CFRSIO Chapter 51

After joining the sect, there were morning drills every day, and in the afternoon, other studies were conducted. Every ten days, there was a day of rest, during which disciples could go down the mountain. It was a very fulfilling time. However, this was not what Zhang Qing’an wanted. He wanted to find Lin Yunliang.

Therefore, he released Siam directly, telling the cat to find Lin Yunliang first. Once the person’s trace was found, he was to bring the person away from here.

Siam’s movements were swift, and his abilities were not low, so Zhang Qing’an had no need to worry about him. Siam’s actions also helped Zhang Qing’an understand many things.

He was new to this place and had no acquaintances, although he didn’t need any. But he still had to understand some of the local situation.

For example, what places were suitable for them and where they could improve their strength.

In addition, with Siam’s help, Zhang Qing’an had already obtained a Foundation Establishment Pill. They just needed to find an opportunity and a stable place to undergo foundation establishment.

Once they had established their foundations, many places would be accessible. This would further facilitate their actions in this world.

However, recently, Zhang Qing’an had some troubles.

Since he had just joined the sect, Zhang Qing’an’s capabilities were still very limited, and his strength was still a bit low among the disciples. So he could only suppress his actions and not let people discover anything unusual about him.

But even though he was very low-key, some people kept coming to bother him.

These people who came to bother him were Ning Shijiang and Guang Baiqiao.

It was interesting that both of them had explosive fire spiritual roots, but their personalities were very gentle, especially Guang Baiqiao, who was like a well-behaved little white rabbit. This made him instantly become a beloved junior disciple by everyone.

Strictly speaking, their junior disciple should have been Zhang Qing’an. Fortunately, Zhang Qing’an himself didn’t care about these things. He preferred such days and thought they were quite good.

He preferred this low-key life.

Moreover, the people in the sect seemed to be intentionally or unintentionally matchmaking the two of them. Guang Baiqiao himself also had this intention.

It was normal. Ning Shijiang was handsome and a rare genius, so he would naturally easily attract many talented men and women. Guang Baiqiao was one of them, and even the most fitting for Ning Shijiang.

Geniuses with single spiritual roots were already rare in this world. It was already a great fated encounter for Qingyun Sect to recruit one, so they naturally hoped to keep the person in Qingyun Sect, and the person they fancied was also a genius of their sect.

The strong combining with the strong between two geniuses would naturally be satisfying.

However, it seemed that Ning Shijiang did not have this intention. Ning Shijiang treated Guang Baiqiao and other disciples similarly. Of course, there was one exception, which was Zhang Qing’an.

Ning Shijiang had been frequently visiting Zhang Qing’an recently, saying he wanted to guide him a bit.

Seeing people looking for him, Guang Baiqiao also looked for them. The two of them often sought out Zhang Qing’an, leading to a lot of gossip in the sect.

What they said the most was about Zhang Qing’an, this insignificant person. Although he had done nothing, he was ridiculed by many people, both openly and secretly.

In such a situation, the rumors naturally could not be contained and reached Ning Xiyu’s ears. Ning Xiyu was extremely angry. He had already told Ning Shijiang all these matters and situations, but this person was still like this.

He summoned Ning Shijiang and asked for his attitude.

“Shijiang, do you like that Zhang Qing’an?”

“No,” Ning Shijiang retorted subconsciously. But after retorting, he felt something was not quite right.

Did he really not like Zhang Qing’an? In fact, he himself was unclear, but if he were to say he liked him, Ning Shijiang felt it had not reached that level.

“Then, what about Guang Baiqiao?”

Guang Baiqiao? Ning Shijiang also could not give any answer.

If one were to ask which of the two was more compatible, it would definitely be Guang Baiqiao. Guang Baiqiao was young, talented, and strong, with a gentle personality. He was a suitable candidate for a companion.

Cultivators choosing companions would inevitably choose those with gentle personalities and who could get along with them. Moreover, Ning Shijiang and Guang Baiqiao often had conversations when they interacted. They got along quite smoothly.

But Ning Shijiang always felt that something was missing, making him feel that something was not right when interacting with Guang Baiqiao. He could choose Guang Baiqiao, but…

Ning Xiyu looked helplessly at his son who couldn’t make a decision. He privately favored Guang Baiqiao more. He had to explain the rights and wrongs, the advantages and disadvantages.

“Shijiang, you must know,” Ning Xiyu said, “Guang Baiqiao has a single spiritual root, and his talent and future are far beyond this. With Guang Baiqiao’s talent, there are many sects that would welcome him.”

This was a hint. If Guang Baiqiao had no interest in Ning Shijiang, he might not have come to Qingyun Sect.

It was known that there was more than one major sect in the Cheng Yuan Continent. Guang Baiqiao’s background was also good. His grandfather had been a disciple of Qingyun Sect. After becoming capable of handling things independently, he returned to his hometown city and developed the city.

Since then, the fame of Guangcheng City had spread.

Ning Xiyu also guessed that the Guang family sent Guang Baiqiao to participate in order to deepen the relationship between the Guang family and Qingyun Sect. Guang Baiqiao was talented, and they were happy about it.

However, they did not expect that the biggest variable in this matter was this foolish boy, Ning Shijiang.

“But Master…” Ning Shijiang naturally understood these things, but he still had other thoughts and wanted to say more, but was interrupted by Ning Xiyu.

“Enough,” Ning Xiyu reprimanded, feeling that this person was truly too naive. “Ning Shijiang, you must remember your identity.”

“You are never alone. The burdens of Qingyun Sect and the Cheng Yuan Continent are on your shoulders.”

“But Master, how can you be sure that Guang Baiqiao is the one to break the deadlock?”

“If not him, then who?” Ning Xiyu frowned. “As you can see, with Guang Baiqiao’s talent and strength, he will undoubtedly be extraordinary in time.”

Ning Xiyu also saw some clues. “My son wouldn’t have such strange thoughts because he truly fancies Zhang Qing’an, would he?”

“That Zhang Qing’an only has a triple spiritual root. It’s still uncertain whether a triple spiritual root cultivator can form a core in the future!”

“Ning Shijiang, don’t get the wrong idea!”

Ning Shijiang had no rebuttal because this was indeed the case. It was already difficult for triple spiritual root cultivators to form a core, and it required many heavenly treasures. But if it were a single spiritual root, the path of cultivation would only be extremely smooth.

It had only been more than half a month since he joined the sect, and Guang Baiqiao was already preparing for foundation establishment. With time, he indeed had hope of forming a core.

When compared, Zhang Qing’an was indeed no match for Guang Baiqiao.

Ning Shijiang was silent.

Seeing him like this, Ning Xiyu sternly ordered, “Kneel.”

“You will reflect here until you have figured it out. Then you may get up.”

Ning Shijiang was mostly obedient. He lowered his eyes and said, “Yes.”

He obediently knelt down.

The news of Ning Shijiang being punished spread to the disciples again, and the disciples had some more rumors.

“Then… Senior Brother…” Guang Baiqiao wanted to go find Ning Shijiang after learning about this.

He was stopped by others around him.

“Junior brother, don’t go, lest you incur Master’s displeasure and cause Senior Brother to be further punished.” Senior Brother Jia said, his eyes showed concern, but his words didn’t sound very good.

“But…” Guang Baiqiao frowned, not hiding his worry.

“Senior brother, Senior Brother will be fine, right?” Guang Baiqiao continued to ask.

“He will be fine, he definitely will be fine,” Senior Brother Yi also said, “Senior Brother is Master’s most favored disciple.”

“Yes, yes, Junior brother, you don’t need to worry. Senior Brother will definitely be fine.” Senior Brother Bing said, teasing with a smile, “Moreover, Senior Brother will definitely be very happy if he knows you care about him so much.”

Guang Baiqiao was too thin-skinned. With just a few words, his face turned red, and he stammered, “Senior brother…! What are you talking about! There’s no such thing!”

“Alright, alright, let’s not tease him anymore. Don’t you see Junior brother’s face is all red?” Senior Brother Ding said with a smile.

Most of the fellow disciples felt that these two were a good match. Naturally, some felt they were not.

“Senior Brother is being punished, and they can still tease like this,” said Junior Brother Jia.

The men and women around also showed agreement.

“Exactly!” Senior Sister Jia agreed. “Why is that Guang Baiqiao deserving?”

“What’s so good about Guang Baiqiao,” Junior Sister Jia also said.

A group of people bickered noisily. Ever since Guang Baiqiao and Zhang Qing’an joined, such farces had been frequent on Wu Xiu Mountain.

If there was a difference, it was that Zhang Qing’an never got involved in these matters. He attended classes on time and left on time. On weekdays, he mostly stayed in the dormitory or went to the library. He was always a loner and didn’t have much of a relationship with his roommates.

It was also heard that he was preparing to switch to a single room.

This made many people admire him. After all, Zhang Qing’an was very clear-headed and did not let Ning Shijiang and Guang Baiqiao affect his life.

Of course, not everyone thought this way.

Whatever they said, it was their own business. Zhang Qing’an took advantage of this rest period to leave Qingyun Sect with Siam.

The sect never interfered with the whereabouts of disciples during their rest days. Therefore, it was convenient for Zhang Qing’an to go out. However, because Zhang Qing’an’s name had been causing quite a stir in the sect recently, to avoid being discovered, Zhang Qing’an asked Siam to quietly take him out.

They were taken to a secluded area, where there was nothing but weeds, clearly a place with no human habitation.

“Here?” Zhang Qing’an looked around, still a little worried. “Are you sure no one will come here?”

Zhang Qing’an still had some reservations in his heart. If he were discovered, it would not be a small matter.

Zhang Qing’an had only been in the sect for less than two months. If a person who had only been in the sect for less than two months suddenly established their foundation, it would probably scare a lot of people.

At that time, he might be targeted by the entire Cheng Yuan Continent.

“Don’t worry, An An,” Siam said, and also explained, “I will set up a formation around here to conceal everything about your situation.”

“This way, even if someone discovers it, there’s no need to worry.”

Siam said confidently. The formation he possessed was extraordinary, left by Li Herui. Li Herui had given the Wish Bureau a lot of related treasures and books.

They, the guides, had also learned some of them occasionally. They didn’t need to learn them in great detail, as long as they were sufficient. Besides, the cultivation talent of the people here was not as advanced as those provided by Li Herui, and Zhang Qing’an only needed to advance to Foundation Establishment. Even if there was a commotion, it shouldn’t be too conspicuous.

Seeing his confident expression, Zhang Qing’an was finally relieved.

He found a place with few weeds, sat cross-legged, glanced at Siam, and seeing the little cat nod, he took out the Foundation Establishment Pill and swallowed it.

However, even Siam did not expect things to turn out this way.

After taking the Foundation Establishment Pill, Zhang Qing’an only felt his spiritual energy surge instantly, causing his meridians to break and then quickly recover and regenerate, cycling like this for quite some time.

Zhang Qing’an’s face turned from white to red. He closed his eyes and bit his lip, enduring it with all his might.

Immediately, muffled thunder rumbled in the sky, rolling with each clap, striking Siam’s heart. Siam was stunned. No, why? Wasn’t this just advancing to Foundation Establishment? Such muffled thunder was a bit strange!

As expected, a lightning bolt as thick as a bowl descended. Although it didn’t strike the person, it left a very obvious mark on the ground, showing its astonishing power.

An An… Siam’s heart was filled with worry, afraid that the person would really have an accident. Siam concentrated his spirit, vigilantly observing everything around him, fearing that something might happen that would prevent him from reacting in time or cause harm.

Then another bolt of lightning struck, hitting the ground again. This time, it struck near Siam’s feet, scaring the cat to death.

But in order not to affect Zhang Qing’an, Siam only let out a low, muffled purr. The cat was still very afraid, but he couldn’t show it too obviously.

Siam could only pray that it wouldn’t strike Zhang Qing’an. If such a thick bolt of lightning were to strike Zhang Qing’an, his small body would probably not be able to withstand it!

Please don’t!

However, the more Siam thought this, the more the terrifying lightning bolts seemed to head towards Zhang Qing’an. Several bolts grazed Zhang Qing’an’s body, leaving wounds.

Siam’s entire fur stood on end. At the same time, he could only throw some treasures at him, allowing him to recover quickly. Otherwise, before he could overcome it, the person might have an accident.

To help him successfully advance, Siam had to throw out more than half of the treasures in his small space. But now he was willing. He had a feeling that after Zhang Qing’an advanced to Foundation Establishment, it would be easier for him to find Lin Yunliang.

Moreover, he could also ask Ajin for reimbursement for these. Hehe, thinking of this, the little cat got distracted for a moment, revealing a happy smile.

“Ah!” Zhang Qing’an’s voice brought Siam back from his daze.

It turned out that a bolt of lightning had struck Zhang Qing’an, leaving a wound that exposed bone. No wonder he couldn’t help but cry out in pain.

Siam could only anxiously watch him, unable to step forward to take the blow for him. He could only continue to throw treasures.

Fortunately, Siam’s small space was almost empty, and Zhang Qing’an’s tribulation was about to pass.

A quarter of an hour later, the muffled thunder and dark clouds receded, and a golden light shone down on Zhang Qing’an. The wounds on Zhang Qing’an’s body also recovered rapidly. This was a sign of successful tribulation.

Siam jumped around happily, but still dared not approach. Only after the golden light gradually disappeared did he dare to step forward.

“An An! Are you alright!”

“I’m fine.” Zhang Qing’an’s complexion was still a little pale, but his eyes were bright. He could feel the unusualness of his body. Different levels could bring them more extraordinary experiences.

However, no one expected that the power of this lightning tribulation was not small. Zhang Qing’an was severely struck, but fortunately, there was Siam’s small space, and fortunately, there were Siam’s treasures. Otherwise, he would have really been in trouble.

After resting for a while longer, Zhang Qing’an regained some strength and could stand up. Then he said, “Let’s go.”

“Let’s leave here quickly.”

“Okay!”

The two of them cleaned up the area, ensuring that there were no traces of anyone undergoing tribulation there. They also swept away the traces they had left behind. Otherwise, if they were discovered, it would be a troublesome matter.

Now that he had advanced, Zhang Qing’an felt that his vision was becoming broader. It also gave him a way to find people.

He did not use the method of inquiring, because he knew that it would be too conspicuous. It would be best to have a way to see all the records of disciples in the sect. Then it would be much easier to find the person.

However, such an inquiry would obviously be much slower, but this way, it would not attract attention.

He couldn’t rely on Siam the cat alone.

Besides, since he had advanced, when they returned to the sect, Siam, whether it was because he was having too much fun, had not given any news. He had to use other means to try to find the information he wanted.

He felt a rare bit of resentment towards Siam, thinking that this cat was really… It was understandable that cats loved to play, but he should at least send him some news. How could he be like this, with no news at all, making him worry a lot?

But this time, Zhang Qing’an had really misunderstood Siam. Siam did not want to be like this in the first place.

Siam was currently encountering some problems that prevented him from sending back news. He had found Lin Yunliang’s trace. In fact, the reason why he found Lin Yunliang’s trace was also an accident.

It was because Siam wanted to avenge Zhang Qing’an. Therefore, Siam ran out without even telling Zhang Qing’an. This way, he could give the person a surprise.

The reason why he wanted to avenge the person was also very simple, because Ning Xiyu was too biased towards Ning Shijiang and Guang Baiqiao. Ever since the two of them went to bother Zhang Qing’an, Zhang Qing’an’s mood had been not very good.

Clearly, as long as they had some discernment, they should have been able to see that Zhang Qing’an did not welcome the two of them at all, and even envied and disliked them. When these two people went to Zhang Qing’an, Zhang Qing’an had never given them a good look. Although he was not lacking in etiquette, anyone could see that he did not welcome these two people.

As a result? These two people still went to bother Zhang Qing’an several times, being insensitive.

This led to more and more rumors in the sect. And a bunch of people were targeting Zhang Qing’an, both openly and secretly, thinking that Zhang Qing’an was too much to treat Ning Shijiang with such an attitude.

And Ning Xiyu? He didn’t care at all, and was extremely biased towards Ning Shijiang and Guang Baiqiao.

Siam couldn’t stand it. He was also very protective, especially now that Lin Yunliang was not by their side. Siam could have sent people to teach those who were ungrateful a lesson before, but now he had to do it himself.

Therefore, he sneaked into Ning Xiyu’s residence, wanting to teach this person a lesson. To give him a lesson that he couldn’t speak of, and to make him feel better.

Who knew that he would hear these things?

Originally, Ning Xiyu shouldn’t have returned so early that day. Siam still had things to do. He saw Ning Xiyu rushing back. His expression suppressed joy, clearly having encountered something good but not wanting people to know.

Siam was suspicious and decisively followed him with his cat steps.

Only then did he discover that there was actually a secret passage in Ning Xiyu’s residence. Outside the secret passage was a formation. Siam felt it was somewhat familiar but couldn’t remember it, so he was slightly distracted and recorded the formation.

Then he followed him in.

What was inside was unexpected. It was a huge cave. Inside the cave, a skinny figure was kneeling there. Both of his scapulae were hooked by thick iron chains. His upper body was unclothed, and various wounds could be seen. Most of them were made with a dagger.

The wounds were all shallow, indicating that the intention was not to take his life. The wounds were all bleeding, and the blood flowed out, making the whole person look hideous.

The place where the person was located was slightly higher than the surroundings, which caused the blood on his body to constantly flow down, gradually converging. And there, something was placed, resembling a book, but not quite.

Soaked in blood, its original appearance could not be seen.

There was another person present. This person’s expression was clearly more joyful than Ning Xiyu’s. He even showed a hint of madness, looking somewhat unusual.

“Elder Ning!! You’re finally here!”

“I came as soon as I received your message.” Ning Xiyu’s face was filled with undisguised joy. He hurriedly asked, “How is it?”

Ning Xiyu’s eyes were filled with unconcealed greed. He turned to look at the embarrassed figure, his heart burning intensely.

This was his original goal, and now it seemed to have been realized. Very good.

“It’s just as Elder Ning thought,” the other person present said, walking quickly forward, directly reaching out to scoop up the book immersed in the blood.

His hands were blood-red, and his flesh seemed to be cooking, but he didn’t care. He directly brought the book to Ning Xiyu.

Ning Xiyu did not move. The person flipped through the book page by page. After only five flips, he stopped.

“Only five pages?”

“Although there are only five pages, this is enough to prove that your idea is not wrong!”

“This kid’s blood is the nourishment for the divine book. If his cultivation can…” he suggested, looking at Ning Xiyu expectantly.

Unfortunately, Ning Xiyu would not agree. “No.”

His gaze remained intensely fixed on the blood-stained divine book. “It is precisely because his cultivation is not high that we were able to capture him. If he were to increase his cultivation, what would we do if he escaped in the future?”

The divine book was indeed extraordinary. After leaving the blood pool, the bloodstains on it gradually turned into blood beads and rolled out, falling to the ground and creating small holes. Immediately after, the text on the divine book also gradually faded.

“Put it back,” Ning Xiyu ordered.

“Yes.”

Neither of them was surprised by this situation. Ning Xiyu had this idea because an elder in the sect who could see the divine book had accidentally dripped blood on it, causing people to notice the subtle changes in the divine book.

Ning Xiyu had been studying tirelessly day and night since he discovered Ning Shijiang’s abilities, hoping to find a new way to see the words on the divine book. Ning Xiyu was a father with strong possessiveness. After learning about his son’s abilities, he was happy but also uneasy, fearing that the content of the divine book would make his son rebel.

He was also worried about harming his son, and felt that not being able to see the content of the divine book would damage his authority in front of his son. For multiple reasons, he formed a cooperative relationship with this person.

This person was a famous research fanatic on the Cheng Yuan Continent. He was most fond of researching these strange and ancient treasures. However, his reputation on the Cheng Yuan Continent was not good. He had once attacked an entire village of innocent people, wanting to research a divine cauldron that the village had been enshrining for generations, which was said to protect the entire village.

The research fanatic had no objections to Ning Xiyu’s instructions. He held the book and put it back into the blood pool. His hands, which were already excessively red, became stained with blood again.

The situation was clearly worse than before. The flesh and skin on his hands began to peel off bit by bit, but the research fanatic did not seem afraid at all. He calmly took out a small porcelain bottle and took a pill.

“This person is truly formidable,” the research fanatic said. “He only has Foundation Establishment cultivation, yet he has persisted for so long.”

“Much more so than old man Sun.”

Old man Sun was the elder in the sect. He did not die suddenly but was captured by Ning Xiyu in collusion with the research fanatic. Since there was already Ning Shijiang in the sect, if Elder Sun disappeared, it would not affect anything.

Therefore, their plan went so smoothly.

“There is still too little blood,” Ning Xiyu was not very satisfied with the result, and fault-findingly made a request. “Is there a way to make this person produce more blood?”

The research fanatic was worthy of being called a research fanatic. He had a look on his face that said, “I knew you would say this.” He stroked his chin and mused, “This is indeed a situation that needs to be carefully studied.”

“I await your good news.”

Only then did Ning Xiyu leave. The place returned to silence once again.