551: Chapter 551 Inside and outside the secluded courtyard, joy and sorrow are incompatible.

Outside the courtyard, a figure walked slowly from the end of the corridor.

After venting just now, the anger in Saint Son Yang Ritian's heart diminished slightly.

He walked up to Zhu Xuanni's courtyard door and raised his hand to knock, only to see the Formation runes on the lintel slowly flowing, shielding the light and shadow inside completely.

He hesitated for a moment before speaking:

"Aunt Ni..."

There was no response from the courtyard. He waited for a moment and called out again, but there was still only the rustling sound of the night wind passing through the bamboo leaves.

Saint Son Yang Ritian frowned slightly, guessing in his heart that Aunt Ni was probably at a crucial juncture of Cultivation.

Thinking about visiting Young Master Liu tomorrow, his heart tightened—the method for tomorrow might not necessarily be able to bring Aunt Ni back safely.

A crazy thought popped up.

The courtyard's Formation was an eighth-grade Formation. Aunt Ni had always thought her Realm was Void Tempering, unaware that he had long since secretly broken through to Undergoing Tribulation.

Ordinarily, he couldn't beat Aunt Ni, but if at this moment... he broke in and caused Aunt Ni to suffer Qi Deviation, perhaps he could...

Saint Son Yang Ritian took a Formation-breaking awl from his sleeve; the surface of the sharp awl was covered with dense runes, and spiritual light flowed across it.

This was a Magic Treasure specifically targeted at eighth-grade Formations.

But the moment the awl tip touched the Formation runes on the courtyard door, those flowing spiritual lights collided with a layer of invisible water surface, only stirring up a circle of extremely shallow ripples.

Saint Son Yang Ritian was stunned. He stared at that patch of Formation runes for a long while and tried again, but still to no avail.

With his Undergoing Tribulation strength plus this Formation-breaking awl, he couldn't even tear open a single gap in a static eighth-grade Formation?

This was impossible!

"What are you here for?"

Zhu Xuanni's voice finally came from the courtyard, carrying a bit of hoarseness and suppressed impatience:

"Speak if you have business, otherwise get lost!"

Saint Son Yang Ritian's heart tightened, and he quickly put the Formation-breaking awl back into his sleeve:

"I came to tell Aunt Ni that we will go visit Young Master Liu together tomorrow."

After saying these words, he waited anxiously for a response. He wondered if Aunt Ni had noticed his action of breaking into the Formation just now.

The courtyard fell silent for a long time—so long that he almost thought there wouldn't be any more words from over there.

Then Zhu Xuanni's voice came out again, her tail-end trembling slightly:

"...Got it, get lost!"

Saint Son Yang Ritian's expression was somewhat ugly, but after all, he didn't say anything more, turned around, and his figure disappeared at the end of the corridor.

Inside the side room, moonlight paved the bluestone floor.

Zhu Xuanni knelt and sat by the couch; the corners of her mouth still retained a trace of moist water light, shining slightly under the moon, the front of her gauze robe wide open.

She raised her hand and cast a cleansing spell on herself.

Fragmented light spots fell on her body, brushing away those slightly damp traces bit by bit.

Then she re-fastened her robe; her fingers trembled twice while tying the silk ribbon before she managed to secure the knot, her knuckles slightly pale, using quite a bit of force to steady herself.

When she stood up, the flush on Zhu Xuanni's face had faded by more than half, and her expression had also returned to her usual cold and glamorous appearance, except for the crimson at the ends of her eyes that had not completely faded, like a few touches of spring color revealing themselves on a layer of thin snow, not hidden so tightly.

Ling Hao sat on the couch in an unceremonious posture, the corners of his mouth hooked up slightly:

"Just now, your good nephew actually wanted to barge in."

"That Realm... Heh, Undergoing Tribulation, he hid it quite tightly. And there is also a Magic Treasure specifically for breaking Formations. If I hadn't casually reinforced the Formation, I'm afraid he really could have torn open a gap."

Zhu Xuanni's expression suddenly turned cold:

"He is becoming more and more audacious."

Ling Hao took a white jade bottle from his sleeve and casually placed it on the table beside them:

"This is mouthwash for you. Rest well, I'm leaving."

He turned around and walked two steps towards the door, when Zhu Xuanni's voice came from behind him:

"You... should know about the Dongming Liu Family."

Ling Hao paused his steps, with his back facing her, his voice bland:

"I know."

He originally wanted to say "I am Young Master Liu", but when the words reached his lips, he suddenly held them back.

Ever since he moved into the Four Seasons Heaven and Earth Courtyard in the identity of Young Master Liu, he had truly witnessed the weight of the Dongming Liu Family's name in Fuzang Province.

Not to mention the Elders of various large and small Sects, even the Mahayana Supreme of the Xuanwu Holy Land did not show any dissatisfaction after being rejected by himself.

Ling Hao was very curious—what attitude would the woman before him have if she faced the reputation of the Dongming Liu Family?

"You don't need to worry about it. Tomorrow, you and Saintess Yan Xueyuan can just go ahead. I have my own plans, and I will make a move when necessary."

"But that Dongming Liu Family—"

"No need to say more."

Ling Hao interrupted her:

"I have my own judgment."

Zhu Xuanni stood in the moonlight, looking at his back standing by the door.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but swallowed it back, and in the end only responded in a low voice:

"...Alright."

"As for Xueyuan, I will not leave a single step further."

Ling Hao did not turn back, his figure submerging into the night outside the door.

The courtyard quieted down. Zhu Xuanni stood in the moonlight, feeling her throat somewhat dry.

She walked over, picked up the white jade bottle on the table, tilted her head to pour a mouthful, originally intending to rinse her mouth and spit it out.

But the moment that liquid entered her mouth, a warm and gentle clear current slid down her throat into her Dantian.

The residual erosion qi on her body was receding, the hidden Cultivation injuries accumulated over the years were healing, the spiritual power in her Meridians was operating on its own at an unprecedented speed, her Divine Soul had solidified by a few fractions, her Physical Body seemed to be wrapped by a layer of warm film, and even her Lifespan was... increasing!

She was stunned. She lowered her head to look at her own hands, and then looked at that jade bottle.

Such a precious thing... He said it was mouthwash?

The corners of Zhu Xuanni's mouth moved slightly, unable to tell whether she wanted to laugh or sigh.

Slowly, mouthful by mouthful, she drank all the remaining liquid in the jade bottle, and also swallowed those warm things remaining in her mouth together, swallowing them into the deepest part of her body.

Afterwards, Zhu Xuanni felt her body become several fractions lighter. She looked towards the direction outside the door where Ling Hao had disappeared, and after a long while, she lowered her voice and said a sentence:

"...What on earth does he mean?"