Chapter 35: An Invitation and experimentation

This time, I could feel the air brushing my face and see the breathtaking view from up here. I had traveled in an airplane only a few times before, but the difference was stark. I wasn't locked up in a cabin; I was directly flying. Achieving this on my own was probably one of my biggest motivations to cultivate. I wanted to fly on my own and maneuver however I liked.

As we reached our destination, I spotted Ning Jian looking in our direction. He appeared battered, a testament to his own set of ordeals. Beside him floated another person, commanding and regal in presence.

The figure beside Ning Jian was none other than the clan leader of the Ning Clan, Ning Wushuang. He was an imposing figure with a mane of white hair that cascaded down his back like a waterfall of silver. His eyes were sharp, piercing through the distance with a gaze that could easily intimidate even the bravest of souls.

His robes were a deep shade of green, adorned with intricate gold embroidery that seemed to shimmer with an inner light. He exuded an aura of immense power and wisdom, the kind that only came with decades of experience and mastery.

As we descended, I marveled at the sight of him. He radiated authority and strength, yet there was a serene calmness about him that commanded respect.

Ning Rong and I landed softly on the ground, and Ning Jian immediately walked over to us. "You made it back," he said, relief evident in his voice.

"We did," Ning Rong replied, her tone equally relieved. "But it wasn't easy. We encountered a silver basilisk."

Ning Jian's eyes widened in shock. "A silver basilisk? How did you manage to survive?"

"We worked together," I said, trying to downplay my role. "Everyone contributed."

Ning Jian looked at me, then at Ning Rong, his expression softening. "I’m proud of you both. You’ve proven yourselves today."

As we conversed, Ning Wushuang floated down to join us. His presence was immediately felt, a tangible weight in the air. He looked at each of us with a keen eye, as if assessing our worth.

"Elder Qian, thank you for your assistance," Ning Wushuang said, bowing slightly to the older man who had appeared earlier.

"It was my duty," Elder Qian replied, his voice smooth and calm. "The young ones showed remarkable resilience."

Ning Jian turned his attention back to Ning Rong. "Rong'er, are you alright? Did the Lin Clan give you any trouble?"

Ning Rong hesitated for a moment before responding. "We had a confrontation with them. They attacked us, breaking the agreement between our clans."

Ning Jian's face darkened with rage. "The audacity of the Lin Clan! They will pay for this treachery."

"Calm down, Ning Jian," Ning Wushuang said, his voice a soothing balm. "We will deal with the Lin Clan in due time. For now, let us focus on the well-being of our young ones."

Ning Jian took a deep breath, visibly trying to calm himself. "You're right, Father. But this cannot go unanswered."

"It won't," Ning Wushuang assured him. "But vengeance can wait. Healing and recovery come first."

As we continued to talk, Elder Qian stepped forward, his eyes on Ning Rong. "Young lady, I am curious about your level of understanding in your martial techniques."

Ning Rong blinked, surprised by the sudden question. "All of my techniques are at the intermediate level," she replied honestly.

Elder Qian's eyebrows shot up in astonishment. "Intermediate level? At your age? That is quite impressive."

Ning Rong blushed slightly at the compliment. "Thank you, Elder."

Elder Qian nodded thoughtfully. "Meet me this evening at the estate. I would like to discuss your techniques further. I will be staying until tomorrow."

Ning Rong nodded eagerly. "Of course, Elder. I look forward to it."

I turned my attention back to Ning Wushuang, who was now addressing all of us. "You have all done well today. Your bravery and resilience are commendable. Take this time to rest and recover. There will be much to discuss and learn in the days ahead."

Wang Mie walked beside me, her usual formal demeanor replaced with a newfound camaraderie. "Ning Feng," she said sweetly, "

As we approached the estate, I took a deep breath, savoring the moment. The journey had been long and arduous, but it had also been a testament to our resilience and strength. And as we prepared to step into the next chapter of our lives, I couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement for what lay ahead.

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..........

After we reached the estate Ning Lian was waiting with a nervous look on her face , the moment we arrived she caused a huge ruckus and started throwing a tatrum, although I understand why .

She was probably on edge after hearing the news of what happened.

It took a while, but eventually, she settled down. We had a meal together and rested, the tension of the past hours slowly dissipating. Despite the relaxation, curiosity gnawed at me about why Elder Qian had summoned Ning Rong. I could guess it might be something significant, given his initial reaction.

Later that evening, we made our way to meet Elder Qian. He was seated in a spacious room filled with ancient scrolls and artifacts that seemed to hum with energy. The atmosphere was both intimidating and awe-inspiring.

"Please, sit," Elder Qian said, gesturing to the cushions laid out before him.

We took our seats, a sense of anticipation hanging in the air. Ning Rong, unable to contain her curiosity, spoke first. "Elder Qian, what did you want to talk about?"

Elder Qian looked at her with a serious expression. "I want to take you as my personal disciple."

The room fell silent. Wang Mie and Lu Jing both softly gasped, their eyes wide with shock.

Ning Rong herself seemed momentarily stunned before finding her voice. "What does it mean to be your personal disciple, Elder?"

Elder Qian leaned back slightly, his gaze encompassing all of us. "In our sect, disciples are categorized into three ranks: outer disciples, inner disciples, and core disciples. Outer disciples are those who have just joined and are still learning the basics. Inner disciples have proven themselves and gained access to more resources and advanced techniques. Core disciples, however, are the elite. They receive the best training, resources, and personal guidance from the sect's top elders."

He paused to let the information sink in before continuing. "If you accept my offer, you will directly become a core disciple. This means you will have access to the highest level of training and resources our sect can offer. You will be under my personal tutelage, learning techniques and concepts that are reserved for the best of the best."

Ning Rong's eyes widened in astonishment. "But... why me?"

Elder Qian smiled slightly. "Your potential is extraordinary. Your comprehension of martial techniques at such a young age is remarkable. With the right guidance, you could become one of the greatest cultivators of your generation. I see in you the potential to surpass even me one day."

The room was silent once more, the weight of Elder Qian's words settling over us like a heavy blanket. Finally, he looked at Ning Rong with a penetrating gaze. "So, what do you say? Will you accept my offer?"

"Elder I would like to think about it, can u give me some time ?" She said as she glanced in my direction.

"Alright you can give me your reply till tomorrow as I will have to leave tomorrow evening." He said and looked at three others beside me." I think three of you will also fit right in, I think there would many elders willing to take you all in as personal disciples." he offered to Wang Mie and others but not me.

Just as he said that a jade talisman in his hand started glowing. " There is some official sect matters I have to attend to , we will talk tomorrow." Ning Rong wanted to say something but we were all dismised.

As we were going to our rooms Wang Mie tagged along with Rong and me .

"Feng'er why don't you reveal your formation talent , any sect would take you in as a core disciple , it would be a shame if you missed an oppurtunity like this." She said with too much familiarity, I scowled at this way of address but I knew she was doing it deliberately because of that smile plastered on her face .

What she said was right but I didn't want to be in lime light since if for any reason they discovered that my soul doesn't belong to this world , I don't what they will do to me .

There is no way I will put myself in such a situation unless I am out of options .

But in this case I did have some options .

"No, I would only tell them about my talent in runes to some extent." I will only reveal that I can create grade 1 runes , that should be enough to at least let me become an outer disciple, given the fact that I have a normal physique not spirit or special one.

"If you do that you will not even become an inner disciple , what's the point in hiding your capabilities." she said with a frown.

" I have my reasons , I hope you won't spill the beans." I tried to confirm her intentions.

"Don't worry , I have no such plans since I have given you my word." she replied .

"I will try to talk to Elder Qian, maybe he will at least promote you to inner disciple." Ning Rong said with a thoughtful look.

We talked some more before we parted ways with Wang Mie , I went to my room and started meditating, to recover my qi .

I have come up with a new idea to use my runes and formations .

After sometime I created a small formation with a pyramid structure, then I created a lowest level rune which slighly increases the temperature .

This particular formation had about 6 nodes, five at vertices and one on it's centroid.

The idea that struck was to use the rune I conjured with fire concept which is made completely out energy as a replacement to a node in the structure , I want to know what will happen .

This idea came to me when I saw the dome although it was completely different and only created a link between tablets and dome formation.

It inspired me to think in this direction since I have trying to think of ways to somehow combine the two but aside from some combinations with their permanent version I couldn't come up with anything else .

If I succeed would I be called the ancestor of this field in future by the later generation. I chuckled setting aside fantasies as I focused on present.

I moved my rune to the centroid position in the formation , but the moment I tried to move the node while inserting the rune , the whole structure collapsed and the reason was painfully simple all the angle calculations changed , since the rune have varying energy level compared to the previous node.

Damn it was such an obvious thing to consider but I was too excited.

I marked the position where I will sit and noted the energy readings in both my rune and nodes .

I will pre calculate every angle change and will try to implement the changes and it is only possible if I don't change my position too significantly in space since formations are very sensitive to that.

I spent next half an hour calculating and making some other preparations for this experiment . Once I was done, I conjured both of them again.

This time I carefully moved my rune at exact calculations and shifted the other nodes based on my data. The moment I did that , something weird happened.

The rune was doing some weird shit.