly, a young man stood before her, blocking her path with his back turned.
"Young Lady Situ, what business do you have at the Crown Prince’s Palace?" Ning Xiaochuan stood in front of her, wearing the Golden Mask, his gaze fixed on the majestic palace with a faint smile.
Situ Fengwu paled as she felt the Freezing Energy radiating from Ning Xiaochuan. Her slender legs trembled beneath her dress.
Ning Xiaochuan said, "Were you planning to search for profound medicine in the Crown Prince’s Palace?"
Situ Fengwu dared not speak.
The Crown Prince’s Palace was so close—just a step away. Crossing that distance would allow her to see the Crown Prince she longed for and reveal Young Master Chuan’s true identity. But that single step had been mercilessly severed by Ning Xiaochuan, turning it into an insurmountable gap.
Ning Xiaochuan continued, "Young Lady Situ, you must understand—you are now my sword servant. Betraying your master will lead to a very grim fate. I know you desire to be the Crown Prince’s woman, to become the Crown Princess. But first, you must obey me. Otherwise, forget being the Crown Princess—you won’t even remain a servant."
"Subordinate... I won't dare next time." Situ Fengwu's voice trembled slightly.
"Tomorrow should be the time for the Gu worm to act up. This time, I’ll let you remember the lesson—wrongdoings always warrant punishment." Ning Xiaochuan spoke indifferently.
"Manor Lord, please don’t!" Situ Fengwu knew all too well the agony of the Gu worm gnawing at her heart—it was sheer torment beyond endurance.
Ning Xiaochuan wasn’t inherently cruel, but as the Manor Lord of Ghost Manor, he had to be strict and ruthless with his subordinates. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to command respect.
A leader without a firm hand could never hold the position of Manor Lord in Ghost Manor. Instead, they might be devoured by their own subordinates.
Take today, for example. Had Situ Fengwu truly met the Crown Prince, he would have immediately dispatched numerous experts to Jade Viewing Tower to deal with Ning Xiaochuan. By then, not only would Ning Xiaochuan meet a gruesome end, but even Yu Ningsheng and the Jian Pavilion Marquis House would be implicated.
Thus, when dealing with subordinates, a ruthless approach was necessary.
Of course, one must balance severity with benevolence.
Ning Xiaochuan gently stroked Situ Fengwu’s smooth, delicate cheek and said softly, "Don’t worry. If you obey obediently, I might even lend you a hand in the future, helping you become the Crown Princess."
A glimmer of longing flashed in Situ Fengwu’s eyes, and her resentment toward Ning Xiaochuan lessened slightly.
Suddenly, Ning Xiaochuan’s brow furrowed sharply. He grabbed Situ Fengwu’s shoulder and swiftly moved into a narrow alley.
Boom!
A massive palm strike erupted from the Crown Prince’s Palace, blasting the spot where Ning Xiaochuan and Situ Fengwu had just stood, leaving behind a colossal five-fingered crater.
The surrounding buildings collapsed from the shockwave, and the ground cracked with fissures, as if on the verge of caving in.
The Crown Prince’s Martial Soul Avatar soared into the sky, hovering high above as he stared down at Ning Xiaochuan and Situ Fengwu. He laughed loudly, "Young Master Chuan, you actually dared to come outside the Crown Prince’s Palace! Today, I’ll make sure you die without a burial!"
Ning Xiaochuan hadn’t expected the Crown Prince’s Heart Spirit Perception to be so formidable—merely appearing outside the palace had alerted him.
This was bad.
In truth, the Crown Prince hadn’t sensed Ning Xiaochuan but rather Situ Fengwu.
The moment Situ Fengwu appeared outside the palace, the Crown Prince had already detected her, using her as bait to lure Ning Xiaochuan out.
He had waited until Ning Xiaochuan showed himself before striking.
Seeing the Crown Prince’s Martial Soul Avatar appear, Situ Fengwu didn’t feel the joy she had imagined. If not for Ning Xiaochuan’s intervention, she might have already perished under that palm strike.
The Crown Prince’s Martial Soul Avatar attacked again, unleashing a second Great Palm Strike that descended like a crushing cloud.
The strike locked onto Ning Xiaochuan completely, leaving him no room to evade—only to clash head-on.
Ning Xiaochuan immediately summoned the Demonic Sword, channeling all his strength into a single slash that tore through the palm strike, dispersing it into wisps of Profound Qi mist.
"Tai Sui!"
Ning Xiaochuan summoned the Tai Sui Beast, preparing to escape underground.
The Crown Prince’s cultivation was genuinely at the Earthly Venerable Realm, and the palace housed countless experts. Once surrounded, death would be inevitable today.
However, a powerful barrier had appeared on the ground, sealing the earth so tightly that even the Tai Sui Beast couldn't burrow through.
"Haha, Young Master Chuan, this old man has been waiting for you for quite some time." A Daoist-robed elder emerged from the Crown Prince's Palace, wearing a Daoist crown and holding a horsetail whisk, exuding an air of transcendent grace.
His robe was green, with a yin-yang Eight Trigrams pattern on the front and a triangular Daoist cauldron embroidered on the back.
This marked his identity—none other than the third-rank State Preceptor of the imperial court.
The barrier on the ground had been set by him, sealing the earth and locking the surrounding space.
The area around the Crown Prince's Palace had transformed into an inescapable gilded cage.
Immediately afterward, a large number of martial artists rushed out from the Crown Prince's Palace, wielding Mystic Artifact weapons, their predatory gazes fixed on Ning Xiaochuan as they cut off all his escape routes.
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