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Cultivation Starting from Full Talent-Chapter 694 - 692 Cloud Dream Star Monarch
Chapter 694: Chapter 692 Cloud Dream Star Monarch
"Brother..."
Lin Xuyan appeared out of nowhere, his face full of anguish and frustration. He gave Ning Daoran a heavy slap on the shoulder and exclaimed, "All of this is your fault!! Look at Senior Sister Liu—how stunning and radiant she is, her beauty rivals that of Junior Sister Wushuang! Brother, how could you squander such a treasure... If you don’t want her, let your brother here..."
He gracefully cupped his hands and bowed toward Liu Xingyu, saying with a refined demeanor, "I am Lin Xuyan, the top True Disciple of the Liangyi Sect. Greetings and respect to Fairy Liu!"
Liu Xingyu wiped her tears, completely ignored Lin Xuyan, and walked straight up to Ning Daoran. "Junior Brother Ning, from this day forward, you must not avoid me anymore. But rest assured, I will not entangle myself with you. Just don’t forget about me as your Senior Sister. If you ever visit Qingzhou to see your family, please stop by Star Moon Pavilion if you have some spare time."
"Definitely, definitely!"
Ning Daoran cupped his hands and said earnestly, "Senior Sister, rest assured. I will keep this in mind."
"Good."
Liu Xingyu finally smiled, turned around, and left, leaving behind Lin Xuyan, still standing with cupped hands, mouth slightly open, frozen like a wooden statue.
"Brother."
Lin Xuyan seemed confused. "Am I really that unattractive? Why does Senior Sister Liu treat me with such disdain? I, Lin Xuyan, am at least at the Nascent Soul Middle Stage. What attitude does a Nascent Soul Early Stage cultivator have toward someone at the Middle Stage..."
"???"
Ning Daoran turned to look at him. "Since you’ve brought this upon yourself, I must say something to you. Lin Xuyan, what have you been doing these past years? Have you been seriously cultivating? Given your talent... even I have reached the Nascent Soul Middle Stage. Shouldn’t you already be at the Late Stage by now?"
"Senior Brother Ning is absolutely right!"
Wearing an elegant white immortal dress, Liu Wushuang appeared out of nowhere and said, "Senior Brother Lin indeed hasn’t been cultivating seriously. He spends all his time thinking about random nonsense. Otherwise, he’d have broken through long ago. He’s always pestering Master. Honestly, he’s overdue for a proper scolding!"
"See, even Junior Sister Wushuang understands this truth. How is it that you don’t?"
Ning Daoran raised his hand and summoned Big Green Dragon. "Come, to the mountain behind us. Let’s spar, so I can personally determine if your Liangyi Sword Technique has made any progress over these years!"
"Oh, my dear elder brother..." novelbuddy-cσ๓
Lin Xuyan grimaced. "If you just want to beat me up, why not say it outright? Why go in circles?"
"Precisely, I do want to beat you up."
Ning Daoran soared into the sky, taking Lin Xuyan to the mountain behind them.
Of course, Liu Wushuang followed them. How could she miss out on such an entertaining spectacle?
Thus, deep into the night, agonized cries echoed within the confines of a sealed formation.
...
A few days later.
Shen Luoyan decided to convene a Cultivation World meeting within Jade Jade Palace. Participants must be at least at the Nascent Soul Early Stage; Golden Core cultivators wouldn’t even receive an invitation, as they’re completely unqualified to attend such a gathering.
Two nights later, Jade Jade Palace was ablaze with lights.
Inside a massive hall, layers of prohibitions shrouded the location, cutting off any connection to the outside world.
Ning Daoran, Lin Xuyan, Liu Wushuang, and Liu Xingyu sat side by side, waiting for the meeting to commence.
At the central conference table were seated several awe-inspiring Great Cultivators, all at the Divinity Transformation Stage.
Shen Luoyan occupied the center seat.
To her left sat Ning Tianyi and an elder, someone Ning Daoran had seen before by the Eastern Sea—none other than Shen Haoran, the Human Clan’s Divinity Transformation cultivator who had once deterred the Black Tide while fishing by the shore.
To Shen Luoyan’s right were two more seats. One was occupied by the Old Dragon Head, while the other remained empty.
Ning Daoran frowned.
By rights, Lin Man should have already entered the Divinity Transformation Stage, but she didn’t make an appearance. Then again, it wasn’t surprising given her solitary nature and her fixation on secretly guiding Senior Sister Chi Shan toward crossing into the Earth Immortal Realm. Therefore, even if Lin Man had reached Divinity Transformation, she was unlikely to be present.
At this moment, the Eastern Wilderness Cultivation World boasted four cultivators in the Divinity Transformation Stage.
Although fewer than those from the North Sea, they still had enough strength for a fight!
As for Nascent Soul cultivators, the collective power of the realm was formidable, with a rather impressive turnout—including True Monarch Du’e, True Monarch Liu Yun, Long Xian’er, Huang Xianyu, Ning Mingyu, Longque Wanderer, Lu Wenyao, Zhang Ningxin, Lin Tiannan, Chen Liang, and many others—enough familiar faces that it was impossible to greet them all individually.
This upcoming battle concerned the survival of the Eastern Wilderness Cultivation World. Nearly all available Nascent Soul cultivators had shown up, as hardly anyone adopted the attitude of "if it doesn’t concern me, I’ll keep out of it." Indeed, the spirit of the Eastern Wilderness Cultivation World bore striking resemblance to ancient Chinese ideals from another era—a unique ethos of martyrdom.
If I must die, so be it; but the homeland must never perish!
For this, Ning Daoran felt deeply gratified.
...
"Ladies and gentlemen!"
Shen Luoyan finally rose to her feet, her voice exceptionally gentle as she addressed the assembly. "Thank you all for coming today. It brings me great comfort to see so many Fellow Daoists gathered. This time, the descent’s location shifted abruptly from Sangyu Country to Li Country, catching us completely off guard and rendering the Li Country Cultivation World almost entirely annihilated within mere months. This is a humiliation for our Eastern Wilderness Cultivation World!"
She furrowed her brows. "The North Sea’s forces are pressing aggressively upon us, with an air of ambition to swallow our Eastern Wilderness Cultivation World whole. I, Shen Luoyan, ask just one question: they may have Divinity Transformation cultivators, but do we not as well? They may have Nascent Soul cultivators, but does that mean we lack them? As the saying goes, ’when water floods in, build a dam; when soldiers invade, defend and retaliate.’ The North Sea Cultivation World decimated much of the Li Country, leaving the Jade Bottle Continent in tatters. This debt must be settled, and we will ensure they pay the price in full! Fellow Daoists, what say you?"
The audience erupted in furious condemnation of the North Sea Cultivation World, their emotions running high.
"Now that’s the spirit."
Shen Luoyan smiled faintly. "Therefore, I’ve gathered everyone here today for a momentous declaration. Currently, the war between the North Sea Cultivation World and us has reached a deadlock near Thousand Island Lake—neither side has been able to successfully displace the other. But that is still our territory, the land of the Eastern Wilderness. Thus, after conferring with City Lord Ning, Divine Fire Star Lord, and Vast Star Lord, we’ve decided to mobilize the full might of the Eastern Wilderness Cultivation World in a counteroffensive against the North Sea Cultivation World in a few years. We shall drive them back to their North Sea homeland and eradicate their forces completely! Fellow Daoists, do you agree?"
The crowd rose in fervor. Many had dreamed of an end to this descent war; if they could truly push the North Sea forces back, there was no doubt it would be the most ideal resolution.
And yet, Ning Daoran couldn’t shake off certain thoughts from his mind. Some truths Shen Luoyan hadn’t revealed were quietly understood.
To take the war back to the North Sea served two purposes: first, to resolve the descent’s crisis; second, to vie for control over the Ascension Platform located within the North Sea Cultivation World, a gateway for several Divinity Transformation cultivators to ascend.
If this weren’t achieved, the sitting Divinity Transformation cultivators risked dying of old age within the Mortal World. Among them, Old Dragon Head and Shen Haoran faced the shortest remaining lifespans, making them the most likely candidates for such a fate.
Thus, Shen Luoyan’s proposition met unanimous approval, and the Nascent Soul-level assembly swiftly concluded. For the years ahead, the cultivators would focus on maturing their powers, preparing for the moment of reckoning.
...
Late at night, starshine faintly twinkled.
Ning Daoran stood upon a balcony, gazing into the distant horizon.
"Rustle, rustle..."
Soft footsteps echoed behind him. Shen Luoyan, clad in a comfortable immortal dress, appeared at his back.
The sight of her dressed so delicately felt oddly unfamiliar for Ning Daoran.
"After this war, do you plan to ascend?"
"That’s correct."
Shen Luoyan nodded gently. "We’ve known each other for centuries in the Mortal World. You should know by now that I hold deep affection for you. Yet, that can only remain as far as being Daoist companions—no more, no less. After all, I cannot accept a partner whose heart holds another woman."
"So..."
Ning Daoran asked, "Has Lin Man actually ascended to Divinity Transformation?"
"She completed it twenty years ago."
Shen Luoyan chuckled softly. "You must blame her, I imagine—thinking that since you’re here, she ought to seek you out, isn’t that right?"
"I don’t..."
Ning Daoran furrowed his brows, feeling the stirrings of complex emotions.
Shen Luoyan, however, broke into laughter. "You and Lin Man—both well into your hundreds now—respected Nascent Soul Late Stage cultivators, and yet, faced with matters of the heart, you’re still akin to children, prone to misunderstandings over trivialities!"
"Then..."
Ning Daoran continued, "Please explain it to me, Tower Master Shen."
"It’s quite simple..."
Shen Luoyan said cryptically, "Ning Daoran, you were at the meeting earlier. Do you truly believe all of the Eastern Wilderness’s Divinity Transformation cultivators were present?"
"You mean... there are others?"
"Exactly."
Shen Luoyan smiled. "The Yun Meng Sect, one of the Ten Great Immortal Sects, succeeded in producing a Divinity Transformation cultivator over a hundred years ago—one known as the Cloud Dream Star Monarch."
"I see..."
Ning Daoran’s heart stirred. "I heard Lin Man mention that this person is a venomous woman. I didn’t expect she’d already reached Divinity Transformation."
"Whether she’s venomous or not isn’t clear. But it’s certain she’s ruthless, willing to go to any lengths to attain her goals."
Shen Luoyan explained, "I approached the Cloud Dream Star Monarch once. She declined the Eastern Wilderness Cultivation Alliance’s invitation and left her sect shortly thereafter. I suspect the Cloud Dream Star Monarch has only one objective—to kill Lin Man and eliminate her greatest rival! After all, she reached Divinity Transformation nearly a century earlier, her foundational cultivation far stronger. If she truly intends to kill Lin Man, it’s not impossible."
She turned toward Ning Daoran and gazed deeply into his eyes. "So, while you reproach Lin Man for not seeking you out, isn’t it true you’re unaware of her circumstances? Over the years, Lin Man has borne far too many burdens herself. But she refuses to drag you into it, as this is her ultimate act of love for you. If she wanted, she could recruit you as her enforcer, having you handle Chi Shan’s tribulation and ascension. But in doing so, where would that leave your path to immortality, Ning Daoran?"
Ning Daoran fell into silent contemplation.
"Don’t dwell on it. With your current level of cultivation... you’re no match for the Cloud Dream Star Monarch. Furthermore, you wouldn’t even be able to locate her. Lin Man’s dilemmas are hers alone to solve. As for you..."
Shen Luoyan smiled faintly. "Cultivate diligently and advance to Nascent Soul Late Stage as quickly as possible. Knowing you as I do, if you achieve Nascent Soul Late Stage, perhaps none of the Mortals Realm’s Divinity Transformation cultivators will be a match for you. In other words, after this descent war concludes, most of the Eastern Wilderness Cultivation World’s Divinity Transformation cultivators will ascend and leave this realm. You’ll stand as its unrivaled guardian. Cherish this responsibility. By the way, during our assault on the North Sea Cultivation World, you should accompany the Divinity Transformation cultivators to safeguard their ascension. Can you take on this task?"
"Of course. It would be my honor, Tower Master Shen. Thanks to your enlightenment!"
Ning Daoran bowed deeply. "You’ve opened my mind immensely."
"Very well then."
Shen Luoyan smiled lightly. "Suddenly, I’m craving a late-night snack."
"Alright, come to my Cave Mansion—I’ll prepare barbecue, stir-fried dishes, stew, along with Top-grade Fire God Wine just for you."
"What?! You actually have Top-grade Fire God Wine? And yet last time you only offered me the regular kind? Ning Daoran, just you wait—I won’t let you off the hook for this!"
...
A few days later, Ning Daoran entered closed-door cultivation to prepare comprehensively for the counteroffensive!