Chapter 455: Falling a Little Short
“But you still have so much of that black energy inside you,” Ning Xuan said quizzically, touching Ying Yaoshi’s spirit body, which still wasn’t very solid.
“We have to take it slow, Lord Contract Master. That black energy is rooted in the Spiritual Sea. It’s been entrenched for many years and has long since seeped into my very blood and bones. It can’t be eliminated in a short time,” Ying Yaoshi explained with a wry smile, enduring the soul-searing tremors.
“Alright.” Seeing the pain on his face, Ning Xuan snapped her fingers. The fiery Vermilion Bird flapped its wings and retracted its Spiritual Fire.
The enormous Four-winged Ying Snake shot a fearful glance at the Little Red Bird, then swayed its body, shrinking until it was only the length of an arm. With a sudden leap, it coiled around Ning Xuan’s arm.
Under the searing heat of the Vermilion Bird’s Spiritual Fire, the black energy coiled around the Win Snake’s horns had long since dissipated, revealing two horns that were clearly damaged and broken.
Its disheveled scales and the fractures in its wings, however, looked much better.
The churning black waters of his Spiritual Sea were much calmer than before.
“Look at you. How did you let yourself get into such a sorry state?” Ning Xuan said, displeased, as she stroked the small snake’s uneven horns and looked at Ying Yaoshi.
“I’m very sorry, Lord Contract Master. I didn’t expect them to have Ying Taihe as a hidden card. I was worried that if he actually managed a Breakthrough, it would affect your situation. I had no choice but to take a desperate risk,” Ying Yaoshi said, lowering his head in embarrassment.
“Hmph. I told you long ago that you just needed to keep those people above in check. You don’t need to worry about anything else. If I hadn’t come looking for you, I would have already gone to the New Star Body as planned. Those in the Extraordinary Realm can’t cross over there at all.” Once Ning Xuan confirmed Ying Yaoshi’s injuries had stabilized, she relaxed, but couldn’t resist lecturing him.
“I’m sorry. It’s my fault for interfering with your plans, Lord Contract Master. I am willing to make it up to you.” Ying Yaoshi recalled the perilous battle from three days ago, and his gaze toward Ning Xuan softened with affection.
He had fallen into a trap set by Ying Taihe and was trapped deep within an Illusion Realm. It caused his Spiritual Sea to descend into chaos, inflicting heavy damage on both his body and soul. The situation was critical. At the last possible moment, Ning Xuan broke through the barrier between realms, transmitting spiritual power to him through their Spiritual Link Channel and pulling him out of the Illusion Realm.
“Hmph, I never expected you to cooperate with my plan in the first place. You just have to stay alive to help me keep those people in check. Who knew you’d be so impulsive as to fall into their trap and nearly die here.” Ning Xuan shot him an exasperated look, and then her spirit body dissipated as her Divine Sense returned to her body.
Lying on Ning Xuan’s lap, Ying Yaoshi slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was his own Companion Spirit—the little dark purple snake—coiled around Ning Xuan’s cuff, staring at him with a pair of golden eyes.
Ying Yaoshi sat up and knelt on one knee before Ning Xuan. “Thank you, Lord Contract Master. If not for your timely assistance, this time I…” Ying Yaoshi trailed off. ‘Of course, I had other ways to save my life, but I would have inevitably suffered grievous injuries. Not only would my Level have dropped, severely affecting my strength, I might never have been able to advance again.’
“Enough. It’s good that you’re alright. Now that you’re here, is everything okay at the Ten Thousand Meteor Star Domain Battlefield? Are you going to stay here and attempt a Breakthrough, or will you rush back?” Ning Xuan asked.
“I’ve been here for five days. The Level 3 wormhole in Zone S9 could become unstable at any moment, and Lan Xin and the others might not be able to handle it. Besides, I’m not quite ready for a Breakthrough yet, so I plan to head back first,” Ying Yaoshi said.
“Take these potions. Most of them are Pollution Value Purification Potions and Calming Potions, along with some Rapid Healing Potions. Give a share to Lan Xin when you get back.” Ning Xuan produced a Space Button and handed it to Ying Yaoshi.
“Lord Contract Master, please come with me to the Ten Thousand Meteor Star Domain. Even without deploying Transcendents, those Extraordinary Influences have plenty of insidious tricks up their sleeves. You might not be safe even if you go to the New Star Body,” Ying Yaoshi urged again.
“There’s no need. I’ve already had a taste of their methods. You just need to make sure those Transcendents don’t come out and cause trouble. I heard the Elder Council gave you a hard time about military funding during last month’s energy supply. Can you handle it?” Ning Xuan asked.
“The Ten Thousand Meteor Star Domain is the first line of defense. If they dare to tamper with the energy supply, then they’ll have to take responsibility when that defense fails. I’m not the one who should be worried.” A profound coldness flashed in the depths of Ying Yaoshi’s eyes as he thought of their faces.
“This Space Button is full of refined and processed Purple Marrow Star Pattern Energy Stones. They’re high-quality and packed with energy. Keep them, just in case.” Ning Xuan handed another Space Button to Ying Yaoshi.
“I don’t need them, I…” Ying Yaoshi began to refuse, but his eyes widened uncontrollably when he saw the purple Energy Stone Ning Xuan took out from the Space Button.
Purple Marrow Star Pattern Energy Stones could power various models of Starships and Mechas, making them a rather precious type of Energy Stone. Ying Yaoshi thought he had seen every kind of Energy Stone there was, but he had never seen a single Purple Marrow Star Pattern Energy Stone larger than a person’s head.
“This one is actually on the small side. I have many more Energy Stones of this size, all of them mined on the New Star Body. I had them processed a while ago. Their value is so high that they’re hard to get rid of quickly, so you might as well take them first,” Ning Xuan said in a tone that brooked no refusal.
“Thank you, Lord Contract Master.” Ying Yaoshi accepted it and carefully put the Space Button away.
Having suddenly received such a grand gift, Ying Yaoshi realized that he knew nothing about the extent of Ning Xuan’s financial resources.
‘It seems the New Star Body really is a good place.’
“Alright, you should head back. Don’t worry about me. As long as you keep all the Transcendents in check, that’s enough. You don’t need to worry about the rest.” Ning Xuan took the initiative to wrap her arms around Ying Yaoshi’s waist, and she placed a soothing kiss on his eyes.
“Those Half-beastmen… what’s their story? Are they reliable?” Ying Yaoshi leaned close to Ning Xuan’s ear and asked in a low voice, having already placed a sound-insulating barrier around them to prevent anyone from eavesdropping.
“They’re all Undead Warriors who were modified and controlled. I’ve already removed the chips implanted in their brains and had them sign a Blood Covenant. I’d say that makes them reliable enough,” Ning Xuan replied, also by his ear.
“But you need to be SSS-level to condense a Blood Core. Their Level isn’t high enough for that, is it?” Ying Yaoshi asked, confused.
“You don’t necessarily need a Blood Core to sign a Blood Covenant. I have my ways of controlling them, so don’t worry.” Ning Xuan pressed Ying Yaoshi’s head down and kissed him again.
Ying Yaoshi’s breath grew ragged, a blush creeping up his cheeks and ears. ‘I don’t want to go back to the Ten Thousand Meteor Star Domain anymore,’ he thought. ‘I want to stay by Ning Xuan’s side.’
It was only after returning to the Ten Thousand Meteor Star Domain that Ying Yaoshi learned just how thoroughly Ning Xuan had crippled the forces the Extraordinary Influences could deploy back on Beichen Star.