Chapter 214: The Treasure Raft for Crossing the World, the Mysterious Golden Core

Not expecting Lu Yuan to allow her to reattach her severed arm, a ripple appeared on Qin Ruoning's pale face:

"There is a vial of Empty Green Spirit Liquid in my Storage Bracelet, kept in a green jade bottle; it can be used to repair physical defects. If you return it to me, Fellow Daoist, I can repair it myself."

Lu Yuan nodded, his divine sense probing into her Storage Bracelet, and he quickly found the item.

He then opened it, briefly identified it to ensure there were no issues, and handed it to her.

Without a word, Qin Ruoning immediately opened the bottle, dripped several drops of the liquid onto the wound of her severed arm, and after waiting a moment, joined it directly to the stump.

In an instant, a vibrant green light full of vitality emerged from the wound where the arm was joined. Beneath her snow-white skin, the flesh, muscles, and bones seemed to begin reconnecting and growing, which also made sweat bead on her forehead and a look of pain flash across her face.

To the side, Lu Yuan watched the whole process, his gaze deep, not knowing what he was thinking.

He could certainly have helped her reattach the arm with his medical arts, but he had no obligation to do so.

Letting her repair her severed arm was not out of kindness or being swayed by her beauty, but rather a matter concerning his subsequent plans.

A long time later.

Qin Ruoning's entire arm was completely reattached; only a faint red mark remained on the neat wound, and one could not tell at all that it had been severed by a sword.

She carefully moved her arm slightly, then looked at Lu Yuan with a hint of gratitude:

"Many thanks, Fellow Daoist."

The path of cultivation is like crossing a bitter sea, and the physical body is the treasure raft for crossing the world. Before the Great Dao is achieved, the treasure raft should not be damaged, otherwise, it will directly affect one's future achievements and potential.

For example, with her talent, she might have a ten or twenty percent chance of stepping into the Nascent Soul Realm in this life, but after the physical body is damaged, the probability of breaking through to the Nascent Soul Realm is greatly reduced, likely to less than five percent.

Fortunately, by chance, she had obtained a third-tier spirit item like the Empty Green Spirit Liquid, and Lu Yuan had been merciful enough to return it to her; otherwise, her future path would surely be bleak.

However, facing her thanks, Lu Yuan smiled slightly:

"It was just a small effort, no need to thank me. If you head to the Upper Realm in the future, I will surely need your support."

Qin Ruoning's gaze tightened, revealing surprise and suspicion:

"Fellow Daoist Lu, this remark..."

Yet before she could finish, she saw Lu Yuan raise his hand, and her body suddenly fell into his grasp. At the same time, a strange, eerie light burst forth from his eyes, piercing into her sea of consciousness like a peerless divine sword.

"You!?"

This terrifying eerie light was clearly a divine sense attack technique similar to Soul Searching. In her horror, Qin Ruoning subconsciously wanted to resist, but the Seal Spirit Absolute Array on her body was still suppressing her divine sense and Dharma Power, causing her to barely hold out for a single moment before her eyes became blank and dull, and her sea of consciousness was completely invaded and occupied by the eerie light.

At the same time, a voice with divine might like a prison and divine grace like the sea resounded in the deepest part of her soul:

"Qin Ruoning, you have been exceptionally talented since childhood with a bright future. Because you saw the rampant corpse evil and the suffering of the people in the world, you made a grand vow early on to cleanse the world of all evil and return a clear and bright universe to the billions of living beings."

"Whether they are mortals or cultivators, you treat them as equals. Therefore, after arriving in the Lower Realm, Bai Qianfeng's various actions made you dissatisfied, especially when he cast spells to bring down a blizzard, causing hundreds of mortals to freeze or starve to death with a casual wave; you were furious and immediately broke with him."

"Subsequently, you met Lu Yuan, the Heavenly Master of the New Nation, and found you were like-minded..."

The voice was mysterious, grand, and contained unparalleled magic. Qin Ruoning's eyes were hollow, but her expression shifted and changed—anger, sadness, joy... all sorts of emotions were present.

Who knows how much time passed.

The eerie light in Lu Yuan's eyes dissipated, and the confusion and chaos in Qin Ruoning's eyes faded bit by bit.

After her consciousness returned, looking at Lu Yuan before her, she couldn't help but be stunned, then said:

"Fellow Daoist Lu, what is this?"

Lu Yuan's expression remained unchanged: "You lost an arm fighting Bai Qianfeng and just finished reattaching it with the Empty Green Spirit Liquid; do not move around recklessly."

Strange memories and perceptions emerged. Qin Ruoning subconsciously stroked her arm and instinctively revealed a grateful smile:

"Many thanks, Fellow Daoist Lu. Bai Qianfeng's cultivation is no weaker than mine; if you hadn't helped, I fear it wouldn't have been as simple as just losing an arm."

Lu Yuan waved his hand and said:

"You were willing to fall out with Bai Qianfeng for the sake of the people of Tianjing City; it should be me thanking you on their behalf. Now that your arm is reattached, it will be completely recovered in a year or so.

However, since Bai Qianfeng is dead, the Longshan Immortal City and his family will surely investigate if they find out. In my opinion, Fellow Daoist Qin, you had better prepare early."

Qin Ruoning said coldly:

"No matter. The two realms are separated, and no one in the Upper Realm knows what happened here. It won't be difficult to cover this up with a suitable reason. I will send a message to the Upper Realm shortly to prevent them from being suspicious. After all, when Bai Qianfeng and I first descended, we reported that the Lower Realm had a unique array that could repair the Heavenly Ladder; if there is no response for a long time, they might notice something."

Lu Yuan said leisurely:

"To cover this up, perhaps I can also contribute."

Qin Ruoning was startled: "Fellow Daoist Lu means?"

Lu Yuan smiled slightly, and his face rippled like water, changing rapidly. Before long, he had turned into the likeness of Bai Qianfeng, and his voice was identical as he said:

"Fellow Daoist Qin, do you think this can pass for the real thing?"

This technique was naturally the 【False Form】 he had unlocked many years ago, but had only used once or twice before finding no further use for it.

Qin Ruoning clearly did not expect Lu Yuan to have such a method, and her eyes were filled with astonishment:

"Is the technique Fellow Daoist Lu is using a transformation art? It is even somewhat similar in temperament and Dharma Power aura. If it were in front of a high-level cultivator, it might be seen through, but separated by a realm and only communicating via the Two-World Communication Talisman, it is enough to deceive the heavens."

Lu Yuan withdrew the 【False Form】 technique and returned to his original appearance:

"I intend to temporarily dismantle the array that repairs the Heavenly Ladder. What does Fellow Daoist Qin think?"

Qin Ruoning pondered slightly, then nodded:

"It should be so. If the passage between the two realms is completely repaired, the cultivators of Longshan Immortal City will descend upon this realm in full force. The living beings of this realm will likely be enslaved, or even suffer from the corpse poison and corpse aura polluting this world, triggering a catastrophe. Although I am a cultivator of the Upper Realm, I truly cannot bear to see such a situation occur."

Lu Yuan smiled:

"Fellow Daoist Qin's words are righteous. If all cultivators of the Upper Realm were as concerned for the common people and treated everyone as equals as you are, that would be for the best."

The reason for Qin Ruoning's drastic change in speech and behavior was naturally because, while she was reattaching her arm, he had secretly invoked the 【Nightmare Prayer】 technique, which had been upgraded to the Divine Communication level via the Heavenly Book.

The Nightmare Prayer Technique is a strange and eerie Earthly Fiend Art used for hypnosis, brainwashing, and modifying or manipulating the memories and perceptions of others.

After this technique was upgraded to the Supernatural Power level, it underwent a complete transformation, allowing him to modify the perceptions of others to a certain extent, reversing memories and right from wrong. It is as if a Thought Imprint had been placed upon them; neither the subject nor outsiders could ever detect it.

Just like now, Qin Ruoning's memories and perceptions had been forcibly modified by Lu Yuan, turning her into someone who, after descending to the Lower Realm, had become enemies with Bai Qianfeng due to his actions, gone her own way, and instead befriended Lu Yuan, becoming like-minded and wishing to protect the common people of this realm.

At the same time, in Qin Ruoning's perception and memory, it was no longer Lu Yuan who had severed her arm during the battle, but Bai Qianfeng!

This distortion and change in perception left no traces and was terrifyingly effective. As long as the strength of the divine sense did not exceed Lu Yuan's, he could use this technique to manipulate hearts, turning friends into enemies, enemies into friends, or even making Qin Ruoning willingly serve him as a concubine—that would be a simple matter!

However, firstly, Lu Yuan was not that despicable or bored, and secondly, the more the Nightmare Prayer Technique twisted one's memory and cognition, the greater the consumption; to turn a Golden Core True Person into his own slave was still difficult for him, given his cultivation had only just reached Refining Qi into Spirit.

Even so, the effect of completely turning Qin Ruoning into an ally now was already astonishing enough.

Qin Ruoning naturally could not perceive her own change at all and immediately said:

"There is no time to lose, Fellow Daoist Lu. Let us quickly go and dismantle the great array you set up, and incidentally send a message to the Upper Realm."

Lu Yuan nodded, then with a hint of regret returned the storage bracelet he had just obtained and had not yet had time to inventory to the other party, only secretly keeping the Round Ball Magic Tool that had given him a slight sense of threat earlier:

"Let's go."

Having said that, immortal light blossomed on both of them, and like meteors, they tore through the vast sky, flying rapidly toward the distance.

At this moment, Chen Zhantang happened to have just flown back to Xiantai Mountain from Tianjing City, and after seeing from afar Lu Yuan and Qin Ruoning traveling together in such perfect harmony, he was instantly dumbfounded:

"What is going on?"

"Master has already subdued that Upper Realm female cultivator just like that!?"

He was unaware of what Chen Zhantang was thinking.

After leaving Xiantai Mountain, Lu Yuan took Qin Ruoning and sped toward the Extreme North, crossing dozens of miles with every blink, his speed incredibly fast.

Even for Qin Ruoning, who could barely keep up at first, the distance was constantly widened before long, forcing Lu Yuan to slow down and wait.

Only after asking did he learn that the reason she had been able to travel so fast while carrying Bai Qianfeng before was entirely due to a third-tier Escape Talisman; in reality, their own flight methods, even when fully exerted, could not be compared to the Wind Riding Technique of the Supernatural Power level.

Moreover, having only traveled a little over half the distance, Qin Ruoning's aura became unstable and her Dharma Power was nearly exhausted, forcing her to land and consume a Pill to quickly refine and recover her Dharma Power.

At the same time, she noticed that Lu Yuan, who had landed with her, was neither flushed nor out of breath, looking as if he had no consumption at all, and could not help but be greatly astonished:

"Fellow Daoist Lu's Dharma Power is so profound, unprecedented at the Golden Core level; it is truly the only one I have ever seen in my life."

Lu Yuan just smiled and did not speak.

Compared to Heavenly Gang Divine Abilities, the consumption of many Earthly Fiend Divine Abilities was actually not too great, and with his foundation, he could fully support them.

In fact, after successive battles and the use of various Earthly Fiend Divine Abilities, his Dharma Power had already been near empty when he controlled Qin Ruoning with the Nightmare Prayer Technique; however, during that time he had activated the Nine Breaths Serving Qi once, absorbing massive amounts of Original Qi from the void within nine breaths and converting it into Dharma Power to replenish himself to a full state, which was why he appeared so relaxed and at ease.

Such a shocking great Supernatural Power as Nine Breaths Serving Qi was a top-secret trump card, and Lu Yuan naturally would not reveal it to Qin Ruoning. After the other party rested for a while and recovered sufficiently, the two set off again, and less than an hour later, they returned to the Extreme North, the central place where the Ladder to Heaven existed.

Arriving beneath the light mist of the Heavenly Ladder, Lu Yuan's gaze was sharp as he scanned the surroundings, and as if he had sensed something immediately, his eyes locked onto a patch of light mist in the center:

"This is... Spiritual Machine of Heaven and Earth!?"

At this moment, he felt it clearly: compared to when he set up the great array several years ago, this patch of light mist was no longer filled with crisis and danger, but was instead continuously exuding a hint of agility and ethereal aura—it was the Spiritual Machine of Heaven and Earth that had been almost completely severed in this realm!

Qin Ruoning's dress fluttered as she came to his side to stand shoulder to shoulder, saying softly:

"Correct, this is the spiritual energy of the Upper Realm, and also proof that the connection between the two realms has recovered slightly. Do not look at this Spiritual Machine as very weak; as the passage is repaired and the two realms reconnect, the exhausted Spiritual Machine of this world will also recover rapidly, returning to how it was seven thousand years ago."

Lu Yuan's eyes flashed: "In other words, with the recovery of spiritual energy, people of the Lower Realm can also practice Qi and cultivate the Dao?"

Qin Ruoning nodded:

"Of course. In just over a hundred years, the spiritual energy surging from the Upper Realm will completely change the environment of this world. Given enough time, it can even condense Spirit Pulses upon the vast earth.

However, the concentration of spiritual energy that the Lower Realm can accommodate is actually quite limited, at most barely supporting cultivation up to the Golden Core realm, and the speed will be slow. To cultivate faster or break through to higher realms, one must still go to the Upper Realm."

Lu Yuan's eyes flashed:

"What a pity."

Having said that, his figure descended, and with a wave of his hand, Dharma Power surged like a tide. The forty-nine Great Evolution Heaven Mending Array Flags, which had been calm, suddenly began to vibrate, and then one after another flew out from the ice layer and fell into Lu Yuan's hands.

In just a short moment, all the Array Flags fell into Lu Yuan's hands, the mysterious repairing power that shrouded all the light mist completely dissipated, and the slow closing of the light mist stopped entirely.

However, only the patch of light mist located in the center continued to emit a faint Spiritual Machine of Heaven and Earth, though it had decreased slightly.

Lu Yuan could not help but turn his head and ask:

"Fellow Daoist Qin, can you now contact the Upper Realm?"

Qin Ruoning immediately said:

"I will try."

Having said that, a Jade Talisman resembling a small compass appeared in her hand, and she came before the light mist at the center, using her Dharma Power to activate the Jade Talisman while chanting words:

"External Affairs Hall Deputy Manager Qin Ruoning reporting: We have searched the Lower Realm and have yet to find the person who set up the array. Currently, it is discovered that this person suspectedly set up the repair array decades ago and then vanished. We are still trying our best to search and cannot determine how much longer it will take..."

After finishing, she threw the Jade Talisman straight into the light mist and pinched a Dharma seal.

Lu Yuan waited calmly on the side; the sensing of the Sprout Sensing Technique could ensure there was no risk. After waiting for a moment, he saw Qin Ruoning pinching a Dharma seal and retrieving the Jade Talisman she had cast into the light mist.

At the same time, an exceptionally weathered and majestic voice came from the Jade Talisman:

"Qin Ruoning, Bai Qianfeng, the matter of repairing the great array is of vital importance. No matter how long it takes or what price you pay, you must obtain the method for setting up this array.

If you two can complete this mission and completely connect the two realms, this True Monarch will reward you both with a Mysterious Machine Golden Core!"