Cultivation Starting from Full Talent-Chapter 601 - 599: True Monarch Liu Yun, Let Me Explain

"Little Qing."

Ning Daoran raised his hand to grip the sword hilt. A thread of Dragon Vine Thorns extended outward, firmly locking Tian Zhao Monarch’s Nascent Soul puppet in place.

At that moment, a cyan figure flew out from the Spirit Garden Cave Heaven—it was none other than the Nascent Soul Early Stage Evil Spirit, Little Qing.

"Eat it, don’t waste it," Ning Daoran said indifferently.

"Yes, Master!"

Little Qing knelt on the ground, stuck out her tongue, and began licking the sword tip. Inch by inch, she slid to the Nascent Soul’s position, and soon started to absorb the blood essence and divine soul essence within.

Yet her eyes still gazed upward at her master, filled with servitude and seduction.

"..."

True Monarch Du’e nearly dropped to his knees on the spot. Damn, Brother Ning really knew how to play!

In no time, Little Qing consumed the Nascent Soul entirely but still extended her clove-like tongue, licking the bloodstains on the sword blade clean. Her gaze remained sultry as she stared at Ning Daoran.

"I can’t take it anymore..."

True Monarch Du’e nearly unfastened his trousers.

"Brother Ning,"

He rubbed his hands together, a sycophantic smile spreading across his face. "Where did you get this thing?"

"What’s this? Brother Du’e interested?"

"Ahem..."

True Monarch Du’e’s old face flushed red. "Not really. Your elder brother here is a righteous cultivator—when have I ever played with something like this? But to be honest, do you happen to have..."

"No!"

Ning Daoran looked slightly exasperated. "I already have a Daoist partner—Lin Man, whom you’ve met before, Brother Du’e."

"Ah, right, right..."

True Monarch Du’e nodded earnestly. "Having a Daoist partner like Little Lin Man, there really wouldn’t be any need. But you know us older, unmarried righteous cultivators...thinking about it, life’s tough. I wonder, would this girl perhaps be—"

"Absolutely not."

Ning Daoran declared resolutely, "This girl has been accompanying me for many years. Now that she has advanced to Nascent Soul, she has become a close companion of mine. If I were to gift her to Brother Du’e as a bedwarmer, deep down I couldn’t live with myself."

Upon hearing this, the panic on Little Qing’s charming face lessened greatly. She thought to herself that she had narrowly escaped a disaster.

For her master, she was willing to do anything he asked—but True Monarch Du’e? A decrepit old man like that? No way. He would likely do nothing but torment her on the bed, offering little else in return, opportunities included. Master was still the preferred choice.

"Brother Ning’s reasoning is sound, but if your elder brother were to trade a low-grade spirit treasure—"

True Monarch Du’e tried to negotiate further. He couldn’t control his fascination with the enchanting female ghost, unintentionally hitting his weak spot...

Just then, a woman’s voice called out from outside:

"Fellow Daoist Ning, are you home? This humble one, True Monarch Liu Yun, has arrived at Returning Ruins Immortal Land for a visit!"

It was none other than True Monarch Liu Yun, whom Ning Daoran had not seen in years!

Ning Daoran had deep impressions of True Monarch Liu Yun. Her array path talent was extraordinarily high—the highest among cultivators he had ever encountered. Besides, she was beautiful, gentle in personality, and embodied the perfect female cultivator figure in the cultivation world—just a notch below Lin Man.

"It’s True Monarch Liu Yun!"

Ning Daoran smiled faintly and directly waved his sleeve to lift the Cave Mansion Restriction. "Fellow Daoist Liu Yun, do come in!"

"Thank you!"

True Monarch Liu Yun glided inward gracefully. At her first glance, she saw True Monarch Du’e sitting nearby, then noticed the Nascent Soul female ghost kneeling before Ning Daoran’s sword tip. For a moment, True Monarch Liu Yun looked completely bewildered.

"So Fellow Daoist Du’e is also here... What are you two... busy with?" Her thoughts seemed messy and scattered.

"Ahem, nothing much,"

True Monarch Du’e flicked his sleeves, regaining his dignified stance as a seasoned Nascent Soul Middle Stage cultivator. "Fellow Daoist Liu Yun, was it not last time that you said you would go into secluded cultivation and wouldn’t leave until reaching Nascent Soul Middle Stage? What brings you to the Endless Demon Sea now?"

"Well, isn’t it obvious? I’ve already reached Nascent Soul Middle Stage."

True Monarch Liu Yun’s beautiful eyes revealed confusion. She hadn’t even masked her cultivation, which radiated all the aura of Nascent Soul Mid-stage. "Fellow Daoist Du’e, why do you seem so distracted?"

"Ahem, no, not at all."

True Monarch Du’e pulled his gaze away from Little Qing.

Ning Daoran narrowed his eyes. "Little Qing, return."

"Yes, Master!"

Little Qing transformed into a thread of green ghostly fog and receded into the Spirit Garden Cave Heaven.

Ning Daoran was somewhat unsettled; this matter had to be concealed properly. Otherwise, rumors about him, True Monarch Du’e, and a female ghost engaging in bizarre antics within the cave mansion would spread throughout Xia Country’s cultivation world. Though True Monarch Du’e’s disgrace would be deserved, he himself would undoubtedly be wronged.

He glanced at True Monarch Liu Yun, who appeared to be deep in thought.

For a fleeting moment, Ning Daoran grew even more nervous. He thought about the gossip ability of those elderly women back in his hometown during Chinese New Year celebrations, who could disseminate information—whether accurate or exaggerated—across villages within mere days. Those elderly women only had decades of cultivation. On the other hand, True Monarch Liu Yun, with centuries of cultivation, as a seasoned "old lady"... far more terrifying!

"This woman is an evil spirit I subdued years ago—later nurtured in one of my magical treasures. Several years went by, and after consuming a substantial amount of essence, she unexpectedly evolved into a Nascent Soul Evil Spirit."

Ning Daoran explained, "She has contributed greatly while accompanying my ventures into the cultivation world. I remain aligned with the righteous path, so she is only used for purposes like battle techniques."

"Fellow Daoist Ning, there’s no need to explain."

True Monarch Liu Yun cast him a meaningful look. "I understand it all..."

"What do you understand? Could you have misunderstood, Sister Liu Yun?" Ning Daoran cried out internally.

Meanwhile, the instigator, True Monarch Du’e, had already seated himself before the stone table nearby. "Fellow Daoist Liu Yun, it has been a long time. Have a taste of Fellow Daoist Ning’s spiritual tea from his cave mansion."

"Alright, thank you!"

True Monarch Liu Yun, exhausted from her travels, welcomed the offer.

"Speaking of which,"

True Monarch Liu Yun smiled gently. "It’s been years since we’ve seen each other, and I’ve missed the two of you. But even more than that, I’ve missed Fellow Daoist Ning’s cooking talents. I wonder, now that you’ve advanced to Nascent Soul, have you abandoned your culinary skills?"

"Not at all."

Ning Daoran chuckled. "Fellow Daoist Liu Yun, rest assured. I’ll have Old Lu cook something shortly."

"Wonderful!!"

True Monarch Liu Yun rejoiced, stretching out her arms to relax. "By the way, I have news from Xia Country’s cultivation world that I suspect you aren’t aware of."

"Oh?"

Ning Daoran asked, "What news?"

"One year ago, did Fellow Daoist Ning provoke Master Mo Han’s lineage?"

"To say ’provoke’ is an understatement."

True Monarch Du’e grinned. "I heard that Fellow Daoist Ning’s spiritual beast, Little Bai, underwent tribulation to condense its Nascent Soul in the city when Master Mo Han acted brazenly, attempting to seize the Golden Thunder Essence. Fellow Daoist Ning, in a fury, destroyed his physical body! Word of this incident has been everywhere since my return to the city."

"Actually..."

Ning Daoran lowered his voice. "Master Mo Han didn’t just lose his physical body. Most likely, his Nascent Soul is no longer alive. During a skirmish, I planted a strand of sword intent into his Nascent Soul divine soul. That sword intent will surely finish him."

"!!!"

True Monarch Liu Yun was visibly shocked. The act of embedding sword intent within another’s divine soul to assassinate them was only previously heard of in tales of Shen Luoyan’s Dragon Demon Blade intent, and yet Ning Daoran possessed a similar technique.

"This must be the root cause,"

True Monarch Liu Yun remarked. "A year ago, dozens of Golden Core cultivators from the Mo Family secretly infiltrated Qingzhou Yellow Dragon Mountain Range, claiming they intended to annihilate the Chaotic Sect."

"What?!"

Ning Daoran furrowed his brows. "That was a lapse on my part. And then?"

Actually, he wasn’t particularly worried about the safety of the Chaotic Sect. After all, the foundation he left behind for the sect was remarkably solid: multiple Golden Core Late-stage Paperfolk puppets and constructs, a Mountain Protection Formation, and treasures like the Golden Silk Sword. Honestly, even ten Golden Core Late-stage cultivators attacking at once wouldn’t gain any advantage.

If the Chaotic Sect still failed under such circumstances, it would only prove that Chen Yuzhu, Lin Ye, and the others had utterly disappointed him as their ancestor.

"Afterward..."

True Monarch Liu Yun smiled faintly. "These dozens of Golden Core cultivators passed through the rear mountain but were intercepted and annihilated by a single Nascent Soul Late-stage cultivator. Reportedly, they were burned to ashes."

"Nas...Nascent Soul Late-stage?"

Ning Daoran was taken aback. "Who was it? Could it have been Shen Building Master?"

Was it Shen Luoyan? That seemed possible. Sister Shen was always wandering everywhere when she had nothing better to do. If she encountered such an incident, she wouldn’t stand idly by.

"It wasn’t Shen Luoyan."

True Monarch Liu Yun shook her head. "An old woodsman from the rear mountain claimed to have glimpsed two women. One had short hair, the other an ashen complexion. The two vanished instantly—a feat achievable only to those at Nascent Soul level."

"Could it be..."

True Monarch Du’e mused, "Little Lin Man?"

"No...impossible..."

Ning Daoran clutched his head, feeling troubled. "How is she breaking through so quickly? I’ve been trying my best, yet I’m still left in the dust..."

Admitting such thoughts aloud meant he had already acknowledged that Lin Man was likely the culprit.

"Hahaha~~~"

Nearby, True Monarch Du’e and True Monarch Liu Yun both laughed at Ning Daoran’s misfortune.

"Brother Ning, forgive my bluntness..."

True Monarch Du’e remarked, "Lin Man is an extraordinary talent, unparalleled in cultivation and the talismanic way. Moreover, her foundation as a First-grade Heavenly Spirit Root—that’s leagues better than your Mixed Spirit Root.

No wonder she’s reached Nascent Soul Late-stage—and frankly, even if someone told me she’s already Half-step Divinity Transformation, I would believe it."

True Monarch Liu Yun covered her mouth as she giggled. "Fellow Daoist Du’e, perhaps you shouldn’t rub salt into his wound."

Ning Daoran felt rather disheartened. Lin Man was over a hundred years younger than him, yet at over four hundred years old, he was still lingering in Nascent Soul Early Stage while she had already ascended to Nascent Soul Late-stage. At this rate, Lin Man breaking through to Divinity Transformation and ascending to the Earth Immortal Realm ahead of him was a sure thing.

Which meant that after Lin Man’s ascension, Ning Daoran would still need to drift through the Mortal World for at least another two to three hundred years!

...

"Sigh, let’s leave that topic for now."

Ning Daoran changed the subject. "Fellow Daoist Liu Yun, you came to Guiru City this time and sought me out directly. Surely, there must be a purpose? Otherwise, you wouldn’t be this direct."

"Indeed."

True Monarch Liu Yun replied solemnly. "Through a secret channel, I learned incredible news—the Taixu Immortal Realm is about to open. Rumor has it that this secret realm is brimming with treasures. I wonder if the two of you would be interested in joining forces for exploration."

"Excellent, absolutely excellent!"

True Monarch Du’e slapped his thigh. "For so many years, every time I explored a secret realm, I’d either end up killing others or getting chased down. Exploring a secret realm alongside allies—that would be a completely new experience."

Ning Daoran’s eyes lit up. "Now that you mention it, I feel quite the same way..."

True Monarch Liu Yun rolled her eyes inwardly. Hearing these two talk like this, she knew they didn’t have the cleanest records when it came to secret realm expeditions.

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