Liaozhai: Immortality Begins with Becoming Yan Chixia's Apprentice

Chapter 152 The Master Arrives in Person

Zhou Ning was silent for a moment, then said, "Then why haven't you come yet? What are you waiting for?"

The Heavenly Demon's laughter abruptly stopped.

After a moment of silence, its voice became cold and low:

"I'm waiting for your Dao heart to crumble. The more you persist, the more I want to see that moment of collapse. That feeling is more wonderful than conquering the human world."

Zhou Ning said, "Then you may have to wait a long time. My Dao heart will not collapse."

The Heavenly Demon sneered.

"Nothing is absolute. I ask you, if your master died, would you break down? If your friend died, would you break down? If all the people of Qingfeng City died, would you break down?"

Zhou Ning's heart tightened suddenly.

He knew that the demon was trying to provoke him, trying to instill fear and anger in him.

But he still couldn't help thinking about those images.

The master lay in a pool of blood, Han Wei was swallowed by a dark shadow, and the people of Qingfeng City cried out for help in despair...

He had personally experienced these scenes in the Illusionary Mind Array of Master Xuanming of Qingxu Temple, and even so, he still couldn't accept them now.

"No."

Zhou Ning took a deep breath, trying to banish those images from his mind.

"You won't succeed. I will protect them."

The Heavenly Demon's voice carried a hint of mockery.

"Protect? You can't even protect yourself, yet you want to protect others?"

Zhou Ning did not answer.

He closed his eyes and silently recited the "Mind Concentration Mantra" to calm his mind.

A righteous spirit circulated within him, gradually dispelling those negative emotions.

The Heavenly Demon remained silent for a moment, then let out a low sigh.

"Your resolve is stronger than I imagined. But I will find your weakness. Just wait."

The words were spoken, and then the sound disappeared.

Zhou Ning opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and his hands trembled slightly.

The whispers of the demons grew more terrifying with each passing moment.

It was no longer just mockery and threats, but began to attack his heart, trying to destroy his beliefs.

"I can't let it succeed." Zhou Ning clenched his fist and silently vowed in his heart.

For the next few days, the Heavenly Demon came every night.

Sometimes he would say a few sarcastic words, sometimes he would let out a low laugh, and sometimes he would remain silent.

But no matter what it did, Zhou Ning remained unmoved.

His resolve to follow the Dao grew stronger with each trial.

On this day, the sky was clear and the sunlight shone on the city wall, dispelling some of the gloom.

Zhou Ning was patrolling the city wall when he suddenly felt the communication jade talisman in his bosom getting slightly warm.

He took out the jade talisman and infused it with a wisp of true essence.

Yan Chixia's voice echoed in his mind.

"Zhou Ning, I'm back. Are you in Qingfeng City?"

Zhou Ning was overjoyed.

"Master, I am in Qingfeng City. When will you arrive?"

Yan Chixia asked, "What's the situation in the North tomorrow?"

Zhou Ning reported the situation in the north in detail.

The shadowy attack, the whispers of the demon, the reinforcement of the defenses, the training of the guards...

After listening, Yan Chixia remained silent for a moment, then said, "You did very well. The whispers of the Heavenly Demon were a test of your Dao heart. Your ability to withstand them shows that your Dao heart is firm enough. We'll discuss the next steps when I arrive."

Zhou Ning replied, "This disciple understands."

The jade talisman's light dimmed, and Yan Chixia's voice disappeared.

Zhou Ning carefully put away the jade talisman, a warm feeling welling up in his heart.

Master is coming back.

He was no longer facing the Heavenly Demon alone.

The next morning, as dawn broke, Yan Chixia arrived at Qingfeng City.

He was dressed in a light blue outfit, his face was calm, but there was a hint of fatigue in his eyes.

Clearly, the trip to southern Xinjiang was not easy.

Han Wei and his guards greeted Yan Chixia at the city gate, and they all bowed when they saw him.

"Master Yan, you've worked hard."

Yan Chixia waved his hand and his gaze fell on Zhou Ning.

You've lost weight.

Zhou Ning felt a warmth in his heart and said softly, "This disciple is not tired. Master, please rest for a while, and this disciple will report to you on the situation in the North."

Yan Chixia nodded and followed Zhou Ning into the Demon Suppression Division's headquarters.

The two sat down in the quiet room. Yan Chixia said, "On the way here, you mentioned the extraterrestrial demons. I think that although the demons' whispers seem easy, you absolutely cannot let your guard down. The demons' cunning is far beyond your imagination."

Yan Chixia added, "I plan to stay in Qingfeng City for a few days to help you strengthen the defenses. After that, I'll go to Luoxia Town and Cangmang Mountain. You stay in Qingfeng City and continue your cultivation."

Zhou Ning nodded: "This disciple understands."

For the next few days, Yan Chixia stayed in Qingfeng City.

Every day, he patrolled the city walls, inspected the sentry posts, and trained the guards with Zhou Ning.

His arrival greatly boosted the morale of the guards and relieved Zhou Ning of much of the pressure.

On this day, Zhou Ning was meditating in his quiet room when he suddenly felt his nascent soul in his dantian throb violently.

He opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing within them.

The bottleneck in the late Nascent Soul stage has loosened.

He quickly closed his eyes and focused his mind, directing his thoughts into his dantian.

The nascent soul sat cross-legged in the center of its dantian, its hands forming a mudra, radiating a dazzling purple-gold light.

The light grew stronger and brighter, illuminating the entire dantian as if it were daytime.

He could feel the power contained within the nascent soul rapidly expanding, as if something was about to break free.

"Late stage of Nascent Soul..."

Zhou Ning gritted his teeth and guided that power to circulate within his body.

The nascent soul began to expand under the impact of the force, and with each expansion came excruciating pain.

Large beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and his muscles were trembling all over, but he gritted his teeth and did not utter a groan.

"Uphold your principles."

He meditated in his heart.

Righteous energy circulated within him, gradually suppressing the pain.

One day, two days, three days...

Three days later, the nascent soul finally stopped expanding.

It was a whole size bigger than before, its purple-gold light was more dazzling, and its features were clearer.

Late Nascent Soul stage, achieved!

Zhou Ning opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath.

His clothes were soaked with sweat, and his body was weak and powerless, but an indescribable joy welled up in his heart.

"Late stage of Nascent Soul..."

He struggled to his feet and pushed open the door to the quiet room.

The sunlight felt warm and comforting on my face.

Yan Chixia was standing in the courtyard, his hands behind his back, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.

"Not bad, late stage of Nascent Soul."

Zhou Ning bowed respectfully.

"Thank you for protecting me, Master."

Yan Chixia nodded and said, "This is due to your own efforts. The righteous spirit in your heart determines your growth. The faster you progress, the stronger the righteous spirit in your heart becomes."

He walked up to Zhou Ning, looked him up and down, and continued, "The late Nascent Soul stage is the final step towards the Deity Transformation stage. Next, you need to nurture your Nascent Soul and wait for the opportunity to reach the Deity Transformation stage. This opportunity may come soon or it may come slowly, depending on the individual."

Zhou Ning nodded: "This disciple understands."