Chapter 255- The Black-Bellied Demon Cultivator’s Senior Brother VS The Righteous Young Junior Brother (20)
He knew that a direct refusal might make Mu Jin unhappy, so he explained that the herb would be of the greatest benefit to him, and that his current cultivation did not need immediate enhancement.
Ning Yizhou thought that although he had reached the threshold of the Nascent Soul stage, for a demon cultivator with such a strong bloodline as himself, it was merely a matter of spending a little more time.
Mu Jin initially planned to use the herb himself, but after 003 malfunctioned, he hoped his beloved could also improve his strength. He was aware that Ning Yizhou was currently at the later stage of the Nascent Soul realm, just one step away from the Transformation stage. With the help of the Ying Grass, Ning Yizhou might be able to cross this threshold.
Of course, enhancing his own strength was also important. After much consideration, Mu Jin decided to split the herb in half, so each of them could take one portion. This way, neither would be overwhelmed by the spiritual energy, and both would benefit sufficiently.
Ning Yizhou initially wanted to decline, but seeing Mu Jin’s insistence and recalling that Hu Qi had previously mentioned potential movements from the demon and beast cultivators, he accepted the other half of the herb.
However, he did not plan to refine it immediately, as they were still in the secret realm. He explained to Mu Jin that he was concerned that a sudden surge in cultivation might cause him to break through the threshold unexpectedly. If this happened while in the secret realm, he would be unable to undergo the thunder tribulation and would have to suppress his cultivation, which would not be ideal for him.
However, Mu Jin did not have such concerns. Even if he refined the herb, as long as he did not reach the Golden Core stage, he would not have to worry about the thunder tribulation.
So Ning Yizhou allowed Mu Jin to directly enter seclusion in the cave to refine the herb, while he remained as Mu Jin’s spiritual weapon and did not disturb him. He quietly watched over Mu Jin, ensuring he could focus on improving his strength without any distractions.
Seeing that Mu Jin had entered a meditative state and was oblivious to the outside world unless a crisis occurred, Ning Yizhou couldn’t help but move closer to observe him. The other half of the Ying Grass was carefully stored by Ning Yizhou.
At this moment, he did not think much about the cultivation benefits of the Ying Grass. He was simply moved by the fact that Mu Jin was willing to share this opportunity with him, and he felt a surge of warmth in his heart.
Ning Yizhou sincerely felt that whenever he thought Mu Jin was wonderful, the little fellow would show him that he was even better than he imagined. Unable to resist, Ning Yizhou gently kissed Mu Jin’s lips and tenderly gazed at his face, sketching it in his mind.
The man knew he was truly smitten.
Smitten with a somewhat naive human cultivator, and he couldn’t be happier.
However, if the little fellow on the other side knew that he was a demon cultivator and that he was sent to harm the Qingliu Sect, would he still look at him with such admiration and trust?
With a troubled sigh, Ning Yizhou stared blankly at Mu Jin’s round, innocent face. He playfully pinched his beloved’s fingers and said with a helpless smile, “You little rascal, you’ve really given me quite a challenge.”
Meanwhile, Mu Jin, who was in seclusion, felt the Ying Grass’s spiritual energy thoroughly nourishing him, continuously washing over his entire body. His cultivation level surged rapidly, leaping from the Foundation Establishment early stage to the Meridian Condensation late stage, just a step away from reaching the Golden Core.
Mu Jin didn’t feel regret, though, as starting to form the Golden Core would also mean encountering the Thunder Tribulation. He shared the same concerns as Ning Yizhou, so reaching the Meridian Condensation late stage was actually the best outcome.
He didn’t expect that his seclusion and refining of the herb in the cave would take over half a year.
For cultivators, half a year is not a long time, and Ning Yizhou kept a close watch on Mu Jin’s condition. He carefully assisted in guiding Mu Jin’s spiritual energy whenever needed, which was one of the reasons for Mu Jin’s smooth advancement.
When Mu Jin finally ended his seclusion, both of them breathed a sigh of relief. Ning Yizhou, noticing Mu Jin’s significant improvement in cultivation, joyfully smiled at him and said, “Congratulations, Junior Brother Mu. Your cultivation has reached the Meridian Condensation late stage.”
Mu Jin also flashed a bright smile, and then the two of them shared their insights from their time in the Secret Realm.
After resting for a few days, the two set out again. However, Mu Jin didn’t expect to encounter the main character, Mu Shaoyuan, by coincidence on the road.
By now, everyone had been in the Secret Realm for quite some time, and unexpected situations were frequent. Many people were no longer traveling with their original teams, so Mu Jin was surprised to find that Mu Shaoyuan was now paired with Mao Kun.
Both of them had a good relationship with Mu Jin, and friends of friends naturally had no hostility. They were also not the kind of people with malicious intentions, so their cooperation went smoothly.
It was clear that Mao Kun was very pleased to see Ning Yizhou and Mu Jin and proposed that they travel together. Since their time in the Secret Realm was nearing its end, Ning Yizhou did not refuse this time.
However, Mu Jin was not expecting that after meeting Mu Shaoyuan and his group, they would find themselves followed by an additional tail.
Mu Jin could sense that Ning Yizhou had likely noticed the follower as well. Although Ning Yizhou remained composed, Mu Jin chose not to mention it. As for Mu Shaoyuan and Mao Kun, given their current cultivation levels, they did not have the strong spiritual sense required to notice the person tracking them.
Mu Jin was concerned that the new arrival might be someone like Hu Qi from the past, so he chose to remain silent and acted as if he was unaware, while being even more vigilant than before.
On the night of the third day, after everyone had just obtained a piece of inheritance and was very tired, they found a cave to rest. Late into the night, Mu Jin noticed Ning Yizhou quietly getting up and leaving.
Mu Jin kept his spiritual sense alert to Ning Yizhou’s movements. Initially, he did not want to interfere, but then he saw that the main character also got up and followed Ning Yizhou stealthily.
The main character’s aura was well-concealed, and if Mu Jin had not been paying close attention, he might not have noticed the presence of a tail. So, this must be the power of the Radiant Light Stone?
At this moment, Ning Yizhou, due to the main character having the Radiant Light Stone as an aid, was naturally unaware that he was being followed by a tail—a fellow demon cultivator.
This person was also a spy left by the Demon Sovereign at Qingliu Sect. Although their relationship with Ning Yizhou was not good, they had a secret infatuation with Hu Qi and had been keeping track of Hu Qi’s every move.
The spy knew that Hu Qi had always had a certain interest in Ning Yizhou’s little junior with the Wood Spirit Root. Since they had been unable to contact Hu Qi for several days, they suspected something was amiss and decided to find Ning Yizhou to inquire about it, as well as to relay instructions from the Demon Sovereign.
During their conversation, no one noticed that the main character had been eavesdropping from a short distance away.
Mu Jin saw that the main character had discovered the situation and thought that the plot of this world was indeed stubborn. It seemed that the Heavenly Dao was deliberately trying to steer the storyline back to its original direction.
Even with Mu Jin’s presence, having altered the part where the man met with a spy, it seemed that such events had resurfaced in this secret realm.
To prevent Mu Shaoyuan from making the same mistakes as in the original plot, Mu Jin decided to focus all his attention on the main character.
Sure enough, upon learning that his sect’s senior brother was a demon cultivator and hearing about their apparent conspiracy with demon cultivators, Mu Shaoyuan, recalling the tragic massacre of his clan, felt a surge of anger. He became so flustered that he almost revealed his presence.
Fortunately, just as he was about to make a mistake, Mu Jin suddenly appeared beside him and covered his mouth.
Mu Shaoyuan was then able to calm himself. He didn’t understand how Mu Jin, without the Radiant Light Stone, could avoid detection. However, he knew that if he made any sound now, it would be dangerous.
Revealing oneself in the secret realm would be extremely detrimental and might even result in a deadly attack. Thus, he gave Mu Jin a grateful look, and the two of them remained quietly still.
Until Ning Yizhou and the other demon cultivator spies left, Mu Jin and Mu Shaoyuan finally breathed a sigh of relief together.
Mu Jin relaxed, but Mu Shaoyuan was still agitated. He had never expected that demon cultivators would actually be allied with demon cultivators. Although he had suspected that there might be some unruly individuals within a major power like the Qingliu Sect, he had never imagined such a result.
At this moment, the main character was filled with righteous indignation, seemingly eager to immediately kill those spies. However, noticing Mu Jin’s calm demeanor, he felt something was off.
He frowned and asked Mu Jin, “You already know they are demon cultivator spies and are planning to unite with demon cultivators against us righteous cultivators. Aren’t you angry?”
To his surprise, Mu Jin looked at him with unwavering determination and said, “I believe that Senior Brother is a good person!”
Mu Shaoyuan nearly spat out a mouthful of blood upon hearing this. He was shocked that, at such a critical moment, the stubborn Mu Jin still believed Ning Yizhou was a good person. His anger was evident, and he looked at Mu Jin with a sense of frustration.
Mu Jin, understanding the main character’s thoughts, patiently explained, “In fact, I’ve known for a long time that Senior Brother is a demon cultivator. But you have to believe me, Senior Brother has never wished harm upon the sect. He does not want demons and demon cultivators to ally.”
“You knew all along?” Mu Shaoyuan’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Mu Jin nodded and continued, “The Hu Qi from Qing Lei Peak is also a demon cultivator. His true form is a seductress fox, and he has always wanted to harm me. Fortunately, Senior Brother has been preventing him from doing so. Now that Hu Qi is dead, we must not act recklessly. If the demon cultivators find out we’re aware of them, they might become desperate.”