49: Chapter 49 Sunset Valley

On that very same day, the originally cloudless sky suddenly underwent a turbulent change.

The Spiritual Qi of the entire Poison Refining Sect centered on a certain point, drawing in the surrounding Spiritual Qi to form a massive spiritual power vortex.

Such a sudden phenomenon left all the Disciples stunned; they quickly realized what was happening and gathered in groups to discuss it.

"Hiss, someone is undergoing Core Formation! Who is it?"

"The Sect has produced another Golden Core Cultivator, but why isn't it me?"

"Core Formation! I wonder if I'll ever have the chance in this lifetime?"

"..."

Every Disciple of the Poison Refining Sect knew exactly what was happening, their hearts filled with both shock and envy.

For these Disciples at the bottom of the cultivation world, Core Formation was an unattainable dream.

Once one became a Golden Core Cultivator, their status would skyrocket; becoming an Elder of a small Sect would be a simple matter.

"He's forming his core!"

Nangong Xi looked up at the spiritual power vortex in mid-air, a complex expression surfacing on her face as her vermilion lips parted to murmur softly.

She recalled the first time she met Ning Yuan; he was just a Slave with Qi Refining cultivation, yet in the blink of an eye, he had become a Golden Core Cultivator, standing at the same height as her.

"Yeah! It was really fast!" Tang Qian, standing beside her, couldn't help but sigh with emotion. Then, lost in some unknown thought, a faint blush unconsciously appeared on her face.

Just as everyone was filled with emotion over the phenomenon of Ning Yuan's Core Formation, the spiritual power vortex high in the sky seemed to have absorbed enough Qi and began to gradually dissipate.

As time passed, the spiritual power vortex vanished completely, and all the phenomena disappeared, returning the sky to its washed-clean azure state.

Seeing the phenomenon dissipate, the onlookers scattered in twos and threes to continue their tasks—some to Cultivate, others to head out... Inside the cultivation room, the door opened from within, and a spirited figure slowly walked out.

"Core Formation! From today on, I am also a Golden Core Cultivator!" Ning Yuan felt his current cultivation level, and a smile couldn't help but break out on his face.

The Aura he exuded now was completely incomparable to before, as if he were a different person entirely.

"Hmph! What's so great about a mere Golden Core? Look at you!" Mu Qingyao said dissatisfiedly, delivering a merciless blow to Ning Yuan's ego.

Ning Yuan acted as if he hadn't heard her, remaining happy and proud of himself; he wasn't about to let her ruin his mood right after a successful Core Formation.

But just then, the sound of hurried footsteps approached, and Ning Yuan saw the figure of the Poison Refining Old Ancestor rushing over, shouting anxiously:

"Master, something terrible has happened!"

Ning Yuan frowned, his good mood ruined by that one sentence. He said with some displeasure:

"Didn't I tell you to scout for news of Luoxia Stream? What happened?"

The Poison Refining Old Ancestor ran up to Ning Yuan, his face full of urgency and unease, saying:

"I just received word that the Yu Ling Sect has cornered that Poison Jiao in Luoxia Stream; they might be about to succeed!"

Hearing this, Ning Yuan's heart sank. He hadn't expected the Yu Ling Sect to move so quickly. He couldn't afford to delay any longer and said hurriedly:

"We're going to Luoxia Stream right now. Even if we don't get it, we can't let the Yu Ling Sect get the Poison Jiao!"

"Lead the way, quickly!"

"Yes!"

As soon as he spoke, Ning Yuan didn't waste any time. He and the Poison Refining Old Ancestor rushed outside, their figures moving so fast they left afterimages.

After learning that a Poison Jiao had appeared in Luoxia Stream, he had told the Poison Refining Old Ancestor to keep a constant eye on the situation there. He hadn't expected to get news so soon.

The Yu Ling Sect was the only Soul Transformation power within a radius of thousands of miles. There were dozens of Nascent Soul Cultivators in the Sect, and the number of Cultivators below the Golden Core level was countless.

Since he had killed one of their Nascent Soul Cultivators a few days ago, they certainly wouldn't let the matter rest, so he had to find a way to deal with them.

The Yu Ling Sect's hunt for the Poison Jiao in Luoxia Stream was a great opportunity; perhaps he could take the chance to weaken or even severely damage the Yu Ling Sect.

Ning Yuan naturally wouldn't let such an opportunity slip by!

In the blink of an eye, the two reached the outside, only to run into Nangong Xi and Tang Qian coming toward them.

Seeing Ning Yuan rushing out, Nangong Xi quickly asked, "Where are you going? Why the rush?"

"To Luoxia Stream!" Ning Yuan replied, then took to the air, turning into a streak of light that sped into the distance.

The Poison Refining Old Ancestor naturally took to the air as well to follow Ning Yuan; he still had to lead the way!

To Luoxia Stream?

The two women watched Ning Yuan's receding figure, their minds a bit dazed, not reacting to what was happening for a moment.

Then, Nangong Xi thought of something and also turned into a streak of light to follow them.

???

Immediately, only a bewildered Tang Qian was left behind, her head full of questions as she looked at the empty surroundings... Luoxia Stream was located in the northern part of the Luoxia Mountain Range, bordering the Thousand Miasma Poison Forest. Consequently, poisonous beasts often entered Luoxia Stream, and that Poison Jiao was no exception.

The Poison Refining Sect was also located in the northern Luoxia Mountain Range, so it wasn't far from Luoxia Stream; it could be reached in about fifteen minutes of flight.

Thus, about fifteen minutes later, Ning Yuan could clearly see Luoxia Stream. Looking at the scene in the distance, surprise couldn't help but flash in his eyes.

The three then landed on a certain mountain peak. Although they hadn't truly gone deep into Luoxia Stream yet, even from here, they could feel dozens of powerful Auras coming from within.

The owners of these Auras were all Nascent Soul Cultivators, likely from the Yu Ling Sect, gathered here to capture the Poison Jiao.

"Among them is also a Soul Transformation Aura..."

Ning Yuan's expression grew much more serious as he gazed into the depths of Luoxia Stream. There, he could clearly feel a scalp-numbing Aura; that should be the Soul Transformation Cultivator of the Yu Ling Sect.

He hadn't expected the Yu Ling Sect to value that Poison Jiao so much that even a Soul Transformation Cultivator had come. It seemed he needed to plan carefully.

After a moment of silence, Ning Yuan turned to look at the Poison Refining Old Ancestor: "Are there any powerful Yao Beasts nearby?"

"Quite a few!" the Poison Refining Old Ancestor replied without hesitation.

Having received his answer, Ning Yuan gave the Poison Refining Old Ancestor some instructions via voice transmission, and the latter turned to fly in another direction.

Seeing this, Nangong Xi guessed Ning Yuan's intention and asked, "Are you planning to..."

"Exactly! Our strength is inferior to the Yu Ling Sect's. Only by using external forces to muddy the waters can we profit from the situation."

"How about it? Are you captivated by my cleverness and wisdom?"

Ning Yuan looked at Nangong Xi with a face full of pride and asked somewhat narcissistically, like a child seeking praise.

Nangong Xi rolled her eyes and turned her head away, having no intention of answering and not wanting to look at Ning Yuan's self-satisfied expression.

But Ning Yuan had no intention of letting her off. He reached out to her slender waist, pulled her into his arms, and asked again with a smile:

"Tell me! Are you captivated by me or not? If you don't say it..."