NFBE Chapter 174 Changes
Chapter 174 Changes
"Beware!"
The shout shattered the silence in the room. Wang Xiaotian's bamboo cane, carrying a sharp gust of wind, swept across the table, the tip of the cane precisely hitting the rim of the celadon cup, the movement completed in one smooth motion.
The tea soup rippled slightly on the glazed surface, reflecting the old man's sharp, hawk-like eyes, exuding an aura of authority that could not be underestimated.
The crisp sound of the bottom of the cup striking the sandalwood was like an alarm bell, startling Wang Weiwei from her daze.
She hurriedly looked up, her gaze meeting Han Yi's deep eyes, which he hadn't had time to look away from.
Han Yi's well-defined hand gripped the cup tightly. In the water stains on the table, a faint vermilion mark was visible. That blood-red mark was like a sharp dagger, piercing straight into her heart, making her tremble involuntarily.
In a daze, she seemed to return to that tent. The blood-stained clothes and the rouge that had accidentally smeared on her clothes when she was bandaging them appeared before her eyes. Now, reflected in the tea, they were as fresh as ever. Memories of the past surged up like a tidal wave.
"Quickly, add more tea for the young master!" Her grandfather's instruction startled her, causing her fingertips to tremble slightly.
She quickly picked up the exquisite teapot with both hands and did as she was told.
In the celadon cup, the tea sloshed and shimmered, mirroring her chaotic and turbulent emotions.
She moved gracefully to stand before Han Yi. Han Yi's gaze fell on the back of her hand, like scalding tea steam, burning her cheeks until she blushed and hurriedly lowered her head.
In the instant she lowered her gaze, she caught a glimpse of a golden light flashing in Han Yi's eyes out of the corner of her eye. It was as fast as a shooting star streaking across the night sky, fleeting yet striking straight into her heart, disturbing the tranquility within.
Wang Weiwei felt the seal in her dantian suddenly tremble, and the spiritual power that had been dormant for eighteen years began to surge slowly like a stream thawing in spring.
At the same time, the jade pendant in her sleeve and the dragon-patterned pendant at Han Yi's waist seemed to be drawn together by some mysterious force, resonating with each other and creating a buzzing sound that echoed in the quiet space.
Suddenly, spiderweb-like cracks appeared on the bottom of the cup, and a faint blue light seeped out from the cracks, but then immediately stopped.
She stared intently at the twin lotus patterns gradually taking shape on the table, a strange flutter rising in her heart.
She keenly sensed that the resonance between the jade pendant in her sleeve and the dragon-patterned pendant at Han Yi's waist was becoming increasingly rapid, as if some long-dormant, powerful force was surging through her veins, ready to burst forth.
She subconsciously pressed her hand on her dantian, where the spiritual aperture, sealed for eighteen years, was trembling violently, as if something was about to break free.
At this critical moment, Han Yi gently placed his hand on the back of her hand, the movement gentle yet carrying an undeniable strength.
"Relax!"
His voice was deep and magnetic, as if it possessed a strange magic. As the lingering sound faded, it gradually calmed Wang Weiwei's flustered and chaotic heart.
"This..." Lin Yue and Su Yao exclaimed simultaneously, their eyes wide with disbelief as they stared intently at the scene before them. It was unimaginable that a young man who was merely at the Nascent Soul stage could possess the miraculous ability to transform the physique of others; this was simply unheard of and unseen.
"Green Ivy, help me!" Han Yi gave the order, and Green Ivy quietly appeared, radiating vibrant life.
The moment she appeared, a vast green primordial power surged into Han Yi's body like a raging torrent.
The jade pendant that Han Yi gave to Wang Weiwei and the dragon-patterned pendant at his waist were originally a pair, but now they formed a strange scene of dragon and phoenix singing together.
Han Yi suddenly had a brilliant idea: to take advantage of the powerful energy of the dragon and phoenix in harmony, and then combine it with the laws of life to completely transform Wang Weiwei's physique and spiritual roots.
In his view, if he succeeded, he would no longer need to risk going to the Kui Xin Sect to find spiritual fruits, which was undoubtedly an excellent opportunity.
However, the ideal is often far from reality...
The Law of Life and the power of the Dragon and Phoenix Harmony did indeed change Wang Weiwei's physique and spiritual roots, allowing her strength to break through to the peak of the Nascent Soul stage. However, unexpectedly, not only did it fail to solve the problem of the mutual repulsion between her ice and fire spiritual roots, it also made this repulsive force even more violent, like a wild horse that was out of control.
Just as the two energies of ice and fire were about to completely spiral out of control and erupt, a clear, gentle tapping sound from a jade bracelet rang out, like heavenly music.
The woman wearing the tassel—Qing'er—gently turned the black jade bracelet on her wrist. Strange ripples spread across the bracelet, completely engulfing the two violent repulsive forces, as if sweeping the surging waves into an endless abyss.
Only the fine beads of sweat gradually seeping from Wang Weiwei's forehead remained, bearing witness to the thrilling crisis that had just occurred.
After her discomfort subsided, Wang Weiwei quickly bowed to Qing'er and thanked her profusely, saying, "Thank you so much for your help, Miss! I am deeply grateful!"
Qing'er smiled faintly at Wang Weiwei through the light veil, her voice soft yet firm: "I can only help you temporarily alleviate the symptoms. If you want a complete cure, you will need the Yin-Yang Balancing Pill."
Upon hearing this, Han Yi clenched his fist tightly, thinking to himself that the current situation was becoming increasingly severe and not optimistic.
Back in the Netherworld Abyss, he offended the entire Hua Kingdom Cultivation Alliance. Now, he also carries a sensitive identity in the Qingyun Empire. If he were to venture deeper into the heart of Hua Kingdom, he would inevitably face numerous dangers and be on the verge of collapse at every step.
"Grandpa Wang, what is the situation in Changfeng City?"
He was humble, cupping his hands in greeting to Wang Xiaotian and asking without putting on airs of a prince. Instead, he followed Wang Weiwei's example and affectionately called him "Grandpa."
"Changfeng City is officially controlled by the Li, Zheng, Fang and my Wang families, collectively known as the four major families. Since the Li family's ancestor, Li Huayuan, was a Nascent Soul cultivator, our three families have always respected him as the leader of the alliance for many years. However, in the last hundred years, the Zheng family has produced a genius—Zheng Cangmang. In just a hundred years, his cultivation has reached the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage, and there are even rumors that he has found a great opportunity and is expected to break through to the Nascent Soul stage."
Wang Xiaotian spoke slowly, his expression showing a hint of solemnity.
"There are also rumors that Li Huayuan is actually dead. If the rumors are true, when Zheng Cangmang breaks through, the Zheng family will probably take the opportunity to demand that a Four Directions Martial Arts Tournament be held to elect a new leader!"
……
"What would happen if the Wang family could win the clan competition among the four major families this time?" Han Yi asked calmly, a hint of something deeper in his eyes.
“Young master, you may not know this, but since our ancestor disappeared, our Wang family has had no Nascent Soul experts…” Wang Weiwei had just started to speak when Wang Xiaotian interrupted her.
"If Zheng Cangmang breaks through to the Divine Realm, there will definitely be unexpected changes at the Four Clans Martial Arts Tournament three days later."
Wang Xiaotian stood up, his ebony staff carving a deep groove into the blue brick. His eyes were piercing as he stared intently at Han Yi, his expression extremely solemn. "This old man has a presumptuous request—"
The tea soup rippled with fine waves, as if foreshadowing the impending changes in the weather.
Wang Weiwei felt a strange unease rise in her heart as she watched her grandfather's burning gaze fall on Han Yi. The jade pendant in her sleeve suddenly became hot, as if in response to something.
She recalled the divination she had performed in the secret room three days ago. The cracks on the tortoise shell pointed precisely to the time when Han Yi would enter the city. Could this be an arrangement of fate?
"Please, young master, participate in the martial arts competition in the name of the Wang family's son-in-law."
As Wang Xiaotian spoke, he bowed to Han Yi, but Han Yi quickly helped him up the moment he bowed.
Han Yi sighed inwardly, realizing that the old man had planned this all along and was waiting for him. He fell into deep thought, his fingertips gently tracing the rim of his cup. In the rising steam, a map of Changfeng City seemed to appear. This formidable border city, adjacent to the Netherworld Abyss, was controlled by four powerful families, who held sway over the vital passage to the heart of the Hua Kingdom.
If we can use the Wang family as a springboard, perhaps we can open up a new chapter...
"To express the sentiments of my Wang family, I am willing to give this item to the young master as part of Weiwei's dowry when she gets married."
Before anyone knew it, Wang Xiaotian took out an ancient-looking sword sheath from his storage bag and handed it to Han Yi.
The patterns on the scabbard are ancient and mysterious, exuding the aura of time.
“This…” Su Yao’s fingertips gently traced the Azure Dragon Soaring Through the Clouds pattern on the scabbard, breaking the brief silence. “It was actually made by Ye Wushang, the number one weapon refiner in Hua Kingdom. The Wang family actually has such a thing? This is not something that can be obtained by mere acquaintances.”
Upon hearing this, Wang Xiaotian handed the scabbard to Wang Weiwei, then slammed his bamboo cane heavily on the ground, dispersing the undercurrents floating in the tea steam: "Our ancestor was once a Daoist disciple beside the Imperial Preceptor Ye Wushang, serving him for thirty years in exchange for this precious sword to suppress the clan's fate. Unfortunately... the sword disappeared along with our ancestor, leaving only this scabbard." The old man glanced at the trembling jade hairpin in his granddaughter's hair, his tone suddenly sharp, "Since then, the fate of our Wang clan has withered, and we have never produced a Nascent Soul cultivator again."
"Does Elder Wang know what this means?" Han Yi's voice was slightly hoarse, like the grinding of sand. "The marriage between the heir of the Qingyun Empire and a noble family in the border city is a thunderbolt that will shake the foundations of the country when it reaches the capital."
The bamboo staff swept across, shattering the bronze bell hanging from the beam.
Amidst the swirling copper shavings, Wang Xiaotian's white beard fluttered without wind, his expression resolute: "I understand, this old man still wishes to secure a future for the Wang family's descendants!"
"Since that's the case, I, Han Yi, accept this marriage..." Before Han Yi could finish speaking, a thunderclap boomed outside the window, as if it were the heavens and earth responding to his decision.
With a clatter, the teacup fell onto the table.
Wang Weiwei rushed to take it, but Han Yi grabbed her hand first.
The warmth of the young man's palm seeped through the glaze, causing the seal on her dantian to crack slightly.
She hurriedly pulled her hand away, only to find Han Yi staring intently at her with deep eyes.
……
Wang Weiwei suddenly pressed her hand to her chest, and the spiritual energy overflowing from the seal crack condensed into half a golden lotus in the void, its light dazzling and dreamlike.
The sudden change caused Han Yi's pupils to shrink; it was the first time he had ever seen such a strange sight.
"This is clearly a sign of the awakening of the innate Dao body as recorded in ancient texts!" At this moment, the old man Shanling suddenly appeared, stroking his beard and speaking with a face full of shock.
"Alas, the awakening of her innate Dao body is a good thing, but her body clearly can't withstand it!" The old man with the fan spirit said with some worry. "Judging from the current situation, I'm afraid she won't last more than three days!"
"Can't survive three days..."
The old man's words weighed heavily on Han Yi's heart like a boulder.
He never imagined that his good intentions in trying to help Wang Weiwei would actually hasten her death by exploding. A deep sense of self-reproach welled up in his heart.