Chapter 79 Must Think of Me

  Wan Qi Chen and Wan Qi Jing De were reluctant to part with Wan Qi Chen, who had just returned. However, the Emperor's decree was not to be disobeyed. Xue Zi Hao also bid a tearful farewell to his family members. The principal of White Feather Academy excitedly told Zhuge Mingyue many things, all of which boiled down to how proud they were of him for winning the Chen Long Tournament and being the savior of Cang Feng City this time around. It would be strange if he didn't take pride in it. Ling Fei Yang was surrounded by many bright-eyed girls who were electrified by his presence, but he had become an insulator and ignored them all.

  The carriages had been prepared early, four spacious and comfortable carriages. Zhuge Mingyue rode alone in one carriage, while Ling Feiyang and the other two also rode alone in another carriage. Zhuge Mingyue got into the carriage, looked at the things inside, and secretly admired the thorough preparation of the Imperial Guard commander. The seat cushion was covered with a thick, soft blanket. There was a small desk with tea, pastries, and several books on it. Sitting in the carriage, one could hardly feel any bumps.

  The horse carriage slowly started, and Zhuge Mingyue lay down directly, closing her eyes. She was very tired, from the moment she entered Cangfeng City to the end, she had been tense all the time. Now she could finally relax. Before leaving, she took a bath and changed clothes at the Wanqi's house, but didn't have time to rest. Now, she just wanted to sleep well.

  When she opened her eyes, they were a pair of captivating heterochromatic eyes.

  "You..." Zhuge Mingyue was startled and about to speak when a slightly cool finger gently covered her lips.

  "Hush." You Xiang Yao smiled faintly, turning the world upside down.

  Zhuge Mingyue sat up and looked at Jun Qianyao sitting beside her, asking in surprise: "You, how did you end up here? How did you get in?"

  "Why can't I be here?" Jun Yingyao smiled, "Are you tired?"

  "This time is somewhat tiring."

  "Yes, sleeping and drooling, even slobbering." Jun Qiong said with a playful smile.

  Zhuge Mingyue hastily wiped the corner of her mouth, realizing that Jun Qiangyao was deceiving her. She let out a cold snort and glared at him without saying another word.

  "How did you end up here?" Zhuge Mingyue asked with a huff.

  "Of course I came to see you." Jun Qingyao's face still had a smile on it.

  Zhuge Mingyue narrowed her eyes as she looked at Jun Qiangyao, full of suspicion. Jun Qiangyao retracted his smile and said, "I'll have something to take care of recently. Be careful around Nangong Jin."

  "He's a psycho, a pervert." Zhuge Mingyue said with disdain.

  Jun Yingyao couldn't help but burst out laughing: "Yes, he's a psychopath, a pervert. But it's good that he's following you." Jun Yingyao knew Nangong Jin well, and since Nangong Jin was interested in Zhuge Mingyue now, he wouldn't let her be in danger. If something happened to Zhuge Mingyue, he would have no one to watch over. This man with a bad personality, his malicious hobby, sometimes could also be a good thing.

  "Huh?" Zhuge Mingyue was taken aback, what did this mean? Didn't Jun Qiyao tell her to be careful around Nangong Jin? How could he say it's also good if he followed along too.

  "I have something to take care of, once I'm done, I'll come find you." Jun Qingyao suddenly stretched out his hand, gently smoothed a strand of green silk on Zhuge Mingyue's forehead, and lightly kissed her lips.

  Jun Yingyao's action made Zhuge Mingyue blush instantly. She felt her face burning and hot, and she stuttered when speaking.

  "What are you doing?!" Zhuge Mingyue yanked her own hair back.

  Seeing Zhuge Mingyue's embarrassed appearance, Jun Qingyao only felt that his mood had improved.

  "I'm gone, you have to think of me." Jun Qiangyao stood up, lifted the car's curtain, a gentle breeze blew by, and he was already out of sight. The horse-drawn carriage driver only felt a gentle breeze behind him, turned his head, and saw that the car's curtain was slightly swaying, with no other unusual signs. He shook his head, thinking that maybe he was a bit dizzy and had an illusion.

  Zhuge Mingyue gazed at the empty carriage, her emotions taking a long time to settle.

  After lunch, Zhuge Mingyue was flipping through a book in the carriage, drowsy and eventually fell asleep on the small desk. When she woke up, as soon as she opened her eyes, she saw Nan Gongjin's cold and sarcastic smile.

  Zhuge Mingyue rubbed her eyes, sat up straight, and found Nan Gongjin also quietly appearing in the carriage. She had already adapted to this very calmly. Now, she really disliked these people who were much stronger than herself. Being strong was impressive? Could they just sneak into someone's carriage like that and watch their sleeping posture? How shameless! How annoying! When her own strength became powerful, she would hang those guys from the trees!

  "Kitty, you're awake?" Nangong Jin pinched a piece of pastry and smiled as he sent it to his own mouth.

  Zhuge Mingyue ignored him and poured herself a cup of tea instead.

  Nangong Jin took out a white jade cup from his own bosom and handed it to Zhuge Mingyue: "I want one too."

  Cleanliness freak! And even brings his own cup!

  "You brought your own cup, why not bring a set of bowls and chopsticks too? So that next time you eat, you won't have to ask someone to scald them in hot water for you?" Zhuge Mingyue sarcastically remarked. She clearly remembered how this guy had asked the waiter to scald his bowl and chopsticks repeatedly when they were eating at Qilin Restaurant.

  "This idea isn't bad." Zhuge Mingyue was being sarcastic, but Nangong Jin nodded solemnly as if he really meant it.

  Zhuge Mingyue rolled her eyes and ignored him.

  When they stopped to rest and lodge halfway, the coachman and the imperial city guards saw a man getting off Zhuge Mingyue's carriage, their eyeballs almost fell out. When did this person get on the carriage? Moreover, looking at Zhuge Mingyue's calm expression, what was going on? Upon closer inspection of the man, they were shocked. Such a demonic man was hidden in Zhuge Mingyue's carriage, and the relationship between the two... The word "hidden" made many people imagine all sorts of things. But no one dared to ask anything.

  Ling Feiyang and his entourage dismounted their horses and also saw Nan Gongjin. Everyone's face didn't look so good, especially Ling Feiyang. How could this man ride in the same horse carriage as Mingyue?!

  The emperor in the capital soon received the news that there was a man with an extraordinary appearance hidden in Zhuge Mingyue's carriage! The relationship between the two is unclear. The emperor was furious, and the subtle feeling of his daughter being deceived by a scoundrel made him violent.

  The face of the temple messenger, Man Xueying, looked even more unsightly. Yes, this "temple messenger" was named Man Xueying! Her face under the veil was slightly distorted.

  How can an adult be so intimate with such a lowly woman? How is this possible?!

  Man Xueying wore a snow-white, flawless long dress, her elegant figure making one's heart flutter. The almost transparent veil revealed her beautiful face in all its glory. The white headscarf made her look even more mysterious and noble. She stood quietly in the corridor, gazing at the flowers and grasses in the imperial garden, feeling uneasy in her mind. What was His Excellency thinking? Letting her impersonate him to enter Danling Country, while he himself went to get close to a lowly illegitimate daughter. There must be some reason for it, there must be!

  Man Xueying gently bit her lip, deep in thought. Whatever the adults decided, outsiders absolutely couldn't intervene, otherwise the consequences wouldn't be as simple as death, but rather a fate worse than death. So, she wouldn't and didn't dare to interfere. However, thinking of that day at the celebration banquet, the bright and beautiful face of that young girl's arrogance made her uncontrollably produce a surge of impulse, an urge to destroy her.

  Endure, must endure. Man Xueying lightly exhaled a breath. For now, she still didn't know why the adults were approaching Zhuge Mingyue, so she couldn't act rashly. If she ruined the adults' plans, their anger was not something she could bear.

  On their way back to the capital, Zhuge Mingyue and his entourage enjoyed the highest level of treatment. Their food, accommodation, and transportation were all the best they had ever experienced in history. Wan Qi Chen and Xue Zihao were escorted by the Imperial City Guard for the first time, which was a completely different feeling.

  Zhuge Mingyue sat in the carriage with her eyes closed, cultivating her spirit. The mysterious and terrifying power inside her body had calmed down and was no longer surging like before. Zhuge Mingyue suddenly opened her eyes and drew out the dagger from her waist. This dagger was a gift from Ling Feiyang. At that time, this dagger almost couldn't withstand the power inside her body and exploded, which was still vivid in Zhuge Mingyue's memory. She liked this dagger very much, not only because it felt good in her hand but also because of its special meaning as a gift from Ling Feiyang.

  "Do not use the power within you carelessly, you will not be able to bear it." The long-silent Houhou suddenly began to communicate directly with Zhuge Mingyue in her mind.

  "Zhuge Mingyue suddenly opened her eyes and was communicating with the wolf in her mind: 'Do you know what power is inside me?'"

  "Your strength has increased, I won't let you summon a magical pet again, because if you do, you won't be able to withstand it. The power inside your body, you still can't control." Huo Hou didn't answer her question, but instead slowly said this, "Remember, don't use it lightly."

  Zhuge Mingyue finally understood why her strength had increased but she still couldn't summon more magical pets. It turned out that the Houheng had sensed the terrifying power within her body and stopped her from continuing to summon.

  "Kitty~ what are you thinking about? Are you thinking of me? I'm right in front of your eyes, no need to think~" Nan Gong Jin's enchanting voice suddenly rang out, interrupting Zhu Ge Ming Yue's thoughts.

  "I miss you." Zhuge Mingyue said with a fake smile, and after seeing Nangong Jin's smile, she also hooked the corner of her mouth and added, "I want to beat you to death."

  Nangong Jin's smile on his face didn't change, the corners of his mouth curved even higher: "You still can't beat me, huh?"

  "There will always be a day when I can defeat you." Zhuge Mingyue snorted, put away her dagger and ignored Nangong Jin.

  In another carriage, Ling Feiyang's handsome face was calm. Before his eyes, the scene of Zhuge Mingyue using a dagger to unleash that earth-shaking power always floated. Mingyue, she had become so strong... Ling Feiyang lightly clenched his fist, lowered his eyelids, and slowly exhaled. Suddenly, he lifted the carriage curtain, his gaze cast towards the carriage in front, his eyes burning. That man named Nangong Jin! He was too powerful, so powerful that he knew that man was very dangerous, yet he couldn't drive him away from Zhuge Mingyue's side. This feeling, powerless, unwilling. He was too weak, too weak, he had never yearned to become stronger like now.

  No one knew what Ling Feiyang was thinking at this moment. The horse carriage slowly entered the capital a few days later.

  When Zhuge Mingyue returned to the capital, the emperor immediately summoned her.

  Still in the pavilion of the Imperial Garden, the stone table was still filled with all sorts of dishes that Zhuge Mingyue loved to eat. As soon as the Emperor saw Zhuge Mingyue, he smiled and beckoned her over, not allowing her to pay her respects.

  "Your Majesty." Zhuge Mingyue looked at the emperor's benevolent smile and smiled as well. Since interacting with the emperor, she had unknowingly come to regard him as a trustworthy elder. As people's hearts are made of flesh, through these days of interaction, she naturally understood that the emperor truly cared for her from the bottom of his heart.

  "Come." The Emperor motioned for Zhuge Mingyue to take a seat.

  After Zhuge Mingyue sat down, he first asked a lot about the situation in Cangfeng City, and only then did he change his tone.

  "Ah, bright moon, who is that man following you?" The emperor asked cautiously, "Is it the one who rode the horse carriage back with you?"

  Zhuge Mingyue was taken aback for a moment, then suddenly remembered who the emperor was referring to. Wasn't it Nan Gongjin, that pervert with a cleanliness obsession?

  The emperor stared at Zhuge Mingyue, afraid that Zhuge Mingyue's answer was exactly what he was worried about.

  Zhuge Mingyue was also thinking about how to respond. Nangong Jin, this pervert, is actually a person from the Temple of Gods and is a true envoy of the Temple of Gods.

  "He's just an acquaintance." Zhuge Mingyue curled her lip, her tone couldn't hide her disgust.

  The emperor carefully observed Zhuge Mingyue's expression and tone, and was delighted in his heart. He understood that Zhuge Mingyue was not lying. It seemed that Mingyue did not take a liking to that guy, good, good.

  The Emperor was rejoicing when the manager suddenly came to report that the messenger of the Temple of God had requested an audience, and because he had heard that Zhuge Mingyue was also here, he especially wanted to meet him.

  The emperor's face sank as he heard the report from the chief eunuch. He was not pleased to see the envoy of the temple, not only because she was a member of the temple, but also because his own son had been infatuated with her and lost his mind, and even more so because she wanted Mingyue and others to join the temple. The emperor turned to look at Zhuge Mingyue, who furrowed her brow, and surprisingly showed disdain in her eyes. The emperor was somewhat surprised and puzzled - could it be that Mingyue despised the temple's envoy? In fact, when Mingyue had refused to join the temple earlier, he had been shocked as well. Many young people admired the temple, which was common knowledge and even taken for granted. But Mingyue had calmly rejected the temptation of the temple's envoy with a straight face. What was even more remarkable was that her companions, who had been excited when they saw the temple's envoy, fell silent when they saw Zhuge Mingyue refuse.

  "The messenger of the Temple of God was informed, and it was explained that the Moon Chariot was tired and needed to rest. The Emperor frowned, but still made this decision. He believed that Zhuge Mingyue also did not want to see the messenger of the Temple of God."

  The eunuch's eyes showed concern, he had been with the emperor for so many years, since the emperor was still a prince without power. So, he not only treated the emperor as his master, but also as his heaven.

  "Your Majesty, this... she is after all a messenger of the Temple." The manager thought for a moment and spoke up, but did not directly advise. He was very clear about his own identity. He worried that if Your Majesty did not give face to the temple messenger, what would happen if the temple messenger got angry?

  "What is she, a temple messenger?" Zhuge Mingyue coldly laughed, and now she didn't plan to continue hiding the identity of that temple messenger.

  The Emperor and the Grand Manager were greatly shocked by this, could it be that the woman named Man Xueying in the palace was not a messenger from the Temple of Gods? If she wasn't, then how did Zhuge Mingyue find out?

  "She is a person of the temple, but not an envoy of the temple. She is just a subordinate of the temple's envoy." Zhuge Mingyue looked at the Emperor and the General Manager, saying in a low voice, "Your Majesty, I happened to know about this matter, so you can rest assured that this person is not really an envoy of the temple, she doesn't have such a high status."

  His Majesty naturally understood what Zhuge Mingyue meant by now. Let him have a bottom line, this Man Xueying is not really a divine temple envoy, the status is not that high, he doesn't need to be too cautious, but also can't lose her face too badly.

  "How did you know, Mingyue?" The emperor didn't suspect Mingyue's words at all, but instead asked curiously.

  "Because the real temple messenger is right next to me." Zhuge Mingyue thought for a moment, and still revealed Nan Gongjin's identity. If the people on the emperor's side unintentionally offended Nan Gongjin, the consequences would be unthinkable. Nan Gongjin was a person with a pair of beautiful peach blossom eyes, but his eyes were all ruthless.

  "You mean the man who rode in the same carriage as you?" The Emperor asked aloud.

  Zhuge Mingyue nodded.

  "He, why is he following you? What's his purpose? Will it harm you?" The emperor's tone became increasingly anxious.

  "Maybe it's just for fun. Don't worry, he didn't do anything bad to me." Zhuge Mingyue shook her head, "Your Majesty, I told you this, you know in your heart, don't show it on your face, and also tell the person who called you not to provoke him. This person is a pervert, a psychopath." Zhuge Mingyue was never soft-spoken when speaking ill of Nan Gongjin behind his back.

  "Alright, I understand." The emperor was initially somewhat flustered, but now he had calmed down.

  "This person's strength is extremely high. The pressure he gives me even surpasses that of Mr. Qing." Zhuge Mingyue furrowed her brow.

  The emperor heard this and was not surprised. If that person was really a messenger of the Temple of God, then such strength would not be surprising at all.

  "You should take care of yourself." The emperor's mood was somewhat complicated, with self-blame and guilt taking up the majority.

  "I know, Your Majesty, you be careful too." Zhuge Mingyue listened to the emperor's words, her heart warmed up, and she nodded vigorously.

  The emperor detained Zhuge Mingyue to have a conversation, and then sent someone to escort her out of the palace. After returning to the imperial study, the emperor wrote a letter in haste and called the manager in, handing him the letter and saying: "This letter must be delivered to the Holy Temple by swift hawk immediately."

  "Yes, Your Majesty." The manager took over the letter and respectfully responded.

  "By the way, how is Man Xueying now?" Now that it's clear that the person who came isn't a real Temple Envoy, the Emperor doesn't care as much. The subordinate of the Temple Envoy, this phrase is just nice to hear. To put it bluntly, Man Xueying is just a maid-like position next to the real Temple Envoy.

  "After Her Majesty refused her request for an audience, she seemed quite displeased. Afterwards, His Highness the Crown Prince..." The steward trailed off, somewhat hesitant.

  The emperor, hearing this, felt annoyed in his heart and waved his hand: "Don't say anything else, you can withdraw." The crown prince was so infatuated with a woman from a temple that it was really not good. Thinking of the various misdeeds of the crown prince in the past, the emperor couldn't help but feel physically and mentally exhausted. Perhaps, the title of crown prince could be given to someone else.

  Zhuge Mingyue returned to her own residence, but did not see Ling Feiyang's shadow. Wan Qi Chen and Xue Zihao had already finished bathing and were eating a sumptuous meal in the main hall. Duanmu Xun was eating quietly on one side. Nangong Jin was nowhere to be seen, and must have been bathing in her own room. Every time she bathed, this person spent the most time.

  "What about Fei Yang?" Zhuge Mingyue sat down and started eating as well, although she had eaten at the imperial palace earlier, she didn't let go of the delicious food in front of her.

  "I don't know, he came back and left again." Wan Xi Chen said with a mouthful of food, shaking his head.

  "It's strange, he left in a hurry without taking a bath or eating, did he go back home?" Xue Zihao guessed while devouring his food on the side.

  "No!" Zhuge Mingyue flatly refused. He absolutely didn't want to go back to that kind of home. If he had to go back, it would be to his own separate courtyard. What could he possibly have to do? Wait until he comes back and ask him then.

  "Why can't it be going home?" Wan Xi Chen asked in puzzlement.

  "In short, it won't happen." Zhuge Mingyue would certainly not tell others about the matter between Ling Feiyang and his father, she just firmly replied like this.

  In the afternoon, Wan Xi Chen and Xue Zi Hao went to rest, and Nan Gong Jin didn't go out either. Zhuge Mingyue took the dagger to find Xing Lin Zhou. When they were in Cang Feng City, this dagger almost exploded, and Zhuge Mingyue thought that maybe Xing Lin Zhou could strengthen it for her, which is also known as refining equipment. As the number one alchemist of Dan Ling Country, Xing Lin Zhou must have a way.

  Xing Linzhou was overjoyed by Zhuge Mingyue's arrival.

  "Good disciple, you didn't forget to come see me first after returning from Cang Feng City, you're really good." Xing Linzhou's first words made Zhuge Mingyue laugh and cry at the same time. He was actually calculating whether she would find Cang Wu Ye or him first when she returned.

  "Yes, I'll go see Master first. There's something else I need to ask Master about." Zhuge Mingyue naturally went along with it and said she would go see Xing Lanzhou first.

  Xing Linzhou indeed laughed so hard that his eyes narrowed into a line.

  "What would you like to ask Teacher Fan?" asked Xing Linzhou with a warm and friendly tone.

  "I'd like to ask Master, how do I refine my equipment? Can you strengthen this dagger of mine?" Zhuge Mingyue drew out the dagger and handed it over to Xing Lanzhou.

  Xing Linzhou took a glance and said, "It's possible. However, it depends on the refining method. Refining equipment is divided into several grades, and I've researched that lightning is the top grade. Follow me." As soon as Xing Linzhou started talking about alchemy, he became like a different person, speaking endlessly and fluently.

  Zhuge Mingyue followed Xing Linzhou to his laboratory, where Xing Linzhou placed the dagger on the experimental table and fiddled with his bottles: "The best refining method I've researched is lightning. However, the thunder I created was too weak and could only slightly enhance it. The legendary Earth Core Thunder, I've only heard of it but never seen it. I'll teach you the refining technique, if one day you find the Earth Core Thunder, try it out then. And I'll also teach you the formation method for refining equipment." Xing Linzhou had already prepared all the materials and was experimenting while speaking. When two small lightning bolts appeared on the racks, he moved the dagger closer and said, "But remember, this refining technique is extremely dangerous. If not operated properly, it will... Ahhhhhhhh..."

  Zhuge Mingyue nodded silently, looking at Xing Lanzhou who was being electrocuted and screaming in agony, confirming that his statement was completely correct. It's indeed very dangerous...

  Xing Linzhou finally returned the dagger to Zhuge Mingyue, who looked at the dagger in her hand and smiled. The dagger had indeed been strengthened, although the degree of strengthening was not very high, but it was a successful refining after all.

  "Master, teach me quickly." Zhuge Mingyue happily put away her dagger.

  "Alright, let's go." Xing Linzhou stretched out his hand and pressed down on the electrically standing hair, trying to flatten it back. He said with a serious face. But this serious expression, paired with his current appearance, was quite incongruous and could only make people feel amused.

  When Zhuge Mingyue was about to master the refining technique, she looked up and saw Xing Linzhou squatting in the corner drawing circles, muttering: "The heavens are unjust, there is no justice, I've studied for twenty years and only now mastered this refining technique, while someone else can learn it in just one afternoon... The heavens are indeed unjust!"

  Zhuge Mingyue looked at him with a silly smile, Master is always such a lovely old naughty child.

  Zhuge Mingyue comforted his old master, then took the dagger and left, wanting to find Ling Feiyang to tell him the news. However, upon returning to the mansion, the butler said that Ling Feiyang still hadn't returned. Zhuge Mingyue didn't think much of it, thinking he should be back by nightfall. But as night fell, there was still no sign of Ling Feiyang.

  It's been several days since Ling Feiyang disappeared, which is strange. After visiting Ling Feiyang's mansion, the butler said that Ling Feiyang had never returned there. This made Zhuge Mingyue feel uneasy. Ling Feiyang had never disappeared for so long without a word before. Had something happened to him? The thought of this possibility made Zhuge Mingyue restless.

  It's currently the winter break at Tianfeng Academy, and Ling Feiyang is not in school. His mansion is also empty. Zhuge Mingyue can't sit still. She asks Zhuge Fuyun, the Emperor, and even her own master to help her find Ling Feiyang. However, the result only makes her more anxious. There's no news, absolutely no news. It's as if Ling Feiyang has completely vanished into thin air.

  "How could this be?" Zhuge Mingyue's face turned pale, and even the emperor's people who were sent to investigate had no news, her heart sank again and again.

  "Perhaps, Ling Feiyang has something to attend to." Wan Xi Chen said dryly, not even believing the excuse himself. If he really had something going on, wouldn't Ling Feiyang have just sent someone with a message?

  Zhuge Mingyue was really flustered, she stood up and sat down again, extremely anxious.

  "People aren't dead yet, what's there to be anxious about?" Nangong Jin said slowly while sitting on one side.

  "Ah!" Zhuge Mingyue gave a cold glance at Nangong Jin, as Ling Feiyang had not appeared for half a month already. She was naturally anxious and impatient, looking at the person calmly drinking tea with his own white jade cup on the side, Zhuge Mingyue felt annoyed in her heart.

  Just as Zhuge Mingyue was getting annoyed, a shadow flashed in at the door and stood in front of her, smiling brightly at her.

  "Uncle Yuchi!" Zhuge Mingyue stood up excitedly. The person in front of her was indeed Yuchi Hong, an old acquaintance of her mother's and also the master of Ling Feiyang. Now that he had appeared here, Zhuge Mingyue didn't think it was a coincidence at all. Her intuition told her that Yuchi Hong must have come for something related to Feiyang.

  Wan Qi Chen and Xue Zi Hao also stood up to pay their respects to Wei Chi Hong, who smiled and waved his hand, indicating that there was no need for excessive courtesy. On the other hand, Nan Gong Jin, who was sitting on one side, caught Wei Chi Hong's eye a few more times. This man had quite some strength indeed. However, although he concealed his evil aura, he still couldn't escape Wei Chi Hong's discerning eyes.

  "Uncle Yuchi, you've come, is there news about Feiyang?" Zhuge Mingyue asked anxiously.

  "Nature. Let's go, I'll take you to see him." Wei Chi Hong grabbed Zhuge Mingyue and tucked her under his arm, floating out of the door like that. Wan Qi Chen and Xue Zihao heard their conversation and naturally wouldn't worry anymore. But Nan Gong Jin's eyes changed. This old man was actually so strong. Who was he? And what was his relationship with Zhuge Mingyue?

  Wei Chi Hong whizzed by on the main street with Zhuge Mingyue, and others would only feel a strange gust of wind, without seeing any human figure. Zhuge Mingyue felt the sound of whooshing in her ears, the scenery around her became a blur, and the wind blew so hard that she could hardly open her eyes. It was imaginable how terrifyingly fast Wei Chi Hong was.

  After a long time, Wei Chi Hong finally put down Zhuge Mingyue. Zhuge Mingyue only felt dizzy and saw stars, but after standing firm, she found herself in a bamboo forest. The surroundings were all lush green bamboo, with several thatched cottages in front, a pond in front of the cottages, and a small dock made of bamboo on the edge of the pond, with a small boat tied to it, equipped with fishing nets and rods. There were also several ducks playing in the pond. In front of the thatched cottage was a circle of bamboo fence. Inside the fence, there were several little chickens scratching the ground for food. This must be what a secluded paradise looks like.

  "Uncle Yuchi's place is really beautiful." Zhuge Mingyue stared ahead without blinking.

  "Go ahead, fly freely in the back mountain. If you like it, you can come and live here anytime." Wei Chi Hong smiled and pointed to the front with his hand.

  "Thank you, Uncle Wei Chi!" Zhuge Mingyue smiled and ran towards the back mountain.

  When Zhuge Mingyue ran to the small hill in the back, she saw a familiar figure standing in front. Ling Feiyang's back was still straight and upright, like a straight tree, like an unsheathed sword.

  "Fly high!" Zhuge Mingyue shouted loudly and stopped in her tracks.

  Ling Feiyang's body stiffened, and he turned his head to see Zhuge Mingyue not far away. Ling Feiyang's heart was both delighted and disappointed at this moment. He was happy to see Mingyue and the worry on her face. He felt a sense of loss because he was just about to break through, and it had been only a tiny bit short for these few days. Originally, he had planned to see Mingyue after breaking through.

  "What's with that expression?!" Zhuge Mingyue rushed over and stomped her foot heavily on Ling Feiyang's heel.

  Ling Fei Yang clenched his teeth in pain.

  "What do you mean, you just ran out without saying a word! You scared us to death. Do you know that I had to ask the Emperor and Master to search all over the capital city for you!" Zhuge Mingyue said with some annoyance.

  Ling Feiyang stared blankly at the face in front of him, his heart moved, and he suddenly wanted to reach out and touch it.

  However, before he could even react, Zhuge Mingyue had already made her move. She stretched out both hands, tiptoed and pinched his cheeks, pulling them apart: "What are you spacing out for? Do you think not speaking will get you through this? Are you stupid?"

  "Yes, I'm stupid." Ling Feiyang was pulled back to his senses, and a warm current almost overflowed from his heart. His mouth was pulled open, and the words he spoke were unclear.

  "What have you been doing all this time?" Zhuge Mingyue finally let go of Ling Feiyang, who had come back to his senses, and asked gruffly.

  "In... cultivation." Ling Feiyang rubbed his reddened face, saying somewhat helplessly.

  "What about now?" asked Zhuge Mingyue.

  "Bottleneck." Ling Feiyang didn't conceal it either.

  Zhuge Mingyue fell silent, the most difficult moment was when he was about to break through. To make a breakthrough, the last bit of effort is always the hardest. If there's an opportunity and one can comprehend it, they can break through; if not, they will never be able to break through. From the Soul level to the Saint level, there is a huge chasm. On the surface, it seems like just a small difference, but in reality, the gap is enormous.

  The silent gathering, Zhuge Mingyue suddenly remembered something, pulled out the dagger and showed it to Ling Feiyang: "Feiyang, look, the dagger you gave me, I can now refine equipment. This dagger has been strengthened."

  Ling Feiyang took over the dagger, examined it carefully, and nodded: "Indeed better than before."

  "It's just that the thunder power is not enough, so it's only slightly better. If there was strong thunder power, I could make this dagger even more formidable." Zhuge Mingyue took out the scabbard of the dagger for Ling Feiyang to see, "Look, I've set up a refining array on this, if we find the earth's core thunder in the future, we can refine equipment then."

  Ling Feiyang took a look at the scabbard of the dagger, and indeed, there was an intricate alchemy array drawn on it. He had never seen such an alchemy array before, and thought to himself: "Was this taught by Master Xing?"

  "He taught me for the most part, and the rest I figured out on my own." Zhuge Mingyue said with a pleased expression, using an "come on, praise me" gaze to stare straight at Ling Feiyang.

  Ling Feiyang burst out laughing and praised with satisfaction: "Hmph, Mingyue is indeed very formidable. A genius in alchemy."

  Zhuge Mingyue smiled and then sat down directly, patting the grass beside her: "Sit."

  Ling Feiyang sat down beside him as he was about to say something, but Zhuge Mingyue slowly opened her mouth instead.

  "Mr. Qing once told me that a stone, although heavy, cannot break this weak water, but a fallen leaf, although light, can float on the surface of the water. The path of cultivation is also like this: if one is too attached, they may sink to the bottom, but if they are calm and tranquil, they can rise above the surface."

  Ling Feiyang's pupils suddenly constricted, and he turned his head to stare at Zhuge Mingyue. Was this the teachings of Mr. Qing of Qingyun State?

  Ling Feiyang immediately lowered his head and carefully chewed over the words that Zhuge Mingyue had just spoken.

  Zhu Ge Mingyue didn't disturb him again, but instead hugged her head with both hands and lay down, looking at the azure sky. She was also savoring the words of Qingyun State.

  Suddenly, there was a strange rhythm between heaven and earth. Everything in the world became extremely transparent. The azure sky was so clear, as if it had just been washed with water, without any impurities; the gentle breeze that brushed past was so refreshing, carrying a faint fragrance, making people feel carefree and joyful; the grass underfoot was so tender, full of vitality.

  Zhuge Mingyue seemed to hear the wind's singing, and heard the grass's breathing. Between heaven and earth, a pure and vast energy filled the air, slightly fluctuating, leading Zhuge Mingyue's inner power and spiritual energy to fluctuate in harmony, as if they were one entity. And within this fluctuating force, her power and spiritual energy became purer and more condensed than ever before.

  "What's going on?" Zhuge Mingyue couldn't help but be extremely surprised, as this kind of situation had never occurred during her cultivation before. The only thing that could be confirmed was that this strange feeling was entirely beneficial to her and didn't have a single drawback.

  Zhuge Mingyue gazed at Ling Feiyang, who was also staring back at him with wide eyes in surprise. Zhuge Mingyue suddenly felt that at this moment, he had only sensed the fluctuations of the pure and majestic power between heaven and earth, while Ling Feiyang had completely merged into it. At this moment, his entire body, his soul, seemed to have thoroughly merged into the space between heaven and earth. On Ling Feiyang's body, Zhuge Mingyue clearly felt that kind of feeling which only appeared when facing a Saint-level expert.

  "Could it be, a breakthrough?" The thought rose in Zhuge Mingyue's heart, filled with excitement.

  "Rumble, rumble, rumble", in the vast blue sky above, a dense thunder suddenly came, looking up, but there was nothing unusual.

  Zhuge Mingyue's heart sank suddenly, and her excitement was replaced by great worry and fear. The difference between a Soul-level and a Saint-level cultivator may seem like just one level, but it is actually a qualitative difference. This is because advancing from the Soul-level to the Saint-level requires undergoing the trial of Heavenly Tribulation, and after being baptized in the heavenly thunder, both the body and spiritual space are thoroughly transformed, breaking through the physical limits of ordinary people and reaching a whole new realm.

  The heavenly tribulation tempered the body, creating the strength of a saint-level expert, but at the same time became the nightmare of countless soul-level experts. The vast majority of the world's top soul-level experts fell at this hurdle, with severe cases being directly blasted into pulp by the heavenly thunder, and slightly better ones becoming half-dead cripples. Only an extremely small number could withstand the heavenly tribulation and become a legendary expert.

  In Zhuge Mingyue's worried gaze, a bright light flashed across the vast blue sky, and a dazzling blue light pillar, like a sharp sword, fell straight from the sky to Ling Feiyang's head. The light pillar was as if it had substance, thicker than Zhuge Mingyue's arm by several times, with a layer of flickering electric light around it, making a hissing sound.

  Can Feiyang make it through?

  Zhuge Mingyue's heart tightened instantly.