Chapter Nine, the path ahead is unclear

Qu Ningxuan possesses exceptional talent, which inevitably places her in a precarious position. If she joins a small sect, she will be supported, yet remain in the eye of the storm, making her easily discoverable. Conversely, if she joins a large sect, it will not be easy to conceal her presence. Although there are mutual grievances among the various sects, they will yield when faced with interests. If the Yin Blood Sect truly covets her, it means she cannot join any faction; otherwise, a moment of carelessness could lead to betrayal, resulting in a fate that is utterly tragic. Even if she manages to escape by chance, the constant power struggles among the sects will leave her, a beautiful yet vulnerable woman, at the mercy of others. If someone wishes to dictate her fate, such as compelling her to engage in dual cultivation with a certain individual, does she have any room to refuse? If the Yin Blood Sect truly covets her, it means she cannot join any faction; otherwise, a moment of carelessness could lead to betrayal, resulting in a fate that is utterly tragic. Even if she manages to escape by chance, the constant power struggles among the sects will leave her, a beautiful yet vulnerable woman, at the mercy of others. If someone wishes to dictate her fate, such as compelling her to engage in dual cultivation with a certain individual, does she have any room to refuse?

Having said that, he raised his head and fixed his gaze on Qu Ningxuan, stating in a very affirmative tone: "You have never used any elixirs during your ascensions!"

Upon hearing his words, Qu Ningxuan felt a chill spreading from the depths of her heart. The advancement elixirs were too precious, and having confirmed that she did not need them, she naturally sold them secretly in exchange for a large amount of spirit stones and valuable teleportation talismans, books, and so on. Since she was indeed stuck at a bottleneck due to her state of mind, she assumed that everyone had passed this hurdle, only to become increasingly fearful of death in the later stages, thus resorting to unscrupulous means to hoard elixirs, techniques, and magical treasures, which only made things more sordid. To her surprise, upon hearing Jun Qiantang's words, she learned that cultivators in this world did not need to cultivate their state of mind. So why was she stuck at a bottleneck due to her state of mind? After all, she was practicing the techniques of this world!

What Jun Qiantang can think of, Qu Ningxuan can naturally think of as well, so she said lightly: "I will escape to the other side of the Eastern Wilderness, preferably to an island, and then casually find a place for quiet cultivation..."

Such matters, Jun Qiantang has witnessed far too many. People die for wealth, and birds perish for food. When faced with the precious treasures hidden by those undergoing tribulation, it is not just the presence of high-level cultivators that deters one; even if confronted with a mountain of blades or a sea of flames, with survival chances less than one in ten thousand, the vast majority would still choose to take a gamble, would they not? Jun Qiantang displayed neither anger nor any action; he remained cheerful and elegant, as if he were unaware of the situation. When faced with the precious treasures hidden by those undergoing tribulation, it is not just the presence of high-level cultivators that deters one; even if confronted with a mountain of blades or a sea of flames, with survival chances less than one in ten thousand, the vast majority would still choose to take a gamble, would they not? Jun Qiantang displayed neither anger nor any action; he remained cheerful and elegant, as if he were unaware of the situation.

His words were spoken extremely slowly, as if he were chewing them over multiple times, thus carrying a hint of intricate nuance. Qu Ningxuan secretly felt that something was amiss, yet she could not discern where the problem lay, so she could only feign calmness and respond to Jun Qiantang's words: "Am I misunderstanding?"

Qu Ningxuan had been trapped at the peak of the Rotating Illumination for quite some time, and she was already feeling anxious about her own cultivation. After all, the difference between the peak of the Rotating Illumination and the initial stage of Fusion was like the difference between heaven and earth. However, when Jun Qiantang spoke such words at this moment, it only made her angrier: "There is no need for you to worry. I am preoccupied with my parents, and my obsession is hard to dispel, which is why I have been unable to break through for so long. It has nothing to do with my cultivation, so please do not waste your efforts."

"I have never heard that one must eliminate their obsessions in order to reach the pinnacle of fusion." Jun Qiantang's expression and tone were subtle, seeming both playful and curious. "Everyone I have seen has reached a certain level of cultivation and then used elixirs to break through to a higher realm. If one is fortunate, they may succeed on the first attempt, as if it were a natural progression. If luck is not on their side, they might need to try ten or eight more times to succeed, but I have never heard of the need to eliminate obsessions."

In the realm of cultivation, magical artifacts are diverse and varied in function, yet they generally fall within certain categories. The most common type of mirror-like artifact possesses abilities such as reflection, fortitude, and illusion. If he is not mistaken, in conjunction with the *Illustrated Book*, the ability of this extraordinary treasure should be to create illusions; otherwise, it is difficult to explain why a multitude of exotic beasts, which they had previously cleared out, would suddenly reappear. However, this illusion is so powerful and realistic, with no flaws whatsoever, that it is truly terrifying. If he is not mistaken, in conjunction with the *Illustrated Book*, the ability of this extraordinary treasure should be to create illusions; otherwise, it is difficult to explain why a multitude of exotic beasts, which they had previously cleared out, would suddenly reappear. However, this illusion is so powerful and realistic, with no flaws whatsoever, that it is truly terrifying.

Qu Ningxuan's words are indeed heartfelt and sincere. Every day during her period of weakness, she spends her time in anxiety, fearing that Jun Qiantang might force her to take action, fearing that the two of them are trapped in this environment, destined to suffer endlessly, fearing... To calm herself, she either silently recites the beautiful poetry and prose from her past life in her heart, or takes out the books she carries with her to immerse herself wholeheartedly in the wonderful world of literature. Only in this way can she maintain a peaceful heart and avoid any issues. She either silently recites the beautiful poetry and prose from her past life in her heart, or takes out the books she carries with her to immerse herself wholeheartedly in the wonderful world of literature. Only in this way can she maintain a peaceful heart and avoid any issues.

Qu Ningxuan felt a tumultuous storm within her heart, difficult to quell for a moment, her body drenched in cold sweat, yet she was unaware that Jun Qiantang was equally astonished. When he himself was at the stage of refining essence into qi, he had never used any auxiliary pills for advancement, but that was because his aptitude was too high, the cultivation method he practiced was too superior, and the environment he was in was too favorable. How could Qu Ningxuan compare to him? Among the core disciples of the Jun family, whose aptitude was not better than Qu Ningxuan's? ... Yet apart from himself, there was not a single one who advanced without the aid of auxiliary pills; why was she ... When he himself was at the stage of refining essence into qi, he had never used any auxiliary pills for advancement, but that was because his aptitude was too high, the cultivation method he practiced was too superior, and the environment he was in was too favorable. How could Qu Ningxuan compare to him? Among the core disciples of the Jun family, whose aptitude was not better than Qu Ningxuan's? ... Yet apart from himself, there was not a single one who advanced without the aid of auxiliary pills; why was she ...

Very well, I will just observe what tricks you can come up with

Qu Ningxuan's expression turned cold as she turned her head away, ignoring him

No one in the Shen family noticed Qu Ningxuan's thoughts. Firstly, it was due to their inherent sense of superiority, and secondly, Qu Ningxuan led a reclusive life, making it difficult for others to understand her true nature, let alone her small habits. As long as she was a bit cautious and kept a low profile, she could manage to get by in front of a group of old foxes. However, after spending more than forty days with Jun Qiantang, whose insight was remarkably sharp, Qu Ningxuan's carefulness was not enough. Despite her efforts to disguise herself as a wooden figure, Jun Qiantang still sensed her abnormality. He naturally could not guess that Qu Ningxuan possessed a treasure like the Silent Shadow Bracelet; he merely thought that she knew the secret of the extraordinary item but chose not to tell him.

Jun Qiantang has always been decisive, so after pondering for a moment, he said: "You are determined to escape from the Shen family, but have you considered what you will do after leaving?"

As a true prodigy in cultivation, Jun Qiantang's talent and comprehension were so exceptional that they evoked envy in everyone. However, while secretly observing Qu Ningxuan's behavior, he faintly sensed that he had touched upon another door through her actions, a door that seemed brighter and smoother, perhaps capable of helping him break through the long-standing bottleneck and reach the legendary realm of refining emptiness and merging with the Dao. This feeling was absurd, yet Jun Qiantang firmly believed in it. Therefore, he often engaged in conversations with Qu Ningxuan, hoping to gain some insights, even though she was extremely wary of him, appearing respectful while actually being indifferent. He did not give up. For instance, at this moment, he abandoned his plan to continue searching for the formation eye, walked up to Qu Ningxuan, sat down in front of her, and said gently: "You don't have much time awake in a day... do you really need to rush like this?"

Her ability to make such a choice indicates that she does not rely heavily on spirit stones in her daily cultivation. This suppresses the development of loose cultivators, forcing them to endure exploitation by unscrupulous merchants while they remain silent. The reason they desperately seek to join sects or families is precisely due to the lack of spirit stones and elixirs. If she truly overcomes these two shortcomings, she could indeed practice in any remote mountain forest without issue. But what about the cultivation methods? https://www.hetushu.com? After all, she is an outsider, and the Shen family would certainly provide her with layers of cultivation methods. Does she not need these methods as well? If she truly overcomes these two shortcomings, she could indeed practice in any remote mountain forest without issue. But what about the cultivation methods? https://www.hetushu.com? After all, she is an outsider, and the Shen family would certainly provide her with layers of cultivation methods. Does she not need these methods as well?

Understanding the meaning behind her words, Jun Qiantang did not show any expression on her face, yet she found it difficult to contain her surprise within.

However, Jun Qiantang cast a fleeting glance at Qu Ningxuan, who was engrossed in her reading, her expression somewhat cold.

Jun Qiantang raised an eyebrow: "You are still concerned about your parents, and your obsession has not faded, which is why you are unable to break through the initial stage of fusion"

Jun Qiantang had been stuck at a bottleneck for quite some time and would never let go of any glimmer of hope. If his initial impression of Qu Ningxuan was merely that of "a friend of the Immortal Lingxian from ten thousand years ago, a being who opened the secret realm of the Ancient Emperor," he now finally began to value her as a person. Thus, he immediately said: "You should have guessed that I am from Zhongzhou, and fortunately, I have an old friend with exceptionally high cultivation and a free-spirited nature."

He was young and exceptionally talented, full of pride, unwilling to rely on his family's reputation to achieve success. Thus, he concealed his identity and ventured out into the world, gravitating towards danger and the unknown, often finding himself in perilous situations, teetering between life and death. Later, he returned to his family as a key player, involved in the division of various interests and the exploration of relics, always playing a significant role. Logically speaking, although he may not have encountered every type of formation or mechanism, he could generally draw parallels from what he had seen. Moreover, he had visited the tombs of tribulation-stage experts more than once or twice, yet he had never come across such a bizarre place.

Jun Qiantang was not angry and said, "Not only that, I will also help you break through to the peak of the Rotation Illumination, allowing you to leap directly to the peak of Fusion. Are you willing to accept this deal?"

Qu Ningxuan guessed the second half of his sentence, looking at him in disbelief. Jun Qiantang smiled slightly, and with great slowness yet utmost seriousness, said: "You say, I will introduce you to them, allowing you to freely choose one of them from hetushu.com to be your master, is that acceptable?"

This girl seems to be hiding something

To calm her mind, there was originally a better method, which was to empty her thoughts, to think of nothing, and to immerse herself completely in nature. However, she faintly sensed the disharmony of this place, which prevented her from entering that state, so she settled for a secondary option and chose to read.

His attitude was gentle, and with such words that carried a hint of concern, Qu Ningxuan found it difficult to give him the cold shoulder, so she softly said: "If I do not read, I will be overwhelmed by the uncertainty of the future, loathe my frail body, and fear the arrival of death..."

However, to Jun Qiantang's surprise, Qu Ningxuan did nothing at all. Whenever she regained a bit of strength, she would quietly read books, as if this place were completely devoid of danger, creating a serene and tranquil atmosphere akin to a paradise.

Jun Qiantang keenly detected the flaw in her heart and smiled, saying: "I have always been a person of my word. As long as you give me a drop of the essence blood of the Eternal Spirit Fairy, I guarantee that I will not harm it, nor will I allow any third being outside of us to know of its existence. I can also help you resolve the issues with the Shen family. What do you think?"

Qu Ningxuan leaned against a tree, quietly holding a book to read, while Jun Qiantang stood by the lake, her garments fluttering as if she were an otherworldly being, yet there was a hint of worry in her brow

Jun Qiantang once attempted to venture into a slightly more distant forest, only to be astonished to discover that the forest was teeming with strange beasts. The strength of these creatures was astonishing, and their habitats were inexplicably close to one another. Once a conflict arose, it would undoubtedly disturb the entire area. After several fruitless attempts, Jun Qiantang realized that this path was not viable. This space could not replenish spiritual energy, nor could it facilitate his cultivation. If he remained trapped here for an extended period, he would either be driven mad or exhaust his spiritual energy completely, unable to enter a state of fasting, ultimately starving to death. How could Jun Qiantang not feel frustrated?