ATPnovel Chapter 148 Entrusted with an Important Responsibility
Chapter 148 Entrusted with an Important Responsibility
Three days later, his Nascent Soul power was finally fully restored.
Within his dantian, the nascent soul sat cross-legged in the center, radiating a dazzling purple-gold light, even more solid than before the injury.
The Nascent Soul stage has not only stabilized, but there are also signs of it loosening.
The bottleneck of the late Nascent Soul stage seems to be within reach.
"Give me some more time, and I should be able to break through to the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm," Zhou Ning thought to himself.
He left the quiet room and went to the city wall.
The sky over the North was still overcast, but the stench in the air had lessened considerably.
On the city wall, the guards of the Demon Suppression Division were patrolling. When they saw Zhou Ning, they all saluted.
Zhou Ning nodded in response, his gaze fixed on the north.
That's the direction of the void rift.
He could sense that deep within that void, an extremely powerful evil aura was slowly increasing, like a sleeping giant beast gradually awakening.
"Extraterrestrial demons..." Zhou Ning murmured.
Just then, the communication jade talisman in my arms began to feel slightly warm.
He took out the jade talisman and infused it with a wisp of true essence.
Yan Chixia's voice echoed in his mind.
"Zhou Ning, return to Lanruo Temple. It's urgent."
Zhou Ning's heart skipped a beat. He put away the jade talisman, bid farewell to Han Wei, and used his lightness technique to speed towards Lanruo Temple.
Qingyun Mountain, Lanruo Temple.
"Master, your disciple has returned." Zhou Ning went straight to the main hall, saw Yan Chixia, and said.
Yan Chixia was meditating when he heard footsteps and opened his eyes.
His gaze fell on Zhou Ning, and he nodded slightly.
"You recovered so quickly?"
Zhou Ning nodded: "I've recovered. Master, what urgent matter do you need me for?"
Yan Chixia hesitated for a moment before speaking, "I plan to go to the Southern Frontier. The rift there has been acting strangely again recently, and Daoist Xuanzhen suggested I go and take a look. I summoned you back to tell you that the Northern Lands are entrusted to you. These are some things I'm leaving for you, in case of unforeseen circumstances."
Zhou Ning took the bag from Yan Chixia and nodded, saying, "Disciple understands. Master, rest assured, disciple will definitely guard the North and live up to everyone's expectations."
Yan Chixia nodded with satisfaction, stood up, walked to him, reached out and patted him on the shoulder.
"You've grown up. From now on, the people of the North will depend on you."
A warm feeling welled up in Zhou Ning's heart, and he solemnly said, "This disciple will not disappoint Master."
Yan Chixia nodded, turned and left the main hall.
Standing at the entrance of the main hall, Zhou Ning watched his master's departing figure, a firm belief welling up in his heart.
After Yan Chixia left Lanruo Temple, Zhou Ning stood at the entrance of the main hall for a long time.
The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the bluestone steps, casting a long shadow on him.
A mountain breeze caresses the face, carrying the fresh scent of pine resin and the delicate fragrance of distant wildflowers.
He took a deep breath, suppressing the faint sorrow of parting in his heart.
With Master gone to the Southern Frontier, the Northern Lands will have to rely on him and the experts of the Demon Suppression Division.
This was the first time he had shouldered such a heavy responsibility alone, and it would be a lie to say he wasn't nervous, but he felt more determined than anything else.
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.
He checked three times to make sure nothing was missing before he shouldered his bag and left Lanruo Temple.
He had traveled this road from Qingyun Mountain to the North countless times, but this time, the feeling was exceptionally different.
He knew that from now on, he would no longer be the little disciple following behind his master.
He was the guardian of the northern defense line and the hope of hundreds of thousands of people.
He carries a heavy responsibility on his shoulders.
On the third day, he returned to Qingfeng City.
The city looked much better than when he left.
There were more pedestrians on the streets, most of the shops were open, and smiles appeared on the faces of the people.
Several children were chasing and playing at the city gate, their laughter clear and melodious.
Upon seeing Zhou Ning, a child recognized him and shouted:
"Young Master Zhou is back! Young Master Zhou is back!"
The people gathered around, some bowing, some kowtowing, and some bringing eggs and fruit.
Zhou Ning quickly waved his hand:
"Fellow villagers, please don't stand on ceremony. I appreciate your kindness, but I cannot accept the food. Please keep it for yourselves. I am a practitioner and can do without food."
Although his words made sense, the people were not going to listen to his good intentions, so they forced the things into his hands.
Zhou Ning couldn't refuse, so he had to accept the money. But when he encountered orphans, widows, and beggars along the way, he distributed the money to them all.
Han Wei came down from the city wall and walked to Zhou Ning's side.
His complexion was much better than last time, and the injury on his left arm had completely healed.
He patted Zhou Ning on the shoulder and smiled, "Young Master Zhou, you're back. With you here in the North, I can rest assured."
Zhou Ning cupped his hands in greeting: "Lord Han, you are too kind. The defense of the North still depends on Lord Han and the brothers of the Demon Suppression Division."
The two walked and talked.
Han Wei told him that during the days he was in seclusion, no more cracks appeared in the northern lands.
The guards of the Demon Suppression Division patrolled day and night but found nothing unusual.
Disciples from various righteous sects have also arrived one after another and are stationed at three outposts in Qingfeng City, Luoxia Town, and Cangmang Mountain.
"Young Master Zhou, would you like to go and take a look at the outpost?" Han Wei asked.
Zhou Ning nodded.
"Alright. Let's go to the outpost north of Qingfeng City first."
The two left Qingfeng City and headed towards the outpost to the north.
The outpost was built on a small hill about ten miles north of the city. It was a simple wooden building surrounded by a wooden fence.
The outpost was guarded by ten demon-suppressing officers and five righteous disciples. The leader was a middle-aged cultivator named Li Yuan, whose cultivation was at the late Foundation Establishment stage. He was a calm and reliable person.
"Young Master Zhou, Lord Han," Li Yuan greeted them respectfully.
Zhou Ning asked, "Captain Li, have you noticed anything unusual recently?"
Li Yuan shook his head.
"No. The crack hasn't reappeared since it was sealed last time. But the fog to the north is always very thick, and visibility is very low. We send people out to scout every day, but we haven't found anything."
Zhou Ning walked to the lookout tower on the north side of the outpost and looked north.
On the distant horizon, black fog churned endlessly, merging the sky and the earth into one.
In the fog, some blurry shadows could be vaguely seen moving around, but it was impossible to make out what they were.
"When did those shadows appear?" Zhou Ning asked.
Li Yuandao said, "Three days ago. It started out very light, but then it got thicker and thicker. We sent people to check it out, but the fog was so thick that they got lost as soon as they went in and almost couldn't get back."
Zhou Ning frowned and jumped down from the observation platform.
"I want to go and see."
Han Wei quickly said, "Young Master Zhou, it's too dangerous for you to go alone."
Zhou Ning shook his head: "Don't worry, Lord Han, I know what I'm doing. You wait here, I'll be back before dark."
He took out an invisibility talisman from his bag and stuck it to his chest.