Chapter 120
Ten thousand miles away from the Green Lotus Sect, atop a small mountain.
A sword slash capable of splitting heaven and earth tore through the sky.
The demonic miasma that had blotted out the sun rapidly dissipated, vanishing from the world.
Nan Gongling, her eyes bound in black silk, slowly sheathed her sword.
Now, slaying a demonic entity at the Nascent Soul level was effortless for her.
But unfortunately…
She turned her head slightly toward the distance. The village that had once stood there was now a sea of flames and ruins.
She’d arrived too late. She hadn’t saved anyone.
Did she feel guilty?
Not really.
Only after stepping onto the path of cultivation did one truly understand—
Those without power lived or died by luck alone.
If they encountered a malevolent cultivator, an entire city of ordinary people could be sacrificed in an instant.
Life and death rested in the hands of others.
Drifting down from the sky, she landed before the inferno.
With a wave of her hand, vast spiritual power surged forth, extinguishing the flames in moments.
Her spiritual sense swept casually over the ruins, and a relatively intact wooden plank flew toward her.
Her fingertip traced lightly over it, and a simple wooden grave marker was completed, planted at the edge of the ruins.
Having done this, she prepared to leave.
But then—a sound from the rubble behind her.
Nan Gongling paused and turned, watching silently.
Soon, a figure—naked, filthy, covered in soot—staggered out of the wreckage.
Spotting Nan Gongling, the figure visibly brightened, trying to approach but collapsing from exhaustion. Still, they crawled forward with effort.
Finally reaching her, they dropped to their knees with a thud.
“Thank you, Immortal, for your aid!”
The voice was hoarse but unmistakably female.
Nan Gongling’s gaze swept over her from behind the black silk.
Not a single hair had been singed by the flames.
Her entire body was smeared with soot, obscuring her original appearance.
But her ample chest and tall, well-proportioned figure suggested she was already an adult.
A little unusual, but Nan Gongling wasn’t particularly interested in investigating.
“Mm. I arrived too late to save the village.”
“The demon is dead. You may seek your own path now.”
Her tone indifferent, she turned to leave.
Panicked, the woman hastily called out.
“Immortal, could you take me with you?”
“I—I want to cultivate!”
Her rare jade-green eyes locked onto the transcendent beauty before her, as if afraid she’d vanish in the blink of an eye.
Nan Gongling froze slightly.
Her thoughts drifted back decades.
Back then, she had spoken those same words to her master, and that was how she’d been brought to the sect.
Snapping out of it, Nan Gongling didn’t immediately agree. Instead, she flicked a spell first.
Streams of water materialized, washing over the soot-covered woman.
To Nan Gongling’s surprise, as the water touched the blackened skin, it produced a sound like boiling steam.
But there was enough water to cleanse her thoroughly.
The woman’s skin wasn’t pale but a sun-kissed wheat color. Her face—thick brows, deep-set eyes, striking jade-green irises, full lips with a deep hue—was strikingly handsome.
Paired with her curvaceous figure, she had a unique charm…
Nan Gongling gave a slight nod inwardly.
Though this face didn’t align with the typical beauty standards of female cultivators, no one could honestly call it ugly.
At the very least, it was enough to pass the Qinglian Sect’s selection process.
That’s right—face was the most important factor.
With the Eldest Senior Brother around, there was an endless supply of Qinglian Chongyang Pills. As long as one’s innate talent wasn’t outright terrible, it could be improved.
And if one was lucky enough to catch his eye? That was the real ticket to soaring heights.
Perhaps because the woman reminded her of her younger self, Nan Gongling felt a faint sense of goodwill toward her—even though the woman was clearly older than she had been back then.
“What’s your name, and how old are you?” Nan Gongling’s tone softened slightly.
“Chu Ning. Thirty years old.” The woman answered honestly.
Nan Gongling was surprised.
She had assumed the woman was in her early twenties.
After all, as an ordinary mortal with no cultivation—and clearly not from a wealthy family—most common women at thirty wouldn’t maintain such a figure.
Recalling how this woman had emerged unscathed from the fire, along with the steam earlier…
Nan Gongling’s eyes, hidden behind the black silk, flickered.
She must have something extraordinary about her.
She gestured. “Let me check your aptitude. But don’t get your hopes up—the best age to begin cultivating is before twenty. At your current age, meeting the standards might be difficult.”
Nan Gongling didn’t hide the rules just because of her initial favorable impression.
However, Chu Ning didn’t move. Instead, she hesitated. “Immortal, my body temperature has always been different from others’. I’m afraid I might burn you.”
“It’s fine.” Nan Gongling extended her hand, a wisp of spiritual energy coating her palm.
Seeing this, Chu Ning finally stepped forward.
The moment Nan Gongling placed her hand on the woman’s arm, she sensed something unusual.
Her spiritual energy was burning away imperceptibly. Though the rate of consumption was negligible given her late-stage Nascent Soul cultivation, it was undeniably being depleted.
Moreover, the energy from the burning was being completely absorbed into Chu Ning’s body.
Nan Gongling frowned but didn’t withdraw her hand. Instead, she reinforced her spiritual barrier and probed deeper.
What she discovered shocked her even more.
Chu Ning’s body seemed to contain a boundless, churning sea of fire.
Nan Gongling had always prioritized cultivation over worldly knowledge, so she wasn’t sure what this meant.
But one thing was certain—this level of purity meant Chu Ning’s fire-attribute aptitude was overflowing.
She was more than qualified to join any major faction.
Before long, as her spiritual energy continued to burn and be absorbed, Chu Ning’s aura underwent a subtle shift.
Nan Gongling blinked.
She just reached Qi Refining Level One?
Just from absorbing my spiritual energy?
Who would’ve thought that a routine demon-slaying mission would lead her to such a freak of nature!
Nan Gongling withdrew her hand.
The comfortable sensation vanished, and Chu Ning couldn’t hide her disappointment.
“Why is your body like this?” Nan Gongling asked.
Chu Ning shook her head, her voice tinged with pain and guilt.
“I don’t know. It’s been this way since the day I was born.”
“I wasn’t born normally. They say my pregnant mother suddenly burned to a crisp, and I crawled out of the ashes.”
“My father defied everyone to raise me, but he died in a hunting accident a few years later.”
“The villagers thought I was a cursed freak and wanted to execute me. But I can reduce almost anything near me to scorched earth. Even when I suppress this ability, my body temperature is still far higher than normal.”
“Since they couldn’t do anything to me, they just drove me to the farthest corner of the village to live—until now.”
“I rushed over when I saw the village burning but got trapped under the rubble.”
Chu Ning explained everything concisely.
After listening, Nan Gongling didn’t feel particularly moved.
But this woman’s unique ability was clearly extraordinary.
As the head disciple of the Qinglian Sect, Nan Gongling wasn’t one to hoard talent.
Who knows? She might possess some hidden, peerless treasure within her.
Best to bring her back to the sect. Even if the Sect Master doesn’t know what to do with her, the Eldest Senior Brother will have a solution.
Nan Gongling mused silently.
By now, her admiration for Ning Chen had reached the point of blind devotion.
“Then you may follow me. During this time, I’ll teach you the Qinglian Sect’s cultivation techniques to test your aptitude.”
“If you meet the standards, you can join.”
“If not, I’ll erase your memories and find you a good place to live.” Nan Gongling made her decision.
Chu Ning was overjoyed.
“Master above, please accept this disciple’s bow!” The naked woman immediately dropped to her knees to kowtow.
Nan Gongling raised a hand, using spiritual energy to stop her mid-motion. Her tone remained calm. “I have no intention of taking a disciple. If your talent is exceptional, someone else will take you in.”
Chu Ning felt a pang of disappointment but didn’t dare argue. “Then… how should I address you, Immortal?”
“My surname is Nan Gong, single character ‘Ling.’ I am the head disciple of the Qinglian Sect.”
“Greetings, Head Senior Sister!” Chu Ning’s handsome face lit up with excitement.
If even a senior sister—a disciple—is this strong, how powerful must the Qinglian Sect be?
This disaster might have been a blessing in disguise!
……