ATPnovel Chapter 166 The Tragic Scene of the Huai River
Chapter 166 The Tragic Scene of the Huai River
One day, he was meditating on the back mountain when he suddenly heard footsteps coming from down the mountain.
He walked to the edge of the cliff and looked down. He saw a young woman dressed in a white Taoist robe walking up the mountain path. It was Xuan Jing.
"Miss Xuanjing?" Zhou Ning hurried down the mountain to greet her.
Xuan Jing smiled slightly when she saw him: "Young Master Zhou, congratulations on breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage."
Zhou Ning was taken aback: "How did you know?"
Xuanjing said:
"My senior brother predicted it. He said that on the day you broke through to the Nascent Soul stage, there was a celestial anomaly that was sensed by cultivators within a thousand miles. He also said that you are a genius that appears only once in a thousand years, and your future is limitless."
Zhou Ning smiled wryly: "Master Xuanzhen, you flatter me."
Xuan Jing took out a letter from her bosom and handed it to Zhou Ning.
"My senior brother asked me to tell you that the seal in the North is very stable, so you don't need to worry. He hopes you can focus on your cultivation and break through to the Dao Integration stage as soon as possible."
Zhou Ning carefully put away the letter and bowed to Xuan Jing, saying:
"Thank you for sending the message, Miss Xuanjing. Please tell Master Xuanzhen that I will definitely work hard in my cultivation."
Xuan Jing nodded and turned to go down the mountain.
Zhou Ning watched her leave, then returned to the back mountain to continue his cultivation.
The days passed by.
Zhou Ning's 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.
Han Wei's voice echoed in his mind, tinged with excitement:
"Young Master Zhou, the people of the North have spontaneously organized a guard team to patrol the border and prevent evil spirits from invading."
"They said it was to thank you and Master Yan for saving their lives."
Zhou Ning smiled slightly and responded with his divine sense.
"Lord Han, please thank them for me. I appreciate their kindness."
Han Wei continued, "There's one more thing. The imperial court has issued an edict, which you politely declined last time. This time, the court is determined to appoint you as 'Guardian of the Nation,' bestowing upon you a thousand taels of gold and a hundred acres of fertile land. The imperial edict has already been delivered to Qingfeng City. I think you can't refuse this time either, so, what do you think…?"
Zhou Ning hesitated for a moment, then said, "Lord Han, I cannot accept these rewards. Please help me pass them on to the people of the North. They need them more than I do."
Han Wei was silent for a moment, then said, "Okay. I'll pass it on for you."
The jade talisman's light dimmed, and Han Wei's voice disappeared.
Zhou Ning put away the jade talisman and continued meditating.
As evening fell, he came to the main hall, sat down on the prayer mat, and closed his eyes to regulate his breathing.
He thought of his master Yan Chixia, Han Wei, Xuanzhenzi, Xin Shisi Niang, the guards who fought alongside him on the northern battlefield, and the little girl who gave him wildflowers at the city gate...
"The path of cultivation, though lonely, is not solitary," Zhou Ning murmured.
He opened his eyes and looked at the sky outside the hall.
The afterglow of the setting sun bathed the pine forest, gilding everything with a warm golden hue.
In the distance, several birds returned to their nests, chirping melodiously.
"Next is the Dao Integration stage."
Zhou Ning clenched his fist, a firm belief rising in his heart.
Spring has passed and autumn has come; three months have passed in the blink of an eye.
Behind Lanruo Temple, the pine trees still rustle and the wind still whispers.
Zhou Ning sat cross-legged on the boulder where he had practiced his sword countless times, closed his eyes and concentrated his mind. The primordial spirit power within his body surged through his meridians like a giant purple-gold dragon.
Within the dantian, the illusory image of the primordial spirit sat cross-legged in the center, its hands forming a mudra, radiating a warm glow.
After three months of nurturing, the initial stage of the Nascent Soul realm has been completely stabilized, and the primordial spirit is much more solid than when it first broke through.
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.
Han Wei's voice echoed in his mind, tinged with a hint of solemnity.
"Young Master Zhou, strange things have happened in the Huaiyang region. In recent months, the Huai River has risen sharply, causing floods that have inundated several counties. Countless people have died or been displaced."
"The imperial court sent people to manage the situation, but to no avail. Some people said that this was not a natural disaster, but the work of evil spirits."
Zhou Ning frowned. He didn't know much about the Huaiyang region, only that it was prosperous and extravagant.
"Lord Han, hasn't the imperial court sent anyone to investigate?"
Han Wei said, "They were dispatched. The Demon Suppression Division sent two groups of people, but they didn't find anything."
"The first group of people arrived in Huaiyang and said that everything was normal, but the flood just wouldn't recede."
"The second group fared even worse; they disappeared as soon as they arrived in Huaiyang, neither alive nor dead."
"The imperial court is in a great hurry and hopes you can go and see for yourself."
Zhou Ning thought for a moment and said, "Okay. I'll go."
He put away the jade talisman and stood up.
It's been three months since I last went down the mountain; it's time to get out and about.
The path of spiritual practice cannot always be spent in seclusion on the mountain.
It is better to travel thousands of miles than to read thousands of books.
Only by tempering one's heart in the mortal world can one truly reveal one's abilities.
He returned to his lodgings and packed his bags.
The three flying swords—Qingfeng Sword, Bixie Sword, and Hanshuang Sword—were neatly inserted into the sword box.
Talismans, elixirs, and jade slips were all neatly packed away.
With everything prepared, he left Lanruo Temple and headed towards Huaiyang.
The Huaiyang region is a thousand miles away from Qingyun Mountain.
Zhou Ning stepped into the air and transformed into a rainbow, arriving in the Huaiyang region the next day. However, Zhou Ning did not enter the city directly, but landed on the edge.
But the bleak scene that met his eyes made his heart sink.
The once fertile fields were turned into a vast expanse of water, and the turbid floodwaters overflowed the dikes, submerging villages and towns.
On the rooftops above the water stood some refugees, their faces pale and their eyes filled with despair.
Animal carcasses and broken furniture floated on the water, and the air was filled with the stench of decay.
Zhou Ning found a high place and landed.
He extended his divine sense, covering an area of hundreds of thousands of feet in radius, carefully sensing the underwater situation.
He quickly noticed something was wrong.
A faint demonic aura was surging in the direction of the Huai River's water palace.
That eerie aura was cold and malevolent.
"Someone is up to no good." Zhou Ning frowned.
He walked upstream along the Huai River.
After walking for about an hour, a small town appeared ahead.
The town was built on high ground and was not flooded, but it was crowded with refugees, with makeshift sheds and tents everywhere.
An atmosphere of sadness and despair permeated the air.
Zhou Ning walked into the town, found a tea stall that was still open, and ordered a bowl of tea.
The tea stall owner was an elderly man in his fifties surnamed Wang. He had a kind face, but his eyes were full of fatigue.
"Grandpa, what's going on with this flood?" Zhou Ning asked.