Chapter 36: Yaochi Golden Codex
Chapter 36: Yaochi Golden Codex
Luo Ningshuang felt as though she had been reborn.
The innate Dao marks that had once granted her boundless talent now felt even more intimately connected to her.
She could even actively choose whether to channel spiritual energy into the Yaochi Heavenly Lock to repair the remnant soul of Yaochi Empress.
No longer did she have to wait three years—she could resume her cultivation immediately.
“Thank you…”
Seeing Luo Ningshuang’s flushed cheeks, Su Ming suddenly felt the urge to tease her. “Between us, there’s no need for such formality, right?”
Hearing his bold words, Luo Ningshuang didn’t refute him at all.
Just as Su Ming had said, there truly was no need for such distant words between them.
Meng Shu watched their interaction with satisfaction, even if he didn’t fully understand what was happening.
This was exactly what he wanted to see.
Meanwhile, within the Yaochi Heavenly Lock, Yaochi Empress was utterly bewildered.
As a former supreme powerhouse, even with her remnant soul damaged and her memories incomplete, she still knew far more than Luo Ningshuang.
Defying destiny—something that should have been impossible—had actually been accomplished by this junior before her.
She could sense that destiny was no longer a chain binding Luo Ningshuang’s fate but had instead transformed into her opportunity.
“This is impossible… How could this happen? He’s only at the Longevity Realm—how could he achieve something like this?”
No one answered Yaochi Empress’s question, and her voice gradually faded within the depths of the Yaochi Heavenly Lock.
Now completely free, Luo Ningshuang placed her hand on the Yaochi Heavenly Lock.
Having understood the nature of destiny, she knew that encountering the Yaochi Heavenly Lock and Yaochi Empress had been arranged by fate itself.
After a brief moment of contemplation, she turned to Su Ming. “There’s something I want to tell you… about—”
Before she could finish, Su Ming pressed a finger to her lips.
“Meng Shu, could you give us… Ningshuang and me… some time alone?”
Seeing their intimate exchange, Meng Shu decisively set up a soundproofing barrier and left Chenyang Peak.
The young couple clearly had private matters to discuss—there was no need for him to stay and be a third wheel.
Once Meng Shu had left and the Battle Puppet confirmed no one else was nearby, Su Ming lowered his hand.
“The matter of destiny is something only the two of us need to know. What did you want to tell me?”
“It’s about this.”
Luo Ningshuang lifted the Yaochi Heavenly Lock and explained everything about Yaochi Empress in detail.
After listening, Su Ming finally understood just how absurd his fiancée’s opportunity was.
Anyone who dared call themselves an empress had to be extraordinary—though he wasn’t sure what realm she had reached.
Her alchemy skills alone far surpassed any pill master on the Heaven Primordial Continent.
If Luo Ningshuang could inherit Yaochi Empress’s full legacy, she would undoubtedly become the next Yaochi Empress—perhaps even surpassing her predecessor’s achievements.
The fact that she had shared this with him showed her complete trust in him.
“I plan to continue restoring Yaochi Empress’s cultivation so I can obtain all the techniques of the Yaochi Holy Land from her.” Luo Ningshuang revealed her final decision.
Since the Yaochi Heavenly Lock was now her opportunity, there was no reason to waste it.
“I support your decision, but how can you ensure Yaochi Empress will cooperate willingly?”
“Now that I’ve fully become the master of the Yaochi Heavenly Lock, if I don’t want to…”
Before Luo Ningshuang could finish, a panicked voice erupted from within the Yaochi Heavenly Lock.
“Ningshuang! What are you doing?!”
“Yaochi Empress, you’ve been hiding things from me. If you don’t reveal everything you know, I’ll use the Yaochi Heavenly Lock to permanently turn you into a Lock Spirit!”
As a sacred artifact of the Yaochi Holy Land, the Yaochi Heavenly Lock had the power to transform its targets into Lock Spirits.
Once turned into a Lock Spirit, there was no escape—unless the master of the Yaochi Heavenly Lock permitted it.
The lock had once contained many powerful Lock Spirits, but during the conspiracy that led to Yaochi Empress’s downfall, she had detonated them all in exchange for a slim chance of survival.
“You can’t do this! I helped you!”
“You call this help? You drained my cultivation, damaged my Dao marks, and nearly ruined everything for me. Did you think a little alchemy skill would make up for that? Between the two of us, who’s the real child here?”
The Yaochi Heavenly Lock began to activate further, clearly intending to refine Yaochi Empress into a Lock Spirit.
“Fine! I’ll tell you everything I’ve remembered so far!”
Under the threat of death, the former empress yielded.
Then again, if she had truly been unafraid of death, she wouldn’t have chosen to preserve her remnant soul within the Yaochi Heavenly Lock and drift to the Heaven Primordial Continent.
With Luo Ningshuang’s life-or-death coercion, Yaochi Empress handed over the first volume of the Yaochi Golden Codex.
This was a secret cultivation manual of the Yaochi Holy Land, passed down only to each generation’s Holy Maiden.
The first volume alone was enough for Luo Ningshuang to cultivate all the way to the Void Realm.
“If you had this technique, why didn’t you teach me sooner?!”
“I only recovered fragments of my memories recently! Before this, I barely remembered anything—I’m not lying!”
“I’ll spare you… for now.”
Thrilled by the new technique, Luo Ningshuang was as excited as she had been years ago when Liu Yueru gave her her first cultivation manual.
She shared the technique with Su Ming, though it was a pity that the Yaochi Golden Codex could only be cultivated by women.
She had originally intended to repay Su Ming’s kindness by sharing Yaochi Empress’s techniques with him.
“It’s fine. Yaochi Empress has lived for so long—she must have more than just this in her memories. There’ll be other opportunities. Until then, I’ll have to trouble you to keep refining pills.”
Only then did Luo Ningshuang remember that the Profound Yang Flame Cauldron had also been within the lightning’s range. She hurriedly went to check its condition.
Fortunately, it was sturdy enough to withstand the heavenly tribulation undamaged, which eased her worries.
She didn’t want to be just a decorative vase by Su Ming’s side.
Su Ming touched the barrier to summon Meng Shu back. At the same time, Li Jianping’s construction team had already arrived.
“Meng Shu, Ningshuang, I’ll leave this place to you.”
Entrusting Chenyang Peak to the two of them, Su Ming turned and left.
Half of the agreed-upon hour had already passed. By walking slowly, he would arrive before Li Jianping right on time.
After Su Ming left, Meng Shu sidled up to Luo Ningshuang with a curious expression. “Young Madam, what did the Young Master say to you earlier?”
Remembering Su Ming’s warning, Luo Ningshuang shook her head slowly. “Qianbei, I’m afraid I can’t tell you…”
To her surprise, Meng Shu didn’t show the slightest resentment—instead, he broke into a grin.
If she wasn’t willing to say, then it must be something very private.
Good.
This was excellent news!