Chapter 543: Chapter 543: That Look! Upon seeing Ning Fan who still remembered her, a mixture of joy and shyness rose from within Yu Chong Er’s heart. She lowered her head with her ears turning slightly hot.
After dismissing the feeling of astonishment they initially felt, Fang Sheng and Fang Si walked forward to cup their fists at Ning Fan and politely said, "We’ve been waiting for White-Robed Marquis for quite a while to guide you into the Heavenly Cloud under the sixth prince’s order."
"The sixth prince’s order, huh...?"
Ning Fan was somewhat taken aback. He did not expect for Yun Youmu to send his people to welcome him.
Ning Fan could not see through Yun Youmu at all. He could only feel that he was really shrewd and clever who never did things the normal way.
Is Yun Youmu expressing his kindness or is there some other reason for him to deliberately send his men to welcome me...?
Ning Fan kept his thoughts aside and cupped his fists respectfully toward Fang Sheng and Fang Si. No matter what, he would not be cold to them since they welcomed him with smiling faces.
"Ning Fan greets the two palace lords and the fellow daoists of the Serene Heaven Palace. It has been many years since we last met. It’s nice to see everyone again."
At most, he would behave politely toward Fang Sheng and Fang Si. To Yu Bai, Yu Chong Er and the others, however, he felt the closeness of reuniting with his old friends.
Yu Chong Er lowered her head even further without daring to make eye contact with Ning Fan. Her cheeks, at the same time, gradually turned hot.
"Damn it. Damn it. Damn it... I can’t breathe at all whenever I look at him... Am I sick? Yes, that must be the reason..."
Yu Bai and the others returned the same gesture at Ning Fan, all the while looking somewhat surprised. It was truly their honor to receive a friendly greeting from the dignified White-Robed Marquis.
"*Cough* White-Robed Marquis, if you want to catch up with your old friends, you can do it later. We should first head to the ’Serene Heaven Realm’ for now. The sixth prince has already set up a feast of spiritual fruits and wines in the Serene Heaven Palace to welcome the arrival of the White-Robed Marquis. There was some unforeseen incident at the Scarlet Heaven Palace earlier, so it’s temporarily unavailable. That’s why Fellow Daoist doesn’t need to be in a hurry to go to the Scarlet Heaven Realm. You can stay at our Serene Heaven Realm for the meantime..." Fang Sheng said.
"Unforeseen incident? What unforeseen incident?" Ning Fan was stunned.
"It’s complicated and would be hard to explain in a few words. If White-Robed Marquis wants to know, you can go to the Scarlet Heaven Realm and take a look yourself. You’ll understand if you do... *Cough* It seems like the seventh prince wants to give White-Robed Marquis a display of his authority..." Fang Sheng answered with a sigh.
"I see... Since something happened to the Scarlet Heaven Palace, it’s my duty as the Scarlet Heaven Palace Lord to head to the Scarlet Heaven Realm to take a look. I have no choice but to turn down your kind offer and will have to attend the feast in the Serene Heaven Palace next time."
Ning Fan stared deeply at Fang Sheng and Fang Si with a few guesses in his mind.
"Well, since White-Robed Marquis insists on going to the Scarlet Heaven Realm, we will not force Fellow Daoist to head to the Serene Heaven Realm. If White-Robed Marquis encounters any trouble in the Scarlet Heaven Realm, you can look for the sixth prince for help. The sixth prince and White-Robed Marquis hit it off from the beginning. He will certainly do his best to help White-Robed Marquis deal with any problem." Fang Sheng gave Ning Fan a meaningful smile.
"Farewell!"
Ning Fan cupped his fists at the group of cultivators and produced the travelling light beneath his feet. He was planning to enter the Heavenly Cloud Country on his own and head to the Scarlet Heaven Realm.
Originally, he was pondering why Yun Youmu would deliberately send his men to welcome him. Now, he understood the underlying intention behind his actions.
Yun Youmu was trying to warn Ning Fan that the seventh prince, Yun Jinghong, was against him.
If Ning Fan plans to face the seventh prince, he could seek Yun Youmu’s help and the Serene Heaven Palace would become his ally.
The reason why Yun Youmu showed friendliness to Ning Fan was probably because he was on bad terms with Yun Jinghong and he wanted to borrow Ning Fan’s hands to deal with him.
So this is Yun Youmu’s motive, huh...? Apparently, there’s some infighting among the princes of the Rain Palace.
Countless thoughts filled Ning Fan’s mind. Just as he was about to leave, Yu Chong Er suddenly rushed out from the group of cultivators courageously and told Ning Fan.
"Ning Fan, you’ve just arrived at the Heavenly Cloud Country. You might not recognize the way. Let me lead you to the Scarlet Heaven Realm!"
"Chong Er! All the ’cloud lions’ guarding the border of the Scarlet Heaven Realm have gone out of control. It will be very dangerous for you to go to the Scarlet Heaven Realm with your current cultivation level... You don’t have a Void Refinement Realm cultivation base like White-Robed Marquis..."
Nervousness filled Yu Bai’s expression as he tried to dissuade her. However, Yu Chong Er refused to listen. She pointed at Ning Fan and said, "He will protect me, I guess..."
Yu Chong Er looked at Ning Fan with uncertainty. If she did not have Ning Fan’s protection, she would not dare to go to the Scarlet Heaven Palace.
"That’s a good idea. This is my first time in the Heavenly Cloud Country. I’m not familiar with this place and the people here. It can’t get any better to have Mistress Yu to be my guide. Rest assured, Brother Yu. With me by her side, no matter whatever happens in the Scarlet Heaven Realm, your younger sister won’t suffer injury."
Ning Fan cupped his fists at Yu Bai and displayed his teleportation technique, carrying Yu Chong Er into the territory of the Heavenly Cloud Country.
Looking at their figures which were getting smaller into the distance, Yu Bai shook his head and sighed. His younger sister has always hated Ning Fan. To see her so friendly and kind to him now...
The Heavenly Cloud Country was divided into ten different realms. The Scarlet Heaven Realm was situated northwest. Ning Fan needed to get past several other realms in order to reach his destination.
While Yu Chong Er was riding on Ning Fan’s travelling light, she felt like she was stepping on a black rainbow.
She did not dare to raise her head, her cheeks red hot. She would slightly lift her head whenever she had to guide him to steal a glance at Ning Fan.
However, whenever she saw Ning Fan, she would recall the past incident of her giving him a kiss...
In the past, she gave him her first kiss in order to transfer some of her Insect Sovereign Blood to heal his wounds.
"I must be sick... Otherwise, why would I volunteer to be his guide...? Have I gone crazy? Even though the Scarlet Heaven Realm is so dangerous, I still decided to go there..."
"I’m doomed now. I’m so nervous... What should I say to him...? My mind is completely blank now..."
The way she lowered her head resembled a terrified ostrich.
Ning Fan could not help but find it quite funny. Was she the Yu Chong Er he knew in the past?
The Yu Chong Er he remembered loathed devil cultivators. She often teased and mocked him, had forcefully kissed him and even treated him like her pillow when she fell asleep... Today, however, she was surprisingly quiet and obedient. She did not even do anything unnecessary.
When Ning Fan secretly used his Mind Reading Technique and saw through the thoughts inside her head, he did not know whether he should laugh or cry. Actually, Yu Chong Er did not become more gentle and quiet. Instead, she was just too nervous and did not know what to say to him.
"Aren’t you going to introduce me to the local customs and practices of the Heavenly Cloud Country?" Ning Fan reminded me.
"Oh yes. Let me introduce you to the Heavenly Cloud Country. This is the capital of the Rain World. Not a single country in the eight hundred cultivation countries of the Rain World can rival it in terms of its prosperity and growth."
Yu Chong Er started babbling, introducing the customs of the places around the country.
The Heavenly Cloud Country was a country of clouds and mist. All the palaces, pavilions and buildings in the country were built using clouds and mist. Rainbow-colored clouds could even be found everywhere in the sky.
The entire Heavenly Cloud Country was enveloped by layers of cloud formation which was at the Peak Immortal Void Grade. Even an ordinary Void Fragmentation Realm expert would not be able to shatter the cloud formation protecting the country.
"This formation is called the ’Cloud Sea Falling Smoke Formation’. It’s a grand formation that one of the former Rain Sovereigns established. It can eliminate the enemies of the country using its cloud light. It has been said that several millions of bandit cultivators had once attacked the Heavenly Cloud Country several hundred thousand years ago. There were even three bandit cultivators at the First Heavenly Layer of the Void Fragmentation Realm among their ranks... In the end, all of them were killed by this formation..." Yu Chong Er explained. When she imagined the scene where millions of people were killed, she felt scared.