Translated By – DemonKiller
Checked and Edited By – Livewidsmile
Proofread By – DemonKiller
Please do not host our works anywhere else without our permission.
Chapter 0521: Cheating
The Orchid Borough Celestial River King looked ordinary, with a big nose and small eyes. Instead, the woman accompanying the Celestial Rover King brought out his grandeur. Compared to the average looking Celestial River King, Ning Cheng felt more surprised by the woman at his side.
"That pretty-looking woman should be Imperial Concubine Xuan Yu, isn't it? No wonder that fellow decided to name this city as the Revolving Jade City." Ning Cheng whispered. That woman was just too beautiful; no wonder the Orchid Borough Celestial River King took a fancy to her.
[TL Note: "Xuan Yu" and "Revolving Jade" are the same words; I just choose to mix it up for the different uses of the names.]
Compared to Shi Yulan's beauty, which felt like an un-bloomed rosebud, Imperial Concubine Xuan Yu gave off the feeling like a fully blooming rose flower.
"You should keep your voice down. Don't talk casually in this place." Shi Yulan quickly spoke up. She had a lot more experience with Celestial River Kings; moreover, since she had personally witnessed the fearfulness of Celestial River Kings, she felt afraid that their words might end up reaching the ears of the Orchid Borough Celestial River King, even if they were only whispering.
Ning Cheng only smiled but did not continue to speak. He had already masked his voice; as such, even if the Orchid Borough Celestial River King were someone with cultivation above the Heaven Seated Realm, he still would not be able to hear his voice. However, Shi Yulan's words, he might have heard them.
The Orchid Borough Celestial River King, accompanied with his beautiful Imperial Concubine, descended over the main altar of the Orchid Borough Public Square. At the same time, his Spiritual Consciousness had already swept through the entire public square.
When that fellow's Spiritual Consciousness swept past Ning Cheng's body, Ning Cheng felt his entire body turn ice-cold. It felt as if nothing could hide from the eyes of that person. Ning Cheng knew that it was just an illusion; however, it also proved the horrifying might of the Celestial River King. Moreover, this Celestial River King belonged to one of the most ordinary Celestial River. If it was a powerful Celestial River King, Ning Cheng could not begin to imagine the strength of such an existence.
When the public square finally turned silent, the Orchid Borough Celestial River King finally spoke up, "Today, I feel delighted. I came here to meet the elites of my Orchid Borough Celestial River. The future of Orchid Borough Celestial River lies in your hands, and you might even leave your mark within the Man Lun Starry Skies. I just hope that, in the future, outside of the Man Lun Starry Skies, if a powerhouse could say that he or she came from the Orchid Borough Celestial River, it would turn out to be the happiest thing for me."
"Since the Man Lun Starry Skies is hosting the Celestial Scryer Genius Tryouts, it could also help you finally make your way out of our starry skies and enter the vast universe. The geniuses in my Orchid Borough Celestial River are like the passing clouds in the sky, and yet all of you experts have decided to gather here in the selection rounds of the Orchid Borough Celestial River. Right now, there are 1.06 million Celestial Scryer Geniuses taking part in this selection. However, although I wish to send every one of you to enter the Time Wilderness; the Man Lun Starry Skies just has too many Celestial Rivers and not just our Orchid Borough Celestial River."
"As such, we can only select a limited number of geniuses from our Orchid Borough Celestial River. In fact, out of the nearly one million geniuses, we can only select 10,000 of you to enter the Time Wilderness. Entering the Time Wilderness, I trust everyone should already know what kind of benefits it could bring to your starry skies' cultivation, and what it signifies, right? It means that you could walk further in the future and rush higher….."
The thunderous cheers indicated the implicit support the people had for the Orchid Borough Celestial River King.
The Orchid Borough Celestial River King smiled before raising his hand and continuing, "Because there are too many geniuses participating in this competition, we will use a one-off method to determine things within a day….."
Ning Cheng already had some idea about the method of selection; however, he still paid adequate attention. If he could, Ning Cheng also wanted to help the Jing Wuming trio. As for Ruan Mingshu, Ning Cheng felt sure that the other party had her own means to pass the selection round and did not need his help. However, he also felt somewhat doubtful about completing the selection round from more than a million cultivators in within a day.
"Many people might have already received the news that this time's selection round will take place in the Orchid Borough Celestial River's 9 Step Obscure Array. Our Orchid Borough Celestial River's Obscure Array is a product of the Premier Obscure Array Grandmaster Xuan Ming and built for the masses. As such, using it for selection would be both fair and just. The first 10,000 geniuses who can go the farthest within our Orchid Borough Celestial River's 9 Step Obscure Array will represent our Orchid Borough Celestial River within the Man Lun Starry Skies……"
As the Orchid Borough Celestial River King continued speaking over the altar, some whisperings had already started to spread below it.
Ning Cheng had never encountered an Obscure Array. From what he heard from Ruan Mingshu previously, Obscure Arrays and Array Formations had some differences. Mainly, when it came to using Obscure Arrays, one cannot just rely on the level of understanding of Array Formations. It also required sufficient Celestial Essence Force, sufficiently strengthened Spiritual Consciousness, right perception and a high enough comprehension ability, combining it all with adequate calculating skills. In a way, it was somewhat similar to gambling in casinos. He even heard that 'gambling' was one of the side branches of Obscure Arrays.
At the same time, the Obscure Arrays did not have any clearly defined rankings. Supposedly, the Orchid Borough Celestial River's 9-Step Obscure Array referred to this Obscure Array having nine gates. The passage through each gate had an intrinsic connection to a cultivator's Celestial Essence, Spiritual Consciousness and perceptual abilities.
"We have already prepared and placed the entry and exit points for the Orchid Borough Celestial River's Obscure Array over the Orchid Borough Public Square. At the same time, the results of the participating talents would come up on display on the Orchid Borough Public Square's Array Formation Displays. The selection round starts now……"
After the Orchid Borough Celestial River finished, he immediately flew out from the main altar along with his Imperial Concubine before landing on one side of the main stage to watch the proceedings.
A moment later, the main altar, where he stood a moment ago, automatically descended. Then a colossal Transfer Array entrance opened up and a long bearded man appeared next to this Array Entrance and took out a jade pillar before putting it down before speaking, "To cultivators participating in the selection round, please take out your identity jade cards and put them on your chests before stepping into the Transfer Array Entrance. If you are not a contestant, I would advise you to not try to go in; otherwise, you will be automatically sent out and killed on the spot…."
After the old man finished, he stood to the side. Many of the participating cultivators put their jade card over their chests and walked into the Transfer Array Entrance.
The large ten-sided blank Array Formation Displays in the middle of the Orchid Borough Public Square, which had remained blank until now, quickly started to display names one after another.
"Senior Apprentice Brother Ning, let's wait for a while before the two of us go in together; also, take care." Ruan Mingshu walked over to Ning Cheng's side and whispered.
Ning Cheng took out his jade card and pinned it to his chest before asking, "Junior Apprentice Sister Mingshu, are you sure that you can enter the top 10,000?"
Ruan Mingshu nodded and spoke, "I have been inside an Obscure Array before; therefore, I am confident that I can get into the top 10,000."
"Well then, you go ahead. I have a few things to discuss with my friends." Ning Cheng rejected Ruan Mingshu's proposal.
Ruan Mingshu looked at Jing Wuming and the Lan Ya duo before speaking with some disappointment, "Okay, then I will go in first. Senior Apprentice Brother Ning, in any case, you must pass this selection…."
Although Ruan Mingshu's words did not contain even the barest hint of threat, Ning Cheng still felt a little uncomfortable. Those words were to remind him that he and the Ruan Clan had a cooperation agreement between them and that he cannot let others affect his selection.
After Ruan Mingshu left, Ning Cheng asked the Lan Ya trio, "Do you feel confident enough?"
Jing Wuming hesitated before speaking, "Although I don't have much confidence, I still have some."
Lan Ya also nodded, "I feel just like Wuming. I do not have much confidence. However, I want to go in and experience it. At the same time, I do believe that I might have a chance to pass."
Shi Yulan remained silent until Ning Cheng looked at her, when she replied with, "I don't have much confidence either."
Ning Cheng pondered over things for a moment before speaking up through sound transmissions, "Ok, Shi Yulan and I will pair up as one group, Wuming and Senior Apprentice Sister Lan will pair up for the other. Let us go in first, Wuming and Senior Apprentice Sister Lan Ya, follow behind us closely. Whether we pass or fail, let us try things out first. Remember; do not immediately start moving after you go in. If you do not receive any message from me, it means that the Obscure Array does not allow cheating. In that case, everyone will have to rely on his or her own luck. If you can receive my message, then you would not have to worry too much."
"Ok." Jing Wuming and the three of them also agreed. With the three of them agreeing with Ning Cheng, the four of them decided to go in together. That way, they could take care of each other.
The Orchid Borough Public Square's Transfer Array Entrance was huge; even if hundreds of people decided to enter side by side, it still would not feel crowded. Out of the nearly one million contestants, a little more than half of them had already gone through the Array Entrance.
Ning Cheng and Shi Yulan entered side by side, and Jing Wuming and Lan Ya quickly aligned themselves behind Ning Cheng and Shi Yulan before entering the Transfer Array Entrance.
As soon as he stepped into the Transfer Array Entrance, Ning Cheng felt the area around his body turn empty before landing on the ground a moment later.
Ning Cheng immediately focused his attention over the surroundings. From the looks of it, his surroundings looked like an empty hall. There was a wall in all four directions about ten meters around him. Moreover, both the walls and the hall's floor seemed covered with some strange patterns. At the same time, there was only one person inside the whole room, and one could no longer see any trace of the rest of the people who entered.
Not to say about Jing Wuming and Lan Ya, Ning Cheng could not even see Shi Yulan, who had entered with him.
Although this hall did not have an exit or an entrance, Ning Cheng did not feel anxious. Since it was an Obscure Array, then one had to create their own doors. Carefully extending out his Spiritual Consciousness, he found his Spiritual Consciousness blocked the moment it touched the walls of the hall.
However, Ning Cheng did not recall it because of an obstruction. Before coming to this place, he had attempted many times to penetrate obstacles with his Spiritual Consciousness. Whether Spiritual Consciousness Blocking Array Formations or natural restrictions that blocked Spiritual Consciousness, none could completely prevent him. Moreover, Ning Cheng even had a verification about it when he had obtained the Fire Origin Bead.
Sure enough, when Ning Cheng's Spiritual Consciousness forcibly tried to penetrate, his Spiritual Consciousness finally started to penetrate through the wall slowly. A moment later, he saw Shi Yulan frowning but motionless. Looking at two other sides, he then saw Jing Wuming and Lan Ya. Apart from them, he could also see a few other competing cultivators.
Ning Cheng gave out a sigh; the Starry Skies' Sea of Consciousness indeed was quite powerful. He felt confident there was no other person like him in this place. Moreover, he also understood that this 9-Step Obscure Array most likely was a vast spacial treasure, with so much open space on the inside.
Shi Yulan looked worried as she stood in the middle of the hall. Her Spiritual Consciousness could only extend within the chamber. How could she receive any messages from Ning Cheng's Spiritual Consciousness? Moreover, it was just the first level, yet she had no idea how to deal with it. What would she do later?
At that moment, she felt Ning Cheng's Spiritual Consciousness Message, "Don't worry; the first passage only requires calculation and Celestial Essence. You will have to walk from your spot towards the walls of the hall; however, there is some Celestial Essence drag in the middle. Do not retreat, once you retreat, you will immediately be sent out."
"Moreover, there are also rules to move around under your feet; the specific foot position needs to be calculated and derived based on the patterns within the hall. Once you miscalculate, the hall will immediately send you out. This is the first level, so you should be able to pass it. If you feel there is no way to pass, do not rush to leave, just stay where you are."
Shi Yulan felt unceasingly amazed. She could not think that Ning Cheng's Spiritual Consciousness could penetrate the hall's walls and even use it to transmit messages to her. It was just too much.
The same moment that Shi Yulan received Ning Cheng's Spiritual Consciousness Message, Jing Wuming and Lan Ya also received the same Spiritual Consciousness Message, which had also similarly shocked the two of them. Ning Cheng's cultivation was the lowest among them, so how did Ning Cheng have such a powerful Spiritual Consciousness. Alternatively, did he cultivate a unique cultivation method?
In any case, Ning Cheng's formidable means was also a good thing for them. They immediately started acting according to Ning Cheng's instructions and quickly broke through the first level.
What Ning Cheng had never taken into account was that when he passed the Spiritual Consciousness Message to the Shi Yulan trio, the Orchid Borough Celestial River King's Imperial Concubine Xuan Yu suddenly give a frown as her gaze fell over the Transfer Array Entrance in the middle of the Orchid Borough Public Square.
Translated By – DemonKiller
Checked and Edited By – Livewidsmile
Proofread By – DemonKiller
Please do not host our works anywhere else without our permission.
Chapter 0522: Imperial Concubine Xuan Yu's Invitation
Ning Cheng had already checked things out, the first trial merely involved Celestial Essence resistance and simple arithmetic. This level of calculation posed no difficulty for Ning Cheng, looking at the pattern inscribed on the hall's floor; first, one had to find the correct landing position by searching for the proper permutation. Then, when he or she landed in the right spot, they would immediately experience a strong Celestial Essence drag, which they would have to resist. This Celestial Essence drag would not pose many problems even for a normal Celestial Novice Cultivator; as such, it would not pose any threat to him.
Nearing the hall's wall, one would then see a permutation-related calculation. Inscribing the result of that calculation on the wall will immediately open a gate over one of the hall's wall, signifying the entrance to the second level.
The first level was just too simple. Ning Cheng estimated that there should only be a very few people who cannot pass through this level; therefore, he did not need to spoon-feed them.
Over at the 9-Step Obscure Array's first level, some cultivators quickly popped out, once again appearing on the Orchid Borough Public Square.
Ning Cheng, however, had quickly made his way to the second level, finding that the second level was a deserted canyon. Ning Cheng had just come in when a powerful force pushed at him. If one did not pay attention to this invisible force, he or she would have inadvertently taken a step back. As soon as one took a step back, the formation would immediately teleport them out to the Lucky Heave City's Public Square.
In addition to the force, there was a stone tablet at his feet, which also contained a complicated pattern inscribed over it. Armed with the experience from the first level, Ning Cheng knew that this stone tablet was the key to deducing the correct way of passing through this second level.
Moreover, under this gradually increasing force that bore down on the participants in this level, using Spiritual Consciousness to try to infer the correct walking path would prove even more difficult. As such, only those blessed with the advantage of a powerful Spiritual Consciousness gained through a systematic evolution could use it to calculate the correct walking path. Under normal circumstances, as long one had sufficient time, even an ordinary Celestial Novice Cultivator could figure out the right walking route.
However, the longer one stayed in this place, the longer one spent trying to extrapolate the correct path, the higher the force that one had to withstand, as the force bearing down would gradually strengthen. As such, there was no way for a cultivator to exploit the loophole of time to extrapolate the correct route.
Ning Cheng quickly calculated the correct route. However, he did not immediately move ahead and patiently waited for Jing Wuming, Lan Ya and Shi Yulan.
Ning Cheng had to wait for almost an hour before three of the participating geniuses appeared one after another within the range of his Spiritual Consciousness, each in another canyon.
The force bearing down on Ning Cheng was also starting to grow larger and larger. As such, he did not let the three people try to calculate the correct walking route. Ning Cheng quickly figured out the exact path for the three and passed it to the three of them through his Spiritual Consciousness.
The Jing Wuming trio felt pleasantly surprised as they discovered that Ning Cheng had already proceeded to the third level while the three of them had barely passed through the first.
The third level consisted of only six steps, and each step had a similar force bearing down on it. Every step forward would increase the pressure bearing down by several multitudes.
However, Ning Cheng quickly discovered that he could use his Spiritual Consciousness to block a part of this force, which made it a lot easier for him on the steps. Walking through these six steps not only tested one's Celestial Essence but also was a test of Spiritual Consciousness. The more powerful one's Spiritual Consciousness, the smaller would the force bearing down on him or her.
If Ning Cheng had to walk through these six steps alone, he most likely would not have to struggle much. However, Ning Cheng could perceive through his Spiritual Consciousness that Jing Wuming and Shi Yulan could not hold on for long, even Lan Ya did not look that good. At the same time, he also felt that to guarantee a spot to reach the Man Lun Starry Skies, one must pass through the third level.
Ning Cheng's Spiritual Consciousness immediately spread out, helping the three of them to ward off some of the pressure. At this time, Ning Cheng had to bear several times more load than usual, if not for the formidable tenacity of his Starry Skies' Sea of Consciousness, Ning Cheng might have already quit.
Ning Cheng slowly walked over the steps, one step at a time, aided by his strong Spiritual Consciousness. At the same time, because Ning Cheng was also helping the Jing Wuming trio, each step forward compounded the pressure bearing down on him.
The moment the four of them reached the sixth step, they immediately passed into the fourth level. However, Ning Cheng also felt a sharp pain from his Sea of Consciousness. By the time he recovered, his Spiritual Consciousness could no longer penetrate through the surroundings. At the same time, Ning Cheng could only observe the situation in front of him.
Ning Cheng realised that the Shi Yulan trio must have already exited. As such, he was now alone inside. Although passing through the fourth level alone would not pose many problems, there was still the fact that Ning Cheng was just a Celestial Novice Cultivator. If he showed off too much, it would definitely attract a lot of attention. Thinking of it, Ning Cheng deliberately took a step back as if affected by the pressure bearing down on him.
The next moment, Ning Cheng felt a warm light wrap around him that immediately sent him out.
"Ning Cheng….." Lan Ya quickly rushed towards Ning Cheng. Seeing Ning Cheng's pale face, she immediately knew what must have happened.
"Are you alright?" Jing Wuming also anxiously walked over. If not for Ning Cheng's help, not to mention entering the fourth level, they would have found it difficult to pass through the second level.
"How's our ranking?" Ning Cheng quickly asked.
Shi Yulan's voice arrived, "We are all in the top hundred."
Ning Cheng felt pleasantly surprised in his heart. Was it too much? Four of them entering the top hundred at the same time, was it good? Seeing that Jing Wuming wanted to talk, Ning Cheng quickly spoke up, "Don't immediately leave. Let's take a look at other's rankings."
Jing Wuming, who seemed to want to talk, immediately shut up. Just like Lan Ya and Shi Yulan, he also felt shocked by the power of Ning Cheng's Spiritual Consciousness; however, he knew that this was not a place to talk.
Ning Cheng looked at the rankings over the Array Formation Displays, and his tense heart slowly started to calm down. In just a short time, the rankings of several people dropped from the top hundred to hundreds. Moreover, the rankings of many people were still falling. Ning Cheng knew that this was due to his relatively short clearance time. Furthermore, not a lot of people could compare to him when it came to computing ability.
People continually poured out into the public square, and the ranking of Ning Cheng and the others had dropped down significantly.
"Huh, how are your rankings so high?" Ruan Mingshu, who had just come out, immediately arrived by Ning Cheng's side and spoke out in amazement. Shortly after that, she felt even more shocked to see the rankings of the three people accompanying Ning Cheng. She found that the four's rankings were neither were very far apart nor were they low. Although the rankings of the four of them were not as high like her, it still stood out.
Ruan Mingshu did not pry into the matter; she affirmed that this matter was not simple as it looked on the surface. Moreover, she vaguely felt that this matter should have something to do with Ning Cheng. If that was the case, was it a good thing, or a bad thing?
Ning Cheng had never witnessed such a quick selection process. More than a million people filtered down to the top 10,000 in just a single day.
Moreover, the top-ranked cultivator was already close to the seventh level, while the 10,000th ranked cultivator had just reached the third level. Ning Cheng's quartet now ranked somewhere around 3000, while Ruan Mingshu ranked in the upper half of the 500s.
Ning Cheng felt relieved at this, ranked in the 3000s and ranked in the top hundred were two entirely different concepts. Among the more than a million contestants, obtaining a ranking in the high hundreds would mean a lot of attention from all around.
Even the Orchid Borough Celestial River King looked very happy. A cultivator in the Celestial Scryer Realm reaching the seventh level in the 9-Step Obscure Array was indeed a remarkable feat.
He stood up and spoke, "I'll personally give out the rewards for the top ten of our Orchid Borough Celestial River's experts, the first place Helian Pengbo…."
The Orchid Borough Celestial River's top thousand would receive a variety of rewards; however, only the top ten could enjoy the privilege of the Orchid Borough Celestial River King personally rewarding them.
Ning Cheng also paid particular attention to Helian Pengbo. This cultivator looked very young, with a medium-sized build and a slightly yellow complexion. However, this fellow had almost managed to enter the seventh level, resulting in such a high evaluation score. No wonder the Orchid Borough Celestial River King felt happy.
The awarding ceremony went even longer than the selections. At the same time, Ruan Mingshu, ranking in the top half of the 500s, also received significant rewards.
After the completion of the award ceremony, the Orchid Borough Celestial River King spoke up, "Three days from now, the top 10,000 will once again gather in the Orchid Borough Public Square, from where we will head to the Man Lun Starry Skies. This time, I will personally escort and lead the group….."
"Now you can purchase the things you need freely." Ning Cheng spoke to the Lan Ya trio. Even if that Celestial Lord Miao Pu obtained ten times the courage, he would not dare to make a move on Lan Ya.
These 10,000 selected contestants were the ones who would represent the Orchid Borough Celestial River, in other words, they were no different from Orchid Borough Celestial River King's personally chosen candidates. If someone dared to make a move on any one of these 10,000 contestants, they would only be looking for death.
Shi Yulan and Lan Ya knew that there were many things left unsaid. However, even if they asked Ning Cheng, they felt that Ning Cheng would not say anything about it. As such, they chose not to talk about it. Saying their goodbyes to Ning Cheng, they immediately headed to buy the things that they needed. Although they had also signed up for the tryouts, they did not have much confidence in the examinations. Since they ended up selected now, they could not help but feel excited about it.
Jing Wuming patted Ning Cheng's shoulder and was about to leave when he saw Ning Cheng's expression suddenly change. Seeing that, Jing Wuming immediately stopped. Although he did not ask Ning Cheng about what happened, he also decided not to leave.
A moment later, Ning Cheng sent him a sound transmission, "The Orchid Borough Celestial River King's Imperial Concubine Xuan Yu sent me a sound transmission, asking me to see her at the Revolving Jade Mountain tonight? Wonder what this is all about?"
Hearing Ning Cheng's words, Jing Wuming's face immediately changed. This was not a small matter, no matter what reason did Imperial Concubine Xuan Wu had for inviting Ning Cheng; it definitely was not a good thing. Once the Orchid Borough Celestial River King heard of this, Ning Cheng was as good as dead.
"Can you refuse?" Jing Wuming looked at Ning Cheng and carefully sent out a sound transmission.
Ning Cheng calmed down and tried to think about the reason why Imperial Concubine Xuan Wu sent him a sound transmission. Such a matter did not make any sense. He had no connection to the Imperial Concubine Xuan Wu at all; moreover, one was at the level of a Celestial River King while he was just a Celestial Novice Cultivator.
"I have to go, otherwise, not to mention heading to the Man Lun Starry Skies to participate in the tryouts, we might not even get out of the Revolving Jade City." Ning Cheng sucked in a deep breath and sent a sound transmission to Jing Wuming.
Jing Wuming was also thinking of any way that led to a desirable solution; however, he had yet to come up with an idea. Without any hesitation, he spoke up, "I will come with you."
Seeing Ning Cheng somewhat hesitate, Jing Wuming turned even more determined, "Us two brothers are brothers for life, death is just death. What is there to hesitate about? Let's go!"
Ning Cheng nodded, "Good, let's go together then."
The Revolving Jade Mountain was one of the three mountains within the Revolving Jade City. Every inch within the Revolving Jade City was worth its weight in gold and full of bustle; however, it was a different matter when it came to this mountain, which sat right in the middle of the most bustling area of the city.
The Revolving Jade Mountain ignored this rule because it was where the Imperial Concubine Xuan Yu lived.
The two fellows, Ning Cheng and Jing Wuming, had walked all the way to the Revolving Jade Palace at the top of the Revolving Jade Mountain without anyone hindering them. From the looks of it, the people here had already received their orders from the Imperial Concubine Xuan Yu.
The more Ning Cheng tread forward, the more he could feel the starry skies' Essence Qi growing in richness. The starry skies' Essence Qi in this place was not only rich; it was also gentle, free from any traces of artificial gatherings.
This was a perfect place; Ning Cheng and Jing Wuming both gave out a sigh within their hearts.
"Ning Cheng, you are just a minor Celestial Novice Cultivator; yet, you have such huge courage." A crisp and melodious womanly voice passed through Ning Cheng's ears.
Translated By – DemonKiller
Checked and Edited By – Livewidsmile
Proofread By – DemonKiller
Please do not host our works anywhere else without our permission.
Chapter 0523: A woman behind me
"Senior can dole out punishment." Ning Cheng did not ask for the reason at all. Facing the Imperial Concubine Xuan Yu, as long as the other party wanted to kill him, regardless of any rational basis, Ning Cheng would die without a doubt.
At this moment, Ning Cheng's heart grew more determined with the desire of becoming stronger. Without strength, one could not live a pitiful existence, without even an opportunity to resist.
"If I wanted to punish you, you would have already died. Come in." The voice of Imperial Concubine Xuan Yu once again passed through their ears; moreover, it became more and more melodious the longer it went.
Ning Cheng and Jing Wuming cautiously walked into the palace; a faint aroma lingered within that gave people a refreshing feeling of walking through a gentle dreamland. One would even wish to find a bed to immediately lie down, close their eyes, and stop thinking of anything else.
However, when they thought of this place belonging to the Imperial Concubine Xuan Yu, Ning Cheng and Jing Wuming no longer entertained any of those thoughts.
The two of them carefully walked through the palace, walked through a curved gravel path, before arriving at a very simple looking pink log cabin.
"Come in." Imperial Concubine Xuan Yu's voice turned soft, with a hint of temptation that one could not reject.
Ning Cheng and Jing Wuming then walked into the room. Although Jing Wuming did dare to use his Spiritual Consciousness to sweep around casually, Ning Cheng actually used his Spiritual Consciousness to immediately sweep through the inside of the room.
The room was far from the luxury outside, containing a simple wooden bed, a wardrobe, and a small screen. The wooden bed was covered with pink silk, and several potted flowers stood over the windowsill of the cabin, giving off a very orderly vibe.
The inside of the log cabin gave off a simple yet elegant feeling, which could calm even the most restless of hearts.
"Sit down." Ning Cheng's Spiritual Consciousness had just landed on the only screen within the wooden cabin when Imperial Concubine Xuan Yu came out from behind the screen.
It was the first time for Ning Cheng to look at Imperial Concubine Xuan Yu from this close, who had a fair oval-shaped face with a faint blush. Accentuated by a pair of eyes that could see through the hearts of others, no one could dare to look at her straight. A string of pearls hung under her neck, and a faint aroma seemed to escape from below the strung beads.
The pronounced busty front only enhanced the perfection of this woman. Looking at this woman, the only feeling that arose was that of maturity and attraction.
Jing Wuming just took a glance before immediately lowering his head and not daring to look again.
Imperial Concubine Xuan Yu looked first at Jing Wuming and then looked at Ning Cheng. After looking at Ning Cheng, she then calmly spoke out, "Do you know that I once wanted to refine the 9-Step Obscure Array as my own weapon? It is just that I only managed to refine the sections in the front. However, realising that this weapon had not much value during a fight, I decided to give up on it."
When Ning Cheng heard those words, his heart sank and instantly realised what was going on. At the same time, why Imperial Concubine Xuan Yu wanted to summon him.
Since Imperial Concubine Xuan Yu had once tried to refine the 9-Step Obscure Array, it meant that she knew about his Spiritual Consciousness penetrating through the layers of the 9-Step Obscure Array. No wonder she wanted to summon him to this place.
"You have quite the Spiritual Consciousness, have you cultivated a Spiritual Consciousness Cultivation Method?" Imperial Concubine Revolving Jade stared at Ning Cheng and asked again.
Ning Cheng wanted to deny it; he did not have a Spiritual Consciousness Cultivation Method, so how could he cultivate one? However, he swallowed those words. Instead, replied, "Answering to senior, this junior had obtained an incomplete Spiritual Consciousness Cultivation Method in the past, and had cultivated it for a little while."
Imperial Concubine Xuan Yu chuckled before speaking, "Just cultivating in it for a little while made you this strong. If you cultivated it for a long while, wouldn't you become unrivalled….."
Imperial Concubine Xuan Yu had just spoken half of it when she suddenly stopped, and her facial expression turned slightly tricky to look at. Suddenly, she raised her hand and opened her bed board before ordering Ning Cheng and Jing Wuming, "Quickly go in."
Ning Cheng and Jing Wuming immediately understood that someone was coming in. Moreover, someone who could terrify Imperial Concubine Xuan Yu to such an extent, apart from the king, who else could they be?
Jing Wuming did not think much about it and just jumped under the bed board. He knew that trying to resist would be useless at this point.
Ning Cheng, however, did not jump in, but instead opened the wardrobe and quickly hid in it. "Senior, I will hide here."
Imperial Concubine Xuan Yu felt exceedingly anxious in her heart, this Ning Cheng wanted to court death. Hiding in a closet, just by his aura, the Orchid Borough Celestial River King could immediately find him, and would not even need to sweep out with his Spiritual Consciousness. She had explicitly opened the bed boards of her bed, a formidable artefact she refined that blocked off Spiritual Consciousness. As long as one converged his or her breathing, no one could find anything out of place.
Unfortunately, she did not have the time to pull out Ning Cheng. Just as she lowered the bed boards, the Orchid Borough Celestial River King's voice arrived at the door, "Love, I heard that you were a little tired and worried. Don't worry; I specifically came to see you."
"Big Brother Lan, I'm all right…." Imperial Concubine Xuan Yu had already stepped forward and linked her arms with the Orchid Borough Celestial River King, who had just come in.
Ning Cheng did not feel much worried as he had full confidence in his ability to isolate his aura. As long as he hid there without making any moves, Ning Cheng believed that the Orchid Borough Celestial River King would not find him. Besides, since this Orchid Borough Celestial River King was so fond of the Imperial Concubine Xuan Yu, he would never dare to use his Spiritual Consciousness to sweep inside Imperial Concubine Xuan Yu's room. It was pure psychology.
He could sense that the Orchid Borough Celestial River King's fondness for the Imperial Concubine Xuan Yu had already permeated deep into his bones. Moreover, this kind of affection was not something that someone could fake. If the Orchid Borough Celestial River King entered the house and indiscriminately swept out with his Spiritual Consciousness, it would only mean that the Orchid Borough Celestial River King had some caution in his heart against Imperial Concubine Xuan Yu and would never pamper her this much.
He was not as honest as Jing Wuming was, and he was also not willing enough to hide under Imperial Concubine Xuan Yu's bed and was afraid of Orchid Borough Celestial River King and Imperial Concubine Xuan Yu heading to the bed. If the pair indeed went to bed, he would no doubt find it awkward and unlucky to hide under the bed. It was just that Jing Wuming was too honest for his own good. Ning Cheng had not even spoken when this fellow had already jumped in.
Ning Cheng had thought about a lot in just an instant; however, the only thing that he had not considered was that there might already be someone else in this cabinet. Moreover, he had not found this person when he swept out with his Spiritual Consciousness previously. Only after he entered the wardrobe and his hand pressed against a soft thing did he come to know that a woman was hiding in it. Moreover, his hand was pushing on that woman's chest.
I am finished, Ning Cheng had just thought of the two words when the woman sent him a sound transmission, "Converge your aura and don't move….."
Knowing that this woman did not freak out, Ning Cheng's heart slightly loosened and immediately converged his aura. As his mind whirled with thoughts about the identity of this woman and why was she hiding in this place or if the Imperial Concubine Xuan Yu knew about her, he felt a vague barrier covering his entire body.
Ning Cheng immediately understood that this woman had no confidence in his concealment ability and had helped him by providing him with a layer of concealment. Ning Cheng's Spiritual Consciousness carefully swept towards this woman and unexpectedly found her appearing as a fuzzy haze. Ning Cheng immediately felt shocked in his heart, what kind of concealment ability was this? He was right in front of her, almost sticking to her body, yet he could not even see this woman's appearance with his Spiritual Consciousness.
"Love….." The Orchid Borough Celestial River King's tone was so soft that it could even melt steel.
However, for Imperial Concubine Xuan Yu, it felt like a nightmarish voice. The next moment, Ning Cheng heard the sound of two lovers kissing.
Sounds of robes unravelling slowly grew louder and louder. Although Imperial Concubine Xuan Yu's bed did not make any sound, Ning Cheng could clearly hear the excited tones of Orchid Borough Celestial River King and Imperial Concubine Xuan Yu romping around in the bed.
Ning Cheng secretly felt lucky in his heart; fortunately, he had not hidden under the bed. Otherwise, he might have just died from all that bad luck. Wuming, that fellow was just too honest. No matter what that woman had wanted to do with him, Ning Cheng should have known early on to not bring this fellow with him.
The smell of lust quickly filled the room. Ning Cheng suddenly felt that the two soft points behind him had also gradually hardened. He immediately knew what was going on. He realised that this woman was afraid to use the Cleansing Spirit Method in this place, lest the Essence Qi fluctuations affected the surroundings.
"Don't…." Imperial Concubine Xuan Yu's voice finally came over. Ning Cheng felt slightly relaxed hearing it. At least this woman knew about the gravity of the situation here.
The Orchid Borough Celestial River King looked at Imperial Concubine Xuan Yu in a puzzle before whispering, "Love, are you all right?"
"I just came back from the public square and am still covered in dirt. Wait for me to bath, and then I will accompany Big Brother Lan." Imperial Concubine Xuan Yu spoke with a charming voice.
"No, I'm in a happy mood. Besides, why do you want to bath? A simple Dust Removal Technique would solve all the problems. Love, let me pamper you….." The Orchid Borough Celestial River spoke with a soft smile.
Imperial Concubine Xuan Yu gave out a soft moan, and then the two of them hugged each other and once again started rolling around. Ning Cheng could not help but curse in his heart; just give a simple excuse, like a headache or something? If you want to be so intimate, at least wait till this grandpa leaves. Moreover, that pitiful Wuming still has to suffer through all that under your bed.
"Wait-wait…." Imperial Concubine Xuan Yu once again found her voice.
"What happened?"
Imperial Concubine Xuan Yu suddenly sat up, tidied her loose clothes and spoke, "Big Brother Lan, I also feel very keen in my heart. However, today is the big day for my Orchid Borough Celestial River. I feel thrilled that we could select so many talented geniuses. We cannot take this matter lightly. Besides, I really want to take a shower. In the night, we'll….."
The Orchid Borough Celestial River King laughed and spoke, "Yes. I never thought that you, love, would feel so strongly about it. Come, Love, let us go to my palace. We can take a shower there together….."
"Yes." Imperial Concubine Xuan Yu replied with a gentle tone. Then, pulling on the Orchid Borough Celestial River King's hand, she finally left the room.
After a few more breaths, the woman behind Ning Cheng snorted, "You can go out now. Imperial Concubine Xuan Yu will be back soon. I must leave immediately."
Ning Cheng quickly rushed out of the closet. He did not care who this woman was or what she was doing here. These things, anyway, had nothing to do with him.
Ning Cheng immediately moved to Imperial Concubine Xuan Yu's bedside and examined it for a short time. He wanted to open the bed boards and release Jing Wuming. Sadly, he could not find any way of opening it even after examining it for a long time.
"You don't need to waste your time with it. That bed is Imperial Concubine Xuan Yu's weapon. Moreover, she had refined it personally. Except for herself, even if you had cultivation higher than she did, you would not be able to open that bed. I urge you to walk away from this place as soon as possible. If Imperial Concubine Xuan Yu wanted to kill you and your friend, you would have already died. Why would she wait until later? So you don't need to worry, your friend will remain safe even after you leave." The woman from the closet sent Ning Cheng a sound transmission.
Ning Cheng also knew that the other party was not wrong about the situation. If he had to open this bed, Ning Cheng would first have to refine it as his own. However, even Ning Cheng did not know how long it would take. Moreover, after his examination, Ning Cheng found that he could not destroy the bed if he wanted to. At the same time, if he could destroy it, it might end up killing Wuming. Therefore, Ning Cheng did not dare to do it.
At this moment, Jing Wuming's voice came from the inside, "Xiaocheng, you should head back first. I should be fine. Moreover, it would be safer for me if you go back."