PNB Chapter 890 Encouragement from Xiao Ling
Chapter 890 Encouragement from Xiao Ling
"Time stop... Is such a near-heavenly technique truly within the reach of humankind?"
Ling Qingzhu stared blankly at Xiao Ling in front of her. Her usually cold and aloof face was now devoid of all indifference, leaving only undisguised shock.
She murmured softly, her voice barely audible, yet each word carried the turbulent emotions churning within her. Her usually clear and calm eyes trembled slightly, filled with disbelief and astonishment. Even the faint aura of Yuan energy surrounding her rippled imperceptibly due to the surge of her emotions.
She was no fool. Since embarking on the path of cultivation, she had encountered countless powerful figures and naturally knew that for those who had truly reached the pinnacle, spatial power was no longer some secret and untold divine ability.
Just like her master, a powerful figure standing at the pinnacle of heaven and earth, she could tear through the void with a wave of her hand, traverse dimensions with a step, and move space and fold territories with ease.
But time...
That is a supreme law that is completely different from space, and even transcends it.
It is the most profound, mysterious, and inviolable ultimate power in the universe.
Throughout history, countless geniuses, heroes, and supreme beings have devoted their entire lives to observing from afar within the river of time. Let alone controlling it, even touching its edge is as difficult as ascending to heaven.
Throughout her cultivation, she has read countless ancient books and secret texts, and traveled across the vast lands, yet she has never heard of anyone who could truly control time, let alone so effortlessly freeze time in a world.
But Xiao Ling, standing before us, has accomplished something that most people wouldn't even dare to imagine.
At this thought, Ling Qingzhu's heart surged with even greater turmoil. Her delicate brows furrowed slightly, her eyes filled with even greater horror, and her voice trembled involuntarily.
"Could it be that... once your cultivation breaks through to a higher level and your strength becomes profound enough, you will not only be able to stop time, but also... easily reverse time and turn back time?"
"Who can say for sure?"
Xiao Ling casually touched his chin, then gently spread his hands, a nonchalant smile playing on his lips, his tone light as the wind, speaking with an air of nonchalance.
"Perhaps... when my strength is strong enough, I might actually be able to reach that level."
He paused, his tone still calm, as if he were talking about something trivial: "However, with my current cultivation level, I am far from being able to reverse time."
These words, which would shatter the mind and overturn understanding in the ears of others, were spoken by him casually and without any concern. It was as if the forbidden power of manipulating time and reversing the passage of time, which even the great powers of heaven and earth dared not hope for, was nothing more than a natural and commonplace thing on his future path.
"Then I wish you to cultivate to that level soon and truly wield the power of time." Ling Qingzhu sighed softly, her beautiful face full of emotion. Such supreme power was enough to make one's heart tremble just by imagining it.
She then looked up at Xiao Ling, a hint of confusion flashing in her clear eyes, and finally asked the question that had been lingering in her heart for so long.
"I just don't understand. You and those people from the Dao Sect were complete strangers. With your strength, most people in the world are no different from ants in your eyes. So why did you have to save them? In that situation just now, even if you had stood by and watched, no one could have said a word."
"Besides, even if you save them, it won't benefit you in any substantial way. I really don't believe that having the Dao Sect leader owe you a favor would be of any use to someone of your level."
"Hehe, you don't understand."
Xiao Ling chuckled lightly, a deep and unfathomable glint in his eyes, his tone leisurely and self-satisfied, "What I do naturally has its own profound meaning and plan, and I never do anything pointless."
As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his hand and gently rubbed Ling Qingzhu's forehead, then casually stroked her soft hair, his fingertips carrying a touch of casual intimacy. He then slowly withdrew his hand, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.
"Besides, why should I report my actions to you, little girl? You, on the other hand, should be mindful of your status."
The sudden touch and teasing caused Ling Qingzhu's usually aloof face to instantly flush with a light blush, and her ears even felt slightly hot.
She subconsciously turned her head away, calmed herself for a moment, and then resumed her indifferent and aloof demeanor, her voice light and calm: "Since you are unwilling to tell me about this matter in detail, then Qingzhu will not ask any further questions."
Looking at Ling Qingzhu's awkward posture of feigning composure and deliberately keeping her distance, Xiao Ling couldn't help but chuckle. He thought to himself, "This little girl is clearly in a bit of a mess, but she still insists on maintaining a cool and aloof demeanor. Her personality is as awkward and cute as ever."
"Alright, since you're so curious, I'll tell you. There's nothing to hide from you."
Xiao Ling chuckled, looking at Ling Qingzhu's feigned aloofness, and finally stopped teasing her, slowly explaining.
"According to my information, the youngest daughter of Ying Xuanzi, the current head of the Daoist sect, is named Ying Huanhuan."
He paused slightly, a subtle, profound meaning flashing in his eyes, each word clearly reaching Ling Qingzhu's ears:
"And her true identity is not as simple as that of an ordinary sect's daughter. She is the reincarnation of the Ice Lord, who wields the Ice Ancestral Symbol among the Eight Ancient Lords."
"What? That Ying Huanhuan... is actually the reincarnation of the Ice Lord, one of the Eight Ancient Lords?"
Ling Qingzhu suddenly fell silent, her usually calm demeanor faltering, and her clear eyes widened in shock.
Ordinary cultivators may know very little about ancient secrets and are unaware of the Ice Master's origins, but as the young master of the Nine Heavens Taiqing Palace, she has been well-versed in the sect's ancient texts since childhood and is very clear about the top beings of the ancient era.
The Ice Lord was recognized as the strongest among the eight ancient lords. He wielded the Ice Ancestral Symbol and his cultivation reached the peak of the Third Reincarnation Tribulation. His combat strength was second only to the legendary Symbol Ancestor. He was a supreme being who truly stood at the top of the world in that era.
She never imagined that the seemingly innocent and naive youngest daughter of Ying Xuanzi, the leader of the Dao Sect, would have such an earth-shattering background.
In their previous chance encounters, the girl's eyes were clear and innocent, lively and spirited, making it hard to reconcile her with the ancient and chillingly powerful Ice Lord. "Well, now you understand why I saved the Dao Sect members, right?"
Xiao Ling's lips curled up slightly, his smile carrying a hint of understanding and mockery. His gaze fell on Ling Qingzhu's cool face as he deliberately teased her.
"When I have time later, I will take you to the Dao Sect so that you and Ying Huanhuan can get to know each other properly. We might as well make you two sisters and become best friends who can talk about anything."
He paused deliberately, watching Ling Qingzhu's slightly startled expression, his smile deepening, his tone full of mischief:
"In this way, when her Ice Lord memories are fully awakened in the future, you, Ling Qingzhu, will have an ancient supreme powerhouse as your backer. At that time, wouldn't you be able to walk sideways on this Tianxuan Continent and do whatever you want?"
"I appreciate your kindness, but there's no need for that. I have no interest in it."
Ling Qingzhu rolled her eyes at Xiao Ling, her usually aloof expression showing a hint of annoyance, and her tone carried a slight rejection.
"Moreover, she is the reincarnation of the Ice Lord, with an extremely noble status and unfathomable cultivation foundation. What qualifications do I have to sit on equal footing with such an existence and call her a friend?"
She lowered her eyes slightly, her voice calm yet carrying a hint of pride, and continued:
"Furthermore, deliberately getting close to her while she is still unawakened and pure of heart, just to take advantage of her power in the future, is not the style of me, Ling Qingzhu."
"That's not right. Who said you're inferior to Ying Huanhuan?"
Xiao Ling toned down his playful tone, his gaze becoming much more serious as he looked at her, his voice steady and resolute. "So what if she is the reincarnation of the Ice Lord? In my eyes, your potential is in no way inferior to hers."
He chuckled lightly, his tone carrying a hint of arrogance and sincerity: "Otherwise, why do you think I, a dignified Dou Di, would value you so much? It's because I've already seen your talent and character. Don't underestimate yourself."
A straightforward and solemn acknowledgment reached Ling Qingzhu's ears, instantly rippling warm waves in her heart. A sweet and gentle warmth quietly spread through her usually aloof and self-possessed heart, like a spring breeze brushing against ice, softening even the aura around her.
She nodded slightly, her long eyelashes trembling slightly, her voice soft yet firm: "Okay, I understand... I won't let you down."
Deep in her heart, she silently made a vow: one day, I will become strong enough to stand tall by your side, follow in your footsteps, and no longer just be protected by you.
……
As time flows by and years pass by, the sect competition that swept across the entire Eastern Xuan Region's younger generation has finally come to a slow close amidst a turbulent undercurrent.
However, the final outcome of this competition completely overturned the understanding of all participating sects and all the talented disciples, exceeding everyone's expectations and causing a huge uproar.
The Yuan Sect, which had always been arrogant and domineering, had all its elite disciples who participated in the sect competition perish in the Demon Realm. Not a single one survived, and not even a trace of their bones or blood was brought out of that dangerous place.
This shocking news, once it spread, instantly shook the entire arena. Disciples from all the major sects were in an uproar, their faces filled with astonishment and disbelief. No one had ever imagined that the Yuan Sect, with its profound foundation and unparalleled strength, would suffer such a tragic defeat in this competition, a result that was simply too unbelievable.
The Yuanmen elders who were ordered to lead the team to the Otherworldly Demon Realm and oversee the rear were furious upon learning that all their disciples had perished. Their aura of malevolence surged, their faces were so dark they seemed to drip water, and the anger and hatred in their eyes were about to burst forth, yet they had nowhere to vent it.
The entire tragedy occurred without warning, leaving no trace of the perpetrator at the scene. Even with the joint investigation by various sects, no useful clues could be found. No one could tell who this peerless expert was who could silently and completely wipe out all the disciples of the Yuan Sect.
Even though the Dao Sect members knew perfectly well that Xiao Ling was the instigator of this catastrophe, none of them were foolish enough to leak the matter out in the slightest.
They knew perfectly well that the Yuan Sect and the Dao Sect had a long-standing feud and deep-seated conflicts. If even the slightest word got out and the Yuan Sect believed that the matter was related to the Dao Sect, it would surely backfire.
After weighing the pros and cons, everyone tacitly chose to remain silent, honestly keeping quiet about the matter and pretending to know nothing about it, just to distance themselves from all involvement.
In the end, the elders of the Yuan Sect searched the entire Demon Realm but failed to find a single piece of useful information. With nowhere to vent their anger, they could only leave in a huff with livid faces.
This matter ultimately became a cold case, with no clues and no trace of the murderer.
As for how to report to the sect leader and higher-ups after returning to the sect, they had no choice but to attribute everything to the fact that the Yuan Sect disciples had unfortunately encountered ancient monsters and dangerous secret realms while exploring the ruins of the Otherworldly Demon Realm, which led to their complete annihilation.
Besides this, there is really no other reasonable explanation that can convince the sect to explain the bizarre situation of everyone's tragic death.
Having survived the life-or-death ordeal in the Otherworld, the Dao Sect group, still covered in dust from their journey, successfully returned to the Dao Sect's mountain gate.
Stepping into this familiar and vast world, and feeling the peaceful and tranquil atmosphere within the sect, everyone finally felt completely at ease. The tension they had felt earlier, when shrouded in death in the Otherworld, finally began to subside.
As the leader of this trip, Wang Jie, the senior disciple of the Heavenly Palace, dared not delay in the slightest. After settling her fellow disciples in, she immediately set off for the residence of the Dao Sect Master, Ying Xuanzi, to request an audience with him.
The hall was filled with spiritual energy, ancient and solemn. Ying Xuanzi sat upright in the main seat, his aura warm and profound, exuding the majesty of a sect leader. He raised his eyes to look at Wang Jie, whose expression still held a hint of solemnity, and spoke calmly, indicating that she should speak frankly.
Wang Jie bowed respectfully, not daring to conceal anything, and truthfully reported everything that happened in the Otherworldly Demon Realm during the sect competition, word by word.
She first described in detail the conflict between the Dao Sect disciples and the Yuan Sect disciples, how the Dao Sect disciples fought desperately but were still at a disadvantage and were on the verge of being slaughtered.
At this point, Wang Jie's voice still carried a hint of lingering fear. She then took a deep breath and recounted the most bizarre and horrifying turn of events in detail.
"Sect Leader, just when we were about to perish, a young powerhouse from the Nine Heavens Taiqing Palace suddenly appeared. His attack was extremely strange. In just an instant, he killed all the disciples of the Yuan Sect who participated in the attack on us, including the three little kings, leaving no survivors. It was because of this that the people of our Dao Sect were able to save their lives."
Fearing to miss even the slightest detail, she recounted to Ying Xuanzi everything—the unpredictable and bizarre nature of Xiao Ling's attack, his inconceivable and heaven-defying methods, and the horrifying scene of the Yuan Sect disciples being instantly killed—without embellishment whatsoever, yet she also conveyed the profound shock that had overturned her understanding of the world. (End of Chapter)