The faint, nearly imperceptible draconic roar sounded again, this time seeming closer as it bizarrely intertwined with the Wind and Thunder Power.

The wind was no longer a simple current of air; it now carried Thunder, weaving through the atmosphere. The thunder was no longer a pure roar; it was tamed by the wind, stretched and warped until it became a silent pulsation.

This tranquil Wind and Thunder seemed to be brewing a silent cataclysm, one powerful enough to upend the very heavens and earth.

The Little Red Bird on his shoulder remained with its back to the Practice Room. Its tiny body was motionless on Yu Mingche’s shoulder, but the majestic pressure originating from deep within its bloodline hadn’t vanished. On the contrary, it grew more focused and contained, forming an invisible barrier that shielded Yu Mingche and isolated him from the most direct assault of the Wind and Thunder Power.

Yu Mingche felt the ground beneath his feet tremble, not from a physical tremor, but because space itself was straining under the invisible tearing force of the Wind and Thunder Power, which had been compressed to its absolute limit. The Nine-tailed Fox at his side wound its tails tightly around Yu Mingche’s leg, letting out low, fearful whimpers.

Although the oppressive feeling from the Wind and Thunder Power wasn’t as intense as the majestic pressure from the Little Red Bird’s bloodline, it was filled with a destructive, berserk, primal savagery on the verge of breaking free.

From the direction of the Practice Room, the energy fluctuations intensified abruptly. The suppressed tranquility finally fractured. With a loud CRACK, the shadow of a dragon soared into the air.

"What is that?" Yu Mingche murmured.

"Could it be... Ning Xuan is awakening another Companion Spirit?" Yu Mingche wondered aloud.

The draconic shadow dissipated in an instant. The suppressed Wind and Thunder Power in the air scattered along with it, and tranquility returned to the Practice Room.

"You’re here?" Ning Xuan’s voice sounded beside Yu Mingche’s ear. He moved to kneel, but she caught him and held him up.

The Little Red Bird on Yu Mingche’s shoulder turned its head, pointedly ignoring her. Ning Xuan reached out and stroked the feathers on its head. "Ming Che, let the Vermilion Bird stay with you while I’m in seclusion."

"CHIRP! CHIRP! CHIRP!" The Little Red Bird, as if it understood, hopped twice in a huff and even slapped at Ning Xuan’s hand with its wing.

"You little rascal, still trying to pick a fight with me? Don’t be so territorial. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a friend to keep you company?" Ning Xuan patted the Little Red Bird on the head.

"Contractor... er, Xuanyuan, are you about to awaken a second Companion Spirit?" Yu Mingche corrected his form of address under Ning Xuan’s watchful gaze.

"Yes, it should be soon. I need to remain in seclusion for a while longer. Keep an eye on it, and don’t let it cause any trouble," Ning Xuan instructed Yu Mingche.

Yu Mingche looked at the Little Red Bird on his shoulder, his heart sinking. This... was a truly difficult task she had given him.

’If this Little Red Bird decided to cause trouble, there was no way he could control it.’

"Xuanyuan, I don’t think I can control it," Yu Mingche said, a troubled look on his face.

"Don’t worry, I’ll have a talk with it," Ning Xuan reassured him.

Seeing that Ning Xuan was about to return to her seclusion, Yu Mingche quickly told her what had happened in the living room.

Ning Xuan’s eyebrow shot up as she listened. "Heh, this must be one of those medical disputes my mother used to talk about. Let’s go, I’ll go take a look."

Yu Mingche apologized to Ning Xuan with a guilty expression. "I handled it poorly, Xuanyuan. I’m sorry to have troubled you."

"What does this have to do with you? Stop blaming yourself for everything." Ning Xuan plucked the Little Red Bird from his shoulder, gave it a ruffle, and started walking toward the front of the house.

Once Ning Xuan emerged from her seclusion, the energy within the villa stabilized. Without Yu Mingche’s suppression, Zhang Jingyu began to cause a commotion again in the living room.

"Huangfu Xinyue, let go of me! And just now, when I suddenly couldn’t speak—that was Governor Yu’s doing! He dared to make a move on a Controller! I’m going to report him to the Controller Protection Association!" Zhang Jingyu shrieked arrogantly.

"You’re trying to shut me up, but am I wrong? Since Ning Xuan treated my sister, she has to take responsibility for her! Now something’s wrong with my sister, so what’s the meaning of her hiding away and refusing to see us?" Zhang Jingyu yelled.

"Oh, is that what you think?" Ning Xuan said, walking in from the doorway, her expression cold and detached.

"Miss Ning, you’ve finally decided to show your face! My sister is an S-Class Controller, someone the Controller Protection Association is focused on cultivating and protecting! If you cure my sister, my family and the Controller Protection Association will be eternally grateful! Please, go save my sister!" Zhang Jingyu cried out excitedly upon seeing Ning Xuan.

"As I recall, when Zhang Jingyi came to me for treatment, she was on her last breath. If I hadn’t treated her, unblocking her sealed meridians and guiding her to practice a Cultivation Technique to improve her constitution, she would have died long ago. I’m the one who gave her this extra year of life," Ning Xuan said with a cold smile, now remembering who Zhang Jingyu’s sister was.

Ning Xuan remembered Zhang Jingyi quite clearly. Among the dozen or so patients she had treated back then, Zhang Jingyi’s condition had been the most severe. Her poor constitution made her unable to withstand the surge of spiritual power from her Companion Spirit’s awakening. She had been bedridden for three long years, her life force all but exhausted. After Ning Xuan’s treatment, Zhang Jingyi’s condition had gradually improved.

Among that group of patients, Zhang Jingyi’s Companion Spirit’s Level was the highest. Ning Xuan had specifically instructed her to suppress her Companion Spirit’s growth to prevent her Spiritual Power Level from increasing too quickly and negatively impacting the improvement of her overall physical condition.

"That was then, and this is now. I admit you saved my sister’s life, but didn’t we pay your fee? Don’t worry. As long as you can save my sister this time, we’ll pay you ten times what we paid a year ago. That’s a sincere enough offer, isn’t it?" Zhang Jingyu said to Ning Xuan.

"With an attitude like yours, I wouldn’t save anyone from your Zhang Family. That includes your relatives and friends," Ning Xuan scoffed.

"You... You’d let someone die when you could save them! Doesn’t your conscience bother you? I’m going to tell the Controller Protection Association! They won’t just sit by and do nothing!" As she spoke, Zhang Jingyu contacted the Controller Protection Association.

"Chairman Wang, someone is causing a disturbance at my house and it’s interfering with my Cultivation. Send someone over immediately and get her out of here." Ning Xuan directly contacted Chairman Wang of the Controller Protection Association. Instantly, the chairman’s holographic projection appeared before her.

"Ning Xuan! Not a problem, I’ll send someone right away. You just keep doing what you’re doing. When you have a moment, try to refine some more Spiritual Calming Potions. The Association will provide all the ingredients. I’ll have someone bring them over with my people in a little bit," Chairman Wang said with a beaming smile.

"I still have some Spiritual Calming Potions on hand. Have your people get them from Yu Mingche." With that said, Ning Xuan turned to leave.

"You can’t leave! How can you be so cold-blooded? My sister is waiting for you to save her! She’s been waiting for so long! I’m begging you, please, save my sister!" Zhang Jingyu lunged frantically toward Ning Xuan, only to be grabbed around the waist by Shen Wenwen.