Chapter 5, Yixing Continent

The reason the Ning family has been able to establish itself in the Cangqin Kingdom is that they have served the monarch of Cangqin for generations. Even so, when the Ning family was ultimately destroyed by others in the capital, the monarch of Cangqin did not utter a single word.

The Cangqin Kingdom is merely a one-star vassal state; if it were not for the presence of a two-star academy in Cangqin, it would be equivalent to a mortal realm.

Ning Cheng smiled and said, "Of course it was made by me, come over for a meal."

After Ji Luofei finished speaking, she stood up and carried several bowls and dishes into the low kitchen. She was well aware that Ning Cheng was right; once she left the Cangqin Kingdom, there would be no opportunity for her and Ning Cheng to meet again. With her qualifications, trying to force herself to stay and take care of Ning Cheng would only hasten his demise. Now that Ning Cheng had reached the first layer of Qi Gathering, regardless of the reasons behind his advancement, it brought some comfort to Ji Luofei.

Ji Luo Fei sensed the gathering energy stone in Ning Cheng, who, of course, was unaware of it. When he saw what appeared to be an ordinary dark yellow stone, he felt somewhat disappointed. This stone seemed to contain a relatively high amount of spiritual energy, but Ning Cheng felt that this type of energy was fundamentally incomparable to what he sensed during his cultivation.

The forces on the Yixing Continent are intricate and diverse, as the Ning family has historically produced only one practitioner at the Foundation Establishment stage. Therefore, the Ning family does not have a comprehensive understanding of the entire Yixing Continent. From this brief scroll, Ning Cheng can only discern that the main forces in the lower regions of the Yixing Continent include the True Kingdom, various feudal states, academies, families, and some sects from the lower regions.

Hearing Ji Luofei's words, Ning Cheng no longer rejected the wooden box. He put away the box, sighed, and said, "Luofei, I was not very understanding in the past, and I hope you can forgive me for the times I made you angry. You also know that my aptitude is lacking, and you will be leaving the Cangqin Kingdom in the future. We may never have the chance to meet again. Fortunately, although we were engaged in childhood, we have not yet married. Once you reach the fourth level of Qi Gathering, we will be from two different worlds. Let us consider the previous engagement null and void; you have also been wronged during these years in the Ning family..."

Ji Luo Fei was drawn out by the aroma of the food, and she had changed into a different outfit. After resting for a while, Ning Cheng noticed that her complexion had lost the previous pallor.

However, the situation is different for academies. In the lower continents, the highest-ranked academy is merely a five-star academy. In the lower continents, a three-star academy is equivalent to a three-star princely state. If a true nation possesses a five-star academy, then that academy has already surpassed the true nation itself

Ning Cheng glanced ahead, and it was roughly the same as the first layer of cultivation method he remembered. He attempted to follow the breathing technique described later, and suddenly, a stream of energy, akin to warm water, surged abruptly from his dantian. Ning Cheng was startled and was about to stop his practice when a new meridian energy circulation pathway suddenly appeared in his mind

As Ning Cheng put away the scroll, Ji Luofei let out a sigh, seemingly relieved to have completed a task. She took out a wooden box and handed it to Ning Cheng, saying, "Inside is a Qi Gathering Stone; take it for your cultivation."

The Academy and the True Nations are the most powerful forces that Ning Jia has come to understand. Beneath each True Nation, there are numerous vassal states. These vassal states vary in strength, categorized into three stars, with three stars representing the highest vassal states. One-star vassal states essentially belong to the realm of mortals, with at most a few ordinary martial cultivators.

As Ning Cheng sat down, Ji Luo and the Book Concubine proactively took out two extremely thin, ancient scrolls and handed them to Ning Cheng, saying, "These were left by your grandfather. He instructed me to give them to you in the future. Now that you have successfully gathered your energy, you should be able to receive them."

The second thin scroll, like Ning Cheng had imagined, is the cultivation technique of the Ning family. The opening sentence states, this is a top-tier mortal-level technique. Upon reading this, Ning Cheng felt somewhat disappointed; no matter how top-tier it is, it is still merely a mortal-level technique. The details regarding the Nine Layers of Qi Gathering are written quite thoroughly on the scroll, and there are also some annotations.

Ning Cheng silently took the two thin scrolls, fully aware of the situation. This was because his grandfather, although indulgent towards Ning Cheng, also understood what kind of person he was. These scrolls must be the ancestral techniques of the Ning family, which were entrusted to Ji Luofei for delivery. The reason Ji Luofei handed him the scrolls was not because he had gathered energy, but because he was completely different from the previous Ning Cheng.

Jiluo Fei forcibly shoved the wooden box into Ning Cheng's hands, "Since you want to hold it, then hold it. You know I have reached the third level of Qi Gathering. With my talent, I will surely leave the Cangqin Second Star Academy soon. From now on, this place will depend on you..."

"Are you alright?" Ning Cheng just asked, and Ji Luofei stumbled slightly. Ning Cheng quickly stepped forward to support Ji Luofei. Ji Luofei's body was soft and fragrant, but it carried a faint smell of blood.

After finishing the first volume, Ning Cheng gained a much clearer and more detailed understanding of the world he was in. The Cangqin Kingdom was merely a small vassal state in Pingzhou, and Pingzhou itself was just a corner of the Yixing Continent

The thin scroll from the Ning family has an additional note, which states that it is rumored that there exists a Nine Star Academy on the Yihe Tushuxing Continent. However, the Ning family has never produced any experts, making it impossible to ascertain the truth of this claim

After glancing at Ji Luofei's room, Ning Cheng hesitated for a moment but did not enter. Ji Luofei had reached the third level of Qi Gathering, her cultivation far surpassing his, indicating that the Cangqin Two-Star Academy was not a safe place.

Jiluo Fei was clearly not a talkative person. Although she was surprised that Ning Cheng could cook, she did not ask many questions. It was unclear whether it was Ning Cheng's cooking that was delicious or if she was genuinely hungry. After eating several bowls of rice, she still felt somewhat unsatisfied

If it were not for the fact that the Ning residence had been reduced to ashes, Ning Cheng might even have returned the marriage contract to Ji Luofei

Ning Cheng is no longer a novice; he understands the value of the Qi Gathering Stone. One Qi Gathering Stone is equivalent to one hundred gold coins, and that is merely the surface price; in reality, one hundred gold coins would not suffice to purchase a single Qi Gathering Stone. Even the Ning family possesses very few of them. When Ji Luofei presented him with a Qi Gathering Stone, he immediately declined, saying, "Luofei, I have already gathered Qi. You are currently at the third level of Qi Gathering, and this is precisely when you need the Qi Gathering Stone. There is no need to give it to me." Even the Ning family possesses very few of them. When Ji Luofei presented him with a Qi Gathering Stone, he immediately declined, saying, "Luofei, I have already gathered Qi. You are currently at the third level of Qi Gathering, and this is precisely when you need the Qi Gathering Stone. There is no need to give it to me."

Closing this thin scroll, Ning Cheng let out a slow sigh. He still did not know just how vast the Yixing Continent was, but from this thin scroll, he had already inferred that the Yixing Continent was immensely large. Even the Cangqin Kingdom was likely just equivalent to a speck of dust within the Yixing Continent.

Ning Cheng returned to his room, and the first thing he did was take out the Qi Gathering Stone. He had memories of the Qi Gathering Stone, but he had never seen one before. Now that Ji Luofei had returned the Qi Gathering Stone, Ning Cheng was eager to find out what kind of stone it was that made it so valuable. A single Qi Gathering Stone could be purchased for one hundred gold coins, and even then, it was not guaranteed to be available. This price is indeed quite high

Ji Luo Fei stared blankly at Ning Cheng, completely taken aback by his words. However, she was well aware that what Ning Cheng said was the truth; once she left the Cang Qin Kingdom, there would be no opportunity to meet Ning Cheng again

"Wait a moment." Ji Luo Fei called out to Ning Cheng, "I will take care of these later; you have not done any of this..."

Ning Cheng glanced at his palm, and there was unexpectedly a faint trace of blood on it

She promptly changed her tone and said, "Please sit down first; I have some matters to discuss with you."

Jiluo Fei did not wait for Ning Cheng to continue asking, but pushed him aside and said, "I am fine. I will go rest for a while and will talk to you again later."

After finishing the meal, Ning Cheng quickly got up to tidy up the dishes

Ning Cheng, exceptionally intelligent, surely understands Ji Luofei's intentions. He knows that Ji Luofei intends to leave the Cangqin Kingdom, and that they may not have the opportunity to meet again in the future. By proactively proposing to annul their engagement, he aims to relieve Ji Luofei of any future concerns. After all, Ji Luofei saved his life, and this is the only way he can assist her. Now that Ji Luofei does not agree, he is also unwilling to say more.

Before Jiluo Fei could finish her words, she realized that there was something wrong with what she had said. Ning Cheng had never done such things, so how could he possibly cook such delicious dishes

He put away the gathering stone and Ning Cheng took out the two scrolls. One scroll introduced the history of the Ning family, while the other scroll contained the cultivation techniques of the Ning family

"Is this what you made?" Ji Luofei asked in surprise, looking at the four dishes and a soup placed on the small wooden table. In her memory, when had Ning Cheng ever cooked? Moreover, the dishes he prepared were so visually appealing.

... ...

The moment the Qi Gathering Stone was taken out by Ning Cheng at m.hetushu.com, Ji Luofei sensed it. She glanced at Ning Cheng's room, a slight curve appearing at the corner of her mouth. Although Ning Cheng no longer exhibited the previous air of a spoiled youth, he still retained a hint of childishness. He claimed he did not want the Qi Gathering Stone, yet he was the first to take it out.

The Ning family has produced a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage, yet they still cannot escape the low-level continent of the Yixing continent. This illustrates how naive his previous thoughts were, believing that reaching the Foundation Establishment stage would allow him to return to Earth

On the Yixing Continent, there are nine major continents. The Pingzhou continent has the least spiritual energy, and the countries that reside there are mostly mortal realms, categorizing it as a lower-level continent

My life was saved by Grandfather Ning; without him, there would be no Ji Luofei. What you said may be true, but once I leave the Cangqin Kingdom, we will have no opportunity to meet again. Moreover, I have already been disfigured, so the prospect of our marriage is not very realistic. However, I also understand the principle of loyalty. The betrothal was arranged by Grandfather Ning and my grandfather; without their consent, I will not break it. Just take care of yourself after I leave in the future, as I truly cannot stay by your side for a lifetime. The betrothal was arranged by Grandfather Ning and my grandfather; without their consent, I will not break it. Just take care of yourself after I leave in the future, as I truly cannot stay by your side for a lifetime.

This new meridian flow of true energy is evidently different from what is described in the Ning family's cultivation mantra, and Ning Cheng feels that if he guides the true energy cultivation according to the method that suddenly appeared in his mind, the results would be even better

Even if Ning Cheng came from Earth, he would still feel extremely displeased. The ruler of the Cangqin Kingdom is inherently cold-hearted, truly not worth serving him with loyalty

Ning Cheng instantly understood that Ji Luofei was injured. Just a moment ago, his hand was resting on Ji Luofei's back, indicating that her injury was on her back

Having finished speaking, Ji Luofei entered the adjacent room by herself